Author: Ambrose Heron

Editor of FILMdetail

Categories
Interesting Technology

iPad discussion on Charlie Rose

Charlie Rose recently had a discussion about the Apple iPad on his show recently with Walt Mossberg of the WSJ, David Carr of the NYT and Michael Arrington of TechCrunch.

Several good points are made, which makes a change from the complaints about it being a big iPhone and having no Flash (the latter hasn’t affected sales of the iPhone and iPod touch has it?).

Whilst I don’t think it will change how people watch long form films or TV (there’s still cinemas and large TVs for that) my gut feeling is that that it will revolutionise how we casually browse and experience the web.

When it comes to newspapers, magazines and regular content that we read, like RSS feeds, blogs and shorter form media, I think advanced touch tablets are the future.

It could be the iPad, the Google’s upcoming device (which apparently launches this autumn), or succeeding versions, but after years of desktops and laptops sticking to the same keyboard and operating systems, this feels like a new era.

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Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 5th February 2010

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NATIONAL RELEASES

Invictus (Warner Bros.): Clint Eastwood’s latest film is based on the true story of how Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) used the 1995 Rugby World Cup to unite South Africa in a moment of sporting solidarity with the help of national team captain Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon).

Although this was touted as a likely awards season contender, the expected nominations (apart from two acting nods for Freeman and Damon) have failed to materialise, mainly because it isn’t quite up to the high standards of Eastwood’s best work behind the camera.

That said, the two leads are convincing and there is a pleasing directness to the material which gives it an undeniable punch. Although it can’t resist obligatory sporting clichĂ©s (slow motion being a major culprit), the central drama is well handled and the technical work behind the camera is what we’ve come to expect from latter day Eastwood films. [Nationwide / 12A]

Astro Boy (E1 Entertainment): A CGI animated film about a young robot (voiced by Freddie Highmore) with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist in the image of the son he has lost.

Based on the long running Japanese series, it features a decent voice cast including Kristen Bell, Nathan Lane, Eugene Levy, Bill Nighy, Donald Sutherland and Nicolas Cage. The middling reviews in the US and poor box office performance suggest that it won’t set UK cinemas alight. [Empire Leicester Square & Nationwide (Previews 30/31st Jan)

Youth In Revolt (Paramount/Momentum): An adaptation of C.D. Payne’s epistolary novel starring Michael Cera as a teenager who sets his sights on a local girl (Portia Doubleday) and creates an alter ego to win her over.

Directed by Miguel Arteta, it co-stars Jonathan B. Wright, Steve Buscemi, Zach Galifianakis and Ray Liotta. Positive reviews from the US would suggest that it’s weak box office performance has more to do with the woes of The Weinstein Company than the quality of the film. Fans of Michael Cera and hip teen audiences may be the target audience. [Vues Fulham Broadway, Islington, West End & Nationwide / 15]

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ALSO OUT

Malice In Wonderland (Kaleidoscope Entertainment): A modern take on the fairytale, set in the North East of England. [Key Cities / 15]

Tony (Revolver Entertainment): A low budget British film about a serial killer getting a limited theatrical release before being released on DVD this Monday. [London & Key Cities / 18]

The Island (Artificial Eye): A drama set in a small Russian Orthodox monastery about an unusual man who people believe has the power to heal, exorcise demons and foretell the future. [Curzon Renoir & Selected Key Cities from 19th Feb]

Holy Water (Kaleidoscope/Centurion ): British comedy about a once a thriving spa town that is livened up after a stash of Viagra is hidden down its famous Holy Well. [Key Cities / 18]

> DVD and Blu-ray Picks for Monday 1st February including Broken Embraces and Sin Nombre
> Get local cinema showtimes for your area via Google Movies

Categories
In Production News

Clint Eastwood filming Hereafter in London

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Clint Eastwood and Matt Damon have recently been filming their latest movie Hereafter at the Charles Dickens Museum in London.

Scripted by Peter Morgan, the IMDb plot summary says it is:

A supernatural thriller centered on three people – a blue-collar American, a French journalist and a London school boy – who are touched by death in different ways.

Check out more photos here and some production info at Wikipedia.

 

Categories
Amusing Viral Video

DJ Mayhem’s Aliens Rap

DJ Mayhem and Mouthmaster Murf of The Anomalies and DJ crew The Farcical 3 have done a rap based on Aliens.

They say:

‘This video is in no way trying to take credit for this almost flawless masterpiece, it is merely a tribute to how spectacular it is’

Right on.

(N.B. I wouldn’t watch this unless you have seen the film as it reveals major plot points)

Categories
Awards Season News

Oscar Nominations – Full List

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The Oscar nominations have been announced and Avatar and The Hurt Locker lead the field with 9 nominations each.

Nominations were announced this morning by Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences president Tom Sherak and Anne Hathaway.

The final ballots get mailed out on February 10th and are due back at PricewaterhouseCoopers offices on Tuesday 2nd March (my birthday as it turns out).

The actual awards take place on Sunday 7th March at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles and will be hosted by Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin.

Here is the list in full:

Best Picture

  • Avatar (James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers)
  • The Blind Side (Nominees to be determined)
  • District 9 (Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers)
  • An Education (Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers)
  • The Hurt Locker (Nominees to be determined)
  • Inglourious Basterds (Lawrence Bender, Producer)
  • Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire (Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers)
  • A Serious Man (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers)
  • Up (Jonas Rivera, Producer)
  • Up in the Air (Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers)

Best Director

  • James Cameron, Avatar
  • Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
  • Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
  • Lee Daniels, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
  • Jason Reitman, Up in the Air

Best Actor

  • Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
  • George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
  • Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
  • Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
  • Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”

Best Actress

  • Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
  • Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
  • Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
  • Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
  • Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”

Best Supporting Actor

  • Matt Damon in “Invictus”
  • Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
  • Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
  • Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
  • Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”

Best Supporting Actress

  • PenĂ©lope Cruz in “Nine”
  • Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
  • Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
  • Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
  • Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

  • “District 9” Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
  • “An Education” Screenplay by Nick Hornby
  • “In the Loop” Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
  • “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
  • “Up in the Air” Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Writing (Original Screenplay)

  • “The Hurt Locker” Written by Mark Boal
  • “Inglourious Basterds” Written by Quentin Tarantino
  • “The Messenger” Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
  • “A Serious Man” Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
  • “Up” Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

Animated Feature Film

  • “Coraline” Henry Selick
  • “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Wes Anderson
  • “The Princess and the Frog” John Musker and Ron Clements
  • “The Secret of Kells” Tomm Moore
  • “Up” Pete Docter

Art Direction

  • “Avatar” Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
  • “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
  • “Nine” Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
  • “Sherlock Holmes” Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
  • “The Young Victoria” Art Direction: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray

Cinematography

  • “Avatar” Mauro Fiore
  • “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” Bruno Delbonnel
  • “The Hurt Locker” Barry Ackroyd
  • “Inglourious Basterds” Robert Richardson
  • “The White Ribbon” Christian Berger

Costume Design

  • “Bright Star” Janet Patterson
  • “Coco before Chanel” Catherine Leterrier
  • “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Monique Prudhomme
  • “Nine” Colleen Atwood
  • “The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell

Documentary (Feature)

  • “Burma VJ” Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-MĂžller
  • “The Cove” Nominees to be determined
  • “Food, Inc.” Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
  • “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
  • “Which Way Home” Rebecca Cammisa

Documentary (Short Subject)

  • “China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province” Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill
  • “The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner” Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
  • “The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
  • “Music by Prudence” Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
  • “Rabbit Ă  la Berlin” Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

Film Editing

  • “Avatar” Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
  • “District 9” Julian Clarke
  • “The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
  • “Inglourious Basterds” Sally Menke
  • “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Joe Klotz

Foreign Language Film

  • “Ajami” Israel
  • “El Secreto de Sus Ojos” Argentina
  • “The Milk of Sorrow” Peru
  • “Un ProphĂšte” France
  • “The White Ribbon” Germany

Makeup

  • “Il Divo” Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
  • “Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
  • “The Young Victoria” Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Music (Original Score)

  • “Avatar” James Horner
  • “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Alexandre Desplat
  • “The Hurt Locker” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
  • “Sherlock Holmes” Hans Zimmer
  • “Up” Michael Giacchino

Music (Original Song)

  • “Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
  • “Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
  • “Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36” Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
  • “Take It All” from “Nine” Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
  • “The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Short Film (Animated)

  • “French Roast” Fabrice O. Joubert
  • “Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell
  • “The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” Javier Recio Gracia
  • “Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin
  • “A Matter of Loaf and Death” Nick Park

Short Film (Live Action)

  • “The Door” Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
  • “Instead of Abracadabra” Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
  • “Kavi” Gregg Helvey
  • “Miracle Fish” Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
  • “The New Tenants” Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Sound Editing

  • “Avatar” Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
  • “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson
  • “Inglourious Basterds” Wylie Stateman
  • “Star Trek” Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
  • “Up” Michael Silvers and Tom Myers

Sound Mixing

  • “Avatar” Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
  • “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
  • “Inglourious Basterds” Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
  • “Star Trek” Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
  • “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

Visual Effects

  • “Avatar” Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
  • “District 9” Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
  • “Star Trek” Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton
Categories
Awards Season

Oscar Nominations Live

Categories
Amusing Random Viral Video

The Crying Wife

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I’m not sure if these videos of a man filming his wife crying at films are real, fake or part of some kind of internet spoof.

The deal is that the husband claims his wife:

‘cries after almost every movie we see with a happy or sad ending’.

It started when they watched all 6 episodes of Star Wars (one per day) and she started to lose it.

He then filmed it and uploaded it to YouTube (I hope with her permission).

He then filmed her after watching The Lord of the Rings, Back to the Future, AI and Marley and Me (she really loses after this one).

I should add a dash of scepticism by saying that the husband claims to work for a company that “handles ninja affairs” but he’s probably joking of course.

Spoof or not, it does highlight that one of the primary reasons people watch films is for an emotional release.

Although one frequent complaint by mainstream audiences is that something is ‘too depressing’, some of the most successful films of all time like Love Story (1970), E.T. (1982) and Titanic (1997) were openly sad at their core.

One of the ideas Ancient Greeks had about drama was for it to provide catharsis and purge us of our negative emotions within a social situation.

Tragedies and their modern movie antecedents are a form of art based on human suffering, that paradoxically offers the audience pleasure.

Despite all the joking around in these videos, they actually hit upon this truth.

What films should this guy show his wife next? I’d go for Up, Stand By Me or The Shawshank Redemption.

Categories
Awards Season News

Oscar nominations to look out for

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The Oscar nominations are announced tomorrow (Tuesday 5.30am PST and 1.30pm GMT) and here are some of the films and people to look out for in the major categories.

BEST PICTURE

The is the most interesting category of all because this year the Academy expanded the number of nominees from 5 to 10 in order to let in films that were more commercially successful.

It was basically a move to pacify ABC executives tired of declining ratings for the telecast and low grossing winners.

Obviously it was a move that goes against everything the Oscars should stand for (like awarding excellence rather than box office) and as it turned out, Avatar would have made it in to the final five anyway.

With that in mind, these films are cast-iron certainties to get in to the final 10:

  • The Hurt Locker
  • Avatar
  • Up in the Air
  • Precious
  • Inglourious Basterds

After that, it gets a little trickier but I reckon that Up, Star Trek, District 9, An Education and A Serious Man will fill out the remaining slots. However, Invictus and A Single Man are possibilities.

BEST DIRECTOR

This is going to follow the Best Picture category with the following directors:

  • James Cameron, Avatar
  • Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
  • Lee Daniels, Precious
  • Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
  • Jason Reitman, Up in the Air

BEST ACTOR

This category is also relatively straightforward, with Jeff Bridges emerging as the frontrunner to win.

  • Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
  • George Clooney, Up in the Air
  • Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker,
  • Colin Firth, A Single Man
  • Morgan Freeman, Invictus

BEST ACTRESS

Another straightforward category with Sandra Bullock likely to win. Emily Blunt isn’t a dead cert for the fifth slot, which could go to Helen Mirren for The Last Station.

  • Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
  • Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
  • Carey Mulligan, An Education
  • Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
  • Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

For this category Christophe Waltz is a dead cert to win after scooping virtually every guild and critics award. The fifth slot is a hard one to call but if there is any justice Anthony Mackie should get a nod.

  • Christophe Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
  • Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
  • Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
  • Matt Damon, Invictus
  • Anthony Mackie, The Hurt Locker

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Another category where the winner is almost certain before the nominations are announced. Mo’Mique is the actress equivalent of Waltz in that she has dominated the critic and guild awards and a dead cert to win. This is quite a hard one to call and other possibles could include Diane Kruger (Inglourious Basterds), Penelope Cruz (Nine) and Mariah Carey (Precious).

  • Mo’Nique, Precious
  • Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
  • Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
  • Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
  • Julianne Moore, A Single Man

Of course, I could have got a few of these wrong but we shall see when Anne Hathaway and Tom Sherak announce them at a news conference at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills on Tuesday.

The Oscars themselves are on Sunday 7th March.

> Official site
> Get the latest awards season news at AwardsDaily and InContention

Categories
blu-ray DVD & Blu-ray

DVD & Blu-ray: Broken Embraces

Broken Embraces (Pathe) is the latest film from Spanish director Pedro AlmodĂłvar and a ‘romantic noir’ spanning 16 years.

Set in 2008, with flashbacks to 1992 and 1994, it focuses on a film director (Lluis Homar) who’s lost the love of his life (Penelope Cruz) as well as his eyesight to a jealous lover.

The tricky structure is a dramatic device used to comment on and explain the events of the present and although this seems to have put some viewers off – judging by the  mixed reaction it got at Cannes – is still handled impressively.

It also explores guilt and how it can weigh heavily on human relationships, suggesting that the director was possibly drawing on his own life and art, and this is served by some convincing performances.

Homar convey’s a director’s restless desire for his life and art, even when he can’t see, whilst Cruz is as emotionally convincing as she is physically striking.

Her performance is almost a post-modern wink to the relationship between a director and a leading lady.

As you might expect, AlmodĂłvar fills the frame with some captivating images, using primary colours (especially red) as a counterpoint to the heavy emotional situations and characters.

If there is a flaw with the film, it is that it exists almost too neatly within it’s cinema-drenched world: not only is the protagonist a director, but it even references numerous auteurs such as Powell, Hitchcock, Malle, Fellini and even his own 1988 film Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

Whilst this makes it a treat for cinephiles and an undoubtedly personal work for AlmodĂłvar, it lacks the heart and feeling of his more recent works like Talk to Her and Volver.

The extras on the DVD and Blu-ray Disc include:

  • Short Film: The Anthropophagic Council Woman La Concejala Antropofaga (7 mins 32 secs)
  • 3 x Deleted Scenes (11 mins 50 secs)
  • Directing in Girls and Suitcases (5 mins 30 secs)
  • Original UK Theatrical Trailer (2 mins)
  • Photo Gallery

Broken Embraces is out now from Pathe

> Buy the DVD or Blu-ray Disc from Amazon UK
> IMDb entry

Categories
blu-ray DVD & Blu-ray

DVD & Blu-ray: Sin Nombre

Sin Nombre (Revolver) is a highly impressive drama about immigrants trying to reach the US (the title is Spanish for “without name”) directed by Cary Fukunaga.

Seeking the promise of America, a young Honduran woman, Sayra (Paulina Gaitan), joins her father and uncle on an odyssey to cross the gauntlet of the Latin American countryside en route to the United States.

Along the way she crosses paths with a teenaged Mexican gang member, El Casper (Edgar Flores), who is manoeuvring to outrun his violent past and elude his unforgiving former associates.

A highly accomplished debut feature, it has some fine performances and has a compelling sense of realism which may have been a result of the director’s extensive research, which involved travelling with immigrants on trains in Central America.

Although the story treads a well worn path, both literally and figuratively, it manages to steer well clear of cliché and tedium thanks to the skill and attention to detail behind the camera.

Cinematographer Adriano Goldman gives the film a remarkable look, blending the rugged landscapes and harsh urban environments with considerable grace and panache, fully deserving of its awards at Sundance last January.

The exras on the DVD and Blu-ray Disc include:

  • Audio commentary
  • Deleted scenes

Sin Nombre is out now on DVD and Blu-ray from Revolver

> Buy it on DVD or Blu-ray at Amazon UK
> IMDb entry

Categories
blu-ray DVD & Blu-ray

UK DVD & Blu-ray Releases: Monday 1st February 2010

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DVD & BLU-RAY PICKS

Sin Nombre (Revolver): A deeply impressive drama about immigrants trying to reach the US (the title is Spanish for “without name”) directed by Cary Fukunaga. The story explores a young Honduran woman (Paulina Gaitan) who wants to start a new life with her father and uncle in New Jersey and a Mexican gang member (Edgar Flores) and his desire to escape his violent past. [Read the full review here]

Broken Embraces (Pathe): The latest film from Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar is about an ill-fated love triangle lasting 16 years (set in 2008, with flashbacks to 1992 and 1994) focused on a film director (Lluis Homar) who’s lost the love of his life (Penelope Cruz), as well as his eyesight to a jealous lover. [Read the full review here]

ALSO OUT

Aliens in the Attic (Fox) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
Away We Go (E1 Entertainment) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
Halloween II (2009) (EIV) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
I Hate Valentine’s Day (EIV) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
Naruto Unleashed Complete Series 7 (Manga) [Buy it on DVD]
Naruto Unleashed Series 8 Part 2 (Manga) [Buy it on DVD]
Sherlock Hound: The Complete Series (Manga)
Stan Helsing (Anchor Bay) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
The Army of Crime (Optimum) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
The Day of the Triffids (2009) (Showbox) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
The Firm (2009) (Warner) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
The Invention of Lying (Universal) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
The Soloist (Universal) [Buy it on DVD]
Waterworld (Universal) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]

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> The Best DVD and Blu-ray releases of 2009
> UK cinema releases for Friday 29th January including Edge of Darkness and Precious

Categories
Awards Season News

Kathryn Bigelow wins the DGA Award

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Kathryn Bigelow won the DGA award last night for directing The Hurt Locker and became the first woman ever to scoop the honour.

Bigelow beat out fellow nominees Lee Daniels (Precious), Jason Reitman (Up in the Air), Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds) and James Cameron (Avatar).

Some pundits favoured Cameron after his win at the Golden Globes and Avatar’s extraordinary box office success, which recently passed Titanic to become the highest grossing film of all time.

However, The Hurt Locker has been the most acclaimed film of the awards season, winning most of the critics and guild awards that pave the way to the Oscars next month.

Bigelow’s victory is her 15th award for her work on the film which examines the experiences of a bomb disposal unit in the Iraq War.

She is now the frontrunner for the Best Director Oscar, which the DGA has correctly predicted for 56 of its 62-year history.

We should also mention that her directorial team were:

  • Unit Production Manager: Tony Mark
  • First Assistant Director: David Ticotin
  • First Assistant Director (Canadian Unit): Lee Cleary

* Have a listen to our interview with Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal about The Hurt Locker *

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Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 29th January 2010

Edge of Darkness (Icon): Mel Gibson returns with his first leading role in several years in this adaptation of the BBC TV series of the same name. He plays a Boston homicide detective who uncovers a shadowy political conspiracy after his activist daughter (Bojana Novakovic) is killed.

Directed by Martin Campbell, who also made the original series, it co-stars Ray Winstone and Danny Huston. Although a functional thriller, it compresses six episodes of television into a two hour film and loses a lot in translation despite the best efforts of all concerned. [Nationwide / 15]

Precious: A Novel by Sapphire (Icon): An adaptation of the 1992 novel Push by Sapphire which depicts the struggles of an obese, illiterate teenage girl (Gabourey Sidibe) as she dreams of a better life away from her abusive mother (Mo’Nique) in Harlem circa 1987.

Since premiĂšring at Sundance last year, this has been a hit on the festival circuit and is a shoo-in for BAFTA and Oscar nominations, with Monique odds on to win the Best Supporting Actress. Directed by Lee Daniels, it contains some excellent performances, especially Sidibe and Monique although parts of it don’t work, especially the fantasy sequences. [Selected cinemas Nationwide / 15]

The Princess and the Frog (Walt Disney): Disney return to hand drawn animation with this loose adaptation of E. D. Baker’s novel The Frog Princess, which itself was inspired by the Grimm fairy tale “The Frog Prince”. The story involves a young girl named Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) who lives in New Orleans’ French Quarter during the Jazz Age and a prince (Bruno Campos) under a curse.

Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements (who made The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules, and Treasure Planet), it features songs and score by Randy Newman and the voices of Anika Noni Rose, Oprah Winfrey and Keith David. [Empire Leicester Square & West End / U] * Nationwide from 5th February *

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ALSO OUT

Breathless (Terracotta Distribution): A South Korean gangster film directed by Yang Ik-Joon, who also stars as a bitter and abusive debt collector. [ICA Cinema & Key Cities]

Adoration (New Wave Films): A belated UK release for this 2008 Canadian drama from director Atom Egoyan about a high school student who weaves his family history into a news story involving terrorism. [Key Cities / 15]

Late Autumn (bfi Distribution): A BFI reissue for this 1960 drama directed by Yasujiro Ozu which stars Setsuko Hara and Chishu Ryu in the tale of three older men who help the widow of a late friend to marry off her daughter. [BFI Southbank & Key Cities / PG]

Our Beloved Month Of August (Cine Lumiere): A Portuguese comedy directed by Miguel Gomes, set against the backdrop of the Pardieiros dance-music festival. [Cine Lumiere / 12A]

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> Check out all the UK cinema releases for January 2010
> DVD and Blu-ray Picks for Monday 25th January including Magnolia and Fish Tank
> Get local cinema showtimes for your area via Google Movies

Categories
Trailers

Trailer: Wall Street 2 Money Never Sleeps

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The first trailer for the Wall Street sequel Money Never Sleeps has arrived.

(Click here if the above one doesn’t work)

There are some nice touches (especially the mobile phone) but doesn’t this feel like it should have been made a few years ago before the collapse of Lehman Brothers?

It started filming in New York last September with Michael Douglas back as Gordon Gekko and Oliver Stone returning to direct.

The plot is the modern-day story of Gekko, who has recently been sprung from prison and re-emerges into the current chaos of the financial markets, whilst trying to rebuild a relationship with his estranged daughter (Carey Mulligan).

Meanwhile Shia LaBeouf plays a young trader and Frank Langella stars as his mentor, whilst Josh Brolin has a key supporting role as a hedge fund manager.

It is released in the UK and US on Friday 23rd April.

Categories
News

Miramax effectively closes down

Disney effectively decided to shut down Miramax on Thursday as they announced that the New York and Los Angeles offices of the art house movie studio will close.

Although Disney may decide to keep it as a distribution label within their major film division, effectively as a shell of its former self, 80 employees will lose their jobs and the company as we once knew it, is now essentially over.

At the moment there doesn’t appear to be an official line on what will happen but according the the New York Times, around 20 employees will be folded into their major studio operations and the six films awaiting release will come out under the Miramax banner.

Although closure had been on the cards for some time, especially when former president Daniel Battsek left back in the Autumn, the move is still a powerful reminder of harsh times the film business faces with squeezed finances due to the recession.

As to who will be in charge of winding it up, selling it or keeping it as a production label nothing has officially been announced yet.

If Disney did sell the studio, the handful of films in currently in production, the Miramax name and the valuable library of around 500 films – including Pulp Fiction, The English Patient, Good Will Hunting, Shakespeare in Love, Chicago and Kill Bill – could fetch over $1.5 billion according to Variety.

Nikki Finke is reporting that Summit are interested in buying Miramax, the logic would appear to be that they have a lot of cash from the Twilight franchise and it would be a way for the young studio to acquire projects and a library in one go.

Back in 2008, before the demise of Lehman Brothers and the near-collapse of the global financial system, New Line and Paramount Vantage were just two high profile casualties of studios reining back their specialty divisions.

The indie film boom of the 1990s and subsequent creation of dependent divisions such as Fox Searchlight, Vantage, Focus Features and Warner Independent, was in large part due to the success of Miramax who managed to make or acquire lower budget films and market them to awards and box office glory.

Founded in 1979 by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the company broke into movie distribution with The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball in 1982 and established a knack for acquiring films from international filmmakers and rebranding them for US audiences.

In 1989 they achieved a breakthrough successes with sex, lies, and videotape (1989), which established Steven Soderbergh as a director (he won the Palme D’Or at Cannes that year) and also set the template for the Sundance film festival as a mecca for filmmakers and buyers, where indie movies could be bought and then distributed at a decent profit.

When Disney acquired Miramax in 1993, things went up to another level as the new injection of corporate cash gave the Weinsteins greater power to buy independent films, which they then marketed with an extraordinary focus and panache, controlling the post-production and campaigning them aggressively for Oscar voters.

Despite controversies over their larger than life methods, they were hugely successful with a remarkable run of 13 Best Picture Oscar nominations in 11 years (from 1992 until 2002), with films as diverse as The Crying Game, Pulp Fiction, Il Postino, The English Patient, Good Will Hunting, Life Is Beautiful, Shakespeare in Love, Chicago, City of God, Kill Bill all hits at the box office and with the Academy.

Pulp Fiction was to the 90s indie scene what Star Wars had been to the Hollywood of the 70s – a film that rewrote the business and artistic rule book by grossing over $100 million at the US box office on a budget of just $8.5 million (and $10 million marketing costs) before going on to make over $200 million worldwide.

The fact that the film (effectively funded by Disney) could feature relentless profanity, male rape and several violent deaths and scoop several Oscar nominations (and win for Best Screenplay) shows how far Miramax had come.

For a decade from the mid-90s onwards their hold on the awards season was incredible. Films like The English Patient (1996) and Shakespeare in Love (1999) won Best Picture and in 2002 they had no less than 3 of the 5 Best Picture nominees: The Hours; Gangs of New York and the eventual winner Chicago.

But they weren’t all about winning awards. Their less glamorous sister division Dimension was very profitable with films like Scream (1996), Spy Kids (2001) and Scary Movie (2000) all launching franchises.

With success though, came behind-the-scenes rancour and conflict, not only with film-makers who felt burnt by their hands on business methods and ‘creative input’, but more significantly with Disney head Michael Eisner.

He famously turned down the Lord of the Rings trilogy when Miramax wanted to film the trilogy of books as a 2-film adaptation (apparently it was ‘too dark’ for the Mouse House) and was also increasingly alarmed at the growing budgets of films like Cold Mountain (2003) as well as the hot potato release of Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004).

By 2005 the Weinsteins left to form their own studio (The Weinstein Company), although they have struggled ever since to have the same level of success and many observers think that could struggle to survive in the current financial climate.

In the meantime the rebooted Miramax, under new British president Daniel Battsek, managed to achieve some notable critical and commercial successes with Tsotsi, The Queen, Gone Baby Gone, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and two landmark co-productions with Paramount Vantage in 2007: No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood.

However, the Oscars at which No Country For Old Men triumphed in March 2008 would mark the end of an era – budgets were down and the number of releases was way back from what was the norm in the company’s heyday.

By 2009 Disney was rethinking its approach to the specialty market to just three films a year and when Battsek, who had done a remarkable job in many ways, left in October, the writing was on the wall.

When the long time chairman of Disney’s movie division Dick Cook was effectively ousted, a new corporate approach to movies was apparent under the leadership of Bob Iger and it was one in which Miramax didn’t appear to have a place.

Speaking to The Wrap, Harvey Weinstein said he felt nostalgic about the studio he founded:

“I’m feeling very nostalgic right now. I know the movies made on my and my brother Bob’s watch will live on as well as the fantastic films made under the direction of Daniel Battsek. Miramax has some brilliant people working within the organization and I know they will go on to do great things in the industry.”

Another Miramax alumnus was director Kevin Smith, who got his break when his debut feature Clerks was acquired at Sundance in 1994. Writing for The Wrap he said he was crushed by the closure of the studio:

What Harvey and Bob built from scratch resembled an old studio star-factory; but this time, the stars were the filmmakers.

It was a gang (of New York), and like any good gang, it was dripping with street cred. Just being a part of that gang sent a message: I run with rebels.

But Miramax wasn’t just a bad-boy clubhouse, it was a 20th century Olympus: throw a can of Diet Coke and you hit a modern-day deity. And for one brief, shining moment, it was an age of magic and wonders.

I’m crushed to see it pass into history, because I owe everything I have to Miramax. Without them, I’d still be a New Jersey convenience store register jockey. In practice, not just in my head.

The most recent Miramax film was the Robert De Niro comedy-drama Everybody’s Fine (an ironic title given the company’s current woes) which grossed just $9 million following its December release.

Upcoming releases include The Debt (a thriller directed by John Madden and starring Helen Mirren); The Tempest (by director Julie Taymor, also starring Helen Mirren and Russell Brand); Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (written by director Guillermo del Toro); The Baster (a comedy starring Jennifer Aniston); Gnomeo and Juliet (starring James McAvoy and Emily Blunt) and Last Night (starring Sam Worthington, Eva Mendes and Keira Knightley).

For a deeper history of Miramax, you should read Down and Dirty Pictures: Miramax, Sundance and the Rise of Independent Film, the 2004 book by Peter Biskind which explored the rise of US independent cinema in the 1990s.

You can also listen to an interview I did with him back in the summer of 2008 where we discussed Miramax at length here.

Categories
DVD & Blu-ray

DVD: Fish Tank

Fish Tank (Artificial Eye) is writer-director Andrea Arnold’s second feature-length film, and another deeply impressive piece of work after her Oscar winning short Wasp (2005) and Red Road (2006).

It is the tale of a teenage girl named Mia (Katie Jarvis) who lives with her mother and younger sister on an poor Essex housing estate.

Frustrated with her life and lack of options, things begin to change when she strikes up a friendship with her mother’s new boyfriend (Michael Fassbender).

Unlike many British films which feature aristocrats in period costume or gangsters who swear a lot, this takes what seems like humdrum material and does something really special with it.

Central to the film is the debut performance of newcomer Katie Jarvis who is magnetic in the central role, conveying the emotions of a disaffected teenager with remarkable clarity and sensitivity.

The story picks up with Mia having been expelled from school and spending her time drinking and practising her dancing in a derelict flat near to her family’s council flat home.

With her life spiralling out of control, things don’t look like getting any better when her mother Joanne (Kierston Wareing) brings home a new boyfriend named Connor – but he seems like the kind of decent and encouraging person who can offer Mia hope and a way out of her life.

Part of the strength of Fish Tank is the way in which it subverts expectations of this kind of material. There are no patronising clichés of working class life and the material rested firmly on the two central characters, both of who are played with perfect pitch by Jarvis and Fassbender.

The final third of the film uncoils with a slow burning sense of unease as it is very hard to tell what is going to happen and the depiction of poverty in modern day Britain is sobering without ever being heavy handed.

Interestingly, Arnold and her cinematographer Robbie Ryan have opted to shoot the film in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio (so the frame is almost square) which is a rare sight in modern cinema.

Gus Van Sant’s Elephant (2003) is the only film in recent years that I can remember using it, but it gives this a distinctive visual feel and tone which takes it into another place.

Proof that Andrea Arnold is currently one of the most accomplished directors working in Britain today, the film could see her move on to a bigger canvas and even more acclaim sooner rather than later.

Frustratingly, there isn’t a Blu-ray release at the moment (maybe Artifcial Eye’s budget’s are stretched?) but the DVD comes with the following extras:

  • Andrea Arnold’s OscarÂź winning short film ‘WASP’ starring Natalie Press & Danny Dyer
  • Gallery

Fish Tank is out now from Artificial Eye

> Buy Fish Tank on DVD from Amazon UK
> Fish Tank at the IMDb

Categories
blu-ray DVD & Blu-ray

Blu-ray: Magnolia

A classic 1999 ensemble drama written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, Magnolia (EIV) was a stunning mosaic of several interrelated characters in search of happiness, forgiveness, and meaning in the San Fernando Valley.

Starring John C. Reilly, Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, and Jeremy Blackman, it blends nine different stories that involve several people during one day in Los Angeles.

Even more audacious than his stunning breakthrough film Boogie Nights (1997), it explores heavyweight themes such as love, death, chance and family with supreme confidence and style.

A homage of sorts to Robert Altman‘s ensemble dramas of the 1970s, it examines the universal by focusing tightly on the personal and is notable for Anderson’s dazzling wide-screen compositions and camera movements.

Regular collaborators such as cinematographer Robert Elswit and editor Dylan Tichenor add their usual impeccable contributions and the acting across the board was first rate, with an especially eye-opening turn from Tom Cruise as a loathsome sex guru.

At just over three hours long it is a sprawling epic, but one which engages fully with its sublime mix of technical virtuosity, wit, emotion and memorable soundtrack from Aimee Mann, whose songs inspired some of the script.

It is a film that can divide viewers (some always seem to have a problem with the climax) but it got mostly positive reviews and still stands as one of the best films of a particularly outstanding year. Also look out for the numbers 8 and 2 which are liberally scattered throughout the film as visual clues to a key sequence.

DVD Beaver have posted some screen grabs compared to the DVD versions if you want to gauge the quality of the transfer.

The Blu-ray comes with roughly the same extras as the 2 disc DVD and includes a lengthy video diary detailing much of the production.

Extras include:

  • Magnolia video Diary
  • Frank T.J. Mackey Seminar
  • Seduce and Destroy television commercials
  • Aimee Mann Save Me Music Video
  • Theatrical trailer and TV Spots

Magnolia is out now on Blu-ray from EIV

> Buy Magnolia on Blu-ray from Amazon UK
> Magnolia at the IMDb

Categories
Box Office News

Avatar beats Titanic to break all-time box office record

James Cameron has conquered the worldwide box office again as Avatar has now beaten previous record holder Titanic to become the highest worldwide grosser of all time.

With weekend figures for his latest film adding up to a staggering $1.838 billion worldwide, this weekend’s expected $15 million US earnings allowed it to do what many thought was unthinkable and surpass his 1997 epic, which had a worldwide gross of $1.842 billion.

‘Titanic’ still remains the highest grosser domestically in the US with $600.8 million, but it only seems like a matter of time before Cameron’s latest film catches up after already earning $551.7 million as of Monday.

It is a remarkable achievement, as Titanic seemed a one off that would never be repeated, but the combination of multiple repeat viewings and the higher ticket prices for 3D screenings helped turn it into a tsunami of cash for 20th Century Fox.

Part of the key to its mainstream success lies in the fact that this is the first live action 3D film for a mass mainstream audience. Although 3D has become the norm at cinemas for animated films over the last 18 months, live action films such as The Final Destination were gimmicky and few and far between.

But Avatar was designed from the beginning as a spectacular and immersive 3D experience which would be shown on as many new digital screens as possible.

It was a calculated gamble for Fox and Cameron to push this technology on such a high profile film, which wasn’t an established property or sequel, but it has paid off handsomely.

Another aspect worth noting is how well it has done in markets such as China and Russia, which were harder to tap back in the late 1990s and this certainly helped its global box office numbers.

Why has it hit such a chord with audiences?

The combination of ground breaking visuals and a universal story line that fits neatly into many global cultures would appear to be the primary reasons but we should also bear in mind the Christmas box office, which features less competition than the summer.

Can it break the $2 billion barrier? At this point few would bet against it.

Categories
blu-ray DVD & Blu-ray

UK DVD and Blu-ray Releases: Monday 25th January 2010

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DVD & BLU-RAY PICKS

Magnolia (EIV): The classic 1999 ensemble drama written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, which is a mosaic of several interrelated characters in search of happiness, forgiveness, and meaning in the San Fernando Valley. [Read the full review here] [Buy it on Blu-ray]

Fish Tank (Artificial Eye): Writer-director Andrea Arnold’s second feature-length film, which is an absorbing tale of a teenage girl (Katie Jarvis) on an Essex housing estate who strikes up a friendship with her mother’s new boyfriend (Michael Fassbender). [Read the full review here] [Buy it on DVD]

Mesrine Parts 1 & 2 (Momentum): An epic two part crime saga starring Vincent Cassel as a the real life criminal who gets involved in a series of hold-ups, prison breaks and kidnappings throughout the 1970s and 80s across several continents. [Buy it on Blu-ray | Buy it on DVD]

Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs (Sony): A charming animated comedy, based on the book by Judi and Ron Barrett, about a young scientist who invents a weather machine which inadvertently starts raining food down on his town. [Buy it on Blu-ray | Buy it on DVD]

The Double Life of Veronique (Artificial Eye): A Blu-ray release for this 1991 French-Polish drama directed by Krzysztof Kieƛlowski, which stars Irùne Jacob as two women who have a mysterious connection. [Buy it on Blu-ray]

Thirst (Palisades Tartan): A vampire story from director Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) about a priest saved by a blood transfusion , which also transforms him into a vampire. [Buy it on Blu-ray | Buy it on DVD]

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ALSO OUT

A Town Called Eureka Season 3.0 (Universal Playback) [Buy it on DVD]
Bullet Boy (Verve Pictures) [Buy it on DVD]
Candy (ICA)
Copying Beethoven (Verve Pictures) [Buy it on Blu-ray| Buy it on DVD]
Fame (2009) (EIV) [Buy it on Blu-ray | Buy it on DVD]
Gaea Girls & Shinjuku Boys (Second Run) [Buy it on DVD]
House [Hausu] (Eureka/Masters of Cinema) [Buy it on DVD]
Katyn (Artificial Eye) [Buy it on Blu-ray | Buy it on DVD]
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (Universal) [Buy it on Blu-ray | Buy it on DVD]
Love Exposure (Third Window Films) [Buy it on DVD]
Lubitsch in Berlin (Eureka/Masters of Cinema) [Buy it on DVD]
Ocean Waves (Optimum) [Buy it on DVD]
Passchendaele (High Fliers) [Buy it on Blu-ray | Buy it on DVD]
Permissive (BFI) [Buy it on Blu-ray | Buy it on DVD]
Pontypool (Kaleidoscope Entertainment) [Buy it on Blu-ray | Buy it on DVD]
Privilege (BFI) [Buy it on Blu-ray | Buy it on DVD]
Red Road (Verve Pictures) [Buy it on Blu-ray | Buy it on DVD]
Smokin’ Aces (Universal) [Buy it on Blu-ray | Buy it on DVD]
Smokin’ Aces 2: Assassin’s Ball (Universal) [Buy it on Blu-ray | Buy it on DVD]
Straightheads (Verve Pictures) [Buy it on Blu-ray | Buy it on DVD]
That Kind of Girl (BFI) [Buy it on Blu-ray | Buy it on DVD]
Undercover (Optimum) [Buy it on DVD]
Une Femme Mariée (Eureka/Masters of Cinema) [Buy it on Blu-ray | Buy it on DVD]
Whiteout (Optimum) [Buy it on Blu-ray | Buy it on DVD]
Zidane (Artificial Eye) [Buy it on Blu-ray | Buy it on DVD]

> The Best DVD and Blu-ray releases of 2009
> UK cinema releases for Friday 22nd January including Armored, Ninja Assassin and The Boys Are Back

Categories
Amusing

Dirty Harry meets Rain Man

Just the thought of Harry Callahan taking on Raymond Babbit makes me laugh.

[via xkcd]

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Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 22nd January 2010

NATIONAL RELEASES

Ninja Assassin (Warner Bros.): A martial arts action-adventure film directed by James McTeigue and starring Rain as one of the world’s deadliest Special Forces Ninja assassins.

The film was produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers and judging from the negative reviews doesn’t appear to be in any danger of winning awards or reshaping the landscape of 21st century cinema. [Nationwide /18]

Armored (Sony): An action film about a guard for an armored truck company who is coerced by his veteran coworkers to steal a truck containing $10 million.

Directed by Nimród Antal, it stars Matt Dillon, Jean Reno and Laurence Fishburne and it would appear to be a genre film that Sony hope will appeal to undemanding audiences. [Nationwide / 12A]

Brothers (Lionsgate UK): An drama starring Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal as two brothers involved in a love triangle with one of their wives (Natalie Portman) after one of them returns from military service in Afghanistan.

Directed by Jim Sheridan, the film is based on Susanne Bier‘s 2004 Danish film Brothers (BrĂždre) which takes place in Afghanistan and Denmark. Both films take inspiration from Homer‘s epic poem The Odyssey. [Nationwide / 15]

The Boys Are Back (Walt Disney):  An adaptation of Simon Carr’s serio-comic novel “The Boys Are Back in Town” which sees Clive Owen play a sports writer becomes a single parent in tragic circumstances while struggling to raise his two sons.

Directed by Scott Hicks, tepid word of mouth mean that this is likely to come and go at cinemas very quickly. [Vue West End & Nationwide]

Toy Story 2 3D (Walt Disney): A reissues in 3D for the 2000 Pixar sequel to Toy Story, in anticipation of the third part which is out this summer. [Nationwide / U]

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ALSO OUT

A Prophet (Optimum): A scintillating French crime drama directed by Jacques Audiard about a young Arab prisoner (Tahar Rahim) who gradually learns how power inside works thanks to a crime boss (Niels Arestrup) who runs an empire from his cell.

Superbly written and directed, it contains two terrific lead performances and a raft of classic scenes which linger in the memory. Since premiÚring at Cannes back in May it has rightly attracted a wave of critical acclaim on the festival circuit and is probably one of the best films of its kind in years. [Curzon Soho, Odeon Covent Gdn., & Nationwide / 18]

Blur: No Distance Left To Run (Arts Alliance): A documentary about the British rock band Blur, which follows the band during their 2009 reunion and tour, and also includes unseen archive footage and interviews. [London & Nationwide]

Burlesque Undressed (More2Screen): A documentary about ‘the art’ of stripping produced by its subject, Kelly Fletcher, aka Immodesty Blaize. [Empire Leicester Square, Odeon Covent Garden & Key Cities / 15]

Veer (Eros): A Bollywood epic directed by Anil Sharma, set in 1825 when the British were ruling India, starring Salman Khan, Mithun Chakraborty, Sohail Khan and Jackie Shroff. [C’Worlds Feltham, Ilford, Shaftesbury Ave., Odeon G’wich & Nationwide]

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> Check out all the UK cinema releases for January 2010
> DVD and Blu-ray Picks for Monday 18th January including Dr Strangelove and (500) Days of Summer
> Get local cinema showtimes for your area via Google Movies

Categories
Amusing TV

Arnold Schwarzenegger Can’t Say Avatar

US late night host Jimmy Kimmel recently had some fun with Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s inability to pronounce the title of James Cameron’s latest blockbuster.

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Categories
Awards Season News

BAFTA Nominations

The final BAFTA nominations were announced this morning with An Education, Avatar and The Hurt Locker leading the field with eight nominations each.

District 9 has seven nominations, while Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds and Up in the Air have six nominations each.

Given the opportunity, BAFTA members love to award homegrown talent (Atonment beating out No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood for Best Film in 2008 comes to mind) and it would seem An Education is favourite for Best Film and Best Actress, despite not being one of the Oscar big hitters this year.

The awards takes place at London’s Royal Opera House on Sunday 21st February.

BAFTA NOMINATIONS

Best Film

  • Avatar
  • An Education
  • The Hurt Locker
  • Precious
  • Up in the Air

Outstanding British Film

  • An Education
  • Fish Tank
  • In the Loop
  • Moon
  • Nowhere Boy

Director

  • Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
  • Neill Blomkamp, District 9
  • James Cameron, Avatar
  • Lone Scherfig, An Education
  • Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

Actor

  • Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
  • George Clooney, Up in the Air
  • Colin Firth, A Single Man
  • Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
  • Andy Serkis, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

Actress

  • Carey Mulligan, An Education
  • Saoirse Ronan, The Lovely Bones
  • Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
  • Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
  • Audrey Tautou, Coco Before Chanel

Supporting Actor

  • Alec Baldwin, It’s Complicated
  • Christian McKay, Me and Orson Welles
  • Alfred Molina, An Education
  • Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
  • Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Supporting Actress

  • Anne-Marie Duff, Nowhere Boy
  • Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
  • Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
  • Mo’Nique, Precious
  • Kristin Scott Thomas, Nowhere Boy

Original Screenplay

  • The Hangover
  • The Hurt Locker
  • Inglourious Basterds
  • A Serious Man
  • Up

Adapted Screenplay

  • District 9
  • An Education
  • In the Loop
  • Precious
  • Up in the Air

Film not in the English Language

  • Broken Embraces
  • Coco Before Chanel
  • Let the Right One In
  • A Prophet
  • The White Ribbon

Animated Film

  • Coraline
  • Fantastic Mr Fox
  • Up

Cinematography

  • Avatar
  • District 9
  • The Hurt Locker
  • Inglourious Basterds
  • The Road

Costume Design

  • Bright Star
  • Coco Before Chanel
  • An Education
  • A Single Man
  • The Young Victoria

Editing

  • Avatar
  • District 9
  • The Hurt Locker
  • Inglourious Basterds
  • Up in the Air

Make-Up & Hair

  • Coco Before Chanel
  • An Education
  • The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
  • Nine
  • The Young Victoria

Music

  • Avatar
  • Crazy Heart
  • Fantastic Mr Fox
  • Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
  • Up

Production Design

  • Avatar
  • District 9
  • Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
  • The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
  • Inglourious Basterds

Sound

  • Avatar
  • District 9
  • The Hurt Locker
  • Star Trek
  • Up

Visual Effects

  • Avatar
  • District 9
  • Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
  • The Hurt Locker
  • Star Trek

Short Animation

  • The Gruffalo
  • The Happy Duckling
  • Mother of Many

Short Film

  • 14
  • I Do Air
  • Jade
  • Mixtape
  • Off Season

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer

  • Lucy Bailey, Andrew Thompson, Elizabeth Morgan Hemlock, David Pearson (directors/producers, Mugabe and the White African)
  • Eran Creevy (writer-director, Shifty)
  • Stuart Hazeldine (writer-director, Exam)
  • Duncan Jones (director, Moon)
  • Sam Taylor-Wood (director, Nowhere Boy)

Orange Rising Star Award

  • Jesse Eisenberg
  • Nicholas Hoult
  • Carey Mulligan
  • Tahar Rahim
  • Kristen Stewart
Categories
Box Office News

UK Box Office at Seven Year High

UK cinema admissions in 2009 reached their highest level since 2002, according to data from the UK Film Council.

Last year there were 173.9m customers, who collectively bought ÂŁ944m worth of tickets with the most successful films being:

  1. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – ÂŁ50.72m
  2. Avatar – ÂŁ41.00m
  3. Ice Age III – ÂŁ35.02m
  4. Up – ÂŁ34.42m
  5. Slumdog Millionaire – ÂŁ31.66m
  6. The Twilight Saga: New Moon – ÂŁ27.08m
  7. Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen – ÂŁ27.06m
  8. The Hangover – ÂŁ22.12m
  9. Star Trek – ÂŁ21.40m
  10. Monsters Vs. Aliens – ÂŁ21.37m  [Source: Nielsen EDI, UK Film Council]

Ticket sales have varied in the past seven years, peaking in 2002 with a total of 175.9m admissions and dipping to 156.6m in 2006.

The World Cup was a factor for both of these years, as televised games in the summer always eat into the summer box office.

But the very early kick off times in the 2002 tournament (when the tournament was in Korea and Japan) didn’t have the same effect as in 2006 when a lot of games in Germany were in the same time zone.

However, the big trend for last year was the surge in ticket sales which was helped in part by three films: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Twilight: New Moon and Avatar.

Potter is the most bankable film franchise in history, New Moon has brought younger female audiences out in droves and Avatar is essentially the new Titanic.

It is also worth looking at how successful family friendly animated films are: Up, Monsters vs Aliens and Ice Age III have all done major business. The international grosses of the latter are truly mind boggling given how relatively cheap it was to make.

I don’t always subscribe to the notion that cinema does well in a recession but if the right mix of films hit the spot for mass audiences across the board then it is cheaper than other leisure activities and an escape from going down the pub and discussing how miserable life is.

It remains doubtful that 2010 will be as successful as 2009 and I imagine Avatar will cast a long shadow over fellow box office rivals.

But summer releases that look set to do serious business include Iron Man 2, Sex and the City 2 (God help us), Robin Hood, Toy Story 3, Twilight: Eclipse and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 in November.

Categories
Amusing

Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks on NBC

Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks were interviewed live by NBC on the Golden Globes red carpet and had some rather amusing things to say about the network’s recent problems.

Categories
Awards Season News

Golden Globes Winners

Here are the winners at the Golden Globes, which took place in Beverley Hills earlier today.

FILM

Best Picture (Drama): Avatar
Best Picture (Comedy/Musical): The Hangover
Best Director: James Cameron, Avatar
Best Actress (Drama): Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Best Actor (Drama): Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Best Actress (Comedy/Musical): Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Best Actor (Comedy/Musical): Robert Downey Jr, Sherlock Holmes
Best Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique, Precious
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Best Foreign Language Film: The White Ribbon
Best Animated Feature: Up
Best Screenplay: Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
Best Original Score: Michael Giacchino, Up
Best Original Song: The Weary Kind, Crazy Heart

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TV

Best TV Series (Drama): Mad Men
Best TV Series (Comedy): Glee
Best TV Miniseries: Grey Gardens
Best Actress, TV Miniseries: Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens
Best Actor, TV Miniseries: Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance
Best Actress, TV Drama: Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Best Actor, TV Drama: Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Best Actress, TV Comedy: Toni Collette, United States of Tara
Best Actor, TV Comedy: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Best Supporting Actress, TV: Chloe Sevigny, Big Love
Best Supporting Actor, TV: John Lithgow, Dexter

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The Golden Globes should always be taken with a pinch of salt, as they are voted for by a select group of foreign journalists in Los Angeles who basically try to second guess what the Oscar nominations will be.

The win for Robert Downey Jnr in Sherlock Holmes is reflective of the nonsensical, showbiz tastes that are rife amongst the ageing cabal of hacks that make up the HFPA.

With that in mind, the major winners could mirror the Oscars this year with Avatar, James Cameron, Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock all looking very strong in their respective categories.

Oscar pundits will tell you that Christoph Waltz and Mo’Nique have been virtual certainties in the supporting categories for quite a while and their wins here were no surprise.

> Official site
> More about the Golden Globes at Wikipedia

Categories
blu-ray DVD & Blu-ray

Blu-ray: (500) Days of Summer

(500) Days of Summer (Fox): A smart and inventive romantic comedy that explores the failed romance of a couple (Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel) in a quirky and non-linear fashion.

Directed by Marc Webb and scripted by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber it became a something of a minor hit back in the summer and has earned plaudits for its unconventional approach to the genre.

Although it occasionally suffers from a bit too much kooky quirkiness, the two lead performances are good value as is the sequence which makes creative use of Hall & Oates’ “You Make My Dreams”.

The DVD and Blu-ray Disc contains the following extras:

  • Director’s Commentary
  • Lost Days of Summer: 9 Deleted and Extended Scenes
  • Digital Copy

Whilst the Blu-ray has the following exclusives:

  • Bank Dance Directed by Marc Webb
  • Mean’s Cinemash: “Sid and Nancy/ (500) Days of Summer
  • Music Video: SWEET DISPOSITION by Temper Trap
  • Conversations with Zooey and Joseph
  • Acting Vs Reality
  • Creative Process
  • Favourite Parts of L.A
  • Karaoke
  • Los Angeles
  • Music

(500) Days of Summer is out now from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

> Buy the DVD or Blu-ray from Amazon UK
> IMDb Entry

Categories
blu-ray DVD & Blu-ray

Blu-ray: Dr. Strangelove

Dr Strangelove (Sony): The Blu-ray release of Stanley Kubrick’s classic Cold War satire is one of this year’s major releases on the format.

Released in 1964, it stars Peter Sellers (in a remarkable performance encompassing three roles: US president, the scientist title character and a British RAF group captain), George C. Scott and Sterling Hayden.

Loosely based on Peter George’s novel Red Alert it depicts the chaos that ensues when an unhinged US Air Force general launches a first strike nuclear attack on the Soviet Union.

With its splendid mix of intelligence, wit and technical brilliance it remains one of Kubrick’s finest works and also one of the truly great films of the 1960s.

This Blu-ray release came out last summer in the US and was based on a 4K restoration by Sony (although sadly no sign of the famously deleted cream pie fight).

There are a couple of visual issues surrounding this release worth noting as they apply to any classic work restored for Blu-ray.

Firstly, the aspect ratio is done in 1:66. As The Digital Bits reported:

The original theatrical presentation varied between 1.33 and 1.66. In recent years however, we’re told that Kubrick’s associates (who manage his estate) have become more comfortable with the 16×9/1.78:1 aspect ratio of HD displays, and they believe that Kubrick himself – if he’d really had the chance to look into it – would have preferred his full frame films to be presented on home video (in HD) at a steady 1.66 to take better advantage of the 1.78:1 frame. So that’s the reasoning for the decision.

The other issue which caused some debate was that of grain. The basic argument here revolves around how much grain should be removed in the transfer process. Purists argue that grain should be preserved as it was part of the original negative, whilst others think that if directors would have removed grain if they had access to modern digital tools.

To complicate the issue, there are some who think that that the whole issue is a non-starter and that grain is an inherent part of the film image.

There isn’t really a definitive answer, as it depends on the film and your viewpoint, but given the heated arguments around such releases of The French Connection and The Third Man, it is likely to remain an issue that crops up in future.

Gary Tooze of DVD Beaver thinks grain was always an important part of the film:

Grain has always been an important part of the visual texture to this film – it’s preserved here nicely without becoming a distraction. This is a great B&W, 1080p presentation. The new TrueHD 5.1 audio mix is also quite good, offering the expected improvements in clarity and resolution. For those who prefer it, however, the original mono audio is here too.

Jeffrey Wells of Hollywood Elsewhere felt badly let down by the grain in the image, describing it as:
…more than a visual disappointment — it’s a flat-out burn. I paid $35 bills for it yesterday afternoon and I’m seething. It’s hands down the worst grainstorm experience since Criterion’s The Third Man because Sony’s preservation and restoration guy Grover Crisp went the monk-purist route in the remastering and retained every last shard of grain in the original film elements.
Glenn Kenny of Some Came Running took a different position, arguing that Kubrick wanted grain in the film:
Of course this brings up all the old arguments as to grain and its place in a motion picture’s image, the rather absurd supposition by some that if dead filmmakers could return from the grave they’d immediately avail themselves of digital technology and erase all the film grain from their oeuvres, etc., etc. I don’t think I’m going that far on a limb to say that Kubrick in particular liked a little grain in his images.
Whatever the debate over the visual transfer it is still an essential film for any collection and the extras are plentiful, including:
  • Coded for all regions (A, B and C), extras are in SD. Features include:
  • 1080P 1.66:1 Widescreen
  • English and Spanish (Castilian) 5.1 Dolby TrueHD
  • English Mono
  • Hungarian, Czech and Polish DD5.1
  • Subtitles (Main Feature): English, English HOH, Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Portugal), Slovak, Spanish (Castilian), Swedish, Turkish
  • Subtitles (Extra Features): English, Spanish
  • BD Exclusive: The Cold War: Picture-in-Picture and Pop-Up Trivia Track – Embark on a journey into the very heart of the Cold War exploring, in fascinating detail, the military and political world in which Dr. Strangelove takes place. What did the film get right and where did it take liberties with established military procedures? And just how close were we in the early 1960s to a real atomic exchange? This multimedia experience includes Graphic-in-Picture pop-up trivia and Picture-in-Picture commentary that help shed some light on an era of secrets and heightened paranoia, all of which helped inspire this classic film. Picture-in-Picture interviews include:
  • Thomas Schelling (RAND* Corp. employee during late 1950s and early 1960s – wrote article on novel “Red Alert” that prompted Kubrick’s interest in adapting the book to a film)
  • Richard A. Clarke (Author of “Against All Enemies,” counter-terrorism and command and control systems expert)
  • Daniel Ellsberg (RAND Corp. employee during late 1950s and early 1960s; consultant to JFK admin., Dept. of Defense)
  • George Quester (Professor of Government and Politics, University of Maryland; expert on nuclear proliferation, deterrence, and nuclear diplomacy)
  • David Alan Rosenberg (Temple University professor; Historian of Nuclear Strategy; ex-military)
  • No Fighting in the War Room or: Dr. Strangelove and the Nuclear Threat
  • Inside: Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
  • The Art of Stanley Kubrick: From Short Films to Strangelove
  • Best Sellers Or: Peter Sellers and Dr. Strangelove Remembered
  • An Interview with Former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara

Dr Strangelove is out now on Blu-ray from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

> Buy the Blu-ray at Amazon UK
> IMDb Entry
> Find out more about Dr Strangelove and Stanley Kubrick at Wikipedia

Categories
blu-ray DVD & Blu-ray

UK DVD & Blu-ray Releases: Monday 18th Janaury 2010

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DVD & BLU-RAY PICKS

Dr Strangelove (Sony): The Blu-ray release of Stanley Kubrick‘s classic Cold War satire is undoubtedly one of the major releases of the year on the format. Released in 1964, it stars Peter Sellers (in a remarkable three roles: US president, the scientist title character and a British RAF group captain), George C. Scott and Sterling Hayden. Loosely based on Peter George’s Cold War novel Red Alert it depicts the chaos that ensues when an unhinged US Air Force general launches a first strike nuclear attack on the Soviet Union. [Read the full review here]

(500) Days of Summer (Fox): A smart and inventive romantic comedy that explores the failed romance of a couple (Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel) in a quirky and non-linear fashion. Directed by Marc Webb and scripted by Scott Neustadter
and Michael H. Weber it became a something of a minor hit back in the summer and has earned plaudits for its unconventional approach to the genre. [Read the full review here]

ALSO OUT

A Challenge for Robin Hood (Optimum) [Buy it on DVD]
A Perfect Getaway (Momentum) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
Bustin’ Down the Door (Metrodome) [Buy it on DVD]
Creation (Icon) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
Cry the Beloved Country (Optimum) [Buy it on DVD]
Doctor Who: Peladon Tales (2 Entertain) [Buy it on DVD]
Dorian Gray (Momentum) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God (Optimum) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray] 
Fame Season 2 (Fox) [Buy it on DVD]
Fireball (E1 Entertainment) [Buy it on DVD]
Fright (Optimum) [Buy it on DVD]
Funny People (Universal) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
Gamer (EIV) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
Heart of Fire (Metrodome) [Buy it on DVD]
Howling II (Optimum) [Buy it on DVD]
In Plain Sight Season 1 (Universal Playback) [Buy it on DVD]
It Might Get Loud (Universal) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
Night of the Comet (Optimum) [Buy it on DVD]
Secret People (Optimum) [Buy it on DVD]
Suspiria (Nouveaux) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
The Green Berets (Warner) [Buy it on DVD | Buy it on Blu-ray]
The High Command (Optimum) [Buy it on DVD]
The Moonraker (Optimum) [Buy it on DVD]
The Queen of Spades (Optimum) [Buy it on DVD]

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> The Best DVD and Blu-ray releases of 2009
> UK cinema releases for Friday 15th January including Up in the Air and The Book of Eli

Categories
News

Malcolm Tucker on Cancertalk Week

Malcom Tucker (Peter Capaldi) from In the Loop and The Thick of It has a message in support of Macmillan Cancer Support’s Cancertalk Week, which runs from 18th-24th January 2010.

For more information on the campaign and to find out more about the charity just visit their website at www.macmillan.org.uk/cancertalkweek or call 0808 808 00 00

Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 15th January 2010

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NATIONAL RELEASES

Up In The Air (Paramount): A comedy-drama about a corporate downsizer (George Clooney) who spends his life flying around the US firing people in a smooth and efficient manner. Free of human relationships, he has become attached to frequent flyer miles, a commitment-free relationship with a fellow air mile addict (Vera Farmiga) and the buzz of living out of a suitcase. But when his boss (Jason Bateman) partners him with a new recruit (Anna Kendrick) who advocates firing people via video-link, things begin to change.

Directed by Jason Reitman, it is a smart, funny and thoughtful adaptation of Walter Kim’s 2001 novel that explores the current recession, relationships and travel. Intelligently written and slickly directed, it features a marvellous central performance from Clooney, who peppers his role with just the right amounts of charm, wit and emotion. Farmiga and Kendrick also provide excellent support and it will be a strong contender at this year’s Oscars. Paramount can expect solid business after positive word of mouth. [Nationwide / 15]

* Read my full review here and listen to my interview with Anna Kenrick *

The Book of Eli (Entertainment): A post-apocalyptic drama in which a lone man (Denzel Washington) fights his way across America in order to protect a sacred book that holds the secrets to saving humankind. Directed by The Hughes Brothers, this is their first film since From Hell (2001) and looks like The Road meets Man on Fire.

The buzz on this one isn’t great and a decent opening might be followed by a swift tail off in interest. [Nationwide / 15]

44 Inch Chest (Momentum Pictures): A British drama about a jealous husband (Ray Winstone) who plots the kidnapping of his wife’s lover with the intention of restoring his wounded ego.

An impressive UK cast, plus a script by the writers of Sexy Beast (although not, significantly, the director Jonathan Glazer) could see this do moderate business although – like a lot of British films – it has the whiff of something made for TV. [Nationwide / 15]

All About Steve (20th Century Fox): A romantic comedy about an eccentric crossword puzzler (Sandra Bullock) who, convinced that a CNN cameraman (Bradley Cooper) is her true love, trails him as he travels all over the country.

After some of the worst reviews in living memory for a mainstream release, Fox appear to be giving this one a quiet death by dumping it in early January. [Nationwide / 12A]

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ALSO OUT

Still Walking (New Wave Films): A Japanese drama about a retired doctor (Yoshio Harada) who lives by the seaside with his elderly wife hosting a visit for his two grownup, married children. Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda.

Crude (Dogwoof): A documentary directed by Joe Berlinger following the progress of a $27 billion case against the Chevron Corporation, a case also known as the “Amazon Chernobyl”.

> Check out all the UK cinema releases for January 2010
> Get local cinema showtimes for your area via Google Movies

Categories
Awards Season

Orange Rising Star Award 2010

This week at BAFTA headquarters, the 2009 winner Noel Clarke announced the nominee list for this year’s Orange Rising Star Award.

The award recognises five international actors and actresses whose talent has inspired popular acclaim from the British public and the nominees this year are: Jesse Eisenberg (Adventureland and Zombieland), Nicholas Hoult (A Single Man), Carey Mulligan (An Education), Tahar Rahim (A Prophet) and Kristen Stewart (Adventureland and Twilight).

Now in it’s fifth year, the winner will be announced at the Orange British Academy Film Awards on Sunday 21st February and you vote by clicking the above widget.

Everyone who votes will be automatically entered in to a prize draw to be in with the chance to win VIP tickets to this year’s Orange British Academy Film Awards.

For more information just visit the official website: www.orange.co.uk/bafta

Categories
Amusing Viral Video

Up (in the Air) Mashup

This mashup of Pixar’s Up and George Clooney’s monologue from Up in the Air is simple but surprisingly effective.

Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: 2010

Here is the schedule for UK cinema releases in 2010.

The information is subject to change but hopefully this will be a useful guide to what’s out in the coming months.

The format is the film’s title in bold, followed by the certificate, distributor and then the cinema release it will get.

N.B. As a lot of these haven’t been certified by the BBFC yet, ‘TBC’ denotes that it is To Be Certified, whilst D denotes that it will be screened via digital projection at certain cinemas.

JANUARY 2010

FRIDAY 1st JANUARY

Did You Hear About The Morgans? (PG) / Sony Pictures
Post Grad (12A) / 20th Century Fox
Spread (15) / Optimum
I’m Gonna Explode (15) / Artificial Eye
Tokyo Story (U) (R/I) / BFI

TUESDAY 5th JANUARY

It Might Get Loud (PG) / Blue Dolphin

FRIDAY 8th JANUARY

Daybreakers (15) / Lionsgate UK
Exam (15) / Hazeldine Films/Miracle
It’s Complicated (15) / Universal
Mugabe and the White African / Dogwoof
Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (15) / Entertainment
The Road (15) / Icon

FRIDAY 15th JANUARY

44 Inch Chest (18) / Momentum Pictures
All About Steve (12A) / 20th Century Fox
Crude / Dogwoof
The Book of Eli (15) / Entertainment
Up In The Air (15) / Paramount
Still Walking (U) / New Wave Films

FRIDAY 22nd JANUARY

A Prophet (18) / Optimum
Armored (12A) / Sony
Brothers (15) / Lionsgate UK
The Boys Are Back (12A) / Walt Disney
Toy Story 2 3D (U) / Walt Disney
Blur: No Distance Left To Run / Arts Alliance
Burlesque Undressed (15) / More2Screen
Ninja Assassin (18) / Warner Bros.
Veer / Eros

FRIDAY 29th JANUARY

Adoration (15) / New Wave Films
Edge of Darkness / Icon
Precious: A Novel by Sapphire (15) / Icon
The Princess And The Frog (U) / Walt Disney
Breathless / Terracotta Distribution
Late Autumn (PG) / bfi Distribution

FEBRUARY 2010

FRIDAY 5th FEBRUARY

Astro Boy (PG) (D) / E1 Entertainment / Empire Leicester Square & Natiowide (Previews 30/31 Jan)
Holy Water (D) / Kaleidoscope/Centurion / Key Cities
Invictus (12A) / Warner Bros. / Nationwide
The Island / Artificial Eye / Curzon Renoir & selected Key Cities (fm 19 Feb)
Oil City Confidential (15) (D) / Arts Alliance / London & Nationwide (Previews 2 Feb)
Tony (18) / Revolver Entertainment / London & Key Cities
Youth In Revolt (15) / Paramount/Momentum / Vues Fulham Broadway, Islington, West End & Nationwide
Malice In Wonderland / Kaleidoscope Entertainment (Key Cities)

FRIDAY 12th FEBRUARY

Anonyma: A Woman In Berlin / Metrodome
Battle For Terra (3D) / The Works / Empire Leicester Square & Nationwide
Beyond The Pole (D) / Shooting Pictures / ICA Cinema (Key Cities from March TBC)
Food, Inc / Dogwoof
Letter From An Unknown Woman (R/I) (U) / bfi Distribution / BFI Southbank, Everyman Hampstead & Key Cities
Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief / 20th Century Fox
Ponyo (U) / Optimum Releasing
Pretty Woman (R/I)(15) / Park Circus / Cineworld Haymarket & Nationwide
A Single Man (12A) / Icon
Takeshis / Artificial Eye / Curzon Renoir
Valentine’s Day / Warner Bros.
Winter In Wartime (D) / Kaleidoscope Entertainment / Key Cities
The Wolfman / Universal

FRIDAY 19th FEBRUARY

A Closed Book (15) / Eyeline Ent/ Atlantic Film
Black Death / Revolver Entertainment
Crazy Heart (15) / 20th Century Fox
Everybody’s Fine / Walt Disney / West End (Nationwide from 26 Feb)
The Headless Woman / New Wave Films
The Last Station (15) / Optimum Releasing
The Lovely Bones (12A) (D) / Paramount / Odeon Leicester Square & Nationwide
Solomon Kane / Entertainment
The Unloved / ICA Films / ICA Cinema & selected Key Cities

FRIDAY 26th FEBRUARY

Capitalism: A Love Story (12A) / Paramount
The Crazies / Paramount/Momentum
Extraordinary Measures (PG) / Sony Pictures
Freestyle / Revolver Entertainment
From Paris With Love / Warner Bros.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (R/I) Park Circus / BFI Southbank & Key Cities
Leap Year (PG) / Optimum Releasing
Micmacs (12A) (D) / E1 Entertainment / Cineworld Haymarket, Curzons Mayfair, Soho & Nationwide
Milenge Milenge / Eros
A Chinese She / Optimum Releasing

MARCH 2010

FRIDAY 5th MARCH

Alice In Wonderland In (3D) & IMAX / Walt Disney
Case 39 (15) / Paramount / Nationwide
Chloe / Optimum Releasing
Father Of My Children / Artificial Eye
Legion / Sony Pictures
Motherhood (15) / Metrodome
Ondine / Paramount
The Shouting Men (D) / Kaleidoscope Entertainment Key Cities

FRIDAY 12th MARCH

The Blind Side (12A) / Warner Bros.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo / Momentum Pictures
Green Zone / Universal
The Kreutzer Sonata / Axiom Films / Key Cities
Shutter Island / Paramount

WEDNESDAY 17th MARCH

The Bounty Hunter / Sony Pictures
I Love You Phillip Morris / E1 Entertainment

FRIDAY 19th MARCH

Dirty Oil (D) / Dogwoof / Key Cities
The Ghost / Optimum Releasing
My Last Five Girlfriends / Paramount
Old Dogs (PG) / Walt Disney
The Scouting Book For Boys / WarnerBros/Pathe
Valhalla Rising / Vertigo Films

FRIDAY 26th MARCH

Clash Of The Titans / Warner Bros.
Extract / Paramount
Lion’s Den / Axiom Films / Key Cities
Nanny Mcphee 2 / Universal
No One Knows About Persian Cats / Network Releasing / Curzon Soho & Key Cities
Perrier’s Bounty (15) / Optimum Releasing
Shank / Revolver Entertainment

WEDNESDAY 31ST MARCH

How To Train Your Dragon 3D / Paramount

APRIL 2010

FRIDAY 2nd APRIL

City Of War / Metrodome
Double Take / Soda Pictures
Kick-Ass / Universal
L’Affaire Farewell / The Works
Lourdes / Artificial Eye
Paathshala / Eros
Psycho (R/I) / Universal
Remember Me / E1 Entertainment
Samson & Delilah / Trinity Filmed Entertainment
The Spy Next Door / Momentum Pictures

FRIDAY 9th APRIL

Date Night / 20th Century Fox
I Am Love / Metrodome
I Know You Know / Network Releasing / Apollo Piccadilly Circus & Key Cities (Previews fm 5 Apl)
Shelter / Icon
Whip It! / Lionsgate UK

FRIDAY 16TH APRIL

Alpha And Omega / Lionsgate UK
Boogie Woogie / Vertigo Films
City Of Life And Death (D) / High Fliers Films / Curzon Mayfair, Gate & Key Cities
Cop Out / Warner Bros.
Dear John / Paramount/Momentum
Kicks / New Wave Films
The Losers / Optimum Releasing
Mardi Gras / Sony Pictures
New York, I Love You / The Works
Cemetery Junction / Sony Pictures

FRIDAY 23rd APRIL

Centurion / Warner Bros/Pathe
Dogtooth (18) / Verve Pictures
Housefull / Eros
The Infidel / Revolver Entertainment
It’s A Wonderful Afterlife / Icon
La Danse / Soda Pictures
Life During Wartime / Artificial Eye
Repo Men / Universal

FRIDAY 30th APRIL

The Disappearance Of Alice Creed (18) / CinemaNX Distribution / Nationwide
Greenberg / Universal
Iron Man 2 / Paramount
John Rabe / Metrodome
The Last Song / Walt Disney
Vincere / Artificial Eye

MAY 2010

FRIDAY 7th MAY

The Back-Up Plan / Sony Pictures
The Bad Lieutenant / Lionsgate UK
Furry Vengeance / E1 Entertainment
Gentlemen Broncos / 20th Century Fox
Nightmare On Elm Street / Warner Bros.
The Rebound (15) / Paramount/Momentum

FRIDAY 14th MAY

Last Night / Walt Disney
Revanche / Artificial Eye
Robin Hood / Universal

FRIDAY 21st MAY

Hippie Hippie Shake / Universal
The Killer Inside Me / Icon
Lebanon / Metrodome
Letters To Juliet / E1 Entertainment
Prince Of Persia / Walt Disney
Streetdance (3D) / Vertigo Films

FRIDAY 28th MAY

The Happiest Girl In The World / Soda Pictures
Rec 2 / E1 Entertainment
Sex And The City 2 / Warner Bros.
The Tooth Fairy / 20th Century Fox

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JUNE 2010

WEDNESDAY 2nd JUNE

4.3.2.1 (15) / The Works
Death At A Funeral (15) / Sony Pictures

FRIDAY 4th JUNE

Bear (15) / Metrodome Distribution
The Brothers Bloom (12A) / Optimum Releasing
Girl On The Train / Soda Pictures
Kicks (15) / New Wave Films
The Killer Inside Me (18) / Icon
She’s Out Of My League (15) / Paramount
Shrink (15) / Lionsgate UK
Videocracy (15) / Dogwoof

MONDAY 7th JUNE

Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage (15) / Arts Alliance

WEDNESDAY 9th JUNE

Brooklyn’s Finest (18) / Momentum Pictures
Letters To Juliet (PG) / E1 Entertainment

FRIDAY 11th JUNE

Black Death (15) / Revolver Entertainment
Bronco Bullfrog (15) (R/I) / bfi Distribution
Greenberg (15) / Universal
H2Oil (12A) / Dogwoof
Shed Your Tears And Walk Away / ICO/Bungalow Town
Women Without Men (15) / Artificial Eye

FRIDAY 18th JUNE

Ajami (15) / Vertigo Films
Hierro (12A) / Optimum Releasing
Journey To Mecca (PG) / SK Films
Killers (12A) / Lionsgate UK
MacGruber (15) / Universal
Our Family Wedding (12A) / 20th Century Fox

Please Give (15) / Sony Pictures
Raavan (12A) / Ayngaran
Rashomon (12A) (R/I) / bfi Distribution
Trash Humpers / Warp Films/Alcove Entertainment
Wild Grass / New Wave Films
Wild Target (12A) / Entertainment

FRIDAY 25th JUNE

Breathless: 50th Anniversary (PG)(R/I) / Optimum Releasing
The Collector (18) / Icon
Get Him To The Greek (15) / Universal
Good Hair (12A) / Icon
Tetro (15) / Soda Pictures
Villa Amalia (PG) / Peccadillo Pictures
Whatever Works (12A) / Warner Bros.
When In Rome (PG) / Walt Disney

JULY 2010

FRIDAY 2nd JULY

The Ballroom (15) / Matchbox Films
Crimefighters / Picturehouse Cinemas
Gay Sex In The 70’s (18) / Peccadillo Pictures
Heartbreaker (15) / Revolver Entertainment
I Hate Luv Stories / UTV M.PIC
Lymelife (15) / Network Releasing
Shrek Forever After (U) (3D) / Paramount
Skeletons (D) / Soda Pictures
When You’re Strange: A Film About The Doors (15) / The Works
White Material (15) / Artificial Eye

THURSDAY 8th JULY

Predators (15) / 20th Century Fox

FRIDAY 9th JULY

The 7th Dimension (15) / Kaleidoscope Entertainment
Frownland / ICA Cinema
Gangster’s Paradise: Jerusalema (15) / Anchor Bay Films
Leaving (15) / Metrodome Distribution
London River (12A) / Trinity Filmed Entertainment
Milenge Milenge / Eros
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse / E1 Entertainment
Went The Day Well (PG)(R/I) / bfi Distribution

FRIDAY 16th JULY

Bluebeard / New Wave Films
The Concert (15) / Optimum Releasing
Inception (12A) / Warner Bros.
Mega Piranha (15) / Metrodome Distribution
Mel Karade Rabba / B4U
Rapt (15) / Artificial Eye
Rough Aunties / ICA Cinema

MONDAY 19th JULY

Toy Story 3 (U) / Walt Disney

FRIDAY 23rd JULY

Baaria (15) / E1 Entertainment
City Island (12A) / Anchor Bay Films
Ivul (15) / Artificial Eye
Khatta Meetha / Eros
My Night With Maud (R/I) / bfi Distribution
The Rebound (15) / Paramount/Momentum
Splice (15) / Optimum Releasing

WEDNESDAY 28th JULY

The A-Team (12A) / 20th Century Fox
Karate Kid (PG) / Sony Pictures

FRIDAY 30th JULY

Beautiful Kate (15) / Matchbox Films
Down Terrace (15) / Metrodome Distribution
Frontier Blues (12A) / Artificial Eye
Gainsbourg (15) / Optimum Releasing
Once Upon A Time In Mumbai / B4U
Separado! / Soda Pictures
South Of The Border (15) / Dogwoof

AUGUST 2010

WEDNESDAY4th AUGUST

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore (U) / Warner Bros.

FRIDAY 6th AUGUST

Aisha / DI5
Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky (15) / Soda Pictures
Eccentricities Of A Blonde-Haired Girl (U) / New Wave Films
Knight & Day (12A) / 20th Century Fox
Step Up 3D (12A) / Universal
Undertow (15) / Axiom Films

WEDNESDAY 11th AUGUST

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (PG) / Walt Disney

FRIDAY 13th AUGUST

Black Dynamite (15) / Icon
The Final (18) / Chelsea Films
Five Easy Pieces (15) (R/I) / Park Circus
The Last Airbender (PG) (3D) / Paramount
Le Refuge (15) / Artificial Eye
The Secret In Their Eyes (18) / Metrodome Distribution
Tinkerbell & The Great Fairy Rescue (U) / Walt Disney

WEDNESDAY 18th AUGUST

Marmaduke (U) / 20th Century Fox

THURSDAY 19th AUGUST

The Expendables (15) / Lionsgate UK

FRIDAY 20th AUGUST

The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (18) / Bounty Films
The Illusionist (PG) / Warmer Bros/Pathe
Mother (15) / ICO/ Optimum Releasing
Pianomania / More2Screen
Piranha (3D) (18) / Entertainment
Salt (12A) / Sony Pictures

WEDNESDAY 25th AUGUST

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid (PG) / 20th Century Fox
Grown Ups (12A) / Sony Pictures
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (12A) / Universal

FRIDAY 27th AUGUST

Avatar (Special Edition) (3D) / 20th Century Fox
Dog Pound (18) / Optimum Releasing
The Girl Who Played With Fire (15) / Momentum Pictures
The Last Seven (18) / Metrodome Distribution
The Leopard (R/I) / bfi Distribution
The Maid (15) / Artificial Eye
Wah Do Dem (15) / Picturehouse

SEPTEMBER 2010

WEDNESDAY 1st SEPTEMBER

Perestroika / ICA Cinema
The Switch (12A) / Lionsgate UK

FRIDAY 3rd SEPTEMBER

22 Bullets (18) / Anchor Bay UK
Bonded By Blood / Revolver Entertainment
Certified Copy (12A) / Artificial Eye
Cherry Tree Lane (18) / Metrodome Distribution
Dinner For Schmucks (12A) / Paramount
Jonah Hex (15) / Warner Bros.
The Last Exorcism (15) / Optimum Releasing
No Impact Man (15) / Dogwoof
SoulBoy / Soda Pictures
Splintered (18) / Kaleidoscope Entertainment
Why Did I Get Married Too? (12A) / Lionsgate UK

FRIDAY 10th SEPTEMBER

Alamar / New Wave Films
Cyrus (15) / 20th Century Fox
Dabangg / Eros
Going The Distance (15) / Warner Bros.
Metropolis (PG) (R/I) / Eureka Entertainment
My Son, My Son, What Have You Done / Scanbox Entertainment
Resident Evil: Afterlife (3D) / Sony Pictures
The Runaways (15) / E1 Entertainment
Tamara Drewe (15) / Momentum Pictures

WEDNESDAY 15th SEPTEMBER

Night Of The Demons / Kaleidoscope Entertainment

FRIDAY 17th SEPTEMBER

Devil / Universal
F / Optimum Releasing
Grease Sing-A-Long (PG) (R/I) / Paramount
The Horde / Momentum Pictures
Ik Kudi Panjab Di / Kornerstone Films Ltd
Just Wright (PG) / 20th Century Fox
The Kid / Revolver Entertainment
The Other Guys (12A) / Sony Pictures
Release / Parasol Pictures
Winter’s Bone (15) / Artificial Eye

WEDNESDAY 22nd SEPTEMBER

The Hole (3D) / E1 Entertainment

FRIDAY 24th SEPTEMBER

Anjaana Anjaani / Eros
Budrus / Dogwoof
Eat, Pray, Love (PG) / Sony Pictures
Enter The Void (18) / Trinity Filmed Entertainment
From Here To Eternity (R/I) / Park Circus
Frozen (15) / Momentum Pictures
Peepli Live (15) / Artificial Eye
The Town (15) / Warner Bros.
The Wildest Dream (PG) / Serengeti Ent/National Geographic
World’s Greatest Dad / The Works

WEDNESDAY 29th SEPTEMBER

Buried / Icon

OCTOBER 2010

FRIDAY 1st OCTOBER

Back To The Future (R/I) / Universal
Bella / Kaleidoscope Entertainment
Collapse / Dogwoof
Made In Dagenham (15) / Paramount
Police, Adjective / Artificial Eye
The Secret Of Kells (PG) / Optimum Releasing
Takers (12A) / Sony Pictures

WEDNESDAY 6th OCTOBER

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps / 20th Century Fox

FRIDAY 8th OCTOBER

Involuntary (15) / Trinity Filmed Entertainment
Jackboots In Whitehall / Vertigo Films
The Life And Death Of Charlie St. Cloud (12A) / Universal
Life As We Know It / Warner Bros.
Mr Nice (18) / E1 Entertainment
New York, I Love You / The Works
Restrepo / Dogwoof
A Town Called Panic / Optimum Releasing

FRIDAY 15th OCTOBER

Despicable Me (U) (3D) / Universal
London Boulevard / Entertainment
Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow / Artificial Eye
The Social Network / Sony Pictures
Vampires Suck / 20th Century Fox

WEDNESDAY 20th OCTOBER

Alpha & Omega / Lionsgate UK

FRIDAY 22nd OCTOBER

Africa United / Warner Bros/Pathe
The Arbor / Verve Pictures
Carlos (15) / Optimum Releasing
Easy A (15) / Sony Pictures
Legend Of The Guardians 3D (previously Guardians Of Ga’hoole) / Warner Bros.
Mary & Max / Soda Pictures
Ramona And Beezus (U) / 20th Century Fox
Red / E1 Entertainment
Sequel To Paranormal Activity / Paramount

FRIDAY 29th OCTOBER

Burke And Hare / Entertainment
Enemies Of The People (D) / Dogwoof
Forbidden (R/I) / Park Circus
The Hunter (15) / Artificial Eye
It Happened One Night (R/I) / Park Circus
The Kids Are All Right (15) / Universal
Peeping Tom: 50th Anniversary / Optimum Releasing
Saw VII (3D) / Lionsgate UK

FRIDAY 5th NOVEMBER

Another Year (12A) / Momentum Pictures [Cineworld Haymarket, Curzon Soho, Everyman, Screen On Baker St. & N’wide]
Due Date (15) / Warner Bros. [Nationwide]
Fit / Peccadillo Pictures [Shortwave, Tricycle & Key Cities]
Golmaal 3 (Eros) [C’Worlds Feltham, Ilford, Wood Green, Vue Acton & Key Cities]
Jackass 3D (18) / Paramount [Vue West End & Nationwide]
Let Me In (12A) / Paramount/Icon [Odeon West End & Nationwide]
Mammoth (15) / Soda Pictures [Odeon Panton Street & Key Cities]
Red & White (Kaleidoscope Entertainment) [Key Cities]

FRIDAY 12th NOVEMBER

Aftershock / Metrodome Distribution [Apollo Piccadilly Circus]
brilliantlove / Soda Pictures [Curzon Renoir & Key Cities]
A Day In the Life – Four Portraits Of Post-War Britain (U) / bfi Distribution [BFI Southbank & Key Cities]
The Edge Of Dreaming / Cinefile
Into Eternity / Dogwoof (ICA Cinema & Key Cities)
My Afternoons With Margueritte (15) / Picturehouse Entertainment [Cine Lumiere, Curzon Mayfair, Everyman, Gate & Nationwide]
Skyline / Paramount/Momentum [Cineworld Shaftesbury Ave., Vue West End & Nationwide]
We Are What We Are (15) / Artificial Eye [Curzon Soho, Odeon Covent Gdn., Screen On The Green, Vue Islington & Nationwide]
You Again (U) / Walt Disney [Empire Leicester Square & Nationwide]

FRIDAY 19th NOVEMBER

Adrift (12A) / Revolver Entertainment [Key Cities]
Broken Sun (15) / Metrodome Distribution [Selected Key Cities]
Chico And Rita (15) / CinemaNX [Picurehouse Clapham, Gate, Greenwich, Ritzy & Key Cities]
Dream Home (18) / Network Releasing [Cineworld Shaftesbury Ave., Showcase Newham, Vue Shepherds Bush & Key Cities]
Fathers Of Girls / Soda Pictures [Empire Leicester Square, Genesis Mile End & Key Cities]
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part I (12A) / Warner Bros. [Empire Leicester Square, Vue West End & Nationwide]
Peeping Tom: 50th Anniversary (15) / Optimum Releasing [Curzon Mayfair & Key Cities]
Robinson In Ruins (U) / bfi Distribution [BFI Southbank & Key Cities]
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (12A) / New Wave Films [Key Cities]

FRIDAY 26th NOVEMBER

Unstoppable (12A) / 20th Century Fox [Vue West End & Nationwide]
The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest (15) / Momentum Pictures
The American (15) / Universal [Empire Leicester Square & Nationwide]
Break Ke Baad / Reliance Big Entertainment [Cineworlds Feltham, Ilford, Wandsworth, Woodgreen & Nationwide]
Leap Year / Axiom Films [Key Cities]
London Boulevard / Entertainment [Nationwide]
Machete (18) / Sony Pictures [Nationwide]
An Ordinary Execution / Arrow Films [Cine Lumiere, Clapham Picturehouse & Nationwide]
The Scar Crow (18) / Metrodome Distribution [Selected Key Cities]
Tere Ishq Nachaya / Eros [Cineworlds Feltham, Ilford, Wood Green & Key Cities]
Waiting For Superman (PG) / Paramount/Vantage [Curzon Soho & Picturehouse Clapham]

DECEMBER 2010

FRIDAY 3rd DECEMBER

A Christmas Tale – Rare Exports / Icon
Megamind (formerly Master Mind) / Paramount
Of Gods And Men / Artificial Eye
The Warrior’s Way / Entertainment

FRIDAY 10th DECEMBER

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader / 20th Century Fox
On Tour / Artificial Eye
Secretariat / Walt Disney
The Shop Around The Corner (R/I) / bfi Distribution

FRIDAY 17th DECEMBER

Animals United (3D) / Entertainment
Burlesque / Sony Pictures
Toonpur Ka Superhero / Eros
Tron: Legacy (3D & IMAX) / Walt Disney

WEDNESDAY 22nd DECEMBER

Gulliver’s Travels / 20th Century Fox
Little Fockers / Paramount

WEDNESDAY 29th DECEMBER

Love And Other Drugs / 20th Century Fox

FRIDAY 31st DECEMBER

The Big Sleep (R/I) / bfi Distribution

Categories
Cinema Interviews Podcast

Interview: Anna Kendrick on Up in the Air

Up in the Air is a new film about a corporate downsizer named Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) whose job is to inform people that they no longer have theirs.

Employed by an Omaha based company, his life is spent flying around the US firing people in a smooth and efficient manner because bosses want to outsource this awkward process.

Free of human relationships, he has become attached to frequent flyer miles, a fellow air mile addict (Vera Farmiga) and the buzz of living out of a suitcase. But when his boss (Jason Bateman) partners him with a new recruit (Anna Kendrick) who advocates firing people via video-link, things begin to change.

Directed by Jason Reitman, it is a smart, funny and thoughtful adaptation of Walter Kim’s 2001 novel that explores the current recession, relationships and travel.

I spoke with Anna Kendrick in London recently and we talked about her role and her experiences making it.

You can listen to the interview here:

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

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

Up in the Air is out at UK cinemas on Friday 15th January

> Download the interview as an MP3 file
> Official UK site
> Anna Kendrick at the IMDb
> Read my review of the film
> Buy more about author Walter Kirn and director Jason Reitman at Wikipedia

Categories
Trailers

Trailer: Inception

When Christopher Nolan makes a blockbuster like The Dark Knight, a big studio like Warner Bros will then allow him to make a trippy looking, enigmatic film like Inception, which is out this summer.

> Official site
> More on Inception at Wikipedia

Categories
blu-ray DVD & Blu-ray

UK DVD & Blu-ray Releases: Monday 11th January 2010

DVD & BLU-RAY PICK

The Taking of Pelham 123 (Sony): The remake of the much loved 1974 thriller sees Denzel Washington take on the role of a MTA dispatcher who has to deal with the head of a criminal gang (John Travolta) who have hijacked a train in New York.

Directed by Tony Scott and scripted by Brian Helgeland, it largely came about because Sony had bought MGM and had the rights to remake certain titles in their library.

Although the original film is so distinctive and of its time, this version manages to be something more than just a rehash, mainly due to the fact that Helgeland went back to the original novel and changed some key plot points.

It features solid work all round from the two leads down to a fine supporting cast, which includes John Tuturro, James Gandolfini and Luis Guzman.

Scott directs in his usual frenetic, multi-camera setup style but there is something pleasingly straightforward about the way in which it is all delivered.

It disappointed at the US box office and got a mixed critical response but deserved better as it is a highly efficient nuts and bolts thriller even if Scott directs and edits in his usual ADD manner.

The DVD comes with the following extras:

  • English and Italian DD5.1 Surround
  • English Audio Description Track
  • Subtitles: English, English HOH, Danish, Finnish, Hindi, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish
  • Commentary with Director Tony Scott
  • Commentary with Writer Brian Helgeland and Producer Todd Black
  • No Time to Lose: The Making of Pelham 123
  • The Third Rail: New York Underground
  • Marketing Pelham
  • From the Top Down: Stylizing Character

The Blu-ray Disc is coded for all regions (A, B and C) and the extras are in a mix of SD and HD, including:

  • 1080P 2.40:1 Widescreen
  • English, German and Italian 5.1 DTS-HD MA
  • English Audio Description Track
  • Subtitles: English, English HOH, Danish, Finnish, German, Hindi, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Turkish
  • Commentary with Director Tony Scott
  • Commentary with Writer Brian Helgeland and Producer Todd Black
  • No Time to Lose: The Making of Pelham 123
  • The Third Rail: New York Underground
  • Marketing Pelham
  • From the Top Down: Stylizing Character
  • BD-Live: cinechat

Although I wasn’t sent the Blu-ray for review purposes, I would imagine the transfer looks very good, given that it’s a Sony release.

Gary Tooze of DVD Beaver says it “looks very strong on Blu-ray” and that the transfer is “thick and heavy – balancing nicely between over-saturation and textured grain” and that overall it is a “marvellous presentation”. He has several screen shots here.

* Buy the DVD or Blu-ray from Amazon UK *

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ALSO OUT

And Then There Were None (Optimum) [Buy on DVD]
Antichrist (Artificial Eye) [Buy on DVD | Buy on Blu-ray]
Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat (Arrow Video) [Buy on DVD]
Doctor Who Winter Specials 2009 (2 Entertain) [Buy on DVD]
Doctor Who: The Complete Specials (2 Entertain) [Buy on DVD | Buy on Blu-ray]
Feast II: Sloppy Seconds (Optimum) [Buy on DVD]
Last Action Hero (Sony) [Buy on Blu-ray]
Law & Order: UK – Series 1 (Universal Playback) [Buy on DVD]
Night Boat to Dublin (Optimum) [Buy on DVD]
Nine Men (Optimum)
Painted Boats (Optimum) [Buy on DVD]
Shadows in the Sun (Artificial Eye) [Buy on DVD]
Sorority Row (E1 Entertainment) [Buy on DVD | Buy on Blu-ray]
Spring and Port Wine (Optimum) [Buy on DVD]
Street Trash (Arrow Video) [Buy on DVD]
The Lost Continent (Optimum) [Buy on DVD]
The Proud Valley (Optimum) [Buy on DVD]
The World Ten Times Over (Optimum) [Buy on DVD]
Tickle Me (Optimum) [Buy on DVD]
Wrong Turn 3: Left for Dead ( Fox) [Buy on DVD]

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> UK cinema releases for Friday 8th January including It’s Complicated, The Road and Daybreakers
> The Best DVD and Blu-ray releases of 2009
> UK cinema releases for 2009

Categories
Animation Short Films

The Third & The Seventh

The above short film The Third & The Seventh by Alex Roman is an incredible example of CGI animation. So good in fact, that it doesn’t on first glance look as though it was entirely created on a computer.

It deals with architecture and photography and the following video explains how it was done:

This video also shows how they did a certain shot:

It not only shows how far visual effects have come but also how cheap the tools are to create something that looks stunning.

[Link vis PetaPixel]

Categories
Behind The Scenes Interesting

Visual Effects in Avatar

James Cameron’s Avatar is currently dominating the world wide box office and one of the stand out features is the visual effects.

Here are some behind the scenes videos which explain how they were created.

Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 8th January 2010

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NATIONAL RELEASES

It’s Complicated (Universal): A romantic comedy in which a self-reliant divorcĂ©e (Meryl Streep) with three grown children ends up in a romantic triangle with her ex-husband (Alec Baldwin) and an architect (Steve Martin).

Directed by Nancy Meyers (The Holiday, Something’s Gotta Give) it is aimed squarely at the female market and Streep has even been pushed for some OScar and BAFTA consideration. Universal will expect healthy business from the expected audiences although adverse weather conditions could impact the box office. [Odeon West End & Nationwide / 15]

The Road (Icon): The film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s devastating 2006 novel depicts the journey of a father (Viggo Mortensen) and son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) as they struggle to stay alive in an America which has descended into savagery after an unspecified environmental and social collapse.

Given that the story involves suicide, cannibalism and humans acting like savages you have to give credit to director John Hillcoat (who made the wonderfully gritty Australian western The Proposition in 2005) and screenwriter Joe Penhall (author of the acclaimed play Blue/Orange) for properly translating the horrors and emotions of the novel into a film. Icon will be another UK film distributor cursing the weather and the bleak subject matter is another challenge that has dogged this film. That said, it is based on a major bestseller and is a timely and moving drama. [Vue West End & Nationwide / 15]

* Listen to our interview with Joe Penhall about adapting The Road *

Daybreakers (Lionsgate): A sci-fi horror set in the year 2017, after a plague has transformed nearly all humans into vampires. Faced with a dwindling blood supply, the fractured dominant race plots their survival whilst a researcher (Ethan Hawke) works with a covert band of vampires on a way to save humankind.

Directed by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig, it co-stars Willem Dafoe and Sam Neill. Although DVD is probably where this will make its real cash, the concept could see it do reasonable theatrical business. [Vue West End & Nationwide/ 15]

Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (Entertainment): A music biopic of Ian Dury starring Andy Serkis in the lead role which follows Dury’s rise to fame and documents his personal battle with polio.

The title of the film is derived from the classic 1977 hit, “Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll” and although word of mouth on this hasn’t been stellar, it could appeal to a certain audience (i.e. readers of Mojo and Uncut). [Nationwide / 15]

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ALSO OUT

It Might Get Loud (Blue Dolphin): A documentary by Davis Guggenheim which explores the history of the electric guitar, focusing on the careers and styles of Jimmy Page, The Edge, and Jack White. [Odeon Panton St. & Nationwide / PG]

Exam (Hazeldine Films/Miracle): A British horror film about eight talented candidates for a job interview at a mysterious corporation who have 80 minutes to answer one simple question with three rules. [Key Cities / 15]

Mugabe and the White African (Dogwoof): Documentary directed by Lucy Bailey and Andrew Thompson that explores a white Zimbabwean family’s stand against Robert Mugabe’s land reform campaign. [ICA Cinema & selected Key Cities]

Treeless Mountain (Soda Pictures): Korean film from director Kim So Yong about two young sisters sisters who have to live with their aunt and grandmother after their mother leaves them.  [Renoir & Key Cities / 15]

Fireball (Premiere Films): Bollywood film directed by Thanakorn Pongsuwan and starring Preeti Baraneean [Key Cities]

Mitti (Eros): Bollywood film of which there is little information to be found via Google. [Cineworlds Feltham, Ilford & Key Cities / 12A]

> Get local cinema showtimes for your area via Google Movies
> UK DVD & Blu-ray picks including District 9 and The Hurt Locker