Clicking on the photo above will send you to The Daily Mail's piece on Robin Hood.
Thanks to the lovely Jenny Benedicto for the hook up.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
First Look/Robin Hood/Russell Crowe
Clicking on the photo above will send you to The Daily Mail's piece on Robin Hood.
Thanks to the lovely Jenny Benedicto for the hook up.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Ken Loach's Open Letter To The Edinburgh Film Festival
Following an open letter from the Israeli film maker Tali Shalom Ezer (see below as well), here is Ken Loach's full reply.
This was sent to The Sunday Times but the newspaper never published this in full.
Dear Tali Shalom Ezer
From the beginning, Israel and its supporters have attacked their critics as anti-semites or racists. It is a tactic to undermine rational debate.
To be crystal clear: as a film maker you will receive a warm welcome in Edinburgh . You are not censored or rejected. The opposition was to the Festival's taking money from the Israeli state.
The call for a boycott of Israeli cultural institutions comes from many Palestinians: writers, artists, journalists, lawyers, academics, trades unionists, teachers. They see it as "a contribution to the struggle to end Israel 's occupation, colonisation and system of apartheid." Who are we, that we should not heed their call? Your counter arguments were used against the South African boycott yet that proved eventually to be successful.
We remember that the Palestinians have been dispossessed for sixty years, houses destroyed, communities wrecked. Israel ignores international law, the Geneva Convention and many UN resolutions.
We saw with horror the recent massacres in Gaza , how the Israeli army used phosphorous bombs in populated areas, how UN food stores and shelters were destroyed. The Red Cross described strikes on medical crews and the injured denied attention. Israeli journalist, Amira Hass, wrote of the killing of people flying white flags and the annihilation of entire families.
Faced with such crimes, Israeli poet, Aharon Shabtai, writes: "I do not believe that a state that maintains an occupation, committing on a daily basis crimes against civilians, deserves to be invited to any kind of cultural (event)."
Those who have attacked the boycott here are the usual suspects, old hacks and right wing extremists. One thought you were a man. They would embarrass you.
Please stand with the oppressed against the oppressor. I hope you enjoy the Festival.
Ken Loach
An open letter from Tali Shalom Ezer to Ken Loach.
Dear Mr. Loach,
In the past 24 hours, I have been asked repeatedly to comment on your statement demanding to return Israel 's grant to our embassy in Edinburgh. I admit to have mixed feelings about your statement and all that it implies. As I have indicated in previous occasions, I have always been a member of the Israeli peace camp. Contrary to common perceptions in the media, ours is a large, strong camp – as I'd like to believe is the case amongst Palestinians.
I oppose, with all my heart, the Israeli occupation and settelments; I oppose an automatic resort to military solutions in times of conflict. I appreciate the wish to change the world by shunning what is perceived as an act of injustice, but I feel that what may seem right in theory, may be extremely wrong in practice.
In my opinion, every time a nation is subjected to a cultural boycott – be it a film or a lecture by an Israeli professor abroad – there is a tendency amongst its subjects to draw closer to more nationalistic elements; every time this happens, peace is farther away. Every time this happens, the concept of "A People that Dwells Alone" gathers more believers, and the conviction that the only way to survive is by strengthening the state's military power, is reinforced. Every time this happens, moderate voices are hushed, art is weakened.
I do not know if you are aware of this fact, but Surrogate was filmed by Radek Ladczuk, a talented Polish cinematographer. For 21 years, Israel and Poland had no diplomatic relations; all I knew about the country came from the media and history lessons about WWII.
I approached Radek from purely artistic considerations. Our work, despite difficulties in verbal communication, has proven to me once more the power of art and the many points of similarity which join people together, everywhere. I have no doubt that collaborations of this kind promote dialogue and lessen prejudice.
To conclude, I just want to stress my deep appreciation for your work. I have been an avid fan over the years, and will be honored if you attend the screening of Surrogate, thereby showing the world that despite your opposition to Israel's politics, you are a firm believer in the power of art, and the power of individuals to bring about change.
Yours
Tali Shalom Ezer
This was sent to The Sunday Times but the newspaper never published this in full.
Dear Tali Shalom Ezer
From the beginning, Israel and its supporters have attacked their critics as anti-semites or racists. It is a tactic to undermine rational debate.
To be crystal clear: as a film maker you will receive a warm welcome in Edinburgh . You are not censored or rejected. The opposition was to the Festival's taking money from the Israeli state.
The call for a boycott of Israeli cultural institutions comes from many Palestinians: writers, artists, journalists, lawyers, academics, trades unionists, teachers. They see it as "a contribution to the struggle to end Israel 's occupation, colonisation and system of apartheid." Who are we, that we should not heed their call? Your counter arguments were used against the South African boycott yet that proved eventually to be successful.
We remember that the Palestinians have been dispossessed for sixty years, houses destroyed, communities wrecked. Israel ignores international law, the Geneva Convention and many UN resolutions.
We saw with horror the recent massacres in Gaza , how the Israeli army used phosphorous bombs in populated areas, how UN food stores and shelters were destroyed. The Red Cross described strikes on medical crews and the injured denied attention. Israeli journalist, Amira Hass, wrote of the killing of people flying white flags and the annihilation of entire families.
Faced with such crimes, Israeli poet, Aharon Shabtai, writes: "I do not believe that a state that maintains an occupation, committing on a daily basis crimes against civilians, deserves to be invited to any kind of cultural (event)."
Those who have attacked the boycott here are the usual suspects, old hacks and right wing extremists. One thought you were a man. They would embarrass you.
Please stand with the oppressed against the oppressor. I hope you enjoy the Festival.
Ken Loach
An open letter from Tali Shalom Ezer to Ken Loach.
Dear Mr. Loach,
In the past 24 hours, I have been asked repeatedly to comment on your statement demanding to return Israel 's grant to our embassy in Edinburgh. I admit to have mixed feelings about your statement and all that it implies. As I have indicated in previous occasions, I have always been a member of the Israeli peace camp. Contrary to common perceptions in the media, ours is a large, strong camp – as I'd like to believe is the case amongst Palestinians.
I oppose, with all my heart, the Israeli occupation and settelments; I oppose an automatic resort to military solutions in times of conflict. I appreciate the wish to change the world by shunning what is perceived as an act of injustice, but I feel that what may seem right in theory, may be extremely wrong in practice.
In my opinion, every time a nation is subjected to a cultural boycott – be it a film or a lecture by an Israeli professor abroad – there is a tendency amongst its subjects to draw closer to more nationalistic elements; every time this happens, peace is farther away. Every time this happens, the concept of "A People that Dwells Alone" gathers more believers, and the conviction that the only way to survive is by strengthening the state's military power, is reinforced. Every time this happens, moderate voices are hushed, art is weakened.
I do not know if you are aware of this fact, but Surrogate was filmed by Radek Ladczuk, a talented Polish cinematographer. For 21 years, Israel and Poland had no diplomatic relations; all I knew about the country came from the media and history lessons about WWII.
I approached Radek from purely artistic considerations. Our work, despite difficulties in verbal communication, has proven to me once more the power of art and the many points of similarity which join people together, everywhere. I have no doubt that collaborations of this kind promote dialogue and lessen prejudice.
To conclude, I just want to stress my deep appreciation for your work. I have been an avid fan over the years, and will be honored if you attend the screening of Surrogate, thereby showing the world that despite your opposition to Israel's politics, you are a firm believer in the power of art, and the power of individuals to bring about change.
Yours
Tali Shalom Ezer
Friday, May 29, 2009
Toy Story 3 Teaser Trailer
I have not smiled so much while watching a trailer on a laptop in a very long time.
Just over a year to wait ...
Just over a year to wait ...
Thursday, May 28, 2009
The Dreamworks 2009-2012 Roster
The wonderful Screen Rant has got hold of Dreamworks' animated movie lineup for the next four years.
Some blatant cash-ins there....
Some blatant cash-ins there....
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Alice In Wonderland
I found this picture of Mia Wasikowska as Alice from Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland [1], and thought I would share it.The film has some Burton favorites as well as some Burton newcomers. The full cast includes Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham-Carter as the Red Queen, Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, Stephen Fry as the Cheshire Cat, Christopher Lee as the Jabberwock, and Alan Rickman as the Caterpillar.
I think the casting for this quite something and with Burton’s unique style Alice In Wonderland is sure to be the hit of spring 2010.
Release date 02 April 2010
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
BUFFY
This piece of news is dedicated to Mr David Angove.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer is heading back to the big screen with a new movie based on the hit franchise.
The character, most famously played by Sarah Michelle Gellar in the hit TV series, was originally introduced in the 1992 movie of the same name, starring Kristy Swanson.
The following TV show ran for six years before coming to an end in 2003.
And now the blood-sucking series could be heading back to the big screen with a brand new vampire slayer.
Director Fran Rubel Kuzui, who directed the original film and executive produced the TV programme, owns the rights to the Buffy brand and is planning to reboot the franchise for cinemas, replacing Gellar and the rest of the cast with new actors to fight demons in a different generation.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Stop Getting Bond Wrong !!
To be honest, I wasn't going to post anything up today. It's Bank Holiday Monday here in the UK, which means drinking and James Bond. I've only changed my mind because I read this piece of welcomed news from /Film's Brendon Connelly.
Alan Partridge is soon to be a feature length. I cannot wait for this to happen.
It's all here. In off the red !
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Quote Of The Week : American History X (1998)
"So I guess this is where I tell you what I learned - my conclusion, right? Well, my conclusion is: Hate is baggage. Life's too short to be pissed off all the time. It's just not worth it. Derek says it's always good to end a paper with a quote. He says someone else has already said it best. So if you can't top it, steal from them and go out strong. So I picked a guy I thought you'd like. 'We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature."
Voice over by Danny Vinyard (Edward Furlong) talking about what he had learned, leading a life of a white supremicist.
Friday, May 22, 2009
The Week in Film by Robert Mann - Week Starting 22/5/09
Night at the Museum 2 ***½
When it was released during the Christmas holidays in 2006, the first Night at the Museum surpassed all expectations to become a huge smash hit at the box office, and this was in spite of a rather lacklustre response from this critics, many of whom (this critic included) found the film to be fairly enjoyable yet severely lacking in some key areas. Whatever critics thought of it, however, the Ben Stiller starrer had the perfect combination of adventure and humour to satisfy the family movie-going audience and its success meant that a sequel was inevitable, a sequel that is now upon us, albeit with a summer release rather than a Christmas one. Night at the Museum 2 (subtitled Battle of the Smithsonian in the states, this moniker being dropped for the film’s UK release due to the fact that few British people probably know what the Smithsonian is) brings back several of the first film’s major players, with the significant exceptions of Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney and Bill Cobbs (who were one of the best things about the first film, in this critic’s opinion), and introduces quite a few new recognisable faces into the mix. But are these new additions to the cast enough to make up for the loss of some of the best characters from the first film, and is this second night spent in the museum just delivering more of the same, or is it one of those examples of a sequel that is an improvement upon its predecessor?
Several years after becoming night guard at the Museum of Natural History in New York, where all the exhibits come to life at night, and helping to bring order to the place, Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) has moved on with his life, now the head of a hugely successful company inventing the latest high-tech gadgets. However, his new job doesn’t make him happy, with him missing his glory days at the museum and it looks like he may get to relive some of those days when he visits the museum for a trip down memory lane. Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams) tells him that the museum is making some major changes to bring it into the 21st century and that most of the exhibits are being transferred to the Federal Archives located beneath the Smithsonian in Washington D.C., the biggest museum in the whole world. Larry tries to stop it but is unsuccessful in doing so. When the exhibits arrive at their new home, however, a whole new threat arises, one that threatens the entire world. Monkey Dexter has taken the tablet that brings all the exhibits to life with them and it has awoken the evil Kahmunrah (Hank Azaria), an old Egyptian Pharaoh who wants to take over the world by awakening his army from the underworld. And Larry is the only person who can stop his evil plan. Thus, Larry infiltrates the Smithsonian and sets about trying to rescue his friends including Jedediah (Owen Wilson), Octavius (Steve Coogan), Attila the Hun (Patrick Gallagher), Sacajawea (Mizuo Peck) and Dexter. Once there he learns that they have all been taken prisoner by Kahmunrah and that the evil Pharaoh has now recruited some of the most evil men in history including Al Capone (Jon Bernthal), Napoleon Bonaparte (Alain Chabat) and Ivan the Terrible (Christopher Guest). However, Larry isn’t alone as he has help from the adventure seeking Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams), the egotistic General Custer (Bill Hader) and Abraham Lincoln (Hank Azaria) and space monkey Able, among many other famous historical figures. With the fate of not only the museum but also the whole world hanging in the balance, Larry experience the adventure of a lifetime, all in the space on one night, and romance might just be in the air too.
While the first Night at the Museum film was entertaining it really lacked the kind of substance that could have really made it stand out, with it simply not being engaging enough for anyone but the least demanding of viewers to be considered a classic. This sequel suffers from most of the same problems, even though there is some genuine ingenuity in some of this sequel’s scenes. Relocating the action from the Museum of Natural History to the Smithsonian allows for a much bigger scale with a whole range of historical figures making appearances, as well as cameos from Darth Vader and Sesame Street's Grouch. This allows for much greater variety than in the first film as this time around we get to see far more brought to life with everything from art works (the bringing to life of paintings is an extremely good touch) to the planes and space vehicles of the Air and Space Museum. These provide some very entertaining sequences that are hugely entertaining and really are worth the price of admission, but unfortunately the film is let down by much of the content between these sequences. The majority of the film fails to really provide the level of thrills that many have come to expect from big Hollywood blockbusters, the effects being consistently good but never mind-blowing, and many of the film’s gags fall rather flat, with the film only occasionally delivering any notable laughs, the majority of the attempts at humour being rather lackluster. This isn’t helped by the fact that Ben Stiller is far from his funniest here, his performance being rather monotone, and the significantly reduced roles for Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan and Ricky Gervais don’t help much either. New cast addition Hank Azaria is also extremely feeble in his role as the film’s villain, being rather irritating rather than funny, although his vocalizations for Abraham Lincoln and The Thinker are less so. The strong link among the cast is Amy Adams who shines as Amelia Earhart, delivering a delightful performance that is packed full of charm and convincingly portraying the speech and mannerisms of her character. She is worth a star all on her own. It’s just a shame that the rest of the cast aren’t of the same standard. While the film has some great sequences, as a whole it is severely lacking in substance, thus Night at the Museum 2 comes across as a film that is very easy to enjoy but, much like the first film, it is unlikely that it will leave any lasting impression, and it certainly isn’t one of the better family films of 2009. But for simple entertainment value it is worth the price of admission.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)
When it was released during the Christmas holidays in 2006, the first Night at the Museum surpassed all expectations to become a huge smash hit at the box office, and this was in spite of a rather lacklustre response from this critics, many of whom (this critic included) found the film to be fairly enjoyable yet severely lacking in some key areas. Whatever critics thought of it, however, the Ben Stiller starrer had the perfect combination of adventure and humour to satisfy the family movie-going audience and its success meant that a sequel was inevitable, a sequel that is now upon us, albeit with a summer release rather than a Christmas one. Night at the Museum 2 (subtitled Battle of the Smithsonian in the states, this moniker being dropped for the film’s UK release due to the fact that few British people probably know what the Smithsonian is) brings back several of the first film’s major players, with the significant exceptions of Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney and Bill Cobbs (who were one of the best things about the first film, in this critic’s opinion), and introduces quite a few new recognisable faces into the mix. But are these new additions to the cast enough to make up for the loss of some of the best characters from the first film, and is this second night spent in the museum just delivering more of the same, or is it one of those examples of a sequel that is an improvement upon its predecessor?
Several years after becoming night guard at the Museum of Natural History in New York, where all the exhibits come to life at night, and helping to bring order to the place, Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) has moved on with his life, now the head of a hugely successful company inventing the latest high-tech gadgets. However, his new job doesn’t make him happy, with him missing his glory days at the museum and it looks like he may get to relive some of those days when he visits the museum for a trip down memory lane. Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams) tells him that the museum is making some major changes to bring it into the 21st century and that most of the exhibits are being transferred to the Federal Archives located beneath the Smithsonian in Washington D.C., the biggest museum in the whole world. Larry tries to stop it but is unsuccessful in doing so. When the exhibits arrive at their new home, however, a whole new threat arises, one that threatens the entire world. Monkey Dexter has taken the tablet that brings all the exhibits to life with them and it has awoken the evil Kahmunrah (Hank Azaria), an old Egyptian Pharaoh who wants to take over the world by awakening his army from the underworld. And Larry is the only person who can stop his evil plan. Thus, Larry infiltrates the Smithsonian and sets about trying to rescue his friends including Jedediah (Owen Wilson), Octavius (Steve Coogan), Attila the Hun (Patrick Gallagher), Sacajawea (Mizuo Peck) and Dexter. Once there he learns that they have all been taken prisoner by Kahmunrah and that the evil Pharaoh has now recruited some of the most evil men in history including Al Capone (Jon Bernthal), Napoleon Bonaparte (Alain Chabat) and Ivan the Terrible (Christopher Guest). However, Larry isn’t alone as he has help from the adventure seeking Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams), the egotistic General Custer (Bill Hader) and Abraham Lincoln (Hank Azaria) and space monkey Able, among many other famous historical figures. With the fate of not only the museum but also the whole world hanging in the balance, Larry experience the adventure of a lifetime, all in the space on one night, and romance might just be in the air too.
While the first Night at the Museum film was entertaining it really lacked the kind of substance that could have really made it stand out, with it simply not being engaging enough for anyone but the least demanding of viewers to be considered a classic. This sequel suffers from most of the same problems, even though there is some genuine ingenuity in some of this sequel’s scenes. Relocating the action from the Museum of Natural History to the Smithsonian allows for a much bigger scale with a whole range of historical figures making appearances, as well as cameos from Darth Vader and Sesame Street's Grouch. This allows for much greater variety than in the first film as this time around we get to see far more brought to life with everything from art works (the bringing to life of paintings is an extremely good touch) to the planes and space vehicles of the Air and Space Museum. These provide some very entertaining sequences that are hugely entertaining and really are worth the price of admission, but unfortunately the film is let down by much of the content between these sequences. The majority of the film fails to really provide the level of thrills that many have come to expect from big Hollywood blockbusters, the effects being consistently good but never mind-blowing, and many of the film’s gags fall rather flat, with the film only occasionally delivering any notable laughs, the majority of the attempts at humour being rather lackluster. This isn’t helped by the fact that Ben Stiller is far from his funniest here, his performance being rather monotone, and the significantly reduced roles for Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan and Ricky Gervais don’t help much either. New cast addition Hank Azaria is also extremely feeble in his role as the film’s villain, being rather irritating rather than funny, although his vocalizations for Abraham Lincoln and The Thinker are less so. The strong link among the cast is Amy Adams who shines as Amelia Earhart, delivering a delightful performance that is packed full of charm and convincingly portraying the speech and mannerisms of her character. She is worth a star all on her own. It’s just a shame that the rest of the cast aren’t of the same standard. While the film has some great sequences, as a whole it is severely lacking in substance, thus Night at the Museum 2 comes across as a film that is very easy to enjoy but, much like the first film, it is unlikely that it will leave any lasting impression, and it certainly isn’t one of the better family films of 2009. But for simple entertainment value it is worth the price of admission.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)
Thursday, May 21, 2009
'V' TV Trailer
Here is the latest trailer for the upcoming ABC remake of the classic 1980s sci-fi series V. Enjoy.
"Holmes, Sherlock Holmes..."
With the arrival of the trailer for Guy Ritchie's take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's literary hero Sherlock Holmes I felt it was time for me to blather on about my life long love for the character, but, moreso the 1985 Barry Levinson film Young Sherlock Holmes.
Produced by Steven Spielberg with Henry 'The Fonz' Winkler, written by Chris Columbus and directed by the chap responsible for - then - Diner and - since - Good Morning Vietnam, Rain Man and Wag The Dog, though the film was ultimately a relative box-office disappointment. However, unlike many of today's blockbusters, it decided to be a complete story in and of itself and doesn't pave the way for further Young Sherlock adventures, instead ending on a rather brilliant post-credits sequence that sets up the books themselves.
The film goes so far as to acknowledge its liberties in a pre-end-credits titlecard that reads;
This first adventure throws in many of the familiar elements that characterised Holmes in later life, when we first meeting he's practicing the violin - though is far from mastering it, he takes his deerstalker hat from a deceased friend, his coat from a fallen enemy and the pipe is given to him as a present. Culminating in a final image of the actor Nicholas Rowe looking incredibly Holmesian.
Coincidentally one of Rowe's latter credits was in Ritchie's feature-debut Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, I shan't hold my breath for a cameo in his latest effort though. Meanwhile, Watson is played - with the fashion sense of Harry Potter - by Alan Cox, son of legendary British actor Brian Cox. Whilst Sophie Ward takes on the role of Holmes' love interest Elizabeth.
Cox and Rowe instantly develop an easy and appealing chemistry, and Rowe cuts an impressive figure as both a romantic lead and a swordsman; the film features a truly fantastic final sword fight in and around a frozen shipyard. It is, for me, the controversial romantic subplot that really elevates the film beyond speculative, fun-filled children's fare. This is a rather dark film, arriving a year after Spielberg's equally Gothic Indiana Jones And The Temple of Doom there are screaming Egyptians, nightmarish hallucinations and young women being drowned in boiling water. The most dark and surprising aspect though comes at the film's close where Holmes' love-interest Elizabeth (already an orphan, living with her Uncle who himself gets murdered!) takes a bullet intended for Holmes; following on from a scene earlier in the film where the school boys are asking 'What do you want to be when you grow up?', to which, Holmes replies - staring out the window towards Elizabeth - 'I never want to be alone.' The final moment between Elizabeth and Holmes is beautifully played, absolutely heart-breaking, and, for an open-minded fan of Holmes, could go some way to account for his distinct lack of love-interests later in life. It also fills the final sword fight with a real sense of passion and revenge that gets the hairs on the back of the neck tingling.
Elsewhere the film is notable for the first ever fully-CG character in a motion picture, a stained glass knight that leaps from its window and scares the Holy Spirit out of a vicar. This still-impressive visual effect was overseen by - now head of Disney - Steve Lasseter, one of the men responsible for Pixar. There's also some brilliant stop-motion work when Watson hallucinates an army of pastries force-feeding themselves into him!? In short, the film has absolutely everything a great, family adventure should have; mystery, adventure, comedy, amazing effects, romance, a touch of darkness and a brisk pace.
Downey Jr's Holmes and Jude Law's Watson seem almost like an evolution of this more care-free approach to the famous detective, playing with the ideas of Conan Doyle in an exciting, funny and yet faithful fashion. I for one am extremely excited about Guy Ritchie's take on the resident of Baker Street, and feel that it and this children's classic, that I rented countless times from Cats video in Redruth, would make the perfect double-bill.
The game is afoot, etc!
The film goes so far as to acknowledge its liberties in a pre-end-credits titlecard that reads;
'Although Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did not write about the very youthful years of Sherlock Holmes and did establish the initial meeting between Holmes and Dr. Watson as adults, this affectionate speculation about what might have happened has been made with respectful admiration and in tribute to the author and his enduring works.'
This first adventure throws in many of the familiar elements that characterised Holmes in later life, when we first meeting he's practicing the violin - though is far from mastering it, he takes his deerstalker hat from a deceased friend, his coat from a fallen enemy and the pipe is given to him as a present. Culminating in a final image of the actor Nicholas Rowe looking incredibly Holmesian.
Coincidentally one of Rowe's latter credits was in Ritchie's feature-debut Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, I shan't hold my breath for a cameo in his latest effort though. Meanwhile, Watson is played - with the fashion sense of Harry Potter - by Alan Cox, son of legendary British actor Brian Cox. Whilst Sophie Ward takes on the role of Holmes' love interest Elizabeth.
Cox and Rowe instantly develop an easy and appealing chemistry, and Rowe cuts an impressive figure as both a romantic lead and a swordsman; the film features a truly fantastic final sword fight in and around a frozen shipyard. It is, for me, the controversial romantic subplot that really elevates the film beyond speculative, fun-filled children's fare. This is a rather dark film, arriving a year after Spielberg's equally Gothic Indiana Jones And The Temple of Doom there are screaming Egyptians, nightmarish hallucinations and young women being drowned in boiling water. The most dark and surprising aspect though comes at the film's close where Holmes' love-interest Elizabeth (already an orphan, living with her Uncle who himself gets murdered!) takes a bullet intended for Holmes; following on from a scene earlier in the film where the school boys are asking 'What do you want to be when you grow up?', to which, Holmes replies - staring out the window towards Elizabeth - 'I never want to be alone.' The final moment between Elizabeth and Holmes is beautifully played, absolutely heart-breaking, and, for an open-minded fan of Holmes, could go some way to account for his distinct lack of love-interests later in life. It also fills the final sword fight with a real sense of passion and revenge that gets the hairs on the back of the neck tingling.
Elsewhere the film is notable for the first ever fully-CG character in a motion picture, a stained glass knight that leaps from its window and scares the Holy Spirit out of a vicar. This still-impressive visual effect was overseen by - now head of Disney - Steve Lasseter, one of the men responsible for Pixar. There's also some brilliant stop-motion work when Watson hallucinates an army of pastries force-feeding themselves into him!? In short, the film has absolutely everything a great, family adventure should have; mystery, adventure, comedy, amazing effects, romance, a touch of darkness and a brisk pace.
Downey Jr's Holmes and Jude Law's Watson seem almost like an evolution of this more care-free approach to the famous detective, playing with the ideas of Conan Doyle in an exciting, funny and yet faithful fashion. I for one am extremely excited about Guy Ritchie's take on the resident of Baker Street, and feel that it and this children's classic, that I rented countless times from Cats video in Redruth, would make the perfect double-bill.
The game is afoot, etc!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Guns N’ Roses In Terminator Salvation
Total Film has a list of reasons why they love Terminator Salvation.
"...5. It's Loaded With Nods To The Other Terminator Movies"
McG and his team have packed the new film with cleverly crafted – if occasionally unsubtle winks to what came before.
Guns N’ Roses' ‘You Could Be Mine’ features when Connor tangles with a MotoTerminator…
Full list here (spoiler warning)
"...5. It's Loaded With Nods To The Other Terminator Movies"
McG and his team have packed the new film with cleverly crafted – if occasionally unsubtle winks to what came before.
Guns N’ Roses' ‘You Could Be Mine’ features when Connor tangles with a MotoTerminator…
Full list here (spoiler warning)
Monday, May 18, 2009
The Terminator Timeline
1984
An inexplicably accented Terminator cyborg (Arnold Schwarzenegger, below) is sent back through time from the year 2029. His mission: Kill LA fashion victim Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton, left) before she can conceive her son, John, eventual leader of the human resistance against the sentient machines ruling the world. The daddy of Sarah's baby? The adult John's lieutenant, Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn, left, with Hamilton) — shipped from the future like the ultimate mail-order man-bride. ("The Terminator," 1984)
2.28.85
John Connor born, according to police records. ("Terminator 2: Judgment Day," 1991)
Circa 1995
John Connor (Eddie Furlong), now age 10, and his mom are stalked by a new T-1000 Terminator prototype (Robert Patrick). Fortunately, John's 45-year-old future self reprograms the original T-101 model (Schwarzenegger) to help him bid hasta la vista, baby, to the bad guy. ("T2")
8.4.97
Cyberdyne Systems' Skynet, the advanced military computer behind the Terminators' rise, goes online. ("T2")
8.29.97
Skynet becomes selfaware (oops!), and wages nuclear war against humankind. Warns Sarah (Hamilton), "Anyone not wearin' 2 million sunblock is gonna have a real bad day!" Or would have, at least, if the Connors hadn't succeeded in preemptively destroying the technology (read: junk salvaged from the pulverizing "T1" finale) used to develop Skynet. ("T2")
1997
Per her grave marker (and her son's exposition), Sarah Connor dies following a three-year battle with leukemia. ("Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," 2003)
1999
Sarah Connor (Lena Headey) lives(!) under the radar with teen-emo John (Thomas Dekker), until they're discovered and a slinky new guardian-angel Terminator (Summer Glau) helps them flee to 2007. ("Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," 2008-09)
2003
(Or is it 2005? 2007? The dates don't fully compute) — A 20-something, perpetually jittery John Connor (Nick Stahl, above left) and future wife Kate Brewster (Claire Danes) are visited by a new, enigmatically reprogrammed T-101 (Schwarzenegger, above center, mere months away from the Governator's office). Connor: "You shouldn't even exist! We took out Cyberdyne over 10 years ago. We stopped Judgment Day!" Terminator: "You only postponed it." Enter the Terminatrix (Kristanna Loken) to kill some time before the nukes do go off, as an alternate Skynet is activated and achieves self-awareness within an hour. ("T3")
4.21.2011
Judgment Day, per TV. ("Sarah Connor Chronicles")
2018
A hardened John Connor, now as nuttily intense as, well, Christian Bale (below), tangles with "old-school" hardware like the pre-Arnold T-600 Terminator, and bonds with a young Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin). ("Terminator Salvation")
2029
John Connor's army has Skynet on the brink of defeat, prompting the machines' temporal Hail Mary. ("The Terminator")
7.4.2032
In offscreen action, John Connor is assassinated by a T-101 who buddies up to him by exploiting sunny memories of the "no problemo" days. His widow, Kate, subsequently reprograms the cyborg to go protect their younger selves. Yet again, he'll be back. . . . ("T3")
Ta to Debnet for the hook up.
Paintball Trailer
Has it worked ? The thing above ?
Locka has sent me an English trailer for the Spanish horror-action-caper Paintball.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Flora Plum ? More Hannibal Lecter ?
"Universal has confirmed its intentions to stick by the Silence of the Lambs sequel, laying to rest reports on Entertainment Weekly Online last week that the studio was considering canning the project after Jodie Foster bailed out to instead direct Claire Danes in Flora Plum."
I don't believe all this meself.The Imaginarium Of Dr Parnassus
Some US buyers aren't lovin' The Imaginarium Of Dr Parnassus. Idiots.
Michel Gondry 2 ;Pics
A friend of the site has sent me a few photos (which are above) of an event Nike Sportswear threw for the DVD launch of Michel Gondry 2: More Videos (before and after DVD 1) as part of the Cinema Tuesdays series, curated by FLUX at The Montalbán Theater in Hollywood.The evening included a screening of videos, Q&A with Gondry, live music jam with Jon Brion, Sebastian Steinberg, Seth Rogen, Mia Doi Todd and DJ set by Mathieu Schreyer.
There's more stuff here.
Cannes Film Fest Video Guide
Last year a guide was made about attending the Cannes Film Festival and Market, and for those of
you who could not attend this year, it has been released. It's a 20 minute behind the scenes video
for free here.
Sunday Twitter
scottEweinbergThe hilarity of seeing Jones chase a laser pointer is offset by the guilt I feel at knowing he'll never catch the red dot.
WossyThought you might enjoy this pic ! Honey and her friends have been making a movie starring the dogs !http://twitpic.com/5db5g
brendonconnellyHannah Montana is in my top 15 films so far this year. Maybe even top 10. What do you think of that, eh? I'm right, though. It's good stuff.
kirsteninI like Scott Pilgrim 'cos he plays a Rickenbacker bass...
stephenfryNominees Peter Moffat:Criminal Justice, Russell T Davies:Dr Who, Simon Block: Shooting of Thos Hurndall, Sam Bain & Jesse Armstrong:PeepShow
leeunkrichJoin "Team Pixar" on kiva.org. Make a Small Loan, Make a Big Difference. http://bit.ly/lapiJ
Live_for_FilmsThor has been cast http://tinyurl.com/p6utvf RT
WossyThought you might enjoy this pic ! Honey and her friends have been making a movie starring the dogs !http://twitpic.com/5db5g
brendonconnellyHannah Montana is in my top 15 films so far this year. Maybe even top 10. What do you think of that, eh? I'm right, though. It's good stuff.
kirsteninI like Scott Pilgrim 'cos he plays a Rickenbacker bass...
stephenfryNominees Peter Moffat:Criminal Justice, Russell T Davies:Dr Who, Simon Block: Shooting of Thos Hurndall, Sam Bain & Jesse Armstrong:PeepShow
leeunkrichJoin "Team Pixar" on kiva.org. Make a Small Loan, Make a Big Difference. http://bit.ly/lapiJ
Live_for_FilmsThor has been cast http://tinyurl.com/p6utvf RT
The Sweaty Hat
Harrison Ford had a very special wrap gift for his movie son after completing Indiana Jones & The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull - he tossed Shia LaBeouf his sweaty hat.
The Week in Film by Robert Mann - Week Starting 15/5/09
Angels & Demons ****
When it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006, The Da Vinci Code, director Ron Howard’s adaptation of the bestselling novel by Dan Brown received an extremely lukewarm reception from critics, a reception that was equalled when it was released officially in cinemas. Nonetheless, the film was a huge box office smash hit, grossing over $750 million worldwide, likely due to the considerable hype that was generated by the controversy surrounding the source material. Its box office success meant that a follow-up was quickly green lit with Dan Brown’s prequel novel Angels & Demons (retooled as a sequel for the purposes of the film) being given the go-ahead. However, following a somewhat hostile reaction to The Da Vinci Code, a film that failed to make a lasting impression on many moviegoers, and considering that Angels & Demons lacks the controversy of its predecessor, this is a film that will have to work very hard to win over moviegoers left cold following Ron Howard’s first attempt at adapting the works of Dan Brown. However, with Angels & Demons widely being regarded as the better of the two books it is a task that this film might just be able to pull off.
Despite his notorious relationship with the Church, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is once again called upon to decipher the clues to a catastrophic conspiracy. A sample of a dangerous substance called Anti-Matter has been stolen from the CERN Super Collider in Switzerland and in the wake of the death of the Pope, before conclave can begin to determine his successor, the four preferitti (primary hopefuls for the papacy) have been kidnapped. An ominous threat of their hourly demise, along with the complete annihilation of Vatican City by the Anti-Matter, is issued as an elaborate revenge scheme for a persecuted group known as the Illuminati. Despite the warning, however, the Vatican is divided on how to respond to the threat. Camerlengo Patrick McKenna (Ewan McGregor), who is standing in for the Pope until a new Pope is selected, wants to evacuate while Cardinal Strauss (Armin Mueller-Stahl), head of the conclave, and Swiss Guard Commander Richter (Stellan Skarsgard) feel that evacuation is out of the question. With their meager time limit steadily counting down, Langdon, accompanied by beautiful physicist Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer), must travel throughout Rome to unravel the carefully hidden signs that will lead them to a terrifying adversary, a harrowing discovery, and the shocking truth.
While it is likely that many of those who found fault with The Da Vinci Code will find fault with Angels & Demons, it is hard to deny that it is a far superior film to its predecessor. While what Ron Howard has crafted is still far from being a masterpiece, with him failing to create something that offers much in terms of cinema as an art form, as a piece of entertainment the film is successful, being consistently engaging throughout, even if at times the storyline is tad predictable, and managing to be both thrilling and tense whenever it needs to be. While the film certainly isn’t one of the most action packed you will see this summer, what we get is well staged and enjoyable, and there certainly isn’t a lack of incident to keep us interested throughout the film’s 2 hours 15 minutes running time. At times the pace does slow down somewhat, although this is necessary for the purposes of the plot, and some of the dialogue may be a bit too academic for moviegoers who have no knowledge of the history upon which the film is based, making it somewhat difficult to understand certain things that the characters talk about, but these are relatively minor gripes in what is, for the most part, a very well executed suspense thriller. The climax of the film also has some quite spectacular effects that ensure that the final destination of the story is well worth the journey it takes to get there. As you would expect from a film with a cast of such a high calibre as this the acting is also of a high standard. Tom Hanks is on top form in the lead role and is backed up by strong supporting performances from all involved, notably Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgard, and Armin Mueller-Stahl. Overall, Angels & Demons is an enjoyable thriller that is a considerable improvement upon its predecessor. It still has its flaws and, as with many literary adaptations, may not live up the expectations of those who have read the book, but it is an entertaining and thrilling film nonetheless that is definitely worth the price of a cinema ticket.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fighting *
Fighting is one of those films where you know exactly what to expect just from the title. In a similar vein to past films such as Fight Club (although without that film’s sharp social commentary) and Never Back Down, this film’s title really does speak for itself with fighting being at the heart of the film. Of course, this is a drama and thus there is a story to pad out the film between the fight sequences but most of it is pretty inconsequential, serving only as an excuse for the fights. As such, the film is essentially retreading a tired formula that has been used many times before and doesn’t seem to have much left to offer, thus meaning that its appeal is likely to be very limited. Only the presence of Terrence Howard amongst the cast suggests that Fighting could be anything more than a generic teen drama that will only be appreciated by teens. But sadly even his presence can’t make this film anything more than that.
Shawn MacArthur (Channing Tatum) is a small time counterfeiter who scrapes together a living, selling bootlegs on the streets of New York City. His life is going nowhere until small time hustler Harvey Boarden (Terrence Howard) introduces him to the world of underground street fighting. Harvey sees potential in Shawn and soon transforms him into one of the hottest fighters in the city. Shawn is only in it for the money though and when the opportunity comes to make more cash than he has ever dreamed of by throwing a fight against an old rival he reluctantly takes the chance. But can he really go through with it? Meanwhile, Shawn develops a relationship with waitress Zulay Valez (Zulay Henao).
Terrence Howard is a great actor and at this point in his career he really is in a position to choose his film projects carefully so why exactly he chose to appear in Fighting is a bit of a mystery. This film completely wastes him. Nonetheless, he is pretty much the best thing in the film and that is despite the fact that his character is so one-dimensional that it makes absolutely no use of his acting talents. He tries to bring some gravitas to the film but fails completely. The rest of the cast ranges from poor to mediocre with leading man Channing Tatum failing to create a character who we give a damn about. If we can’t sympathise or empathise with the protagonist of a film then it makes his character’s entire journey pretty meaningless and this is most definitely the case here. Only near the very end do we get any significant character development but by then it is too late to make a notable difference. Zulay Henao is the only cast member who stands out in any way, making for a decent romantic interest, if still being pretty passable herself. The generally poor quality of acting makes it really difficult to care about anything happens but this is as much the fault of a poorly written script and weak direction as it is of any of the actors. The story is tired and predictable and no effort is made to disguise this with the general presentation of the film being of a very low standard. The manner in which the plot unfolds is dull and uninteresting, failing to provide any notable character development or create any dramatic tension. Only near the end does anything of any real consequence happen but by them it is really too late, the film up to this point being such a drag to sit through. The film is equally as poor in other areas as well with the cinematography seeming like that of an amateur and the editing being pretty much along the same lines. The camera frequently comes in and out of focus at the wrong times and the framing is consistently very poor. Even the fight sequences don’t fair much better with them being mostly poorly staged, failing to provide the thrills that they should, and they suffer all the more due to the poor camera work and shoddy editing. This is a major problem considering that they really are the core of the film. Overall, Fighting is a film that really has no place being released in cinemas. It comes across like a below average straight to DVD release and has virtually no features that make it worth recommending. In times where money is scarce there is no point in wasting your cash on such poor quality filmmaking as this, particularly when there are so many genuinely good films out there.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reviews by Robert Mann BA (Hons)
When it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006, The Da Vinci Code, director Ron Howard’s adaptation of the bestselling novel by Dan Brown received an extremely lukewarm reception from critics, a reception that was equalled when it was released officially in cinemas. Nonetheless, the film was a huge box office smash hit, grossing over $750 million worldwide, likely due to the considerable hype that was generated by the controversy surrounding the source material. Its box office success meant that a follow-up was quickly green lit with Dan Brown’s prequel novel Angels & Demons (retooled as a sequel for the purposes of the film) being given the go-ahead. However, following a somewhat hostile reaction to The Da Vinci Code, a film that failed to make a lasting impression on many moviegoers, and considering that Angels & Demons lacks the controversy of its predecessor, this is a film that will have to work very hard to win over moviegoers left cold following Ron Howard’s first attempt at adapting the works of Dan Brown. However, with Angels & Demons widely being regarded as the better of the two books it is a task that this film might just be able to pull off.
Despite his notorious relationship with the Church, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is once again called upon to decipher the clues to a catastrophic conspiracy. A sample of a dangerous substance called Anti-Matter has been stolen from the CERN Super Collider in Switzerland and in the wake of the death of the Pope, before conclave can begin to determine his successor, the four preferitti (primary hopefuls for the papacy) have been kidnapped. An ominous threat of their hourly demise, along with the complete annihilation of Vatican City by the Anti-Matter, is issued as an elaborate revenge scheme for a persecuted group known as the Illuminati. Despite the warning, however, the Vatican is divided on how to respond to the threat. Camerlengo Patrick McKenna (Ewan McGregor), who is standing in for the Pope until a new Pope is selected, wants to evacuate while Cardinal Strauss (Armin Mueller-Stahl), head of the conclave, and Swiss Guard Commander Richter (Stellan Skarsgard) feel that evacuation is out of the question. With their meager time limit steadily counting down, Langdon, accompanied by beautiful physicist Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer), must travel throughout Rome to unravel the carefully hidden signs that will lead them to a terrifying adversary, a harrowing discovery, and the shocking truth.
While it is likely that many of those who found fault with The Da Vinci Code will find fault with Angels & Demons, it is hard to deny that it is a far superior film to its predecessor. While what Ron Howard has crafted is still far from being a masterpiece, with him failing to create something that offers much in terms of cinema as an art form, as a piece of entertainment the film is successful, being consistently engaging throughout, even if at times the storyline is tad predictable, and managing to be both thrilling and tense whenever it needs to be. While the film certainly isn’t one of the most action packed you will see this summer, what we get is well staged and enjoyable, and there certainly isn’t a lack of incident to keep us interested throughout the film’s 2 hours 15 minutes running time. At times the pace does slow down somewhat, although this is necessary for the purposes of the plot, and some of the dialogue may be a bit too academic for moviegoers who have no knowledge of the history upon which the film is based, making it somewhat difficult to understand certain things that the characters talk about, but these are relatively minor gripes in what is, for the most part, a very well executed suspense thriller. The climax of the film also has some quite spectacular effects that ensure that the final destination of the story is well worth the journey it takes to get there. As you would expect from a film with a cast of such a high calibre as this the acting is also of a high standard. Tom Hanks is on top form in the lead role and is backed up by strong supporting performances from all involved, notably Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgard, and Armin Mueller-Stahl. Overall, Angels & Demons is an enjoyable thriller that is a considerable improvement upon its predecessor. It still has its flaws and, as with many literary adaptations, may not live up the expectations of those who have read the book, but it is an entertaining and thrilling film nonetheless that is definitely worth the price of a cinema ticket.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fighting *
Fighting is one of those films where you know exactly what to expect just from the title. In a similar vein to past films such as Fight Club (although without that film’s sharp social commentary) and Never Back Down, this film’s title really does speak for itself with fighting being at the heart of the film. Of course, this is a drama and thus there is a story to pad out the film between the fight sequences but most of it is pretty inconsequential, serving only as an excuse for the fights. As such, the film is essentially retreading a tired formula that has been used many times before and doesn’t seem to have much left to offer, thus meaning that its appeal is likely to be very limited. Only the presence of Terrence Howard amongst the cast suggests that Fighting could be anything more than a generic teen drama that will only be appreciated by teens. But sadly even his presence can’t make this film anything more than that.
Shawn MacArthur (Channing Tatum) is a small time counterfeiter who scrapes together a living, selling bootlegs on the streets of New York City. His life is going nowhere until small time hustler Harvey Boarden (Terrence Howard) introduces him to the world of underground street fighting. Harvey sees potential in Shawn and soon transforms him into one of the hottest fighters in the city. Shawn is only in it for the money though and when the opportunity comes to make more cash than he has ever dreamed of by throwing a fight against an old rival he reluctantly takes the chance. But can he really go through with it? Meanwhile, Shawn develops a relationship with waitress Zulay Valez (Zulay Henao).
Terrence Howard is a great actor and at this point in his career he really is in a position to choose his film projects carefully so why exactly he chose to appear in Fighting is a bit of a mystery. This film completely wastes him. Nonetheless, he is pretty much the best thing in the film and that is despite the fact that his character is so one-dimensional that it makes absolutely no use of his acting talents. He tries to bring some gravitas to the film but fails completely. The rest of the cast ranges from poor to mediocre with leading man Channing Tatum failing to create a character who we give a damn about. If we can’t sympathise or empathise with the protagonist of a film then it makes his character’s entire journey pretty meaningless and this is most definitely the case here. Only near the very end do we get any significant character development but by then it is too late to make a notable difference. Zulay Henao is the only cast member who stands out in any way, making for a decent romantic interest, if still being pretty passable herself. The generally poor quality of acting makes it really difficult to care about anything happens but this is as much the fault of a poorly written script and weak direction as it is of any of the actors. The story is tired and predictable and no effort is made to disguise this with the general presentation of the film being of a very low standard. The manner in which the plot unfolds is dull and uninteresting, failing to provide any notable character development or create any dramatic tension. Only near the end does anything of any real consequence happen but by them it is really too late, the film up to this point being such a drag to sit through. The film is equally as poor in other areas as well with the cinematography seeming like that of an amateur and the editing being pretty much along the same lines. The camera frequently comes in and out of focus at the wrong times and the framing is consistently very poor. Even the fight sequences don’t fair much better with them being mostly poorly staged, failing to provide the thrills that they should, and they suffer all the more due to the poor camera work and shoddy editing. This is a major problem considering that they really are the core of the film. Overall, Fighting is a film that really has no place being released in cinemas. It comes across like a below average straight to DVD release and has virtually no features that make it worth recommending. In times where money is scarce there is no point in wasting your cash on such poor quality filmmaking as this, particularly when there are so many genuinely good films out there.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reviews by Robert Mann BA (Hons)
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Swine Flu 1976
Sod those leaflets, watch this instead.
From the voluminous shelves of the National Archives, here are vintage Swine Flu PSAs from 1976.
Popbitch Gossip
Danny Boyle spotted mooching around the homeware
section of John Lewis. "It looked like he was
weighing up the pros and cons of a metal drainer".
>> Say sorry to a star <<
Apologies, Professor McGonagall
Will writes:
"Maggie Smith, in 1989 you came to the Redgrave
Theatre in Farnham, Surrey, for a garden party
fundraiser which included giving autographs.
I was nine at the time and had no idea who you
were, and had never seen a woman wearing such a
low cut top. As you asked me "And what's your
name sweetie?" all I could do was stare at
your tits. I just worked out that you would have
been 55 at the time. I'm sorry. I'm pretty
sure the fact that I'm gay now is not connected
with this event."
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Wes Anderson Film Fest
Wes Anderson Trailer from Alex Cornell on Vimeo.
Check this out, and head on over to this blog for more on how they put this together.
We Love You Too
At the end of April, Spike Jonze and some of his friends started a blog celebrating the artists and other influences that come together in his upcoming film of Maurice Sendak’s book, Where The Wild Things Are.
It’s called We Love You So. They’ve been putting up all kinds of cool stuff, check out the earlier posts of Andy Warhol, Debbie Harry, and an Amiga computer; Reggie Watts; Patrick Daughters and Marcel Dzama; Barack Obama . . . and everything else.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Tonight On Twitter
CRITERIONRead Francine Prose's essay on John Huston's WISE BLOOD, just posted to the Current! http://bit.ly/Iovd3
kirsteninI really really really like @Jason_Segel
Glinner@JohnnyJfar trying to download something that allows you to see American content that is usually region restricted
totalfilm@chrisblohm Dunno about that, fella. Tom Cruise in MI3, surely? -Andy #tfdvdclub
BFIKenneth Anger, sporting a jumper with his name on it, spoke thusly: 'I'm all in favour of dreaming; it's like watching free movies.'
serafinowiczFantastic new ICE-T video!! http://bit.ly/ZdU1N
kirsteninI really really really like @Jason_Segel
Glinner@JohnnyJfar trying to download something that allows you to see American content that is usually region restricted
totalfilm@chrisblohm Dunno about that, fella. Tom Cruise in MI3, surely? -Andy #tfdvdclub
BFIKenneth Anger, sporting a jumper with his name on it, spoke thusly: 'I'm all in favour of dreaming; it's like watching free movies.'
serafinowiczFantastic new ICE-T video!! http://bit.ly/ZdU1N
Monday, May 11, 2009
Shadow Of Threat Looms In Margate’s Old Town Cultural Quarter
Plans for a three-storey townhouse development in Margate’s Old Town threaten to cast a huge shadow over the future of a local voluntary arts and multimedia organisation, Beeping Bush Ltd, based at the Community Pharmacy Gallery.
A second planning application will finally go to Planning Committee for Margate Councillors to decide the fate of the community use building on May 20th. The case has been with Ombudsman for over 4 years, as the original application was passed without going to committee, despite receiving objections. The planning decision was finally overturned only as the originally submitted plans were eventually discovered to be inaccurate.
If these new plans are passed, developers will be allowed to literally overshadow the gallery when garages that back onto the Gallery in Newby’s Place are demolished, to make way for two three-storey residential townhouses.
Bizarrely, this will mean that Thanet District Council have effectively negated the £80,000 grant administered to establish the gallery in 2001. These TDC administered capital grants were combined CAPS and ERDF awards to specifically reinstate the Grade II listed building’s roof lanterns and rooftop terrace as workshop area. This will now be completely overshadowed by a 40ft sheer blank wall.
“Our development of the gallery has been on hold since this initial application was received in October 2004. We only started re-investing into the building again when the original application was finally overturned last year. We received another £18,000 of grants from Margate Renewal Partnership and Stronger Safer Communities Fund this year towards our £40,000 internal refurbishment costs which we are just completing. Now this total public investment of nearly £100,000 is in danger of being completely wasted if this new development is built ” Remarked Mick Etherton, Director of Beeping Bush Ltd
The planned building development is causing concern to commercial users of the gallery. Thanet Kent Adult Education previously used the gallery as an outreach centre for their stone carving sculpture classes, but this threatened proposal influenced their decision to leave last year. We are in negotiation to have new workshop classes’ return in the autumn, but this development will completely ruin the quality of light entering the space and jeopardise its continued use. Currently Turner Contemporary uses the space for their Cultural Ambassadors workshops. And we have a schedule of exhibitions planned for the summer.
Mr Etherton added “Every visitor comments on the wonderful quality of sun-light streaming through the south facing gallery. It was designed as the dominant feature of building and is the reason why artists want to show and work here. It took nearly two years to rebuild the roof and reinstate these Victorian roof lanterns to their former glory, so I hope that the councillors will have the insight towards encouraging a sense of artistic community in Margate! What is was the point of spending all this money to create this beautiful exhibition space and then completely ruin it by allowing a housing development, which will neither benefit the artistic, or business community in the old town?
Other local arts businesses agree. Stephen Roper, co-owner of the Old Town Gallery and chairman of the Old Town Action Group commented: “The Community Pharmacy Gallery was the first and largest arts venture in the Old Town. It remains a valuable asset to the Cultural Quarter and it’s closure would be a great loss. I hope that a way to resolve this situation can be found.”
The Community Pharmacy Gallery is a regular venue for art exhibitions and art workshops, and hosting charitable events, with over 28,000 visitors since 2002.It has also been a key building for the Margate Rocks art exhibition festival office. In 2005 it displayed work from over 200 local artists in a charitable show to help the Tsunami victims, and hosted a recent poetry evening in aid of The Cyrenians
Says Mick Etherton, “I have objected to this proposal since the original application in 2004, and my concerns have been completely ignored. I did suggest a compromise, with a hipped end roof to allow less shadow and match with existing adjacent houses, but the excessive height of this development will undoubtedly affect our exhibition and workshop events. I am disappointed and dismayed that there has been no compromise with the new proposal. I Just want the councillors to have this final opportunity to decide whether they truly want arts regeneration in the Old Town or just private property development in the Cultural Quarter. We will have to seriously consider our commercial sustainability as an arts venue”
A second planning application will finally go to Planning Committee for Margate Councillors to decide the fate of the community use building on May 20th. The case has been with Ombudsman for over 4 years, as the original application was passed without going to committee, despite receiving objections. The planning decision was finally overturned only as the originally submitted plans were eventually discovered to be inaccurate.
If these new plans are passed, developers will be allowed to literally overshadow the gallery when garages that back onto the Gallery in Newby’s Place are demolished, to make way for two three-storey residential townhouses.
Bizarrely, this will mean that Thanet District Council have effectively negated the £80,000 grant administered to establish the gallery in 2001. These TDC administered capital grants were combined CAPS and ERDF awards to specifically reinstate the Grade II listed building’s roof lanterns and rooftop terrace as workshop area. This will now be completely overshadowed by a 40ft sheer blank wall.
“Our development of the gallery has been on hold since this initial application was received in October 2004. We only started re-investing into the building again when the original application was finally overturned last year. We received another £18,000 of grants from Margate Renewal Partnership and Stronger Safer Communities Fund this year towards our £40,000 internal refurbishment costs which we are just completing. Now this total public investment of nearly £100,000 is in danger of being completely wasted if this new development is built ” Remarked Mick Etherton, Director of Beeping Bush Ltd
The planned building development is causing concern to commercial users of the gallery. Thanet Kent Adult Education previously used the gallery as an outreach centre for their stone carving sculpture classes, but this threatened proposal influenced their decision to leave last year. We are in negotiation to have new workshop classes’ return in the autumn, but this development will completely ruin the quality of light entering the space and jeopardise its continued use. Currently Turner Contemporary uses the space for their Cultural Ambassadors workshops. And we have a schedule of exhibitions planned for the summer.
Mr Etherton added “Every visitor comments on the wonderful quality of sun-light streaming through the south facing gallery. It was designed as the dominant feature of building and is the reason why artists want to show and work here. It took nearly two years to rebuild the roof and reinstate these Victorian roof lanterns to their former glory, so I hope that the councillors will have the insight towards encouraging a sense of artistic community in Margate! What is was the point of spending all this money to create this beautiful exhibition space and then completely ruin it by allowing a housing development, which will neither benefit the artistic, or business community in the old town?
Other local arts businesses agree. Stephen Roper, co-owner of the Old Town Gallery and chairman of the Old Town Action Group commented: “The Community Pharmacy Gallery was the first and largest arts venture in the Old Town. It remains a valuable asset to the Cultural Quarter and it’s closure would be a great loss. I hope that a way to resolve this situation can be found.”
The Community Pharmacy Gallery is a regular venue for art exhibitions and art workshops, and hosting charitable events, with over 28,000 visitors since 2002.It has also been a key building for the Margate Rocks art exhibition festival office. In 2005 it displayed work from over 200 local artists in a charitable show to help the Tsunami victims, and hosted a recent poetry evening in aid of The Cyrenians
Says Mick Etherton, “I have objected to this proposal since the original application in 2004, and my concerns have been completely ignored. I did suggest a compromise, with a hipped end roof to allow less shadow and match with existing adjacent houses, but the excessive height of this development will undoubtedly affect our exhibition and workshop events. I am disappointed and dismayed that there has been no compromise with the new proposal. I Just want the councillors to have this final opportunity to decide whether they truly want arts regeneration in the Old Town or just private property development in the Cultural Quarter. We will have to seriously consider our commercial sustainability as an arts venue”
Sunday, May 10, 2009
The Week in Film by Robert Mann - Week Starting 8/5/09
Star Trek *****
Following the box office failure of 2003’s Star Trek: Nemesis and the cancellation of TV show Star Trek: Enterprise in 2005, it looked as though Paramount’s Star Trek franchise had seen its last voyage where no man has gone before. However, as has been demonstrated by the recent revivals of the James Bond and Batman franchises, no popular series stays dead for long, and Paramount have opted to follow the reboot route that those two film series went down, taking Star Trek back to its beginnings and making it appeal to a mainstream audience once again. And the man chosen to oversee this rebirth of the Trek franchise is none other than J.J Abrams, the genius behind hit TV shows Alias and Lost, and director of 2006’s highly underrated Mission: Impossible III. Promising to boldly go where Star Trek has never gone before, this re-imagining has become one of 2009’s most eagerly anticipated blockbusters with the online trailer being downloaded a record number of times and pre-release reviews and word of mouth being almost unanimously positive (with the exception of a few Trek purists who are somewhat displeased with the film’s alleged contradiction of established Trek continuity). So, is this new incarnation a rebirth that will make Star Trek cool once again or will it seal its fate as being a small fan base only phenomenon?
The Federation starship USS Kelvin is investigating a ‘lightning storm’ in space. It turns out to be a black hole, and the Narada, a Romulan mining vessel, emerges from it and attacks. The Kelvin's captain, Richard Robau (Faran Tahir) is captured and killed by the Romulan captain Nero (Eric Bana). First officer George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth) takes command and sacrifices himself and the Kelvin by ramming it into the Romulan ship in order to allow the rest of the crew to escape. During the escape, George's wife Winona (Jennifer Morrison) gives birth to a son: James Tiberius Kirk. About 22 years later, Kirk (Chris Pine) grows into an intelligent but reckless young man. He meets Uhura (Zoe Saldana) and Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) in a bar in Iowa, where Pike convinces Kirk to enlist in Starfleet Academy and follow in his father's footsteps. During his eventful education on Earth, he is suspended for cheating on a test designed by the half-Vulcan, half-human Spock (Zachary Quinto). Despite this, Kirk is smuggled onboard the USS Enterprise by his friend, Dr. Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy (Karl Urban), as it is sent on its first mission to investigate a distress signal originating from the planet Vulcan; Captain Pike commands the ship, with Spock as his first officer, and Uhura is also assigned to the ship. It soon becomes clear that Nero has returned and he possesses a doomsday weapon that he is using on Vulcan and also intends to use on Earth. When Pike surrenders to Nero and Spock’s emotions begin to get out of control, Kirk finds himself forced to become Captain, and with the help of his crew that also includes Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Hikaru Sulu (John Cho), Pavel Chekov (Anton Yelchin) and Scotty (Simon Pegg), he sets about trying to stop Nero before he can carry out his deadly plan. However, with Nero having already changed everything will anything ever be the same?
The direction that J.J. Abrams has taken with Star Trek is an extremely bold and risky one. After all, rebooting the franchise was never going to go down well with the fans who have invested so much time following the established Trek continuity and hold it sacrosanct. And the recasting of much loved characters was always going to be a tough thing to pull off as if the actors chosen weren’t spot on then there would be an inevitable backlash from fans annoyed at seeing their favourite characters ruined by actors ill suited to play the roles. With not only the approval of Trekkies everywhere hanging in the balance (the fact that Abrams is apparently not one himself not doing much to help him) but also the need to create a film that will appeal to a mainstream movie-going audience, Abrams had an insurmountable task to pull off with this film but it is a task that that he has pulled off with a spectacular degree of success. For starters, an ingenious twist (hint-it involves time travel) means that the series has been rebooted without ignoring everything that has come before. As such, the film goes back to basics but still acknowledges all that has already occurred in the Trek universe, thus enabling casual moviegoers to appreciate it as well as die-hard fans (although the purists may still feel cheated). Perhaps more importantly, however, the casting is absolutely spot on across the board. It was always going to be tough to find actors who could fill the shoes of the original cast members but clearly it was not an impossible task as virtually everyone in the film proves themselves worthy to be playing the roles. Chris Pine perfectly captures all the mannerisms of James T. Kirk, delivering a performance that expertly balances the character’s rebellious wit with his more serious and heroic persona. Pine has never really had the chance to shine in past films but his role here shows what he is really capable of. Pine has excellent chemistry with his co-stars and the dynamic between Kirk and Spock is particularly successful. In the role of Spock, Zachary Quinto shows that he is capable of being far more than just Sylar from Heroes excellently capturing the character’s inner turmoil as he attempts to embrace logic in the face of his increasingly out of control emotions. His performance is one that I am sure original star Leonard Nimoy would approve of and Nimoy himself puts in a terrific appearance as Spock’s future self. Another excellent performance comes courtesy of Karl Urban who as ‘Bones’ McCoy excellently captures the essence of what was so great about original actor DeForest Kelley, perfectly portraying the brash cynicism of the character. Next big thing Anton Yelchin (who can also soon be seen as Kyle Reese in Terminator Salvation) is also superb, and in the role of Chekov he delivers a flawless Russian accent and nails the character’s dialogue. Simon Pegg, who this critic initially thought to be a very bad casting choice, proves me wrong with a delightfully humorous performance as Scotty that is perfectly in keeping with the tone of the film and his Scottish accent isn’t half bad either. In the role of Uhura and Sulu, Zoe Saldana and John Cho also deliver very good performance although neither is quite up to the same standard as the rest of the key cast members. It isn’t just the main cast members who impress, however, as the remainder of the cast is also extremely impressive. As villain Nero, Eric Bana doesn’t just make a very sinister adversary but one who has a real purpose for his actions besides being just evil, which the character isn’t really. While there is no denying that he is the bad guy of the film and that he commits horrible acts, his tragic back story helps to humanize (or should that be romulanize) him somewhat, making him a much more three dimensional bad guy than is often seen. There are a number of other recognisable faces in the film as well including Bruce Greenwood, Winona Ryder (as Spock’s mother Amanda Grayson), Ben Cross (as Spock’s father Sarek), Jennifer Morrison, Tyler Perry (as head of the Starfleet Academy) and Paul McGillion among many, many other members of the film’s extremely huge cast. The strength of the acting in this film is a key reason why it works so well, as the characters are at the heart of the film and are crucial in making us care about what does and doesn’t happen. If just one role had been miscast the film likely wouldn’t have had the same impact.
The film also impresses in a variety of other ways, a key one being the story. As with the characters, the story is a crucial part of the success of the film, and thanks to an extremely well written script serious drama and humour are so successfully combined that neither ever compromises the other. The writers do a good job of ensuring that the film takes itself seriously when necessary but doesn’t take itself too seriously whenever it is appropriate. The result is a film that manages to be tense, moving and funny in equal measure. While the film may annoy Trek purists with some of the changes that have been made, there are plenty of references present throughout that are just for the Trekkies. The success of the characters is partly due to the writers as well, not just the strength of the acting, as their dialogue and interactions work because they are well written. The relationships between the characters ring true and there is some genuine conflict, something that has been greatly lacking in Star Trek in the past. The writers also handle the time travel element of the plot very well. Time travel in movies is something that can make the story extremely hard to follow and result in paradoxes and contradictions but this element of the plot is handled in such a way that it doesn’t seem overly complicated at all and it has a good linear flow. As you would expect from a film such as this though, it isn’t all story and character development. In the action department the film also delivers spectacularly, providing one of the most visually impressive and most thrilling movies that you will see this year. The visual effects are amazing, with near seamless interaction between real and CGI, and the set design is equally impressive, paying homage to classic Trek but also giving anything a snazzy 21st century spin. There is also some good creature design with a variety of different aliens appearing throughout. The redesigning of sets and costumes may slightly annoy Trek purists but they work and the majority of Trek fans should be very pleased with the way it all works out, and the film really does provide a feast for the eyes. The shifting of emphasis from the exploration of the TV series to a more action adventure orientated story allows for some fantastic and memorable action set-pieces that really outdo anything else that has been seen lately. As a whole, Star Trek is a movie that impresses in every regard. It manages to maintain the spirit of the original series whilst reinventing it for a 21st century audience, delivering something that can be enjoyed and appreciated by Trekkies and non-Trekkies alike. So, whether you’re a Star Trek fan or just want to see a great movie set your phaser to stun for what it without a doubt one of the best films of 2009.
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Coraline 3D ***½
Coraline 2D ***
In an age dominated by computer animation, it is really quite refreshing when a filmmaker chooses to use more old fashioned animation techniques rather than the latest CG animation and, while it is very rare nowadays, every now and then such a film comes along. Coraline is one such film, utilizing the stop motion animation style made famous by The Nightmare Before Christmas. However, while writer director Henry Selick (the man behind Nightmare) has chosen to make this film using an older form of animation it hasn’t stopped him from incorporating some more modern technology as well, as the film has been produced in digital 3D to provide a movie-going experience that truly stands out amongst the CG dominated animation pictures that we have been accustomed to lately, at least in visual terms anyway.
Coraline Jones (voiced by Dakota Fanning) is a young girl who has just moved into a new home with her parents (voiced by Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman). Her eccentric neighbours include actresses Miss Spink (voiced by Jennifer Saunders) and Miss Forcible (voiced by Dawn French), circus acrobat Mr. Bobinsky (voiced by Ian McShane) and Wybie (voiced by Robert Bailey Jr.), a young boy whose grandmother is their landlady. Coraline is constantly bored, with her parents too busy working to even notice her and she wishes that everything could just be better. And it seems like her wish may be granted when she discovers a door in the house that leads to a parallel world where she meets her Other Mother and Other Father and where everything seems to be better and more fun, except for the fact that everyone there has buttons sewn into their eyes. At first it seems like a dream come true and she wants to be there all the time but she soon learns that she should be careful what she wishes for when she discovers that the whole world is a trap designed to imprison her and she must count on all her resourcefulness, determination and bravery to get back home - and save her family.
Based on the book of the same name by acclaimed fantasy writer Neil Gaiman, Coraline is a fairy tale of the very macabre variety. Right from the opening scene, in which we see someone - or something - with hands that look like they are made up of sewing needles pulling apart and reassembling a doll, it is clear that this cautionary tale is definitely not going to be particularly light viewing. This may be surprising to some considering that Coraline has been marketed as a family film, something which is rather questionable considering some of the film’s content. Everything about the film is dark and creepy and there is a constant feeling of unease that would be more at home in a horror movie than a family one. The film’s menacing and sinister side means that this is not a film that I would recommend for taking really young children to, as they will likely find much of it terrifying rather than entertaining and may well have nightmares after seeing it. The film really could have a done with a bit of humour to lighten the tone somewhat. Also, the film may be a bit too slow paced for much of the duration for children with short attention spans. While the film falls far short of being a successful film for all the family, however, from a technical standpoint there is plenty to marvel at. The environments that are created range from the extremely beautiful to the very unsettling, and all are extremely life-like, helped considerably by the film’s impressive use of 3D that makes it seem even more realistic. The production design is ingenious and clever and for this reason the first is an excellent example of cinema as an art form if less so as entertainment. As for the story, writer/director Selick does a good job of adapting the book for the big screen but fails to produce something that is really suitable for all the family, with the film generally being too creepy for young children, the very audience that has apparently been targeted by the film’s marketing campaign. Technically brilliant but as a piece of family entertainment greatly lacking, Coraline is a film that should be praised for its artistic merits but when it comes to the film’s entertainment value it really is hard to tell exactly who it is aimed at.
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Reviews by Robert Mann BA (Hons)
Following the box office failure of 2003’s Star Trek: Nemesis and the cancellation of TV show Star Trek: Enterprise in 2005, it looked as though Paramount’s Star Trek franchise had seen its last voyage where no man has gone before. However, as has been demonstrated by the recent revivals of the James Bond and Batman franchises, no popular series stays dead for long, and Paramount have opted to follow the reboot route that those two film series went down, taking Star Trek back to its beginnings and making it appeal to a mainstream audience once again. And the man chosen to oversee this rebirth of the Trek franchise is none other than J.J Abrams, the genius behind hit TV shows Alias and Lost, and director of 2006’s highly underrated Mission: Impossible III. Promising to boldly go where Star Trek has never gone before, this re-imagining has become one of 2009’s most eagerly anticipated blockbusters with the online trailer being downloaded a record number of times and pre-release reviews and word of mouth being almost unanimously positive (with the exception of a few Trek purists who are somewhat displeased with the film’s alleged contradiction of established Trek continuity). So, is this new incarnation a rebirth that will make Star Trek cool once again or will it seal its fate as being a small fan base only phenomenon?
The Federation starship USS Kelvin is investigating a ‘lightning storm’ in space. It turns out to be a black hole, and the Narada, a Romulan mining vessel, emerges from it and attacks. The Kelvin's captain, Richard Robau (Faran Tahir) is captured and killed by the Romulan captain Nero (Eric Bana). First officer George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth) takes command and sacrifices himself and the Kelvin by ramming it into the Romulan ship in order to allow the rest of the crew to escape. During the escape, George's wife Winona (Jennifer Morrison) gives birth to a son: James Tiberius Kirk. About 22 years later, Kirk (Chris Pine) grows into an intelligent but reckless young man. He meets Uhura (Zoe Saldana) and Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) in a bar in Iowa, where Pike convinces Kirk to enlist in Starfleet Academy and follow in his father's footsteps. During his eventful education on Earth, he is suspended for cheating on a test designed by the half-Vulcan, half-human Spock (Zachary Quinto). Despite this, Kirk is smuggled onboard the USS Enterprise by his friend, Dr. Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy (Karl Urban), as it is sent on its first mission to investigate a distress signal originating from the planet Vulcan; Captain Pike commands the ship, with Spock as his first officer, and Uhura is also assigned to the ship. It soon becomes clear that Nero has returned and he possesses a doomsday weapon that he is using on Vulcan and also intends to use on Earth. When Pike surrenders to Nero and Spock’s emotions begin to get out of control, Kirk finds himself forced to become Captain, and with the help of his crew that also includes Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Hikaru Sulu (John Cho), Pavel Chekov (Anton Yelchin) and Scotty (Simon Pegg), he sets about trying to stop Nero before he can carry out his deadly plan. However, with Nero having already changed everything will anything ever be the same?
The direction that J.J. Abrams has taken with Star Trek is an extremely bold and risky one. After all, rebooting the franchise was never going to go down well with the fans who have invested so much time following the established Trek continuity and hold it sacrosanct. And the recasting of much loved characters was always going to be a tough thing to pull off as if the actors chosen weren’t spot on then there would be an inevitable backlash from fans annoyed at seeing their favourite characters ruined by actors ill suited to play the roles. With not only the approval of Trekkies everywhere hanging in the balance (the fact that Abrams is apparently not one himself not doing much to help him) but also the need to create a film that will appeal to a mainstream movie-going audience, Abrams had an insurmountable task to pull off with this film but it is a task that that he has pulled off with a spectacular degree of success. For starters, an ingenious twist (hint-it involves time travel) means that the series has been rebooted without ignoring everything that has come before. As such, the film goes back to basics but still acknowledges all that has already occurred in the Trek universe, thus enabling casual moviegoers to appreciate it as well as die-hard fans (although the purists may still feel cheated). Perhaps more importantly, however, the casting is absolutely spot on across the board. It was always going to be tough to find actors who could fill the shoes of the original cast members but clearly it was not an impossible task as virtually everyone in the film proves themselves worthy to be playing the roles. Chris Pine perfectly captures all the mannerisms of James T. Kirk, delivering a performance that expertly balances the character’s rebellious wit with his more serious and heroic persona. Pine has never really had the chance to shine in past films but his role here shows what he is really capable of. Pine has excellent chemistry with his co-stars and the dynamic between Kirk and Spock is particularly successful. In the role of Spock, Zachary Quinto shows that he is capable of being far more than just Sylar from Heroes excellently capturing the character’s inner turmoil as he attempts to embrace logic in the face of his increasingly out of control emotions. His performance is one that I am sure original star Leonard Nimoy would approve of and Nimoy himself puts in a terrific appearance as Spock’s future self. Another excellent performance comes courtesy of Karl Urban who as ‘Bones’ McCoy excellently captures the essence of what was so great about original actor DeForest Kelley, perfectly portraying the brash cynicism of the character. Next big thing Anton Yelchin (who can also soon be seen as Kyle Reese in Terminator Salvation) is also superb, and in the role of Chekov he delivers a flawless Russian accent and nails the character’s dialogue. Simon Pegg, who this critic initially thought to be a very bad casting choice, proves me wrong with a delightfully humorous performance as Scotty that is perfectly in keeping with the tone of the film and his Scottish accent isn’t half bad either. In the role of Uhura and Sulu, Zoe Saldana and John Cho also deliver very good performance although neither is quite up to the same standard as the rest of the key cast members. It isn’t just the main cast members who impress, however, as the remainder of the cast is also extremely impressive. As villain Nero, Eric Bana doesn’t just make a very sinister adversary but one who has a real purpose for his actions besides being just evil, which the character isn’t really. While there is no denying that he is the bad guy of the film and that he commits horrible acts, his tragic back story helps to humanize (or should that be romulanize) him somewhat, making him a much more three dimensional bad guy than is often seen. There are a number of other recognisable faces in the film as well including Bruce Greenwood, Winona Ryder (as Spock’s mother Amanda Grayson), Ben Cross (as Spock’s father Sarek), Jennifer Morrison, Tyler Perry (as head of the Starfleet Academy) and Paul McGillion among many, many other members of the film’s extremely huge cast. The strength of the acting in this film is a key reason why it works so well, as the characters are at the heart of the film and are crucial in making us care about what does and doesn’t happen. If just one role had been miscast the film likely wouldn’t have had the same impact.
The film also impresses in a variety of other ways, a key one being the story. As with the characters, the story is a crucial part of the success of the film, and thanks to an extremely well written script serious drama and humour are so successfully combined that neither ever compromises the other. The writers do a good job of ensuring that the film takes itself seriously when necessary but doesn’t take itself too seriously whenever it is appropriate. The result is a film that manages to be tense, moving and funny in equal measure. While the film may annoy Trek purists with some of the changes that have been made, there are plenty of references present throughout that are just for the Trekkies. The success of the characters is partly due to the writers as well, not just the strength of the acting, as their dialogue and interactions work because they are well written. The relationships between the characters ring true and there is some genuine conflict, something that has been greatly lacking in Star Trek in the past. The writers also handle the time travel element of the plot very well. Time travel in movies is something that can make the story extremely hard to follow and result in paradoxes and contradictions but this element of the plot is handled in such a way that it doesn’t seem overly complicated at all and it has a good linear flow. As you would expect from a film such as this though, it isn’t all story and character development. In the action department the film also delivers spectacularly, providing one of the most visually impressive and most thrilling movies that you will see this year. The visual effects are amazing, with near seamless interaction between real and CGI, and the set design is equally impressive, paying homage to classic Trek but also giving anything a snazzy 21st century spin. There is also some good creature design with a variety of different aliens appearing throughout. The redesigning of sets and costumes may slightly annoy Trek purists but they work and the majority of Trek fans should be very pleased with the way it all works out, and the film really does provide a feast for the eyes. The shifting of emphasis from the exploration of the TV series to a more action adventure orientated story allows for some fantastic and memorable action set-pieces that really outdo anything else that has been seen lately. As a whole, Star Trek is a movie that impresses in every regard. It manages to maintain the spirit of the original series whilst reinventing it for a 21st century audience, delivering something that can be enjoyed and appreciated by Trekkies and non-Trekkies alike. So, whether you’re a Star Trek fan or just want to see a great movie set your phaser to stun for what it without a doubt one of the best films of 2009.
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Coraline 3D ***½
Coraline 2D ***
In an age dominated by computer animation, it is really quite refreshing when a filmmaker chooses to use more old fashioned animation techniques rather than the latest CG animation and, while it is very rare nowadays, every now and then such a film comes along. Coraline is one such film, utilizing the stop motion animation style made famous by The Nightmare Before Christmas. However, while writer director Henry Selick (the man behind Nightmare) has chosen to make this film using an older form of animation it hasn’t stopped him from incorporating some more modern technology as well, as the film has been produced in digital 3D to provide a movie-going experience that truly stands out amongst the CG dominated animation pictures that we have been accustomed to lately, at least in visual terms anyway.
Coraline Jones (voiced by Dakota Fanning) is a young girl who has just moved into a new home with her parents (voiced by Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman). Her eccentric neighbours include actresses Miss Spink (voiced by Jennifer Saunders) and Miss Forcible (voiced by Dawn French), circus acrobat Mr. Bobinsky (voiced by Ian McShane) and Wybie (voiced by Robert Bailey Jr.), a young boy whose grandmother is their landlady. Coraline is constantly bored, with her parents too busy working to even notice her and she wishes that everything could just be better. And it seems like her wish may be granted when she discovers a door in the house that leads to a parallel world where she meets her Other Mother and Other Father and where everything seems to be better and more fun, except for the fact that everyone there has buttons sewn into their eyes. At first it seems like a dream come true and she wants to be there all the time but she soon learns that she should be careful what she wishes for when she discovers that the whole world is a trap designed to imprison her and she must count on all her resourcefulness, determination and bravery to get back home - and save her family.
Based on the book of the same name by acclaimed fantasy writer Neil Gaiman, Coraline is a fairy tale of the very macabre variety. Right from the opening scene, in which we see someone - or something - with hands that look like they are made up of sewing needles pulling apart and reassembling a doll, it is clear that this cautionary tale is definitely not going to be particularly light viewing. This may be surprising to some considering that Coraline has been marketed as a family film, something which is rather questionable considering some of the film’s content. Everything about the film is dark and creepy and there is a constant feeling of unease that would be more at home in a horror movie than a family one. The film’s menacing and sinister side means that this is not a film that I would recommend for taking really young children to, as they will likely find much of it terrifying rather than entertaining and may well have nightmares after seeing it. The film really could have a done with a bit of humour to lighten the tone somewhat. Also, the film may be a bit too slow paced for much of the duration for children with short attention spans. While the film falls far short of being a successful film for all the family, however, from a technical standpoint there is plenty to marvel at. The environments that are created range from the extremely beautiful to the very unsettling, and all are extremely life-like, helped considerably by the film’s impressive use of 3D that makes it seem even more realistic. The production design is ingenious and clever and for this reason the first is an excellent example of cinema as an art form if less so as entertainment. As for the story, writer/director Selick does a good job of adapting the book for the big screen but fails to produce something that is really suitable for all the family, with the film generally being too creepy for young children, the very audience that has apparently been targeted by the film’s marketing campaign. Technically brilliant but as a piece of family entertainment greatly lacking, Coraline is a film that should be praised for its artistic merits but when it comes to the film’s entertainment value it really is hard to tell exactly who it is aimed at.
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Reviews by Robert Mann BA (Hons)
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Winter On The Horizon
I don't know about you lot, but I've always been more of a winter person, much prefer to be playing in the snow and being curled up in front of a fire. Walking around in a never ending sweat and everywhere you go hearing the constant noise of flip flops doesn't appeal to me. The only thing that saves the summer time is the blockbusters, the endless stream of big budget bonanzas is great. But let's not forget, summer is followed by winter. And I want to take a sneak peak at some of the snow sprinkled treats that await us.
To kick things off there's The Fantastic Mr Fox, a production that has been delayed so much that I'm surprised its all actually going ahead. The devilishly troublesome Fox is to be voiced by none of than the devilishly handsome G to the C, George Clooney and his foxy lady will have the familiar pipes of the insanely talented Meryl Streep. Expected Oct 23rd.
Roland Emmerich really has it in for us earthlings doesn't he? Independence Day he throws aliens at us, we survive. He tries Godzilla, we survive. He even goes as far to flood and freeze the planet in The Day After Tomorrow but Dennis Quid stepped in (cheers Den). Now Roland's having another stab at it by playing the apocalypse card, very sneaky indeed. His new film 2012 see's planet Earth falling into a dung heap and having Mayan predictions for the end of the world coming true. Set for cinema screens Nov 13th. But if we do all die in 2012, he wont make any money from the DVD sales will he? Didn't think that through Roland. Tut tut.
Following up on last years surprise success we have The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Being helmed by the director of The Golden Compass, Chris Weitz and not Cathrine Hardwicke who led Twilight. New Moon continues the love story between Bella and her vampire boyfriend Edward played by Kristin Stewart and Robert Pattinson respectively. But this time there's trouble in paradise and Bella's best friend Jacob has a big secret up his furry sleeve. "Twifans" all over the globe are counting down the days until Nov 27th for their chance to see the next installment in what should be one of the biggest films of the winter.
Next we have Mr I make a film a year, James Cameron (get it?) Its a tough life for Cameron, make the biggest, most successful film of all time, win a bunch of Oscars and then pass the time with a few documentaries about being under the sea, darling its betta down where its wetta, sorry about that had a touch of Disney tourettes. Where was I? Oh yes. Well JC himself is back where he belongs and is bringing us what promises to be like nothing we've ever seen before, so he says. The 3D fun fest kicks off Dec 18th.
To round things up we have Guy Ritchie's take on a classic, Sherlock Holmes stars Robert Downey Jr. as the off beat detective along with Jude Law as Watson, but not as you'd expect. Rachel McAdams and Ritchies new best friend Mark Strong polish off the supporting cast. Not much is known about this film yet, all that's been let on is that its got more action than previous exploits by the pipe smoker. A teaser poster has been snapped and all I can say is that I'm looking forward to seeing what Guy Ritchie comes up with, as I was a big fan of RocknRolla. Sherlock Holmes is out Dec 26th, gives you a few hours to let your Christmas turkey go down.
I know,I haven't included some other big films, but there's plenty of time for them to be covered.
Until next time my evil minions.
To kick things off there's The Fantastic Mr Fox, a production that has been delayed so much that I'm surprised its all actually going ahead. The devilishly troublesome Fox is to be voiced by none of than the devilishly handsome G to the C, George Clooney and his foxy lady will have the familiar pipes of the insanely talented Meryl Streep. Expected Oct 23rd.
Roland Emmerich really has it in for us earthlings doesn't he? Independence Day he throws aliens at us, we survive. He tries Godzilla, we survive. He even goes as far to flood and freeze the planet in The Day After Tomorrow but Dennis Quid stepped in (cheers Den). Now Roland's having another stab at it by playing the apocalypse card, very sneaky indeed. His new film 2012 see's planet Earth falling into a dung heap and having Mayan predictions for the end of the world coming true. Set for cinema screens Nov 13th. But if we do all die in 2012, he wont make any money from the DVD sales will he? Didn't think that through Roland. Tut tut.
Following up on last years surprise success we have The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Being helmed by the director of The Golden Compass, Chris Weitz and not Cathrine Hardwicke who led Twilight. New Moon continues the love story between Bella and her vampire boyfriend Edward played by Kristin Stewart and Robert Pattinson respectively. But this time there's trouble in paradise and Bella's best friend Jacob has a big secret up his furry sleeve. "Twifans" all over the globe are counting down the days until Nov 27th for their chance to see the next installment in what should be one of the biggest films of the winter.
Next we have Mr I make a film a year, James Cameron (get it?) Its a tough life for Cameron, make the biggest, most successful film of all time, win a bunch of Oscars and then pass the time with a few documentaries about being under the sea, darling its betta down where its wetta, sorry about that had a touch of Disney tourettes. Where was I? Oh yes. Well JC himself is back where he belongs and is bringing us what promises to be like nothing we've ever seen before, so he says. The 3D fun fest kicks off Dec 18th.
To round things up we have Guy Ritchie's take on a classic, Sherlock Holmes stars Robert Downey Jr. as the off beat detective along with Jude Law as Watson, but not as you'd expect. Rachel McAdams and Ritchies new best friend Mark Strong polish off the supporting cast. Not much is known about this film yet, all that's been let on is that its got more action than previous exploits by the pipe smoker. A teaser poster has been snapped and all I can say is that I'm looking forward to seeing what Guy Ritchie comes up with, as I was a big fan of RocknRolla. Sherlock Holmes is out Dec 26th, gives you a few hours to let your Christmas turkey go down.
I know,I haven't included some other big films, but there's plenty of time for them to be covered.
Until next time my evil minions.
Where You’re Sure To Find Sunshine This Summer
It may not feel like it right now, but summer really isn’t that far away. And whether it’s warm and sunny or cold and wet over the summer period this year, there is one place where you can sure to find sunshine - at the cinema. Note that all release dates are subject to change.
Things start off in a big way with May seeing the release of several highly anticipated blockbusters. May 1st sees the release of the long-awaited X-Men spin-off X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Directed by Gavin Hood (Rendition), the film brings back Hugh Jackman in the lead role, and he is joined by co-stars include Ryan Reynolds, Live Schreiber, Dominic Monaghan and Danny Huston, in a film that charts the early years of his character, showing us how he came to the Wolverine that we all know.
The same week also sees the release of fantasy romcom Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past starring Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner and Emma Stone, as well as the big screen debut of teen superstar Miley Cyrus in Hannah Montana: The Movie.
May 8th sees the release of another highly anticipated blockbuster in the form of J.J. Abrams’ big budget re-imagining of Star Trek, a film which boasts such names as Chris Pine, Heroes star Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, up-and-coming star Anton Yelchin, John Cho, Zoe Saldana, Eric Bana, Winona Ryder and many more, not least of which our very own Simon Pegg, in all the classic roles from the original TV series.
This week also sees the release of Coraline, a new 3D stop-motion animation from the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas. May 15th brings us director Ron Howard’s follow-up to his 2006 adaptation of The Da Vinci Code with Angels & Demons which sees Tom Hanks once again portraying Robert Langdon, this time working to solve a murder and prevent a terrorist attack against the Vatican. Also out this week is Fighting starring Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard. The last two weeks of May are a bit quieter but releases of note are Night At The Museum 2 starring Ben Stiller (May 22nd) and Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience (May 29th).
The final week of May also sees the release of action film 12 Rounds starring former wrestler John Cena and Drag Me To Hell, the new horror film from Evil Dead director Sam Raimi. If battling robots are you’re thing then you will be in for a real treat in June which provides the double whammy of new installments in both the Terminator and Transformers franchises. The action begins on June 5th with Terminator Salvation, which sees Christian Bale take on the role of John Connor as we finally get to see the actual war with the machines. McG (Charlie’s Angels) is on directing duties and the cast is rounded out by Sam Worthington, star of the moment Anton Yelchin and Bryce Dallas Howard among others.
Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen hits screens on June 26th and director Michael Bay returns along with all the first film’s principal cast members in what is promising to be even bigger than the first film. Expect something truly spectacular. If you’re more a comedy fan then you will want to check out Year One on June 19th which stars Jack Black and Michael Cera as two lazy hunter-gatherers who are banished from their primitive village and set off on an epic journey through the ancient world.
July is set to be just as big with the release of Ice Age 3: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs on July 1st. The film will annoy anyone looking for a chronologically accurate representation of the prehistoric world but anyone who wants to see a simple, enjoyable animated flick should find much to enjoy. July 3rd sees the release of a film that is the complete opposite. Johnny Depp and Christian Bale get to share the screen in Michael Mann’s latest directorial effort Public Enemies, a gangster movie set in the 1930s.
Anyone who loved Sacha Baron Cohen’s politically incorrect Borat will definitely want to check out his latest film which brings to the screen one of his other creations, Bruno, released on July 10th. Harry Potter fans will find that their long wait is over when the latest instalment Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince is released on July 17th. With David Yates (Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix) once again on directing duties this looks to another very enjoyable and also very dark fantasy that will have appeal for viewers both young and old. Thriller fans should check out the new Tony Scott film The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3 on July 24th, a remake of the classic 1974 film of the same name, starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta.
July 31st is clearly set as a weekend for families to head to the cinema with three films currently scheduled for release. The first is fantasy adventure comedy Land Of The Lost, an adaptation of the classic TV series, starring Will Ferrell, Danny McBride and Anna Friel, and directed by Brad Silbering. Next up is Eddie Murphy fantasy comedy Imagine That, and G-Force, a family action adventure in which a specially trained squad of guinea pigs is dispatched to stop a diabolical billionaire from taking over the world. Features an all-star voice cast. The week is rounded out by The Hangover, the new comedy from director Todd Phillips (Starsky And Hutch and Old School) that is also being touted as the sleeper hit of the summer.
Article by Robert Mann BA (Hons)
Things start off in a big way with May seeing the release of several highly anticipated blockbusters. May 1st sees the release of the long-awaited X-Men spin-off X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Directed by Gavin Hood (Rendition), the film brings back Hugh Jackman in the lead role, and he is joined by co-stars include Ryan Reynolds, Live Schreiber, Dominic Monaghan and Danny Huston, in a film that charts the early years of his character, showing us how he came to the Wolverine that we all know.
The same week also sees the release of fantasy romcom Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past starring Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner and Emma Stone, as well as the big screen debut of teen superstar Miley Cyrus in Hannah Montana: The Movie.
May 8th sees the release of another highly anticipated blockbuster in the form of J.J. Abrams’ big budget re-imagining of Star Trek, a film which boasts such names as Chris Pine, Heroes star Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, up-and-coming star Anton Yelchin, John Cho, Zoe Saldana, Eric Bana, Winona Ryder and many more, not least of which our very own Simon Pegg, in all the classic roles from the original TV series.
This week also sees the release of Coraline, a new 3D stop-motion animation from the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas. May 15th brings us director Ron Howard’s follow-up to his 2006 adaptation of The Da Vinci Code with Angels & Demons which sees Tom Hanks once again portraying Robert Langdon, this time working to solve a murder and prevent a terrorist attack against the Vatican. Also out this week is Fighting starring Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard. The last two weeks of May are a bit quieter but releases of note are Night At The Museum 2 starring Ben Stiller (May 22nd) and Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience (May 29th).
The final week of May also sees the release of action film 12 Rounds starring former wrestler John Cena and Drag Me To Hell, the new horror film from Evil Dead director Sam Raimi. If battling robots are you’re thing then you will be in for a real treat in June which provides the double whammy of new installments in both the Terminator and Transformers franchises. The action begins on June 5th with Terminator Salvation, which sees Christian Bale take on the role of John Connor as we finally get to see the actual war with the machines. McG (Charlie’s Angels) is on directing duties and the cast is rounded out by Sam Worthington, star of the moment Anton Yelchin and Bryce Dallas Howard among others.
Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen hits screens on June 26th and director Michael Bay returns along with all the first film’s principal cast members in what is promising to be even bigger than the first film. Expect something truly spectacular. If you’re more a comedy fan then you will want to check out Year One on June 19th which stars Jack Black and Michael Cera as two lazy hunter-gatherers who are banished from their primitive village and set off on an epic journey through the ancient world.
July is set to be just as big with the release of Ice Age 3: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs on July 1st. The film will annoy anyone looking for a chronologically accurate representation of the prehistoric world but anyone who wants to see a simple, enjoyable animated flick should find much to enjoy. July 3rd sees the release of a film that is the complete opposite. Johnny Depp and Christian Bale get to share the screen in Michael Mann’s latest directorial effort Public Enemies, a gangster movie set in the 1930s.
Anyone who loved Sacha Baron Cohen’s politically incorrect Borat will definitely want to check out his latest film which brings to the screen one of his other creations, Bruno, released on July 10th. Harry Potter fans will find that their long wait is over when the latest instalment Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince is released on July 17th. With David Yates (Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix) once again on directing duties this looks to another very enjoyable and also very dark fantasy that will have appeal for viewers both young and old. Thriller fans should check out the new Tony Scott film The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3 on July 24th, a remake of the classic 1974 film of the same name, starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta.
July 31st is clearly set as a weekend for families to head to the cinema with three films currently scheduled for release. The first is fantasy adventure comedy Land Of The Lost, an adaptation of the classic TV series, starring Will Ferrell, Danny McBride and Anna Friel, and directed by Brad Silbering. Next up is Eddie Murphy fantasy comedy Imagine That, and G-Force, a family action adventure in which a specially trained squad of guinea pigs is dispatched to stop a diabolical billionaire from taking over the world. Features an all-star voice cast. The week is rounded out by The Hangover, the new comedy from director Todd Phillips (Starsky And Hutch and Old School) that is also being touted as the sleeper hit of the summer.
August gets off to an action packed start with the release of G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra on the 7th. Directed by Stephen Sommers (The Mummy and Van Helsing), the film, which is based on the toy line of the same name, focuses on an elite military unit taking on an evil organisation led by a notorious arms dealer. The week also sees the release of Sandra Bullock romantic comedy The Proposal, and fantasy adventure Aliens In The Attic. August 14th sees Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler together in adult romantic comedy The Ugly Truth, music drama Bandslam starring High School Musical’s Vanessa Hudgens and Lisa Kudrow, and director Robert Rodriguez take another stab at the family movie with Shorts.
Quentin Tarantino fans who have long been awaiting the director’s next movie won’t have long to wait as his latest film Inglourious Basterds finally hits cinema screens on August 21st. This World War Two set film looks to be exactly what Tarantino fans have been waiting for. Also out is teen comedy I Love You, Beth Cooper starring Hayden Panettiere and directed by Chris Columbus. August is brought to a close on the 28th with the latest Adam Sandler comedy Funny People. The latest film by writer/director Judd Apatow, this film sees Sandler joined by Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana and Jonah Hill.
Also out this week is the latest film in the Final Destination series with Final Destination: Death Trip 3D. Utilising the latest 3D technology, the film shows a whole new group of teens trying to escape death after avoiding been killed in race car crash. So, there you have it. This is going to be one summer with no shortage of cinematic treats to indulge in, so whatever the weather over the holidays this year, there is no reason why the sun shouldn’t be shining for you.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Article by Robert Mann BA (Hons)
Help Sledge & BRWC Out
Can you help me out ?
"...I also produce short films and music videos for local bands for absolutely no budget whatsoever. I am working to build a portfolio of work in order to gain more links with like-minded people and up-and-coming local bands. I want to provide high quality, low cost videos and films.
My short term goal is assemble enough of the basic equipment needed to do this. My long term goal is to build a reputation as a solid filmmaker and use my contacts and reputation to advance my career.
Right now, my biggest barrier to entry is saving enough money to buy the quality equipment. I have a basic Sony DV camera which works fine (although I would love a HD cam!), but the main problem is my Apple G4 iBook. It has served me well since I bought it, but it's started to show its age, especially when it come to editing and storing footage. I am hoping a fundraiser will help me to reach my goal of purchasing a new Macbook Pro. A upgrade like this would make things a lot quicker and easier for me, and the people I have and will work with.
If you can help, I would love you to donate. I will accept any donation, whether made via fundable or straight to my paypal account.
My goal is to raise $1500 minimum, but I could use a lot more if I am able to raise more money, so I am creating the fundraiser to continue accepting pledges even after the goal is reached.
For every pledge a handwritten note of thanks will be winging its way to you.
For every $10 you pledge, you will be thrown into a hat to win a personal prize from me which consists of - A short film on DVD, dedicated to you, made using iMovie HD on the new Macbook Pro, a handwritten letter of thanks and congratulations from myself, a huge thank you to you placed on my film blog, an invitation to contribute to BRWC, and some other bits and pieces..."
Click here.
"...I also produce short films and music videos for local bands for absolutely no budget whatsoever. I am working to build a portfolio of work in order to gain more links with like-minded people and up-and-coming local bands. I want to provide high quality, low cost videos and films.
My short term goal is assemble enough of the basic equipment needed to do this. My long term goal is to build a reputation as a solid filmmaker and use my contacts and reputation to advance my career.
Right now, my biggest barrier to entry is saving enough money to buy the quality equipment. I have a basic Sony DV camera which works fine (although I would love a HD cam!), but the main problem is my Apple G4 iBook. It has served me well since I bought it, but it's started to show its age, especially when it come to editing and storing footage. I am hoping a fundraiser will help me to reach my goal of purchasing a new Macbook Pro. A upgrade like this would make things a lot quicker and easier for me, and the people I have and will work with.
If you can help, I would love you to donate. I will accept any donation, whether made via fundable or straight to my paypal account.
My goal is to raise $1500 minimum, but I could use a lot more if I am able to raise more money, so I am creating the fundraiser to continue accepting pledges even after the goal is reached.
For every pledge a handwritten note of thanks will be winging its way to you.
For every $10 you pledge, you will be thrown into a hat to win a personal prize from me which consists of - A short film on DVD, dedicated to you, made using iMovie HD on the new Macbook Pro, a handwritten letter of thanks and congratulations from myself, a huge thank you to you placed on my film blog, an invitation to contribute to BRWC, and some other bits and pieces..."
Click here.
Quote Of The Week : Signs (2002)
"People break down into two groups. When they experience something lucky, group number one sees it as more than luck, more than coincidence. They see it as a sign, evidence, that there is someone up there, watching out for them. Group number two sees it as just pure luck. Just a happy turn of chance. I'm sure the people in group number two are looking at those fourteen lights in a very suspicious way. For them, the situation is a fifty-fifty. Could be bad, could be good. But deep down, they feel that whatever happens, they're on their own. And that fills them with fear. Yeah, there are those people. But there's a whole lot of people in group number one. When they see those fourteen lights, they're looking at a miracle. And deep down, they feel that whatever's going to happen, there will be someone there to help them. And that fills them with hope. See what you have to ask yourself is what kind of person are you ? Are you the kind that sees signs, that sees miracles ? Or do you believe that people just get lucky ? Or, look at the question this way: Is it possible that there are no coincidences ?" Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) talking to his brother Merrill Hess (Joaquin Phoenix).
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