Tag: the eagle

Categories
DVD & Blu-ray

UK DVD & Blu-ray Releases: Monday 25th July 2011

DVD & BLU-RAY PICKS

The Eagle (Universal Pictures): Rosemary Sutcliffe’s 1954 historical novel finally reaches the screen with this drama set in 140 AD about a young Roman officer (Channing Tatum) and his slave (Jamie Bell), who venture on a journey to find the eagle standard of an ill-fated legion who disappeared in the North of Britain. Directed by Kevin MacDonald, it features some authentic period detail, rich visuals from cinematographer Antony Dodd Mantle and supporting performances from Donald Sutherland and Mark Strong. [Listen to our interview with producer Duncan Kenworthy] [Buy it on Blu-ray or DVD from Amazon UK]

The Lincoln Lawyer (EV): Surprisingly satisfying legal drama about an LA lawyer (Matthew McConaughey) who conducts business from the back of his Lincoln town car while representing a high-profile client in Beverly Hills. Adapted from Michael Connelly’s bestselling novel by director Brad Furman, it features some nice supporting turns from Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe and William H Macy. [Buy it on Blu-ray or DVD from Amazon UK]

Went the Day Well? (Optimum Home Entertainment): A curious but highly effective piece of Allied wartime time propaganda, this 1942 film from Ealing Studios imagines an English village taken over by German paratroopers disguised as British soldiers. Using a flashback narrative, the film has been restored by StudioCanal and the BFI for this Blu-ray and DVD release and also features an early role for Thora Hird. [Buy the Blu-ray or DVD from Amazon UK]

ALSO OUT

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (Paramount Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal]
Middle Men (Paramount Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal]
Rango (Paramount Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal]
Scream of the Banshee (G2 Pictures) [Blu-ray / Normal]
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (Miramax) [Blu-ray / Normal]
The Funhouse (Arrow Video) [Blu-ray / Normal]
The Round Up (Revolver Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal]
Unknown (Optimum Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal]
World War II 360: The Complete Series (Go Entertain) [Blu-ray / Normal]

> UK Cinema Releases for Friday 22nd July 2011 including Cars 2 and Horrible Bosses
> The Best DVD & Blu-ray releases of 2010

Categories
DVD & Blu-ray Interviews Podcast

Interview: Duncan Kenworthy on The Eagle

The Eagle is a historical drama directed by Kevin MacDonald and adapted from Rosemary Sutcliff‘s 1954 historical novel The Eagle of the Ninth.

Set in Britain during 140 AD, it tells the story of a young Roman officer (Channing Tatum) and his slave (Jamie Bell), who venture to the North of England in order to find the eagle standard of an ill-fated legion who disappeared several years before.

Duncan Kenworthy has produced several British films, including Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), Lawn Dogs (1997), Notting Hill (1999) and Love Actually (2003) and he has wanted to make this film for a number of years.

I recently spoke with him about its development, the historical accuracy of the piece, choosing Kevin MacDonald as director and the current state of the British film industry after the closure of the UK Film Council.

Listen to the interview by clicking below:

[audio:http://filmdetail.receptionmedia.com/Duncan_Kenworthy_on_The_Eagle.mp3]

You can also download this interview as a podcast via iTunes by clicking here.

The DVD and Blu-ray is out in the UK on Monday and includes the following extras:

  • Audio commentary with director Kevin MacDonald
  • Alternate Ending
  • Deleted Scenes
  • The Eagle: The Making Of A Roman Epic
  • Pocket blu
  • The Eagle: Creating the Standard 45 Min Making Of Documentary

Universal Pictures release The Eagle on DVD and Blu-ray on Monday 25th July

> Download this interview as an MP3 file
> Buy The Eagle on DVD or Blu-ray from Amazon UK
> Official website
> Find out more about Roman Britain at Wikipedia

Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 25th March 2011

NATIONAL RELEASES

Limitless (Paramount/Momentum): A struggling writer (Bradley Cooper) discovers a top-secret drug which bestows him with super human abilities. As his usage begins to change his life, he begins to discover the drug’s shadowy origins. Directed by Neil Burger and co-starring Abbie Cornish and Robert De Niro, this has a promising first third but soon dissolves into a formulaic thriller. [Nationwide / 15] [Reviews] [Trailer]

The Eagle (Universal): In Roman-ruled Britain, a young Roman soldier endeavors to honor his father’s memory by finding his lost legion’s golden emblem. Directed by Kevin MacDonald and starring Jamie Bell and Channing Tatum. [Nationwide / 12A] [Reviews] [Trailer]

Country Strong (Sony Pictures): A fallen country star (Gwyneth Paltrow) strives to revive her career with some help from her husband (Tim McGraw), a young songwriter (Garrett Hedlund) and an emerging country artist (Leighton Meester). Directed by Shana Feste. [Nationwide / 12A] [Reviews] [Trailer]

Faster (Sony Pictures): An ex-convict (Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson) seeks revenge for his brother’s death in this revenge thriller, co-starring Billy Bob Thornton, Oliver Jackson-Cohen and directed by George Tillman Jr. [Nationwide / 15] [Reviews] [Trailer]

A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventures (Optimum Releasing): A sea turtle who was hatched in 1959 spends the next 50 years traveling the world while it is being changed by global warming. Directed by Ben Stassen, it stars Melanie Griffith and Isabelle Fuhrman. [Nationwide / U] [Reviews] [Trailer]

ALSO OUT

Cave of Forgotten Dreams (Picturehouse): Werner Herzog’s latest documentary sees the German director gain access to film inside the Chauvet caves France, capturing the oldest known pictorial creations of humankind in their astonishing natural setting. [Selected cinemas / U] [Read our full review here] [Reviews] [Trailer]

Wake Wood (Vertigo Films): Irish horror film about the parents of a girl killed by a savage dog who are granted the opportunity to spend three days with their deceased daughter. [Selected cinemas / 18] [Reviews] [Trailer]

Toast (Momentum Pictures): Drama based on the memoirs of food writer Nigel Slater, which first premièred on BBC1 around Christmas. [Selected cinemas / PG] [Trailer]

> Get local cinema showtimes at Google Movies or FindAnyFilm
> UK DVD & Blu-ray releases for Monday 21st March 2011, including The Kids Are Alright and Out of Sight