What's The Hitch?

Hitchcock's Marnie, that is.

Ladies, wanna know what it's like to have mommy AND daddy issues? What it's like to live like a queen on peasant crimes?

Then this is the film for you.

"A commercial and critical failure upon its release, Marnie is one of the Master's failures that has gained a following over time," and that following is overwhelmed by the moral of Marnie's story; A child who grows up failing to receive love, learns to take it wherever she can.

Yes, even back then the source of the harlot and thief was generated from a bottomless pit of self loathing and virtually non-existent self worth.

Who can't relate to that?

A worthwhile film, especially if you're riding the bipolar waves of high and low.

Happy viewing...

"OMG OMG OMG NEW MOON ! I Cannot WAIT! I Love JACOB! He's So HOT!!!!"

Where The Wild Things Are OST

Where the Wild Things Are Soundtrack

Up - Sledge's Review

Pixar, since Toy Story have annoyed pretty much every other film (animated or otherwise) company, creating hit after hit after hit. Although I didn't like A Bug's Life too much and the thought of weird looking and talking Cars freaked me out a bit, they still beat anything around at the time.

Up is Pixar's tenth feature, less than 12 months after Wall·E, which showed Pixar's swaying away from the usual and moving towards more adult issues and themes. Some didn't find Wall·E that great (for a Pixar work) so I would think film number ten would be more "Up" their street (see what I did there), as it's a more traditional film.

As it's not been released here in Blighty as yet, I don't want to spill too many animated beans regarding the plot, so here goes...

An old Carl Fredricksen (voiced by classic US TV stalwart Ed Asner) and a Boy Scout type Russell arrive in South America in a floating house suspended from helium balloons. How and why we get here is a wonderful thirty minutes or so. We see a young Carl Fredricksen meeting his wife and glimpses into their long life together. Part of the opening half hour shows Young Carl wanting to be an explorer, and adoring his idol, adventurer Charles Muntz (voiced by Christopher Plummer and looks like a mix between Howard Hughes and Kirk Douglas). This is also important to the story so I don't want to reveal too much here.

This half hour montage is the best thing I have seen on the big screen in a very long time. I had actually had something in my eye at times...

And as with most Pixar (and near enough all Disney films) there is a talking animal, a dog named Doug who speaks with the help of a collar which verbalises what he’s thinking (dont ask!), making for some very funny moments.

Pixar have again raised the bar when it comes to the visuals too. The colours used throughout are lush and the renditions of South America is amazing to see, you forget you're watching an animated film.

This is one of the films of the year, easily. great characters, incredible visuals , lovely voice work and music. and a simple story about love, and balloons. Go and see it.

Competition Reminder Time!

Just a quick reminder about the Funny People comp we've got running until this Wednesday.

The question is - Judd Apatow's film Funny People is the third film he has directed, just name the other two.

Just email your answer and the winner will be drawn at random.

The prize is - The Funny People baseball cap, notepad and pen, and a lovely bag to put it all in. We also have a copy of GI Joe: The Rise Of Cobra game on PlayStation 3 to go to the winner.

Nightmare On Elm St. Teaser!

New teaser for the "Re-Imagining" of the 1984 Wes Craven horror. Best bit: seeing a pre-burned Freddy, something I always wanted from the first and only ever got on The Simpsons: Treehouse Of Horror.

A Nightmare on Elm Street in HD

Iron Man 2... Behind The Scenes!

This video is really quite awesome. There are interviews with the cast which is probably the same as everyone has heard before, but, there is a fantastic little shot of Mickey Rourke carving pieces off thing with his electric whips. Check it out.

Interview With John Krasinski

Here, courtesy of the wonderful Cinematical is an interview with John Krasinski, and writer and director of Brief Interviews With Hideous Men.

John is currently in Away We Go, which I'm hoping to see some time this week. I saw Up today, and my review will be "up" (see what I did there?) very shortly.

Film Review with Robert Mann - Fame

Fame ***

With recent releases such as the Step Up films, Make It Happen, High School Musical and, dare I say it, Dance Flick, not to mention several others, dance movies are very much an in thing at the moment. Another in thing, at least in the eyes of Hollywood studio executives, is remakes. So, put the two together, and what do you get? A new version of the classic 1980 dance movie (and TV series) Fame, one that has clearly been brought up to date in order to attract the crowd that made the Step Up and High School Musical movies so popular. But will the young target audience enjoy it just as much as those films and also see it as more than just an American version of TV show Britannia High and will fans of the original 1980s film also get some appreciation out of it?

At New York City’s prestigious School of Performing Arts, students from all walks of life hone their talents and pursue their dreams. But it’s not going to be easy for this year’s batch of young hopefuls - Jenny (Kay Panabaker), Victor (Walter Perez), Denise (Naturi Naughton), Marco (Asher Book), Alice (Kherington Payne), Malik (Collins Pennie), Rosie (Kristy Flores), Kevin (Paul McGill), Neil (Paul Iacono) and Joy (Anna Maria Perez De Tagle). If they’re going to stand out from the crowd, the actors, dancers, singers and artists are going to have to overcome the some of the toughest challenges of their young lives. Under the guidance of their teachers - acting teacher Mr. Dowd (Charles S Dutton), music teacher Mr. Cranston (Kelsey Grammer), singing teacher Ms. Rowan (Megan Mullally) and dancing teacher Ms. Kraft (Bebe Neuwirth) - the precocious pupils must learn to overcome nerves, self-doubt, competition and heartbreak - all while trying to deal with the ordinary trials of high school life. And it’s going to take every ounce of talent and determination they’ve got if they’re going to walk away with the biggest prize of all - fame.

One thing that should be noted before seeing Fame is that it is not really a musical per se but rather a music drama that features musical numbers. This is basically saying that while there are indeed musical number sequences in the film they often feel like they are taking second place to the drama, and herein lies the key problem with the film. For drama to really work it requires distinct focus with characters getting plenty of character development and being involved in a range of dramatic situations. To the least observant of moviegoers it may well appear that the film satisfies these requirements as each character does indeed come from the own unique personal situations and faces trials that test their courage and determination. However, such elements are only seen so fleetingly that they barely count at all. It often feels like the filmmakers have just included the stuff because they felt they had to rather than because they really cared about the storyline. The really fatal flaw of the film is that there is too much of everything. Too many characters are present for any of them to be given adequate focus and consequently enough development and the fact that the storyline takes place over a period of four years - right through from auditions to graduation - means that the story, or what passes for story, is constantly being rushed with one scene meandering aimlessly into the next. As a result it is hard to truly care about any of the multitude of characters, a major failing for a drama. A lack of character development also means that many of the cast members are given little to work with. All of the adult actors are criminally underused with only Megan Mullally getting any significant attention but even then her comic talents, along with those of Kelsey Grammer, are not utilized. The young actors fare much better, if only because they get much more screen time, and make the most of what limited roles they have. Most are decent but unspectacular in their performances although it is at least nice to see rising star Anna Maria Perez De Tagle given the opportunity to break out of the stereotypical dumb girl roles that she has been seen playing in shows like Hannah Montana and Cake. There is one thing that the film does get right though - the musical numbers themselves. While there aren’t as many as there could with being the musical numbers are nonetheless very well executed, with great singing, great music and great choreography. For this reason the film does have some entertainment value and will likely be loved by most of its target audience. As a whole, however, Fame is a film that lacks the fun factor of High School Musical and the dramatic intensity of other dance dramas and while it is likely that both the High School Musical generation and the Fame generation will get some enjoyment of it both are certain to prefer their respective movies better. So, the film does have some value but it is ultimately rather unmemorable and, unlike its 1980 predecessor, will be completely forgotten once its fifteen minutes of fame is up.

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Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

Phillip K. Dick's Letter About Blade Runner

Thank you to Moon director Duncan Jones and his twitter page.

Film Review with Robert Mann - The Soloist

The Soloist ***½

With the awards season getting closer and closer once again we have one of the first of this year’s Oscar hopefuls in the form of The Soloist, a film which wears its Oscar aspirations on its sleeve, although reviews from its release in the states (and even some that have come in over here) suggest that it may well be setting its reach too high. In theory at least it certainly has all the ingredients of an Oscar nominee (if not a winner), with Oscar winner Jamie Foxx taking on the lead role and Oscar nominee Robert Downey Jr. as his co-star, not to mention an inspirational true life story (something which has been pushed quite heavily, often a sign of awards hopefulness). However, whether or not director Joe Wright (Pride & Prejudice and Atonement) is really the right man to do the story justice is the real question.

Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) is a journalist for the LA Times. His marriage is falling apart and a professional crisis has left him struggling to find the inspiration for his next column. Then one day, when walking through LA’s Skid Row, he sees a bedraggled homeless man playing beautiful music on a two-stringed violin. The man is Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Jr. (Jamie Foxx), a schizophrenic former child prodigy and Julliard student turned street musician who could have played packed concert halls the world over but actually wound up living rough in the tunnels and doorways of Los Angeles. While Steve begins to unearth the truth behind Nathaniel’s extraordinary life, the two men start to forge an unlikely friendship and begin to enrich and change each other’s lives in ways they never thought possible.

If nothing else there is one thing in The Soloist that does live up to its Oscar aspirations - Jamie Foxx. Following his award winning turn as Ray Charles in Ray, Foxx once again delivers a pitch perfect performance of a music virtuoso, with him bringing the character of Nathaniel to vibrant life, excellently capturing all the mannerisms and speech patterns that would be associated with his schizophrenic condition. This is a character who is completely believable and one who you will not be able to help feeling for, a man who has struggled all his life with homelessness and mental instability yet hasn’t given up in the face of adversity thanks to his one passion in life - music. The success of the character can be partly attributed to strong character development, of course, with screenwriter Susannah Grant providing numerous flashbacks that give important insights into the character, showing us exactly how he ended up in his current situation. Really though it is Foxx who makes it work and he really deserves an Oscar nomination. In the face of such a great performance Robert Downey Jr. couldn’t possibly stand up so well but, despite the character not being developed as well, a few scenes towards the end being pretty much it as far as back story is concerned, he delivers a strong performance and he shares a very good on screen chemistry with Foxx, with the relationship between Steve and Nathaniel seeming true to life and coming across as charming and endearing. The film is bolstered heavily by these two lead performances but the film doesn’t impress as much in other areas. Joe Wright, while not doing a bad job as director, doesn’t seem to be quite the right man to make the film as good as it could be. The commentary on the plight of the homeless and mentally challenged in Los Angeles is touching (and realistic thanks to the use of real locations - the true Los Angeles as opposed to the artificiality of Hollywood and Beverly Hills - and real homeless people as cast members) but it often seems like more of a distraction from the true story than a supporting point and it isn’t really put across with enough bravado to really make the impact it seems to be aiming for. Also, while Wright does manage to provide some quite beautiful visual flourishes, such as shots of birds flying through the air while Nathaniel performs on his violin, many of these are lacking true visual innovation, some being almost generic. Another flaw in the film is certain instances of humour that are present. Some of the humour is very welcome and a number of sequences feel completely at home and are extremely charming but other (possibly unintentional) humorous scenes just seem completely out of place, being little more than passable gags that have no value in a film such as this. This isn’t to say that the film doesn’t have some great points though. Despite a storyline that meanders from one scene to the next, without that great a flow, the tale is still beautiful, moving and inspirational, something which is definitely supported by the music, most of which may move you to tears. Ultimately it is this music that is really at the heart of the film, so despite many of the flaws that prevent The Soloist from being a true masterpiece of cinema it still has enough qualities to make it worth seeing. If nothing else see it for Jamie Foxx.

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Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

Film Review with Robert Mann - Surrogates

Surrogates ****

Coming a couple of weeks after the so-so thriller Whiteout we have yet another movie based on a comic book, and again one that is not about superheroes, even though the more fantastical concept of Surrogates is considerably closer to recent comic adaptations of the superhero variety. Right out of the gate Surrogates (based on the comic of the same name by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele) and is guaranteed to be an improvement upon that last comic adaptation to hit cinema screens, with a central idea that could be right out of a Philip K. Dick story (Minority Report, Blade Runner and Total Recall among the numerous films based on his works), an extremely capable director in the form of Jonathan Mostow (Terminator 3) and a decent cast ensemble, with Bruce Willis and Radha Mitchell taking on the leading roles. A lack of confidence on the part of the studio, as demonstrated by the decision to release the film in September - often considered a dumping ground for films with limited potential, may not do much to inspire cinema-goers to check the film out but trailers have been promising, showing off futuristic sci-fi action and the potential for a good, thought-provoking storyline - two crucial elements in futuristic sci-fi fare such as this - but does the film really stand out or like Whiteout is it just another passable piece of comic based cinema that may entertain slightly while it lasts but will leave you with no desire to ever see it again?

It’s the year 2017 and people now live their lives through surrogates - humanoid robots they can control using the power of their minds - the purpose of these surrogates being to create a safer and better world for all. Many humans now live in isolation as they command their surrogates to act out their wildest dreams, all from the comfort and safety of their own homes, never leaving their houses for real. When two people are killed while connected to their surrogates - the first murder in 15 years - the authorities are rocked by the scandal and send out FBI agents Greer (Bruce Willis) and Peters (Radha Mitchell) to investigate. Soon, the agents begin to unearth links between the homicide and the creator of the surrogate phenomenon. But when Greer is involved in a near fatal accident and his surrogate is destroyed, he is forced to bring his human self out of isolation in order to uncover the truth.

Surrogates may well face criticism from some for coming across a lot like 2004’s I, Robot and such criticisms are certainly valid (it even has James Cromwell playing the role of the creator of the machines, just like in that film). However, look past issues relating to the film’s originality and there are many positive things that can be identified. For starters, this isn’t just a leave-your-brain-at-the-door action movie but a film that manages to be quite thought provoking at times, raising a number of key issues - loss of humanity in favour of technology, the notion that anyone can be ANYONE, the replacement of people by machines in war and the decay of users in their homes while they live out their fantasies through their eternally perfect surrogate selves. Such issues are well interwoven, if not thoroughly explored, into a convincing futuristic work which, while not looking especially futuristic as a whole, despite some very good futuristic set design in places, is very believable as it really isn’t that hard to picture such a future coming to pass. The world portrayed has a certain creepiness to it resulting from the distinct artificiality and power of the surrogate machines. The surrogates (all portrayed by real actors - de-aged and perfectly flawless thanks to some CGI work, Bruce Willis being made to look like a young man once again and convincingly so) look like real people but simultaneously have an artificial appearance to them. For this reason they make very convincing machines and have a very eerie screen presence. It is quite interesting to see the stark contrast between the characters’ real selves and their surrogate selves - a good visual representation of reality vs. fantasy and what reality turns into when fantasy becomes reality. The realistic portrayal of a slightly (but not too) futuristic world works well thanks to some very good effects work and more importantly a well written script that delivers a strong storyline that allows for some action sequences (the action being pretty good if not phenomenal, and being quite sparse overall) without it ever feeling like plot is being compromised in any way. There is also a plot twist late on that may be quite surprising to some, if not everyone. Another strong point is the performers. As their characters’ surrogate selves the cast members seem quite cold, sterile and emotionless, further heightening the illusion of them not being real people, but as his character’s real self Bruce Willis really gets some pretty good stuff to work with, delivering some quite emotional sequences very well and perfectly capturing his struggle to fit into a world surrounded by machines. Radha Mitchell is also decent but sadly we only really see as her character’s surrogate self, preventing any further exploration of the character. Also of note are James Cromwell, who gets a slightly meatier role than in I, Robot, and Rosamund Pike portraying Greer’s surrogate obsessed wife. Overall, Surrogates is not the best film of its type but with it’s Philip K. Dick style vision of the future, which isn’t entirely implausible, it manages to be an interesting and entertaining piece of sci-fi action nonetheless.

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Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

Make Films? Love Vaseline?

Do you make films? Love Vaseline?

I've been sent info about a great opportunity to get your film seen, as well as attend the The Times BFI 53rd London Film Festival next month.

Vaseline MEN has forged an exciting partnership with MOFILM, a pioneer in sourcing user-generated content, for the "Make an Ad" Competition which offers filmmakers the chance to submit a film by October 5th (you haven't long) for the chance to win these prizes:
- 1st prize: $10,000 and a trip for two to attend this year's LFF, including travel and accommodation
- 2nd Prize: $500
- 3rd Prize: $500

Vaseline have created a creative brief around its Vaseline MEN Fast Absorbing Body & Face lotion that it is uniquely designed to fortify men's skin to make it stronger and more resilient, in just 15 seconds a day.

Had to get that in, sorry.

You can download the creative brief, already available, at the MOFILM website to create a 90-second advertisement on the brief and upload it to the MOFILM website before the closing date of October 5th.

The competition is open to anyone over the age of 16, with awards and prizes to be selected by a brand representatives and a distinguished group of independent judges.

You can also follow @MOFILMvaseline on Twitter for updates from Vaseline MEN and can tweet any questions about the brief or program directly to the brand.

Good luck!

Cover Piece : In The Bin Short Film Festival 2009 (Australia)

An outdoor festival set to the tranquil surroundings at Parklands, which is situated at Currumbin on the beautiful Gold Coast – just one hour south of Brisbane on the East Coast of Australia. Two fields, huge inflatable screens, floodlights, pre-screening entertainment and three thousand people were in attendance on Saturday 19th September.

Festival director Jed Cahill obviously put in a lot of time and effort to bring this short film fest to the public. He had good media support from Marc Fennell from Triple J Radio who was one of the judges on the night along with Chris Fewester, both of which I was fortunate enough to have solid conversation with pre and post screening.

There were a total of fourteen films, eight of which I have decided to provide mini-reviews. Amongst the others were student shorts (all produced, shot and edited in only 3 days), Swings & Roundabouts (film maker Anna McGrath opts for actions and mannerisms, rather than dialogue) Two Men (an amusing tale of aboriginals set in the outback) and The Last Supper (a religious farce from Angus Sampson).

In 2010 the festival will hit its 10th year (Jed Cahill has been the organiser and director from day one) and has been moved to an earlier date of May, so my diary is well and truly booked. If anyone would like copies of this years films, let me know and I will see if I can post something out to you.

A special thanks to Michelle Sims who met me on the evening, organized my free entry, provided my friend and I drinks, together with front row seats. Let the good times roll !

Luck Of The Irish : The story of Floyd – a man who’s luck is about to change - just like his Irish neighbour Felix experiences on a regular basis... but will Floyd's luck run out ? This was quite a fitting opening to a short film festival and the type of movie you would expect to see when viewing a series of shorts. Light hearted entertainment, sharp humour and suitable for the whole family. Particular credit to Nick Eades for his editing.

Broken Road : A father has the dreaded experience driving his two young daughters through an Australian desert – a breakdown. This is the one movie that felt as though it could of been a feature film. Young film maker Brodie Rocca makes us feel empathy for his characters, sets the tone with a perfect music score (from David Lazar) and the work by Nathan Solomon as Director of Photography is a major plus.

Boxer : A handful of blue collar warehouse workers come across a box which has unusual contents (to say the least!) and begins to take possession of them one by one... The whole cast do a fine job with their subtle but simplistic mannerisms, portraying the everyday Australian. Deliberately paced by the film maker – particularly for the effects of humour. This is the kind of movie that stays with you long after the credits roll.

Fences : A father who is a detective, leaves his son in the car whilst visiting a crime scene. The young boy’s curiosity leads him to witness something horrific in a suspenseful climax shot with first rate cinematography. Technically this is well crafted by Director Tim Dean – who cleverly leaves what is beyond the ‘fence’ down to the imagination of the viewer. Watch out for this film maker’s next effort.

The Attack Of The Robots From Nebula 5 : The only foreign language film which relies entirely on a voice over to tell its story. The inner mind of a man who is convinced the world is going to end by the invasion of robots ! Written with flair, orchestrated with wit and very original. From the opening shot, you know the main character (played by Jose Manuel Ibarra) is absolutely off his rocker !

Not So Great Eugene Green : The only animated effort of the festival is unequivocally the unsung hero. Credit and admiration must go to Michael Hill and his team for providing us with a clever, funny and heart warming story which is always compelling – but never predictable. Who needs The Simpsons or Family Guy when you’ve got Eugene Green.

Early Checkout : Echoes of Weekend At Bernie’s (1989) is the inspiration here, in this hilarious comedy about two men in a hotel room waking up to a female corpse...after a sexual encounter ! Fast paced for deliberate impact – with a witty script by Clarke Richards and Dustin Clare and the editing from Sam Wilson is Hollywood standard.

Miracle Fish : Winner for best film by the judges and it would be hard to argue a case against this. Film maker Luke Doolan delivers an eerie drama, which is well acted with an utterly compelling finale followed by the atmospheric use of slow–mo for maximum effect. The young boy played by Karl Beattie is reminiscent of Danny Lloyd from The Shining (1980).

And finally, the Judges on the night awarded the following :

Best Film : Miracle Fish

Best Director : Luke Doolan, Miracle Fish

Runner up : Broken Road

Bin Laughin : Boxer

Short short : Two Men

Editing : Boxer

Best male : The cast of Boxer

Best female : The Rocca sisters from Broken Road

Cinematography : The Attack Of The Robots From Nebula 5

Script : The Attack Of The Robots From Nebula 5

Production value : Not So Great Eugene Green

Sound design : Not So Great Eugene Green

Deep Impact

Deep Impact is one disaster film that is very underrated, in many ways it is not purely a disaster film it is a character centred film that portrays the struggle humanity faces when a comet is on course for Earth. Real empathy is drawn from characters as families are ripped apart and faith is ultimately tested in the struggle for survival. Deep Impact is a real thought provoking film that mixes well thought out characters and story lines with breath taking special effects that makes for a truly unforgettable film.

When young astronomer Leo Biederman (Elijah Wood) and his friend Sarah Hotchner (Leelee Sobieski) come across a star they cannot determine the name of, Leo sends his findings to Dr Marcus Wolf (Charles Martin Smith). Dr Wolf then discovers the star is in fact a comet bound for Earth. He attempts to alert his colleagues about the comet but dies in a sudden car accident. A year later reporter Jenny Lerner (Tea Leoni) is researching the sudden resignation of the United Sates Secretary of the Treasury and after following up a lead believes a woman named Ellie is involved in his resignation, she later learns that Ellie is in fact E.L.E meaning extinction level event such event has occurred once before when the dinosaurs became extinct.

After Jenny Lerner’s discovery of the comet the U.S President (Morgan Freeman) decides to announce the presence of the comet named Wolf-Beiderman after Dr Wolf and Leo Beiderman. He tells everyone the comet is seven miles long and large enough to destroy humanity on Earth if it strikes. A team of astronauts are sent on the spaceship Messiah to break up the comet so it no longer poses a threat. The astronauts must drill into the comet before the sun penetrates the surface of the comet resulting in their deaths in this mission crew members are lost and the ship is damaged cutting off communication with Earth. With the fate of Earth looming in the balance President Beck acknowledges the Messiah did not fulfil its mission to destroy the comet and all precautions must be put in place to save as many people as possible and he announces that a system of underground caves have been constructed for an event such as this.

Jenny Lerner delivers a speech telling America that the government will conduct a lottery to select 800,000 ordinary Americans to join 200,000 pre-selected scientists, Doctors, engineers, teachers, lawyers, artists, soldiers and officials. These people will be part of a worldwide effort to save mankind from extinction. She also has to deliver bad news that “Although some Americans over fifty years of ages have been selected for the Arc due to their expertise in a necessary field of study, no men and woman over fifty in the general population will be included in the lottery” While this is being read the camera switches between Jenny Lerner and her mother and father showing the anguish she faces knowing her parents wont be safe.

Jenny and Leo are amongst those who are pre-selected, Leo obtains permission to marry Sarah Horchner in order to save both her and her family, but on evacuation day there is no record of an agreement to save Sarah’s family she refuses to leave without them and Leo is forced to leave without her. Jenny is told her mother is dead after knowing she wouldn’t be one of the chosen to be saved. Later when Leo reaches the Arc he realises he cannot abandon Sarah and her family and goes back for her, he tracks the family down to a grid locked highway and persuades Sarah to leave with him, she reluctantly agrees and her parents give away her baby sister in the hope that she will be safe with Sarah. Will their faith and hope prevail? Or is their last minute attempt at finding safety too late? With Leo and Sarah fleeing for higher ground Jenny is being evacuated by helicopter but she selflessly gives up her seat to a friend and co-worker and goes to be with her father at the beach house.

There is one last attempt on the comets by missiles and the smaller of the comets Beiderman falls into the ocean creating a huge tsunami as the massive waves near the beach Jenny and her father embrace and are engulfed by water, along will millions of other Americans who did not flee or reach higher ground in time. This is one of the most heart wrenching moments of the film as the world prepares for the impact of the second and bigger comet Wolf. This comet is said to create a cloud of dust that will block the sun for several years and ultimately destroying the planet. “That’s it good luck to us all” is the parting message from President Beck. We can only watch and wait to see the outcome as these characters struggle to survive.

The crew members of the Messiah now back in contact with Earth decide to finish the comet themselves which is ultimately a suicide mission they say goodbye to their loved ones and brace themselves for their untimely death in order to save humanity. The Messiah succeeds in breaking the comet up into smaller pieces that burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere causing little devastation to Earth and saving Humanity from extinction.

The closing scene is a speech from President Beck with a poignant message, in front of the ruins of the white house. Deep Impact is a film that is not only a heart breaking, tear-jerking journey of sacrifice but also a journey of love and devotion, a film that shows humanity at its most vulnerable.

Peacock Season

There is no better film created on such a shoestring budget that actually shows you what the Fringe is like from the performers' view. Many, many, many comedy performers are present for cameo roles.

Stand out performances that are worth a mention are: Adam Hiles is a stand out character, playing the professional who has been doing it for over 10 years, always coming back for more. Glenn Wool plays the cool comedian who always gets women. Phil Nichol plays an over hyped agent who speaks really fast and is a joy to behold on screen. These types of comedians should be captured more for their magnetism more so in films or anything with a camera. Otherwise how they are now will just be wasted. Also starring: James Wren, Cal McCrystal, Paul Foot, Matt Kirshen, Rhys Darby, Pete Firman, Justin Edwards, John Biddle, Oliver Birch, David Glover, Nina Conti and Reece Shearsmith.

It is an analysis of the Fringe mentality for anyone seeking fame or even any appreciation of any kind really. The first year, you don't bother with the reviews or critics, second year you start to care about reviews, third year you care about critics, fourth year...and so on.

The film itself has as a certain number of flaws. Such as the main acting roles needed someone with more charisma and flair to make you want to watch further. Instead of an unconvincing James Wren who fails to capture your full attention. The film lacks that element of quality within the production. I'm sure there was a lack of budget but, I would love to see a polished film that stands the test of time. I hope Peacock Season can be used as a template for an official, budgeted film shot on nice cameras as there is so much potential in this type of project.

Lets take nothing away from this great achievement of a film showing exactly the type of thing to expect if you are a first time performer. A true examination of the explanation that anything goes laxidaisy attitude during the festival. Brilliant as it was made on a budget of about £60.

One which you can tell was a true labour of love.

Saw VI Poster

Stop making these films, please!
Although I quite like this poster...

MJ Doing The Penguin?

A fascinating clip from of the forthcoming memorial concert film, This Is It.
How it show hints of MJ working on creating a new dance move before his death? A move called The Penguin?

Spaced Is 10: Top 10 Movie In-Jokes

It was around this time a decade ago that Channel 4 aired the first episode of now cult-smash sitcom Spaced. I'm not really sure how well received the show was from the off, but I remember falling in love with it from day one. Anyway, in order to celebrate this wonderful sitcom I'm racking my brain to come up with my ten favourite (in no particular order) movie references squirreled away in the series.

1. Evil Dead II

For all of the Bruce Campbell-isms and zombie blasting in Episode 4 of the first series my favourite Evil Dead riff comes in a completely silly throwaway visual gag. When Daisy (Jessica Hynes nee Stevenson) reveals to Tim (Simon Pegg) her desire to own a dog Tim recoils in terror, mimicking (as the outtakes prove) with studied precision the pose of possessed Evil Dead II actress Sarah Berry from the film's quad poster. Geeky and perfect.


2. The Sixth Sense

It was the 'in thing' around the time to reference M. Night Shyamalan's spooky drama, and whilst Spaced don't initially do anything clever with the parody - Mike (Nick Frost) having a 'vision' word-for-word of Haley Joel Osment's - they score huge points by having Olivia Williams (Bruce Willis' wife in the film) make a cameo as the cyclist they've hit.

3. The Matrix

Sure the first episode of Series 2 features Kevin Eldon and Mark Gatiss as obvious Agents hunting Daisy, but a better - briefer - reference is made when Mike fantasizes about how to break into Dark Star Comics in the fourth episode of the same series: Snap cut to revolving doorway and in walks a trenchcoat wearing Mike, Tim and Tyres, cue Propellerheads and machine gunning.

4. Say Anything

A very British reimagining of the boombox hoisting close of John Cusack starring teen classic involves Tim, Brian (Mark Heap) and Mike in a tank raising a ghetto blaster pumping out Take That's Back For Good.

5. The Empire Strikes Back

The end of the penultimate episode very quickly and cleverly becomes a lovingly recreated homage to the final moments of Irvin Kershner's superior sequel. Through a growly yawn Mike becomes Chewbacca and Brian Han Solo, meanwhile Daisy and Tim are Luke and Leia respectively. What really makes this ending pop though is the use of John Williams' actual score, a genuine spine-tingling moment from a series that features a lot of anti-prequel ranting. The real highlight of this though was on the original Channel 4 airing where the continuity announcer himself got a little swept up in things and made some strange Yoda-like noises over the credits and then began giggling.

6. Blade Runner

Not really a subtle reference (considering it's a spoken name-check), but this marvellous exchange comes in a deleted scene from Series 1 so it may have bypassed all but the most ardent of Spaced fanatics. Tim and Bilbo (Bill Bailey) are discussing a porno that Bilbo rented - 'The Duke of Knockers' - which Bilbo found disappointing so he 'put on Blade Runner and had a wank.' This conversation scores points for (a) being a comment on the almost perverse adoration of Ridley Scott's sci-fi masterpiece (b) being conducted wearing Klingon head-gear and (c) featuring Bill Bailey's near perfect Yoda impression when he hobbles off to make some tea. Fried gold.


7. Jurassic Park

One of my own personal most quoted lines from Jurassic Park is adapted to fit the moment in Series 2 where girlfriend stealing back-stabbing former friend Dwayne (Peter Serafinowicz) is beaten up by a group of lads. Eye to eye with the leader of the group Dwayne suddenly realises that he's been secretly flanked, moments before being pounced upon he borrows some famous last words from Bob Peck's Robert Muldoon; 'Clever boys.'

8. 2001: A Space Odyssey

Two references here, both in series one, not sure which one I prefer; the first comes in the second episode where Daisy stares into the freezer pondering its strange temperature controls, wondering if it has become 'self aware'; Tim pops up in the background whistling 'Daisy, Daisy...' On the commentary the cast bemoan how too-subtle the reference may be. The second is almost blink-and-you'll-miss-it, borrowing Stanley Kubrick's famous bone-into-spaceship edit by moving from a flashback of knee-chomping dog (Gramsci) to Bilbo's comic shop Fantasy Bazaar with a cut from flying leg bone to model spaceship.

9. Robocop

As their entrant into Robot Wars Private Iron boots up we are treated to like-for-like homages to Paul Verhoven's 80s satirical actioner; as creators Tim and Mike discuss their creation; "I think we should lose the axe." "I like the axe." "I like my face." "I like your face." Though the 'homage proper' is in Tim's line; "I love this guy!" The eagle-eyed of viewers will notice in Private Iron's data streams a list of other famous TV/Film robots, so get that pause button ready.

10. Manhattan

Skip to the end... Well, the beginning of Series 2. Acting as an introduction/catch-up the start of the second series borrows the Gershwin and voice-over (read here by Daisy) of Woody Allen's classic comedy-drama, yet somehow - with very little altered - serves as a perfect snapshot of North London living and the scruffy antics of our 'heroes', rather than the neurotic shenanigans of a Jewish New Yorker. Textbook.

Naturally throughout Spaced there are references upon references, a myriad of in-jokes, homages and parodies but these are a few that instantly sprang to mind for me and in various ways represent the geekdom and enduring appeal of a TV series truly deserving of its longevity and that has propelled many of its cast and crew onto the silver screen.

Rotter! Fantastic Mr. Fox Poster(s)

I'm annoyed as my new job starts on the day this film is being shown at LFF. Never mind. I will survive, somehow.
To cheer myself up I give you a poster featuring a cast member and a link for the others.
Feeling better already....

MixTape - Grand Prize Winner 2009 - Virgin Media Shorts

And here's the quite lovely winning film - Mixtape.

CGI-Brows - People's Choice Winner 2009 - Virgin Media Shorts

Above is the People's Choice Winner 2009 at the Virgin Media Shorts comp.

It's called CGI-Brows, and it's very good.

Messages Deleted

Messages Deleted Trailer


From the guy who wrote both Cellular and Phone Booth. I see a trend...

Get Low Poster And Clip

Look good this one. Here's a clip...

Tesco V Jedi

Daniel Jones founded the Church Of Jediism in England.
He was trying to buy lunch from Tescos in Wales when he was told to either remove his hood or leave.
Would you like to read what happened next?

Here you go.

Competition Time!

To celebrate the (fairly recent) release of Funny People we have some goodies to give away!

We also have a copy of GI Joe: The Rise Of Cobra game on PlayStation 3 to go with these lovely prizes! All you have to do is answer this question:

Judd Apatow's film Funny People is the third film he has directed, name the other two films.

Just email your answer and the winner will be drawn at random.

Closing date for entries is Wednesday 30 September!

Good luck!

EDIT - The Funny People prize is a baseball cap, a notepad and pen, and a lovely bag to put it all in.

Brutal Legend Vid

Thanks to Romeo for providing me with this awesome Kabbage Boy vid from the upcoming Brutal Legend game.

Jack White Does A Kanye

BRWC Is 1: Thank You Jenny!

I just wanted to share this with you!

The lovely Jenny has lovingly painted this canvas of Mr Hitchcock and the greatest film ever made.
Produced to celebrate that fact I'm 32 and BRWC is 1.

Thank you again Jenny. I'm hoping to get this masterpiece framed up in a matter of days.

Any artwork you want to send us? Contact us.

Outlaw: Knobs Commentary

NOT SAFE FOR WORK.

Why are these people able to make films?

The Week in Film by Robert Mann - Week Starting 18/9/09

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 3D ****½
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2D ****

With major animation studios Disney, DreamWorks and Blue Sky having already released their films for 2009 and Pixar’s latest effort still nearly a month away, animation fans will have to make do for now with the latest from Sony Pictures Animation, who, while clearly aspiring to take a place alongside their fellow animation houses, have failed to make it to the big time yet, with films Open Season and Surf’s Up being hugely underrated by both critics and moviegoers. With their latest film, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, however, their luck may be about to change. Based on Judi and Ron Barrett’s quirkily titled book of the same name, Sony Animation’s latest effort has the distinction of being their first 3D feature and also has a premise that shows a lot of promise for charming animated sequences and witty humour, or, failing that, at least a few food (or perhaps even weather) related puns. So, as a weather forecaster might say, the outlook for this film is bright and sunny. But as weather forecasters are quite notorious for not always being correct in their assessments the question is raised as to weather Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is a gourmet viewing experience or just takeaway junk.

Flint Lockwood (voiced by Bill Hader) dreams of being a famous inventor, but his creations always get him in trouble with the folks of his hometown, the small island of Swallow Falls. But Flint finally strikes gold with his latest invention - a food machine that makes scrumptious grub fall from the sky by turning water into food. This is the music to the ears of Sam Sparks (voiced by Anna Faris), a weather station intern who gets her big break when she witnesses one of the most spectacular meteorological occurrences of all time: cheeseburger rain. As Flint’s machine keeps dishing out helpings of food-filled weather he is propelled to stardom in his town and Sam’s career goes astronomical. However, the food machine soon begins going out of control, dishing out bigger and bigger portions and creating weather storms that threaten to destroy the world.
And the only people who can save the world from disaster are Flint and Sam.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is something of a culinary delight and this is thanks to the interesting direction in which the filmmakers have taken the story. Starting out as the simple tale of an inventor who longs to become famous for his creations, but whose inventions are, well, just not very good (but very, very funny) - remote control TV that runs away, hair unbalder that grows far too much hair, monkey thought translator that doesn’t seem to do much but say ‘hungry’ and ratbirds…anyone? - it gradually evolves into something very different…a disaster movie. And this proves to be a very smart move indeed, with the film offering some very impressive sequences, such as a spaghetti and meatballs tornado, and hilarious gags, including a witty spoof of the manner in which disaster movies always target places with landmarks. In fact, late on, the film essentially becomes the food equivalent to The Day After Tomorrow with events taking on a global scale, and smart touches like this are what makes the film really stand out. The film delivers elsewhere too, of course. As you might expect there are food puns a-plenty and countless ingenious sequences are made out of the concept - cheeseburger rain, nacho cheese hot springs, roofless restaurant, food dam, and the list goes on. All this makes for non stop laughs that, while not being as witty or as smart as what you would get in a Pixar movie, are likely to be enjoyed by both children and adults. The storyline is also quite strong, even if at times it does feel like certain sequences are just being stringed together and some characters could do with being developed a bit further. These are minor flaws, though, that most viewers won’t be able to taste among all the deliciousness the film has to offer. The voices are a particular strong point with both Bill Hader and Anna Faris really bringing their characters to life excellently and the great vocals don’t end there with hilarious turns from Andy Samberg (as Baby Brent), Bruce Campbell (as The Mayor) and a particularly entertaining, if brief, performance from Neil Patrick Harris (as monkey Steve). Other voices come courtesy of James Caan, Mr.T, Bobb’e J. Thompson and Benjamin Bratt. The animation is also very mouth-watering, and while it may not quite be up to the standards of other major animation studios it shows that Sony Pictures Animation is catching up. The visuals are extremely appetizing with characters, locales and food situations - a date in a jelly mansion and an ice cream snowball fight being two highlights - being beautifully rendered, with lots of colour and charm. The film’s use of 3D sadly isn’t the best seen to date, seeming as if it was converted in post production, but it still makes the film into a much more exciting viewing experience, which is whole point of 3D after all. So, overall, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is a truly delicious course that should wholly satisfy all in the target audience. What do you know, the weather forecasters were right for once.

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Gamer **½

Earlier this year moviegoers were witness to what is quite possibly one of the most raving bonkers films ever made - Crank 2: High Voltage. Following up the already outrageous Crank and topping the insanity level of every respect the film showed directing duo Neveldine/Taylor to be one of the most visionary filmmaking double acts ever to grace the movie world, at least when it comes to crude, offensive, unrelenting and all round OTT B movie actioners anyway. And now they have another movie coming out, the very idea of which will no doubt whet the appetites of ‘Crank’ fans the world over. Anyone who is expecting Crank 3 though may well be disappointed, as Gamer is considerably more conventional than the duo’s previous films. This, however, does not mean that it is any less extreme.

It’s sometime in the near future and reclusive, slightly deranged billionaire Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall) has developed a controversial, ultra-violent online game called ‘Slayers’ that allows millions of players to take control of real human beings in full-scale combat. The humans happen to be prisoners on death row and if they survive 30 game battles they are set free. Kable Killer (Gerard Butler) is the cult hero of Slayers who, controlled by a young gamer named Simon (Logan Lerman), has survived 27 games. Separated from his family and forced into combat, the only thing that keeps Kable going is the hope of seeing his wife (Amber Valletta) and child again. But with the battles getting increasingly brutal, he realises that he must escape the control of Simon so that he can live enough to escape the game and save the world from its deadly obsession.

On paper the basic concept of Gamer sounds almost identical in some respects to last year’s Death Race and for this reason the film cannot claim the level of originality that was present in the Crank films. However, that is not to say that Gamer is anything like Death Race as it is more extreme in every regard, something that will be viewed as either good or bad depending on your own personal taste. It is certainly fair to say that anyone who doesn’t have a taste for extreme violence or scenes of depravity will want to steer well clear as film is unrelenting in its no holds barred representation of the twisted world it is portraying. Neveldine/Taylor certainly seem like the right people to direct this film with their unique bizarre touch being visible in several scenes, most notably scenes involving ‘Society’, another game based on the same technology as ‘Slayers’ and an unusual musical number sequence towards the end. However, unlike with the Crank films, there is a clash in the film, with the more unusual sequences often failing to fit in with the considerably more conventional storyline. And, in addition to this clash of styles and lack of originality, the film also lacks the strength of execution that was present in the Crank films. The storyline is far too incoherent, something that wouldn’t be too much of a problem in a Crank film given the generally random nature of the concept, but is a major flaw here mixed with a much more conventional plot. Also, many of the shooting and editing techniques used here get rather annoying after a while, particularly ‘glitches’ that seem to have been included deliberately to highlight the ‘virtual’ nature of the game. This isn’t to say that the action sequences aren’t good, however, with the action scenes being raw, gritty and bloody and quite entertaining, but their entertainment value is diminished somewhat by such flaws. The only other thing to comment on is the performances and in this regard is a mixed bag but the central performers do deliver. Gerard Butler is well cast in the central role, portraying the tough guy part well, although with only a few flashbacks for character development isn’t given much to work with. Michael C. Hall, on the other hand, really steals the show, making for a truly excellent psychopath. His performance is certainly worth seeing the film for. A number of other recognisable faces also put in appearances including John Leguizamo, Terry Crews, Zoë Bell, Aaron Yoo, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Kyra Sedgwick, Milo Ventimiglia and John DeLancie. Most of these are somewhat underused however. Overall, Gamer is a film that has its moments but doesn’t manage to be wholly satisfying. If you enjoy films with a twisted side, however, you will likely find a quite a bit to enjoy here but if you are squeamish you should definitely not play this game.

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Reviews by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

Foreword: In The Bin Short Film Festival 2009 (Australia)

I will be attending the largest touring Australian short film festival this evening. It is the premiere opening night, which is held on the Gold Coast just 1 hour south of Brisbane. It tours extensively throughout the country for an entire year and tonight i will have the pleasure of viewing 14 short films.

The festival features a selection of Australia’s best short films which all compete for places to tour as part of In The Bin 2009. Not only will guests be entertained with a variety of great shorts, but will also be able to enjoy live music.

Festival Director Jed Cahill says, “We’re all really excited for our 2009 program. It’s looking to be our best yet.”

One of the films that In The Bin will be showcasing this year is The Last Supper, Directed by Australian actor Angus Sampson. He is best known for his appearance on Thank God You’re Here and guest role in the hit Australian series Underbelly. Sampson is a recognized Australian actor and is taking his turn in the Director's chair.

I will be posting a written piece during the week covering the films and festival in general. I will also be keeping my eye out for quality such as cinematography, acting, directing and camera work in relation to my own personal project. Looking forward to it!

Check out the website for more information.

Special thanks to Alton for his efforts in gaining me tickets.

The Week in Film by Robert Mann - Week Starting 11/9/09

Julie & Julia ***½

The movie industry is one in which youth plays a very big part, the general notion being that once an actor or actress reaches a certain age they cease to be a draw at the box office. This notion is reflected in the repeated casting of younger actors in the lead roles of big blockbusters but despite such an idea that only young stars can sell films there is one actress who seems to repeatedly go against this status quo - that actress is Meryl Streep. Since 2006 Streep has starred in two blockbuster sized hits - The Devil Wears Prada and Mamma Mia! -, not to mention several smaller successes and based on the box office performance of her latest film in the states it appears that she can now add another such success to this list. This may come as a surprise to some as, at least on paper, Julie & Julia doesn’t really sound like the recipe for commercial success. The true story (or should I say stories) of a bored diplomats wife learning to cook French cuisine then passing on her skills to the American public through a TV show and cook book, and a fed up office worker who sets herself a challenge to cook all the recipes in that book hardly sounds very cinematic after all. Yet, with the always excellent Meryl Streep (who is apparently up for another Oscar nomination for her performance) and brilliant rising star Amy Adams (working with Streep for a second time after Doubt) taking on the leading roles of (real life figures) Julia Child and Julie Powell the film has proven very appetising to American moviegoers. Popularity of course doesn’t always reflect quality though, thus raising the question as to whether this film is like dining at a fancy restaurant - delicious and unforgettable - or staying at home and eating something heated in a microwave - tasteless and barely palatable.

In 1948, Julia Child (Meryl Streep) is just an American woman living in France, the wife of diplomat Paul Child (Stanley Tucci) whose job has brought them to Paris. Bored with her life she yearns for something to do with her time and decides to learn the art of cooking French cuisine. Taking up cooking classes she soon finds herself way ahead of her professional and male colleagues and decides that she would like to pass on her newly acquired skills to American housewives. Working alongside fellow cooks Simone Beck (Linda Emond) and Louisette Bertholle (Helen Carey) who share a similar ambition she sets about writing a book entitled Mastering the Art of French Cooking and despite a number of obstacles that stand in her way she successfully gets her work published and eventually becomes a television personality as well. In 2002, Julie Powell (Amy Adams) is stuck. Pushing 30, living in a rundown apartment in Queens and working a soul sucking job in a cubicle that is going nowhere as her friends achieve stunning successes, she seizes on a seemingly insane plan to focus her energies. She will take her mother's dog-eared copy of Julia Child's 1961 classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and she will cook all 524 recipes, all in the span of one year. And then she will write a blog about it. At first she thinks it will be easy but she soon realizes that there’s more to the Mastering the Art of French Cooking than meets the eye. But despite the difficulties she faces she persists in her task, including pressures on her marriage to husband Eric (Chris Messina), and somewhere along the line she realizes that she has turned her kitchen into a miracle of creation and cuisine. She has eclipses her life’s ordinariness though spectacular humour, hysteria and perseverance and soon finds herself on the path to success just like her unknowing mentor Julia.

‘Based on a true story’ - this is a phrase that has been used as a marketing ploy for films for many years. However, Julie & Julia takes it to the next level, in that it is “based on two true stories” not just one. The two different sources of inspiration work pretty well together in the film as while the two stories are very different from one another, and are based around characters who are not much alike, the differences contrast each other well, creating a good balance. Julia’s story (set in post World War Two France, the time and place being convincingly recreated) is an extremely upbeat tale based around a woman without a care in the world who takes up cooking simply for something to do in her somewhat empty life and discovers a passion that consumes her entire life, Julia herself being an ever optimistic and cheerful personality who brings out the best in everyone and always keeps her calm no matter what life throws at her. Julie’s story on the other hand (set in post 9/11 New York) is a much more real world kind of tale based on around a woman to whom life hasn’t been so kind. Despite being happily married to a loving husband she isn’t happy in life, working a depressing job for which she is extremely underappreciated, living in a rundown apartment and having a group of friends who can’t help but show of their success, with cooking being her means of escaping the monotony of her day to day life, a constant that she can always rely on and one of the few pleasures she has to look forward to, Julie herself being more a pessimist than an optimist and someone who doesn’t handle the stresses of life so well. These two stories, intercut together, sound completely different from one another and they are but they it is together that they work, with the happy fantasy of Julia’s life making a perfect contrast to the grim reality of Julie’s. Due to the obvious separation between the two stories however unfortunately the two characters never meet in person, which is a shame as it would have been nice to see Meryl Streep and Amy Adams appear together, if only for one scene. While the stories do work well together though the storyline certainly the most engrossing for a film - as I said earlier, it isn’t very cinematic, the nature of the storyline not being overtly interesting - but thanks to light humour, and portrayal of food so enticing that it is almost torturous having to settle for just watching the food when you really wanting to be eating it, the film does prove quite watchable. It is the strong performances that really bolster the film, however, with both leads performing excellently as usual. There has been much talk about Meryl Streep receiving an Oscar nomination for her performance as Julia Child and she certainly does deserve to get one. She brings Julia vividly to life, with a portrayal that captures the character’s passion for food and joy about life perfectly. Her character is bright and breezy, but never in a way that fails to convince. Amy Adams is also excellent, capturing the essence of a downtrodden woman well. The trials she faces as she carries out her “deranged assignment” are believable because we believe in her character, and she never falters even once in her portrayal. It is these two performances that make the film worth seeing and despite any flaws that I may have pointed out the film is indeed worth seeing. So, while Julia & Julia may not be the tastiest film you will ever see it is still very appetizing nonetheless (although you may actually leave the cinema feeling hungry…the food really is that mouthwatering).

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Dorian Gray **½

Literary adaptations have long been a staple of the film industry and it is probably difficult, if not impossible, to find a piece of beloved classic literature that has not been adapted for the big screen at some point. In fact some stories are so beloved that they haven’t been adapted just once, or even twice, but numerous times over the years. For example, screen adaptations of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice are now a dime a dozen. And now, after a total of 15 (!) adaptations to date (not counting appearances of the central character in films such as ‘The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen’), Oscar Wilde’s classic novel The Picture of Dorian Gray has been brought to the big screen yet again. With the story having been adapted so many times already there is an immense level of pressure on director Oliver Parker (2007’s St. Trinians, among other home-grown British films) to do something new with the material but does Dorian Gray manage to provide a new spin on a tired formula or is just a shallow vanity project for its star Ben Barnes?

Returning home to Victorian London after the death of his father who has left his entire estate to him, the handsome Dorian Gray is immediately thrown into the social world of the upper classes and attracts the attentions of painter Basil Hallward (Ben Chaplin) who paints a portrait of Gray, one that will preserve his good looks for all eternity. Initially very shy and timid, Gray soon attracts the attention of the charismatic and cunning Lord Henry Wotton (Colin Firth), who devotes his life to pleasure and debauchery, despite on the surface appearing to be a happily married man. Wotton introduces Gray to the hedonistic pleasures of the city and, following a tragedy involving his first love Sybil Vane (Rachel Hurd-Wood), Gray immerses himself in these pleasures completely. It isn’t long before Gray realizes that he isn’t like everyone else. While all those around him age and scar he somehow maintains his youthful looks and over the years, as everyone gets older and older he continues looking just as youthful as when he first arrived in the city. Initially this seems like a gift but Gray soon realizes that his debaucheries are manifesting themselves on the portrait painted by Basil and that as the years pass the darkness within his soul consumes him more and more. He finally gets a chance at redemption when he meets Wotton’s grown-up daughter Emily (Rebecca Hall) and falls in love once again but, as his curse reveals the darkness that can result from the destructive power of beauty and the blind pursuit of pleasure, can he truly change or is he destined to remain a cursed man for all eternity?

Just like the man himself Dorian Gray is a film that is quite nice to look at but dig deeper and what you find is an empty shell. Supposedly this film is meant to provide a contemporary take on the classic tale, whilst staying true to the period in which the novel was written and set I might note, thus doing something different to the numerous other adaptations of Wilde’s work. However, in actuality, the only thing about this film that seems explicitly different is that the content is more explicit. More lax attitudes about what is acceptable on the screen mean that now far more can be shown than could have been in many of the adaptations released during the twentieth century. Such differences as these only run skin deep and are not enough to really make this adaptation any more worthwhile than any others. This is not to say that the film doesn’t have cause for praise in some areas though. The acting is excellent across the board with Ben Barnes definitely looking the part as the eternally youthful Dorian Gray and convincing in his character’s slow and quiet transformation from a shy and timid young man into an eager, out of control and debauching monster. Despite a great performance from the lead however, it is Colin Firth who really steals the show. In recent years Firth has appeared in several films that completely wasted his acting talents but here they are utilized fully with him delivering an intense performance of a man who also undergoes a transformation, one that takes him in the opposite direction to that of Gray, from seemingly immoral debaucher to a broken man who is suffering as a result of his past misdeeds. These two performances bolster the film and the rest of the cast are also of a high standard, as is the case with many British period pieces. Another area of strength in the film is the visuals. As with most British period films the costume and set design is of a very high standard, elegant and authentic looking. Another impressive element to the film is the constantly changing painting of Gray, which perfectly reflects the increasing decrepidness resulting from Gray’s debaucheries. However, while the film may be quite sumptuous visually you cannot judge by a book by its cover. The actions of Gray are clearly meant to be shocking and in the context of the time in which the film is set they probably do seem that way but despite an increased level of explicitness in the scenes involving Gray’s debaucheries the scenes just aren’t as shocking by today’s standards and, as a result, fail to make much of an impact. The fact that such scenes involving Gray’s sexual encounters seem to be about the only particularly different thing about the film much else fails to hold any real interest. The script, written by first time writer Toby Finlay, lacks any real edge, seemingly rehashing old ideas and not really providing any new elements of interest. The story is far too slow paced and provides few opportunities for director Oliver Parker to create any chills. Not that when he does provide chills when he gets the opportunity to either mind you. Parker really doesn’t seem like the right person for the job at all. He may be good at capturing Britishness on screen but when it comes to providing a film that is tense or engaging he really misses the mark, with him refusing to break any boundaries. As a result the film feels quite sterile not being unwatchable but not making any lasting impression either. It is a shame really because the film does at times touch upon issues such as the nature of beauty and how it affects people, particularly the manner in which people can be fooled or deceived by it. Ultimately, though, these are just glimpses of a potentially great film hidden within that due to weak writing and so-so direction is unable to reveal itself. So, overall, Dorian Gray stands as a competent but unmemorable adaptation that really raises the question as to why adapt something that has already been adapted countless times if you don’t anything new to do with the material?

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Whiteout **½

Comic book adaptations - they’re not all about superheroes and they’re not all for kids either. This has been demonstrated before by such comic/graphic novel adaptations as 2002’s period crime thriller Road to Perdition and 2007’s Alaskan vampire flick 30 Days of Night, and not comes another non superhero movie finding its inspiration in the pages of a comic. Based on the comic series of the same name by Greg Rucka and artist Steve Lieber, Whiteout is a sort of murder mystery set in the vast wilderness of Antarctica. Conceptually, the story seems to share a few things in common with 30 Days of Night (minus the vampires of course) but, while the production company behind the film is Dark Castle Entertainment, who are best known for horror films, director Dominic Sena (Swordfish) has rather gone the route of an action thriller. In this regard trailers for the film have made it look rather generic and formulaic, with the film coming across as watchable but decidedly unspectacular. But is it just the characters who will receive a chilly reception or the audience as well?

For U.S. Marshal Carrie Stetko (Kate Beckinsale), things are about to get even more dangerous. The only law enforcement in the unforgiving territory of Antarctica, she has just been sent to investigate a body on the ice. Antarctica's first homicide - A shocking discovery in itself, it will plunge her into an even more bizarre mystery and the revelation of secrets long-buried under the endless ice - secrets that someone believes are still worth killing for. As Stetko races to find the killer before he finds her, winter is already closing in and with it six months of darkness. In the deadly Antarctic whiteout, she won't see him till he's a breath away.

Whiteout is a very mixed bag of a film. On one hand it is quite striking visually with director Sena making effective use of the desolate, but at the same time beautiful, terrain of Antarctica. He delivers several tense sequences that utilize the environment to great effect, most notably the opening sequence involving a nose-diving plane plummeting towards the continent and a sequence in which the protagonist is chased through a snow storm by the axe wielding killer. On the other hand, however, the film is let down by an extremely incoherent storyline, weak dialogue and so-so characterisation (a few flashbacks being pretty much it). And if you’re expecting the plot to be saved by a shock twist you’ll be in for a disappointment as the revelation of the killer’s identity makes no real sense and a subsequent revelation is both obvious and predictable. And the inclusion of a gratuitous shower scene involving star Kate Beckinsale seems like little more than a shallow ploy to draw in teenage viewers who would otherwise have no interest in the film and it adds absolutely nothing. The acting isn’t much to speak of either - other cast members including Gabriel Macht, Tom Skeritt and Columbus Short) with only Kate Beckinsale being given anything significant to work with and even she doesn’t have much. There are a few moments when she gets the chance to shine a little but these are two few and far between to count for much. So, all in all, despite a few redeeming features Whiteout is too by the numbers to really stay in the memory. A chilly reception from moviegoers is exactly what this film deserves.

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Reviews by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

American Artifact - Interview With Merle Becker, The Director

We reviewed American Artifact a while ago, and if you ever get a chance to see it, please do.
It's director, Merle Becker agreed to spend some time with me for a good ol' chat. Below is the result. Enjoy.


BRWC: How did American Artifact come together? Was it a hard slog? How long did it take to put together? Are you pleased with it's outcome and reception?

Merle: American Artifact was a four year labor of love. I got the idea to do the film after seeing the book The Art Of Modern Rock in a bookstore. AOMR is a huge coffee table book of rock posters, mostly from the '90s to present. It is an AWESOME book!

I had always been a fan of rock imagery (music videos, album covers, etc), and I suddenly came across this book filled with beautiful posters for all these current bands, and I was blown away.

The most difficult thing about any sort of independent filmmaking, as you probably know, is supporting yourself and the project financially during the whole process. This film was completely independently funded. And, although I received a small grant towards the end of the process, when you're working like this, you must always stop to do the proverbial "paying jobs" along the way. In the end, you're usually still left with a lot of debt. So, that's always a bit tough.

But, it's a film I'm very proud of and it has received overwhelmingly good reviews, and has screened to sold out crowds. I get a lot of great emails from people every week who have been inspired, or touched by the film. And, the rock poster community has been very supportive of the movie, as well.

BRWC: How did the premiere go in SanFran?

Merle: The premiere in San Francisco was a blast! The film premiered during the Rock Poster Society's "Rock Art By The Bay" event, and it was one big poster celebration that weekend. We had a packed screening(s), and a panel of artists from the film did some Q&A after the movie. It was unbelievably fun, and a day I'll never forget..!

BRWC: Do you think the photocopier was the facebook/twitter/myspace of its time?

Merle: There's a funny story in American Artifact that the artist COOP tells about this. You know, kids today often have trouble imagining a time without computers. But, if you were a teen of the '80s (like myself), you know what it was like. If you wanted to let your friends know about your band's show, you had to hang up flyers. And, if you wanted to find out what cool shows were going on, you had to find out through friends, or more importantly, you'd check out the flyers that were hung up around town. Today, of course, if you're in a band, you're putting all that info on your website/Facebook/MySpace/Twitter accounts, and texting/emailing friends about your shows. So, in a way, yes, they '80s flyers were like "the MySpace of the '80s".

BRWC: Has computers helped of hindered poster art?

Merle: The internet has enabled many of the rock poster artists doing it today to not only connect with hundreds of other artists doing the same thing, but to also make their art available to a worldwide audience through web sales. So, in this respect, it has helped the movement tremendously (and, any art for that matter). Now, an artist doesn't have to rely on a gallery or a dealer to sell their posters, they can do it on their own.

BRWC: Any changes or similarities from 1960s, 70s or 80s regarding the art and it's processes?

Merle: There are quite a few similarities between the rock poster art coming out in America during the different decades. Many rock posters have a political element; symbols, messages, etc. Most rock posters are done on micro-budgets, and are targeting a subculture, whether it be the '60s, '80s, or today. Most rock poster artists aren't doing it to make a lot of money, which is something I suppose could be said for art in general. But, rock poster artists seem to be doing it because they love the music, the scene, and they love making art. What I found while making this film, is that these posters so closely reflect what's going on in American culture at the time they are being made. For me, this seemed to be the most obvious common thread within the genre. No matter what decade the poster came from, you can take a look at it and see a little bit of what was going on in America at that time.

BRWC: Are you aware of poster art in the UK or rave flyer art in the 1990s in UK?

Merle: The UK has some GREAT poster/flyer art - As does most of Europe. It was difficult to just concentrate on American rock poster art for this film, but if I didn't, it would be a five hour movie!

BRWC: Did you want to lean towards more female artists - Leia Bell, Tara McPherson, etc.?

Merle: I LOVE both Tara and Leia's work. And, it's truly a shame there aren't more females doing rock poster art. But, the way both Tara and Leia explain it is that it seems like most people who get involved in doing rock posters were either in a band, or worked with bands. And unfortunately, there aren't as many women doing this as men. Although, this is quickly changing. I tried to be as accurate as possible with regards to representing the "scene" of rock poster artists in the film. So no, I didn't try to lean more towards the females, but I do really wish more girls were doing rock posters.

BRWC: What would you ask Alton Kelly or the legendary Rick Griffin if you had the chance?

Merle: Haha, this is a great question. I'd have tons of questions for the both of them. But, picking a few (for the film), I would ask Rick to talk to me about what drew him to the poster scene, and to talk about his work. There's so much detail in every poster he did, it would be so great to hear about where those ideas came from and what those images meant to him.

I would ask Alton (among other things) about how he and Mouse came up with their ideas for their collaborative posters. It would be great to hear him talking about their (legendary) artistic partnership. Alton was also one of the original founding members of the Family Dog, so I'd love to ask him some questions about that experience, maybe not for this film, but for my own interest.

BRWC: Whose work did you most enjoy, and why?

Merle: This is kind of like asking a mother to pick her favorite child, no? Ha ha. My biased answer would have to be all the amazing poster artists who did movie posters for American Artifact. There were 9 artists total who did movie posters for the film (Chuck Sperry, Chris Shaw, Scrojo, PNE (who consists of Jermaine Rogers, Justin Hampton, and EMEK), Stanley Mouse, Hatch Show Print, Leia Bell, Paul Imagine, and Dennis Loren), and they are ALL my favorites, and those posters are so precious to me. You can see them here (under "MOVIE POSTERS").

BRWC: What bands interested you whilst making this film?

Merle: I listen to mostly college and internet radio. Lately I'm mostly into "indie pop"; The Bird & The Bee, Inara George, Blonde Redhead, Belle & Sebastian, Fountains Of Wayne (who are not-so-indies), etc, etc.

For the movie though, I had to find music that sounded representative of the era represented in the scene it was being used in. So, I discovered a lot of great indie psychedelic, punk, and modern/quirky bands.

Incidentally, the music selection during the filmmaking process is one of my favorite things. For me, it's almost as important as the interview itself. Music gives another line of dialogue while the interview is running, in my opinion. The music can be playful or mocking while the interview sounds serious (giving a whole new meaning to the scene). Or, the music can also point to a place or time period, giving context to the dialogue (such as the Nirvana-sounding music during the scene in the movie about Seattle). As a filmmaker, I think it's really important to take advantage of things like music to help to tell your story.

Music also often inspires me to cut a scene in a certain way, or to be excited about a certain part of the movie. Music, to me is ULTRA important!

BRWC: Do you silk screen yourself?

Merle: I didn't before I made the movie, but I bought a Speedball kit so I could film it for the movie, and I got hooked. The tee shirt that you see getting silkscreened in the film was my first silk screen endeavor, and I've made quite a few since. It's a bit addictive...!

BRWC: Are you a fan of art in movie titles, eg the work of Saul Bass for example?

Merle: Oh yes, the movie titles are sometimes the best part of the film, for me! I've always loved "short form promotion", or in other words, things like title sequences, movie promos, commercials, etc. There's something really great about the challenge of having to get across certain information in the most interesting/memorable way possible, in a short amount of time.

I try to keep my workload divided into both long form a short form projects for this reason. Sometimes, the best product comes out of a project with restrictions. ;)

BRWC: Will there be any screenings in the UK?

Merle: We're shooting for an April premiere in London (sorry about the wait). We have two screenings in Europe this month. More info about them is on the website. We're also in the process of setting up more European screenings at the end of this year/early next year.

BRWC: What are your future projects, and the future of freakfilms?

Merle: We currently have two films in development (both documentaries), one which is going into pre-production in January, 2010. Sorry, I know this is annoying, but it's a bit early to talk about either of them at this point!