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Author: Ambrose Heron
Editor of FILMdetail
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Spoof Best Picture Posters
College Humour have had some fun with the posters of this year’s Best Picture nominees, including Avatar, The Blind Side, Inglourious Basterds, District 9, A Serious Man, Up in the Air and Up.
Whilst snarky, they are also very funny – especially the one for Up.
The rest can be found here.
Is this bus stop poster for Kung Fu Panda a clever piece of marketing or a creative act of vandalism?
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Alfred Hitchcock on Editing
Some wise words from Alfred Hitchcock on the art of film editing with special reference to Psycho (1960)
> Find out more about film editing at Wikipedia
> Buy Psycho on DVD from Amazon UK
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UK Cinema Releases: Friday 5th March 2010
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NATIONAL RELEASES
Alice In Wonderland (Walt Disney): Tim Burton’s adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s famous children’s stories conflates the two books Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass.
Alice (Mia Wasikowska) ventures into a fantastical world where she meets various characters including Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter), the Knave of Hearts (Crispin Glover), the White Queen (Anne Hathaway), the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry) and the White Rabbit (Michael Sheen) and also has to slay a beast called the Jabberwock.
Although a big budget studio production, it is a major disappointment for a variety of reasons although that won’t stop British audiences from powering it to a healthy opening weekend despite mixed reviews. [Odeon Leicester Square & Nationwide / PG]
Legion (Sony Pictures): A fantasy-horror about a group of strangers stranded in a remote diner in the Southwest who unwittingly become humanity’s last line of defense a terrifying biblical apocalypse descends upon the world. [Nationwide / 15]
Chloe (Optimum Releasing): A remake of the 2003 French film Nathalie… about a doctor (Julianne Moore) who hires an escort (Amanda Seyfried) to seduce her husband (Liam Neeson) whom she suspects of cheating, which leads to unforeseen consequences. [Odeon Covent Garden, Showcases Bluewater, Newham & Nationwide / 15]
Case 39 (Paramount): A horror about a social worker (Renee Zellweger) who fights to save a girl from her abusive parents, only to discover that the situation is more dangerous than she thought. [Empire Leicester Square & Nationwide / 15]
Ondine (Paramount): The latest film from director Neil Jordan about an Irish fisherman (Colin Farrell) who discovers a woman (Alicja Bachleda) in his fishing net who he believes to be a mermaid. [Nationwide/ 12A]
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ALSO OUT
1234 (Soda Pictures): British film about a wannabe musician and his band members trying to make it big. [Key Cities]
Exit Through The Gift Shop (Revolver Entertainment): A faux documentary about guerilla street artist Banksy and his collaborators. [Clapham Picturehouse, Curzon Soho, Everyman, Gate & Key Cities / 15]
Father Of My Children (Artificial Eye): A French film about a family who’s life is turned upside down when the father, a film producer, faces a crisis. [Curzons Mayfair & Richmond, Odeon Swiss Cottage, Renoir & Key Cities / 12A]
Motherhood (Metrodome Distribution): A comedy starring Uma Thurman, Anthony Edwards and Minnie Driver, set in New York’s West Village, about the dilemmas of motherhood. [Apollo Piccadilly Circus / 15]
The Shouting Men (Kaleidoscope Entertainment): Low budget British comedy about a bunch of Gillingham football supporters as they head north towards Newcastle. [Key Cities / 15]
> DVD and Blu-ray Picks for Monday 1st March including Fantastic Mr Fox, Dawn of the Dead and Jacob’s Ladder
> Get local cinema showtimes for your area via Google Movies
Tim Burton’s vision of Alice in Wonderland is a garishly average affair which doesn’t do justice to Lewis Carroll‘s source material.
This version fuses the two books Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, whilst also making modifications.
Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is older than usual and the story follows her as she ventures into the fantastical Underland (or ‘Wonderland’ as some inhabitants call it).
It is there she meets various characters including Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter), the Knave of Hearts (Crispin Glover), the White Queen (Anne Hathaway), the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry) and the White Rabbit (Michael Sheen) and also has to slay a beast called the Jabberwock.
Many children around the world have grown up with this story and the characters are fairly iconic to people of a certain age, so it was a no-brainer to make a live action feature film, especially given the success of Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).
But Burton has made a deeply average film which only contains fleeting glimpses of magic and too much that is pedestrian and uninspired.
Major problems begin with the casting of Alice, who is played by an actress who seems like she has just fallen out of bed rather than down a rabbit hole.
Newcomer Wasikowska just doesn’t have the spirit the role demands, especially given all the mind-bending experiences the protagonist goes through.
The idea of making her older doesn’t add anything substantial and her journey towards an armoured warrior towards the climax is unconvincing.
The production design and visual look of the film – one of Burton’s big selling points as a director – is also badly handled, much too reliant on green-screen trickery, to the point where it all blurs into an ugly CGI mess with little craft or imagination.
This is no more apparent than in the famous supporting characters.
The likes of the Cheshire Cat, Tweedledum and Tweedledee and the White Rabbit are wonderfully visual on the page, but on screen there are wafer-thin digital creations lacking charm and generally passing by without any consequence.
The two exceptions are Depp and Bonham-Carter, who do bring some zest to their roles, with the former tapping into the surreal charm of his character whilst the latter conveys the aristocratic impatience of hers with nice comic timing.
But this is little relief in a film which is a chore to sit through.
To make matters worse, the 3D has not been thought through properly and as the first major studio film to be released in the format after Avatar, this could prove to be a big let down.
I suspect, though could be wrong, that it wasn’t designed as a 3D film from the beginning, but when the 3D bandwagon gathered steam last year, someone decided to tick a box in the hope of boosting the box office.
When you think of the events in the story – falling down holes, characters growing in size etc – it is a massive missed opportunity, whether 3D was originally planned or not.
In fact, the film itself is one big missed opportunity that fails to translate the material effectively and a sign of a director who seems to have lost his way.
> Official website
> Alice in Wonderland at the IMDB
> Other reviews of Alice in Wonderland at Metacritic
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Oscar Thank Yous
An amusing montage of famous actors and directors saying who they’d like to thank at the Oscars.
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When you compare the poster of a theatrical release with the DVD and Blu-ray cover you often see that they have different approaches.
Up in the Air is a recent release – an acclaimed comedy-drama from writer-director Jason Reitman starring George Clooney as an air-mile addicted corporate down-sizer – that recently came out on DVD and Blu-ray in the US.
You may notice that the poster you saw in your local cinema (on the above left) is notably different from the cover of the disc you will buy or rent (on the above right).
The cinema poster – designed by BLT Associates – is fairly conceptual. It depicts the three main characters of the film (Clooney in the middle, flanked by Anna Kendrick on the left and Vera Farmiga on the right) but they are distant, in silhouette and made to look small by the airport glass and plane outside.
The Helvetica font and colour scheme (cool blues, mixed with whites and blacks) are very reminiscent of an airport and the overall effect is neat as it captures both the bittersweet mood and basic themes of the film.
Reitman recently said that he got the basic idea for the poster by taking a similar photo whilst filming on location at an airport but that some folks at Paramount marketing (the studio that funded the film) were keen on getting a little more of Clooney in the image.
After all, if you have paid a considerable amount for a star, you want to get your money’s worth even if he’s working at a reduced rate on a prestige, Oscar-candidate project like this.
But now the DVD and Blu-ray has come out in the US (that would be on the above right), you can see the difference.
Althought they have inverted the colour scheme of the theatrical poster, the main image features a much more prominent Clooney (laughing) alongside Vera Farmiga, with them both laughing at a bar.
The combined effect emphasises the comedy/feel-good aspect of the film alongside the romance and downplays the more serious themes of recession, job firings and isolation that crop up eslewhere in the story.
Personally, I think it looks horrible and doesn’t do justice to the quality of the film, but – even for a home entertainment release – it also looks pretty ropey, as if an intern was asked to do it on Photoshop on his lunch break.
So, what to make of all this?
Firstly, movie posters come out of a tradition where they are seen at cinemas, bus stops and various outdoor displays which mean they have to be larger in size. In comparison, DVD and Blu-rays are smaller so they have less space to grab your attention, often resulting in a face shot of the actors.
Secondly, one of the time honoured traditions in Hollywood is for everyone to blame the marketing if a film doesn’t do well at the box office. Although Up in the Air was by no means a flop – especially given its relatively lean budget – maybe Paramount felt they could dupe new audiences into thinking it is some kind of romantic comedy.
Thirdly, given that the (literal) shelf life of a film is longer in the shop than it is at cinemas, you would think that more time and effort would be spent on getting it right, rather than just reacting to what happened on the theatrical release.
Finally, it seems that the UK DVD & Blu-ray release of Up in the Air has exactly the same design as the theatrical poster, which could mean that: a) We have better taste over here b) Paramount UK couldn’t be bothered to change it or c) None of the above applies.
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> A lengthy blog post from 2007 entitled Why Do Great Movies Get Awful DVD Cover Art?
> Anna Kendrick talks to me about Up in the Air
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Fantastic Mr Fox (Fox): Wes Anderson‘s animated adaptation of the Roald Dahl children’s book was pleasingly off beat and featured an all-star voice cast in telling the tale of a fox (George Clooney) who lives underground with his wife (Meryl Streep) and family (which includes Jason Schwartzman) whilst attracting the ire of local farmers (Michael Gambon, Adrien Brody and Brian Cox). The stop motion animation is artfully realised and the witty script is complemented by some nicely deadpan voice-over work from the cast. [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
Dawn of the Dead (Arrow Films): George A Romero‘s classic 1978 horror film finally comes to Blu-ray and his follow-up to Night of the Living Dead still stands up after 32 years which have seen countless imitators, remakes and homages (most notably Shaun of the Dead). The story revolves around four people trapped inside a shopping mall after the rest of society has turned in to flesh eating zombies and the satirical jabs at Western consumerism have a new relevance in the modern era. This version is the 128 minute theatrical cut and features extras including audio commentaries, trailers, still gallery and an 85 minute documentary. [Buy it on Blu-ray]
Jacob’s Ladder (Optimum): A creepy psychological 1990 horror from director Adrian Lyne, this is the tale of a Vietnam veteran (Tim Robbins) who thinks he is going insane after his nightmares begin spilling into his waking life and he comes to think it has something to do with a powerful drug tested on him during the war. Written by Bruce Joel Rubin, it features solid supporting performances from Elizabeth Peña, Ving Rhames and Danny Aiello. It remains a powerful film even if the ending will probably prove divisive among viewers. [Buy it on Blu-ray]
ALSO OUT
Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant (Warner Bros) [Buy on DVD | Buy on Blu-ray]
Nurse Jackie – Season 1 (Lionsgate) [Buy on DVD]
In Plain Sight – Season 2 (Universal) [Buy on DVD]
An Inspector Calls (1954) [Buy on DVD]
The Horseman (Kaleidoscope) [Buy on DVD | Buy on Blu-ray]
Triangle (Icon) [Buy on DVD | Buy on Blu-ray]
> The Best DVD and Blu-ray releases of 2009
> UK cinema releases for Friday 26th February including Everybody’s Fine, Extraordinary Measures, The Crazies and Capitalism: A Love Story
Legendary cinematographer Gordon Willis talks about his landmark work on The Godfather films.
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NATIONAL RELEASES
Everybody’s Fine (Walt Disney): A comedy about a widower (Robert De Niro) setting off on an impromptu trip ride to reunite with each of his grown children.
Arriving from the States with decidedly mixed reviews and tepid box office, this looks to be another sad chapter in the decline of DeNiro from the greatest actor of his generation to a goofy comedy uncle. Another irony of this film is the title – as one of the last films to be produced by Miramax before Disney effectively shut the studio down, everyone was decidedly not fine. [Cineworld Shaftesbury Ave., & Nationwide / 12A]
Extraordinary Measures (Sony Pictures): A drama about a biotechnology executive (Brendan Fraser) whose two young children are afflicted with Pompe disease (acid maltase deficiency) and the research scientist (Harrison Ford) who might have a cure for their rare genetic disorder.
The first film from the newly formed CBS Films (released in the UK by Sony) was a critical and commercial bomb, with some critics saying it sidestepped the glaring issue of medical costs in the US. [Nationwide / PG]
From Paris With Love (Warner Bros.): A thriller set in Paris, involving a young employee in the office of the US Ambassador (Jonathan Rhys-Myers) who hooks up with an American spy (John Travolta) looking to stop a terrorist attack in the city.
Directed by Pierre Morel (who had an unexpected hit last year with Taken) and produced by Luc Besson, it seems likely to have the same formula of mindless action, cheesy dialogue and decent box office. [Nationwide / 15]
Leap Year (Optimum Releasing): A romantic comedy about an American woman (Amy Adams) who travels to Ireland to propose to her boyfriend only to fall for an earthy local (Matthew Goode).
The above trailer is one of the most hideous in recent memory and it looks like all concerned (especially director Anand Tucker, who recently directed the third part of The Red Riding Trilogy) are doing this for commercial rather than creative reasons. Hollywood films set in Ireland usually contain the following cliches: Celtic flutes all over the soundtrack; earthy-but-charming locals who drink Guinness and red headed girls who are persuaded to dance in a pub. This looks like it could tick all those boxes. [Odeon Covent Garden, Vue West End & Nationwide / PG]
The Crazies (Paramount/Momentum): A remake of George A Romero’s 1973 horror about a town which goes crazy (or should that be crazie?) after the water supply has been poisoned by an unknown toxin.
Starring Timothy Olyphant and Radha Mitchell, it looks like it will attract poor reviews but decent initial box office. [Vues Finchley Rd, Fulham Broadway, Cineworld Shaftesbury Ave., & Nationwide / 15]
Capitalism: A Love Story (Paramount/Momentum): The latest documentary from Michael Moore examines the effect of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans, especially in the light of the recent global economic meltdown.
Although the buzz on this film was mixed when it premiered at Venice and Toronto back in the Autumn, it is a more thoughtful film than some critics have given it credit for. The title is misleading as it’s more of a critique against the winner-takes-all capitalism ushered in by the Reagan administration and how the policies under Clinton and Bush have contributed to the current financial crisis. There are some sequences that drag a little, but for the most part it is a thought provoking examination of how we’ve got to where we are as a society. Strangely, it could actually win Moore audiences amongst the right-wing ‘Teabaggers‘ as well as his core liberal audience as his criticisms of the TARP scheme chime in with theirs. [Curzon Soho & Key Cities / PG]
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ALSO OUT
Micmacs (E1 Entertainment): The latest film from Jean Pierre-Jeunet is a charming and highly inventive caper about a man (Dany Boon) who hooks up with an eccentric group of activists in order to get revenge on two unscrupulous arms dealers.
Despie being a fixture on the festival circuit, I’m surprised there isn’t more buzz about this film because it is one of the most inventive and pleasurable I’ve seen in the last year. It bears more similarities to Jeunet’s earlier work like Delicatessen and The City of Lost Children, but also manages to mix in a powerful social message without being preachy. The technical aspects of the film are a treat to watch and most of the actors (including Jeunet regulars like Dominique Pinon) are excellent in roles which require a great deal of physicality, sometime reminiscent of a Buster Keaton comedy. [C’World Haymarket, Curzons Mayfair, Soho & Nationwide / 12A]
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Park Circus): A BFI reissue for one of the most overrated comedies of all time. [BFI Southbank & Key Cities/ 12A]
Freestyle (Revolver Entertainment): A British film about a poor basketball player (Arinze Kene) who falls for rich girl (Lucy Stanhope) when he coaches her in the art of freestyle (basketball set to music). [London & Key Cities / 12A]
She, A Chinese (Optimum Releasing): Directed by London-based Chinese novelist Xiaolu Guofrom her own book, it is the tale of a young woman (Lu Huang), who travels from a remote Chinese village to London, finding that the West is a tougher place than she expected. [ICA Cinema]
Karthik Calling Karthik (Eros); A Bollywood film about a loser whose life is changed with a phone call.
> DVD and Blu-ray Picks for Monday 22nd February including Wings of Desire and M
> Get local cinema showtimes for your area via Google Movies
Back in October 1996 Steve Jobs and John Lasseter went on The Charlie Rose Show to discuss Pixar and the future of animated film.
A little bit of background: Jobs bought the animation division of ILM from George Lucas in 1986, renamed it Pixar and in 1995 their first feature length movie Toy Story began an incredible run of acclaimed animated blockbusters; Lasseter was the creative chief who directed A Bug’s Life (1998), Toy Story 2 (1999) and Cars (2006) whilst also serving as executive producer on Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo(2003) and The Incredibles (2004), Ratatouille (2007) and WALL-E (2008).
The interview is fascinating in retrospect because it was only a few months before Jobs returned to Apple (the computer company he had co-founded in 1976) and began the great renaissance that gave the world the iMac, the iPod and the iPhone.
Just a decade after the following interview was recorded, Pixar was bought by Disney in early 2006 for $7.4 billion – Jobs became the largest individual shareholder and Lasseter was appointed Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Feature Animation.
Watch it in full below:
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Avatar vs Pocahontas Mashups
Some people have got creative mashing up Disney’s Pocahonatas with James Cameron’s Avatar.
The BBC series The Virtual Revolution aired on BBC2 over the last four weeks and explored the past, present and future of the world wide web.
If you are in the UK, you can watch all four episodes on iPlayer at the links below:
The inventor of the web Tim Berners-Lee was interviewed for the series and in a neat touch the BBC has made available the raw interviews (or ‘rushes’ in film and TV speak) on their website.
Here is some of the interview which covers how people think when using the web; the ‘spirit of the web’; the impact of the web on nation states and web censorship.
Presenter Aleks Krotoski has also compiled a Flickr album of photos from filming the series:
Categories
Blu-ray: Wings of Desire
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After a spell making films in the U.S., director Wim Wenders returned to his native Germany for Wings of Desire (1987), a beautiful meditation on existence in a Berlin that was heading towards the end of the Cold War.
The story follows two angels, Damiel (Bruno Ganz) and Cassiel (Otto Sander) as they observe and listen in on the lives of Berlin’s citizens, most notably a trapeze artist, Marion (Solveig Dommartin) and Peter Falk (playing himself) who is in the city making a film.
Co-written with frequent collaborator Peter Handke, Wenders manages to contrast the poetic ruminations of the angels with the doubts and anxieties of the humans to stunning effect: monochrome is contrasted with colour, the camera goes from the skies above to the streets below and the journey of one of the angels is a touching reversal of what usually happens in these kinds of stories.
Wenders the Best Director prize at the Cannes Film Festival and the film spawned a decent – though inferior – sequel in 1993 with Faraway, So Close! and a Hollywood remake (City of Angels) which is best left forgotten.
An instant art house hit when it was originally released, the film has gained an extra layer of poignancy given the seismic changes the Berlin it so lovingly documents was about to undergo when the Wall fell in 1989.
This Blu-ray release is a massive improvement on existing DVDs and is a restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by Wenders and the 1080p rendering looks fantastic, with the details and black and white being rendered more faithfully than ever before.
Extra features include:
- 1080/23.98p 1.66:1 Widescreen (extras in SD PAL format)
- German 5.1 DTS-HD MA with optional English subtitles
- Feature-length commentary with Wim Wenders and Peter Falk
- Deleted scenes with optional commentary
- ‘Conversations on Wings of Desire’ featurette
- Trailer
- Exclusive limited edition 24 page collector’s booklet
Wings of Desire is out on on Blu-ray from Axiom Films
> Buy Wings of Desire on Blu-ray from Amazon UK
> IMDb entry
> Find out more about Wim Wenders at Wikipedia
> Check out screen grabs of the Blu-ray at DVD Beaver
Categories
Trailer: Wall Street Money Never Sleeps
The latest full length trailer for Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps has arrived.
Directed by Oliver Stone, the sequel to his 1987 film sees Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) return to the financial world he once dominated and hook up with a young, idealistic investment banker (Shia LaBeouf), set to marry his estranged daughter (Carey Mulligan).
It also stars Josh Brolin, Susan Sarandon, Frank Langella and Eli Wallach.
The UK release date is Wednesday 21st April.
An interesting infographic about the Oscars from Business Pundit.
[Via /Film]
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DVD & BLU-RAY PICKS
Wings of Desire (Axiom): One of the classic European films of the 1980s is Wim Wenders‘ classic tale of a guardian angel (Bruno Ganz) listening to the thoughts of mortals living in West Berlin only to find himself entranced by a trapeze artist (Solveig Dommartin) who makes him yearn to be human. Co-written with Peter Handke and beautifully shot in monochrome and colour by Henri Alekan, it won Wenders the Best Director prize at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival and remains his most celebrated film. This is the first time it has been available on Blu-ray in the UK and has a newly restored picture and sound mix supervised by the director. [Read the full review here]
M (Eureka/MOC): Fritz Lang’s classic early talkie is a crime drama set in 1930s Berlin which involves an elusive serial killer (Peter Lorre) who preys on children – based on the real life Düsseldorf killings – and the efforts of the police and the criminal underworld to catch him. Filmed in Germany, M established Fritz Lang’s reputation in America and was massively influential on other films with its innovative use of sound and visuals.
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ALSO OUT
9 (Universal) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
City Girl (Eureka/MOC) [Buy it on Blu-ray]
Jennifer’s Body (Fox) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
Just Like the Son (Eureka) [Buy it on DVD]
Katalin Varga (Artificial Eye) [Buy it on DVD]
Law & Order: UK – Series 2 (Universal Playback) [Buy it on DVD]
Lucky Bastard (Eureka) [Buy it on DVD]
Michael Jackson’s This Is It (Sony) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
Open Graves (Icon) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
Rob Zombie Presents….The Haunted World of El Superbeasto (Anchor Bay) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
Sons of Anarchy Season 1 (Fox) [Buy it on DVD]
Taking Woodstock (Universal) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
The Beaches of Agnes (Artificial Eye) [Buy it on DVD]
The Day of the Triffids (2009) (Showbox) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
The Shinjuku Incident (Cine Asia) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
There’s Always Tomorrow (Eureka/MOC) [Buy it on DVD]
Categories
BAFTA Backstage Interviews
Here are some official backstage interviews with tonight’s BAFTA winners including Kathryn Bigelow, Colin Firth, Carey Mulligan, Mark Boal, Pete Docter and the Avatar effects team (Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham, Andrew R. Jones).
Categories
BAFTA Winners
Here is the full list of tonight’s BAFTA winners.
- Best Picture – The Hurt Locker
- Best Actor – Colin Firth, A Single Man
- Best Actress – Carey Mulligan, An Education
- Best Director -Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker
- Best Supporting Actor – Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
- Best Supporting Actress: Mo’nique, Precious (Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire)
- Original Screenplay: Mark Boal for The Hurt Locker
- Adapted Screenplay – Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner for Up In The Air
- Cinematography – Barry Ackroyd for The Hurt Locker
- Editing – The Hurt Locker
- Production Design: Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg & Kim Sinclair for Avatar
- Makeup and Hair: Jenny Shircore for The Young Victoria
- Costume Design: Sandy Powell for The Young Victoria
- Visual Effects – Avatar
- Sound – The Hurt Locker
- Music – Michael Giacchino for Up
- Film not in the English Language – Un Prophete
- Animated Film – Up
- Orange Rising Star Award – Kristen Stewart
- Outstanding British Film: Fish Tank
- Outstanding British Debut: Duncan Jones for Moon
- Short Film – I Do Air
- Short Animation – Mother Of Many
Just for the record, I managed to correctly predict all the main categories in a tweet earlier.
Below is a Flickr slideshow of photos from the night:
The man on the left is the co-founder & CEO of Apple and Pixar, whilst the man on the right is the director of The White Ribbon.
Both are very talented and share a penchant for black turtle necks and mean beards.
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NATIONAL RELEASES
The Lovely Bones (Paramount): The adaptation of Alice Sebold’s unlikely bestseller is a major disappointment which flounders between CGI fantasy and awkward murder mystery. Set in Norristown, Pennsylvania in 1973, the story is about a young girl (Saoirse Ronan) who is raped and murdered by a neighbour (Stanley Tucci) and then watches the effects of her death on her parents (Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz) and other people she has left behind.
When director Peter Jackson was first attached to this project (originally developed by Film4 in the UK) it seemed like he would be returning to the mix of real life horror and fantasy that made Heavenly Creatures (1994) so powerful. Alas, that wasn’t to be and it seems like Jackson and regular scriptwriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens had a hard time dialling down the emotion from their more recent big budget work (The Lord of the Rings, King Kong). Despite a stellar cast, the characters feel wildly overwrought and the ‘in-between world’ is essentially one empty CGI workout after another, with little emotion or genuine link to the drama.
Ronan and Tucci actually do very well in trying circumstances – they are easily the best thing about the film – but it is sad to see actors like Wahlberg, Weisz and Sarandon wasted on wafer thin roles. One can only assume that the tricky nature of the book led Jackson into a creative vortex he couldn’t ultimately get out of, but whatever the reason it ranks as one of the most disappointing films of the year given all the talent involved. Paramount held this back for several months because they felt it could be an Oscar front-runner, but its chances died when people finally got to see it. It might still do OK business given the fan base of the book, but this is only likely to be remembered as a creative misfire. [Vue West End & Nationwide / 12A]
The Last Station (Optimum Releasing): A historical drama that portrays Russian author Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer) and his struggle to balance fame and wealth towards the end of his life and the effects this has on his wife (Helen Mirren) and community of followers (including James McAvoy and Paul Giamatti).
Directed by Michael Hoffman, this is exactly the kind of period Oscar-bait that ageing Academy members drool over: distinguished actors, a historical-literary subject matter and a period setting. But it feels wildly out of date, something which Miramax might have put out in the late 90s, and is actually tedious to watch. Part of the problem is the cosy complacency of the script which doesn’t allow for anything other than the most cursory and clichéd look at Tolstoy’s life and ideas. The embarrassing dialogue he has given great actors (Mirren has two cringe-inducing scenes). Another problem in this post-Downfall age is the difficulty to suspend disbelief for the English accents in period Russia, which just make it feel like a stodgy BBC literary adaptation from the 1970s. [Picturehouse Clapham, The Gate & Nationwide / 15]
Crazy Heart (20th Century Fox): This drama about a veteran country singer (Jeff Bridges) who finds love and redemption is a charming and easygoing tale that seems likely to win Bridges his first Oscar.
On the face of it, this appears a well worn kind of film. For example, it bears remarkable similarities last year’s The Wrestler, but manages to become something more than the sum of its parts. When we first meet Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges), he seems like just another washed up country singer, touring the backwaters of the US country circuit.
But as the story progresses, we meet characters who affect him in different ways: a journalist (Maggie Gyllenhaal, in her best role in some time) who he falls for; a former protege turned superstar singer (Colin Farrell) and an old bar owning friend (Robert Duvall).
Writer-director Scott Cooper manages to juggle familiar themes of redemption and loss, whilst avoiding contrived twists and sentimental claptrap. Bad’s alcoholism, regret and attempts to establish a lasting relationship are just the simple struggles of life. By presenting them with little fuss, they gain a power and richness some filmmakers might have missed.
The music by T-Bone Burnett adds a wonderful musical texture to the drama and Bridges does an excellent job in performing them convincingly. Of course, the central talking point for most audiences will be his captivating central performance. It distills everything great about his distinguished career into one role: his easy charm, screen presence and intense like-ability are delivered here in one neat and memorable role.
This is a film with mostly good people. The ‘villains’, if one can call them that, are simply the grinding challenges of everyday existence. Much of the pleasure comes from seeing how the characters deal with what we all face: old age, disappointment and our own nagging doubts. [Vue West End / Nationwide from March 5th / 15]
Solomon Kane (Entertainment): Based on the character created by Robert E. Howard in 1928, this stars James Purefoy in the title role as a 16th century soldier who must fights demons and seek redemption or have his soul damned to Hell. [Nationwide / 15]
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ALSO OUT
A Closed Book (Eyeline Ent/Atlantic Film): Chilean director Raoul Ruiz is behind this story about a blind art critic (Tom Conti) and his personal assistant (Daryl Hannah). [Selected cinemas / 15]
The Headless Woman (New Wave Films): An acclaimed Argentinian film directed by Luis César Amadori and starring Niní Marshall. [Key Cities / 12A]
The Unloved (ICA Films): Samantha Morton’s directorial debut feature is drama about a young girl growing up in a children’s home. [ICA Cinema & Selected Key Cities]
Celine: Through The Eyes Of The World (Sony Pictures): Yes, a live concert film of Celine Dion is being unleashed at cinemas up and down the land. Christ. [Selected Cinemas Nationwide / PG]
> DVD and Blu-ray Picks for Monday 15th February including Up, The Go-Between and The Ladykillers
> Get local cinema showtimes for your area via Google Movies
The New York Times recently asked a bunch of high profile actors (including Sandra Bullock, Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson and George Clooney) to discuss their favourite performances of the last decade.
I’m surprised at the general timidity of the choices (Eddie Murphy?!) but three I’d totally agree with are Woody Harrelson on Ulrich Mühe (The Lives of Others), Vera Farmiga on Michael Fassbender (Hunger) and Zoe Saldana on Tang Wei (Lust, Caution).
Here’s a few I’d say were amongst the best performances of the last ten years:
- Naomi Watts in Mulholland Drive (2001)
- Danny Huston in ivansxtc (2002)
- Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper in Adaptation. (2002)
- Bill Murray in Lost in Translation (2003)
- Paul Giamatti and Thomas Hayden Church in Sideways (2004)
- Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
- Bruno Ganz in Downfall (2004)
- Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain (2005)
- Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote (2005)
- Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood (2007)
- Javier Bardem in No Country For Old Men (2007)
- Mathieu Amalric in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
- Anamaria Marinca in 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007)
- Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler (2008)
- Michael Stuhlbarg in A Serious Man (2009)
I’m sure there are more, but I’m still amazed that no-one mentioned Daniel Day Lewis.
Categories
Blu-ray: Pierrot le fou
One of the key films of the French new wave, Pierrot le fou (1965) is Jean-Luc Godard‘s landmark drama about two lovers who go on the run.
Based on Lionel White‘s novel Obsession, it is the story of Ferdinand (Jean-Paul Belmondo), a young intellectual married to a rich Italian, who is utterly disillusioned with his luxurious bourgeois existence. When his new babysitter for his young daughter turns out to be his former lover, Marianne (Anna Karina) he sees a chance to escape.
When he and Marianne leave for the south of France, they confront criminals, petrol attendants, and American tourists as they discover more about themselves and become a kind of existential Bonnie & Clyde.
Godard here returned to the territory of A bout de souffle (1959), but this is arguably a more complex and challenging work which features musical numbers, as well as allusions to painting, literature and cinema itself.
The striking use of colour is just one of the many visual treats, as is the breaking of the fourth wall with characters looking into the camera and some innovative editing.
The Blu-ray comes with the following extras:
- Introduction by Colin McCabe, Godard expert
- Godard, Love and Poetry: Documentary on Godard (53 mins)
- Documentary film analysis by Jean-Bernard Pouy (106 mins)
- Trailer
- German TV Advertisement
- Posters (5)
- BD Live
- Booklet: Analysis of the movie by Roland-Francois Lack, Senior Lecturer in French and Film at University College London.
The technical specs are:
- Cert: 15
- Region B
- Feature Running time: 105 mins approx
- Blu-ray Feature Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
- Colour PAL
- Feature Audio: DTS Master Audio Dual Mono
- English language
- Video: 24p 1080
- Disc Type: BD50
- Cat no: OPTBD0826
- RRP: £24.99
Pierrot le fou is out on Blu-ray now from Optimum Home Entertainment as part of The Studio Canal Collection
> Buy Pierrot le fou on Blu-ray from Amazon UK
>Pierrot le fou at the IMDb
Categories
Blu-ray: The Ladykillers
One of the classic comedies produced by Ealing Studios, The Ladykillers (1955) sees a criminal mastermind (Alec Guinness) and his gang rent a London flat from a sweet old lady (Katie Johnson) only to find that things don’t go as planned.
It features an excellent supporting cast that includes Peter Sellers, Herbert Lom and Danny Green, although it is the two leads of Guinness and Johnson who really shine with pitch perfect performances.
There is a restrained classiness to Alexander Mackendrick‘s direction whilst William Rose‘s screenplay has a marvellous blend of wit and economy.
Look out too for the effective use of London locations and the sparring between Lom and Sellars, which anticipates their roles in the Pink Panther films a decade later.
The Blu-ray comes with the following extras:
- Introduction by Terry Gilliam
- Commentary with Phillip Kemp
- Forever Ealing: Documentary (49 mins)
- Interview with Allan Scott (10 mins)
- Interview with Ronald Harwood (7 mins)
- Interview with Terence Davies New (14 mins)
- Cleaning Up The Ladykillers: featurette
- Trailer
- BD-Live
- Booklet: Analysis by film critic David Parkinson
The technical specs are:
- Cert: PG
- Region B
- Feature Running time: 91 mins approx
- Blu-ray Feature
- Aspect ratio: 16:9 PB – 1.33:1 (4×3)
- Colour PAL
- Feature Audio: DTS HD Master 2.0 (Mono)
- English Language
- Video: 24p 1080
- Disc Type: BD50
- Cat no: OPTBD0602
- RRP: £24.99
The Ladykillers is out on Blu-ray now from Optimum Home Entertainment as part of The Studio Canal Collection
> Buy The Ladykillers on Blu-ray from Amazon UK
> The Ladykillers at the IMDb
Categories
Roger Ebert profile in Esquire
Film critic Roger Ebert was profiled recently in a terrific Esquire piece by Chris Jones.
It details how he has coped with cancer over the last few years and how it has – paradoxically – led to an explosion of writing on his blog.
Some of the highlights include:
His enjoyment of watching a screening of Broken Embraces:
It’s a quirky, complex, beautiful little film, and Ebert loves it. He radiates kid joy. Throughout the screening, he takes excited notes — references to other movies, snatches of dialogue, meditations on Almodóvar’s symbolism and his use of the color red. Ebert scribbles constantly, his pen digging into page after page, and then he tears the pages out of his notebook and drops them to the floor around him.
How his hands now do the talking, after losing his lower jaw and the ability to speak:
Now his hands do the talking. They are delicate, long-fingered, wrapped in skin as thin and translucent as silk. He wears his wedding ring on the middle finger of his left hand; he’s lost so much weight since he and Chaz were married in 1992 that it won’t stay where it belongs, especially now that his hands are so busy. There is almost always a pen in one and a spiral notebook or a pad of Post-it notes in the other — unless he’s at home, in which case his fingers are feverishly banging the keys of his MacBook Pro.
His narrow brush with death when his cancer resurfaced in 2006:
In 2006, the cancer surfaced yet again, this time in his jaw. A section of his lower jaw was removed; Ebert listened to Leonard Cohen. Two weeks later, he was in his hospital room packing his bags, the doctors and nurses paying one last visit, listening to a few last songs. That’s when his carotid artery, invisibly damaged by the earlier radiation and the most recent jaw surgery, burst. Blood began pouring out of Ebert’s mouth and formed a great pool on the polished floor. The doctors and nurses leapt up to stop the bleeding and barely saved his life. Had he made it out of his hospital room and been on his way home — had his artery waited just a few more songs to burst — Ebert would have bled to death on Lake Shore Drive.
How his online journal started in 2008:
At first, it’s just a vessel for him to apologize to his fans for not being downstate. The original entries are short updates about his life and health and a few of his heart’s wishes. Postcards and pebbles. They’re followed by a smattering of Welcomes to Cyberspace. But slowly the journal picks up steam, as Ebert’s strength and confidence and audience grow. You are the readers I have dreamed of, he writes. He is emboldened. He begins to write about more than movies; in fact, it sometimes seems as though he’d rather write about anything other than movies. The existence of an afterlife, the beauty of a full bookshelf, his liberalism and atheism and alcoholism, the health-care debate, Darwin, memories of departed friends and fights won and lost — more than five hundred thousand words of inner monologue have poured out of him, five hundred thousand words that probably wouldn’t exist had he kept his other voice.
How writing is ‘saving’ him:
He calls up a journal entry to elaborate, because it’s more efficient and time is precious: “When I am writing my problems become invisible and I am the same person I always was. All is well. I am as I should be”.
It is a powerful portrait filled with sadness at his condition and yet one can only admire Roger’s dedication to his craft.
In the midst of a terrible illness he is still being sustained by doing the thing he loves. A lesson for us all.
Read the profile in full here and check out his journal here.
Categories
Blu-ray: The Go-Between
Adapted from L.P Hartley’s classic 1953 novel exploring the loss of childhood innocence, The Go-Between (1970) was the third collaboration between director Joseph Losey and writer Harold Pinter, following The Servant (1963) and Accident (1967).
Continuing their exploration of class and desire, it explores a middle-aged man (Michael Redgrave) recalling a childhood summer at a country estate when, as a boy (Dominic Guard), he became a messenger between an aristocratic woman (Julie Christie) an a local farm worker (Alan Bates).
Beautifully filmed in the Norfolk countryside, it transcends the period setting to become a powerful meditation on human relationships and the social rules which govern them.
It is also a meditation on memory and the tricks it may or may not play on us, as the clever narrative gradually makes clear.
Christie and Bates had previously starred together in Far From the Madding Crowd, and there is a definite sense of melancholy here that can be found it the works of Thomas Hardy, alongside the sharp jabs at the cruelties of the British class system.
The period details and costumes are all excellent and the memorable, driving score by Michael LeGrand adds an extra layer of emotion to the story.
It won several BAFTAs, including one for Pinter’s screenplay, and was one of four films awarded a grand prize at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival.
The Blu-ray comes with the following extras:
- SD: Interviews with Joshua Losey (10 mins) / Michael Billington (8 mins) / Patricia Losey (12 mins) / Gerry Fisher (21 mins) / John Heyman (7 mins)
- Horlicks Advert directed by Joseph Losey / Audio recording of Joseph Losey interviewed by Dilys Powell in 1973 (100 mins)
- HD: Trailer / BD Live
- Booklet: Piece by Gavrik Losey, Reprint of essays by Nick James, Editor of Sight & Sound and Dylan Cave, contributor, from Sight & Sound June 2009.
The technical specifications are as follows:
- Cert: PG
- Region B
- Feature Running time: 116 mins approx
- Blu-ray Feature Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
- Colour PAL
- Feature Audio: DTS Master Audio Dual Mono
- English Language
- Video: 24p 1080
- Disc Type: BD50
- Cat no: OPTBD1195
The Go-Between is out on Blu-ray now from Optimum Home Entertainment as part of The Studio Canal Collection
> Buy The Go-Between on Blu-ray from Amazon UK
> The Go-Between at the IMDb
> Find out more about L.P. Hartley’s novel at Wikipedia
Toy Story 3 director Lee Unkrich recently tweeted that he was editing the new Pixar film at 36,000 feet.
He then posted the following picture to prove it.
Tech savvy readers might like to note that he appears to be using Avid Media Composer on a MacBook Pro.
[Via Matt]
This short film by Adam Curtis recently aired on Newswipe with Charlie Brooker and puts forward the argument that we are all becoming like Richard Nixon.
The Pacific is an upcoming World War II miniseries, produced by Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman for HBO which will air in the UK on Sky Movies HD.
A companion series of sorts to Band of Brothers, which focused on the U.S. Army‘s involvement in the European Theater of Operations, this series explores the U.S. Marines in the Pacific Theater of Operations.
The series track the stories of three Marines – Robert Leckie, Eugene Sledge and John Basilone – as they fight in the Pacific and follows them and their fellow soldiers as they clash with the Japanese in the battles of Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, Peleliu, Okinawa and the Battle of Iwo Jima.
Made at a cost of $200 million and shot on location in Australia in High Definition, the series will run for 10 episodes.
Sky Movies HD will be airing The Pacific in the UK at the same time as the series shows in the US on HBO.
UK viewers can find out more at skymovies.com/thepacific at whilst US viewers can find out more at www.hbo.com/thepacific
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Categories
DVD & Blu-ray: Up
Up (Disney): The latest animated film from Pixar continues their extraordinary run of success with a superbly crafted odd-couple adventure which deservedly reaped huge critical acclaim and box office success.
Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner) is a widowed ex-balloon salesman who, at the age of 78 and threatened with eviction, decides to go on an adventure by tying hundreds of balloons to his house and flying off to South America.
When he discovers mid-flight that a persistent young Junior Wilderness Explorer named Russell (Jordan Nagai) is on board, they embark on a journey which takes them to the jungle, where they encounter various creatures and a mysterious explorer (Christopher Plummer) from the past.
Pixar have become so good at feature length animation that it’s easy to take their brilliance for granted: the visuals are vibrant, imaginative and beautifully rendered; the characters are wonderfully crafted – from the contrasting leads to the supporting cast of exotic birds and talking dogs – and the expert pacing makes the 89-minute running time fly by.
Directed by Pete Docter, who was also behind ‘Monsters, Inc.’ (2001) as well as co-writing ‘Toy Story’ (1995) and ‘WALL-E’ (2008), it is the second highest grossing Pixar film (after Finding Nemo).
Much of the appeal was almost certainly cross-generational, with much of the comedy coming from the clash between grumpy old Carl and the naively innocent Russell.
The use of colour, from the balloons to the creatures and plants in the jungle, is as good as any Pixar film and gave it a captivating quality well suited both to 3D in the cinema and Blu-ray in the home.
The physical comedy, especially scenes involving a bird named Kevin and a talking golden retriever called Dug, is also a real treat, providing a lot of laughs and charm.
There is also a wordless sequence near the beginning which is among the most perfect I’ve ever seen in a mainstream film: over just five minutes, a whole marriage is portrayed with incredible economy and deep reserves of emotion.
Michael Giacchino’s score is his best yet for Pixar, with the melodies and instrumentation managing to complement the energetic set pieces and quieter moments with considerable skill and class.
If I had one complaint, it would be that when the film enters into the final act, it evokes a feeling of deja vu with the action seeming a little formulaic (e.g. characters fighting, getting out of scrapes in the nick of time).
The transfer for the Blu-ray is also a marvel to behold. Animated films benefit from coming from a digital source, which means unlike some of their celluloid counterparts, there is no digital noise, grain or flaws to speak of.
Gary Tooze at DVD Beaver has posted some screen grabs here.
Disney are releasing it on DVD and Blu-ray in the following packages:
DVD Deluxe
- Theatrical Short, Partly Cloudy
- Exclusive Short, Dug’s Special Mission
- Home Theatre Maximizer
- Director Commentary w/ Pete Docter & Bob Peterson
- Feature Documentary, Adventure is Out There
- Alternate Scene, The Many Endings of Muntz
- Learn How to Take Your Favourite Movies on the Go
Blu-ray Disc One
- Cine-Explore
- Easter Egg, The Egg
Blu-ray Disc Two
- Global Guardian Badge Game
- Documentaries:
- Geriatric Hero
- Canine Companions
- Russell: Wilderness Explorer
- Our Giant Flightless Friend, Kevin
- Homemakers of PIXAR
- Balloons & Flight
- Composing for Characters
- Alternate Scene, Married Life
- Promo Montage
- Trailer #2
- Trailer #3
> Buy Up at Amazon UK on DVD or Blu-ray
> IMDb Entry
The crop dusting sequence from Hitchcock’s North By Northwest is one of the most iconic in all of cinema and the real life location can be seen above on Google Maps.
The scene was meant to take place in northern Indiana, but was actually shot on Garces Highway (155) near the towns of Wasco and Delano, north of Bakersfield in Kern County, California.
If you have never seen the film, here it is:
Incidentally, the Blu-ray of North By Northwest which Warner Bros brought out last year is easily one of the finest to come out in the new format.
Read my full take on it here.
[Thanks to Jeffrey Wells for pointing out the location in a recent post on Hollywood Elsewhere]
Categories
Sam Neill as James Bond
This is footage of Sam Neill doing a screen test for the role of James Bond with Fiona Fullerton back in the mid-80s.
It was for The Living Daylights (1987), although the scene is actually from From Russia With Love.
Current Bond Daniel Craig told me back in 2006 that the Bond producers always make potential 007s audition with this scene.
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DVD & BLU-RAY PICKS
Up (Disney): Pixar’s latest animated film is the tale of a retired balloon salesman named Carl (Ed Asner) who, at age 78, decides to use his balloons to finally go on a trip down to South America along with an unexpected young stowaway named Russell (Jordan Nagai). [Read the full review here]
The Go-Between (Optimum): A Blu-ray only release for this 1970 adaptation of L.P Hartley’s novel, directed by Joseph Losey and adapted by Harold Pinter. Set over a Norfolk summer in 1900, it sees a young boy become a pawn in the illicit relationship between an aristocratic woman (Julie Christie) and a local farmer (Alan Bates). [Read the full review here]
Pierrot Le Fou (Optimum): A Blu-ray only release for one of the iconic films of the French New Wave, which is Jean-Luc Godard’s 1965 film about a couple – Ferdinand (Jean-Paul Belmondo) and Marianne (Anna Karina) – who get caught up in a mysterious gun-running scheme involving Marianne’s brother (Dirk Sanders). [Read the full review here]
The Ladykillers (Optimum): A Blu-ray only release for this classic 1955 Ealing comedy directed by Alexander Mackendrick. It stars Alec Guinness stars as criminal mastermind who leads a group of thieves about to commit the perfect crime and rents a room from sweet and harmless old lady (Katie Davies) in her crooked London house. [Read the full review here]
The Leopard (BFI): Luchino Visconti’s classic 1963 adaptation of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s best-selling novel, which stars Burt Lancaster as the head of an ageing Sicilian family coming to terms with the emerging unified Italy in the 1800s. Finally released on Blu-ray – a fitting format for one of the most sumptuous epics ever made. This is the complete and uncut version released by the BFI in collaboration with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Inc.
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ALSO OUT
Cirque Du Freak – The Vampire’s Assistant (Universal) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
Life on Mars: The Complete Series (Fox) [Buy it on DVD]
Ong Bak: The Beginning (Sony) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
Pandorum (Icon) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
> The Best DVD and Blu-ray releases of 2009
> UK cinema releases for Friday 12th February including The Wolfman, Ponyo and A Single Man
Martin Scorcese and Leonardo DiCaprio were recently on the French TV show Le Grand Journal promoting Shutter Island and were asked a question (via video) by actor-director Guillaume Canet that managed to reference a famous Scorcese movie.
A bit of background: Canet worked with DiCaprio on The Beach (2000) and is married to Marion Cotillard, who stars with Leo in the upcoming Christopher Nolan thriller Inception.
[Via Hollywood Elsewhere]
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NATIONAL RELEASES
The Wolfman (Universal): A remake of the 1941 classic horror film of the same name, starring Benicio del Toro as an actor who returns to his English ancestral home owned by his father (Anthony Hopkins), only to come under the curse of a werewolf.
Directed by Joe Johnston, it co-stars Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving and has seemingly had its own curse: original director Mark Romanek left over creative differences; the script bears all the hallmarks of being rewritten extensively and the release has been put back a couple of times.
After the fiasco of Van Helsing, the 2004 release which made a mockery of the classic Universal horror characters, one might have hoped that the studio would get it right this time. Despite the excellent cast and impressive make-up effects by Rick Baker (famous for American Werewolf in London), the narrative is rushed and it feels like a classic case of too many cooks spoiling the broth.
The English locations are shot with a dull, misty gloom; the gore looks like it has been inserted in at later edit to appeal to teenage horror fanboys; too many comic Northern accents and an unforgivable finale where you cannot distinguish between two key characters.
The presence of ace editors Mark Goldblatt and Walter Murch would suggest that they were hired to re-edit the film into something coherent and respectable, but is a project with deep underlying script and directorial problems.
Universal have spent a fair amount marketing this, so they can expect decent business this weekend in the US and UK, but once word of mouth spreads and people read the mixed reviews, it will die a swift death. [Empire Leicester Square & Nationwide / 15]
Valentine’s Day (Warner Bros.): A patchwork romantic comedy about intertwining couples and singles in Los Angeles who break-up and make-up based on the pressures and expectations of Valentine’s Day.
An all star ensemble cast includes Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper, Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Garner, Patrick Dempsey, Shirley MacLaine, Taylor Lautner, Taylor Swift, Jessica Biel, Jamie Foxx, Anne Hathaway and Topher Grace. Clearly aimed at less-than-discerning female audiences, it basically looks like this year’s He’s Just Not That Into You. Poor reviews will not stop the target audience from rushing to this like crack-heads sprinting to their dealers. [Nationwide / 12A]
Ponyo (Optimum Releasing): The latest animated film from Studio Ghibli, written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki is a tale of a goldfish named Ponyo who befriends a five-year-old human boy and wants to become a human girl.
A huge hit in Japan, it has garnered awards and critical acclaim and should do reasonable business before discovering a wider audience on DVD and Blu-ray.[Vue West End & Nationwide / U]
A Single Man (Icon): An adaptation of the novel by Christopher Isherwood, which explores a day in the life of an English college professor (Colin Firth) in Southern California in 1962.
The directorial debut of fashion designer Tom Ford is a tasteful and well acted affair with a nuanced and moving central performance by Firth and some fine supporting turns from Julianne Moore, Nicholas Hoult and Matthew Goode. The production design and period detail are first rate and it depicts the ideas of the book with considerable skill and grace.
There are some drawbacks: a significant plot change is misguided and some of the visuals are a little too mannered, but generally it is a classy affair and finally allows Firth to show audiences what he can do in a lead role. Icon will expect decent arthouse business on the back of critical acclaim and Firth’s Oscar and BAFTA nomination. [Curzons Mayfair, Soho & Nationwide trailer / 12A]
Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief (20th Century Fox): Chris Columbus directs this adaptation of the first novel in the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series by Rick Riordan, which stars Logan Lerman in the title role alongside Brandon T. Jackson, Rosario Dawson, Steve Coogan, Uma Thurman, Catherine Keener, Sean Bean and Pierce Brosnan.
This looks like a shameless Harry Potter clone (Columbus directed the first two Potter films) but it may get family audiences interested, despite the average reviews. [Vue West End & Nationwide / PG]
Battle For Terra (The Works): This 2007 film (yes, three years old) originally called Terra, is a 2007 CGI animated film redone in 3D about a peaceful alien planet facing destruction from colonization by the displaced remainder of the human race.
Directed by Aristomenis Tsirbas, it features the voices of Brian Cox, Luke Wilson, Amanda Peet, Dennis Quaid and Justin Long. [Empire Leicester Square & Nationwide / PG]
ALSO OUT
Food, Inc (Dogwoof): A documentary directed by Robert Kenner about the agricultural food production in the US, which explores how meat and vegetables produced by this system are less-than-healthy and environmentally-harmful.
Narrated by Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser, it has garnered decent reviews and could make an art-house impact although it might depend heavily on word of mouth. [Curzon Soho, Odeon Panton St., Ritzy & Nationwide / PG]
My Name Is Khan (20th Century Fox): A Bollywood film directed by Karan Johar, with starring Shahrukh Khan and Kajol about a Muslim with Asberger’s Syndrome who emigrates to the United States. [Cineworld Shaftesbury Ave & Nationwide / 12A]
Takeshis’ (Artificial Eye): A 2005 (yes, that’s five years old!) Japanese film directed, written, edited by, and starring Takeshi Kitano in a self-reflexive film about himself. [Curzon Renoir / 15]
Winter In Wartime (Kaleidoscope Entertainment): An adaptation of the novel by Jan Terlouw about a boy who tries to help the resistance during World War II by helping an English pilot stay out of German hands. [Key Cities / 12A]
Anonyma: A Woman In Berlin (Metrodome Distribution): A drama about a woman who tries to survive the invasion of Berlin by the Soviet troops during the last days of World War II. [ICA Cinema]
Beyond The Pole (Shooting Pictures): A documentary film crew follows the first carbon neutral, organic, vegetarian expedition ever to attempt the North Pole. [ICA Cinema / Key Cities from March)
Letter From An Unknown Woman (bfi Distribution): A reissue of the 1948 Max Ophüls film about based on the novella by Stefan Zweig, starring Joan Fontaine, Louis Jourdan, Mady Christians and Marcel Journet. [BFI Southbank, Everyman Hampstead & Key Cities]
Pretty Woman (Park Circus): A reissue for Garry Marshall’s 1990 romantic comedy about an LA hooker (Julia Roberts) who falls for a millionaire businessman (Richard Gere). [Cineworld Haymarket & Nationwide / 15]
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> DVD and Blu-ray Picks for Monday 8th February including Adventureland, Mystic River and Paper Heart
> Get local cinema showtimes for your area via Google Movies
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That Guy is a neat site compiling a list of character actors who you have probably seen in films.
To make the cut they must have appeared in a ‘solid number’ of movies and TV shows, preferably 75 movies/series and 100 TV guest appearances.
Bonus points go to those that have ‘non-recurring roles in multiple hit movies’ or ‘guest appearances on popular TV shows’.
Traits of these character actors usually mean that they:
- Have a resume that indicates quantity over quality
- Are frequently typecast
- Remind people of somebody more famous
- Fit an Ethnic Stereotype
- Can be described in two words
- Played the bad guy in a sequel
[Via Metafilter]
Categories
The ‘Mirror Scare’ in Horror Films
I think it is fair to say that too many horror films have used the ‘mirror scare‘ cliché.
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DVD & BLU-RAY PICKS
Adventureland (Walt Disney): Director Greg Mottola followed up Superbad (2007) with this marvellous coming-of-age comedy set in the summer of 1987 about a recent college grad (Jesse Eisenberg) who takes a nowhere job at a local amusement park, where he falls in love and learns a few life lessons.
Superbly made and acted it features some terrific performances from Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds (seriously) and Bill Hader. Although it didn’t make a huge amount of money at cinemas, it was one of the best films of last year and will almost certainly become a cult favourite in the future.
Plus, it has a memorable use of Falco’s ‘Amadeus‘ and the line “status obsessed witch” is one of the killer movie phrases in recent memory.
Extras include:
- Deleted Scenes
- Just My Life: The Making Of Adventureland
- Feature Commentary — With Writer/Director Greg Mottola And Actor Jesse Eisenberg
- A Satiric “How To” On Inflicting Unexpected Pain
* Buy Adventureland on DVD or Blu-ray from Amazon UK *
Mystic River (Warner): A release on Blu-ray for Clint Eastwood‘s 2003 adaptation of the Dennis Lehane novel, which is set in Boston and deals with three childhood friends (Sean Penn, Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon) who are reunited after one of their daughters gets killed.
A powerful and well acted drama, it features fine supporting performances from Laura Linney, Marcia Gay Harden and Laurence Fishburne. Tastefully shot (by Tom Stern) and edited (by Joel Cox), it bears all the hallmarks of Eastwood’s classy dramas over the last decade and won Sean Penn and Tim Robbins Oscars for their performances.
Gary Tooze of DVD Beaver has posted some screen shots of the Blu-ray and is impressed with the transfer and the overall package, saying:
“…contrast and colors leap ahead. …this looks very good and occasionally even impressive with some desirable depth. Dependant on your system – the superiority is moderate to heavy over the previous SD-DVDs”
This includes all the extras from the R1 DVD release that were never included on the UK R2 DVD.
- Commentary by Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon
- Dennis Lehane Tours the Boston Neighborhood Setting of His Novel in Mystic River: Beneath the Surface
- Featurette Mystic River: From Page to Screen
- The Charlie Rose Show Interviews with Clint Eastwood, Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon
- Theatrical Trailers
* Buy Mystic River on Blu-ray from Amazon UK *
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Paper Heart (Anchor Bay): A new film starring Charlyne Yi and Michael Cera as fictionalized versions of themselves in a “hybrid documentary” about love. Directed by Nicholas Jasenovec, it also features Yi travelling across America asking various people about their experiences of love.
Extras include:
- Paper Heart Uncut
- “The Making of Paper Heart”
- Live musical performances by Charlyne Yi
- “Heaven” music video by Charlyne Yi and Michael Cera
- Love interviews with the comedians
- Deleted scenes
- Trailer
* Buy Paper Heart on DVD or Blu-ray from Amazon UK *
ALSO OUT
Blue Dragon Complete Series 1 (Manga) [Buy it on DVD]
Couples Retreat (Universal) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
Death Note Relight: Visions of a God (Manga) [Buy it on DVD]
I Love You, Beth Cooper (Fox) [Buy it on DVD]
In the Electric Mist (High Fliers) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
Kamikaze Girls (Special Edition) (Third Window Films) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
Lala Pipo (Third Window Films) [Buy it on DVD]
Long Weekend (2008) (Showbox) [Buy it on DVD]
The Time Traveler’s Wife (EIV) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
The Ugly Truth (Sony) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
The Unit Season 4 (Fox) [Buy it on DVD]
> The Best DVD and Blu-ray releases of 2009
> UK cinema releases for Friday 5th February including Invictus and Astro Boy
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Team Avatar: Pandora Police
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