In The Hangover Part II, Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) travel to exotic Thailand for Stu's wedding. After the unforgettable bachelor party in Las Vegas, Stu is taking no chances and has opted for a safe, subdued pre-wedding brunch. However, things don't always go as planned. What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what happens in Bangkok can't even be imagined.
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Friday 27th of May 2011
Le Quattro Volte (U) (D)
Director: Michelangelo Frammartino
Cast: Giuseppe Fuda, Bruno Timpano, Nazareno Timpano
Italy/Germany/Switzerland 2010 88 min
An old shepherd lives his last days in a quiet medieval village perched high on the hills of Calabria, at the southernmost tip of Italy. He herds goats under skies that most villagers have deserted long ago. He is sick, but believes that he can find his medicine in the dust he collects on the church floor, which he drinks in his water every day.
A new goat kid is born. We follow its first few tentative steps, its first games, until it gains strength and goes to pasture. Nearby, a majestic tree stirs in the mountain breeze and slowly changes through the seasons, until transformed into fuel through the ancestral work of the local Calabrian charcoal makers.
A beautiful and poetic vision of the revolving cycles of life and nature in the unbroken traditions of a timeless place, Le Quattro volte appears as the metaphor of a soul that moves through four successive states of being.
Distributor: New Wave Films
Venue: Key Cities
Heartbeats (D)
Director/writer: Xavier Dolan
Cast: Monia Chokri, Niels Schneider, Xavier Dolan, Anne Dorval, Anne-Élisabeth Bossé, Magalie Lépine-Blondeau, Olivier Morin, Éric Bruneau, Gabriel Lessard, Bénédicte Décary et Patricia Tulasne
Francis (Xavier Dolan) and Marie (Monia Chokri) are close friends. One day, during a lunch, they meet Nicolas (Niels Schneider), a young man from the country newly arrived in town. As one rendezvous leads troublingly to another – whether real or imagined, the signs are all bad.
Each of the two friends slides deeper into obsessive fantasies around the same object of desire. And the deeper they slide, the more their once cast-iron friendship begins to crack under the pressure of competing for the new kid on the block.
Xavier Dolan’s second film, Heartbeats, is a study of the fall into love. We follow each stage of the typical love story’s progress – it starts with a meeting and ends in tears.
The film reveals a fundamentally simple intrigue that careers through a whole gamut of poetic craziness: passions unleashed, expectations, sorrow, humiliation and, finally, loneliness.
Distributor: Network Releasing
Venue: Key Cities
Angels Of Evil (15)
Director: Michele Placido
Cast: Kim Rossi Stuart, Filippo Timi, Moritz Bleibtreu, Valeria Solarino, Paz Vega, Francesco Scianna
Michele Placido's (Romanzo Criminale) bio-pic of Renato Vallanzasca plays out like an Italian Mesrine, charting the rise and fall of the legendary underworld figure.
In the 1980s, Vallanzasca (played enigmatically by Kim Rossi Stuart) worked his way to the top of Milan's crime scene, using brute force to despatch his rivals and pulling off a series of daring robberies.
Placido successfully captures the spirit of the times with breathless pacing and stunning set-pieces...
Distributor: Artificial Eye
Venue: Key Cities
Dancing Dreams (D)
Director: Rainer Hoffman & Anne Linsel
A ballet film that captures the hearts of the dancers themselves, Dancing Dreams celebrates the work of world-famous, visionary choreographer Pina Bausch. Bausch selected 40 teenagers to be part of her dance piece Contact Zone. Dancing Dreams follows them through ten months of challenging rehearsals, from their first attempts at expressing themselves in movement through to the long-awaited Opening Night. Pina Bausch died shortly after the film was completed, making it a testament to the genius of one of ballet's greats.
Distributor: Soda Pictures
Venue: Key Cities
Apocalypse Now (R/I) (15) (D)
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Cast: Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall
A newly restored digital print.
"I love the smell of napalm in the morning."
Joseph Conrad's The Hearth of Darkness set in the jungle of Vietnam and Cambodia rather than in Africa, Apocalypse Now follows Army Captain Willard (Martin Sheen), a troubled man sent on a dangerous top-secret mission to assassinate a rogue Green Beret, Col. Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who has barricaded himself in a remote outpost. As Willard ventures deeper and deeper into the wilderness of the jungle in an hallucinatory journey, he embarks on a strange path that leads him to Kurtz – but also forces him to come face to face with the terrifying vision of the heart of darkness in us all.
Distributor: ICO/ Optimum Releasing
Venue: UK wide
Life, Above All (12A) (D)
Director: Oliver Schmitz
Cast: Khomotso Manyaka, Keaobaka Makanyane
Chanda, 12 years old, learns of a rumor that spreads like wildfire through her small, dust-ridden village near Johannesburg. It destroys her family and forces her mother to flee. Sensing that the gossip stems from prejudice and superstition, Chanda leaves home and school in search of her mother and the truth.
Distributor: Peccadillo Pictures
Venue: UK wide
Diary Of A Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules (U) (D)
Director: David Bowers
Cast: Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Rachael Harris, Devon Bostick, Steve Zahn
In this sequel to 2010’s surprise hit, Greg Heffley, the kid who made “wimpy” cool is back in an all-new family comedy based on the best-selling follow-up novel by Jeff Kinney. (Kinney’s Wimpy Kid” series has thus far sold 42 million books.) As he begins seventh grade, Greg and his older brother – and chief tormentor – Rodrick must deal with their parents’ misguided attempts to have them bond.
Controversial Movie About the American Muslim Punk Scene Set for UK Cinema Debut on 12th AUGUST 2011
THE TAQWACORES (18 tbc)
Can you be a sex-obsessed, burka-wearing Muslim?
Can you be gay and Muslim?
Can you be a Muslim stoner?
More importantly can you be a Muslim punk?
Never mind the b******s questions. The answer is Yes.
Described as the “Catcher in the Rye” for American Muslims and based on the cult Los Angeles novel by Michael Mohammad Knight which was originally handed out free in parking lots in America, THE TAQWACORES is set to open at UK cinemas on 12th August 2011.
Shot on an ultra-low budget, THE TAQWACORES is independent film-making at its very best. Directed by Eyad Zahra, with music from American Muslim punk band The Kominas and starring a hip, young cast including Bobby Naderi, Noureen de Wulf and Dominic Rains, THE TAQWACORES is a thought-provoking and insurrectionary tale that will not just appeal to fans of Punk music but anyone who wants a fascinating insight into Muslim youth in the western world or who remembers what it is like to be a teenager.
Yusef (Bobby Naderi) a first-generation Pakistani engineering student, moves off-campus with a group of Muslim punks in Buffalo, New York. His new “unorthodox” housemates soon introduce him to Taqwacore - a hardcore, Muslim punk rock scene that only exists on the West Coast.
As the seasons change, Taqwacore influences the house more and more. The living room becomes a mosque during the day, while it continues to host punk parties at night. Ultimately, Taqwacore influences Yusef too, as he begins to challenge his own faith and ideologies.
THE TAQWACORES deals with the complexities of being young and Muslim in modern-day America and smells achingly cool of teen spirit.
To celebrate the UK cinema release of THE PEDDLER on 15th July, Network Releasing invites filmmakers to submit their short film to a contest judged by film director Eduardo de la Serna, Time Out Film Editor Dave Calhoun, and Managing Director of Network Tim Beddows.
Daniel Burmeister is the most prolific filmmaker you’ve never heard of. Armed with a camera and enough charm to persuade entire towns to join in on his dreams, this tireless, jolly DIY movie veteran rolls in his beat up old car from one backwater Argentine town to another. There, in exchange for room and board, he turns out a feature film in 30 days, transforming these sleepy villages into bustling film sets and the bored populace into avid performers. We are giving members of the UK public the chance to see their own short film in cinemas and on DVD in the spirit of THE PEDDLER. Like Daniel Burmeister, members of the UK public will have to submit their films in 30 days! Described as, “A beautiful film” (Time Out), “A gem” (Evening Standard) and “Be Kind Rewind only for real” (Eyeforfilm.co.uk), THE PEDDLER is one of the most remarkable films anyone is likely to see this year.
The winner and runners-up will be announced at an event screening at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, London, on Friday 15th July. The winning film will be played prior to cinema screenings of the PEDDLER at the Riverside on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th July, and will also be included with runners-up on the UK DVD release later this year. Deadline for submissions is by 12am on Saturday 11th June 2011 and the contest is open to UK-based filmmakers only.
Luc Besson's The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec is one of the silliest films I have seen for a long time, it is also one of those films which I enjoyed every second of it, not in spite, but because of its absolute silliness.
A completely absurd story, crafted with Besson's usual panache and visual flair, set in the Paris of 1911, with the background of can-can, Egyptian mummies taking a stroll in the streets of the city at night, a prehistoric pterodactyl chick groomed as a pet befriending the President's dog, and intrepid young woman reporter, the Adèle Blanc-Sec of the title, a kind of female Indiana Jones character.
The film can be read not only as straight entertainment, but also as a parody of Hollywood studio movies, as the above mentioned Indiana Jones; and a satire of the French establishment.
There is no point describing it any more, it is a very visual film, as many of Luc Besson's works are.
Pirates Of The Caribbean 4 : On Stranger Tides (3D & Imax) (12A) (D)
Director: Rob Marshall
Cast: Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane, Kevin R. McNally, Astrid Berges- Frisbey
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Rob Marshall, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” captures the fun, adventure and humor that ignited the hit franchise—this time in Disney Digital 3D™. Johnny Depp returns to his iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow in an action-packed adventure. Crossing paths with the enigmatic Angelica (Penelope Cruz), he’s not sure if it’s love—or if she’s a ruthless con artist who’s using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the “Queen Anne’s Revenge,” the ship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn’t know whom to fear more: Blackbeard or Angelica, with whom he shares a mysterious past. The international cast includes franchise vets Geoffrey Rush as the vengeful Captain Hector Barbossa and Kevin R. McNally as Captain Jack’s longtime comrade Joshamee Gibbs, plus Sam Claflin as a stalwart missionary and Astrid Berges-Frisbey as a mysterious mermaid.
Distributor: Walt Disney
Venue: UK wide
Friday 20th of May 2011
Julia's Eyes (15) (D)
Director: Guillem Morales
Producer: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Belén Rueda, Lluis Homar, Clara Segura
Julia (Belén Rueda), a woman suffering from degenerative sight disease, finds her twin sister Sara, who has already gone blind as a result of the same disease, hanged in the basement of her house.
In spite of the fact that everything points to suicide, Julia decides to investigate what she intuitively feels is a murder case, entering a dark world that seems to hide a mysterious presence.
Distributor: Optimum Releasing
Venue: Key Cities
The Great White Silence (R/I) (U) (D)
Director: Herbert Ponting
New score by Simon Fisher Turner
UK 1924 | 106 mins
With a new score by Simon Fisher Turner featuring the composer, the Elysian Quartet, Sarah Scutt, David Coulter and Alexander L'Estrange.
A hundred years ago the British Antarctic Expedition (1910-1913) led by Captain Scott set out on its ill-fated race to the South Pole. Joining Scott on board the Terra Nova was official photographer and cinematographer Herbert Ponting, and the images that he captured have fired imaginations ever since.
Ponting filmed almost every aspect of the expedition: the scientific work, life in camp and the local wildlife - including the characterful Adélie penguins. Those things he was unable to film he boldly recreated back home. Most importantly, Ponting recorded the preparations for the assault on the Pole - from the trials of the caterpillar track sledges to clothing and cooking equipment - giving us a real sense of the challenges faced by the expedition.
Ponting used his footage in various forms over the years and in 1924 he re-edited it into this remarkable feature, complete with vivid tinting and toning. The BFI National Archive - custodian of the Expedition negatives - has restored the film using the latest photochemical and digital techniques and reintroduced the film’s sophisticated use of colour. The alien beauty of the landscape is brought dramatically to life and the world of the expedition revealed in brilliant detail.
Restoration supported by the Eric Anker-Petersen Charity.
Distributor: bfi Distributors
Venue: Key Cities
Fire In Babylon (12A)
Director: Stevan Riley
Cast: Viv Richards, Michael Holding, Clive Lloyd, Bunny Wailer
Certificate: 12A
They brought the world to its knees, and a nation to its feet.
Fire in Babylon is the breathtaking story of how the West Indies triumphed over its colonial masters through the achievements of one of the most gifted teams in sporting history.
In a turbulent era of apartheid in South Africa; race riots in England and civil unrest in the Caribbean, the West Indian cricketers, led by the enigmatic Viv Richards, struck a wonderfully defiant blow at the forces of white prejudice worldwide. Their undisputed skill, combined with a fearless spirit, allowed them to dominate the genteel game at the highest level, replaying it on their own terms.
This is their story, told in their own words.
Distributor: Revolver Entertainment
Planeat (D)
Director: Shelley Lee Davies and Or Shlomi
Cast: Dr. T Colin Campbell, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Professor Gidon Eshel
"Revealing the lifestyle choices, which can bring good health for us, our environment and for the future of our planet. Featuring the most compelling research presented by the brilliant work of prominent Doctors and scientists, and with an additional cast of talented chefs and some of the best cookery sequences you have ever seen! This film will inspire, educate and empower... it's time to rethink the PLANEAT!"
Distributor: Studio At 58
Venue: Key Cities
Blitz (18) (D)
Director: Elliot Lester
Cast: JASON STATHAM, PADDY CONSIDINE, DAVID MORRISEY, AIDAN GILLEN, ZAWE ASHTON, MARK RYLANCE, LUKE EVANS
A fast-paced thriller set in contemporary London “Blitz” reflects the challenges faced by a group of police officers working in a modern, multi-cultural society. A raw, gritty tale of moral ambiguity, outsiders and the sacrifices the police make to keep crime off British streets.
Tough, uncompromising and totally un-PC London cop BRANT (Jason Statham) gives a group of teenage hoodies a lesson in why you shouldn’t break into someone’s car and then threaten to kill them. An incorrect version of the story, suggesting the hoodies were innocent victims, written by hack crime reporter and BRANT nemesis HAROLD DUNLOP (David Morrissey) makes the national press and BRANT is hauled in to see police psychologist DR LEONARD (Bill Champion).
Distributor: Lionsgate UK
Venue: UK wide
Third Star (D)
Director: Hattie Dalton
Writter: Vaughan Sivell
Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Tom Burke, Benedict Cumberbatch, JJ field, Rupert Frazer, Nia Roberts, Adam Robertson, Eros Vlahos
James (Benedict Cumberbatch) wants to make the most of this life – what’s left of it.
He invites his three closest friends to join him on a camping trip to his favourite place in the world. The undertaking, however, is fraught with practical difficulties, surreal encounters and emotionally ravaging revelations. For his best friend Miles (JJ Feild), the trip means wrestling with the gloomy reality that the ones he loves tend to die. For Davy (Tom Burke) it’s about being there and holding the effort together – while for Bill (Adam Robertson) it’s about running away from the mistakes he’s made and the comfortable trap that is his life. Each step of the journey is one step further from the past and to a brave new world about courage, dignity and the beauty that lies in the friendship between these four young men.
Distributor: Independent Distribution
Venue: Key Cities
Age of Heroes (15) (D)
Director: Adrian Vitoria
Cast: Sean Bean, Danny Dyer
99 Minutes Film | Certificate (UK)15
Inspired by the true story of ‘James Bond’ author Sir Ian Fleming’s creation of one of most important elite units in the history of the British Armed Forces, this spectacular World War II action-thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat. An inspiration to the modern day SAS, 30 Commando was a new breed of special operations taskforce created to carry out some of the most dangerous missions in the Second World War. Starring SEAN BEAN (Lord Of The Rings, Black Death) and DANNY DYER (The Business, The Football Factory), together again for the first time since Nick Love’s The Outlaw, AGE OF HEROES follows the unique circumstances behind 30 Commando’s inception and the unit’s first highly classified smash-and-grab mission into occupied Norway, to capture vital radar technology that will change the course of the war. But when their escape route is uncovered, the commandos find themselves in a pitched battle to reach the border against vicious Nazi General Dietl (Christian Rubeck) and his deadly 5th Alpine Division.
Distributor: Metrodome
Venue: Key Cities
Vidal Sassoon: The Movie (PG) (D)
Director: Craig Teper
Cast: Vidal Sassoon, Mary Quant, Grace Coddington
Vidal Sassoon is more than just a hairdresser – he's a rock star, an artist, a craftsman who 'changed the world with a pair of scissors'. With the geometric, Bauhaus-inspired hair styles he pioneered in the 1960s and his 'wash and wear' philosophy, Sassoon revolutionised the art of hairstyling, leaving an indelible mark on popular culture. Sassoon literally changed the way that women look and cut their hair today. Spanning 80 years of revolution in culture, VIDAL SASSOON THE MOVIE takes a deeply intimate look into the life of this extraordinary man, whose influence far outreaches the industry he changed forever.
A true rags to riches tale, the film traces Sassoon's path from a London orphanage to international success and celebrity. Through tireless hard work and commitment, he struggles to modernise the old-fashioned world of hair; with modern architecture as his inspiration. "I made up my mind, if I was going to be in hairdressing, I wanted to change things."
VIDAL SASSOON THE MOVIE shows Sassoon to be not only one of the great innovators of our time, but a cultural life force as relevant today as ever.
Distributor: Verve Pictures
Venue: UK wide
Win Win (15) (D)
Director: Thomas McCarthy
Cast: Paul Giamatti, Alex Shaffer, Amy Ryan, Jeffrey Tambor, Bobby Canavale
Disheartened attorney Mike Flaherty (Giamatti), who moonlights as a high school wrestling coach, stumbles across a star athlete through some questionable business dealings while trying to support his family. Just as it looks like he will get a double payday, the boy's mother shows up fresh from rehab and flat broke, threatening to derail everything.
FILMMAKERS ONCE AGAIN ABLE TO CHOOSE OWN ENTRY FEE AS GLIMMER
THE 9 HULL INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 6th - 9th OCTOBER 2011 MAKES ITS CALL FOR ENTRIES INCLUDING A BRAND NEW ONLINE COMPETITION
The 9th edition of GLIMMER: The Hull International Short Film Festival will take place from 6th - 9th October 2011, and, once again, is inviting filmmakers to take part in the biggest short film festival in the North of England.
During its 8th edition - it's most successful ever - GLIMMER screened in excess of 160 films, more than 40 of which were premieres, from across the world, and awarded more than £2000 of prize money to filmmakers
Presenting a diverse selection of films, including dramas, documentaries, artist's film and video and animation, the selected films for the 2011 edition will be eligible for such awards as the Anthony Minghella Glimmer International Award, Anthony Minghella Glimmer UK Award, Glimmer Yorkshire Award and Glimmer Hull Award, all of which will, once again, come with cash prizes for the winning filmmakers. (Pending Funding)
New this year is the Glimmer Award for Best Online Short, as voted for by our online audiences. Filmmakers will shortly be able to upload their shorts to the Hull Film website for consideration, and each week, a winner will be announced, automatically entering it in the competition programme for Best Online Short. More details on this competition and how to enter will be announced here shortly.
Submitted films must be under 45 minutes long and made after 1st January 2009. (submissions for online competition must have maximum duration of 8 minutes) Aside from these restrictions, GLIMMER encourages people to send in films of all types and genres. GLIMMER also welcomes music video submissions.
SUBMISSION FEES
For the past two GLIMMER Festivals we have allowed filmmakers to choose how much they wish to pay in submission fees (if, indeed, they want to pay anything at all).
As this approach has proven very popular and a great success, we will continue to provide Filmmakers with the choice of what they can afford. It is hoped that this, as far as we are aware, unique system of entry fees will continue to encourage people to enter their films into the festival.
Glimmer Interim Director Espen Jensen said:
"For those of you who thought we had vanished; think again - we're here, and we're back and very excited about being able to announce the call for submissions for GLIMMER '11! As in previous years we are accepting films from anyone, anywhere of any genre, but new this year is the introduction of a new Competition. Alongside Awards for best International, UK, Yorkshire and Hull production, we are launching a competition for films made specifically for the www, so go to our website and get your work to us!"
SUBMITTING FILMS
Full information on submitting films to GLIMMER: The 9th Hull International Short Film Festival can be found on the entry form, which can be downloaded from our website: www.hullfilm.co.uk
NOTE: WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF RE-DESIGNING AND UPDATING OUR WEBSITE SO IT WILL BE TEMPORARILY OFFLINE. IF THIS IS THE CASE WHEN YOU TRY TO FIND THE SUBMISSION FORM, JUST EMAIL ME, AND I WILL FORWARD YOU THE DOCUMENTS.
Submissions by post has to reach us by 12 noon, Friday 22nd July 2011.
Join Midnight Movies for some high drama on bank holiday weekend as Kim Newman introduces the cult 1974 horror film 'The Beast Must Die' alongside a celebration of his tome on the genre 'Nightmare Movies' (new edition, on sale now!) We welcome Paul Davis, author and director, to lead the discussion.
Arrive early to choose your seat in the red velvet-clad Roxy Bar and Screen for '70s tunes, drinks and canapés from 10pm, then get your debating head on for the film as we invite you to guess the murderer during the film's 'Werewolf Break'! Plus, the London Short Film Festival curates another Short in the Dark.
***Dress for dinner***
SYNOPSIS
'The Beast Must Die' comes from the legendary Amicus, the studio that dripped blood and stars Calvin Lockhart, Peter Cushing and Michael Gambon. A wealthy businessman and skilled huntsman summons a handful of guests to his home for the weekend, one of whom has a taste for blood. It's up to the others to seek out the monster before the full moon fades...
"super sweet dose of 70’s werewolf camp with a top-notch cast and music" - Eat My Brains
"The Beast Must Die is a horror classic in every sense of the word. It has it all: horn heavy bow-chica-bow-wow Seventies theme music, a badass soul brother as the lead character, some surprising gore... and one of the true masters of our genre; Peter Cushing" - Dread Central
A cake that did not come out as promised, when you consider the quality of the ingredients. Its armature, the script, failed to shape all the disparate elements of this film into a coherent whole. Running the risk of retelling the plot of Hanna once more, Focus Features did publicise it ad nauseam at least on Twitter and Facebook, it tells the story of a 15 year old girl, Hanna (Saoirse Ronan), who has been raised by her father, Erik (Eric Bana), as a killing machine in a remote forest in Finland, who is released in the wide world to settle some old scores with the CIA, particularly with one of its agents, Marissa (Cate Blanchett).
An ingénue, she marvels at the gadgets of the modern world that we take as part of “nature” now, such as electricity. There are some bright sparks of humour on seeing her running in fear of an electric kettle, or tackling to the ground a Spanish boy who attempts to kiss her in a date! However, she has not much time to indulge in her explorations of this world as, after having been taken prisoner by the military, she ends escaping from a secret and heavily fortified American military base in, of all places, Morocco! Of course, she is being persecuted by a bunch of heavies under the command of Marissa, in what seems to be a clandestine CIA operation through Morocco, Spain and Germany, where she is supposed to have a rendezvous with Erik. There are some lame action shots as she travels through Europe with a family who has given her a lift. Frankly, I could have stayed at home watching the proverbial paint drying.
Neither its director, Joe Wright, who tries to give Hanna some excitement by visual trickery, nor Saoirse Ronan, are able to lift this film from being a mediocre work with some touches of genius. Saoirse Ronan, a brilliant young actress, is shackled by the meanness of the story. She is supposed to be both a kind of super killing machine, but also a Kaspar Hauser like figure, her character ends by being none of those. Those touches of humour highlighting her encounters with modernity feel tokenistic. Not even her penetrating blue eyes are fully made use of.
Hanna the film fails as it attempts to be an action film, an exploration of the world by a young girl who grew up outside it, a road story, and a political thriller. It does not succeed on none of those genres, in spite of Joe Wright brilliance, the visual trickeries, and the laid back but powerful acting strength that Saoirse Ronan possesses. I learned about her athletic and fighting skills, I saw very little of her acting. When she did, her strength came through. The characterization and portrayal of the family she travels with felt cliched, the hippy like family discovering themselves in Morocco... Baddies were better painted in the James Bond films. Hanna has been compared with Kickass, Leon, Nikita, a very weak comparison indeed, although a brave attempt. I may mention in passing here that I was no fan of Kickass, or Nikita. While there are excellent scenes in it, nevertheless, as a whole it does not work. The script felt like it was written by a committee.
As Hanna the character said, this film “missed the heart”. Disappointed.
The blogger and blogspot network went down a couple of days ago, suffering from what seemed to be a major failure of their system. This is one of the downside of cloud computing, although the positive side is that I did not have to spend hour after hour finding were the bug was, and restoring the systems back to full working status, if I were running this blog in my own servers, or leasing hosting space. To be fair to Blogger-Blogspot, I have been using its services for several years by now, and this was the first time, in my perception, that they have suffered a major setback.
"Update (5/13 7:46PM PST): Nearly all posts since Wednesday are restored, now bringing back comments from last couple days. We expect the comments to be back this weekend or sooner.
What a frustrating day. We’re very sorry that you’ve been unable to publish to Blogger for the past 20.5 hours. We’re nearly back to normal — you can publish again, and in the coming hours posts and comments that were temporarily removed should be restored. Thank you for your patience while we fix this situation. We use Blogger for our own blogs, so we’ve also felt your pain.
Here’s what happened: during scheduled maintenance work Wednesday night, we experienced some data corruption that impacted Blogger’s behavior. Since then, bloggers and readers may have experienced a variety of anomalies including intermittent outages, disappearing posts, and arriving at unintended blogs or error pages. A small subset of Blogger users (we estimate 0.16%) may have encountered additional problems specific to their accounts. Yesterday we returned Blogger to a pre-maintenance state and placed the service in read-only mode while we worked on restoring all content: that’s why you haven’t been able to publish. We rolled back to a version of Blogger as of Wednesday May 11th, so your posts since then were temporarily removed. Those are the posts that we’re in the progress of restoring.
Again, we are very sorry for the impact to our authors and readers. We try hard to ensure Blogger is always available for you to share your thoughts and opinions with the world, and we’ll do our best to prevent this from happening again."
Posted by Eddie Kessler, Tech Lead/Manager, Blogger
Described by many as the finest orchestra in the world, the Berliner Philharmoniker under their principal conductor Sir Simon Rattle are coming to 3D screens this Spring in a cinematic first.
The orchestra will present Mahler’s First Symphony – a unique and breathtaking experience in the concert hall – with Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances. The concert, filmed in 3D in Singapore’s spectacular Esplanade Concert Hall, is interspersed with pictures of the city and its people, specially conceived to be a visual complement to the music.
As many as eight 3D and HD cameras were used in making the film, making it possible to employ completely new perspectives, so that every cinema-goer can experience the concert not only from the front row of the stalls but also from a seat in the middle of the orchestra.
Distributor: Arts Alliance
Venue: UK wide
Friday 13th of May 2011
Taxi Driver (35th Anniversary) (18) (D)
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Albert Brooks, Leonard Harris, Peter Boyle, Cybill Shepherd
Perhaps one of the greatest American films of all times, Taxi Driver follows the quest of a beleaguered Vietnam war veteran turned taxi driver to clean the streets of New York of “vermin”, a journey through the back streets of the city, its derelict and corrupted hotels and dark corridors falling apart, a journey that explores the moral ambiguities of doing so. Taxi Driver probably launched the careers of Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Sheperd, Harvey Keitel, and that of Martin Scorcese himself. Hugely controversial at the time of its release, due to its portrayal of violence and casting a 13 year old Jodie Foster as a child prostitute, nevertheless the combination of script, cinematography, acting, sound, musical score and attention to detail is masterly.
Distributor: Park Circus
Venue: Key Cities
Love Like Poison (15) (D)
Director: Katell Quillevere
Cast: Clara Augarde, Lio, Michel Galabru, Stefano Cassetti, Thierry Neuvic, Youen Leboulanger-Gourvil
A coming-of-age drama which skillfully combines sexual frankness with a captivating sense of innocence, first-time director Katell Quillévéré's charming LOVE LIKE POISON was a surprise, yet deserved, critical hit at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.
Anna, a young teenager, comes home from her Catholic boarding school for the holidays and discovers her father has left.
Her mother is devastated and confined in the company of the local priest, who is also a childhood friend. Anna clings to her beloved grandfather. She also grows close to Pierre, a free-spirited teenager who cares little about God. Anna is preparing for her confirmation, but her budding desire for Pierre shakes her faith. She longs to give herself over, body and soul but doesn't know if it is to God, or something else...?
In the central role young newcomer Clara Augarde delivers a performance of immense assurance and bravery whilst the Breton landscapes are beautifully captured by cinematographer Tom Harari. An eclectic soundtrack includes English folk songs, church choirs and a choral rendition of Radiohead's 'Creep'. All of which is guided by a sensitivity and poise which announces writer and director Quillévéré as a bold new voice in French cinema.
Distributor: Artificial Eye
Venue: Key Cities
A Screaming Man (PG) (D)
Director: Mahamat-Saleh Haroun
Cast: Youssouf Djaoro, Diouc Koma, Emil Abossolo M
Selected for the Official Competition at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, A SCREAMING MAN is a meditative feature about paternal pride against the backdrop of a war, from award-winning director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun (ABOUNA; DARATT). Former swimming champion Adam is now a pool attendant at a smart N'Djamena hotel, taking fierce pride in his job. His grown-up son Abdel helps him out, but when the hotel is taken over by new Chinese owners, it is Abdel who gets the pool attendant job, and Adam is demoted to the post of gatekeeper. Hurt and resentful, Adam is left seething with humiliation. With the country in the throes of civil war and rebel forces attacking the government, the authorities are demanding that citizens contribute money or volunteer for the war effort. Adam is constantly harassed by the District Chief to make his contribution, but he is penniless. In haste, he commits a terrible act of betrayal, with devastating consequences.
Distributor: Soda Pictures
Venue: Key Cities
Red Hill (15)
DIRECTOR: Patrick Hughes
CAST: Ryan Kwanten, Steve Bisley, Tom E. Lewis
Revenge rides into the town of RED HILL when convicted murderer Jimmy Conway escapes from jail and returns to the outpost town hunting down the cops who sent him away for life. Enter police office Shane Cooper (True Blood's Ryan Kwanten), whose first day on the job quickly turns into a nightmare as he is caught in the middle of what will become a terrifying and bloody confrontation. Cooper will be forced to take the law into his own hands if he is to survive.
Distributor: Momentum Pictures
Amreeka (D)
Director: Cherien Dabis
Cast: Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Alia Shawkat
Amreeka chronicles the adventures of Muna, a single mother who leaves the West Bank with Fadi, her teenage son, with dreams of an exciting future in the promised land of small town Illinois. In America, as her son navigates high school hallways the way he used to move through military checkpoints, the indomitable Muna scrambles together a new life cooking up falafel burgers as well as hamburgers at the local White Castle.
Told with heartfelt humor by writer-director Cherien Dabis in her feature film debut, Amreeka is a universal journey into the lives of a family of immigrants and first-generation teenagers caught between their heritage and the new world in which they now live and the bittersweet search for a place to call home.
Distributor: Dogwoof
Venue: Key Cities
After The Apocalypse (12A) (D)
Director: Antony Butts
Cast: Bibigul Balargazinov, Dr Toleukhan Nurmagambetov
How would YOU clean up after a nuclear war?
Where could the new eugenics of genetic control take us?
Do disabled children have worthwhile lives?
Bibigul is a young pregnant woman with what local doctors call a "frightful, defected face." She is the daughter of Biken, a deformed survivor of a Cold War experiment where 456 nuclear weapons were secretly tested on the population of Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan. While the KGB encouraged locals to fish and swim in the radioactive crater lakes, their doctors analysed the results. Today, some of those doctors are still there, determined to use their results for good. Meanwhile sheep still graze on the craters and nearly 1 in 20 children in nearby villages are born with a birth defect. Confronted with the appalling legacy, but not willing to leave, the community is divided over what to do next.
Dr Toleukhan Nurmagambetov is the head of the city’s maternity clinic and wants the area's horrific cycle of birth deformities to end. His solution: a genetic passport which will prevent descendants of the original survivors carrying suspect genes from giving birth.
Bibigul is sent to Dr Nurmagambetov for further analysis, but despite Nurmagambetov’s judgement that the child will likely be born with Down’s syndrome and his pleas for her to get an abortion, Bibigul vows to keep her child. As Bibigul fights science with hope, Nurmagambetov calls for the law to be changed. But are genetic policies that can only be described as eugenic really necessary? Will Bibigul’s child be born healthy or not?
The film refuses to take sides, leaving viewers wishing Bibigul and her family could have their way: let them at least be free to have their children and extend their families, whatever the risk. On the other hand, if we can prevent the creation of disabled children, should we not do that? If the idea of perfection is decided by whoever is in control, what progress can humanity make before we risk repeating the tragedy of where these ideas took us in the last century? This is the untold story of a great tragedy but leaves viewers disquieted about what should be done, both with the unexpected and long-lasting legacy of nuclear weapons, and with the power of the genetic manipulation that is at last beginning to come of age.
Distributor: Dartmouth Films
Venue: Key Cities
Attack The Block (15)
Director: Joe Cornish
Cast: John Boyega, Nick Frost, Jodie Whittaker, Luke Treadaway
From the producers of SHAUN OF THE DEAD, HOT FUZZ, SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD and PAUL comes ATTACK THE BLOCK, a fast, funny, frightening action adventure movie that pits a teen gang against an invasion of savage alien monsters. It turns a London housing estate into a sci-fi playground. A tower block into a fortress under siege. And teenage street kids into heroes. Its inner city versus outer space.
Trainee nurse Sam is walking home to her flat in a scary South London tower block when shes robbed by a gang of masked, hooded youths. Shes saved when the gang are distracted by a bright meteorite, which falls from the sky and hits a nearby parked car. Sam flees, just before the gang are attacked by a small alien creature that leaps from the wreckage. The gang chase the creature and kill it, dragging its ghoulish carcass to the top of the block, which they treat as their territory.
While Sam and the police hunt for the gang, a second wave of meteors fall. Confident of victory against such feeble invaders, the gang grab weapons, mount bikes and mopeds, and set out to defend their turf. But this time, the creatures are bigger. Much bigger. Savage, shadowy and bestial, they are hunting their fallen comrade and nothing will stand in their way. The estate is about to become a battleground. And the bunch of no-hope kids who just attacked Sam are about to become her, and the blocks, only hope.
Distributor: Optimum Releasing
Venue: UK wide
The Way (12A) (D)
Director: Emilio Estevez
Cast: Martin Sheen, Emilio Estevez
Martin Sheen plays Tom, an American doctor who comes to St Jean Pied de Port, France to collect the remains of his adult son, killed in the Pyrenees in a storm while walking The Camino de Santiago, also known as The Way of St James. Driven by his profound sadness and desire to understand his son better, Tom decides to embark on the historical pilgrimage, leaving his “California bubble life” behind.
Armed with his son’s backpack and guidebook, Tom navigates the 800km pilgrimage from the Pyrenees, to Santiago de Compostela in the north west of Spain, but soon discovers that he will not be alone on this journey. While walking The Camino, Tom meets other pilgrims from around the world, all broken and looking for greater meaning in their lives: a Dutchman (Yorick van Wageningen) a Canadian (Deborah Kara Unger) and an Irish writer (James Nesbitt) who is suffering from a bout of “writer’s block”.
From the hardship experiences along “The Way” this unlikely quartet of misfits create an everlasting bond and Tom begins to learn what it means to be a citizen of the world again, and discovers the difference between “The life we live and the life we choose”. THE WAY was filmed entirely in Spain and France along the actual Camino de Santiago.
Distributor: Icon Film Distribution
Venue: UK wide
Take Me Home Tonight
Director: Michael Dowse
Cast: Topher Grace, Anna Faris, Dan Fogler
As the summer of 1988 winds down, three friends on the verge of adulthood attend an out-of-control party in celebration of their last night of unbridled youth. Starring Topher Grace, Anna Faris, Dan Fogler and Teresa Palmer, Take Me Home Tonight is a raunchy, romantic and ultimately touching blast from the past set to an awesome soundtrack of timeless rock and hip-hop hits.
Recent MIT grad Matt Franklin (Topher Grace) should be working for a Fortune 500 company and starting his upward climb to full-fledged yuppie-hood. Instead, the directionless 23-year-old confounds family and friends by taking a part-time job behind the counter of Suncoast Video at the Sherman Oaks Galleria.
But Matt’s silent protest against maturity comes to a screeching halt once his unrequited high school crush, Tori Frederking (Teresa Palmer), walks into the store. When she invites him to an epic, end-of-summer party, Matt thinks he finally might have a chance with the girl of his dreams. With his cynical twin sister Wendy (Anna Faris) and best friend Barry (Dan Fogler), Matt embarks on a once-in-a-lifetime evening. From stealing a car to a marriage proposal to an indescribable, no-holds-barred dance-off, these friends share experiences that will change the course of their lives on one unforgettable night in the Go-Go ’80s.
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Venue: UK wide
Risen (D)
The remarkable and compelling true story of one of Britain’s greatest sporting heroes, Welsh boxing legend Howard Winstone, is brought to the screen in Risen, a distinctively British boxing film that ranks alongside “The Fighter”, “Rocky”, and “Cinderella Man” as a sports movie that transcends the genre while still managing to deliver “knockout fight scenes” (South Wales Echo) that are “as good or even better than Scorsese’s Raging Bull” (New Jersey Film Festival).
Produced and co-written by director Neil Jones (The Lost) and star Stuart Brennan (Jack Said), and co-starring John Noble (Fringe; The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King), Shane Ritchie (EastEnders), Boyd Clack (High Hopes) and Grainne Joughin (The Lost), Risen is one of only three movies ever to have been supported officially by the World Boxing Council (the others being “The Hurricane” and “Million Dollar Baby”). Adding to its pedigree, the film features cameo appearances from a host of real-life fighters including five-time World Boxing Champion, Erik Morales, British World Champion, Alan Minter, Olympic Gold Medallist and Heavyweight Champion of the World, Leon Spinks, the first officially licensed British female boxer, Jane Couch, plus world champions Tim Witherspoon, Enzo Maccarinelli, Steve Robinson, John H. Stracey, Glenn Catley, Richie Woodhall, Robin Reid and Junior Witter.
Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, in 1939, as a humble miner’s son, Howard Winstone was one of amateur boxing’s most promising rising talents, noted for his knockout right hand. That was until his dreams of a professional career were shattered when a fluke industrial accident led to the crushing of Howard’s hand and the loss of three fingertips, rendering him incapable of making a proper fist. Severely depressed, Howard believed he had lost everything. Against the odds, under the guidance of a new trainer and with the unfailing support of his father, he adapted his technique and developed a new style of fighting that saw him once again rising victoriously through the amateur ranks.
Having won 83 of his 86 amateur bouts, by the time of his first professional fight Howard had overcome adversity to establish himself as a potential contender not only for the British and European Championship titles but also the World Championship title. Inevitably, though, success would have a price. With his marriage to his childhood sweetheart falling apart, a series of unsuccessful challenges for the World title and with the hopes of a nation resting on his shoulders, the pressures were mounting. Now the question was, did Howard Winstone have what was required to become the Champion of the World?
Star Stuart Brennan spent five years preparing for the role of Howard Winstone, training with Howard’s best friend, Don James (who appears in the film as Billie Evans), and reached a standard of boxing where he could have turned professional (and was actually made an Honorary World Champion by the WBC; an honour only bestowed on the very few including Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton and the Pope!). Stuart’s skills allowed Risen to become the first boxing movie to portray full-contact fight scenes in which the lead actor actually trades blows with his opponents. This, combined with the first ever use of the HD Glove Cam, add an extra dimension to the film, making it a must-see movie for all boxing fans.
Risen (cert 12) will be released in cinemas on 13th May 2011 and on DVD (£12.99) by Scanbox Entertainment on 30th May 2011. Special Features include: BBC Wales "Behind the Scenes documentary; deleted scenes (x 8); theatrical trailer; music video.
Distributor: Scanbox Entertainment
Love U...Mr Kalakaar (U) (D)
Director: S. Manasvi
Writer: S. Manasvi (story)
Cast: Prem Chopra, Ram Kapoor and Tusshar Kapoor
He is Sahil..a cartoonist..an artist who derives his inspiration from emotions that come from the sky, from the earth, a scrap of paper, a passing shape, a spider's web...She is Ritu, a management trainee, whose world revolves around debits, credits, turnovers, profits , deadlines.. Written by Rajshri Productions
Distributor: Eros International
Venue: Key Cities
Saturday 14th of May 2011
Yu-Gi-Oh! 3D - Bonds Beyond Time (PG) (D)
Director: Kenichi Takeshita
Cast: Dan Green, Matthew Charles, Greg Abbey
To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the world’s most popular trading card game and the hit animated TV series, duellists Yugi, Jaden and Yusei return to the big screen for the brand-new, sensational eye-popping 3D movie feature, Yu-Gi-Oh! 3D: Bonds Beyond Time.
Marking the first time a Japanese animated movie has ever had UK 3D theatrical release, Yu-Gi-Oh! 3D: Bonds Beyond Time will be released by Manga Entertainment in association with City Screen Picturehouse and will be presented in stunning digital 3D at 15 screens across the UK on Saturday, 14th May 2011, with additional screenings scheduled for Saturday, 21st and 28th May 2011. As a special bonus for Yu-Gi-Oh! fans, all ticket holders will receive a free, strictly limited, ultra-rare Yu-Gi-Oh! collectable trading card.
Additionally, to celebrate the launch of Yu-Gi-Oh! 3D: Bonds Beyond Time, Manga Entertainment will be hosting a UK premiere event screening at the Apollo Cinema in London’s Piccadilly on Saturday, 7th May 2011.
Directed by Kenichi Takeshita (Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex), the release of this latest Yu-Gi-Oh! adventure promises to be one of the year’s major events, not only for fans of the franchise but also for all UK anime fans.
In the future, the world has taken a turn for the worse. Civilization is on the brink of extinction and all hope of a brighter tomorrow has been cloaked with dark uncertainty. One man, however, thinks he can do something about it. With his world crumbling into chaos, a maniacal masked menace known as Paradox figures out a way to travel through time so that he can eliminate the scourge that he believes is responsible for causing his world to decay – the Duel Monsters card game! Paradox, determined to eradicate this perilous threat from the annals of time, begins rewriting the future by erasing the game – one card at a time.
But standing in his way are three legendary duelists who will do whatever it takes to save what’s on the line – their friends, their family and the game they love. For the first time ever, Yugi, Jaden and Yusei will team together and battle with all their hearts in a duel that will decide the past, the present and the future!
Yu-Gi-Oh! 3D: Bonds Beyond Time (cert. PG) will be released on DVD (£9.99) and as a dual 3D ready and 2D presentation Blu-ray (£14.99) by Manga Entertainment on Monday 25th July 2011. Fans who pre-order or pick up a copy of the DVD or Blu-ray in-store will find a bonus, strictly limited “Super Rare” collectable Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card exclusive to this release. For the first time ever for a commercial Yu-Gi-Oh! UK home video release, both the DVD and Blu-ray releases will include the excellent English language dub of the movie, featuring all of the fan’s favourite voice actors, as well as the original Japanese language version with English subtitles.
