Director Shane Black talks Iron Man 3

Screenwriter-turned-director Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout) was at the Long Beach Comic Con this past weekened, where he took part in a Q&A about his plans for the upcoming Marvel sequel Iron Man 3, which will see him reunite with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang star Robert Downey Jr. for Tony Stark's third solo adventure. Black - who takes over the series from Iron Man and Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau - spoke about his brief involvement with the development of the 2008 original, his thoughts on the underwhelming sequel and the process by which he was recruited for the third movie. Meanwhile, the director confirmed the return of cast members Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle and also had some interesting comments about potential bad guys, describing the Mandarin as a "racist caricature" and stating that "Iron Man never really had good villains".

In addition to the Q&A, Black also took part in an interview with ComicBookResources, where he elaborated on his plans for the Golden Avenger, ruling out an adaptation of the acclaimed Demon in a Bottle comic book story storyline and explaining how he intends to approach the film: "I think it would be a return to the type of action movie I remember so fondly, which is less random carnage and more thriller -- less action, more suspense. More character-driven urgency that makes you want to find out what happens to the guy, not what happens to the building behind the guy. There's a certain retro vibe that I love which is the idea of taking modern technology and shot-making and even color palettes and injecting them with this sense of thriller-esque, 1970s stuff that makes it seem more edgy and accessible as opposed to just loud and obnoxious. That's kind of where I'm heading."

Robert Downey Jr. will next be seen as Iron Man in 2012 alongside fellow superheroes Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), The Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) in Joss Whedon's epic team-up The Avengers, while Iron Man 3 is currently scheduled for release in May 2012.

Special Features - Sean's Halloween Horrorfest

With Halloween upon us, Sean Guard casts his eye over a spooky selection of scary movies...

The day that they call All-Hallows-Eve is upon us. Every year we think about creative ways to dress up our children in cute and funny little costumes so they can pretend to be someone else for a day. The more candy they bring home the higher their confidence and energy rises along with parents’ frustration of now having super-hyped children doped up on sugar running around the house. Halloween also gives women the excuse to dress in skimpy outfits and not be ridiculed for it. Honestly, I think if females could wear these outfits to work, they would. I mean we (men) aren’t going to stop them. We’ll simply have to sacrifice some production at work to get another type of sweets; Eye-candy.

Those of us who love film, however, coincide Halloween with the horror genre. Oh, how we love it so. For us, Halloween is an excuse for us to scare the liquid crap out of those un-brave souls who always prefer to watch another type of movie. Well this is our time and we reserve the right to embrace it. No, I haven’t seen every horror film in the very vast library of spookiness and I will even admit that I am missing some of the classics on my career list. But in my quest to see as many as I possibly can before the good Lord decides to return and place judgment upon us all, I was able to see and deem an opinion on these select couple that will follow below.

Some were good, some were bad and some shouldn’t have been allowed to be included in our proud genre altogether. After you check out some of my picks this year, please lend your voices - well, more like your keyboards - to give your thoughts on these flicks...

THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE (FIRST SEQUENCE):

This one wasn’t as D-gusting as I thought it would be. The sheer idea or thought of having your mouth surgically attached to someone else’s anus was more disturbing than actually seeing it onscreen. Every good twisted film needs an equally as twisted mad scientist/doctor as its main character. Dieter Laser is just this as Dr. Heiter. Not too bloody of a flick and not much of a “jump-movie”, it still qualifies as pure horror. Roger Ebert regressed to assigning it zero stars along with its’ recently released sequel which I will be seeing soon. On my Halloween scare/gross meter, I’ll say it’s not for the squeamish.




DREAM HOUSE:

I had high hopes for this film dominated with English actors. Keyword here being had. Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts all star in a movie which begins having you think that it’s about yet another haunted house. If you have seen any part of the trailer, then you know to think differently. Those hopes that I had quickly drowned about 30 minutes into it and the ending did nothing to resuscitate them. Take my experienced horror-word for it and don’t waste your time. Please. I beg you.






SCREAM 4:

Yeah, I watched it. I figured I saw all of the previous three, why not? For those of you who haven’t seen the fourth Wes Craven installment in the franchise released earlier this year, it’s the same basic premise. Neve Campbell arrives back in her home town where the original Scream took place and people begin to die. Pretty cut and dry. The only thing that impressed me about this one is that I was unable to predict who the killer was. I usually pride myself on two things when it comes to horror flicks; not jumping and figuring out who the killer/slasher/masked bad guy is before they are revealed. This film did a decent job on keeping you guessing. If you’re a fan of the series, check it out. Oh yeah, there’s going to be more…



THE THING (1982):

John Carpenter’s remake of the 1951 original classic is a brilliant one. He really knew how to capture the essence of suspense and terrified anxiousness that the characters were going through and project it upon the audience. The special effects are superb and make you want to throw up (in a good way) every time they are showcased. Furthermore, it was another film that made me break the other one of my prided aspects about myself, it made me jump. I almost paused the movie to ask myself what had just happened. I haven’t seen the recent film that Hollywood has marketed as a prequel but with all of the state-of-the-art special effects that are at filmmakers’ disposal nowadays, it better be grrrreat.



NIGHT TRAIN:

More of a thriller than an actual horror flick, Night Train begins with a good ambience of mystery and suspense. It obviously takes place aboard a train and in the middle of winter. Danny Glover, Leelee Sobieski and Steve Zahn come across a box of jewels previously owned by a very recently deceased passenger. They wrestle among themselves about whether or not to turn them in or split them between each other. This one is more like a sit back and be disappointed than a be scared and entertained kind of movie. Enough said.





CABIN FEVER 2: SPRING FEVER

If you saw the first Cabin Fever, then you already know what to expect. If you haven’t then be prepared to be grossed out. Lots and lots of blood is spilled as the flesh eating virus from the first one makes its way to a high school and into the senior prom. Many students with college aspirations will instead have to settle for, well, death instead. Not much to the plot in this one. Just expect to see blood, body parts and then more blood.







RED STATE:

This action/drama/thriller/horror, as I categorize it, from Kevin Smith didn’t receive too many positive comments. But I liked it. Michael Parks plays Pastor Abin Cooper, a self-proclaimed “man of God” who leads a small following of people who are a part of his Five Points church. They are a serious group of extremists who kidnap a trio of teenage boys who think they are meeting an older woman for sex. Cooper takes it upon himself to teach them and everyone else a lesson that he doesn’t feel are following the good teachings of the Lord.

The movie has its’ slow moments, especially when the over the top Pastor gives a rather long sermon expressing pure hate and discontempt for those who are adulterers, homosexuals and participate in sex before marriage. John Goodman plays ATF agent Keenan who attempts to take down the pastor and his hate group. The story really opens your eyes to the many organizations out there who are truly blinded by their own goals and only see what they want between the covers of the Bible. The plot appears to begin to stall late in the movie but the ending wakes you back up and forces you to pay attention. The last line of the entire film is hilarious.



THE LAST EXORCISM:

A combination of exorcism and the documentary-style theme of “found footage” movies are borrowed in this flick. Patrick Fabian plays Reverend Cotton Marcus who is filming a documentary exposing exorcisms of “possessed” individuals to be fake and completely untrue. While he is a man of the cloth, he does not believe in demons and ghosts and things of that nature. He accepts a request from a single father who believes that his young daughter is possessed and needs help. Ashley Bell plays Nell, the sixteen-year old daughter who is afraid and has no idea of the gruesome killings of farm animals that her father has pinned on her. During his attempt to “help” the family, Marcus realizes that the girl truly is possessed and must try to rediscover his faith. In terms of being scary, it has its’ moments but doesn’t truly achieve a spooky factor until the very end, which of course is where the movie abruptly stops. Maybe it’s a good thing that there is a sequel planned for next year. Kudos to Bell for a great performance as the possessed victim however.



THE RESIDENT:

So here we have a horror film which takes place in my hometown of Brooklyn, NY. Hillary Swank plays a doctor who locates a great apartment right by the Manhattan Bridge. She also locates the buildings’ owner, Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Having just gotten out of a relationship where her ex-boyfriend cheated on her, she quickly makes the move on her landlord. Almost in mid-sex, she decides to re-nig on their newfound romance only to return to her ex-boyfriend. Morgan plays a very troubled man who simply melts when receiving “we’re good friends” as an answer. Stalking seems to be his career profession as the movie goes on. Quite predictable and taking way too long to hit any kind of climax, I would pass on this flick. Other than Morgan’s performance, it was kind of a waste. I will say however, that some of his “stalking” could have been interpreted as being sweet. He is clearly a man in love after she made the first move. Word to the wise ladies, be very sure before you offer even the slightest mention of nookie to a possible suitor.



DEVOUR:

I don’t have much to say about this one. Jensen Ackles and Shannyn Sossamon star in a movie where a group of friends begin playing an online game called “The Pathway” and then subsequently begin to die. The entire movie and especially the ending prompted one word to jump into my mind: Confusing.



So there you have it, my viewings for this year. Of course I will no doubt continue to watch and rate horror films but Halloween just makes it all the more fun. Television has even stepped up its game when it comes to horror by bringing us the great so far shows of The Walking Dead on AMC and American Horror Story on FX. The storylines are dynamic and continually force you to return each week for the next episode. So don’t worry horror fans, we are no longer subjected to only dry dramas and comedies lacking the ability to make us all laugh. Life is looking up. Scare forth and prosper fellow horror junkies and Happy Halloween!

This post originally appeared at Napier's News.

Sean Guard
Follow me on Twitter @Sean_Guard

And the nominations for the 14th Moët British Independent Film Awards are...

The nominations for the 14th annual Moët British Independent Film Awards have been announced today, with Shame, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Tyrannosaur leading the field with seven nods apiece, including the coveted Best British Film Award, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor or Actress awards.

“This year’s nominees really highlight the immense wealth of British talent in this country today," said joint directors Johanna von Fischer and Tessa Collinson. "We are incredibly proud that the Awards have grown to a level that garners attention worldwide, helping to bring British talent and independent filmmaking to the international stage.”

Take a look at all the nominations for this year's awards...

BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM
Sponsored by Moët & Chandon

SENNA
SHAME
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
TYRANNOSAUR
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN


BEST DIRECTOR
Sponsored by The Creative Partnership

Ben Wheatley – KILL LIST
Steve McQueen – SHAME
Tomas Alfredson – TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
Paddy Considine – TYRANNOSAUR
Lynne Ramsay – WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN


THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR]
Sponsored by 3 Mills Studios

Joe Cornish – ATTACK THE BLOCK
Ralph Fiennes – CORIOLANUS
John Michael McDonagh – THE GUARD
Richard Ayoade – SUBMARINE
Paddy Considine – TYRANNOSAUR


BEST SCREENPLAY
Sponsored by BBC Films

John Michael McDonagh – THE GUARD
Ben Wheatley, Amy Jump – KILL LIST
Abi Morgan, Steve McQueen – SHAME
Richard Ayoade – SUBMARINE
Lynne Ramsay, Rory Kinnear – WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN


BEST ACTRESS
Sponsored by M.A.C

Rebecca Hall – THE AWAKENING
Mia Wasikowska – JANE EYRE
MyAnna Buring – KILL LIST
Olivia Colman – TYRANNOSAUR
Tilda Swinton – WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN


BEST ACTOR

Brendan Gleeson – THE GUARD
Neil Maskell – KILL LIST
Michael Fassbender – SHAME
Gary Oldman – TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
Peter Mullan – TYRANNOSAUR


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Felicity Jones – ALBATROSS
Vanessa Redgrave – CORIOLANUS
Carey Mulligan – SHAME
Sally Hawkins – SUBMARINE
Kathy Burke – TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Michael Smiley – KILL LIST
Tom Hardy – TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
Benedict Cumberbatch – TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
Eddie Marsan – TYRANNOSAUR
Ezra Miller – WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN


MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
Sponsored by STUDIOCANAL

Jessica Brown Findlay – ALBATROSS
John Boyega – ATTACK THE BLOCK
Craig Roberts – SUBMARINE
Yasmin Paige – SUBMARINE
Tom Cullen – WEEKEND


BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION
Sponsored by Deluxe142

KILL LIST
TYRANNOSAUR
WEEKEND
WILD BILL
YOU INSTEAD


BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT

Chris King, Gregers Sall – Editing – SENNA
Sean Bobbitt – Cinematography – SHAME
Joe Walker – Editing – SHAME
Maria Djurkovic – Production Design – TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
Seamus McGarvey – Cinematography – WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN


BEST DOCUMENTARY

HELL AND BACK AGAIN
LIFE IN A DAY
PROJECT NIM
SENNA
TT3D: CLOSER TO THE EDGE


BEST BRITISH SHORT

0507
CHALK
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
RITE
ROUGH SKIN


BEST FOREIGN INDEPENDENT FILM

ANIMAL KINGDOM
DRIVE
PINA
A SEPARATION
THE SKIN I LIVE IN


THE RAINDANCE AWARD
Sponsored by Exile Media

ACTS OF GODFREY
BLACK POND
HOLLOW
LEAVING BAGHDAD
A THOUSAND KISSES DEEP

In addition to those mentioned above, The Richard Harris Award (for outstanding contribution by an actor to British Film), The Variety Award and the Special Jury Prize will all be announced at the Moët British Independent Film Awards on Sunday 4th December.

DVD Review - Saint (2010)

Saint (a.k.a. Sint a.k.a. Saint Nick), 2010.

Written and Directed by Dick Maas.
Starring Huub Stapel, Egbert Jan Weeber, Caro Lenssen, Bert Luppes, Madelief Blanken, Escha Tanihatu, Kees Boot and Ben Ramakers.


SYNOPSIS:

A vengeful Saint Nicholas descends on Amsterdam, unleashing a bloody wave of terror that forces an obsessive ex-cop to take the law into his own hands to save the city.


There’s nothing better than sitting down over the festive season with a few nibbles, some drinks and good Yuletide-themed horror to send shivers down your spine on those dark nights. Unfortunately, good Yuletide-themed horrors are hard to come by, with the majority resorting to the tried-and-tested ‘killer dresses up as Santa and stalks unsuspecting teens’ formula (see Christmas Evil, Silent Night, Deadly Night and so on). Sadly, when filmmakers decide to take a risk and have the real Santa Claus doing the killing, we usually end up with something awful like Santa’s Slay, an atrocious effort from 2005 that sees former wrestler Bill Goldberg as Father Christmas, reimagined as the son of the Devil.

The problem with killer Santa movies is how do you go about making the jolly old fat guy into a convincing monster? Well, if you’re veteran Dutch filmmaker Dick Maas (De lift, Amsterdamned), then you swap the commercial interpretation of Santa Claus for one of his inspirations, Sinterklaas – the traditional holiday figure of the Netherlands who arrives each year on a boat from Spain bearing gifts in celebration of The Feast of Saint Nicholas on December 5th. Sinterklaas is essentially very similar to Santa, except that he rides a white horse rather than a sleigh and is assisted by mischievous ‘Black Peters’ as opposed to elves. Oh, and he dresses in a bishop’s outfit. I mean, if that’s not a warning sign to kids everywhere, then I don’t know what is.

Saint opens with two prologues, the first of which takes place in 1492 as Sinterklaas (Maas regular Huub Stapel) and his Black Peters arrive to wreak terror on the Netherlands, only for the local villagers to strike back and set fire to his ship, burning the bloodthirsty bishop alive. From here we skip to 1968, where a young boy witnesses the murder of his family at the hands of Sinterklaas, before arriving in the present day where said boy has grown up to become an obsessive, burnt-out policeman, Goert (Bert Luppes), who is determined to protect the unsuspecting public from the demonic ‘Sint’ and his minions. Trouble is, everyone naturally thinks he’s crazy and when the bodies start piling up, it’s down to Goert and Frank (Egbert Jan Weeber) – a young student wrongly accused of the crimes – to put an end to Sinterklaas’ reign of terror once and for all.

With such a ridiculous storyline – not to mention a U.K. tagline of “Santa’s coming to slay” – I’m sure a many people will dismiss Saint as a cheap and cheesey Christmas-themed horror of the Jack Frost variety. However, that’s simply not the case and Saint really has much more to offer than that, with Maas channelling early John Carpenter (especially The Fog) to deliver a thoroughly enjoyable horror comedy that features plenty of inventive deaths, impressive gore effects, solid performances and some genuinely funny dialogue that manages to avoid being lost in translation. In fact, Gremlins aside, I’m struggling to think of a festive-themed horror that I’ve enjoyed more than Saint and while there’s not much of a field in terms of competition, there’s every chance it will join the likes of Bad Santa, Christmas Vacation, Die Hard and Gremlins as part of my regular Christmas movie schedule. Give it a shot and it may just join yours too.

Gary Collinson (follow me on Twitter)

Blu-ray Review - The Conversation (1974)

The Conversation, 1974.

Written and Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
Starring Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Frederic Forrest, Cindy Williams, Michael Higgins, Elizabeth MacRae, Teri Garr and Harrison Ford.


SYNOPSIS:

During a routine wire-tapping job, a surveillance expert has a crisis of conscience when comes to suspect that the couple he is recording will be murdered.


We open on a wide shot over looking San Francisco’s Union Square. People go about their day. A mime entertains a small crowd. We hear conversations of the people, but only snippets and fragments; this is interrupted by a loss of audio and static. Something isn’t right – we shouldn’t be listening in on these people’s lives. The camera switches to show a couple caught in the crosshairs of not a gun, but a state of the art listening device. As the story unfolds, we will learn that it is just as dangerous.

The camera, after a slow and patient zoom, finds Harry Caul; a man clearly not at ease around these people, but there for a reason. The voices we hear soon become focused on the couple, but we can’t make out everything they say. But we do know they are of importance to Harry.

So begins Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation, one of the finest American films of the 1970s. And because the 1970s is, to this reviewer, the greatest period of film making, The Conversation remains one of the greatest films ever put to celluloid. These opening 10 minutes are a master class of direction and sound editing. There isn’t a wasted frame, let alone a wasted shot and the sound design puts the audience in the surveillance expert’s world from the very start. Moreover, each scene in this film could be analysed and discussed to share with you its brilliance. Coppola never allows the audience to know anything Caul doesn’t until the final act, when his paranoia has become too great and we can only watch as he descends into madness.

Caul is a loner, a man whose job is to listen in but never be part of society. He has three locks on his door yet admits to having “nothing personal” inside. He sees everyone as a threat to his personal security, and won’t let anyone in to his life. By writing Caul in this way, Coppola creates a perfect set-up for the story that soon follows; a man obsessed with saving the life of someone who doesn’t even know he exists. As Caul, Gene Hackman gives one of his career-best performances working with a script which allows him to bring a depth and fragility to such a lonely, sad man. At work, when he mixes the recordings and tries to decipher the audio, we see a man totally immersed in this world yet he cannot apply the same to relationships around him. His only comfort and enjoyment comes from playing the saxophone alone in his apartment.

The story of The Conversation is fairly straight forward. Caul makes a recording of a couple who are involved in an affair and his job is to deliver this to a high-powered man whom Caul soon believes will murder one or both of the couple involved. But the joy in watching the film comes from the sheer expertise of the film making. Building slowly and carefully, Coppola makes a thriller out of nothing and delivers one of the great final scenes in film history. Tormented by his own paranoia, Caul tears apart his apartment looking for a recording device which, as the audience, we can never be sure is actually there. With the floorboards up and the wires hanging off the wall, Coppola ends the film with a surveillance shot of its own; Caul sat playing the saxophone. Content.

This review is for the Blu-ray release, and the transfer is excellent with hardly any grain showing from the original print. Although, I have always liked the way 70s films looked when I first saw them; I like seeing the grain and texture and because of this I rarely buy Blu-ray copies of older films, unless they’ve gone through a serious restoration process as with Coppola’s The Godfather trilogy. Having said that, this new release is certain worth getting for anyone who doesn’t already own a copy on DVD.

VERDICT: 10 OUT OF 10 - Flawless filmmaking from start to finish.

Rohan Morbey - follow me on Twitter.

Blu-ray Review - Maniac Cop (1988)

Maniac Cop, 1988.

Directed by William Lustig.
Starring Tom Atkins, Bruce Campbell, Laurene Landon, Richard Roundtree, William Smith and Robert Z'Dar.


SYNOPSIS:

A killer in police uniform is dubbed the Maniac Cop after he starts taking out innocent people on the streets of New York City.


The 80s had such a high output of schlocky horror films. So many cult horror favourites emerged from that period, largely aided by the birth of home video, which extended a movies shelf life beyond the multiplexes. That Grindhouse experience of the 70s, watching cheap exploitation flicks, suddenly became domesticated. The comfort of your own sofa to watch the splatter of insides with a few brewskies was a new and enjoyable concept. Maniac Cop, like many of the more memorable explo films of the period was shot for peanuts, and though briefly played in theatres, really hit it big on video. Its star, Bruce Campbell, is of course synonymous with the outstanding Evil Dead movies, which were hugely popular on VHS (god, if I say VHS or video one more time, I may start crying!).

The premise is simple, yet one of those which is brilliantly evocative. As A Nightmare on Elm Street made us fear the comfort and recharge of slumber, Maniac Cop gives us the frightening scenario of a law enforcer turned bad, and punishing the innocent. Matt Cordell (Robert Z’Dar) is a former cop, presumed killed in prison years previously. However, bent on revenge against the society and its leaders, who put him in jail, Cordell goes on a killing spree, randomly targeting innocent victims, whilst pinning the crimes on working beat cop, Jack Forrest (Campbell). Detective McRae (Tom Adkins) knows something is amiss and investigates.

The film is pretty cheesy, as you’d expect from a schlocker. The acting is on the hammier side of the market, right by the cheese stall. Adkins leads effectively, until the film shifts protagonists to Campbell, which makes for an equal parts jarring and interesting change. Campbell of course, is charismatic and just a little bit wild browed in his acting this period. Let’s face it though, Bruce is a legend and exudes likeability. He can be relied upon in this genre. Laurene Landon is good too, playing a surprisingly efficient, sassy, and strong female character given the norm in this film mould. Elsewhere, Shaft himself, Richard Roundtree pops up in a cameo role as the Commissioner.

In terms of the set pieces, this doesn’t have the imagination of better horror flicks, but is effective enough given its premise and Z’Dar’s imposing physical presence (and enormous frigging jawline!). It’s not the bloodiest of films, but there’s certainly no shortage of the red stuff, whilst we get a few memorable dispatches too. The finale too is effective. In addition, Jay Chattaway’s score is decent, and like most of his 80s synth music is often overlooked, but much appreciated by the enthusiasts of these old school synth scores.

Maniac Cop quite rightfully has a cult following, and while it’s not the classic that say Campbell’s Evil Deads were, it’s still a decent watch when you’re in the mood for some B-movie horror. A popular 80s staple, which more surprisingly hasn’t been targeted yet by the re-make gravy train. It will though… sadly.

Tom Jolliffe

Movie Review Archive

Mickey Rourke talks Sin City 2 and hits out at Marvel Studios over Iron Man 2

Mickey Rourke has been doing the press rounds these past few days to promote the release of his latest movie, Immortals, but ComingSoon took the opportunity to ask The Wrestler star about his thoughts on Sin City 2 - and specifically the news from Frank Miller that his and Robert Rodriguez's screenplay for the upcoming sequel includes the Sin City yarn, Just Another Saturday Night, which features the characters of Marv (Rourke), Nancy (Jessica Alba) and Hartigan (Bruce Willis).

"It depends on how bad they want me. You feel me?" said Rourke, who went on to explain his discomfort over the amount of make-up and prosthetics required for the part: "I'm claustrophobic, so the the hours of makeup - You have to keep it on for about 13 or 14 hours a day. It's latex and glue and that stuff that gets my eyes all red... I remember I picked up some chick at a bar in Texas one night and invited her to the set to have lunch at the lunch break. I couldn't take the s--t off. F--k it, I never saw her again!"

Meanwhile, in a separate interview with SuperHeroHype, Rourke had some harsh words for Marvel Studios about his time working on Iron Man 2, where he starred as the film's primary bad guy, Whiplash. "I try to find the moments where [the villian is] not that cliched, evil bad guy and it's a big fight. I had it on 'Iron Man' and they won. It was going to work for Marvel and them breaking Jon Favreau's balls and wanting just a one-dimensional villain. The performance and all the things that I tried to bring to it end up on the f--ing floor. That can cause you not to care as much. To not to want to put that effort in to try and make it an intelligent bad guy or a bad guy who is justified in what his reasons are."

Directed by Tarsem Singh (The Cell), Immortals opens on November 11th and sees Rourke starring alongside Henry Cavill (Man of Steel), Stephen Dorff (Blade), Freida Pinto (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Luke Evans (Clash of the Titans), Isabel Lucas (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen) and Kellan Lutz (Twilight). Rourke, who recently passed on the opportunity to return for The Expendables 2 in favour of Seven Psychopaths, will next be seen in The Courier and is currently busy filming Java Heat with his Immortals co-star Kellan Lutz.

DVD Review - The Poet (2003)

The Poet, 2003.

Directed by Paul Hills.
Starring Dougray Scott, Laura Harring, Jürgen Prochnow, Andrew Lee Potts and Erika Marozsán.


SYNOPSIS:

A contract killer in Vienna kills a young artist during a hit. After discovering the artists' work, he promptly falls in love with his grieving sister.


Ever since the outstanding Leon, contract killers in the film world always carry a lot of emotional baggage, usually tucked away next to their folding sniper rifle. For every body dropped, another part of them dies inside. Maybe all film hitmen are just as emotional and vulnerable the camera cuts to the good guys. Or is it just another good idea that's becoming a tired cliché due to unimaginative overuse? In the 2003 Paul Hill film, The Poet, we learn just how absurd this character device can be.

Andrei (Dougray Scott looking suspiciously like a young Brian Cox) is a hired gun. Pure and simple. During a botched assassination of an important figure in Vienna, Rick (Andrew Lee Potts - hipster) accidentally witnesses Andrei doing the deed and is promptly silenced for good. Andrei discovers that Rick was a talented artist, who's new exhibition is being opened that same week. Rather taken by the the young creative's theme of death, our contract killer casually attends the function where he meets Rick's sister, Paula (Laura Harring, who appears to be stuck in an advert).

Whilst the first act of the film is very promising with its good use of pace and tone, The Poet forgets it's a thriller and starts to morph into a film noir then into a melodramatic romance. Tension forms when Paula comes closer to finding the identity of her brothers murderer, but it moves rather slowly. By the time the penny drops, I had more than enough time to find her characer truly annoying. It's a shame her and Rick didn't trade places. There is a constant air of spoilt smugness about her which clouds over her obvious beauty.

It's a shame that the rest of the cast isn't that much of an improvement. Every line feels flat and generic, and some of the scenes just feel clumsy. At one point, Paula accidentally stumbles in front of the path of a speeding lorry in the most unconvincing way. I was left wondering how this served to progress the story, but not as much as the sex scenes. It wasn't an all out orgy, but I got the impression Hill was putting them in their to hide the cracks (in the story, that is). They went from arbitrarily dirty masturbation cuts, to Barbara Cartland-esque fawning.

The Poet has no idea what it wants to be. A thriller? A drama? A Romance? A soft-core affair? It's all of them and it's also not enough to be any of them. A promising cat and mouse film that ends up cheesier than expected.

Will Preston is a freelance writer from Portsmouth. He writes for various blogs (including his own website) and makes short films.

DVD Review - The Outsiders (1983)

The Outsiders, 1983.

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
Starring C. Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio, Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise and Diane Lane.


SYNOPSIS: Two rival teen gangs, the working class Greasers and the well-off Socs get caught up in frequent confrontation in 1960s Oklahoma. But when one of the Socs is accidentally killed, the youngest Greasers, Ponyboy and Johnny, flee town.


The 1980s weren't as kind to Francis Ford Coppola as the 70s. After making a handful of films that are considered some of the best of all time - The Godfather parts I & II, Apocalypse Now and The Conversation - the following decade was much more low key.

In 1983, Coppola adapted S.E. Hinton's novel about 1960s teen gangs in small town America, The Outsiders. Edited down to approximately 90 minutes for theatrical release, the film wasn't very well received on it's initial run. Here, on a new DVD and Blu-ray, Coppola presents his originally intended cut of the film. Still running at less than 2 hours, it's not as painfully long as his redux version of Apocalypse Now, but it's not nearly as good as either version of that film. It's still quite enjoyable, but it feels almost as if it was made by an entirely different director.

The Outsiders is a small film, taking part in one southern American town - Tulsa, Oklahoma. Gone is the epic feel and glorious cinematography of The Godfather and Apocalypse Now and in it's place is an intimate portrait of a down-and-out group of teens known as 'the Greasers', focusing mainly on Ponyboy Curtis (played by C. Thomas Howell), a 14-year-old orphan looked after by his two older brothers (a young Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze). Ponyboy is a charismatic lead and holds the film together well. He becomes the emotional crux of everything experienced by the gang. It's really a film about the social standing of a group of kids without much hope, and how they come to deal with their situation by caring for one another.

It's interesting that C. Thomas Howell, so engaging here, never became a star. Particularly when you compare him to the rest of the stunning cast. It really is one of the best 'before they were famous' casts I've seen. We have Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, Diane Lane, Ralph Macchio (the Karate Kid, if you're not familiar with that name), and a cameo from Tom Waits. Bear in mind this was 1983 - so before Top Gun, Dirty Dancing or The Karate Kid. Other than Waits (who was known for his music rather than acting), none of these actors had done anything of note before this film. In contrast to the now household names, C. Thomas Howell was recently seen in Asylum 'mockbusters' The Da Vinci Treasure and War of The Worlds 2: The Next Wave.

The Outsiders is a flawed film, but one which is still watchable and fun. The plot's not really focused and seems to spiral into several directions at various points. That's one of the difficulties of adapting a novel, and here it does feel like an adapted novel rather than a fully formed three-act film. There's nothing really stunning about The Outsiders either. There are a few nicely composed shots, the Elvis-filled soundtrack is fitting and enjoyable but at times too loud for the dialogue, and while the characters are interesting, some of them don't feel fully developed. Coppola doesn't really put his own stamp on it either, never doing much to differentiate it from other coming-of-age films.

So why did I like it then? In a way its flaws are fairly charming and it's as if they are what gives it character and differentiates it from other films. There's a lot of heart there too, and a bunch of characters you come to like. I was happy to watch their story even when things started to drift or get muddled. And I guess this is what makes a cult film. It's far from perfect, but is full of charm and quirks, and does just about enough things right to make you like it. And when you have a young cast as impressive as this, it's hard to see why The Outsiders isn't given a cult status more often.

Arnold Stone blogs at spaceshipbroken.com and can also be found on Twitter.

365 Days, 100 Films #66 - Nowhere Boy (2009)

Nowhere Boy, 2009.

Directed by Sam Taylor Wood.
Starring Aaron Johnson, Kristen Scott Thomas, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, David Threlfall, Josh Bolt, David Morrissey, Andrew Buchan, Ophelia Lovibond and Anne-Marie Duff.


SYNOPSIS:

The story of a teenage John Lennon’s relationship with his fragile mother and the aunt that raised him.

1. Show the protagonist, a younger version of the film’s subject. Wait about four minutes before having another character call him by his name for the ‘big reveal’, e.g. an angry aunt shouting: “John Lennon!”

2. Introduce a family complication early, e.g. the death of a father-like figure.

3. Start a band, or begin writing songs as a result of the events of ‘2’.

4. First performance.

5. Montage.

6. Disagreement.

7. Reconciliation.

8. Text over the closing shots saying what people did next.

…Now, it’s not the musical biopic genre’s fault that the ‘by-numbers’ template works so well. That’s what people want to see. They want to see the anxieties, hope and excitement of their favourite band’s formation. It makes you closer to them. It makes you reckon you could do the same.

So, as a victim of its own success, the musical biopic always treads a similar path. The subject changes, but hardly ever the order. 24 Hour Party People could be used as an example against, but that isn’t really a musical biopic. That’s just a biopic. Walk the Line, Control. If it ain’t broke…

…Nowhere Boy is about a young John Lennon (Aaron Johnson), sitting in his nowhere land, making all his nowhere plans for nobody. When we first meet him, he’s pre-Paul. In fact, he remains pre-Paul for the first half of the film. It’s too busy for another Beatle just yet. He’s got too many mums.

For reasons that are first unclear, Lennon lives with his aunt and uncle. He gets on far better with Uncle George (David Threlfall). They drink and listen to comedy radio shows together, whilst Aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott-Thomas) sits downstairs reading to classical music. It’s not a conventional family, but Lennon is content. Until George collapses and dies, that is.

At the funeral, Lennon is reacquainted with his biological mother, Julia (Anne-Marie Duff) – Mimi’s sister. He recognises her immediately, but doesn’t know where she lives. After tracking her down, he finds her in a house, with a family, only a few streets away. Lennon is too shocked to be angry, and Julia covers up the awkwardness of the situation by being overly motherly. Mimi had fallen out with her sister over a decade ago, so she is kept unaware.

Julia introduces him to rock, roll and Elvis – whom Lennon wants to be. You suspect that’s more because of the female reactions rather than musical integrity at this point, though. Julia doesn’t seem like a mother, more like a very flirtatious friend. They dance and lie down together. Their glances into each other’s eyes hold for a half second too long. One hopes the irony wasn’t lost on Sam Taylor-Wood (the director, 44) and Aaron Johnson (21), now married and expecting their second child.

Johnson’s performance, distractions aside, captures Lennon’s quick wit. He gets a nasal quality in his voice as he says them, like some old, sarcastic queen. The only character who can match him is Scott-Thomas’ Mimi.

But apart from the performances, this is still ‘by-numbers’. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but you’d expect something a little more inventive from those involved. Sam Taylor-Wood, a former Young British Artist (so, an Old British Artist?), conjures a few pleasant framings, but there’s only the occasional half-inspired visual. One is a single-shot montage where actors walk through a room at different speeds whilst Lennon learns the banjo. It’s very complex, and must have been tricky to pull off, but it’s nothing new.

John Luc Goddard does that thing sometimes where he’ll put a piece of text on a black background in his films. It’ll say a single word, but then he’d break it down into two – like ‘Nothing’ becoming ‘No’ and ‘Thing’. Nowhere Boy feels as though it should be more experimental with its material. It’s ‘by-numbers’, when it should have been arty.

‘Nowhere’
‘NOWHERE’
NOWHERE
NOW HERE
NOW
HERE
‘NOW’ ‘HERE’

That one’s for free.

But then, when everything starts to break down and come out near the end, in one scene between Lennon and his two mothers, you start to appreciate all the character groundwork the film had previously, subtly laid out. The camera gets closer and shaky, just like the characters. The performances are sublime, which is presumably where Taylor-Wood’s talents lie. Johnson’s cocksure Lennon dissipates into a crying, sobbing, nowhere boy. That he can convey such emotion so well in a Liverpudlian accent is a testament to his skill. Just when you were thinking how ‘by-numbers’ this all is – good and entertaining, but formulaic – the film presents its stand out scene, revealing the reasons behind Lennon’s parental arrangements. The details are simultaneously specific and outlandish, as though from a crude soap opera, but told with such sincerity that it becomes more real than anything else. And, of course, it is real – the film is based on truth.

You forget that, though, sometimes. With the ‘by-numbers’ and all that. Biopics create a distance between the characters and audience because of it, even though their intention is to perform the exact opposite. It takes great scenes like that to make it count again.

RATING **

Oli Davis

365 Days, 100 Films

Examining the new Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol trailer

Rohan Morbey breaks down the second trailer for Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol...


If you haven't already seen the latest trailer, shame on you. See it here...


An overview of M:I-GP (as I'm calling it) trailer 2 would be that it subscribes to a typical trailer format; it starts with some plot exposition and quickly hits the mark of fast edits covering the cast so we know all the faces involved, and treats us to some tantalising snippets of action with key lines of dialogue to add to the tension.

But let's go deeper than that and break it down. What do we actually see, hear, and learn about this new 'Mission'?

PLOT: Ethan Hunt and the IMF team are framed for a bombing at the Kremlin and they must work alone to clear their names and find the true culprits.

"The Russians are classifying this as undeclared act of war... The President has initiated Ghost Protocol."

'Ghost Protocol', we can now assume is a term for the shutting down of the IMF.

As for the rest of the storyline, it is all kept a mystery and that is a good thing. We don't want to be going into the IMAX knowing everything that's going to happen and why!

CHARACTERS: Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise): Hunt is taking the lead as usual, with the rest of his IMF helping out. Most of the action centres on him. Long hair, although not as layered as it was in M:I-2. Yes, this is important.

Brandt (Jeremy Renner): We don't know Brandt's role yet although Hunt includes him when he says “We’re all that’s left of the IMF”. What we do know is the men will have conflict:

"Who are you really, Brandt?"
"We all have our secrets, don't we, Ethan?"

Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg): As in M:I:III, Benji appears to be the film's comic relief, although his inclusion in the trailer with dialogue suggests he'll have a much more significant role this time around.

Jane Carter (Paula Patton): Not much is known, except that she is a new character to the franchise and an IMF agent. A possible love interest for Hunt, as they are seen kissing at one point.

Trevor Hanaway (Josh Holloway): Nothing known about this character. Trailer suggests he is IMF. He appears to be filling the Jonathan Rhys Meyers role from M:I:III.

Various websites says Ving Rhames will be reprising his role as Luther Stickell form the three entries. Rhames is missing from both M:I-GP trailers, so we can only assume he has a small role in this latest outing.

Unlike the casting of Oscar winner Phillip Seymour Hoffman in M:I:III, we know nothing about the 'bad guys' at the moment. From the trailer it would appear actors Michael Nyqvist, Léa Seydoux, and possibly Anil Kapoor are taking these roles.

ACTION: The M:I series is full of spectacular action set pieces, each a signature of that particular director's filmmaking style. From this trailer, Brad Bird seems to be packing in as much action as the other 3 films combined!

Kremlin Explosion: Hunt gets caught up in the blast. CG effects look great!


Attack on the Secretary's car: Love how Bird has slowed down the crash scene here, without turning it in to something Guy Ritchie would do.

Car crash in the desert: In the previous 3 films, each trailer has shown Hunt involved in near-death stunt. Helicopter crash in the first; riding through the flames on his bike in the second; and getting thrown into a car from a missile attack in the third. Here, we see a car flip and crash, narrowly missing Hunt. Again, the effects look great.


Fight in a parking lot?: Very quick editing here, but it appears Hunt is fighting in a car as it is dropping, and he then rolls out clutching a silver briefcase. It looks like the same cylindrical building shown near the trailer’s start.

Car chase in India: Again, not much is shown here, except Hunt and Carter driving at high speed in the brand new BMW i8. Car looks superb!

Brandt does a ‘Mission: Impossible’ of his own: One shot shows Brandt replicating the famous scene from De Palma’s film where Hunt breaks in to CIA headquarters. Again, we know nothing more than this.


Burj Khalifa break-in: This is what M:I-GP has become known for in its production so far. The trailer only shows us a few glimpses of what promises to be the tentpole sequence in the movie. In the teaser we saw Hunt in free fall towards and open window, but here we see him not only jump out of the world’s tallest building, but also run down it too. Shot in IMAX, this could be the best scene in the M:I franchise to date. And that really is Cruise on the side of the building, no CGI, no stunt man.


With this little insight, watch the trailer again and count the days until its release!

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol open in the UK on December 26 in cinemas and IMAX.

Rohan Morbey - follow me on Twitter.

The Week in Spandex - The Dark Knight Rises and Man of Steel filming updates, Iron Man 3, The Wolverine, Kick-Ass 2 and more…

Presenting our weekly round-up of the big news stories from the world of movie superheroes…

The Dark Knight Rises may no longer be looking to Occupy Wall Street but Christopher Nolan certainly has ambitious plans for his third and final Batman feature, with a member of the Official Dark Knight Rises Community posting an image of himself on Facebook in a Gotham City SWAT costume and letting slip that the New York segment of the shoot will include the largest fight scene ever filmed in the Big Apple. According to OnLocationVacations, this rumble is expected to consist of more than 1000 extras and will take place in a Gotham overrun by Bane: “After months of chaos, the cops return and the ‘good guys’ battle it out with the ‘bad guys’ for the streets of Gotham.” The report says that both Christian Bale and Tom Hardy will be present in full costume as Batman and Bane, respectively.

While the big fight sequence is still to come, Christian Bale and Joseph Gordon-Levitt have already been snapped filming scenes at Wayne Enterprises (a.k.a. the NYC Trump Tower) as Bruce Wayne and Gotham police officer John Blake, while a new set video shows the GCPD in a shoot-out with some of Bane’s thugs [update - a new video has also popped up featuring a nose-picking JGL getting in on the action]. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. have declined to comment about the rumoured prologue for The Dark Knight Rises being attached to IMAX prints of Tom Cruise’s upcoming action sequel Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, which came after AMC Theatres revealed that the six-minute preview will only be shown on 70mm IMAX screens (an update they have since retracted).

Switching to Batman’s World’s Finest partner, and plenty of set pictures have made their way online from the Man of Steel shoot this past weekend, the majority of which show a shirtless, bearded Henry Cavill filming rescue scenes against a giant green-screen backdrop [images here and here and a video here]. In other Superman news, CosmicBookNews posted alleged details of the climactic sequence from Zack Snyder’s reboot, stating that the final showdown between Kal-El, Zod (Michael Shannon) and Faora (Antje Traue) will take place in Smallville and features a “pissed off” Superman looking for revenge after Zod attacks the Kent Farm. Meanwhile Michael Shannon also provided a brief update on his fight with Russell Crowe’s Jor-El – telling DigitalSpy that it’s “going to be maybe a minute long”, while the actor also hinted to Empire that the Kryptonian general is unlikely to utter the catchphrase, “kneel before Zod”. Bah!

Moving on to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it’s been pretty quiet on The Avengers front this past week, although ComicBookMovie did post an update on the ‘Leviathan’ that was first mentioned back in September, with a source reaffirming their stance that the CGI creation “is indeed a giant creature… reptilian-like, with horns coming out of its head.” Still, with next year’s team-up currently in post-production under director Joss Whedon, the studio seem to be wasting little time in moving forward with their next round of features as the Salisbury Post announced that Marvel will soon commence pre-production on Iron Man 3 in North Carolina. So far we know little-to-nothing about the sequel, save for the fact that Robert Downey Jr. will return as Tony Stark under new director Shane Black, who is also co-writing the screenplay with Drew Pearce (No Heroics). With pre-production imminent, then expect to hear some casting news in the very near future, with the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson and Clark Gregg all likely to return. Question is – will we see Jon Favreau back as Happy Hogan?

In other Marvel sequel news, Captain America: The First Avenger screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely spoke about their plans for Chris Evans’ second solo adventure, telling TheHDRoom that there will be some WWII action, but the primary setting is present day: “Most people know the story of Captain America as the story of this man out of time, and because The Avengers is such a big movie, and because Joss Whedon has so many moving pieces, we've been left with room to explore Cap entering the modern day wondering, ‘What is all this? What's happened to the world’ and so on." Meanwhile actor Neal McDonough (Dum Dum Dugan) also had a few words for ABC News about his hopes for the sequel, along with a potential Nick Fury spin-off: “I'm really looking forward to the Nick Fury films. Sam Jackson and myself will be partners in that one. And I know Sam is really excited about doing it. So fingers crossed we start that one up pretty soon."

Wrapping up the best of the rest…

…Any American Ghost Rider fans out there with some half-decent Photoshop skills may want to take a look at the ‘Face of the Fan Contest’ for Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, where you can submit up to three fan-made posters for the chance to win tickets to the premiere of the movie and have your design become part of the marketing campaign. Meanwhile, you may also want to check out the latest interview with directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor over at MTV Splash Page, during which they reveal that Nicolas Cage’s Johnny Blaze will hellify a 700-foot strip miner to use as a weapon (and that the Academy Award-winner actually pisses fire)…

…Rhys Ifans has been promoting his latest film, the Elizabethan thriller Anonymous, with talk naturally shifting to his role as The Lizard alongside the likes of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone in next years reboot, The Amazing Spider-Man. Describing the ‘father-son’ dynamics of the story, Ifans also had plenty of praise for director Marc Webb. Read what he had to say over at Movieline…

…Despite bidding farewell to the Joker just last week after almost twenty years of voicing the character, Mark Hamill has since went on to suggest via his Twitter that an animated adaptation of Batman: The Killing Joke would be enough to tempt him out of retirement. Warner Bros. have just released Batman: Year One as part of their DC Universe Animated Original Movies line, and with a two-part take on Batman: The Dark Knight Returns in production, perhaps Alan Moore’s classic one-shot will be next on their slate…

…In other animated DC news (well, sort of), Adult Swim have released the first clip from Robot Chicken’s upcoming parody of DC Comics, which sees Green Lantern Hal Jordan taking on his nemesis Sinestro. The animated special is expected to premiere in 2012…

…Last week Chloë Moretz hinted that “a little bit of news is coming” with regards to Kick-Ass 2, and The Scottish Sun has added to the speculation by stating that the sequel “is about to be announced” as comic book scribe Mark Millar launched his own company, Millarworld Productions. Presumably Matthew Vaughn would hand over the director’s chair (to Millar, perhaps?), while the same article suggests that Vaughn is also looking at two more of Millar’s properties – Superior, a tale about a superhero diagnoses with multiple sclerosis, and his upcoming limited series, The Secret Service, which was co-directed by the X-Men: First Class helmer…

…Director James Mangold took part in a lengthy conversation with The Playlist to discuss his plans for The Wolverine. Describing the upcoming Japan-set adventure as “an intense psychological and action-packed character piece” as opposed to “the conventional, ‘will Wolverine and his compatriots save the world from this thermonuclear device’”, Mangold likened the film to Chinatown and The Outlaw Josey Wales, and also passed on his thoughts about replacing Darren Aronofsky on the long-delayed project…

…And finally, James McAvoy spoke briefly to TotalFilm about reprising his role as a young Professor Charles Xavier for a sequel to Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class: “One thing I liked about our one was that it was different from the other three films where the X-Men are the good guys, Wolverine’s figuring out who he is and Magneto is the bad guy. [First Class] was a completely different thing. Magneto [Michael Fassbender] wasn’t a bad guy, we were friends. We’re now set up to go back to the way the other movies are, so we’ve got to try to be cleverer than that.”

Gary Collinson

Holy Franchise, Batman! - Coming 2012.

55th BFI London Film Festival - The Deep Blue Sea (2011)

The Deep Blue Sea, 2011.

Written and Directed by Terence Davies.
Starring Rachel Weisz, Tom Hiddleston, Simon Russell Beale, Karl Johnson, Ann Mitchell, Harry Hadden-Paton, Sarah Kants and Jolyon Coy.


SYNOPSIS:

The wife of a British Judge leaves her husband to embark on a self-destructive love affair with an RAF pilot.


It is quite fitting that the closing film of of this year’s festival is directed by one of the hidden gems of British cinema, Terence Davies. Adapted from Terrence Rattigan’s play, Davies’ The Deep Blue Sea features what could potentially be the most emotionally raw performances of Rachel Weisz’s career.

Set in London in the 1950’s, we see Hester (Weisz) becoming bored of her dull marriage to judge William Collyer (Simon Russell Beale) and her even duller mother-in-law (the very funny Ann Mitchell). When brash, self centred Freddie (Tom Hiddleston), an RAF pilot, offers her something new and exciting she begins an affair with him.

William finds out about her adultery but holds back on a divorce, forcing Hester to deal with the fact the she loves Freddie more than he loves her. At the same time she still holds on to the memory of the comfortable but uninteresting life her husband can provide; caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

During the opening fifteen to twenty minutes of the film I must admit I thought it showed signs of being a slow, self indulgent movie, however from half an hour in onwards I was engrossed in the characters and the drama involving Hester. As I mentioned previously I believe that this understated role is a stand out performance for Rachel Weisz with a stellar performance from Tom Hiddleston to match.

Davies not only manages to get the best from his actors but he creates a beautifully elegant post war London that thanks to Florian Hoffmeister’s cinematography feels like you are being taken in to nostalgic photographs from that period in British history. Davies also shows us the traditional British ‘stiff upper lip’ and we are treated to scenes of togetherness and camaraderie that provoke genuine feelings of sentiment even in youngsters like myself who have no idea what life was like in the 1950s. And because of that, the time in which Hester’s story is set makes for an interesting character study during a time in Britain that relied heavily on fresh optimism, a paradoxical match that makes for an highly engrossing movie.

Jon Dudley is a freelance film and television journalist and his 17-minute short film Justification was shown at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.

DVD Review - Everything Must Go (2010)

Everything Must Go, 2010.

Directed by Dan Rush.
Starring Will Ferrell, Rebecca Hall, Michael Peña, Laura Dern, Christopher Jordan Wallace, Rosalie Michaels, Glenn Howerton and Stephen Root.


SYNOPSIS:

After losing his job and his wife, an alcoholic holds a yard sale in an attempt to start over and meets a new neighbour who may be the key to his return to form.


This film wasn’t supposed to be surprising. We all knew Will Ferrell was capable of this. Come on. Stranger than Fiction was only five years ago, we can’t have forgotten the incredible pathos he brought to the role of Harold Crick. The man aced that film without so much as an improv-session or a poop joke, and we respected him that much more for broadening his cinematic horizons.

Now Everything Must Go demands even more drama. We won’t call Will Ferrell’s character here a ‘serious’ role, because we’re not the Oscar nomination board and we don’t automatically disqualify comedy films from being worthwhile simply for making us laugh uncontrollably and maybe snorting beverages out of our nostrils accidentally. It could happen to anyone. In fact, let’s leave off the name-calling of roles altogether until we work out what this is.

Nick Halsey (Ferrell) is an alcoholic. He’s been dry these last six months, but he relapsed at a work party and now he’s paying for it. His boss fires him. His wife leaves him. We’re never sure of the exact dynamic between husband and wife (she never makes an appearance), but it must have been pretty rough – he comes home to find she’s changed the locks and thrown out every single possession of his onto the lawn. Add a frozen bank account and a cancelled phone contract and you have one supremely shitty day.

His first plan of action is to call his wife. She doesn’t answer, and he burbles some desperate promises into her answering machine. One 12-pack of Pabst later, he’s sunk into his comfy chair out on the lawn, surrounded by his mess of clothes and furniture and baseball memorabilia. Robbed of the context of a beautiful house, it’s all just...stuff. He struggles to justify it to neighbours and passers-by, who think he’s just holding an extended yard sale.

Writer/director Dan Rush traps us in Nick’s little bubble; we live with him from day to day, watching him put away can after can of beer. Nick is stuck on this lawn. He can’t wander off into the world and have mad adventures like the flamboyant alcoholics of Arthur or Withnail & I. His world is his front lawn, where he is forced to literally re-evaluate everything in his life. This seems too hard, so he hires local boy Kenny to evaluate it for him instead, at an enticing minimum wage salary.

It’s a wry, bittersweet experience, to say the least. Without trying too hard to be eccentric and quirky, Rush finds his own distinctive slant on the familiar midlife crisis story. It’s a relatively straightforward plot, so with no barmy antics or slapstick to distract us, the charm and impact of Everything Must Go relies very much on its impressive cast.

Will Ferrell reins in his wilder side to give us a delightfully understated portrayal of Nick Halsey as an simple, awkward man, capable of great generosity and terrible “yo momma” jokes. Rebecca Hall’s Samantha is fascinating, shy and forthright at the same time, trying to work out where she stands with the drunk who sits opposite her house. Christopher Jordan Wallace (Kenny) is the real acting revelation here, showing more versatility and maturity at fourteen than most A-listers manage in their mid-thirties.

Kenny is the catalyst for a change in Nick, putting a trust in his friend that goes beyond child-like naïvety. This trust is more than his wife or his AA sponsor ever gave him, and it catches him completely by surprise. Watching Nick find out about himself from his friends is one of the unexpected joys of Everything Must Go; Laura Dern features in a particularly touching scene, as an old high school friend reminding Nick of the instinctive heroism that made sure she never forgot him.

Playing out to The Band’s “I Shall Be Released” was always going make this writer a fan of Everything Must Go, but this is a film that gets its hooks into you long before then. Rush is never glib or flippant on that core issue of alcoholism, but at the same time he never lets the absurdity of Nick’s situation pass him by. This film walks that fine line between drama and comedy without trying to mush the two up into one horrific concept like ‘dramedy’. Rent it, buy it, take a look at this film somehow. You might laugh, you might cry, you might say “wait a minute, wasn’t she that archeologist in Jurassic Park?” And the answer would be yes. Yes she was. But now she is that high school friend, so let’s see if Will Ferrell can resist a dinosaur impression.

Simon Moore is a budding screenwriter, passionate about films both current and classic. He has a strong comedy leaning with an inexplicable affection for 80s montages and movies that you can’t quite work out on the first viewing.

55th BFI London Film Festival - Closing Night Video Highlights

The BFI London Film Festival came to an end for another year yesterday with the screening of the Closing Night Gala film, Terence Davies' The Deep Blue Sea. The British Film Institute have just released their final Vodcast, presenting highlights of all the action from the red carpet, which includes the thoughts of director Davies (The Neon Bible, The House of Mirth) and stars Tom Hiddleston (War Horse, The Avengers), Jolyon Coy (Gourmet, David Rose) and Sarah Kants (A Difficult Woman, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day).

Take a look at the synopis and video...

The Deep Blue Sea synopsis: "Master chronicler of post-War England Terence Davies directs Rachel Weisz as a woman whose overpowering, obsessive love alienates the men around her and destroys her well-being. Based on Terence Ratigan’s play, made famous by countless actresses."


Check out all of our coverage of the 55th BFI London Film Festival here.

DVD Review - The House on the Edge of the Park (1980)

The House on the Edge of the Park (Italian: La casa sperduta nel parco), 1980.

Directed by Ruggero Deodato.
Starring David Hess, Annie Belle, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Marie Claude Joseph, Gabriele Di Giulio, Christian Borromeo, Brigitte Petronio and Lorraine De Selle.


SYNOPSIS:

Two lowlifes invite themselves to an upscale house party; ridiculed by their snobbish hosts, they decide to subject the partygoers to a night of violence and torment.


Looking to capitalise on the success of Wes Craven’s cult rape-revenge shocker The Last House on the Left (1972), controversial Italian filmmaker Ruggero Deodato chose to follow up the hugely controversial Cannibal Holocaust (1980) by delivering his own take on the subgenre – The House on the Edge of the Park. The familiarities don’t end with the title, with Ruggero securing the services of TLHOTL’s sadistic antagonist Krug (the recently deceased David A. Hess) and basically taking the character and placing him in a house full of snobbish rich kids before delivering the kind of sordid, cheap sleaze that you’d expect from a no-budget Italian nasty.

Ruggero immediately sets his stall with the film’s opening sequence, during which the psychotic Alex (Hess) cuts off a young woman’s car before entering the vehicle and strangling her unconscious as he rapes her. Later, back at the garage where he works, Alex and his mentally-challenged friend Ricky (Giovanni Lombardo Radice) are getting ready to ‘boogie’ when a young couple, Tom (Cristian Borromeo) and Lisa (Annie Belle), turn up with engine trouble on their way to a get together with friends. Alex and Ricky secure an invitation to the party but it soon becomes clear that the hosts see them as the evening’s entertainment when they make fun of Ricky’s dancing. Alex finally snaps after Lisa teases him in the shower and Ricky is hussled in a rigged game of cards. He attacks Tom and his male friend using a cut-throat razor before taking the partygoers hostage and subjecting the women to his depraved sexual games during a night of psychological torment.

Ruggero is surprisingly restrained in terms of gore, but the director still pushes the boundaries of decency with several prolonged sexual assaults that make for uncomfortable viewing, particularly Alex’s tormenting of the virgin Cindy (Brigitte Petronio). Despite flexing their muscles recently by refusing classifications to The Human Centipede 2 and The Bunny Game, the British Board of Film Classification have finally started to loosen up over some the so-called ‘video nasties’ of the 1980s and that’s certainly the case with this latest release from Shameless Screen Entertainment. Over 11 minutes of cuts have been restored from the previous release by Vipco in 2002, which essentially reinstates all of the sexual violence barring shots of Alex using a razor blade on Cindy’s (Brigitte Petronio) breasts.

As with the latest edit of Cannibal Holocaust, this is must surely be the most complete version of the that the BBFC are going to allow in the foreseeable future. Still, that doesn’t mean it’s a particularly good film and barring some decent work from David Hess and Giovanni Lombardo Radice as the deranged thugs, there isn’t really much on offer apart from a cheap cash-in designed purely to shock. However, the release itself is certainly an appealing package for fans and even those who own an uncut version will still want to take a look at the exclusive special features, which includes interviews with Hess and Deodato and a throughly interesting 50-minute debate on censorship featuring input from the BBFC, Deodato and film academic Professor Martin Barker.

Gary Collinson (follow me on Twitter)