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Anthony Hopkins and Scarlett Johansson recreate the Psycho shower scene in the first clip from Hitchcock

November 2, 2012, 11:33 am
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As British filmmaker Sacha Gervasi's Hitchcock gears up for a North American release later this month, Fox Searchlight has released the first clip from the hotly-anticipated film, which sees Anthony Hopkins (Alfred Hitchcock) and Scarlet Johansson (Janet Leigh) recreating one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history - the shower scene from Psycho.

Described as a love-story between Hitch and his wife and muse Alma Reville (Helen Mirren), Hitchcock is based upon Stephen Rebello's book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho and features a solid supporting cast that includes Jessica Biel (Total Recall), James D'Arcy (Cloud Atlas), Toni Collette (Fright Night), Danny Huston (Wrath of the Titans), Michael Stuhlbarg (Men in Black 3), Kurtwood Smith (RoboCop), Richard Portnow (se7en), Michael Wincott (The Crow) and Ralph Macchio (The Karate Kid).

Take a look at the short clip here:


Hitchcock is set for release in North America on November 23rd and is due to arrive in the UK on February 8th, 2013.
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The Week in Spandex - The Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Wolverine, X-Men: Days of Future Past, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Man of Steel, Arrow, Powers and more

November 3, 2012, 4:58 am
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Our weekly round up of all the latest news stories from the world of screen superheroes, including Iron Man 3, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Avengers 2, Doctor Strange, Ant-Man, Black Panther, The Inhumans, S.H.I.E.L.D., The Wolverine, X-Men: Days of Future Past, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Man of Steel, Heaven Sent, Arrow, Powers and more...

...Disney may have been a little preoccupied this week with its shock purchase of Lucasfilm and the subsequent announcement of Star Wars Episode VII, but that didn't mean that the studio's other billion-dollar property was left completely in the cold, with Marvel Studios releasing a new image of The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) from Iron Man 3, as well as confirming that Frank Grillo (Gangster Squad, Zero Dark Thirty) has officially joined the cast of Captain America: The Winter Soldier as the villain Crossbones. Grillo subsequently appeared on The Matthew Aaron Show to discuss his casting, revealing that Crossbones is set to appear in three movies in total, with the host suggesting this would include The Avengers 2 and Captain America 3. If true, it seems that Marvel could be eying the an adaptation of 'The Death of Captain America' story arc somewhere down the line...

...Along with news of Grillo's casting, it's also been confirmed that Cobie Smulders will join The Avengers reunion on Captain America: The Winter Soldier, reprising her role as Agent Maria Hill alongside Chris Evans' Cap, Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury and Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow. Sebastian Stan will also return as Bucky Barnes (a.k.a. The Winter Soldier) from Captain America: The First Avenger, with Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker) joining the cast as Cap's new sidekick Sam Wilson / Falcon. Meanwhile The Daily Express claims that Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey) has emerged as the favourite ahead of Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones), Teresa Palmer (I Am Number Four), Imogen Poots (Fright Night) and Alison Brie (Mad Men) to secure the film's female lead, which is thought to be that of Sharon Carter / Agent 13...

...While Disney and Marvel Studios seem to have plenty on their hands at the moment with 'Phase Two' of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Stan Lee has took a moment to touch upon further expansions to the MCU, revealing during a recent interview (via ComicBookMovie) that: "I can tell you there will definitely be a Doctor Strange movie! They are working on Ant-Man, which requires really small cameras! Black Panther is being developed, one of my favourites... The Inhumans... All the heroes will eventually be made into movies." With thousands of characters at Disney's disposal, that's going to be a hell of a lot of movies...

...According to a casting notice on TV Show Auditions, filming will get underway on Marvel Television and ABC's upcoming S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot this coming January, with Joss Whedon directing a cast that so far includes Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson and Ming-Na Wen (Stargate Universe) as Agent Melinda May. Furthermore, it states that S.H.I.E.L.D. "will be independent from The Avengers film, and people who haven't seen the Marvel movies can jump right in and understand the storylines. There will generally be new characters and agents who are not superheroes, and even though they are a large organization, they will be underdogs since they still exist in that superhero universe." Of course, there's every chance the casting notice could be wrong, given that it describes Whedon as an Academy Award-winner, and the director of Thor...

...Hugh Jackman and director James Mangold took a break from filming on The Wolverine to take part in a live chat with fans about Fox's next X-Men offering, with Jackman promising that the upcoming sequel will adopt a much different approach to his previous outings, exploring Wolverine's immortality and inner rage as opposed to the character's mysterious past. Following the live chat (which you can watch here), Fox also released the first official poster, while a few new set photos have emerged featuring Jackman and a bunch of ninjas hanging about on a snow-covered set; check them out here...

...Sticking with Fox's X-Men franchise and the studio has moved fast to replace X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn on the forthcoming sequel X-Men: Days of Future Past, with Bryan Singer officially signing on to return to the franchise he launched with 2000's X-Men and its acclaimed 2003 sequel X2: X-Men United. So far, only James McAvoy (Professor Xavier), Michael Fassbender (Magneto) and Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique) have been confirmed as appearing in Days of Future Past, but Singer's appointment has of course ramped up speculation that the First Class sequel will incorporate cast members from the original X-Men trilogy, with Patrick Stewart (Professor Xavier) and Famke Janssen (Jean Grey) having already hinted at potential roles and the likes of Shawn Ashmore (Iceman) and Daniel Cudmore (Colossus) also expressing their interest in returning to the franchise...

...It's been rumoured for a while now that Andrew Garfield's wall-crawler would come up against Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and now director Marc Webb has confirmed that the villain will make his big screen debut in the forthcoming sequel, with Academy Award-winner Jamie Foxx (Ray, Django Unchained) entering talks with Sony and Columbia to portray the classic Spidey bad guy. Meanwhile, Webb has also spoken briefly about his plans for The Amazing Spider-Man 2, stating that the sequel will continue to explore Peter's story with his parents, as well as confirming that Oscorp will continue to play a crucial role in the rebooted Spider-Man universe...

...Moving on to Warner Bros.' upcoming superhero slate and an animated logo for Man of Steel arrived online this past week, which was said to be taken either from the opening credits or an upcoming trailer from the Zack Snyder-directed Superman reboot. There is of course the possibility that the animated could be fan made, but considering the original video has now been removed, maybe it's genuine after all. Judge for yourself here. Meanwhile, director Zack Snyder has refused to be drawn into talk about potential sequels to Man of Steel, telling E!Online that "we like to take it one step at a time and not curse anything. It's that kind of thing so we'll see what happens..."

...It's no secret that Warner Bros. is looking to capitalise on the success of Marvel's The Avengers by bringing Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and company together for its very own superhero team-up Justice League, but a new rumour this week has suggested that Justice League isn't only DC Comics ensemble on the studio's radar, with Guillermo del Toro (Blade II, Hellboy) said to be keen to bring together all the magical beings from the DC universe for an 'epic adventure' entitled Heaven Sent. According to Latino Review, the Pacific Rim director is looking at a line-up that includes the likes of Deadman, Etrigan the Demon, Hellblazer, Phantom Stranger, Sargon the Sorcerer, The Spectre, Swamp Thing, Zatanna and Zatara, but with several projects already on his slate (including Pinocchio and the long-rumoured Hellboy 3), it's unlikely that Heaven Sent will hit screens any time soon...

...Over the next few weeks a number of familiar faces from the pages of DC Comics will make their first appearance in The CW's hit new superhero series Arrow, with Deathstroke (Jeffrey Robinson) making his debut in Wednesday's episode 'Damaged' [watch a short promo here], followed by the arrival of another costumed crime-fighter, The Huntress (Jessica De Gouw), on November 28th [along with debuting the first-look image of the character to the right - which seems to have taken some inspiration from The Dark Knight Rises' Catwoman - EW also caught up with executive producer Andrew Kreisberg to discuss the character]. Meanwhile, it's also been announced that Andrew Dunbar (Battlestar Galactica: Razor, SGU Stargate Universe) has secured the role of Firefly, and will be heating things up for Stephen Amell's Oliver Queen in the series' tenth episode, 'Burned'...

...And finally, Latino Review posted a report this week claiming that FX had shot a second pilot episode for its proposed adaptation of Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming's Powers (which centres on a team of law enforcers in a world where superheroes and supervillains are commonplace), only for it to be met with disapproval from the powers that be at the network. However, Bendis subsequently took to Twitter to shoot down the claims, stating that: "Reports in Latino Review about the Powers pilot are 100% false. Every name and fact are incorrect... We’ve a ways to go to get Powers on the air but as I tweeted last week, good news JUST happened. Stay tuned. FX will announce stuff when ready."

Holy Franchise, Batman! Bringing the Caped Crusader to the Screen - Available now via Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

Gary Collinson

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Comic Book Review - Godzilla #6

November 3, 2012, 11:00 am
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Luke Owen on the latest issue of Godzilla...

While IDW's other Godzilla series – The Half Century War– continues to amass praise from fans and critics alike, the regular on-going series is still going strong even if it can be fairly hit and miss.

Issue #5 was one of those miss entries. While the main story of Boxer and his crew moved along at a good pace, the battle between Godzilla and Mechagodzilla was incredibly anti-climactic. However Issue #6 promised big things as Godzilla was to throw down with one of his most famous advisories – Mothra. So, does Issue #6 fall into the hit or miss category?

It’s kind of hard to say. Again the story of Boxer and his crew (especially the relationships between his son Harrison and Claire) progressed nicely but we didn’t actually get the showdown between Godzilla and Mothra. The opening few pages are quite intense and the set-up is very beautifully drawn, but the two part ways. Why? Because one scientist theorises that they are in love.

At least that’s what I took from this. If I am wrong I’d love someone to tell me and put my mind at ease because I can’t believe Duane Swierczynski would take the character down this route. Miss Asuka does state that the characters aren’t really in “love”, but then goes on to say that they could be:

“Well no, not actual love of course. Who knows if the giant monsters have emotions at all?.. They, like us, are chemically attracted to members of their own species”.

This could be read as them being attracted to each other in the physical sense, which is why they always want to fight each other, but surely they want to fight each other because that’s what they do? Why give Godzilla motive to fight Mothra other than they are two giant monsters who want to beat the snot out of each other?

As I said, I really hope I’m wrong and I would love someone to tell me that I misread what Swierczynski wrote. The on-going Godzilla series does often show signs of brilliance and the tease of future battles between Hedorah, Spacegodzilla and Gigan mean we could see some really cool battles in upcoming issues. There is also a nice tease in the final panel that has certainly drawn in my interest from a basic story telling point - I just hope the Miss Asuka storyline doesn’t bog things down. We are already getting silly with Mothra’s electricity giving Claire “visions” - we don’t need monsters in love complicating things further.

Luke Owen is a freelance copywriter working for Europe’s biggest golf holiday provider as their web content executive.
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Comic Book Review - Ghostbusters #14

November 3, 2012, 11:01 am
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Luke Owen on the latest issue of Ghostbusters...

I don’t know about you, but I found the ‘Haunted America’ issues to be quite tedious and slow. So this latest story arc with the Ghost Smashers is a welcome change of pace.

I’ve always enjoyed Ghostbusters comics that remind me of the brilliance of The Real Ghostbusters and the Ghost Smashers do just that. Whether it was the trip to the opera in the last issue (which reminded me of the episode 'Fright at the Opera') or that Ron Alexander reminds me of a cartoon villain, something about the Ghost Smashers just works for me. All the best episodes of the cartoon (and even in the movie) are when the Ghostbusters are set against someone who wants to prove them wrong but ultimately end up with egg on their face.

The Ghost Smashers will clearly end up in this scenario but I can’t believe it’s come round this quickly. They were introduced at the tail end of Issue #13 and now in the middle of Issue #14 things are already going belly up for them. Egon has proven that their methods of dispersing ghosts rather than trapping them doesn’t work as they just grow back together more angrier than ever, and Peter and Ray have shown them up in a public place when their equipment didn’t work against the new stronger ghosts. I would have preferred a slower build to this point, with Issue #14 maybe setting more of the scene with the Ghostbusters being outperformed and outdone by the Ghost Smashers so that their eventual downfall would be all the more greater.

Once again, the artwork is fantastic and the nods to other forms of Ghostbusters (the cartoon, the video games etc.) are subtly referenced in the background. It's just a fanboy's dream. This level of detail was created solely for us fans and we appreciate it a whole hell of a lot. However what really makes Ghostbusters stand out from the crowd is its brilliant level of writing. The dialogue exchanges between Venkman and Peck, and Egon and Janine are just awesome. Erik Burnham has such a good grasp on these characters, which is more reflective of their Real Ghostbusters counterparts, but still rings true with the movie version looks they have. The opening few pages of Stanz’s James Bond-esque dream are not only fitting and timely, but also laugh out loud hilarious.

While I would have liked more of a build with the Ghost Smashers, the impending doom portrayed on the final page has really whet my appetite for next month and I can’t wait to see the battle with something “just as bad” as Gozer.

Luke Owen is a freelance copywriter working for Europe’s biggest golf holiday provider as their web content executive.
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Plot details for The Twilight Zone movie

November 3, 2012, 4:50 pm
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First announced by Leonardo DiCaprio's production company Appian Way back in 2008, the feature adaptation of the anthology series The Twilight Zone has been pretty much shrouded in secrecy from the get go, save for the fact the proposed movie would consist of a single 'VFX heavy' tale inspired by Rod Serling's classic TV show. Well, after close to five years in development, we may now finally have an idea of what the storyline will be, and it seems the producers have been looking to the Serling-scripted Planet of the Apes for inspiration.

According to Vulture, the 'Untitled Twilight Zone Project' will incorporate astronauts and time-travel, with the plot revolving around "a test pilot who winds up breaking the speed of light; when he puts down his craft, he discovers that he's landed a bit late for supper - 96 years late." Despite not being based on one of Serling's original stories, the concept certainly seems appropriate for The Twilight Zone, and it's also familiar territory for current screenwriter Joby Harold, who recently contributed to the script for Tom Cruise's upcoming time-loop sci-fi actioner All You Need is Kill.

Plans for the new Twilight Zone movie were dealt a blow last month when Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Let Me In) chose to depart the project in order to helm the sci-fi sequel Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. However, we should probably expect Warner Bros. to appoint another director as a priority, with the studio said to be keen to capitalise on the success of Rian Johnson's recent time-travel hit Looper.
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Disney planning a Boy Meets World sequel series

November 4, 2012, 1:29 am
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It's been twelve years since we saw the end of Boy Meets World, but there may be more story to tell as The Disney Channel has reportedly closed a deal to make a sequel to the popular ABC show that ran for seven years between 1993 and 2000.

According to TV Line, co-creator / producer Michael Jacobs looks to have signed on for the project. Titled Girl Meets World, the show will follow the daughter of Cory (Ben Savage) and Topanga (Danielle Fishel) as she follows in her fathers footsteps learning about the wonders of life. Disney is attempting to get Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel to reprise their roles.

While there have been many announcements about shows being rebooted or receiving sequels as of late, this one actually sounds like it could work. However, it like it would be better suited as a show on ABC or ABC Family as the Disney Channel is geared more towards a younger demographic. Nevertheless, there are a lot of adults that grew up in the 90s who would love to see the Boy Meets World story continue on.
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Movie Review - Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012)

November 4, 2012, 1:43 am
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Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, 2012.

Directed by Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath and Conrad Vernon.
Featuring the voice talents of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, Frances McDormand, Andy Richter, Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston, Martin Short and Vinnie Jones.



SYNOPSIS:

Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple. Their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent - Madagascar style.


The Madagascar series hasn't been one of the better animated franchises. Sure, the first two movies have made more than enough money, but neither of them were particularly great movies. Now comes the third installment, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, and I'll be damned if I didn't have a good time watching this one.

What separates this one from the first two is that the filmmakers decided to just go all out and be completely crazy this time around. As far as the story goes, we follow our favorite animals Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer) as they venture out on another adventure. Feeling homesick from being away from New York for so long, the animals - along with their friends King Julian (Sacha Baron Cohen), those devious penguins and a couple of monkeys - set out to get back to the New York zoo. After outrunning a crazy Animal Control officer (Frances McDormand), complications keep them stranded in France, where they group up with a traveling circus which will make its way to the United States.

Right from the get go this Madagascar is balls to the wall crazy. Starting things off with a semi-heist that leads into an insane car chase is only the start of things to come. There are so many moments here that will make you laugh because of how over-the-top they do everything. Moving at a very brisk pace, the movie never stops to slow down and keeps shoving more spectacle and colorful wonderment constantly in your face for an hour and a half. I'm not a particular fan of the song "Firework" by Katy Perry but there are two scenes involving the circus here that have the song playing and they make it work so well. Both of those scenes are nothing short of dazzling and I couldn't help but watch them with a smile on my face.

One thing I usually don't like with sequels to animated movies is when they introduce a handful of new characters who feel unnecessary. That's not the case with Madagascar 3 as they introduce some new colorful characters who add a lot to the story. Bryan Cranston, Jessica Chastain and Martin Short voice characters who are a part of the traveling circus, each of them have their own back story and they help contribute to some funny and heartfelt moments. The supporting cast from the previous movies are back this time around too and once again it's the penguins and King Julian who end up stealing the show. Frances McDormand also does a bit of scene stealing herself as Captain Chantel DuBois.

Our main characters mesh quite well together with the new batch of colorful characters. All of the voice actors are great once again, especially Ben Stiller and Chris Rock. Both Jada Pinkett Smith and David Schwimmer have reduced roles this time around to make way for all the new characters. While they were never the central focus of either of the first two movies, it seemed odd to push them aside but the new characters turned out great so it all worked out.

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted goes all out and provides nonstop entertainment. While the story could have been better, the voice cast, over-the-top shenanigans and amazing circus sequences make this worth watching.

Flickering Myth Rating - Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★

Jake Peffer
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Movie Review - The Master (2012)

November 4, 2012, 12:05 pm
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The Master, 2012.

Written and Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
Starring Amy Adams, Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Laura Dern, Jesse Plemons, Rami Malek and Kevin J. O'Connor.


SYNOPSIS:

A Naval veteran arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future - until he is tantalized by The Cause and its charismatic leader.


This review of The Master is for a 70mm presentation.

When a film maker with the track record of Paul Thomas Anderson releases a new film, the expectations are high and rightly so, for Anderson is one of the last American film makers who is still directing at a level comparable with the New Hollywood generation at their peak. Anderson’s masterpiece There Will Be Blood is one of the best American films of the last 25 years, and will be placed in the same echelons as the best work from Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Altman and Sidney Lumet when it is of an age to be described as a ‘classic’. 

Released five years after There Will Be Blood, Anderson’s latest is equal to anything he has made in terms of pure cinematic craftsmanship. As both writer and director Anderson does not waste a scene, line, or single shot in telling this story of a wayward man who is brought in by a group of people who follow the word and beliefs of their leader, or ‘master’. For the sheer beauty of the camerawork and production design, The Master is a thing of perfection, the likes of which are so seldom seen at a cinema anymore; the close ups of the actors faces which so often take centre stage are hypnotic as they linger on the screen for an uncomfortable time, encouraging the audience to look deeper into the eyes, the mouth, the expressions which the actors so perfectly portray.

From the very first shot of the sea and its water being churned by a World War II Navy boat, The Master remains an edgy and unpredictable film, like all of Anderson’s previous work. The film’s tone and directorial style is aligned more with There Will Be Blood than his previous work with the deep black colours, the scenes of little dialogue, and the Jonny Greenwood score which haunts each scene, and it carries with it several of Anderson’s obsessive themes. Each film has a character with an uncontrollable rage within them and characters trying to get their piece of the American dream in various ways; be it Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights who uses his ‘talent’ to make films, Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood who wants to succeed and for all others to fail at any cost, or poor old Barry Egan in Punch-Drunk Love who thinks he’s found a loophole with an airline ticket promotion on the back of dessert boxes.

Moreover, all of Anderson’s films feature a substitute father figure for a wayward son and The Master shows this quasi-relationship at its most strained. Freddie Quall (Joaquin Phoenix) is a deeply disturbed man before the film begins but his misplaced rage has no source; Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is the leader of a group (or cult) whose teachings are followed and celebrated as the group gradually grows bigger and his writing forms two books. It is, however, within the characters relations that the film is slightly less sensational; as Freddie and Lancaster’s patriarchal relationship grows it is clear that (of course) Lancaster’s teachings hold no evidence and Freddie knows this but at last has found someone willing to accept him and Lancaster has found a subject whom he can experiment on. The problem is that nothing is ever at stake for Freddie, and he can come and go as he pleases; there is no danger or threat in the film because Freddie is so unlikable rather than pitiful. By the conclusion, Freddie has changed slightly but remains the loner he always was and Lancaster goes on regardless and although both Freddie and Lancaster’s individual stories are interesting, when they are brought together it does not have the dramatic impact which is perhaps hinted at in the film’s first half. This is not an emotionally impactful film and that is its only fault.

The intensity of the story is brought to life by the acting tour de force of the film’s three main leads and is essential viewing for anyone who loves watching actors becoming a character, not just putting on a costume and shouting lines of dialogue. Joaquin Phoenix, for many years considered by this reviewer to be one of, if not the, best actor of his generation, gives a performance which very few other actors could match with his physical awkwardness, his confused and pain-ridden face, and an explosive violence and aggression which seem so natural to Freddie and never forced or clichéd. In contrast, Philip Seymour Hoffman is every bit the leader and manipulative master of that the film’s title suggests; he is powerful and well spoken but he is also a raged-filled man and the scene where he snaps at a follower who questions his new book is frightening. When these two actors come together for Freddie’s first ‘session’, The Master gives us the year’s most powerful and intense cinematic scene. It is a sheer joy to watch the performances match the craftsmanship of the film making.

As a side note, this review is of a 70mm presentation of The Master shown at the only cinema in the UK to screen it in its original format, not a 35mm blow up or a digital version. The very fact that Anderson shot The Master on 65mm (to be projected in 70mm) is reason enough to see it as he intended it to be seen, but it also takes you back to a time when film was shown on film, through a projector and with the ‘burn marks’ appearing every so often as a reminder of the projecting process and as a reminder today that film is not a dead format and digital is not the only medium despite is ever-growing popularity.

In 70mm, The Master is vibrant and textural with its film grain and deep blacks and crisp blues as clear as any hi-def digital screening could claim to be. The film is full of close up and faces which fill the screen and these need to be seen in as clear detail as possible and the reason why it was shot in such an expensive format is realised once it is shown on the big screen. This level of detail cannot be captured when the film is presented in any other way; the detail will be lost in the multiplexes that do not have the projectors to show The Master the way in which it deserves to be seen. The last film to use the format was Hamlet sixteen years ago and is famed for its use by David Lean for the sweeping landscapes in Lawrence of Arabia and by Ron Howard for Far and Away. The Master, then, seems an odd choice for such a technical decision on Anderson’s part and There Will Be Blood would appear to be the much more suited film in terms of scope and size. Perhaps Anderson thought this could be the last chance he’ll have to make a film and have it presented in 70mm especially, if his next film isn’t for another five years. 

Flickering Myth Rating - Film: ★ ★ ★★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★

Rohan Morbey - follow me on Twitter.
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Looking forward to Star Wars Episode XX

November 4, 2012, 12:35 pm
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Commenting on the Critics with Simon Columb...

David Mitchell writes for The Guardian about Star Wars and the Disney take-over. I know, I know. Old news really - but more interestingly, Mitchell compares the take over with the future of the franchise becoming more akin to the 50-year long stretch of 007 before highlighting how the most recent 'trilogy' was what destroyed the credibility of the series:

"The prospect of a Disneyfied Star Wars would have appalled me 15 years ago. The thought of that corporate giant getting its weird three-fingered hands on the beloved space stories of my childhood would have seemed like sacrilege. Since then, of course, Jesus has desecrated his own altar and then set up as a money-changer in his own temple. And if you think that's a hyperbolic way of describing the fact that George Lucas made three disappointing sci-fi films, you need to get online more."

Read the full article here.

Mitchell continues to describe how, creatively, Lucas held onto the franchise for an exceptionally longtime before passing it to Disney. Who knows what the consequences would've been if Disney took the franchise in the eighties...

The James Bond comparison is apt and perfect - and what an exciting prospect. Despite David Mitchell's opinion on Skyfall, I would like to add how fascinating a franchise that spans five decades truly is. My own fascination with James Bond is due to how the series equally manages to adapt and change depending on the current climate in action films. Moonraker liberally borrowing from the sci-fi craze of the late 70s and the recent 'revamp' owes a huge amount to the seriousness of Jason Bourne in The Bourne Identity. The same social context surrounds the Star Wars films too - The Searchers inspiring A New Hope, whilst Raiders of the Lost Ark inspired Return of the Jedi. In the recent films, The Fifth Element, Gladiator and The Matrix inspired Attack of the Clones. I can only imagine how science fiction films such as Looper and Inception could inspire a new Star Wars trilogy.

The one element I think is completely ridiculous is the assumption that the series should be placed on a shelf and remain untouched. As if the Star Wars series was ever in some holy, hallowed place that rarely sold out. You could argue that the foundations of the series itself, even in 1977, was built upon George Lucas' genius of maintaining all rights to the toys and merchandise. There is a side to me which would like to imagine that films are left alone, but when so much money is involved (and, to some extent, a series has already sold itself out by the creation of sequels and remakes) there is no surprise that Hollywood - especially now - will milk a series for all its worth. That's not to say that Star Wars shouldn't be milked for all its worth - I believe it should be! As long as it is properly cared for and, like 007 and any other long-running series, the series can then continue until our appetite is gone. The reality is, we're not talking about Casablanca 2 or a CGI-version of Charlie Chaplin. We are talking about a sequel to Avatar. We are talking about the next Marvel film and the new Batman film. It is inevitable - and I feel foolish for even thinking that it was all over in 2005.

But I did think it was all over. I bought the Blu-ray 'Complete Saga', assuming that was all I needed to buy (but Lucas knew at the time it wasn't the complete saga - he discussed this at least a year ago before the release. That was probably the only reason he agreed to it!) I will obviously justify that it is a 'Complete Saga' - but only charting Lucas' involvement. But, in terms of the new trilogy, I am excited as the people who will be hired to write the script, direct the film and create the films will be fans like me. As we all have, they have discussed at great length where the characters will go and they have fantasized about how beloved characters can be resurrected in an effective fashion. It's sci-fi after all and stories can go anywhere - indeed, the current trend of nostalgia may introduce time-travel? Who knows. If there is any way to bring back Darth Maul, I'm supporting it (yes, I know he is in The Clone Wars ... but I want to see him in live-action!).

On the plus side, there is no need for CGI versions of Luke. We can set Episodes VII, VIII and IX '40 years  since the end of Return of the Jedi. Harrison Ford is old Han Solo, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher can return. We can have a new band of troops to lead the series. I'm glad it's not over - and I'll be in line to watch the 'new series'. Imagine in 50 years, when we are all old and grey, and we talk about the highs-and-lows of the series? "I preferred the fourth trilogy - Episodes X, XI and XII" or "My Top 10 Sith Lords are..." and "My favourite lightsaber was the triple-rimmed one the Jedi had in Episode XIII". Just imagine when the films creatively reference the previous films - talking mythically about the 'history' of Han Solo at his funeral in Episode XIV: Starfall. I simply cannot wait!

Simon Columb
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Wreck-It Ralph takes the high score at the North American box office

November 4, 2012, 12:47 pm
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November is off to a fantastic start at the box office with two high profile films moving tickets and getting people excited about a very crowed holiday movie season.

Disney's latest non-Pixar animated entry Wreck-It Ralph scored big bringing in $48 million in its opening weekend.  The video game-themed family film hit all the right buttons for kids and adults.  Solid reviews and good word of mouth will keep this one in the top five for a few weeks.

Robert Zemeckis has spent the last decade toying with his three dimensional toybox with mixed results.  His return to live-action filmmaking has produced a well reviewed hit with Flight.  The Denzel Washington starring drama brought in $25 million in i's first weekend, in spite of playing at only 1900 screens.  The sky's the limit for this one during award season as the film and Washington are being talked about as contenders for nominations in a number of categories.  The success of the film with such a soft launch means this one could go the Argo route and hold solid week over week.  Both Flight and Argo are proof that dramas aimed at adults can find an audience.  Speaking of Argo, it inched down to third place this week with $10 million in tickets sold.

The kung fu action epic The Man with the Iron Fists took fourth place with $8 million.  I'm not sure how much money was left on the table with this one.   The film seems more appropriate for late summer or the dumpster of September than November.  And even if the movie hadn't been ravaged by critics, I still think $8-$10 million is your best case scenario.  Even with Quentin Tarantino presenting, a chopsockey martial arts film is going to have trouble gaining traction in November.

Taken 2 rounds out the top five.  The little revenge sequel that could continues to linger with another $6 million in ticket sales.  Meanwhile, Cloud Atlas drops out of the top five in its second week.  The three hour epic tome has polarized audiences and critics.  All the discussions and breakdowns haven't been able to put asses in seats.  $5 million in its second week is the final nail in the coffin here in the U.S. 

Next week has only one major release, but it's a doozy.   Daniel Craig returns as James Bond in the most anticipated movie of the holiday season: Skyfall.  Meanwhile Steven Spielberg's Lincoln will see a limited release.  We know Bond will be big.  The only lingering question is 'how big?'  See you next week.

Here's your top films for North America:

1. Wreck-It Ralph
Weekend Estimate: $48 million

2. Flight
Weekend Estimate: $25 million

3. Argo
Weekend Estimate: $10 million; $75 million total

4. The Man with the Iron Fists
Weekend Estimate: $8 million

5. Taken 2
Weekend Estimate: $6 million; $125 million total

Anghus Houvouras
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Movie Review - Argo (2012)

November 4, 2012, 11:36 pm
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Argo, 2012.

Directed by Ben Affleck.
Starring Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Taylor Schilling, Kyle Chandler, John Goodman, Alan Arkin, Zeljko Ivanek, Clea DuVall, Tate Donovan and Victor Garber.


SYNOPSIS:

A dramatization of the 1980 joint CIA-Canadian secret operation to extract six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of revolutionary Iran.


It’s the 4th of November 1979, the Iranian revolution is in full swing and militants storm into the U.S Embassy in Tehran capturing fifty-two American citizens and taking them hostage. In the midst of the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge in the home of the Canadian Ambassador. Knowing that it will only be a matter of time before the six are found out and quite possibly captured and killed, both the Canadian and American governments ask the CIA to resolve their dilemma. The CIA need to find a way to get the six Americans out of the country quick sharp, which will be a near impossible task given the current political climate. Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) the CIA’s top “exfiltration” expert (specialist in getting people out of hostile situations) is called upon to give his opinion. After hearing various ludicrous suggestions such as smuggling bikes into the country for the six to pedal unnoticed for several hundred miles to safety, Mendez comes up with an idea so implausible and outrageous that it can only happen in the movies.

Mendez’s journey in Hollywood begins as he visits his friend John Chambers (John Goodman), who is a Hollywood master of prosthetics; his work had earned him an Academy Award in 1969 for his contribution to the make-up on the movie Planet of the Apes. Chambers agrees to help Mendez in his plan to rescue the six Americans along with Hollywood producer friend Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin).

The plan is to make a fake movie, but in order to build a credible cover story they would have go about this task as if they were really going to make a Hollywood movie, which means finding a script that requires a Middle Eastern setting, create posters, storyboards, costumes, create some buzz in the papers... all the things you would do in pre-production. This would all culminate in Mendez, posing as an associate producer flying into Iran, giving false Canadian passports to the six Americans, claiming that they are scouting locations for a Canadian science-fiction movie, and then flying them out. Piece of cake!

One of things that makes Argo such a fascinating and riveting movie is the fact that this extraordinary series of events actually happened in real life. Even the screenwriter Chris Terrio, who brilliantly scripted this movie, bringing a genuine sense of humanity to the real life outrageous exploits of the CIA expert, said that if he had pitched this as an original concept to studio execs they would have told him that no audience would ever believe such a story. Equally as impressive is the prowess that Ben Affleck shows in helming such an intriguing story.

Affleck manages to successfully portray the treacherous situation that the six American find themselves in with a gritty realism that really gives the audience a genuine sense of the perilous circumstances in Tehran; yet at the same time he effortlessly balances this drama with the right mix of dry wit, humour and glamour in the Hollywood scenes with Mendez attempting to bring this fake movie together. Watching the scenes in Iran and the interjecting Hollywood scenes is almost like watching two separate movies but Affleck manages to combine the two like a seasoned veteran.

Most of the humour is supplied by the superb John Goodman and Alan Arkin who have some of the best lines in the film such as “If I’m gonna make a fake movie, it’s gonna be a fake hit!” The chemistry between the two characters is excellent and provides a welcome relief from the tension in Iran.

In Argo, Ben Affleck has managed to put together a great ensemble cast of stellar actors who may not be household names but are certainly one of the reasons Affleck has been able to produce such a masterpiece of filmmaking. Actors such as Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Tate Donavan (Damages) and Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) all put in superb performances which add to the credibility of the storytelling. Even Affleck’s performance as Tony Mendez is a very low key, downbeat but powerful performance which really captures the CIA agent’s commitment, determination and dedication to his art of exfiltration.

Probably the most compelling reason I feel Argo is such a great film and deserves the plaudits that it’s currently receiving is the “Ben Affleck story” which is nearly as unbelievable as the Argo story itself. It was widely accepted only a few years ago that Ben Affleck's Hollywood career was well and truly over after starring in a string of absolutely terrible movies such as Jersey Girl and Gigli to name a few. However after taking a brief hiatus he returned with his directorial debut in 2007’s Gone Baby Gone and just like Peter Parker after being bitten by a radioactive spider, he showcased his amazing and seemingly new found skills as a director and even had the foresight to stay behind the camera and leave the acting to his more than capable younger brother Casey Affleck. He then followed that up in 2010 with another masterpiece in filmmaking with The Town.

Even with these two solid films under his belt it seems the media still weren’t really convinced Affleck could make that transition to serious director and perhaps the first two movies were a bit of luck. Granted they were both set in the familiar territory of his beloved home town of Boston, maybe that was his comfort zone? In helming Argo there was certainly no home court advantage, Ben Affleck stepped well beyond his comfort zone and picked a topic that few would believe he could handle with the elegance, grace and authenticity that he has shown in directing this film. Affleck has unequivocally cemented his place in the Hollywood elite of the few successful actor/directors such as George Clooney, Clint Eastwood and Denzel Washington (not many people like to mention him but Antoine Fisher is a great movie!)

Yes, a few cynics will point out that Argo doesn’t strictly tell the events exactly how they occurred and there are a few scenes in the movie that are purely for entertainment purposes. Well that’s what makes Argo such a great film and Ben Affleck such a great director. There are scenes in the movie that look so authentic that you could almost be mistaken in thinking you were watching a documentary yet certain scenes were clearly added for dramatic affect and contradict Mendez’s account (of which you can read in full here, seeing as the whole reason this story can be told now is that Bill Clinton declassified the mission in 1997) but it’s the job of the writer and director to tell a story that’s not only engaging, thoughtful and intriguing but also entertaining, and both Affleck and Terrio used their creativity to do exactly that.

Argo is a brilliant movie which creates a genre of its own, mixing a tense political thriller with an Ocean's Eleven style comedy caper, but as strange as it sounds director Ben Affleck and writer Chris Terrio, along with the supporting cast of actors, make this unique combination work. The result is an inspiring and audacious story of courage, hope and creativity in face of adversity which is told with flair, style and humour.

Flickering Myth Rating - Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★

Jeffrey Aidoo
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Kim Basinger joins Grudge Match

November 5, 2012, 2:49 am
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Kim Basinger (L.A. Confidential, 8 Mile) has signed on to star in the forthcoming boxing comedy Grudge Match. Variety reports that the Oscar winning actress will join Robert De Niro (Raging Bull) and Sylvester Stallone (Rocky) in the cast and will play the main love interest in the new comedy about two aging rival boxers who look to settle a final score in the ring. Grudge Match is directed by Peter Segal (50 First Dates, Get Smart) from a script by Tim Kelleher that has been rewritten by Doug Ellin (Entourage). Kevin Hart (Think like a Man) will also star as the boxing promoter who organises the grudge bout.

Basinger, who rose to stardom in the 80s with a string of high profile films such as 9 ½ Weeks and Batman, is making somewhat of a comeback having recently starred alongside Zac Efron in Charlie St. Cloud. She is also currently filming Third Person from Crash and The Next Three Days director Paul Haggis, which boasts a stellar cast that includes Liam Neeson (Taken), Mila Kunis (Ted), Olivia Wilde (TRON: Legacy), James Franco (127 Hours), Adrien Brody (The Pianist) and Casey Affleck (Gone Baby Gone) and centres around three interlocking loves stories involving three couples in three different cities.
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The Flickering Myth Reaction to Disney's takeover of Lucasfilm and the Star Wars franchise

November 5, 2012, 4:51 am
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The Flickering Myth writing team trade opinions on the future of Star Wars following Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm and the announcement of Episode VII...

How much would you pay for exclusive ownership of your very own film franchise? If you're a lifelong fan of said franchise a precise figure is probably impossible to calculate. For example, surely the James Bond series is priceless? Skyfall has smashed box office records in the UK, proving the enduring commercial potential of Ian Fleming's suave spy. The cultural legacy of Bond is impossible to quantify. Who could put a price to the 007 brand? For us fans a favourite film series is simply priceless. But someone, somewhere, presumably with a good head for numbers, has to work out the worth of cinema's most treasured properties.

Last week Disney shocked the entertainment world by acquiring yet another movie gem to add to its increasingly extravagant collection of crown jewels. The figure plucked out of the air for ownership of Lucasfilm, and by extension the Star Wars franchise, was roughly $4 billion. How much of that figure was for Darth Vader's helmet or Luke Skywalker's light sabre?

The numbers are mind boggling. Focus on them for too long and only madness will follow. Much better to gasp instead at the possibility of a new Star Wars trilogy, piloted by the company behind a very successful Marvel revival in recent years.

We decided to ask our writers what they make of Disney's takeover, given the eclectic range of reactions already doing the rounds online. Some venomous fan boys find the idea of Disney doing Star Wars an abomination. Others prefer to point out that these fan boys haven't been paying attention to what Disney has achieved with Marvel's rich archive of superhero stories. Just how big a factor is the success of Joss Whedon's Avengers film in the reaction to this news? Would Star Wars loyalists be far more hostile if Disney hadn't already proved it could do good source material justice, without resorting to childish song and dance routines?

In general initial shock appears to have morphed into tremendous excitement and anticipation. As Luke Owen wittily said in the title of his article for Flickering Myth on the news, Disney's involvement and George Lucas' long awaited departure gives Star Wars a much needed dose of 'New Hope' following the crushing disappointment of the modern prequels. Elsewhere on the web, Simon Kinnear has come up with a list of '40 Star Wars Stories That Should Be Movies'  for Total Film, which is well worth a look (let us know which stories you'd like to see filmed in the comments section below).

Let's find out what the Flickering Myth writing team think...


Chris Cooper: I'm excited. Legitimately excited. What news!! Out of the blue like force lightning to the chest!

Star Wars has been, I believe, stifled by Lucas for years now. The Prequel Trilogy was disappointing overall (Attack of the Clones still makes me shudder), but Disney have proven themselves more than capable with Marvel. They didn't just stick their nose in, and helped to elevate it with the MCU. Of course it could go badly, but there is plenty of scope for them to create new stories. Until I see different I'll remain positive.

Gary Collinson: Like everyone, I was completely surprised by the news, but with George Lucas announcing his retirement back in January, maybe we should have seen something coming. Personally, I thought by retirement, he meant he'd just sit back and squeeze every last drop from the existing movies with the 3D re-releases etc., but now suddenly Star Wars has a whole new future ahead of it, and regardless of peoples' views on the Prequel Trilogy, I think that can only be a good thing.

Unlike some long-time fans, I wasn't completely put off by the prequels. It wasn't until this latest round of 3D reissues and Blu-ray releases that I finally started to give up on Star Wars. But now it’s like the mid-90s all over again, and regardless of how this new Disney Trilogy turns out, I'm excited about Star Wars once more.

Liam Trim: In my book it’s very refreshing to be caught completely off guard by a news story like this. Admittedly it’s one big company buying out another, for control of a story that has perhaps run out of steam. But given the success of The Avengers, and the sheer scope of the Star Wars universe, there is potential for a well executed, quality revival of the franchise. Only time will tell and it will certainly be fascinating to watch the project for Episode VII develop. Clearly Star Wars could attract the best actors and directors. Oh wait or it could attract wooden puppets like Hayden Christensen...



Martin Deer: This was the kind of news that leaves you in shock - barely able to conjure up a reaction. Am I excited? Apathetic? Worried? Who knew? However waking up this morning I'm extremely excited for this. Episodes I-III were, despite Revenge of the Sith pulling some credit back to the franchise, a disappointment. There's an enormous wealth of material for them to use as inspiration for this new trilogy, and the possibilities at this time are endless; will we see an older, wiser Luke? Will it be set in the far flung future? Will it be a prequel to the prequel and show us the origins of a time in the Jedi's infancy? Lots to look forward to I think, and it's in good hands now I believe. Disney have handled Marvel well, I see no reason to doubt them on this, I think they'll bring in the right people who know the franchise and have a passion for it, to make this as successful, if not more so, than the Marvel Universe has been. Exciting times!

Gary Collinson: Between Star Wars and The Avengers 2, Disney are going to dominate the box office in 2015. Now... do Disney bump The Avengers from May 1st, or do they risk upsetting Star Wars fans by ditching the May release date for Episode VII?

Simon Columb: In hindsight, it was inevitable. So much potential money is hardly going to be ignored. Disney will soon own every franchise.

Matt Smith: When I heard about it, my first reaction was of unrelenting terror. How much control will Disney have over the industry? It has the fourth largest navy in the world as well. Unstoppable power... but once I'd had my panic attack, I thought it might be a good thing.

A friend of mine was pretty accurate, I think, when he said the problems with the prequels may well have been the fact George Lucas was unrestrained. He seems to have a habit of concentrating on the elements people don't care about, and forgetting the ones people do want focus on.

Handing over the franchise to a completely new team might bring a fresh focus. Ultimately, it's the same as any franchise changing hands. Disney just have to pick the right creative team to bring the best out of the universe that is Star Wars. We'll just have to wait and see who is chosen to be the driving force behind it all.

Urgh, just realised I said 'driving force'. No pun intended. I feel dirty.

Kirsty Capes: I think that if Avengers hadn't come out this year I would be a lot more worried about the Disney buyout. But I think recently Disney has proven itself to be a far more capable and mature company than just kids' cartoons. I think Disney is going to do great things for Star Wars.

Oliver Davis: I can't wait for the direct-to-DVD Star Wars Episode 11: Obi and Darth Take Miami.

Jake Peffer: At first I really hated the idea of Disney buying Lucasfilm but then I thought about it and this might not be a bad thing. Disney has already done extremely well with Marvel so why couldn't they do the same for Lucas? I do have to say that I really don't think we need another Star Wars movie. After the prequels were underwhelming and Lucas changing things around for the Blu-rays they just need to put the franchise to rest.

Simon Moore:Star Wars was exciting, groundbreaking cinema way back when. Today it just seems exhausted. Between prequels, comics, books and cartoons, just about every conceivable storyline has been explored. Fair enough, maybe Disney will come up with something fairly good, but is $4 billion the price any sane person would pay to make a fairly good trilogy?

Anghus Houvouras: Business wise it's such a great decision for Disney, who are stockpiling iconic characters and franchises. While everyone else is trying to figure out where media is going... what distribution model... the decline of the theatrical experience... Disney is taking ownership of the creative licenses that will thrive no matter how people watch movies. It's brilliant on a level that is overlooked in a day and age where people cry out that the creative mindset doesn't exist in Hollywood. In fact, you have a company that realizes what people want: superheroes, science fiction, action and adventure. In the span of the last decade, Disney has become the most geek friendly studio on the planet. Simmer on that for a moment. Disney, a studio that was best known for staging princess stories that were predominantly geared towards little girls has become the home of Luke Skywalker and Captain America.

There's brilliance in these moves. As for the properties themselves, Lucas did his best to murder the integrity of the original trilogy. And if we're being honest, the original trilogy contains one and a half good movies. The prequels were hyperactive garbage. There's been some fun had in the comic books and video games, but Star Wars is at best tarnished goods. There can be no more harm brought to it by Disney. Lucas created this monster, and then he destroyed it. Maybe it will find new creative life and have a rebirth of sorts. The money will be there. We'll all line up for 7, 8 and 9 just like we did for 1, 2 and 3 even though they were terrible. Disney for the win.

Gary Collinson: Despite people's views on the prequels, there's still huge potential in the universe Lucas has created. I'm not overly keen on the idea of a new trilogy - the Skywalker story is finished - but individual movies, set at various points in history, and with the right filmmakers in place...

Anghus Houvouras: It’s always about the talent. With the right story and director, it could be exceptional. Or, it could be average. I think after the prequels, there's only room for improvement.

Luke Owen: Even if Episode VII was just below average it would be better than the prequel trilogy. The problem with those films was that Lucas lost artistic integrity to instead create a series of films made solely to make toys. While this isn't always a bad thing (all of the cartoons that raised me were created for those reasons), you actually have to make some effort. The scripts were bad, the acting was horrendous (and that is Lucas' fault) and the stories were boring. When going into Episode I, did you expect to see a movie about trade disputes?

As for the Disney deal, this could be the best thing for the franchise. At first I was just taken aback by the thought of a Star Wars film without Lucas (it's like doing Ghostbusters 3 without Bill Murray...) but the more I think about it the more it makes sense. The biggest problem with the franchise was the man himself so taking him out of the equation can only be a good thing.

It's a lot like taking Joel Schumacher off Batman. He was a tumour that needed to be removed and it ended up being the best thing to happen to the world of Gotham. Removing Lucas from Star Wars could bring balance to the force...


So there we have it. Some say we don't need another Star Wars movie, some are ridiculously excited about the prospect and believe there's plenty more to be mined from the Jedi universe. Most seem to agree that Disney have proved themselves with their Marvel exploits, and that they are making very shrewd commercial investments. And of course, several of our writers couldn't resist the inevitable Star Wars puns. Yes, I apologise, many were terrible enough to create disturbances in the force...

How did you react to the news of Disney's takeover and the upcoming Episode VII? Leave your comments below.

You can read Luke Owen's reasons to be optimistic about Disney's involvement with Star Wars and Lucasfilm here. 
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And the nominations for the 2012 Moët British Independent Film Awards are...

November 5, 2012, 9:25 am
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British Independent Film AwardsAs we gear up for the start of awards season, the nominees for the 15th annual Moët British Independent Film Awards have been announced today, with Broken leading the field with nominations in 9 categories, including Best British Independent Film, Best Director and Best Debut Director (Rufus Norris), Best Actor (Tim Roth) and Best Supporting Actor (Cillian Murphy and Rory Kinnear).

Broken will contest the awards for Best British Independent Film and Best Director against Berberian Sound Studio (Peter Strickland), Sightseers (Ben Wheatley), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (John Madden) and The Imposter (Bart Layton), while Layton is also nominated for Best Debut Director alongside Ben Drew (Ill Manors), Rowan Athale (Wasteland) and Sally El Hosaini (My Brother the Devil).

Here's the list of nominations in full...

BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM
Berberian Sound Studio
Broken
Sightseers
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
The Imposter

BEST DIRECTOR
Bart Layton – The Imposter
Ben Wheatley – Sightseers
John Madden – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Peter Strickland – Berberian Sound Studio
Rufus Norris – Broken

THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR]
Bart Layton – The Imposter
Ben Drew – Ill Manors
Rowan Athale – Wasteland
Rufus Norris – Broken
Sally El Hosaini – My Brother the Devil

BEST SCREENPLAY
Abi Morgan – The Iron Lady
Alice Lowe, Steve Oram, Amy Jump – Sightseers
Mark O'Rowe – Broken
Paul Andrew Williams – Song for Marion
Peter Strickland – Berberian Sound Studio

BEST ACTRESS
Alice Lowe (Tina) – Sightseers
Andrea Riseborough (Colette McVeigh) – Shadow Dancer
Elle Fanning (Ginger) – Ginger & Rosa
Judi Dench (Evelyn Greenslade) – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Meryl Streep (Margaret Thatcher) – The Iron Lady

BEST ACTOR
Riz Ahmed (Aaron) – Ill Manors
Steve Oram (Chris) – Sightseers
Terence Stamp (Arthur) – Song for Marion
Tim Roth (Archie) – Broken
Toby Jones (Gilderoy) – Berberian Sound Studio

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Alice Englert (Rosa) – Ginger & Rosa
Eileen Davies (Carol) – Sightseers
Maggie Smith (Muriel Donnelly) – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Olivia Colman (Queen Elizabeth) – Hyde Park on Hudson
Vanessa Redgrave (Marion) – Song for Marion

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Billy Connolly (Wilf) – Quartet
Cillian Murphy (Mike Kiernan) – Broken
Domhnall Gleeson (Connor) – Shadow Dancer
Rory Kinnear (Bob Oswald) – Broken
Tom Wilkinson (Graham Dashwood) – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
Elliott Tittensor (Tits) – Spike Island
Eloise Laurence (Skunk) – Broken
James Floyd (Rashid) – My Brother the Devil
Paul Brannigan (Robbie) – The Angels' Share
Zawe Ashton (Joyce Vincent) – Dreams of a Life

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION
Berberian Sound Studio
Ill Manors
Sightseers
The Imposter
The Sweeney

BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Nic Knowland Bsc– Cinematography – Berberian Sound Studio
Joakim Sundström, Stevie Haywood AMPS IPS– Sound Design – Berberian Sound Studio
Electric Wave Bureau – Music – Broken
Robbie Ryan – Cinematography – Ginger & Rosa
Andrew Hulme – Editing – The Imposter

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Dreams of a Life
London: The Modern Babylon
Marley
Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir
The Imposter

BEST BRITISH SHORT
Friday
Junk
Skyborn
Swimmer
Volume

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM
Amour
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Rust & Bone
Searching For Sugar Man
The Hunt

THE RAINDANCE AWARD
Frank
Strings
Love Tomorrow
City Slacker
Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet

The winners of the 2012 Moët British Independent Film Awards will be announced at a ceremony at Old Billingsgate in London on Sunday, December 9th.
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Nicolas Cage confirmed for The Expendables 3

November 5, 2012, 9:53 am
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With the massive success of the first two Expendables films it comes as no surprise that a third movie is in development and just about every action star over the age of fifty years old has been rumored to be circling a role, including the likes of Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino), Harrison Ford (Star Wars) and Wesley Snipes (Blade).

The co-writer and star of the franchise Sylvester Stallone has taken to his Facebook page to confirm one of the new stars for the forthcoming movie:

"We are preparing the film with the same passion and commitment as the previous two. We have confirmed Nicolas Cage, a master actor who gives a veneer intellectual group. Hopefully we can realize to Harrison Ford, Wesley Snipes and Mickey Rourke. That is the great mission of the producer. We will continue with the same narrative scheme, the agility and the frenzy, which are inherent to the saga. What will definitely be the last? I cannot guarantee. In principle it would be two deliveries, but the affection of the people encouraged us to work on a third. I guess as long as we amused ourselves by offering fun and people, we can continue playing 'The Expendables'. For now we are not as expendable as it should and as some critics want."

Judging by Stallone’s statement, it seems he is looking beyond a trilogy of films and as long as the audiences continue to support the franchise we could be looking at many more Expendables films in the future.
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New images and promo artwork from Beware the Batman

November 5, 2012, 10:29 am
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Batman fans suffering withdrawal symptoms following the release of The Dark Knight Rises this summer will be relieved to know that the Caped Crusader is set to return to TV screens early next year with a brand new CG-animated series entitled Beware the Batman, and thanks to the latest issue of DC Nation magazine (via The Outhouse), we have a few new images from the upcoming show, which you can check out right here...





Beware the Batman has been developed by Glen Murakami (Batman Beyond) and Mitch Watson (Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated) and is set to focus on the less familiar members of Batman's Rogues Gallery. Here's the official synopsis from Cartoon Network:

“A cool, new take on the classic Dark Knight franchise, Beware the Batman incorporates Batman’s core characters with a rogues gallery of new villains not previously seen in animated form. Along with backup from ex-secret agent Alfred and lethal swordstress Katana, the Dark Knight faces the twisted machinations of Gotham City’s criminal underworld led by the likes of Anarky, Professor Pyg, Mister Toad and Magpie. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, this action-packed detective thriller deftly redefines what we have come to know as a ‘Batman show.’ Featuring cutting-edge CGI visuals to match the intricate twists and turns of the narrative, Batman steps out of the shadows and into the spotlight for an entirely new generation of fans.”

Lending his voice to The Dark Knight for Beware the Batman is Anthony Ruivivar (Third Watch), while other actors confirmed to feature in the voice cast include Sumalee Montano (Hancock) as Katana, JB Blanc (The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes) as Alfred Pennyworth and Kurtwood Smith (RoboCop) as Lt. James Gordon. The show is set to begin airing on Cartoon Network's DC Nation block early in 2013.

Holy Franchise, Batman! Bringing the Caped Crusader to the Screen - Available now via Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.
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Matthew Vaughn to direct Star Wars Episode VII? Harrison Ford open to a return?

November 5, 2012, 11:45 pm
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It's been just seven days since Disney's shock acquisition of Lucasfilm and the announcement that a new Star Wars trilogy is set to arrive on the big screen, and already the rumour mill is in full swing. Last week saw talk that Disney were looking at a number of high profile directors such as Neill Blomkamp (District 9), Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men), Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan), Joss Whedon (The Avengers) and George Lucas' good buddy Steven Spielberg (Lincoln), and now comes word that the studio may have identified its number one target to helm Star Wars Episode VII.

According to Collider, "Matthew Vaughn, the director of Kick-Ass, Stardust, Layer Cake, and X-Men: First Class, is in talks with Lucasfilm to helm Star Wars: Episode VII. My sources tell me this is the main reason he dropped out of the X-Men sequel (which Bryan Singer is now directing)." It had been thought that Vaughn had opted to pass on X-Men: Days of Future Past in favour of directing an adaptation of Mark Millar's comic book series The Secret Service, and while the rumour should perhaps be taken with a pinch of salt at the moment, with Disney looking towards a 2015 release date for Episode VII, it's highly likely that talks are already well underway with potential directors.

Meanwhile, in other potential Episode VII news, Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Harrison Ford "is open to the idea of doing the movie", which is a little surprising given the actor's previous views on reprising the role of Han Solo, although the article does go on to state that we shouldn't be surprised "if his contract includes a mandatory death scene for the sly old space smuggler."
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DVD Review - Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist (1997)

November 6, 2012, 12:00 am
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Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist, 1997

Directed by Kirby Dick
Starring Bob Flanagan, Sheree Rose


SYNOPSIS:

Documentary on the performance artist, writer, musician and cystic fibrosis sufferer Bob Flanagan. Oh, and he's a 'supermasochist', too.


Bob Flanagan cuts a frail figure. His eyes bulge slightly from his face and blue veins push through his thin torso. A plastic-tube around his mouth and nose is ever-present. It's his breathing apparatus, and without it, he'd be very uncomfortable. Bob is 43-years-old and a sufferer of cystic fibrosis. He should have died when he was 25.

The situation's pathos is confronted with a darkly humourous slant, by both Bob and the documentary's director, Kirby Dick. The film opens with Bob reading his own obituary. Just as many comedians have based entire sets around cancer and their reactions towards it, Bob deals with his condition through irony and the bizarre. Because Bob is a performance artist who specialises in masochism. In fact, he, and the documentary, refers to himself as a 'supermasochist'. Does that then make Wonder Woman a 'supersadist'?

He "drinks [his wife's] piss from a baby bottle"; he lets her shove a metallic ball larger than a fist completely into his anus; he nails the head of his penis onto a wooden board. It's all shown in graphic documentary footage, or in excerpts from his video art. The latter example is the most difficult to watch. The shot holds on Bob's pelvis for what seems like an eternity, while he slowly hammers the spike through his cock. Upon removing the nail, blood gushes profusely from the newly-formed hole in place of semen. Bob certainly earns his self-bestowed title.

It's near impossible to sit through. My own hands were over my face for the duration, with only the slightest gap in the fingers to make out a pinkish blob and a metallic spike. There's a reason Sick was refused classification for so long in the UK. It's arguably the most visceral film you're ever likely to see.

The documentary is pieced together from Bob and his wife Sheree Rose's home movies; interviews with their family and friends; and footage from their performance art pieces. The sapped colours betrays the film's video origins. It's a bit fuzzy and out-of-focus in parts, and also a part of its charm. The way it's filmed is almost akin to snuff. In more ways than one.

Bob died in 1996, a year before Sick was first released on the film festival circuit. The documentary details his passing as his deteriorated lungs become too much. His sense of humour, his wonderfully dark take on life, the intense emotional bond he shares with Sheree, are all suddenly plunged into jeopardy. Much like death in real life, those last few scenes come astonishingly quickly. Strange, for a film that passes excruciatingly slowly in its more graphic moments.

Laying in his hospital bed, cutting an even frailer figure than before - with various supermasochist wounds scarring his body, a barbed wire tattoo around his penis, and his wife's initial crudely etched into his chest - Bob appears displaced. We're used to him in his performance spaces, which are often hospital-like environments, though not like this. Seeing him so weak is far more haunting than a penis nailed to a wooden board. In a real hospital, Bob's a fish out of water. And with his lungs slowly drowning in mucus, he gapes like one too.

The video below is the film's last scene. In it, Bob reads one of his poems, Why?, over a montage of his childhood. In it, he explores all the possible reasons for his sexual desires. Some are familiar; others specific. It's remarkably affecting.

Sick is the most disturbing film I've ever seen, but it might also be the most profound.


Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist has now been released on DVD by the BFI to celebrate the BBFC's centenary (by showcasing all the films they banned).  

Sick is also being screened at the BFI on Tuesday 6th and Sunday 11th November as part of a season curated by Mark Kermode. Warning: definitely not a date film.

Flickering Myth Rating: Film ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie ★

Oliver Davis
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New international trailer for Steven Spielberg's Lincoln

November 6, 2012, 4:53 am
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As the US presidental election gets underway, DreamWorks Pictures and 20th Century Fox have released a new international trailer for Steven Spielberg's upcoming biopic Lincoln, which stars two-time Academy Award-winner Daniel Day-Lewis (My Left Foot, There Will Be Blood) as the 16th President of the United States during his tumultuous final months in office.

Joining Day-Lewis in the cast of Lincoln are Sally Field (The Amazing Spider-Man), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Dark Knight Rises), Tommy Lee Jones (Men in Black 3), David Strathairn (The Bourne Ultimatum), Jared Harris (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows), Lee Pace (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey), Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen), John Hawkes (Martha Marcy May Marlene), James Spader (Boston Legal), Walton Goggins (Django Unchained), David Costabile (Breaking Bad), Bruce McGill (Law Abiding Citizen) and Adam Driver (J. Edgar).

"In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come."


Lincoln will receive a limited North American release this Friday (November 9th) before opening nationwide on November 16th. The film is also scheduled to hit UK cinemas on January 25th, 2013.
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Thoughts on the Silent Night trailer

November 6, 2012, 10:42 am
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Luke Owen discusses the trailer for Silent Night...

It’s been a very quiet production, but the trailer for Silent Night– a remake of the 1984 cult classic Silent Night, Deadly Night– has arrived online. And you know what, it actually looks kind of good.

For those of you who might be unaware, Silent Night, Deadly Night was a movie directed by Charles E. Sellier Jr. that caused so much outrage it was banned in America after only a couple of weeks on the big screen and didn’t get an international release. The movie however did grab a lot of attention and had it not been pulled, it could have taken more money than Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street which was released the same year. The movie was about a tormented teenager who witnessed his mother get raped and his parents get murdered by a guy dressed up like Santa Claus. Years later, this troubled soul would go onto wreak his own revenge on the world with a murderous rampage in the same style of costume that his parents' killer wore. The film amazingly spawned four sequels, one of which hosts the popular Internet Meme “Garbage Day!”

Looking back on the film now, it’s not really anything special but it’s certainly worth a look at. While I don’t think it’s a masterpiece, I do think it’s a lot of fun and can easily see why it has its cult reputation. You can pick up a really good DVD version that was released by Arrow Films a few years back quite cheap these days.

This 2012 remake doesn’t look to follow the plot of the original too closely, as it seems the only thing it has in common with the 1984 movie is a guy dressed as Santa and half of the title. However the trailer does seem to give the movie a fairly light hearted tone in terms of over-the-top violence, which means it could have more in common with Santa’s Slay rather than Silent Night, Deadly Night. That's not to say that the film doesn’t look like it could be scary - the Santa mask is terrifying and the tension looks like it’s been ramped up to 11.

In Silent Night, Malcolm McDowell is trying to track down a masked killer who dresses as Santa and goes from town to town murdering people on Christmas Eve. He does this with a variety of weapons including the traditional axe as well as more creative items like wood chippers and flame throwers. Got to be honest, it does look cool. McDowell seems to be hamming it up on screen while Jaime King will be the movie's scream queen in what I imagine will be a fairly forgettable performance.

Silent Night looks to be a lot of fun. The Santa mask looks genuinely creepy and if the movie can retain the atmosphere of the trailer then we should be in for a really entertaining ride. My only concern is whether we’re ever going to see a cinema release. The end of the credits claim it will be shown in “selective” cinemas which means we’ll likely get a direct-to-DVD release over here sometime next year. I know I’ll be the first (and probably only person) in line to buy it at my local ASDA.

I’m not saying Silent Night will be the greatest slasher movie ever made, but it certainly looks a lot of fun. Between this and the Evil Dead remake, I’d almost be tempted to say that the dark days of terrible horror remakes are behind us.



Luke Owen is a freelance copywriter working for Europe’s biggest golf holiday provider as their web content executive.
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