Welcome to this week's "Movies... For Free!" column, where we showcase classic movies freely available in the public domain (with streaming video!). Read the article and watch the movie right here!
M, Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder, 1931.
Directed by Fritz Lang.
Starring Peter Lorre and Otto Wernicke.
M is the first sound feature from acclaimed Expressionist filmmaker Fritz Lang - described by the British Film Institute as the "Master of Darkness" - and is a highly influential masterpiece of the thriller genre. Written by Lang along with his wife Thea von Harbou, a Nazi sympathiser who would later join the NSDAP, M is a powerful, cold and brutal piece of cinema that explores themes of morality, justice and hysteria.
The film stars Peter Lorre as Hans Beckert, a German child killer and presumed paedophile whose brutal crimes are terrorising Berlin. When the police investigation headed by Inspector Lohmann (Wernicke) fails to identify the murderer, members of the underworld join in the manhunt in order to protect their business interests in the city. This leads to a race between the police and criminals, who eventually trace and capture Beckert and subject him to a kangaroo court that serves to explore the twisted and tormented mind of the killer.
Considered by Lang to be his finest work, M was a success upon release and helped to launch the international career of Peter Lorre, who would often return to the role of the villainous psychopath (see his turn in Alfred Hitchcock's 1934 version of The Man Who Knew Too Much). It also served as a breakthrough for Otto Wernicke, who reunite with the director and the character of Inspector Lohmann in Lang's next movie, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933).
The film is rumoured to be inspired by the real life case of "The Vampire of Düsseldorf" Peter Kürten; a suggestion denied by the director.
Embed courtesy of Internet Archive.
Click here to view all previous entries in our Movies... For Free! collection.
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Saturday, May 30, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Toy Story 3 Teaser Trailer!
Pixar release the first official teaser from Toy Story 3. View it here!
Hot on the heels of the latest talk from DreamWorks Animation about their upcoming projects, CGI rivals and genre-leaders Pixar have released the first official trailer from Toy Story 3... what are you waiting for?? Check it out here:
The third installment in the series reunites all the old favourites including Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Rex, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head et.al., and once again features the voice talents of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. Michael Keaton is also rumoured to be lending his voice to Ken (of Barbie fame).
Toy Story 3 is set for release July 23rd, 2010 in the U.K., while our American cousins will get to see the film a month earlier on June 18th.
Hot on the heels of the latest talk from DreamWorks Animation about their upcoming projects, CGI rivals and genre-leaders Pixar have released the first official trailer from Toy Story 3... what are you waiting for?? Check it out here:
The third installment in the series reunites all the old favourites including Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Rex, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head et.al., and once again features the voice talents of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. Michael Keaton is also rumoured to be lending his voice to Ken (of Barbie fame).
Toy Story 3 is set for release July 23rd, 2010 in the U.K., while our American cousins will get to see the film a month earlier on June 18th.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
DreamWorks Animation Update
Jeffrey Katzenberg talks DreamWorks Animation's upcoming slate...
Former Disney chairman and current CEO of DreamWorks Animation SKG Jeffrey Katzenberg has been discussing the studio's upcoming slate with investors this week and revealed that a number of sequels and original animated movies are in the pipeline.
The production house - whose credits include the hugely successful Shrek series alongside Madagascar, Bee Movie, Kung Fu Panda, and Monsters vs Aliens - have eight films scheduled for release by 2012, and Katzenberg has said that they hope to reduce costs by around 10%, with an average budget of $130m per picture (including 3D conversion).
In 2010 DreamWorks will release How to Train Your Dragon (based on the book of the same name), Shrek Forever After, and Ooberman, which features the voice talents of Robert Downey Jr. and Ben Stiller, while 2011 will see the return of Jack Black as Po in Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom. As if that wasn't enough DreamWorks are also producing a second sequel to Madagascar along with Shrek spin-off Puss in Boots, both of which are scheduled for release in 2012 (along with an original property yet to be confirmed).
All of the films will be released in 3D and will take DreamWorks to the end of their current distribution deal with Paramount Pictures.
Former Disney chairman and current CEO of DreamWorks Animation SKG Jeffrey Katzenberg has been discussing the studio's upcoming slate with investors this week and revealed that a number of sequels and original animated movies are in the pipeline.
The production house - whose credits include the hugely successful Shrek series alongside Madagascar, Bee Movie, Kung Fu Panda, and Monsters vs Aliens - have eight films scheduled for release by 2012, and Katzenberg has said that they hope to reduce costs by around 10%, with an average budget of $130m per picture (including 3D conversion).
In 2010 DreamWorks will release How to Train Your Dragon (based on the book of the same name), Shrek Forever After, and Ooberman, which features the voice talents of Robert Downey Jr. and Ben Stiller, while 2011 will see the return of Jack Black as Po in Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom. As if that wasn't enough DreamWorks are also producing a second sequel to Madagascar along with Shrek spin-off Puss in Boots, both of which are scheduled for release in 2012 (along with an original property yet to be confirmed).
All of the films will be released in 3D and will take DreamWorks to the end of their current distribution deal with Paramount Pictures.
It's a Wrap - Where Have All The Ideas Gone?
It’s a Wrap – reboots, reboots, reboots and reboots (with a sprinkling of Transformers, G.I. Joe, and The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus for good measure) in our round-up of recent movie news from the world-wide-web.
We've been a little behind at FlickeringMyth with the daily updates lately due to other commitments, but we'll continue adding content as often as possible and should be back on track in the next few weeks. In the meantime, it's also been quite a while since our last news round-up so let's take a look at some interesting titbits coming out of Movieland...
First up is the report from Bloody-Disgusting that 20th Century Fox are lining up a reboot of the Alien franchise, with Ridley and Tony Scott attached as producers on behalf of Scott Free Productions. The spy reporter - who also broke the news that Robert Rodriguez was working with Fox on the recently confirmed Predator reboot - claims that music video director Carl Rinsch will helm the remake, and that the plan is to follow a similar concept to that of the original film. No doubt Fox are already conjuring up plans for an Alien vs Predator reboot to kill both franchises once again.
Continuing with the reboot theme, Terminator Salvation and Sherlock Holmes producer Dan Lin has been talking about his plans for the next installment in the Tomb Raider movie series, which just so happens to be a prequel. "It's a great origin story that we're going to tell", says Lin, "a very character-orientated story... more realistic than the past Lara Croft movies."
As with just about every other upcoming female role, Megan Fox has been linked to the part despite shooting the rumour down in an interview with Times Online, along with those linking her to Wonder Woman. To be fair, unless the Tomb Raider origin story deals with a pre-pubescent Lara then I'm not particularly sure that Fox has the erm... ability to pull off such a physically demanding role.
But - if you just can't get enough of the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen star - be sure to check out the latest publicity shots from the upcoming Michael Bay blockbuster courtesy of IGN.
And just to prove once and for all that the well of ideas is truly dry, Joblo have got their hands on some exclusive set pictures from the upcoming A Nightmare on Elm Street remake, which also includes our first (albeit slight) glimpse of Watchmen star Jackie Earle Haley as child killer Freddy Krueger.
Meanwhile, Empire Online recently unveiled the international poster for G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, which also happens to feature our first official look at Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Cobra Commander (top right).
The Stephen Sommers action-figure adaptation - which also stars Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols, Marlon Wayans and Christopher Eccleston - is released on August 7th, most likely to considerable fan backlash. You can view the trailer for G.I. Joe (and Transformers 2) right here.
Finally, Joblo have a collected a few videos from Terry Gilliam's newest movie The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, which recently debuted at Cannes and features Heath Ledger's final screen performance. Check out the embed below and be sure to head over to the site for more!
We've been a little behind at FlickeringMyth with the daily updates lately due to other commitments, but we'll continue adding content as often as possible and should be back on track in the next few weeks. In the meantime, it's also been quite a while since our last news round-up so let's take a look at some interesting titbits coming out of Movieland...
First up is the report from Bloody-Disgusting that 20th Century Fox are lining up a reboot of the Alien franchise, with Ridley and Tony Scott attached as producers on behalf of Scott Free Productions. The spy reporter - who also broke the news that Robert Rodriguez was working with Fox on the recently confirmed Predator reboot - claims that music video director Carl Rinsch will helm the remake, and that the plan is to follow a similar concept to that of the original film. No doubt Fox are already conjuring up plans for an Alien vs Predator reboot to kill both franchises once again.
Continuing with the reboot theme, Terminator Salvation and Sherlock Holmes producer Dan Lin has been talking about his plans for the next installment in the Tomb Raider movie series, which just so happens to be a prequel. "It's a great origin story that we're going to tell", says Lin, "a very character-orientated story... more realistic than the past Lara Croft movies."
As with just about every other upcoming female role, Megan Fox has been linked to the part despite shooting the rumour down in an interview with Times Online, along with those linking her to Wonder Woman. To be fair, unless the Tomb Raider origin story deals with a pre-pubescent Lara then I'm not particularly sure that Fox has the erm... ability to pull off such a physically demanding role.
But - if you just can't get enough of the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen star - be sure to check out the latest publicity shots from the upcoming Michael Bay blockbuster courtesy of IGN.
And just to prove once and for all that the well of ideas is truly dry, Joblo have got their hands on some exclusive set pictures from the upcoming A Nightmare on Elm Street remake, which also includes our first (albeit slight) glimpse of Watchmen star Jackie Earle Haley as child killer Freddy Krueger.
Meanwhile, Empire Online recently unveiled the international poster for G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, which also happens to feature our first official look at Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Cobra Commander (top right).
The Stephen Sommers action-figure adaptation - which also stars Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols, Marlon Wayans and Christopher Eccleston - is released on August 7th, most likely to considerable fan backlash. You can view the trailer for G.I. Joe (and Transformers 2) right here.
Finally, Joblo have a collected a few videos from Terry Gilliam's newest movie The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, which recently debuted at Cannes and features Heath Ledger's final screen performance. Check out the embed below and be sure to head over to the site for more!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
UK Box Office Top Ten - weekend commencing 22/05/09
UK box-office top ten for the weekend of Friday 22nd - Sunday 24th May 2009.
Continuing the streak of new releases debuting at the top of the UK box office, Night at the Museum 2 opened in first place with a healthy gross of £4.1m in receipts. The Ben Stiller comedy sequel also repeated this success across the pond, beating out Terminator: Salvation to top spot in the North American charts.
Meanwhile Star Trek slipped down into third place behind Angels & Demons, but has now overtaken the total gross of X-Men Origins: Wolverine despite the mutant superhero film having a week head start in cinemas. Star Trek now becomes the highest grossing movie in the top ten with Monsters vs Aliens slipping out of the chart after seven weeks on release.
Despite takings continuing to plunge Wolverine managed to hold on to the same position as last week, with the animated adaptation of British author Neil Gaiman's Coraline dropping two places from third to fifth. Hannah Montana: The Movie and Fighting each fell one spot into sixth and seventh respectively, while the newly released Brit horror-comedy Tormented pulled in £284,757, making it the eighth most popular film of the weekend.
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and State of Play remain in the top ten (with the Russell Crowe / Ben Affleck political thriller now stretching to seven weeks in the chart) but there was no room for Zac Efron comedy 17 Again, which disappeared without a trace.
It seems like Wednesday is the new Friday in UK cinemas with two new releases hitting screens May 27th. Sam Raimi returns to the genre where he made his name with horror flick Drag Me to Hell (view the trailer here), and WWE star John Cena hopes to put the ghost of The Marine to rest with his latest actioner 12 Rounds, directed by Renny Harlin. Also released is the Fatal Attraction-type thriller Obsessed, starring Idris Elba, Beyonce Knowles and Ali Larter, along with Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience.
Drag Me to Hell should do good business but don't expect the other new releases to cause too many ripples in the box office chart once the dust settles this upcoming weekend.
Continuing the streak of new releases debuting at the top of the UK box office, Night at the Museum 2 opened in first place with a healthy gross of £4.1m in receipts. The Ben Stiller comedy sequel also repeated this success across the pond, beating out Terminator: Salvation to top spot in the North American charts.
Meanwhile Star Trek slipped down into third place behind Angels & Demons, but has now overtaken the total gross of X-Men Origins: Wolverine despite the mutant superhero film having a week head start in cinemas. Star Trek now becomes the highest grossing movie in the top ten with Monsters vs Aliens slipping out of the chart after seven weeks on release.
Despite takings continuing to plunge Wolverine managed to hold on to the same position as last week, with the animated adaptation of British author Neil Gaiman's Coraline dropping two places from third to fifth. Hannah Montana: The Movie and Fighting each fell one spot into sixth and seventh respectively, while the newly released Brit horror-comedy Tormented pulled in £284,757, making it the eighth most popular film of the weekend.
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and State of Play remain in the top ten (with the Russell Crowe / Ben Affleck political thriller now stretching to seven weeks in the chart) but there was no room for Zac Efron comedy 17 Again, which disappeared without a trace.
Pos. | Film | Weekend Gross | Week | Total UK Gross |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Night at the Museum 2 | £4,160,496 | 1 | £4,160,496 |
2 | Angels & Demons | £2,453,169 | 2 | £11,020,395 |
3 | Star Trek | £1,645,238 | 3 | £15,396,776 |
4 | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | £459,405 | 4 | £15,188,597 |
5 | Coraline | £458,178 | 3 | £4,971,782 |
6 | Hannah Montana: The Movie | £413,218 | 4 | £6,604,938 |
7 | Fighting | £299,196 | 2 | £1,680,366 |
8 | Tormented | £284,757 | 1 | £284,757 |
9 | Ghosts of Girlfriends Past | £162,926 | 4 | £3,911,374 |
10 | State of Play | £88,895 | 5 | £5,405,100 |
It seems like Wednesday is the new Friday in UK cinemas with two new releases hitting screens May 27th. Sam Raimi returns to the genre where he made his name with horror flick Drag Me to Hell (view the trailer here), and WWE star John Cena hopes to put the ghost of The Marine to rest with his latest actioner 12 Rounds, directed by Renny Harlin. Also released is the Fatal Attraction-type thriller Obsessed, starring Idris Elba, Beyonce Knowles and Ali Larter, along with Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience.
Drag Me to Hell should do good business but don't expect the other new releases to cause too many ripples in the box office chart once the dust settles this upcoming weekend.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Movies... For Free! The Street Fighter (1974)
Welcome to this week's "Movies... For Free!" column, where we showcase classic movies freely available in the public domain (with streaming video!). Read the article and watch the movie right here...
The Street Fighter, 1974.
Directed by Shigehiro Ozawa.
Starring Sonny Chiba, Goichi Yamada, and Yutaka Nakajima.
After the phenominal world-wide success of Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon (1973), which really introduced the martial arts genre to Western audiences, Japanese production house Toei Company decided to capitalise on this new market with the release of The Street Fighter, starring Shinichi 'Sonny' Chiba.
Chiba stars as Takuma Tsurugi, a master martial artist who is approached by Yakuza gangsters to kidnap Sarai (Nakajima), the daughter of an oil tycoon. When he refuses the Yakuza sentence Tsurugi to death, so he tracks down Sarai and offers to protect her from the gangsters who are pursuing them both. Cue lots of martial arts action, blood and brutality.
Sonny Chiba had previously appeared in numerous TV and film productions in his homeland but was largely unknown in the West, with The Street Fighter proving to be his breakthrough international role. It spawned two sequels - Return of the Street Fighter and The Street Fighter's Last Revenge - along with a spin-off Sister Street Fighter (each also released in 1974), and helped to position Chiba as the premier Japanese martial arts star of the 70's and 80's.
Please note that the film is split into two parts - the second part will load automatically after the first has finished, simply click play to resume.
Embeds courtesy of Internet Archive.
Click here to view all previous entries in our Movies... For Free! collection.
The Street Fighter, 1974.
Directed by Shigehiro Ozawa.
Starring Sonny Chiba, Goichi Yamada, and Yutaka Nakajima.
After the phenominal world-wide success of Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon (1973), which really introduced the martial arts genre to Western audiences, Japanese production house Toei Company decided to capitalise on this new market with the release of The Street Fighter, starring Shinichi 'Sonny' Chiba.
Chiba stars as Takuma Tsurugi, a master martial artist who is approached by Yakuza gangsters to kidnap Sarai (Nakajima), the daughter of an oil tycoon. When he refuses the Yakuza sentence Tsurugi to death, so he tracks down Sarai and offers to protect her from the gangsters who are pursuing them both. Cue lots of martial arts action, blood and brutality.
Sonny Chiba had previously appeared in numerous TV and film productions in his homeland but was largely unknown in the West, with The Street Fighter proving to be his breakthrough international role. It spawned two sequels - Return of the Street Fighter and The Street Fighter's Last Revenge - along with a spin-off Sister Street Fighter (each also released in 1974), and helped to position Chiba as the premier Japanese martial arts star of the 70's and 80's.
Please note that the film is split into two parts - the second part will load automatically after the first has finished, simply click play to resume.
Embeds courtesy of Internet Archive.
Click here to view all previous entries in our Movies... For Free! collection.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
What's Happening With... The Hobbit?
Gary Collinson looks at the development of the live action adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic fantasy adventure, The Hobbit...
When a franchise grosses close to $3 billion at the world-wide box office you can rest assured that future installments will follow. No sooner had Peter Jackson released the final part of The Lord of the Rings - based upon J.R.R. Tolkien's classic high-fantasy epic - than rumours of future adaptations began to emerge. Originally Jackson and his partner Fran Walsh had intended to adapt The Hobbit as the first part of a trilogy (with the other two films covering the events of The Lord of the Rings), but were unable to secure the rights to the 1937 novel at that time. They pressed ahead with development on The Lord of the Rings, which of course led to three hugely successful movies being released between 2001 and 2003 through studio New Line Cinema.
In 2006, MGM (who held the rights to The Hobbit through United Artists), expressed an interest in teaming with New Line to produce the prequel, which deals with the adventures of a young Bilbo Baggins as he travels with a company of dwarves to infiltrate the liar of the mighty dragon Smaug and reclaim a horde of stolen treasure. There was however one slight problem; Jackson had launched a lawsuit against New Line the previous year accusing the studio of misrepresenting profits on The Fellowship of the Ring, and in January 2007 studio chief Robert Shaye had said that Jackson would "never make any movie with New Line Cinema again while I'm still working at the company".
New Line's blacklisting of Jackson prompted MGM to cool their interest, but after a string of financial failures Shaye began to back peddle, suggesting that he "would love for him [Jackson] to be creatively involved in some way in The Hobbit". This 'some way' soon turned into an executive producer role when it was announced in December 2007 that New Line and MGM were teaming up to produce two movies back-to-back, each budgeted at $150m and set for release in December 2011 and 2012 respectively. While Sam Raimi was initially the strong favourite for directing duties, that honour fell to Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro in April 2008, and six months later del Toro, Jackson, Walsh and Philippa Boyens were hard at work fleshing out the story and developing the treatments.
del Toro's appointment was followed by confirmation that Andy Serkis and Sir Ian McKellen would be reprising their roles as Gollum and Gandalf, while the director also discussed their intentions, describing the book as "one self-contained film", while the second movie would serve as "an integral part of telling the story of those 50 years of history lost in the narrative". Jackson had previously discussed possibilities for the second film, mentioning Gandalf's disappearance and meetings with the White Council along with Aragorn's protection of the Shire and Gollum's experiences in Mordor.
Naturally this led to rumours of many other returning characters and cast members, including Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, and Dominic Monaghan, along with newcomers and del Toro regulars Ron Perlman and Doug Jones. Christopher Lee - who portrays Saruman, head of the White Council - told Empire that he would reprise his role if asked but later recanted, suggesting that he did not feel physically up to the demands of travelling to New Zealand. Meanwhile, the lead role of Bilbo Baggins had been strongly linked to Wanted star James McAvoy, but a Christmas 2008 announcement failed to materialise and no further announcements have been forthcoming.
Last Month Empire Magazine spoke to both del Toro and Jackson and it was revealed that plans for the two movies have changed, with the events of The Hobbit now spanning both films. While this throws into doubt the previously announced 'bridging film', it wouldn't be too much of a stretch of the imagination to suspect a second trilogy could be in the works. With filming set for 2010 fans of Tolkien's classic fantasy world will soon have much to stoke their excitement as the production really steps up a gear up over the coming months.
When a franchise grosses close to $3 billion at the world-wide box office you can rest assured that future installments will follow. No sooner had Peter Jackson released the final part of The Lord of the Rings - based upon J.R.R. Tolkien's classic high-fantasy epic - than rumours of future adaptations began to emerge. Originally Jackson and his partner Fran Walsh had intended to adapt The Hobbit as the first part of a trilogy (with the other two films covering the events of The Lord of the Rings), but were unable to secure the rights to the 1937 novel at that time. They pressed ahead with development on The Lord of the Rings, which of course led to three hugely successful movies being released between 2001 and 2003 through studio New Line Cinema.
In 2006, MGM (who held the rights to The Hobbit through United Artists), expressed an interest in teaming with New Line to produce the prequel, which deals with the adventures of a young Bilbo Baggins as he travels with a company of dwarves to infiltrate the liar of the mighty dragon Smaug and reclaim a horde of stolen treasure. There was however one slight problem; Jackson had launched a lawsuit against New Line the previous year accusing the studio of misrepresenting profits on The Fellowship of the Ring, and in January 2007 studio chief Robert Shaye had said that Jackson would "never make any movie with New Line Cinema again while I'm still working at the company".
New Line's blacklisting of Jackson prompted MGM to cool their interest, but after a string of financial failures Shaye began to back peddle, suggesting that he "would love for him [Jackson] to be creatively involved in some way in The Hobbit". This 'some way' soon turned into an executive producer role when it was announced in December 2007 that New Line and MGM were teaming up to produce two movies back-to-back, each budgeted at $150m and set for release in December 2011 and 2012 respectively. While Sam Raimi was initially the strong favourite for directing duties, that honour fell to Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro in April 2008, and six months later del Toro, Jackson, Walsh and Philippa Boyens were hard at work fleshing out the story and developing the treatments.
del Toro's appointment was followed by confirmation that Andy Serkis and Sir Ian McKellen would be reprising their roles as Gollum and Gandalf, while the director also discussed their intentions, describing the book as "one self-contained film", while the second movie would serve as "an integral part of telling the story of those 50 years of history lost in the narrative". Jackson had previously discussed possibilities for the second film, mentioning Gandalf's disappearance and meetings with the White Council along with Aragorn's protection of the Shire and Gollum's experiences in Mordor.
Naturally this led to rumours of many other returning characters and cast members, including Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, and Dominic Monaghan, along with newcomers and del Toro regulars Ron Perlman and Doug Jones. Christopher Lee - who portrays Saruman, head of the White Council - told Empire that he would reprise his role if asked but later recanted, suggesting that he did not feel physically up to the demands of travelling to New Zealand. Meanwhile, the lead role of Bilbo Baggins had been strongly linked to Wanted star James McAvoy, but a Christmas 2008 announcement failed to materialise and no further announcements have been forthcoming.
Last Month Empire Magazine spoke to both del Toro and Jackson and it was revealed that plans for the two movies have changed, with the events of The Hobbit now spanning both films. While this throws into doubt the previously announced 'bridging film', it wouldn't be too much of a stretch of the imagination to suspect a second trilogy could be in the works. With filming set for 2010 fans of Tolkien's classic fantasy world will soon have much to stoke their excitement as the production really steps up a gear up over the coming months.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Quentin Tarantino introduces Inglourious Basterds
View a scene from Inglourious Basterds, introduced by director Quentin Tarantino...
Quentin Tarantino debuted his long-gestating WW2 epic Inglourious Basterds at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday, and a few videos have been cropping up online to promote the movie.
The film is screening in competition at the festival and Tarantino will be hoping to impress the jury and bag himself a second Palme d'Or with his third nomination (the director was previously awarded the prize in 1994 for Pulp Fiction but missed out in 2007 with Death Proof).
If you're just itching for a glimpse before the film's release in August why not head over to Aint It Cool News to view a few clips, and be sure to check out the embed below for an extended scene featuring Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo Raine and Til Schweiger as Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz, and introduced by Tarantino himself.
You can also view the trailer for Inglourious Basterds here, along with a Cannes 2009 preview here.
The film is screening in competition at the festival and Tarantino will be hoping to impress the jury and bag himself a second Palme d'Or with his third nomination (the director was previously awarded the prize in 1994 for Pulp Fiction but missed out in 2007 with Death Proof).
If you're just itching for a glimpse before the film's release in August why not head over to Aint It Cool News to view a few clips, and be sure to check out the embed below for an extended scene featuring Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo Raine and Til Schweiger as Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz, and introduced by Tarantino himself.
You can also view the trailer for Inglourious Basterds here, along with a Cannes 2009 preview here.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Sherlock Holmes Theatrical Trailer released!
Check out the trailer for Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law...
Yahoo Movies have released the official theatrical trailer for director Guy Ritchie's latest crime caper Sherlock Holmes, a reimagining of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic works featuring featuring Robert Downey Jr. as the titular master sleuth and Jude Law as side-kick Watson.
Sherlock Holmes is produced by Warner Bros. and is scheduled for release on December 25th 2009. In the movie Holmes and Watson must unravel a conspiracy to destroy Britian led by Satanist Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), and the big budget adaptation also features Rachel McAdams as Holmes' love interest, Irene Adler.
Be sure to check out the embed below, or head over to Trailer Addict for an HD version.
Yahoo Movies have released the official theatrical trailer for director Guy Ritchie's latest crime caper Sherlock Holmes, a reimagining of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic works featuring featuring Robert Downey Jr. as the titular master sleuth and Jude Law as side-kick Watson.
Sherlock Holmes is produced by Warner Bros. and is scheduled for release on December 25th 2009. In the movie Holmes and Watson must unravel a conspiracy to destroy Britian led by Satanist Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), and the big budget adaptation also features Rachel McAdams as Holmes' love interest, Irene Adler.
Be sure to check out the embed below, or head over to Trailer Addict for an HD version.
UK Box Office Top Ten - weekend commencing 15/05/09
UK box-office top ten for the weekend of Friday 15th - Sunday 17th May 2009.
Another new release opened in first place for the fourth week in a row, with the Ron Howard directed Angels & Demons pulling in just over £6m in receipts and becoming the second-highest opener of the year so far. Angels & Demons is based on Dan Brown's bestselling novel and sees Tom Hanks return as Robert Langdon in the sequel to 2006's The Da Vinci Code.
JJ Abrams' sci-fi hit Star Trek slipped into second place despite grossing over £12m in just two weeks, while X-Men Origins: Wolverine sits in fourth behind Coraline with £14.25m after three weeks in UK cinemas.
Hannah Montana: The Movie also remains in the top five for the third consecutive week, while the Channing Tatum / Terrence Howard bare-knuckle beat-em-up Fighting debuted in sixth with receipts of just shy of £1m despite playing on less screens than all but two of the top ten movies.
The two new releases mean we wave goodbye to I Love You, Man and Fast & Furious, while Monsters vs Aliens remains both the highest grossing and oldest release in the top ten. Zac Efron comedy 17 Again also manages to show staying power, due in no small part to the appeal of the High School Musical star, and has now clocked up over £11m in ticket sales after six weeks on release.
There's every chance of another new release topping next weekend's chart with the Ben Stiller comedy sequel Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian hoping to capture the family audience when it opens on Wednesday.
A couple of British films also see release this coming Friday - first up is football hooligan drama Awaydays, based on Kevin Sampson's cult novel of the same name, and comedy horror Tormented, starring April Pearson of Skins fame.
Another new release opened in first place for the fourth week in a row, with the Ron Howard directed Angels & Demons pulling in just over £6m in receipts and becoming the second-highest opener of the year so far. Angels & Demons is based on Dan Brown's bestselling novel and sees Tom Hanks return as Robert Langdon in the sequel to 2006's The Da Vinci Code.
JJ Abrams' sci-fi hit Star Trek slipped into second place despite grossing over £12m in just two weeks, while X-Men Origins: Wolverine sits in fourth behind Coraline with £14.25m after three weeks in UK cinemas.
Hannah Montana: The Movie also remains in the top five for the third consecutive week, while the Channing Tatum / Terrence Howard bare-knuckle beat-em-up Fighting debuted in sixth with receipts of just shy of £1m despite playing on less screens than all but two of the top ten movies.
The two new releases mean we wave goodbye to I Love You, Man and Fast & Furious, while Monsters vs Aliens remains both the highest grossing and oldest release in the top ten. Zac Efron comedy 17 Again also manages to show staying power, due in no small part to the appeal of the High School Musical star, and has now clocked up over £11m in ticket sales after six weeks on release.
Pos. | Film | Weekend Gross | Week | Total UK Gross |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Angels & Demons | £6,054,627 | 1 | £6,054,627 |
2 | Star Trek | £3,467,009 | 2 | £12,107,570 |
3 | Coraline | £1,372,528 | 2 | £4,211,866 |
4 | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | £1,211,104 | 3 | £14,259,070 |
5 | Hannah Montana: The Movie | £1,000,834 | 3 | £6,024,763 |
6 | Fighting | £991,180 | 1 | £991,180 |
7 | Ghosts of Girlfriends Past | £478,376 | 3 | £3,531,072 |
8 | State of Play | £281,365 | 4 | £5,178,770 |
9 | Monsters vs Aliens | £255,435 | 7 | £20,773,922 |
10 | 17 Again | £138,388 | 6 | £11,069,155 |
There's every chance of another new release topping next weekend's chart with the Ben Stiller comedy sequel Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian hoping to capture the family audience when it opens on Wednesday.
A couple of British films also see release this coming Friday - first up is football hooligan drama Awaydays, based on Kevin Sampson's cult novel of the same name, and comedy horror Tormented, starring April Pearson of Skins fame.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Movies... For Free! The Driller Killer (1979)
Welcome to this week's "Movies... For Free!" column, where we showcase classic movies freely available in the public domain (with streaming video!). Read the article and watch the movie right here...
The Driller Killer, 1979.
Directed by Abel Ferrara.
Starring Abel Ferrara (as Jimmy Laine) and Carolyn Marz.
The Driller Killer is a cult grindhouse horror about a New York artist, Reno (portrayed by director Abel Ferrara, making his feature debut both sides of the camera), who is struggling to complete his masterpiece in an apartment that he shares with his girlfriend Carol (Marz) and her friend Pamela (Baybi Day).
Driven to madness by the incessant music from a neighbouring apartment, Reno begins to murder the homeless using a drill. When his painting is rejected by the head of the art gallery and Carol decides to return to her ex-husband, Reno is pushed completely over the edge and sets about extracting a bloody and brutal revenge.
Ferrara's debut is notable for the controversy that surrounded it during the U.K. video nasty moral panic of the early 1980's. Despite being more of an art-house film that concentrates on the psychological aspects of Reno's character as opposed to out-and-out gore, the film's violent promotional imagery brought The Driller Killer to the attention of the BBFC, who subsequently banned the movie under the Video Recording Act of 1984.
The Driller Killer was eventually passed for release in 2002 and a remake by British filmmaker Jed Shepherd is set for 2010.
Please note that viewer discretion is advised!
Embed courtesy of Internet Archive.
Click here to view all previous entries in our Movies... For Free! collection.
The Driller Killer, 1979.
Directed by Abel Ferrara.
Starring Abel Ferrara (as Jimmy Laine) and Carolyn Marz.
The Driller Killer is a cult grindhouse horror about a New York artist, Reno (portrayed by director Abel Ferrara, making his feature debut both sides of the camera), who is struggling to complete his masterpiece in an apartment that he shares with his girlfriend Carol (Marz) and her friend Pamela (Baybi Day).
Driven to madness by the incessant music from a neighbouring apartment, Reno begins to murder the homeless using a drill. When his painting is rejected by the head of the art gallery and Carol decides to return to her ex-husband, Reno is pushed completely over the edge and sets about extracting a bloody and brutal revenge.
Ferrara's debut is notable for the controversy that surrounded it during the U.K. video nasty moral panic of the early 1980's. Despite being more of an art-house film that concentrates on the psychological aspects of Reno's character as opposed to out-and-out gore, the film's violent promotional imagery brought The Driller Killer to the attention of the BBFC, who subsequently banned the movie under the Video Recording Act of 1984.
The Driller Killer was eventually passed for release in 2002 and a remake by British filmmaker Jed Shepherd is set for 2010.
Please note that viewer discretion is advised!
Embed courtesy of Internet Archive.
Click here to view all previous entries in our Movies... For Free! collection.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Five Essential... Japanese Horrors
Richard J. Moir selects his Five Essential Japanese Horrors...
5. Audition (1999, dir. Takashi Miike)
Audition is a Japanese horror film but you wouldn't think it from the opening hour. It plays as more of a romantic drama with hints of comedy (mainly coming through the actual audition scene) and leaves the audience wondering what direction the film is actually going in. The last half an hour is exciting though, with a gruesome scene to show why this was labeled horror in the first place. Although the effects were used to full effect, and believe me, they don't cut much out, the use of camera work was often distracting and amateurish. The lack of a dolly and stedicam made me feel queasy at times, butthis just adds to the effect of the film. The final scene is one to remember.
4. Ju-on (2000, dir. Takashi Shimizu)
You may have seen ghost stories before, but they never had ghosts like the ones in Ju-on. Crafted with exquisite care by director Takashi Shimizu, Ju-on is an unrelenting 90 minutes of terror that will leave you gasping.
3. Onibaba (1964, dir. Kaneto Shindô)
Creepy and disturbing to the very last detail, Onibaba is a classic in Japanese horror and it's easy to see why through the stunning cinematography, creepy settings and costumes and the high pitched and daunting sounds. Despite being a great horror film, it's extremely symbolic which sometimes gets in the way, and I often found this hard to relate too. But that wasn't ruining my viewing pleasure one bit and the final scene is pure horror.
2. Battle Royale (2000, dir. Kinji Fukasaku)
Not quite the J-Horror film that describes the other films on the list, but the brutal scenes that plague this movie make this 2nd in my list. Set in an alternate present, a group of students are put on an island to kill one another, to solve Japan's problems of an out-of-control youth system. Some scenes are iconic and the characters play their parts well, while the cinematography is stunning and the ending superb.
1. Ringu (1998, dir. Hideo Nakata)
Gloomy, eerie and unsettling, Ringu masters suspense through it's dark mise-en-scene, disturbing soundtrack and fantastic plot. Watch a cursed videotape, and you will die in seven days. Everyone knows the story. It sparked a few remakes (Hollywood being the obvious culprit) and it's easy to see why. Ringu is a fantastic horror film, which uses the "demon woman" as it's main scare. Throughout we see Reiko, a reporter, watches the supposed cursed videotape and finds herself caught in it's trap, seeing things that aren't there, and witnessing horrid flashes of where the curse began.
Honourable Mentions
Ju-on: The Grudge (2002, dir. Takashi Shimizu)
Ichi the Killer (2001, dir Takashi Miike)
Gojira (1954, Ishirō Honda)
Agree? Disagree? We'd love to hear your comments on the list...
Richard J. Moir
Essentials Archive
5. Audition (1999, dir. Takashi Miike)
Audition is a Japanese horror film but you wouldn't think it from the opening hour. It plays as more of a romantic drama with hints of comedy (mainly coming through the actual audition scene) and leaves the audience wondering what direction the film is actually going in. The last half an hour is exciting though, with a gruesome scene to show why this was labeled horror in the first place. Although the effects were used to full effect, and believe me, they don't cut much out, the use of camera work was often distracting and amateurish. The lack of a dolly and stedicam made me feel queasy at times, butthis just adds to the effect of the film. The final scene is one to remember.
4. Ju-on (2000, dir. Takashi Shimizu)
You may have seen ghost stories before, but they never had ghosts like the ones in Ju-on. Crafted with exquisite care by director Takashi Shimizu, Ju-on is an unrelenting 90 minutes of terror that will leave you gasping.
3. Onibaba (1964, dir. Kaneto Shindô)
Creepy and disturbing to the very last detail, Onibaba is a classic in Japanese horror and it's easy to see why through the stunning cinematography, creepy settings and costumes and the high pitched and daunting sounds. Despite being a great horror film, it's extremely symbolic which sometimes gets in the way, and I often found this hard to relate too. But that wasn't ruining my viewing pleasure one bit and the final scene is pure horror.
2. Battle Royale (2000, dir. Kinji Fukasaku)
Not quite the J-Horror film that describes the other films on the list, but the brutal scenes that plague this movie make this 2nd in my list. Set in an alternate present, a group of students are put on an island to kill one another, to solve Japan's problems of an out-of-control youth system. Some scenes are iconic and the characters play their parts well, while the cinematography is stunning and the ending superb.
1. Ringu (1998, dir. Hideo Nakata)
Gloomy, eerie and unsettling, Ringu masters suspense through it's dark mise-en-scene, disturbing soundtrack and fantastic plot. Watch a cursed videotape, and you will die in seven days. Everyone knows the story. It sparked a few remakes (Hollywood being the obvious culprit) and it's easy to see why. Ringu is a fantastic horror film, which uses the "demon woman" as it's main scare. Throughout we see Reiko, a reporter, watches the supposed cursed videotape and finds herself caught in it's trap, seeing things that aren't there, and witnessing horrid flashes of where the curse began.
Honourable Mentions
Ju-on: The Grudge (2002, dir. Takashi Shimizu)
Ichi the Killer (2001, dir Takashi Miike)
Gojira (1954, Ishirō Honda)
Agree? Disagree? We'd love to hear your comments on the list...
Richard J. Moir
Essentials Archive
Thursday, May 14, 2009
62nd Annual Cannes Film Festival Preview
FlickeringMyth.com previews this year's Cannes Film Festival...
The 62nd edition of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival launched on Wednesday with the premiere of Pixar Animation Studios' latest, the 3D CGI adventure Up. IGN were blown away by the film, describing it as "a near perfect feature, a thrilling combination of humour, pathos, action and drama... it may well be Pixar's finest feature yet".
Pixar really seem to have an uncanny ability when it comes to producing smash-hit blockbuster animation and it looks like their streak is set to continue with this latest offering. Check out the trailer for Up here, and a preview video here.
Most of the hype surrounding this year's competition is the premiere of the long-gestating World War II 'Men on a Mission' movie Inglourious Basterds from director Quentin Tarantino. The film stars Brad Pitt as the head of The Basterds, a group of Jewish soldiers hunting (and scalping) Nazis in occupied France, and also features Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender, Diane Kruger, Mike Myers, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz and Samuel L. Jackson. View the trailer for Inglourious Basterds right here.
Tarantino will face stiff competition for this year's prestigious Palme d'Or as he faces off against a host of respected filmmakers including Lars von Trier (Antichrist), Ken Loach (Looking for Eric), Pedro Almodóvar (Broken Embraces), Gaspar Noé (Enter the Void), Jane Campion (Bright Star), Ang Lee (Taking Woodstock), Park Chan-wook (Thirst) and Michael Haneke (The White Ribbon). Last year's Palme d'Or was awarded to French drama The Class, directed by Laurent Cantet.
Also premiering out of competition at the festival is Drag Me To Hell, which marks Evil Dead and Spider-Man director Sam Raimi's return to the genre where he made his name. It certainly looks promising from the trailer and will hopefully be a vast improvement over some of the dreadful horror entries Raimi has produced lately. It would be easier to answer the meaning of life than explain how Boogeyman ever made it to a trilogy.
Finally, another notable entry screening out of competition in the line-up this year is Terry Gilliam's latest fantasy The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, featuring the final screen performance from the late Heath Ledger. Production was halted midway after the star's tragic death in 2008 and resumed with Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law being cast as transformations of Ledger's character as he travels through a dream world.
The Cannes Film Festival runs until 24th May, and we'll have more commentary once the competition has closed.
The 62nd edition of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival launched on Wednesday with the premiere of Pixar Animation Studios' latest, the 3D CGI adventure Up. IGN were blown away by the film, describing it as "a near perfect feature, a thrilling combination of humour, pathos, action and drama... it may well be Pixar's finest feature yet".
Pixar really seem to have an uncanny ability when it comes to producing smash-hit blockbuster animation and it looks like their streak is set to continue with this latest offering. Check out the trailer for Up here, and a preview video here.
Most of the hype surrounding this year's competition is the premiere of the long-gestating World War II 'Men on a Mission' movie Inglourious Basterds from director Quentin Tarantino. The film stars Brad Pitt as the head of The Basterds, a group of Jewish soldiers hunting (and scalping) Nazis in occupied France, and also features Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender, Diane Kruger, Mike Myers, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz and Samuel L. Jackson. View the trailer for Inglourious Basterds right here.
Tarantino will face stiff competition for this year's prestigious Palme d'Or as he faces off against a host of respected filmmakers including Lars von Trier (Antichrist), Ken Loach (Looking for Eric), Pedro Almodóvar (Broken Embraces), Gaspar Noé (Enter the Void), Jane Campion (Bright Star), Ang Lee (Taking Woodstock), Park Chan-wook (Thirst) and Michael Haneke (The White Ribbon). Last year's Palme d'Or was awarded to French drama The Class, directed by Laurent Cantet.
Also premiering out of competition at the festival is Drag Me To Hell, which marks Evil Dead and Spider-Man director Sam Raimi's return to the genre where he made his name. It certainly looks promising from the trailer and will hopefully be a vast improvement over some of the dreadful horror entries Raimi has produced lately. It would be easier to answer the meaning of life than explain how Boogeyman ever made it to a trilogy.
Finally, another notable entry screening out of competition in the line-up this year is Terry Gilliam's latest fantasy The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, featuring the final screen performance from the late Heath Ledger. Production was halted midway after the star's tragic death in 2008 and resumed with Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law being cast as transformations of Ledger's character as he travels through a dream world.
The Cannes Film Festival runs until 24th May, and we'll have more commentary once the competition has closed.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
The Gay Lord of the Rings: Readings From Middle-Earth
Gary Collinson examines contemporary readings of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings…
Originally published in three volumes in 1954 and 1955, The Lord of the Rings is an epic high fantasy chronicling the ‘War of the Ring’ and the end of the Third Age of ‘Middle-Earth’ – a secondary world created by renowned author, J. R. R. Tolkien. Having sold over 100 million copies world-wide, the novel has been adapted to various other mediums including the hugely successful movie trilogy directed by Peter Jackson – The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), and The Return of the King (2003).
Ultimately a tale of good against evil, The Lord of the Rings centres on the impending invasion of Middle Earth by the Dark Lord Sauron and the journey of a reluctant hero Frodo Baggins, a Hobbit charged with destroying the ‘One Ring’ – the source of Sauron’s power. The various races and inhabitants of Middle-Earth – Men, Elves, Dwarves and Wizards – unite in an effort to repel the invasion and provide the necessary time for Frodo to venture into the heart of Sauron’s domain, Mordor, where he must cast the One Ring into the Crack of Mount Doom to bring an end to the Dark Lord’s reign of terror.
In the essay The Death of the Author (1967), French theorist Roland Barthes proposed that “the unity of a text is not in its origin, it is in its destination”. Barthes was critical of the way that texts are often explained in relation to the author’s own identity, imposing a final signification or meaning. He argued that the author acts as sculptor, with the audience ultimately determining their own meaning. This view is most certainly evident in contemporary readings of the The Lord of the Rings, with Tolkien serving as a sculptor to a wealth of different readings including allegories of war and religion, allegations of racism and of course, more recent debates surrounding sexuality.
Racism and the Ring
In an article in The Scotsman printed just prior to the release of The Two Towers in 2002, The Lord of the Rings was labelled “an epic rooted in racism” by cultural studies academic Dr. Stephen Shapiro, where “Tolkien’s good guys are white and the bad guys are black, slant-eyed, unattractive, inarticulate and a psychologically undeveloped horde”.
Although this view is primarily based upon the movie adaptations – with the Uruk-hai having being described as resembling Maori warriors or black, dreadlocked savages – director Peter Jackson clearly drew inspiration from the book for his racial coding for his characters. Heroes and their cities are depicted as white, or as Shapiro claims “uber-Aryan” (Gandalf, the Rohirrim, the men of Gondor and their capital, Minis Tirith), while the majority of villains are represented as black, such as the Nazgul, Uruk-hai, Minas Morgul and the Tower of Barad-dur.
Although such imagery stems from Jackson’s realisation, if we are to consider Tolkien’s novel itself there is a clear distinction between the representation of good and evil, which could be deemed by some to have racial connotations,
To counter these allegations of racism, one could argue that characters such as the Uruk-hai are dark not because of racial issues but due to their affinity with evil. One of the major themes of the narrative – exemplified by Frodo’s mission – is not to judge people based upon appearance, and Shapiros comments – such as the idea that Gimli represents Tolkien’s view of the Scottish – lean more towards the movie adaptations than the novel itself. It could also be suggested that the coding of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ characters highlight not so much racial differences but those of class. Whereas characters such as the Hobbits and the Elves appear very articulate, cultured and educated – displaying what would be considered middle or upper class tendencies – Tolkien’s representation of the Orcs leans more towards the working classes, which is emphasised further through Jackson’s use of rugged, Cockney-like dialects for the Uruk-hai and other Orcs.
A Bromantic Fantasy
Debates surrounding sexuality within The Lord of the Rings has intensified following the release of Peter Jackson’s film versions, leading many to conclude that the Hobbits – and in particular Frodo Baggins and his servant and companion, Samwise Gamgee – are homosexual. Such readings have also intensified through fan-fiction, and in particular the sub-genre of ‘slash fiction’, which focuses on depicting same-sex relationships between characters such as Frodo and Sam or Star Trek’s Kirk and Spock. There are numerous passages in the novel that could lead contemporary readers to suspect something more than a close relationship between Frodo and Sam,
During wartime - and especially during the horrors of the trenches in the First World War - it was commonplace for people to develop close physical and emotional attachment, and of course early twentieth century society was distinctly less sexualised than today. As Tolkien was drawing on his own experiences, it is likely that the relationship between the Hobbits was intended to represent the close male-bonding and comradeship of soldiers at war as opposed to that of sexual desires or identities.
Tolkien viewed fantasy as ‘desired notion of unreality’, free of the physical and scientific constraints of the real world. However as readers our decoding of his opus is bound to reflect our status as inhabitants of this real world, despite the presence of Elves, Orcs, supernatural beings and other elements of the fantastic in the text. Even with the wealth of background information supplied through works such as Christopher Tolkien’s The History of Middle Earth series, The Lord of the Rings continues to generate debate amongst fans and the popularity of the ‘slash’ fiction fan community is testament to Barthes notion of The Death of the Author.
Clearly one of the main pleasures of epic narratives such as The Lord of the Rings is their ability to spark debate and generate discussion, which is part of the reason why Tolkien’s novel remains so popular over half a century after publication.
Originally published in three volumes in 1954 and 1955, The Lord of the Rings is an epic high fantasy chronicling the ‘War of the Ring’ and the end of the Third Age of ‘Middle-Earth’ – a secondary world created by renowned author, J. R. R. Tolkien. Having sold over 100 million copies world-wide, the novel has been adapted to various other mediums including the hugely successful movie trilogy directed by Peter Jackson – The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), and The Return of the King (2003).
Ultimately a tale of good against evil, The Lord of the Rings centres on the impending invasion of Middle Earth by the Dark Lord Sauron and the journey of a reluctant hero Frodo Baggins, a Hobbit charged with destroying the ‘One Ring’ – the source of Sauron’s power. The various races and inhabitants of Middle-Earth – Men, Elves, Dwarves and Wizards – unite in an effort to repel the invasion and provide the necessary time for Frodo to venture into the heart of Sauron’s domain, Mordor, where he must cast the One Ring into the Crack of Mount Doom to bring an end to the Dark Lord’s reign of terror.
In the essay The Death of the Author (1967), French theorist Roland Barthes proposed that “the unity of a text is not in its origin, it is in its destination”. Barthes was critical of the way that texts are often explained in relation to the author’s own identity, imposing a final signification or meaning. He argued that the author acts as sculptor, with the audience ultimately determining their own meaning. This view is most certainly evident in contemporary readings of the The Lord of the Rings, with Tolkien serving as a sculptor to a wealth of different readings including allegories of war and religion, allegations of racism and of course, more recent debates surrounding sexuality.
Racism and the Ring
In an article in The Scotsman printed just prior to the release of The Two Towers in 2002, The Lord of the Rings was labelled “an epic rooted in racism” by cultural studies academic Dr. Stephen Shapiro, where “Tolkien’s good guys are white and the bad guys are black, slant-eyed, unattractive, inarticulate and a psychologically undeveloped horde”.
Although this view is primarily based upon the movie adaptations – with the Uruk-hai having being described as resembling Maori warriors or black, dreadlocked savages – director Peter Jackson clearly drew inspiration from the book for his racial coding for his characters. Heroes and their cities are depicted as white, or as Shapiro claims “uber-Aryan” (Gandalf, the Rohirrim, the men of Gondor and their capital, Minis Tirith), while the majority of villains are represented as black, such as the Nazgul, Uruk-hai, Minas Morgul and the Tower of Barad-dur.
Although such imagery stems from Jackson’s realisation, if we are to consider Tolkien’s novel itself there is a clear distinction between the representation of good and evil, which could be deemed by some to have racial connotations,
“’More men going to Mordor,’ he said in a low voice. ‘Dark faces. We have not seen Men like these before, no, Smeagol has not. They are fierce. They have black eyes, and long black hair, and gold rings in their ears; yes, lots of beautiful gold… Not nice; very cruel wicked Men they look.’” (The Two Towers, 1954)While Shapiro claims that Tolkien intended for The Lord of the Rings to convey an idealised version of England free of foreign invasion, the lines between good and evil are not as explicit as he would have people believe. Several of these ‘uber-Aryan’ characters display villainous traits, such as Saruman the White, who along with Smeagol, Denethor, Boromir and Isildur are lured towards the power of the One Ring and in the process, corrupted by evil.
To counter these allegations of racism, one could argue that characters such as the Uruk-hai are dark not because of racial issues but due to their affinity with evil. One of the major themes of the narrative – exemplified by Frodo’s mission – is not to judge people based upon appearance, and Shapiros comments – such as the idea that Gimli represents Tolkien’s view of the Scottish – lean more towards the movie adaptations than the novel itself. It could also be suggested that the coding of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ characters highlight not so much racial differences but those of class. Whereas characters such as the Hobbits and the Elves appear very articulate, cultured and educated – displaying what would be considered middle or upper class tendencies – Tolkien’s representation of the Orcs leans more towards the working classes, which is emphasised further through Jackson’s use of rugged, Cockney-like dialects for the Uruk-hai and other Orcs.
A Bromantic Fantasy
Debates surrounding sexuality within The Lord of the Rings has intensified following the release of Peter Jackson’s film versions, leading many to conclude that the Hobbits – and in particular Frodo Baggins and his servant and companion, Samwise Gamgee – are homosexual. Such readings have also intensified through fan-fiction, and in particular the sub-genre of ‘slash fiction’, which focuses on depicting same-sex relationships between characters such as Frodo and Sam or Star Trek’s Kirk and Spock. There are numerous passages in the novel that could lead contemporary readers to suspect something more than a close relationship between Frodo and Sam,
“’Sam, dear Sam,’ said Frodo, and he lay back in Sam’s gentle arms, losing his eyes, like a child at rest when night-fears are driven away by some loved voice or hand. Sam felt that he could sit like that in endless happiness… He kissed Frodo’s forehead. ‘Come! Wake up, Mr Frodo!’ he said, trying to sound as cheerful as he had when he drew back the curtains at Bag End on a summer’s morning.” (The Return of the King, 1955)Viewed from the perspective of today’s society, this description of Sam’s reunion with Frodo in the Tower of Cirith Ungol may appear to have homosexual connotations. However, these interpretations fail to consider that Tolkien was inspired by his own experiences during the First World War (the novel itself has been described as “the last work of First World War literature, published almost forty years after the war ended”), basing the relationship between Frodo and Sam on that of a military officer and his batman.
During wartime - and especially during the horrors of the trenches in the First World War - it was commonplace for people to develop close physical and emotional attachment, and of course early twentieth century society was distinctly less sexualised than today. As Tolkien was drawing on his own experiences, it is likely that the relationship between the Hobbits was intended to represent the close male-bonding and comradeship of soldiers at war as opposed to that of sexual desires or identities.
Tolkien viewed fantasy as ‘desired notion of unreality’, free of the physical and scientific constraints of the real world. However as readers our decoding of his opus is bound to reflect our status as inhabitants of this real world, despite the presence of Elves, Orcs, supernatural beings and other elements of the fantastic in the text. Even with the wealth of background information supplied through works such as Christopher Tolkien’s The History of Middle Earth series, The Lord of the Rings continues to generate debate amongst fans and the popularity of the ‘slash’ fiction fan community is testament to Barthes notion of The Death of the Author.
Clearly one of the main pleasures of epic narratives such as The Lord of the Rings is their ability to spark debate and generate discussion, which is part of the reason why Tolkien’s novel remains so popular over half a century after publication.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
UK Box Office Top Ten - weekend commencing 08/05/09
UK box-office top ten for the weekend of Friday 8th - Sunday 10th May 2009.
Rather unsurprisingly there was a new entry at number one this week, as Lost co-creator J.J. Abrams' big budget reboot of the Star Trek franchise warped to the top of the charts with an impressive opening weekend of £5,950,203, although this was just short of X-Men Origins: Wolverine's debut haul last weekend. Meanwhile the Hugh Jackman mutant prequel dropped a massive 67% in its second week, but has still managed to pull in over £12m despite slipping to third this week.
Another new release - the animated adventure Coraline, from The Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick - proved popular with audiences, grabbing just under £2.5m in receipts.
Hannah Montana: The Movie and Matthew McConaughey / Jennifer Garner rom-com Ghosts of Girlfriends Past round out the top five, followed by State of Play and 17 Again, which crosses the £10m barrier after five weeks on release. Dreamworks' 3D CGI feature Monsters vs Aliens has spent the most weeks in the top ten and remains the highest grossing film overall with £20,486,415, while I Love You, Man and Fast & Furious prop up the chart at the expense of In the Loop and The Uninvited.
This Thursday sees the release of Angels & Demons, directed by Ron Howard and based upon the prequel to The Da Vinci Code by novelist Dan Brown. Tom Hanks returns alongside newcomer Ewan McGregor, but will the star power be enough to dethrone Star Trek in its second week of release?
Also out on Friday is Charlie Kaufman's Synecdoche, New York, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Catherine Kenner, and actioner Fighting, featuring Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard.
Rather unsurprisingly there was a new entry at number one this week, as Lost co-creator J.J. Abrams' big budget reboot of the Star Trek franchise warped to the top of the charts with an impressive opening weekend of £5,950,203, although this was just short of X-Men Origins: Wolverine's debut haul last weekend. Meanwhile the Hugh Jackman mutant prequel dropped a massive 67% in its second week, but has still managed to pull in over £12m despite slipping to third this week.
Another new release - the animated adventure Coraline, from The Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick - proved popular with audiences, grabbing just under £2.5m in receipts.
Hannah Montana: The Movie and Matthew McConaughey / Jennifer Garner rom-com Ghosts of Girlfriends Past round out the top five, followed by State of Play and 17 Again, which crosses the £10m barrier after five weeks on release. Dreamworks' 3D CGI feature Monsters vs Aliens has spent the most weeks in the top ten and remains the highest grossing film overall with £20,486,415, while I Love You, Man and Fast & Furious prop up the chart at the expense of In the Loop and The Uninvited.
Pos. | Film | Weekend Gross | Week | Total UK Gross |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Star Trek | £5,950,203 | 1 | £5,950,203 |
2 | Coraline | £2,427,244 | 1 | £2,427,244 |
3 | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | £2,226,873 | 2 | £12,150,570 |
4 | Hannah Montana: The Movie | £1,303,759 | 2 | £4,781,168 |
5 | Ghosts of Girlfriends Past | £787,285 | 2 | £2,648,001 |
6 | State of Play | £585,848 | 3 | £4,593,463 |
7 | 17 Again | £289,071 | 5 | £10,843,947 |
8 | Monsters vs Aliens | £281,407 | 6 | £20,486,415 |
9 | I Love You, Man | £211,525 | 4 | £3,726,842 |
10 | Fast & Furious | £193,666 | 5 | £13,423,959 |
This Thursday sees the release of Angels & Demons, directed by Ron Howard and based upon the prequel to The Da Vinci Code by novelist Dan Brown. Tom Hanks returns alongside newcomer Ewan McGregor, but will the star power be enough to dethrone Star Trek in its second week of release?
Also out on Friday is Charlie Kaufman's Synecdoche, New York, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Catherine Kenner, and actioner Fighting, featuring Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Disney's The Princess and the Frog Trailer and Teaser Poster
Walt Disney Animation Studios release new trailer and teaser poster for their latest animated feature...
Disney - once the leading studio in traditional hand-drawn 2D animation - returns to the genre with their latest release, the musical fairytale The Princess and the Frog, based upon E.D. Baker's book The Frog Princess. The studio has just released the first trailer for the movie (embedded below), while the folks over at Cinematical have also got their hands on the official teaser poster (be sure to check out the link for a high resolution version).
In The Princess and the Frog, Toni Award winning singer Anika Noni Rose voices the heroine Tiana, a young waitress living in New Orleans who is asked by Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos) to help break a spell that has turned him into a frog. However rather than lifting the curse Tiana's kiss sees her join Prince Naveen as a frog and the two must set about tracking down the a 200 year-old Voodoo priestess, Mama Odie (Jenifer Lewis), who has the power to turn them back.
The Princess and the Frog is set for release this December and also features the vocal talents of Keith David, John Goodman, Terrence Howard, Oprah Winfrey, Jim Cummings and Michael-Leon Wooley.
Disney - once the leading studio in traditional hand-drawn 2D animation - returns to the genre with their latest release, the musical fairytale The Princess and the Frog, based upon E.D. Baker's book The Frog Princess. The studio has just released the first trailer for the movie (embedded below), while the folks over at Cinematical have also got their hands on the official teaser poster (be sure to check out the link for a high resolution version).
In The Princess and the Frog, Toni Award winning singer Anika Noni Rose voices the heroine Tiana, a young waitress living in New Orleans who is asked by Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos) to help break a spell that has turned him into a frog. However rather than lifting the curse Tiana's kiss sees her join Prince Naveen as a frog and the two must set about tracking down the a 200 year-old Voodoo priestess, Mama Odie (Jenifer Lewis), who has the power to turn them back.
The Princess and the Frog is set for release this December and also features the vocal talents of Keith David, John Goodman, Terrence Howard, Oprah Winfrey, Jim Cummings and Michael-Leon Wooley.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Movies... For Free! The Lady Vanishes (1938)
Welcome to this week's "Movies... For Free!" column, where we showcase classic movies freely available in the public domain (with streaming video!). Read the article and watch the movie right here!
The Lady Vanishes, 1938.
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
Starring Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Paul Lukas and Dame May Whitty.
Hitchcock's penultimate British movie before his transition to Hollywood, The Lady Vanishes is a loose adaptation of notable crime writer Ethel Lina White's 1936 novel The Wheel Spins, and is set aboard a train bound for England as it passes through a fictionalised facist European state. Margaret Lockwood stars as Iris, a young woman returning home to be married, who befriends an elderly lady, Miss Froy (Dame May Whitty), while sharing a carriage with a group of European travellers.
Iris falls unconscious as a result of an earlier accident, waking to find no sign of the old lady. The other passengers deny having seen Miss Froy and a doctor (Paul Lukas) diagnoses her with hallucinations, but Iris becomes convinced of a conspiracy and sets out to investigate with the help of musician Gilbert (Sir Michael Redgrave, reunited with Hitchcock after a brief, uncredited cameo in 1936's Secret Agent).
The Lady Vanishes was a huge hit upon release and became the most successful British film of the time. Hitchcock was presented with the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director, while the film was also named Best Picture by the New York Times. This success allowed Hitchcock to negotiate a lucrative seven-year contract with Hollywood producer David O. Selznick, a partnership that would begin with the Academy Award-winning Rebecca (1940).
Embed courtesy of Internet Archive.
Click here to view all previous entries in our Movies... For Free! collection.
The Lady Vanishes, 1938.
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
Starring Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Paul Lukas and Dame May Whitty.
Hitchcock's penultimate British movie before his transition to Hollywood, The Lady Vanishes is a loose adaptation of notable crime writer Ethel Lina White's 1936 novel The Wheel Spins, and is set aboard a train bound for England as it passes through a fictionalised facist European state. Margaret Lockwood stars as Iris, a young woman returning home to be married, who befriends an elderly lady, Miss Froy (Dame May Whitty), while sharing a carriage with a group of European travellers.
Iris falls unconscious as a result of an earlier accident, waking to find no sign of the old lady. The other passengers deny having seen Miss Froy and a doctor (Paul Lukas) diagnoses her with hallucinations, but Iris becomes convinced of a conspiracy and sets out to investigate with the help of musician Gilbert (Sir Michael Redgrave, reunited with Hitchcock after a brief, uncredited cameo in 1936's Secret Agent).
The Lady Vanishes was a huge hit upon release and became the most successful British film of the time. Hitchcock was presented with the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director, while the film was also named Best Picture by the New York Times. This success allowed Hitchcock to negotiate a lucrative seven-year contract with Hollywood producer David O. Selznick, a partnership that would begin with the Academy Award-winning Rebecca (1940).
Embed courtesy of Internet Archive.
Click here to view all previous entries in our Movies... For Free! collection.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Seth MacFarlane Talks Family Guy Movie
Family Guy creator announces plans for a theatrical outing for the Griffin family...
Seth MacFarlane, the creator of hit animated comedy shows Family Guy, American Dad, and upcoming spinoff The Cleveland Show, has been talking to Wired Magazine about his interest in bringing Peter Griffin and company to the big screen.
MacFarlane, who was attending an event to celebrate the 100th episode of American Dad, told Wired: "We want to do it. Fox wants it. We know what we want to do with it. It's just a question of finding the time."
Pointing to the long gestation period of The Simpsons movie, MacFarlane confirmed that early development is indeed under way on Family Guy. "There's so much to do for a weekly animated series - twice as much as you have to do for a live-action show. So, we're finding time where we can. We're in the early stages right now."
MacFarlane had earlier discussed his plans for the movie on The Adam Carolla Podcast, and when asked if the proposed feature would include live-action he replied: "Possibly, possibly. Here and there. It will not be a 90-minute Family Guy episode."
With three shows in production it may be some time before audiences get a chance to see Family Guy hit the silver screen, but MacFarlane offers some hope to fans: "I can say with definitive assuredness that it will be out within the next five years."
Seth MacFarlane, the creator of hit animated comedy shows Family Guy, American Dad, and upcoming spinoff The Cleveland Show, has been talking to Wired Magazine about his interest in bringing Peter Griffin and company to the big screen.
MacFarlane, who was attending an event to celebrate the 100th episode of American Dad, told Wired: "We want to do it. Fox wants it. We know what we want to do with it. It's just a question of finding the time."
Pointing to the long gestation period of The Simpsons movie, MacFarlane confirmed that early development is indeed under way on Family Guy. "There's so much to do for a weekly animated series - twice as much as you have to do for a live-action show. So, we're finding time where we can. We're in the early stages right now."
MacFarlane had earlier discussed his plans for the movie on The Adam Carolla Podcast, and when asked if the proposed feature would include live-action he replied: "Possibly, possibly. Here and there. It will not be a 90-minute Family Guy episode."
With three shows in production it may be some time before audiences get a chance to see Family Guy hit the silver screen, but MacFarlane offers some hope to fans: "I can say with definitive assuredness that it will be out within the next five years."
X-Men DVD Contest and Marvel Poll Results
The results of our latest DVD giveaway and movie poll are in...
To celebrate the release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine (currently sitting atop the UK box office chart after a hefty opening weekend) we've been running a DVD giveaway with a box set of the original X-Men Trilogy up for grabs, as well as a poll for your favourite Marvel movie franchise. So without further ado, here are the results...
Favourite Marvel Movie Franchise - Poll Results
X-Men (29%)
Spider-Man (28%)
Iron Man (18%)
Blade (13%)
Fantastic Four (3%)
Punisher (3%)
Hulk (2%)
Daredevil / Elektra (1%)
It really went to the wire between X-Men and Spider-Man for that top spot, and you have to imagine the web-slinger would push for number one if the poll ran to coincide with the next installment of Sam Raimi's blockbuster series just two short years from now.
The biggest surprises for me were that a) Fantastic Four and Punisher came in above Hulk (ghost of Ang Lee, perhaps?), and b) that someone could actually prefer Daredevil or Elektra to all those other movies.
X-Men DVD Giveaway Winner
Congratulations to Michael Armbruster, who has a copy of X-Men Trilogy on the way.
Thanks again to everyone for their entries, and be sure to check back soon for our next DVD giveaway.
If you're just itching to get your hands on more of the X-Men, check out Lovefilm.com's deals including X-Men Trilogy SE on Blu-ray for £31.93!
Oh, and be sure to check out nextround's Definitive Collection of Awesomely Bad Wolverine Costumes.
To celebrate the release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine (currently sitting atop the UK box office chart after a hefty opening weekend) we've been running a DVD giveaway with a box set of the original X-Men Trilogy up for grabs, as well as a poll for your favourite Marvel movie franchise. So without further ado, here are the results...
Favourite Marvel Movie Franchise - Poll Results
X-Men (29%)
Spider-Man (28%)
Iron Man (18%)
Blade (13%)
Fantastic Four (3%)
Punisher (3%)
Hulk (2%)
Daredevil / Elektra (1%)
It really went to the wire between X-Men and Spider-Man for that top spot, and you have to imagine the web-slinger would push for number one if the poll ran to coincide with the next installment of Sam Raimi's blockbuster series just two short years from now.
The biggest surprises for me were that a) Fantastic Four and Punisher came in above Hulk (ghost of Ang Lee, perhaps?), and b) that someone could actually prefer Daredevil or Elektra to all those other movies.
X-Men DVD Giveaway Winner
Congratulations to Michael Armbruster, who has a copy of X-Men Trilogy on the way.
Thanks again to everyone for their entries, and be sure to check back soon for our next DVD giveaway.
If you're just itching to get your hands on more of the X-Men, check out Lovefilm.com's deals including X-Men Trilogy SE on Blu-ray for £31.93!
Oh, and be sure to check out nextround's Definitive Collection of Awesomely Bad Wolverine Costumes.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
British Cinema - City Rats (2009)
City Rats, 2009.
Directed by Steve M. Kelly.
Starring Danny Dyer, Tamer Hassan, Ray Panthaki and Susan Lynch.
SYNOPSIS:
A low-budget British drama focussing on eight interconnected characters who struggle to deal with their personal demons throughout the course of a single day.
Looking at the DVD cover for City Rats it would be easy to overlook this as little more than another entry in the long line of tired, low-budget British gangster movies, however I must admit to being pleasantly surprised by what the film has to offer. The feature debut of director Steve M. Kelly and screenwriter Simon Fantauzzo, City Rats is a dark and gritty tale with four storylines that run concurrently and explore a number of depressing themes including suicide, murder, prostitution, homosexuality, loneliness and loss.
Danny Dyer stars as Pete, a drunken ex-con who is pursued by Carol (Natasha Williams), a mother who believes that Pete may have information on the whereabouts of her missing son. Tamer Hassan (Dyer’s co-star in The Football Factory and The Business) and MyAnna Buring (Lesbian Vampire Killers) play two suicidal strangers who, after a chance meeting, decide to spend one final day together to try and tie up any loose ends in their lives, while artist Dean (Ray Panthaki) seeks inspiration from his neighbour Gina (Susan Lynch), a disabled prostitute who runs her business from the flat upstairs. Finally, Olly (Kenny Doughty) scours the seedy underbelly of Soho, hoping to provide a sexual experience for his deaf-mute autistic brother Chris (James Lance), while searching for answers to his own confused sexuality.
The main focus of the film seems to be on Pete and Carol, with Danny Dyer far removed from his usual Cockney wide-boy routine and excellent in his role as an alcoholic struggling to deal with the consequences of his past crimes. The storyline between Dean and Gina manages to inject some much needed humour into the bleakness, while strong performances from the cast ensure that the viewer is drawn into each strand of the storyline. However, it does appear that the filmmakers have perhaps tried to cram too much into one single film, and some aspects – such as the story between the two brothers – do seem a little underdeveloped at times.
Described as a ‘London-style Pulp Fiction’, City Rats rather unsurprisingly fails to live up to such lofty heights of Tarantino’s classic. However, promising first-time director Steve M. Kelly manages to make the most of his low budget and the film benefits greatly from impressive cinematography, with a slick and polished visual style that really brings the city itself to life. It will be interesting to see what Kelly could accomplish given a larger budget and - despite its flaws - City Rats is an ambitious effort that certainly provides a refreshing change from the typical British gangster movie of recent years.
Gary Collinson
Directed by Steve M. Kelly.
Starring Danny Dyer, Tamer Hassan, Ray Panthaki and Susan Lynch.
SYNOPSIS:
A low-budget British drama focussing on eight interconnected characters who struggle to deal with their personal demons throughout the course of a single day.
Looking at the DVD cover for City Rats it would be easy to overlook this as little more than another entry in the long line of tired, low-budget British gangster movies, however I must admit to being pleasantly surprised by what the film has to offer. The feature debut of director Steve M. Kelly and screenwriter Simon Fantauzzo, City Rats is a dark and gritty tale with four storylines that run concurrently and explore a number of depressing themes including suicide, murder, prostitution, homosexuality, loneliness and loss.
Danny Dyer stars as Pete, a drunken ex-con who is pursued by Carol (Natasha Williams), a mother who believes that Pete may have information on the whereabouts of her missing son. Tamer Hassan (Dyer’s co-star in The Football Factory and The Business) and MyAnna Buring (Lesbian Vampire Killers) play two suicidal strangers who, after a chance meeting, decide to spend one final day together to try and tie up any loose ends in their lives, while artist Dean (Ray Panthaki) seeks inspiration from his neighbour Gina (Susan Lynch), a disabled prostitute who runs her business from the flat upstairs. Finally, Olly (Kenny Doughty) scours the seedy underbelly of Soho, hoping to provide a sexual experience for his deaf-mute autistic brother Chris (James Lance), while searching for answers to his own confused sexuality.
The main focus of the film seems to be on Pete and Carol, with Danny Dyer far removed from his usual Cockney wide-boy routine and excellent in his role as an alcoholic struggling to deal with the consequences of his past crimes. The storyline between Dean and Gina manages to inject some much needed humour into the bleakness, while strong performances from the cast ensure that the viewer is drawn into each strand of the storyline. However, it does appear that the filmmakers have perhaps tried to cram too much into one single film, and some aspects – such as the story between the two brothers – do seem a little underdeveloped at times.
Described as a ‘London-style Pulp Fiction’, City Rats rather unsurprisingly fails to live up to such lofty heights of Tarantino’s classic. However, promising first-time director Steve M. Kelly manages to make the most of his low budget and the film benefits greatly from impressive cinematography, with a slick and polished visual style that really brings the city itself to life. It will be interesting to see what Kelly could accomplish given a larger budget and - despite its flaws - City Rats is an ambitious effort that certainly provides a refreshing change from the typical British gangster movie of recent years.
Gary Collinson
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
More X-Men in Development...
Following the success of X-Men Origins: Wolverine at the weekend, Variety confirms further X-Men spinoffs are in the works...
With X-Men Origins: Wolverine topping the box office both in the U.S. and the U.K. this past weekend, Variety have announced that Hugh Jackman and production partner John Palermo are already gearing up for a follow-up chronicling Wolverine's time in Japan.
The sequel is said to be based upon the famous comic book arc that sees Wolverine battle a host of ninjas and study the way of the samurai, which was hinted at during (one of) the post-credit sequence of X-Men Origins. Seed Productions will develop the movie on behalf of studio Fox.
Meanwhile, in another story Variety have also confired that a Deadpool spinoff is in development, which would see Ryan Reynolds reprise his role as Wade Wilson. The Hollywood Reporter has thankfully suggested that the spinoff will return "to the roots of the character", with Lauren Shuler Donner and Marvel Studios acting as producers.
There should be plenty for X-Men fans to get excited about with Fox also having X-Men Origins: Magneto and X-Men: First Class on their slate, and no doubt we'll be hearing a lot more about these projects over the coming months. You'd have to expect the Wolverine sequel to be first out of the starting blocks, which would also see Hugh Jackman become the first actor to appear as the same superhero in five consecutive movies.
With X-Men Origins: Wolverine topping the box office both in the U.S. and the U.K. this past weekend, Variety have announced that Hugh Jackman and production partner John Palermo are already gearing up for a follow-up chronicling Wolverine's time in Japan.
The sequel is said to be based upon the famous comic book arc that sees Wolverine battle a host of ninjas and study the way of the samurai, which was hinted at during (one of) the post-credit sequence of X-Men Origins. Seed Productions will develop the movie on behalf of studio Fox.
Meanwhile, in another story Variety have also confired that a Deadpool spinoff is in development, which would see Ryan Reynolds reprise his role as Wade Wilson. The Hollywood Reporter has thankfully suggested that the spinoff will return "to the roots of the character", with Lauren Shuler Donner and Marvel Studios acting as producers.
There should be plenty for X-Men fans to get excited about with Fox also having X-Men Origins: Magneto and X-Men: First Class on their slate, and no doubt we'll be hearing a lot more about these projects over the coming months. You'd have to expect the Wolverine sequel to be first out of the starting blocks, which would also see Hugh Jackman become the first actor to appear as the same superhero in five consecutive movies.
UK Box Office Top Ten - weekend commencing 01/05/09
UK box-office top ten for the weekend of Friday 1st - Sunday 3rd April 2009.
There was little surprise this weekend as X-Men Origins: Wolverine clawed its way to the top of the U.K. box office charts with an uncanny £6,658,979, while Miley Cyrus' big screen adaptation Hannah Montana: The Movie opened a distant second despite a healthy £2m haul.
It seems that audiences weren't too distracted by the much publicised internet leak and negative buzz surrounding the X-Men prequel, which also debuted at number one in the U.S. with over $85m in receipts, and should convince Fox that there is plenty of life left in the franchise.
Last week's number one State of Play slipped down into third place ahead of the Matthew McConaughey - Jennifer Garner rom-com Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, which was another new entry in fourth. Zac Efron comedy 17 Again crossed the £10m barrier after four weeks on release, while Dreamworks' animated smash Monsters vs Aliens remains the highest grosser in the top ten and should surpass £20m by next weekend.
I Love You, Man, In the Loop and The Uninvited all fell three places from last weekend but managed to hang on to their positions in the top ten, but we say goodbye to Observe and Report, Race to Witch Mountain and The Boat That Rocked.
The big release this coming weekend is J.J. Abrams' reboot of Star Trek, which should dominate at the box-office despite the early success of Wolverine, and I suspect a big drop is in store for the Hugh Jackman superhero flick.
There was little surprise this weekend as X-Men Origins: Wolverine clawed its way to the top of the U.K. box office charts with an uncanny £6,658,979, while Miley Cyrus' big screen adaptation Hannah Montana: The Movie opened a distant second despite a healthy £2m haul.
It seems that audiences weren't too distracted by the much publicised internet leak and negative buzz surrounding the X-Men prequel, which also debuted at number one in the U.S. with over $85m in receipts, and should convince Fox that there is plenty of life left in the franchise.
Last week's number one State of Play slipped down into third place ahead of the Matthew McConaughey - Jennifer Garner rom-com Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, which was another new entry in fourth. Zac Efron comedy 17 Again crossed the £10m barrier after four weeks on release, while Dreamworks' animated smash Monsters vs Aliens remains the highest grosser in the top ten and should surpass £20m by next weekend.
I Love You, Man, In the Loop and The Uninvited all fell three places from last weekend but managed to hang on to their positions in the top ten, but we say goodbye to Observe and Report, Race to Witch Mountain and The Boat That Rocked.
Pos. | Film | Weekend Gross | Week | Total UK Gross |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | £6,658,979 | 1 | £6,658,979 |
2 | Hannah Montana: The Movie | £2,030,657 | 1 | £2,030,657 |
3 | State of Play | £981,519 | 2 | £3,271,598 |
4 | Ghosts of Girlfriends Past | £976,780 | 1 | £976,780 |
5 | 17 Again | £534,816 | 4 | £10,116,259 |
6 | Monsters vs Aliens | £529,594 | 5 | £19,579,014 |
7 | Fast & Furious | £455,558 | 4 | £12,901,723 |
8 | I Love You, Man | £358,530 | 3 | £3,231,097 |
9 | In the Loop | £214,607 | 3 | £1,485,521 |
10 | The Uninvited | £172,973 | 2 | £739,429 |
The big release this coming weekend is J.J. Abrams' reboot of Star Trek, which should dominate at the box-office despite the early success of Wolverine, and I suspect a big drop is in store for the Hugh Jackman superhero flick.
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