First trailer for Dexter Fletcher's directorial debut Wild Bill

After earning rave reviews at the London Film Festival last October, the heart-warming family crime-drama Wild Bill is gearing up for release in the UK and the first trailer has just been released courtesy of distributors The Works. The directorial debut of English actor and former child star Dexter Fletcher (Bugsy Malone, Press Gang, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Band of Brothers, Kick-Ass), Wild Bill features a strong cast of British talent including Charlie Creed-Miles (Hereafter), Will Poulter (Son of Rambow), Liz White (The Woman in Black) Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Jaime Winstone (Anuvahood), Jason Flemyng (X-Men: First Class), Olivia Williams (An Education), Leo Gregory (Tristan & Isolde), Iwan Rheon (Misfits), Sammy Williams (Attack the Block) and newcomer Charlotte Spencer.

Check out the synopsis and trailer below...

"SYNOPSIS - Out on parole after 8 years inside, Bill Hayward (Charlie Creed-Miles) returns home to find his now 11 and 15-year old sons abandoned by their mother and fending for themselves. Unwilling to play Dad, his arrival brings them to the attention of social services. With the danger of being put into care looming, Dean (Will Poulter) forces his Dad to stay by threatening to grass him up for dealing. Dean soon connects with Jimmy (Sammy Williams) and through this new bond starts to realize what he's been missing. He has a family and a place in the world, but when Jimmy gets into trouble with Bill's old cohorts, he quickly has to decide what kind of Dad he wants to be. A good one, or a free one."


Wild Bill is set for release on March 30th. For more info, visit the official Facebook page here.

The Amazing Spider-Man trailer 2 hits the web

Yesterday, Sony gave fans an early look at six minutes of Marc Webb's upcoming Spider-Man reboot with a series of special sneak peek screenings across the globe and this morning they've followed that up with the online release of the second theatrical trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man, giving us a new look at Andrew Garfield's web-crawler in action.

Along with Garfield, The Amazing Spider-Man stars Emma Stone as love-interest Gwen Stacy, along with Rhys Ifans as Dr. Curt Connors / The Lizard, Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben, Sally Field as Aunt May, Denis Leary as Captain George Stacy, Chris Zylka as Flash Thompson, C. Thomas Howell as Ray, Irrfan Khan as Nels van Adder (a.k.a. Proto-Goblin), Cambell Scott as Richard Parker and Embeth Davidtz as Mary Parker.

Check out the latest trailer, which provides a pretty good idea of the story, not to mention a first glimpse of the villainous Lizard...


"The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker, an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy, and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents' disappearance - leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr Curt Connors, his father's former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors' alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero."

So, now that we've got an idea of how each of 2012's three big superhero movies are shaping up, how do you think The Amazing Spider-Man compares to Joss Whedon's Marvel team-up The Avengers and Christopher Nolan's final Batman feature, The Dark Knight Rises..?

The Amazing Spider-Man is set for release on July 3rd in North America and hits UK cinemas the following day.

Machete will return in Machete Kills!

We were promised that he'd return and now Deadline have confirmed that Danny Trejo's former Mexican Federale will be back, with filmmaker Robert Rodriguez signing a deal with producer Alexander Rodnyansky to develop Machete Kills - the sequel to 2010's Grindhouse spin-off Machete and the second instalment in a planned trilogy that will presumably conclude with Machete Kills Again.

According to Deadline's report, "The new film finds Machete recruited by the U.S. Government for a mission which would be impossible for any mortal man. Machete must battle his way through Mexico to take down a madman cartel leader and an eccentric billionaire arms dealer who has hatched a plan to spread war across the planet with a weapon in space. Machete takes on an army in an effort to dismantle a plan for global anarchy."

Machete Kills has been scripted by Kyle Ward (the upcoming adaptation of Kane & Lynch) and is expected to begin filming in April. Talks are currently underway with Trejo to reprise his role, while Rodriguez also stated that he expects those cast members whose characters managed to survive the first movie - such as Michelle Rodriguez, Jessica Alba and Lindsay Lohan - to return.

Michael Biehn to produce and star in three Grindhouse films

Following his comeback in the Planet Terror portion of the Robert Rodriguez / Quentin Tarantino collaboration Grindhouse back in 2007, cult actor Michael Biehn - star of 80's classics The Terminator, Aliens and The Abyss - now seems to have a taste for exploitation flicks. Having made his directorial debut last year with the suspense thriller The Victim, The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Biehn has signed a deal with Chiller Films (the genre arm of Aspect Film Ltd.) to star in three grindhouse movies from his production company Blanc/Biehn Productions.

In a press statement, Chiller Films CEO Hugh Edwards said, "The three films are action-packed and very humorous; true to the essence of the best in recent grindhouse movies, from the likes of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez." The projects are currently going by the working titles of The Farm, Up and Down and The Predicator, and will be shot over a 45-day period under three different directors, with Biehn and his wife, Jennifer Blanc-Biehn, also serving as executive producers.

Blu-ray Review - Tyrannosaur (2011)

Tyrannosaur, 2011.

Directed by Paddy Considine.
Starring Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman and Eddie Marsan.


SYNOPSIS:

A man whose life is spiralling out of control is given a chance at redemption when he meets a Christian charity shop worker.


The feature debut from British actor Paddy Considine (Dead Man's Shoes, Hot Fuzz), Tyrannosaur has been earning a host of plaudits since its premiere at Sundance last year and now comes to DVD and Blu-ray following a limited theatrical release in the UK last October. A bleak and gritty slice of social drama, Tyrannosaur is remeniscent of the work of filmmakers such as Ken Loach and Considine's long-time friend Shane Meadows, and is a superbly assured debut for its writer-director.

An extension of Considine's 2007 short Dog Altogether (which is also included as a special feature), Tyrannosaur centres on Joseph (Peter Mullan), a middle-aged, alcoholic widower whose life is consumed by wanton violence and anger. During the first ten minutes of the film, Joseph kills his beloved pet dog in a fit of rage, smashes the window of his local post office and assualts a group of youths in his local pub. However, before he can slip any further down this path of self-destruction, Joseph meets Hannah (Olivia Colman), a kind-hearted charity shop owner who appears to offer him a chance at salvation. At first, Joseph spurns Hannah's attempts to play the Good Samaritan, but as the two spark up a friendship, we come to discover that Hannah has her own issues - namely, that she is stuck in an abusive relationship with her vile and sadistic husband James (Eddie Marsan) - and it soon becomes apparent that Joseph is not the only one looking to get his life back on track.

While Considine's writing and direction is first-rate throughout, the true highlight of the film is the wonderful performances he draws from his cast. With a C.V. that includes films such as of Trainspotting, My Name is Joe and Neds (for which he also served as director), the ever-reliable Peter Mullan is of course in familiar territory as Joseph, but the real surprise is the fantastic turn from Olivia Colman, best known for her role in the Channel 4 comedy series Peep Show. As Hannah, Colman delivers a stunning performance that really demonstrates her range and ability as an actress and it comes as a surprise that BAFTA failed to recognise her work with a nomination at the British Academy Film Awards, especially with Tilda Swinton getting a nod for essentially pulling the same face for the best part of two hours in We Need to Talk About Kevin.

While it doesn't quite reach the same levels of brutality as Nil by Mouth, Tyrannosaur is certainly an uncomfortable film to watch at times; however, as with Gary Oldman's aforementioned 1997 directorial debut, it is also a powerful and affecting drama that demands to be seen - not to mention a film that firmly establishes Paddy Considine as a real talent to watch out for behind the camera.

Gary Collinson

Super Bowl TV spots - The Avengers, The Hunger Games, Star Wars 3D, John Carter, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Battleship, The Dictator and more...

The Super Bowl took place in the States last night, which as always, provides the Hollywood studios with the opportunity to grab some hugely-expensive ad space to show off their big cinematic offerings for the year ahead. Although notable absentees included hotly-anticipated releases such as The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man, there was still a veritable feast of movie goodness on display, including TV spots for the likes of 21 Jump Street, Act of Valor, Battleship, The Dictator, Dr. Suess' The Lorax, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, The Hunger Games, John Carter and Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 3D, while Marvel also gave superhero fans a brand new look at Joss Whedon's epic ensemble The Avengers and Sony offered up another glimpse of the upcoming Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.

Take a look at all of the Super Bowl movie ads here...

21 Jump Street:


Act of Valor:


The Avengers:


The Avengers (extended):


Battleship:


The Dictator:


Dr. Suess' The Lorax:


Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance:


G.I. Joe: Retaliation:


The Hunger Games:


John Carter:


Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 3D


And lastly, a short message from Optimus Prime...

Transformers: The Ride 3D


Which is your favourite of the Super Bowl TV spots? Personally, I'd have to say The Avengers takes it hands down...

Harrison Ford returning as Rick Deckard in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner sequel?

Not content with returning to the Alien franchise for this summer’s sci-fi epic Prometheus, British filmmaker Ridley Scott is also busy making plans to revisit the Blade Runner universe and now, according to Twitch Film, star Harrison Ford has entered early negotiations to reprise his role as replicant hunter (and possible replicant) Rick Deckard.

Back in August, producer Andrew Kosove told the Los Angeles Times that the latest Blade Runner would present an entirely new story, sans Ford: “In no way do I speak for Ridley Scott but if you're asking me will this movie have anything to do with Harrison Ford, the answer is no. This is a total reinvention and in my mind that means doing everything fresh, including casting.” However, if this latest casting rumour proves true, it would seem that Scott has other ideas, whilst also indicating that the director is planning a straight-up sequel to the 1982 cult classic.

The new Blade Runner feature is widely assumed to be Scott’s next film after Prometheus, although the director has recently been linked to Cormac McCarthy’s The Counselor and also has several other projects in the pipeline, including an adaptation of the Cold War-era thriller Child 44, a Gertrude Bell biopic starring Angelina Jolie, and a docudrama based upon the exploits of Simon Mann, an ex-British army officer who led a failed coup against government of Equatorial Guinea. Meanwhile Ford has the baseball drama 42 and sci-fi adventure Ender’s Game on his upcoming slate, while rumours persist that the actor will also be linking up with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas for a fifth outing as Indiana Jones in the somewhat near future.

On a final note, with Scott seemingly intent on revisiting past glories, let’s hope he doesn’t turn his attention to the Nick Cave-scripted Gladiator 2, which would have seen Russell Crowe’s Maximus resurrected by the Roman gods before going on to fight in the likes of World War II and Vietnam.

The Week in Spandex - The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, Ghost Rider: SOV, The Amazing Spider-Man, X-Men and more...

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

The Super Bowl takes place this Sunday and despite the fact we won't be getting any advertising spots for The Dark Knight Rises or The Amazing Spider-Man, Marvel will ensure that superhero fans have plenty to get excited over as the studio delivers some brand new footage from The Avengers, which was preceeded by a short ten-second preview earlier in the week that gave us a tantalising glimpse of the mysterious alien race whose identity has been subject to so much speculation over the past few months. While the 'blink-and-you'll-miss-it' peek wasn't giving too much away, perhaps we'll have a better idea of their identity when the commercial airs on Sunday.

With just three months to go until The Avengers arrives in cinemas, the marketing machine appears to have stepped up a gear, with Marvel issuing a host of new character posters featuring Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), The Incredible Hulk (a mo-capped Mark Ruffalo), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), while Joss Whedon and company also took part in a live Twitter chat, during which it was confirmed by the director himself that Spider-Man will NOT be making a cameo appearance, despite plenty of rumours to the contrary. So there you have it...

Turning now to The Dark Knight Rises and we're starting to get to see some of the promotional tie-ins that will accompany the release of Christopher Nolan's hugely-anticipated third Batman feature. Among the goodies released this past week are a couple of new shots of the Dark Knight, along with a look at Mattel's range of action figures, which of course come complete with the obligatory range of ridiculous accessories. Meanwhile Christian Bale also took part in an interview with Style Magazine, during which he described Batman's position in TDKR: "For me he is an anarchist and a free spirit. He knows that there are parallels between him and his enemies because life is never stable - you always have to fight for it. Keeping in mind that it may never be boring and that nobody is obliging you to behave like a superhero and to always have your muscles flexed and bulging."

Wrapping up the best of the rest…

...With Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance hitting screens later this month, Yahoo! Movies debuted a new behind-the-scenes video from the upcoming sequel / reboot, while CineComics also got their hands on a selection of images showing Nicolas Cage performing as Ghost Rider pre-CGI enhancements...

…As Sony prepare to unleash a sneak peek at The Amazing Spider-Man across select cities this coming Monday (February 6th), we also received confirmation via the Alberta Film Ratings website that a second theatrical trailer – running at 2.24 seconds in duration – will be arriving in the very near future. Meanwhile Andrew Garfield took part in an interview with The Times of India, during which he discussed how his version of the web-crawler will differ from that of Tobey Maguire’s earlier incarnation, while the official site has also updated with several new images featuring the likes of Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field), along with a host of wallpapers and avatars…

…In other Spidey-related news, Newsarama spoke to Marvel Studios executives Will Corona Pilgrim and Jeph Loeb about Agent Coulson and his inclusion in the upcoming Ultimate Spider-Man animated series, while Loeb also touched upon the continuity of Marvel’s ever-expanding slate of comic book, theatrical and television offerings: “Marvel TV properties in general will exist within the Marvel Universe in comics. That’s the continuity we watch… there’s nothing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that goes against the publishing Marvel Universe, so we’d pretty much follow in that way…”

… Chronicle arrived in UK cinemas this past Wednesday but Fox still managed to sneak in one last trailer before the $15m found footage superhero flick opened across North American cinemas yesterday. Director Josh Trank - rumoured to be in the frame to tackle Fox's reboot of the Fantastic Four - spoke to ComicBookMovie about the film, while HeyUGuys also caught up with cast members Dane DeHaan, Michael B. Jordan and Alex Russell…

…Warner Premiere’s latest DC Universe Animated Original Movie, Justice League: Doom, is released in North America later this month and a couple of new clips have arrived online recently, showing Batman (Kevin Conroy) squaring off against the Royal Flush Gang before the Caped Crusader’s Justice League colleagues Superman (Tim Daly), Wonder Woman (Susan Eisenberg), The Flash (Michael Rosenbaum), Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion) and Martian Manhunter (Carl Lumbly) get in on the action. Check the clips out here and here…

…The CW network’s Green Arrow television series continues to pick up steam as Deadline revealed that Canadian actor Stephen Amell has joined the cast of Arrow in the title role of Oliver Queen. Amell – whose previous credits include shows such as The Vampire Diaries, CSI, 90210 and Hung – will step into the role for the upcoming pilot, which is set to be directed by David Nutter (Dark Angel, Smallville, Supernatural) from a script by Andrew Kreisberg (Justice League) and Green Lantern scribes Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim…

…On the subject of Green Lantern, Ryan Reynolds had a few brief words about the chances of a sequel to Warner Bros. big-budget box office disappointment, telling MTV Splash Page that he has “no idea” when asked if he’ll be reprising his role as Hal Jordan…

…And finally, in news which really didn’t come as much of a surprise at all, it was also announced that Fox have reached a deal with British director Matthew Vaughn to continue his mutant exploits, with Vaughn and producer Bryan Singer signing on for a sequel to last year’s X-Men: First Class. The project joins fellow X-Men spin-offs The Wolverine and Deadpool in development at Fox, with X-Men: The Last Stand and Sherlock Holmes screenwriter Simon Kinberg set to pen the script and James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender previously confirmed as returning to the cast.

Gary Collinson

Holy Franchise, Batman! - Arriving this June.

The Twilight Saga DVD giveaway

As Twilight fans prepare themselves for the home entertainment release of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 - not to mention the arrival of the series' final instalment, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2, in cinemas this coming November - we are offering one of our readers the chance to win themselves a DVD box set featuring Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse in our latest Twitter giveaway.

Read on for a synopsis and details of how to enter this competition...

Experience the passion, romance and action that has made The Twilight Saga a global box office smash hit in this 3 disc set.

Twilight adds a dangerous twist to the classic story of star-crossed lovers as we first meet 17 year old Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and the mysterious Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) - a boy who's hiding a dark secret: he's a vampire.

In The Twilight Saga: New Moon Bella finds her loyalties tested as she is drawn into the world of the werewolves, the ancestral enemies of the vampires, through her friendship with Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner).

In The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger, and in the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob. With her graduation approaching, Bella is confronted with the most important decision of her life.

Be sure to check out the site this coming Wednesday for an exclusive insight into the making of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1.

To be in with a chance of grabbing the DVD box set, simply add us on Twitter go directly to the competition message and hit retweet.

The giveaway closes at midnight on Saturday, February 25th. For entrants outside of the UK, please make sure you can play Region 2 DVDs.

The Prize Finder - UK Competitions
Loquax Competitions

By entering this competition you agree to our terms and conditions, which you can read here.

R.I.P. Ben Gazzara (1930 - 2012)

Ben Gazzara, the veteran actor of the stage and screen, has passed away on Friday at the age of 81 after battling pancreatic cancer. Born in New York City in 1930, Gazzara studied acting at the Dramatic Workshop in New York before joining the celebrated Actors Studio and began his career with a number of acclaimed Broadway roles during the 1950s, gaining the first of three Tony Award nominations in 1956 for his work in A Hatful of Rain. He made his feature film debut alongside fellow Actors Studio alumni such as George Peppard and Pat Hingle in 1957's The Strange One, before gaining his breakthrough role in Otto Preminger's 1959 courtroom drama Anatomy of a Murder.

During the 1960s, Gazzara enjoyed a successful run in the television series Run for Your Life, receiving three Golden Globe nominations for Best TV Star - Male and two Emmy nominations for Actor in Leading Role in a Dramatic Series (he would receive a further Emmy nomination in 1986 for the mini-series An Early Frost, before collecting the Award at the fourth attempt when he was named Outstanding Supporting Actor for the 2002 TV movie Hysterical Blindness). Following his work on Run for Your Life, Gazzara began a series of collaborations with acclaimed filmmaker John Cassavetes, appearing in Husbands (1970), The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976) and Opening Night (1977), and during the later stages of his career he remained prolific, appearing in films such as Road House (1989), The Big Lebowski (1998), Buffalo '66 (1998), Happiness (1998), Summer of Sam (1999), The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), Dogville (2003) and Paris, je t'aime (2006).

Story details emerge for the Vin Diesel sci-fi sequel Riddick

After returning to The Fast and the Furious franchise a couple of years back, action star Vin Diesel has now turned his attention to a third live-action outing as the anti-hero Richard B. Riddick, donning the goggles once more under writer-director David Twohy for the long-rumoured sequel to Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick.

Entitled Riddick, the latest film has gone into production in Montreal, Canada and Universal Pictures have just issued a press release giving us some details about the story:

The infamous Riddick has been left for dead on a sun-scorched planet that appears to be lifeless. Soon, however, he finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators more lethal than any human he's encountered. The only way off is for Riddick to activate an emergency beacon and alert mercenaries who rapidly descend to the planet in search of their bounty.

The first ship to arrive carries a new breed of merc, more lethal and violent, while the second is captained by a man whose pursuit of Riddick is more personal. With time running out and a storm on the horizon that no one could survive, his hunters won't leave the planet without Riddick's head as their trophy.

Along with Vin Diesel, Riddick also sees the return of Karl Urban (Dredd) as Vakko, while newcomers to the series include Jordi Molla (Colombiana), Matt Nable (Killer Elite), Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica), Bokeem Woodbine (Total Recall), Conrad Pla (Immortals) and Raoul Trujillo (Apocalypto), along with singer Keri Hilson and former WWE star Batista.

Riddick is expected to aim for an R-rating, and is scheduled to hit cinemas some time next year.

Win a pair of tickets to a preview screening of The Woman in Black - NOW CLOSED

Flickering Myth have teamed up with Orange Film to offer one lucky reader two tickets to an exclusive preview screening of Hammer's supernatural thriller The Woman in Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter fame. The screening will take place at BAFTA HQ (195 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9LN) on the evening of Monday 6th February - read on for a synopsis and details of how to enter the giveaway...


The Woman in Black follows a young lawyer, Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe), who is ordered to travel to a remote village and sort out a recently deceased client’s papers. As he works alone in the client’s isolated house, Kipps begins to uncover tragic secrets, his unease growing when he glimpses a mysterious woman dressed only in black. Receiving only silence from the locals, Kipps is forced to uncover the true identity of the Woman in Black on his own, leading to a desperate race against time when he discovers her true intent.

To be in with a chance of winning all you need to do is make sure you like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, then send a quick email with your contact details and the subject heading "WOMAN". Be sure to include your postal address, contact telephone number and your Facebook / Twitter username.

The competition closes at 5pm on Sunday, February 5th. UK entrants only please.

Don’t forget, Orange customers can also download a film every Thursday from iTunes with Orange Film To Go. They can do so by simply texting ‘FILMTOGO’ to 85060, via the dedicated ‘Orange Film To Go’ iPhone app or by logging onto facebook.com/orangefilmclub.

Small print:
- Arrivals from 6.30 for a 7pm start
- Winners must be over 18 and bring photo identification
- No travel or accommodation is provided

Win Holy Flying Circus on DVD

In 1979, Monty Python’s Life Of Brian became one of the most controversial films ever to be released in British cinemas, causing outrage amongst religious groups, members of the public and politicians, most of whom hadn’t even seen the film. Accusing it of being blasphemous, many called for the film to be banned. Now, the brand-new, critically acclaimed comedy-drama Holy Flying Circus revisits that period and delivers a witty, entertaining and affectionate homage to the Pythons and the film that, today, has become accepted as one of the greatest comedy movies of all time.


Holy Flying Circus will be released on DVD by FremantleMedia Enterprises on 6th February 2012 and to celebrate, we have two copies to give away to our readers. Check out the synopsis, and read on for details of how to enter this competition...

Written by Oscar and BAFTA Award nominee Tony Roche (The Thick of It; In the Loop), directed by Owen Harris (Misfits; Secret Diary of a Call Girl) and starring Charles Edwards (Waking the Dead; Mistresses; Batman Begins) as Michael Palin, Darren Boyd (Spy; Whites; Personal Affairs) as John Cleese, Steve Punt (Horrible Histories; Me, You and Him) as Eric Idle, Rufus Jones (Thank God You’re Here; Secret Smile) as Terry Jones, Tom Fisher (The Young Victoria; The Illusionist; Van Helsing) as Graham Chapman and Phil Nichol (Annually Retentive; Broken News) as Terry Gilliam, Holy Flying Circus is a joyfully surreal comedy that perfectly captures the Python spirit and features remarkable performances from its excellent cast.

As the controversy surrounding the cinema release of Life Of Brian raged around them, the Pythons found themselves not only fighting a war against censorship but also at the centre of a debate about what is an acceptable subject matter for comedy. In an attempt to put their side of the argument to the public and to defend the film against the charges of blasphemy, Michael Palin and John Cleese agreed to take part in a live debate on a Tim Rice-hosted edition of the television chat show, Friday Night, Saturday Morning. Arguing the case against the Pythons were two prominent society figures of the time, journalist and author Malcolm Muggeridge and Mervyn Stockwood, the then Bishop of Southwark. What transpired that night has become the stuff of TV legend and was famously regarded by author Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy) as his “favourite bit of television”.

Holy Flying Circus presents a fantastical, Pythonesque re-imagining of the events leading up to and including the riveting TV debate and the eventual release of Life Of Brian in British cinemas. A brilliant and very funny work on its own merits, it is a must-see for Monty Python fans and all those with an interest in the vagaries of comedy...

To be in with a chance of winning, all you need to do is make sure you like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, then send a quick email with your contact details (be sure to include your postal address and Facebook or Twitter username), the subject heading "PYTHON" and an answer to the following question...

What is the name of Biggus Dickus' wife...?

The competition closes at 5pm on Sunday, February 12th. UK entrants only please.

The Prize Finder - UK Competitions
Loquax Competitions

By entering this competition you agree to our terms and conditions, which you can read here.

The Hunger Games gets a new trailer

With less than two months to go before it arrives in cinemas, Lionsgate have just released a second theatrical trailer for The Hunger Games - director Gary Ross' (Pleasantville, Seabiscuit) hotly-anticipated big screen take on Suzanne Collins' acclaimed post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel of the same name.

Adapted by Collins with revisions from screenwriter Billy Ray (Shattered Glass, State of Play) and budgeted at $100 million, The Hunger Games sees Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone, X-Men: First Class) as the sixteen-year-old heroine Katniss Everdeen, and features a strong supporting cast that includes Josh Hutcherson (Journey 2: The Mysterious Island), Woody Harrelson (Rampart), Liam Hemsworth (The Expendables 2), Elizabeth Banks (Man on a Ledge), Donald Sutherland (Don't Look Now), Stanley Tucci (Captain America: The First Avenger) and Wes Bentley (American Beauty).

Take a look at the synopsis, and be sure to check out the new trailer below...

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. Part twisted entertainment, part government intimidation tactic, the Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains.

Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy (Harrelson). If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

The book is the first entry in Collins' 'Hunger Games' trilogy and Lionsgate have already announced that cameras will roll on the second installment - Catching Fire - later this year, with Ross and screenwriter Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours) already on board.

The Hunger Games is set to hit cinemas on March 23rd. Visit the official website here.

Check out the cover and blurb for Holy Franchise, Batman!

Earlier this week, Robert Hale released their catalogue of upcoming releases for January to June, which just happens to include a little book of mine called Holy Franchise, Batman! Bringing the Caped Crusader to the Screen. Read on for the blurb and be sure to check out the catalogue below for more details on the book, including a look at the cover...

Since the Caped Crusader first made the leap from comics to silver screen in the 1940s, generations of audiences have been captivated by the screen adventures of Batman, establishing the celebrated comic book hero as a true icon of popular cultre. Now, Gary Collinson traces the entire screen history of Bob Kane's Dark Knight Detective, providing a fascinating insight into one of the most successful media franchises of all time.

Beginning with the early movie serials of the 1940s, Holy Francise, Batman! charts the development of Batman's many exploits across both live-action and animation, presenting a comprehensive overview of his entire screen career. From the classic 1960s television series starring Adam West and Burt Ward to the hugely successful blockbuster feature films from directors Tim Burton, Joel Schumacher and Christopher Nolan, as well as early Saturday morning cartoon outings through to the acclaimed 'DC Animated Universe', this book explores the evolution of Batman - a journey that has taken him from 'camp' crime-fighter to Dark Knight.

For more info, head on over to page six...


Holy Franchise, Batman! is due out this coming June, so if you're looking to get your Batman fix in the weeks leading up to the release of The Dark Knight Rises, you may want to grab yourself a copy!

The Artist takes top prize at the Richard Attenborough Film Awards

The winners of the Richard Attenborough Film Awards 2012 were announced in London earlier this afternoon, with Oscar front-runner The Artist continuing it's run of awards success as it was named Film of the Year, while director Michel Hazanavicius also collected the gong for Filmmaker of the Year. Now in its sixth year, the Richard Attenborough Awards consist of thirteen categories, with six decided by UK film critics and the remaining seven open to public vote.

Take a look at all of the winners here...

Critics categories...

Film of the Year – The Artist
Filmmaker of the Year – Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Screenwriter of the Year – Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
Actor of the Year – Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class, Shame)
Actress of the Year – Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Rising Star of the Year – Tom Hiddleston (War Horse, Thor, The Deep Blue Sea, Midnight in Paris)

Public Vote...

British Film of the Year – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Animated Film of the Year – Arthur Christmas
Family Film of the Year – The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
British Film Star of the Year – Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
Film Star of the Year – Robert Pattinson (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1)
UK Film Blog Site of the Year – CineVue
Most Anticipated Film of 2012 – The Dark Knight Rises

Finally, we'd just like to say thank you to everyone who took the time to vote for Flickering Myth in the UK Film Blog Site of the Year category - your support is much appreciated!

Burn in Hell contest - Win a Kevin Smith book and DVD

This month sees the premiere of Kevin Smith's latest one-man show Burn in Hell, which airs on the EPIX premium network on February 11th, with on-demand previews beginning February 3rd, offering subscribers and non-subscribers an early screening of the entire special. To celebrate, we have got our hands on two fantastic prizes - a signed copy of Silent Bob Speaks: The Collected Writings of Kevin Smith and a signed copy of An Evening with Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder on DVD - which we're offering to one lucky Stateside reader.


Read on for more information, two clips from the special, and details of how to enter this fantastic giveaway...

"In the hour and a half special, recorded live at the Paramount Theater in Austin, Texas, Smith conducts a riotous and outrageous Q&A session about the aftermath of his latest film, Red State. Topics include his mishaps and misadventures such as drawing the ire of the entire movie blogger community at the Sundance Film Festival and being followed around the country by the highly devout, and highly angered, Phelps Family."

On prayer...


If I was making a Batman movie...


The preview of Burn in Hell can be viewed via participating affiliated television providers’ EPIX On Demand service and EPIX apps on Xbox 360 and Roku. It will also be available for streaming at EpixHD.com and the “TV Everywhere” portals of affiliated providers.

To be in with a chance of winning, all you need to do is make sure you like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, then send a quick email with your contact details (be sure to include your postal address and Facebook or Twitter username in the email), the subject heading "BURN IN HELL" and an answer to the following question...

Your favourite Kevin Smith movie is..?

The competition closes at 5pm on Sunday, February 12th. US entrants only please.

By entering this competition you agree to our terms and conditions, which you can read here.

For more information about EPIX, go to www.EpixHD.com. Follow EPIX on Twitter @EpixHD and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/EpixHD.

War Horse tops the UK box office chart for the third week on the trot

UK box office top ten and analysis for the weekend of Friday 27th to Sunday 29th January 2012...

It may not be the front-runner for the Best Picture Oscar, but Steven Spielberg's War Horse is certainly setting the pace at the UK box office (and providing me with the opportunity to churn out a slew of horse-related gags), with the World War I drama adding another £2m to give it a strong cumulative gross of £13.4m to date on these shores.

War Horse fended off some pretty strong competition from new releases this past weekend, including fellow Best Picture nominee, Alexander Payne's George Clooney-starrer The Descendants, which takes second place with £1,797,939. Also surpassing the seven-figure mark on their debut weekend were the Liam Neeson survival thriller The Grey (taking third with £1,097,338) and 3D animation A Monster in Paris (in fourth with £1,043,531), while the recent awards success for Michel Hazanavicius' The Artist sees the acclaimed silent feature climb three spots to finish up in fifth after five weeks on screens.

Moving on to the bottom half of the chart and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows drops two positions to sixth and remains the highest-grossing release in the top ten, while Underworld: Awakening suffers a steep decline in its second weekend, plunging four places to seventh. Meanwhile The Iron Lady, The Sitter and Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol all fall three positions each, occupying spots eight through ten.

Number one this time last year: Tangled

Pos.	Film	Weekend Gross	Week	Total UK Gross
1	War Horse	£2,081,490	3	£13,418,627
2	The Descendants	£1,797,939	1	£1,797,939
3	The Grey	£1,094,338	1	£1,094,338
4	A Monster in Paris	£1,043,531	1	£1,043,531
5	The Artist	£704,348	5	£4,470,081
6	Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows	£655,144	7	£25,663,306
7	Underworld: Awakening	£627,846	2	£2,382,349
8	The Iron Lady	£567,397	4	£8,405,809
9	The Sitter	£554,568	2	£1,967,227
10	Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol	£529,462	6	£17,536,984

Incoming...

Wednesday sees the release of the found footage super powers flick Chronicle (cert. 12A) from first time director Josh Trank, while new arrivals on Friday include Adam Sandler's latest comedy Jack and Jill (cert. PG) [read our review here], Roman Polanski's Carnage (cert. 15) [read our review here], acclaimed psychological thriller Martha Marcy May Marlene (cert. 15), Jason Reitman comedy Young Adult (cert. 15), family adventure Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (cert. PG) and crime thriller Man on a Ledge (cert. 12A), starring Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell and Ed Harris.

U.K. Box Office Archive

Matthew Vaughn signs on for X-Men: First Class 2

Deadline are reporting that Fox have closed a deal with Matthew Vaughn to return to the director's chair for a sequel to last year's superhero prequel X-Men: First Class, with X-Men veteran Bryan Singer also back in a producing capacity and Simon Kinberg (Mr. & Mrs. Smith, X-Men: The Last Stand, Sherlock Holmes) handling scriptwriting duties. Vaughn will of course be joined on the sequel by James McAvoy as Professor Xavier and Michael Fassbender as Magneto, both of whom were signed to three-picture deals, which presumably also extends to cast members such as Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique), Rose Byrne (Moira MacTaggert), January Jones (Emma Frost) and Nicholas Hoult (Beast).

While no release date is mentioned for the sequel, the first movie was put together in less than twelve months so it wouldn't be beyond the realms of possibility to see Xavier and his School for Gifted Youngsters back on the big-screen next summer, especially if Fox continue to experience delays with The Wolverine. Hugh Jackman's second solo outing as the adamantium-clawed mutant has been beset with problems and postponements since it was first announced, with the project currently in the hands of James Mangold following the departure of its original director, Darren Aronofsky. The Wolverine is currently slated to begin filming this spring, while Fox also have the X-Men Origins: Wolverine spin-off Deadpool in development under Tim Miller, with Ryan Reynolds thought to remain attached in the lead role.

Moving beyond the X-Men franchise, there's also talk that Fox will enlist Chronicle director Josh Trank to oversee their reboot of The Fantastic Four, while non-superhero projects in the pipeline include Michael Mann's Go Like Hell, Ben Stiller's The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Rupert Wyatt's Rise of the Planet of the Apes sequel and Kiefer Sutherland's return as Jack Bauer for the long-rumoured big-screen take on the hit television series 24.

DVD Review - Yamada: Way of the Samurai (2010)

Yamada: Way of the Samurai (a.k.a. Yamada: The Samurai of Ayothaya), 2010.

Directed by Nopporn Watin.
Starring Seigi Ozeki, Kanokkorn Jaicheun, Sorapong Chatree, Thanawut Ketsaro, Winai Kraibutr and Buakhao Paw Pramuk.


SYNOPSIS:

Betrayed and left for dead, the young Japanese samurai Yamada finds a new home in Siam and soon faces his greatest battle against the elite warriors he once regarded as brothers.


Based upon the exploits of Yamada Nagamasa, a Japanese samurai and adventurer who rose to prominence during the Sukothai Dynasty in Ayutthaya in the 17th century, Yamada: Way of the Samurai is a historical action epic from Thailand that brings together Japanese swordplay with the bone-crunching, hard hitting Muay Thai style made famous by Tony Jaa with the likes of Ong-bak and Warrior King. Although there’s a decent amount of high-impact martial arts entertainment on offer, Yamada is hampered somewhat by its low production values (the film was produced on a budget of ฿100,000,000, which translates to a rather less impressive £2 million to us folks here in the UK), along with a well-trodden, predictable narrative that will be instantly familiar to fans of the genre.

Thai-based Japanese actor Seigi Ozeki (The Odd Couple) leads the cast as the eponymous Yamada, a samurai based in the Ayutthaya province of Siam. After discovering a plot to kill the king instigated by his own people, Yamada is attacked by a group of ninjas and left critically injured. Rescued by a band of fabulously-moustachioed Thai warriors (including veteran kickboxer Buakhao Paw Pramuk), Yamada is taken to a remote village where he is nursed back to health and soon gains an appreciation of the ancient fighting art of Muay Boran. Merging this no-nonsense technique with his own traditional Japanese martial arts, Yamada eventually earns the respect of the Thai warriors and rises through the ranks to become bodyguard to the King Naresuan the Great (Winai Kraibutr) – a role that ultimately leads to a final showdown with his former allies.

Despite the story being overly familiar, the majority of viewers will be watching this to get their action fix and in this regard, Yamada is fairly successful. At times, the cinematography is a little amateurish and the low budget also means we’re treated to an abundance of wonky computer-generated blood effects, but in general the fight scenes are well-choreographed and fairly entertaining. Naturally they don’t quite reach the heights of the aforementioned Ong-bak, but there’s still some impressive action on display, with a good mix of hand-to-hand combat and brutal swordplay. Apart from the CG blood, the only real complaint I have in this department is the over-reliance on slow-motion, which isn’t too much of a problem during the fight scenes, although it does become a little frustrating when it extends to simple actions such as a character taking a bow or turning their head.

Overall, Yamada: Way of the Samurai is a distinctly average entry in the martial arts genre, but if you’re a fan of Muay Thai and easily entertained then you’ll probably want to check it out, particularly for a standout performance from Thanawut Ketsaro’s moustache, which is without a doubt one of the finest I’ve ever seen in Asian cinema.

Gary Collinson