A Separation, Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Transformers and other UK releases

Monday 27th of June 2011

The Merry Wives of Windsor (12A) (D)

Director: Christopher Luscombe

Cast: Christopher Benjamin, Serena Evans, Sarah Woodward, Ceri-Lyn Cissone

Imagining that Mistress Ford and Mistress Page have each fallen for him, the fat knight Sir John Falstaff decides to seduce them both, as much for their husbands’ money as for their personal charms. Wise to the old rogue’s tricks, the women turn the tables on him with a series of humiliating assignations and a very damp, extremely smelly laundry bas¬ket. Shakespeare’s hilar-ious and brilliantly constructed farce gave birth to a tradition that reaches down to the modern TV sitcom.

View cinemas showing Shakespeare's Globe: The Merry Wives of Windsor

Distributor: Arts Alliance

Venue: UK wide

Wednesday 29th of June 2011

Transformers: Dark Of The Moon (3D & IMAX) (12A) (D)

Director: Michael Bay

Cast: Shia Labeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Earth is the battle eld once more in the ongoing battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons, though their interest lies in a mystery that dates back to man’s rst, tentative steps on the moon. Shia LaBeouf returns as the Autobots’ human ally, Sam Witwicky, in another explosive, spectacular adventure.

Distributor: Paramount

Venue: UK wide

Friday 1st of July 2011

A Separation (PG) (D)

Director: Asghar Farhadi

Cast: Leila Hatami, Peyman Moadi, Shahab Hosseini, Sareh Bayat, Sarina Farhadi, Babak Karimi

The stand out film of the 2011 Berlin Film Festival and winner of the Golden Bear, A SEPARATION is a suspenseful and intelligent drama detailing the fractures and tensions at the heart of Iranian society.

Written and directed by Asghar Farhadi, the film boasts a range of superb performances from the ensemble cast who collectively received the Silver Bears for both Best Actor and Best Actress at the Berlinale. The compelling narrative is driven by a taut and finely written script rooted in the particular of Iranian society but which transcends its setting to create a stunning morality play with universal resonance.

When his wife (Leila Hatami) leaves him, Nader (Peyman Moadi) hires a young woman (Sareh Bayat) to take care of his suffering father (Ali-Asghar Shahbazi). But he doesn’t know his new maid is not only pregnant, but also working without her unstable husband’s (Shahab Hosseini) permission. Soon, Nader finds himself entangled in a web of lies manipulation and public confrontations. A SEPARATION is the first ever Iranian film to be awarded the Golden Bear.

Distributor: Artificial Eye

Venue: Key Cities

Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo (U) (D)

Director: Jessica Oreck

Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo delves into the ineffable mystery of Japan's age-old love affair with insects. A labyrinthine meditation on nature, beauty, philosophy and Japanese culture that might just make you question if your 'instinctive' repulsion to bugs is merely a trick of western conditioning.

Imagine cramming 128 million people onto an island the size of Montana – you would be pretty close to replicating the density of Japan. Not surprisingly, space is at a premium and ergonomic design is right up there next to godliness.

Yet even in Tokyo, the pinnacle of this figurative “can of sardines,” people of all ages still make room for a tiny bit of wilderness. It is only fitting that they have become captivated by nature’s most efficient invention in space, design and function – insects.

Sold live in vending machines and department stores, plastic replicas included as prizes in the equivalent of a McDonald’s Happy Meal and the subject of the No. 1 videogame, MushiKing, from the smallest backyard to the top of Mt. Fuji, insects inspire an enthusiasm in Japan seen nowhere else in this world. Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo discovers why Japan developed this rich and enriching social relationship with insects.

Like a detective story, the film untangles the web of influences behind Japan’s captivation with insects. It opens in modern-day Tokyo where a single beetle recently sold for $90,000 then slips back to the early 1800s, to the first cricket-selling business and the development of haiku and other forms of insect literature and art. Through history and adventure, Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo travels all the way back in time to stories of the fabled first emperor who named Japan the “Isle of the Dragonflies.”

Distributor: November Films

Venue: Key Cities

As If I Am Not There (18) (D)

Director: Juanita Wilson

Cast: Stellan Skarsgard, Miraj Grbic

As If I Am Not There is a story of a young woman from Sarajevo whose life is shattered the day a young soldier walks into her apartment and tells her to pack her things.

Rounded up with the other women from the village and imprisoned in a warehouse in a remote region of Bosnia, she quickly learns the rules of camp life. The day she is picked out to ‘entertain’ the soldiers, the real nightmare begins.

Stripped of everything she ever had and facing the constant threat of death, she struggles against all the hatred she sees around her. In a final act of courage or madness, she decides to make one last stand: to dare to be herself. And this simple act saves her life.

It’s when she realises that surviving means more than staying alive that she has to make a decision that will change her life forever.

As If I Am Not There is a modern war story that explores love, identity and the connections between us.

Distributor: Element Pictures

Venue: Key Cities

Larry Crowne (12A) (D)

Director: Tom Hanks

Cast: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts

Until he was downsized, affable, amiable Larry Crowne (Hanks) was a superstar team leader at the big-box company where he’s worked since his time in the navy. Underwater on his mortgage and unclear on what to do with his suddenly free days, Larry heeds the advice of his good friends and neighbors—Lamar (CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER) and B’Ella (TARAJI P. HENSON)—and heads to his local college to start over.

At East Valley Community College, Larry becomes part of a colorful group of fellow scooter-riding students—including the charming Talia (GUGU MBATHA-RAW) and her boyfriend, Dell (WILMER VALDERRAMA)—all trying to find a better future for themselves.

Much to his surprise, he develops a crush on his public-speaking teacher, Mercedes Tainot (Roberts), who has lost as much passion for teaching as she has for her deadbeat husband, Dean (BRYAN CRANSTON). Mercedes can’t deny the changes in Larry are inspiring, nor can she deny her budding attraction to this middle-aged student, who is undergoing a fascinating transformation.

The simple guy who has every reason to think his life has stalled will come to learn an unexpected lesson: When you think everything worth having has passed you by, you just might discover your reason to live.

Distributor: Optimum Releasing

Venue: UK wide

The Conspirator (12A) (D)

Director: Robert Redford

Cast: James McAvoy, Robin Wright, Kevin Kline

In the wake of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, seven men and one woman are arrested and charged with conspiring to kill the President, Vice President, and Secretary of State. The lone woman charged, Mary Surratt (ROBIN WRIGHT), 42, owns a boarding house where John Wilkes Booth (TOBY KEBBELL), 26, and others met and planned the simultaneous attacks.

Against the ominous back-drop of post-Civil War Washington, newly-minted lawyer, Frederick Aiken (JAMES McAVOY), a 28-year-old Union war-hero, reluctantly agrees to defend Surratt before a military tribunal. Aiken realizes his client may be innocent and that she is being used as bait and hostage in order to capture the only conspirator to have escaped a massive manhunt, her own son, John (JOHNNY SIMMONS). As the nation turns against her, Surratt is forced to rely on Aiken to uncover the truth and save her life.

A riveting thriller, The Conspirator tells a powerful and true story about America then and now.

Distributor: Universal Pictures

Venue: UK wide

Delhi Belly (15) (D)

With the eclectic music of Delhi Belly becoming a rage across the country, UTV introduces first of its kind karaoke jukebox on YouTube allowing you not only to listen and select the music of Delhi Belly but also gives you a unique chance to sing along with it.

Packed in that 4x4inch grandpa set are 8 buttons, click on any one of them to listen and singalong. If you prefer the lean back experience, just press play, sit tight and let 32 minutes of goodness flow.

Distributor: UTV Motion Pictures

Venue: UK wide

Trailers and stills © The Distributors

Last Year in Marienbad – The eroticism of the Baroque

Alain Resnais' Last Year in Marienbad, a celebration of the eroticism of not only the Baroque, but also of the baroque. An homage to uncertainty in an age where we demand and worship absolute certainty and closure (that awful word) not only from our cinema - how boring, but also in our lives and in the public realm.

An absolutely masterly cinematography, a camera that loves to caress with its lens the exuberance of this dismal baroque hotel where the film is set, while its microphone loves the narrator's words as he describes it, a man who built a story around a woman whom he claims he met the previous year at Marienbad, in that hotel, a story which may be true, or not. A woman character which may be real, or the product of a febrile imagination – the narrator's voice gets more and more feverish as the film progresses. A narrative time that may be true, or itself being an imaginary time, as past and present merges. Where is the one? Or the other? Or are they set in a completely different time, as the mere existence of the narration hints?

A mysterious woman, a shady character, with cold and implacable eyes, setting games to his fellow guests, games that he always win, as Resnais does with his film. But does he? Or Resnais?

Last Year in Marienbad, first released in 1961, has been lauded as one of the cinematic classic masterpieces of all times. I watched it again, leisurely, last night, I have to say that it still felt as fresh and intriguing when I first saw it as a young man in the 60s.

I am not going to write any more about it, as many words have already been spent analysing and over-analysing it in uncountable books, magazines and Film Studies courses, over the years.

I will just say: Just go, lay back, and enjoy it. A very rewarding experience.

Those images! That camera! Those gardens!

Unforgettable.

Last Year in Marienbad will be released in Britain on Friday 8th July 2011 by the BFI, on the same day that, by a happy coincidence, that Jean-Luc Godard's “Film Socialisme” is.

Directed by Alain Resnais

Cast: Delphine Seyrig, Giorgio Albertazzi, Sacha Pitoëff

France-Italy 1961 | 94 mins | Cert U

For exhibiting cinemas click here. 

Scenes from the suburbs – a dystopian view of America

A voice narrates the story of a bunch of kids in flashbacks as they wave in and out of a landscape of a Lebanized America, a country fragmented into autonomous suburbs. Wars between them are not uncommon, anything could ignite them.

Road blocks and border control between suburbs hinder the free movement of the kids. Soldiers in armoured personnel carriers patrolling uneasy curfew locked cities, while the kids vent their energies and suppressed anger in all night parties. Parents opening the door to their children's friends with complete distrust, a land populated by insidious and collective paranoia.

Spike Jonze's dramatization of Arcade Fire's album The Suburbs tells the story in a series of beautifully laid tableau, each one being almost like paintings in their own right, the narrative springing from the junctures between them, the band's score being the string that runs through them.

Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire indirectly grapple with one of my favourite themes, that society is being fragmented rather than becoming the global village that the pioneers of our modern communication tools, such as social networks, promised.

SCENES FROM THE SUBURBS

United States, Canada

2011

28 Min

Color

2.35:1

English

No Subtitles

Audio in English

DIR Spike Jonze

PROD Vince Landay, Arcade Fire

SCR Spike Jonze, Will Butler, Win Butler

DP Greig Fraser

CAST Sam Dillon, Zoe Graham, Zeke Jarmon, Paul Pluymen,Ashlin Williamson

ED Jeff Buchanan, Patrick Coleman

PROD DES Elliot Hostetter

MUSIC Arcade Fire

SOUND T. Terressa Tate, Martin Pedersen

Film viewed courtesy of http://mubi.com

Dancing at the Blue Iguana, lap dancing bared

Dancing at the Blue Iguana begins with a heart rending performance of “Amazing Grace” in a run down room in Hollywood, sung by Jessie (Charlotte Ayanna), a girl barely in her late teens, who is, obviously, in some kind of trouble: we see her later being asked for her ID when auditioning at the Blue Iguana, a lap dancing club in Los Angeles, where her smoothness seduces the owner Eddie (Robert Wisdom) in hiring her, eventually disregarding the age issue.

Michael Ratford assembled not only a notable cast in Dancing at the Blue Iguana (2000), he also made it together with them through acting workshops, resulting in a semi-improvised film notable for the spontaneous and natural feel of the dialogue. Set in the above mentioned lap dancing club, Ratford and his cast slowly but surely peel away layer after layer until exposing this world in its full nakedness for us to see. The result is a poetic yet realistic reflection on the “seedy” world of lap pole dancing clubs. A world that may be seedy, but its participants are not; a world populated by characters making a life on the edge of civil society, where the boundaries between “right” and “wrong” are diffuse and permeable, a world where surviving is the name of the game.

Jessie, Charlotte Ayanna wonderfully portraying that explosive mixture of innocence and sexual allure of a young girl, crashes in the world of adulthood in the arena of this circus, getting beaten up by her boyfriend, dancing for riotous male predators with the bestiality of their libidos let loose on the rampage; Jasmine (Sandra Ho), the dancing poetess who gets dumped by her boyfriend Dennis (Chris Hogan), the poetry reading workshop leader, a tough encounter with the prejudices of the outside world, sustained even by the so-called “liberals”; Angel (Daryl Hannah), the quintessential American blonde model with “legs up to her neck”, a lost soul whose desperate attempt to adopt a child gets derailed, showered with presents and money by Sacha (Vladimir Mashkov), a contract assassin chasing a renegade Russian businessman; an old Jewish gentleman, who still “likes pussy”, with the opera glasses which belonged to his departed wife; Eddie, the owner, a soft touch man who has a business to run, yet still keeping a compassionate but firm eye on the girls; are the characters who show the humanity of this enclosed and feverish world.

Although I have no first hand knowledge or experience of lap dancing clubs, neither in Los Angeles nor in Britain, I hastily add, its cinematic depiction as a kind of Roman circus, where the girl who does the most outrageous performance gets the most dollars bills thrown at her by a pack of hungry hyenas disguised as male patrons, particularly shown when the statuesque Nico (Kristin Bauer) slids off her G-string to the loud cheers of the ravenous crowd, is brilliantly convincing. At times, the film has a semi-documentary feel to it, adding to the credibility of the imagery and the story line, the open ended finale being a deft touch.

Dancing at the Blue Iguana (18) DVD will be released in the UK by Network Releasing on 27th June 2011.

Director: Michael Ratford

Writers: Michael Ratford and David Linter

Cast: Charlotte Ayanna, Sandra Oh, Daryl Hannah, Jennifer Tilly, Sheila Kelley, Kristin Bauer, Robert Wisdom, Chris Hogan

Screen Ratio: 16:9

RRP: £12.99

Still and trailer © Network Releasing

ASSASSIN RISING out on 4th July

Metrodome Distribution presents

ASSASSIN RISING

DVD Release date: 4h July 2011

Running time: 106 Minutes Price: £15.99 / Certificate: 15

When the unstoppable force meets the immovable object, there can be only one outcome: all out war. With jaw-dropping close quarter combat and exceptional battle action on display, ASSASSIN RISING is rich in both epic scale and visionary style. A film like no other, this breathtaking ride delivers fast-paced thrills which raise the bar for the action genre.

As civil war rages through the land, a mighty army cuts a bloody path towards the land’s ancient capital city. A brigade of the enemy’s most ruthless men move closer to their prize, but find their way blocked by a small village.

This humble community is home to no ordinary villagers: it’s under the protection of one of the deadliest fighting units ever, the Black Cats. Teaming up with three mysterious warriors they lead the fight against the enemy army, but the invaders have a secret weapon of their own – a beautiful enchantress whose dark magic could turn the tide of the war.

Countdown to Zero, Incendies, The First Grader, Cutter's Way, Akira, and other UK releases

Friday 24th of June 2011

Countdown To Zero (PG) (D)

Director: Lucy Walker

Cast: Jimmy Carter, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pervez Musharraf, Tony Blair

COUNTDOWN TO ZERO traces the history of the atomic bomb from its origins to the present state of global affairs: nine nations possessing nuclear weapons capabilities with others racing to join them, with the world held in a delicate balance that could be shattered by an act of terrorism, failed diplomacy, or a simple accident.

Written and directed by Academy Award® nominated documentarian Lucy Walker (Waste Land, The Devil’s Playground, Blindsight), the film makes a compelling case for worldwide nuclear disarmament and features an array of important international statesmen, including Jimmy Carter, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pervez Musharraf and Tony Blair.

Distributor: Dogwoof

Venue: Nationwide

Incendies (15) (D)

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Cast: Lubna Azabal, Melissa Desormeaux-Poulin, Remy Girard

Canadian twins Jeanne and Simon are left two envelopes in their mother's will asking them to find a brother and father they never knew they had. Journeying from Canada to Lebanon the twists and turns of their mother's mysterious past reveal an emotionally charged and gut wrenching truth that is deeply rooted in the country's tumultuous history. Part political polemic, detective story and thriller, INCENDIES is one of the most critically acclaimed, ambitious and searing films of the year.

Oscar Nominee, Best Foreign Language Film 2011

Distributor: Trinity Filmed Entertainment

Venue: UK wide

The First Grader (12A) (D)

Director: Justin Chadwick

Cast: Naomie Harris, Oliver Litondo

When the Kenyan government promises free education for all, 84 year old Maruge makes his way to a remote primary school to get himself an education. An old Mau Mau warrior, he once fought for the liberation of his country, now he must fight for his right to learn. Justin Chadwick’s (THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL) new feature starring Naomie Harris (PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN), is full of vitality and humour, a true story of the power of education and the shocking untold history of British colonial rule in Kenya.

Distributor: Soda Pictures

Venue: Key Cities

Cutter's Way (R/I) (15) (D)

Director: Ivan Passer

Cast: Jeff Bridges, John Heard, Lisa Eichhorn, Ann Dusenberry, Stephen Elliott, Nina Van Pallandt

After emigrating to the United States in 1969, Czech-born director Ivan Passer finally broke through to American audiences with his fourth film, a unique blend of mystery and social commentary. Cutter's Way is set in Santa Barbara, CA, a community of wealth and power. Its main characters, however, are among the town's have-nots: Richard Bone Jeff Bridges, a beach-boy gigolo starting to go to seed; Bone's best friend Alex Cutter (John Heard), a Vietnam veteran maimed in body and spirit; and Mo (Lisa Eichorn), Cutter's alcoholic wife. When Cutter spots one of the community's most prominent citizens in the act of covering up a murder, Bone insists that the police would never take their word over that of a man of wealth and prestige. Cutter seizes the opportunity to blackmail the killer, as a means of striking back at a system he thinks sent him off to an unjust war and ruined his life.

Distributor: Park Circus

Venue: Key Cities

Akira (15) (D)

Director: Katsuhiro Otomo

Cast: Nozumu Sasaki, Mami Koyama, Mitsuo Iwata

To coincide with the company’s 20th anniversary celebrations, in June 2011 Manga Entertainment will be releasing on Blu-ray, for the first time ever, the movie that started it all and defined the Manga brand as the world’s leading anime distributor – Katsuhiro Otomo’s classic Akira! Prior to the Blu-ray release, the film will also open at selected UK cinemas, giving fans the chance to see this “lavish animation extravaganza” (Variety) in all its big screen glory.

Universally acclaimed as one of the greatest anime features of all time and hailed as “a visionary, game-changing masterpiece” (News of the World), the film has been digitally restored and remastered in full HD with super dynamic “Hypersonic” audio especially for this long-awaited Blu-ray release. Acknowledged as a hugely influential and genre-defining anime, this is Akira as never seen or heard before. An unmissable treat for its established legion of admirers, this release is set to introduce Otomo’s masterpiece to a whole new generation of film fans.

Neo-Tokyo, 2019. The city is being rebuilt following the devastation of World War III. Kaneda and Tetsuo, two high school dropouts, stumble upon a secret government project to develop a new form of weaponry – telekinetic humans. Tetsuo learns of the existence of his ‘peer’, Akira, the project's most powerful subject, and determines to challenge him...

Distributor: Manga Entertainment

Venue: Key Cities

Talihina Sky: The Story of the Kings Of Leon (15) (D)

Director: Stephen Mitchell

Cast: Nathan, Caleb, Jared and Matthew Followill

"As soon as I knew we were about to get a record deal, I never slept"

Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon is a unique insight into one of the biggest bands on the planet. Now a global phenomenon, the film charts their humble beginnings in the deep South, struggling with the grasp of God and the pleasures of the Devil through alcohol, recreational drugs and most importantly, the rock n' roll that would make them superstars, to signing a record deal and selling out stadiums worldwide.

Featuring interviews with the full band – Caleb, Nathan, Jared, and Matthew Followill, plus exclusive footage of other family members and influential figures in the band's lives and career, this is the first time their tremendous journey has been documented.

A must-see for fans and non-fans alike, Talihina Sky is the definitive story of the Kings of Leon, told in their own words.

Distributor: Revolver Entertainment

Venue: UK wide

Ghosted (18) (D)

Director: Craig Viveiros

Cast: John Lynch, Martin Compston, Craig Parkinson

Jack (John Lynch), a model prisoner, has kept his head down and done his time. After his wife leaves him on the anniversary of their son's death, the only thing that keeps him from going under is the presence of a new prisoner, Paul (Martin Compston).

But when Paul falls under the influence of psychotic "Baron" Clay (Craig Parkinson), Jack soon finds he must risk his own life and sanity to help the newcomer. But can he save both himself and Paul in the process?

A hard-hitting, gritty prison drama starring a stellar cast of home-grown British talent and in your face violence, GHOSTED is a tough and powerful tale of loss, survival, salvation and life in a British prison.

Distributor: Revolver Entertainment

Venue: Key Cities

Love's Kitchen (15) (D)

Director: James Kacking

Cast: Dougray Scott, Claire Forlani, Simon Callow, Gordon Ramsay, Michelle Ryan, Peter Bowles, Lee Broadman, Cheri Lunghi, Joshua Bowman

Rob Haley (Dougray Scott), a talented chef and restaurateur in London, is grief stricken after losing his wife in a tragic automobile accident. As his life begins to spiral out of control, he also loses his magic touch in the kitchen. After a terrible review from a food critic, old friend and chef Gordon Ramsay (Himself) pays him a visit which inspires him to take control and reclaim the life he once had. Rob, his daughter and his loyal staff leave the troubled past behind and move to a village to turn a run-down countryside pub into a local gourmet eatery. As the doors open to the new pub Kate Templeton (Claire Forlani), an American food critic with a troubled love life enters Rob's life. The last thing Rob needs is an uppity critic with a bad taste in men to ruin his new life.

Distributor: 2020 Films

Venue: Key Cities

Bridesmaids (15) (D)

Director: Paul Feig

Cast: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Chris O\'Dowd

Kristen Wiig leads the cast as Annie, a maid of honor whose life unravels as she leads her best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph), and a group of colorful bridesmaids (Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Ellie Kemper) on a wild ride down the road to matrimony.

Annie’s life is a mess. But when she finds out her lifetime best friend is engaged, she simply must serve as Lillian’s maid of honor. Though lovelorn and broke, Annie bluffs her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals. With one chance to get it perfect, she’ll show Lillian and her bridesmaids just how far you’ll go for someone you love.

Distributor: Universal Pictures

Venue: UK wide

The World Of The Dead: The Zombie Diaries (18) (D)

Director: Michael Bartlett & Kevin Gates

Cast: Philip Brodie, Alix Wilton Regan, Rob Oldfield

Three months have passed since a viral outbreak wiped out 99.9% of the world's population, turning its victims into flesh-eating living dead. In the UK, a surviving band of soldiers and civilians have taken refuge at a rural military barracks.

Life in this new world is tough and brutal, but hope appears when a high level communication is received from a military base on the coast, telling of sanctuary elsewhere in Europe...

But just as salvation appears to be in reach, the base suffers an overwhelming defeat at the hands of the living dead!

The surviving handful of troops and civilians must now make their way to the coast to uncover the truth behind the message. Their perilous journey takes them across a now treacherous, death-ravaged landscape, where the living dead are vast in number and wandering bandits impose their own malicious sense of law and order.

What follows is a journey into hell and a desperate battle against all odds for the very survival of the human race.

Distributor: Metrodome

Venue: Key Cities

Viva Riva! (15) (D)

Director: Djo Tunda Wa Munga

Cast: Patsha Bay Mukuna, Manie Malone & Hoji Fortuna

VIVA RIVA! is a gangster thriller about a charismatic criminal, Riva, for whom a sudden burst of stolen wealth ignites an exhilarating, hedonistic and perilous journey through one of the most intriguing cities in Africa - Kinshasa. VIVA RIVA! expertly combines a fresh rhythm, violence and eroticism that promises to ignite a new wave of African cinema, whilst demonstrating the intelligence, wit and technical accomplishment of European cinema. The irony of the petrol thief Riva’s journey is that he lives in a nation widely recognised to be the richest on the planet in terms of untapped natural resources (in excess of $23 trillion), and yet the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo are amongst the poorest on the planet with the second lowest GDP per capita. Yet the film steers entirely clear of politics, the focus remains firmly on story-telling: VIVA RIVA! treats its audience to an imaginative portrait of vibrant rogues competing on the streets of Kinshasa. Trailblazing Congolese writer/director Djo Tunda Wa Munga mixes a heady cocktail of rich colour, dynamism and local music that marks him as an emerging force in World Cinema.

Distributor: Metrodome

Venue: Key Cities

Double Dhamaal (12A)

The four good-for- nothing jokers from Dhamaal - Roy (Riteish Deshmukh), Manav (Jaaved Jaafery) Adi (Arshad Warsi) and Boman (Ashish Chowdhry) are back again! They are still as stupid and useless as before. Hard work is a strict no no and the only work they have ever done in their lives is to lie down on their backsides and dream about a good life where they have everything without doing anything! And then suddenly they see their old arch enemy - the corrupt Inspector Kabir (Sanjay Dutt). But he's no longer a cop and instead of chasing crooks, he's chasing money - driving a Merc and has a posh office and a lavish villa. The four madcaps are green with envy and decide that come what may, by hook or by crook they will share Kabir's good fortune. And so they blackmail Kabir into making them his business partners. They are in seventh heaven, yippee, all their dreams are coming true. What they don't know is that soon their dreams are going to turn into nightmares because Kabir has his own hidden agenda, only shared by his sultry wife Kamini (Mallika Sherawat) and lovely sister Kiya (Kangna Ranaut).

And so starts a game of one- up- manship, with both sides having tricks up their sleeves and where sundry characters like bhai turned sadhu - Batabhai (Satish Kaushik) and King of Casinos Johnny Bonzola, turn up to make the foursome's life miserable.

And of course there's a helluva lot of money at stake. There are also lots of twists and turns and a bellyful of laughs. But who will have the last laugh? Canny Kabir or our four loveable jokers?

Distributor: Reliance Big Entertainment

Venue: UK wide

Trailers and stills & The Distributors

Age of Heroes DVD/Blue-ray for sale in Britain

AGE OF HEROES

STARRING SEAN BEAN AND DANNY DYER

BASED ON THE REAL LIFE EVENTS OF IAN FLEMING’S 30 COMMANDO:

THE TEMPLATE FOR THE MODERN DAY SAS

DVD & Blu Ray for sale in Britain

AGE OF HEROES is an action-packed British thriller based on the real-life events of Ian Fleming's 30 Commando during World War II - the template for the modern day SAS.

Due to the secretive nature of the unit’s work, it is not a story that many are aware of and yet, they risked their lives to protect their country. AGE OF HEROES is inspired by their fearless exploits.

Sean Bean (Lord Of The Rings, GoldenEye) and Danny Dyer (The Business, The Football Factory) star in an adrenalin-fuelled action-adventure which takes our heroes from the edge of defeat on the beaches of Dunkirk to the mountains of Norway on a search-and-destroy mission behind enemy lines that, if successful, would change the course of the war.

Running time: 99 Minutes Price: £19.99 / Certificate: 15

Distributed by Metrodome Distribution

EXTRA FEATURES

Includes the history of the 30 Commando Unit

WORLD OF THE DEAD: THE ZOMBIE DIARIES 2

Following on from the home entertainment smash-hit THE ZOMBIE DIARIES, one of the biggest selling zombie titles in the UK of the past decade, the highly-anticipated sequel

WORLD OF THE DEAD: THE ZOMBIE DIARIES 2
will be released in cinemas in Britain on
 the 24th June and on DVD from the 27th June.

Three months have passed since a viral outbreak wiped out 99.9% of the world's population, turning its victims into flesh-eating living dead. In the UK, a surviving band of soldiers and civilians have taken refuge at a rural military barracks.

Life in this new world is tough and brutal, but hope appears when a high level communication is received from a military base on the coast, telling of sanctuary elsewhere in Europe...

But just as salvation appears to be in reach, the base suffers an overwhelming defeat at the hands of the living dead!

The surviving handful of troops and civilians must now make their way to the coast to uncover the truth behind the message. Their perilous journey takes them across a now treacherous, death-ravaged landscape, where the living dead are vast in number and wandering bandits impose their own malicious sense of law and order.

What follows is a journey into hell and a desperate battle against all odds for the very survival of the human race.

World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries 2

Theatrical Release Date: 24th June 2011

DVD Release Date: 27th June 2011

Running Time: 88 Minutes

Cert: 18

Lars Von Trier's MELANCHOLIA trailer

Scala Forever

13th August – 2nd October 2011 at venues across London.

A season of films reliving the Scala Cinema’s programming history and celebrating the current repertory film scene in London.

The Scala Cinema in Kings Cross was one of the most famous repertory cinemas in London throughout the 80’s and early 90’s, and when it closed many predicted the end of repertory cinema programming. Nearly 20 years later, with debate raging around illegal downloading, shortening of release windows and the threat of home cinemas many are again predicting the demise of cinema.

But this Autumn will see the launch of Scala Forever, a season of screenings and events taking place at over 20 venues across London reliving the Scala’s famous programming and celebrating all the unique and often little-known places keeping the repertory film programming spirit alive. Scala Forever!

Special guest speakers including Stephen Woolley, Tilda Swinton, Danny Leigh plus many more to be confirmed will be introducing single screenings, double-bills and all-nighters at venues including Roxy Bar & Screen, BFI Southbank, Riverside Studios, Prince Charles Cinema, Ritzy, Phoenix Cinema, Tricycle Cinema and Rio Cinema, plus many more. Also involved will be many of London’s filmclubs including Midnight Movies, Cigarette Burns, FilmBar70, Duke Mitchell and Close-Up and more, making up a celebration of the diverse, captivating and unique repertory film programming London has to offer.

The final programme line-up will be confirmed at the beginning of July but will include a launch party on 13th August with a screening of King Kong (the first film to be screened at The Scala), zombie and horror-allnighters, double-bills from the likes of John Waters, Fassbinder, Russ Meyer and Werner Herzog, Kieslowski’s Dekalog, plus many, many (many!) more, finishing up on the 2th October with the closing night party and a screening of the controversial Clockwork Orange.

The season will use the old Scala programme design for the season flyer, and will also produce a special commemorative Programme Book, featuring fascinating memories and articles from all the guest speakers, plus contributions from John Waters, Joanne Sellar (Producer of Paul Thomas Anderson’s movies) and many more.

Further information to follow.

Potiche, Putty Hill, The Round Up, Born to be Wild, The Messenger, The Beaver and other UK releases

Tuesday 14th of June 2011

Got To Run (12A) (D)

Director: Robbie Moffat

Cast: Suzanne Kendall, Jon Paul Gates, Horward Corlett

Suzanne Kendall plays the lead Sarah McGuire who works as a sales representative in women’s underwear, but her life is in terminal nosedive. Compared to her fantasies of studying French at university, the reality of her daily routine is pants.

With a rubbish life that includes Colin, her oil-soaked, abusive and chauvinist car mechanic boyfriend who treats her like dirt but wants her to settle down and marry; Jack Pratt, her dodgy boss who sets her impossible sales targets during the recession; and Kevin, a customer who expects her to strip in his office before he will place an order, her only outlet from this madness is her passion for running.

Her situation changes for the better when she meets Jimmy, a helpful barman in Liverpool, who takes pity on her and offers the chance to change her life. Realising she is running to escape from her stressful, lonely and pointless existence, he gives her a list of ten running routes, many of which are through areas of outstanding natural beauty.

After the rigours of days on the road selling her wares, she runs through some of the most beautiful countryside the UK has to offer, including Castlerigg, Lindisfarne and Ben Lomond. Her running not only gives her time to think, but causes a positive change in her outlook, backed up by a palm reading from Madam Lee, a helpful mystic.

On her tenth run she meets Duncan, the man of her dreams, in Inverpolly, who is the local landowner and laird. She falls head over heels in love with him, and after breaking up with her boyfriend and dumping her job, she starts a new life with him in the Highlands.

Distributor: Palm Tree Entertainment

Venue: Key Cities

Friday 17th of June 2011

Potiche (15) (D)

Director: Francois Ozon

Cast: Catherine Deneuve, Gerard Depardieu

In French, a potiche is a vase or decorative object of little value and no real practical use that you put on a shelf or a mantel. The word is also used in everyday language as a derogatory term for a woman who is considered just eye candy, or a woman living in the shadow of her husband who doesn’t seem to have her own identity. Certain wives of politicians, or even certain female politicians themselves, have been called “potiches”, including Madame Chirac, or more recently, Ségolène Royal.

North of France, Sainte-Gudule, 1977. Suzanne is the submissive, housebound wife of wealthy industrialist Robert Pujol, who oversees his umbrella factory with an iron fist and is equally tyrannical with his children and 'trophy housewife'.

When the workers go on strike and take Robert hostage, Suzanne steps in to manage the factory. To everyone's surprise, she proves herself a competent and assertive woman of action.

But when Robert returns from a restful cruise in top form, things get complicated...

Distributor: Optimum Releasing

Venue: Key Cities

Putty Hill (D)

Director: Matt Porterfield

Cast: Sky Ferreira, Zoe Vance, James Siebor, Dustin Ray, Cody Ray, Cathie Evans

A young man dies of a heroin overdose in an abandoned house in Baltimore. On the eve of his funeral, family and friends gather to commemorate his life. Their shared memories paint a portrait of a community hanging in the balance, skewed by poverty, city living, and a generational divide, united in their pursuit of a new American Dream.

The follow-up to Matt Porterfield's acclaimed directorial debut Hamilton, Putty Hill reveals another cross-section of Baltimore's dispossessed. Combining documentary-style interviews with narrative techniques, Putty Hill is a realist film presented in a wholly unique way. Improvised dialogue blends with script to create a natural, understated, and focused picture of a community on the fringes of society.

Special Introduction

On Saturday 18 June at 6.30, Hussain Currimbhoy - Programmer of the Sheffield Doc Fest, will introduce the screening of Putty hill.

Director Q&A

On Sunday 19 June at 6.30pm the screening is followed by a Skype QA with Matt Porterfield, director of Putty Hill, and Kieron Corless, Deputy Editor Sight and Sound.

Dir Matt Porterfield, USA, 2011, 87mins

Book tickets at http://www.ica.org.uk/29255/Film/Putty-Hill.html.#booktickets

Distributor: ICA Cinema

Venue: Key Cities

The Round Up

Director: Rose Bosch

Cast: Jean Reno, Mélanie Laurent, Gad Elmaleh, Raphaëlle Agogué, Hugo Leverdez, Joseph Weismann

1942. Joseph is eleven. And this June morning, he must go to school, a yellow star sown on his chest. He receives the support of a goods dealer. The mockery of a baker. Between kindness and contempt, Jo, his Jewish friends, their families, learn of life in an occupied Paris, on the Butte Montmartre, where they've taken shelter.

At least that's what they think, until that morning on July 16th 1942, when their fragile happiness is toppled over. From the Vélodrome D'Hiver, where 13 000 Jews are crammed, to the camp of Beaune-La-Rolande, from Vichy to the terrace of the Berghof, THE ROUND-UP follows the real destinies of the victims and the executioners. Of those who orchestrated it all. Of those who trusted them. Of those who fled. Of those who opposed them.

Distributor: Revolver Entertainment

Venue: Key Cities

Born To Be Wild 3D

Director: David Lickley

Cast: Narrated by Morgan Freeman

Born to be Wild 3D is an inspiring story of love, dedication and the remarkable bond between humans and animals. This film documents orphaned orangutans and elephants and the extraordinary people who rescue and raise them—saving endangered species one life at a time. Stunningly captured in IMAX 3D, Born to be Wild 3D is a heartwarming adventure transporting moviegoers into the lush rainforests of Borneo with world-renowned primatologist Dr. Birute Mary Galdikas, and across the rugged Kenyan savannah with celebrated elephant authority Dame Daphne Sheldrick, as they and their teams rescue, rehabilitate and return these incredible animals back to the wild.

Narrated by Academy-Award® winner Morgan Freeman, Born to be Wild 3D is directed by David Lickley and written and produced by Drew Fellman. This Warner Bros. film is produced by IMAX Filmed Entertainment and distributed by IMAX Corporation and Warner Bros.

Distributor: bfi IMAX

Venue: Key Cities

Stake Land (15) (D)

Director: Jim Mickle

Cast: Nick Damici, Connor Paolo, Kelly McGillis

The America of STAKE LAND is a lost nation. When an epidemic of vampirism strikes, humans find themselves on the run from vicious, feral beasts. Cities are tombs and survivors cling together in rural pockets, fearful of nightfall.

Distributor: Metrodome

Venue: Key Cities

The Messenger (15)

Starring Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster and Samantha Morton and the directorial debut of accomplished screenwriter Oren Moverman, The Messenger tells the story of Will Montgomery (Ben Foster), a young Army officer recovering from an injury in the line of duty. With only three months left on his commission,, Montgomery is reassigned to the Army’s Casualty Notification Service. Woody Harrelson plays Tony Stone, the hardened army officer who takes Montgomery under his wing and teaches him the rules and intricacies of delivering the bad news to soldier’s next of kin. Montgomery soon develops a friendship with a deceased soldier’s wife ( Samantha Morton). As the friendship gradually becomes something more Montgomery finds himself torn between his military duty and his need for real human connection.

Distributor: The Works

Venue: Uk wide

The Beaver (12A)

Director: Jodie Foster

Cast: Jodie Foster, Mel Gibson

Two-time Academy Award® winner Jodie Foster directs and co-stars with two-time Academy Award® winner Mel Gibson in The Beaver – an emotional story about a man on a journey to re-discover his family and re-start his life.

Plagued by his own demons, Walter Black was once a successful toy executive and family man who now suffers from depression. No matter what he tries, Walter can’t seem to get himself back on track…until a beaver hand puppet enters his life.

Also starring Anton Yelchin, Academy Award® Nominee Jennifer Lawrence, Cherry Jones

Written by Kyle Killen

Distributor: Icon Film Distribution

Venue: UK wide

Swinging With The Finkels (D)

Director: Jonathan Newman

Cast: Mandy Moore, Martin Freeman, Angus Deayton, Melissa George

Swinging with the Finkels tells the story of Alvin and Ellie Finkel played by British comedy favourite Martin Freeman (The Office, soon to be seen in the title role as The Hobbit) and US film, music and TV star Mandy Moore (License to Wed, Tangled), a couple living in London at breaking point in their relationship. As two young students, Alvin and Ellie met at university and fell in love. Ten years later they are now married with successful careers and very little time for eachother. They are getting dangerously close to falling out of love…

As the marriage of their closest friends Peter and Janet played by US comedy star Jonathan Silverman (Weekend at Bernie’s) and Australian actress Melissa George (30 Days of Night), hits the rocks after Peter embarks on a steamy affair, the Finkels are encouraged to analyse their relationship and decide whether they have a marriage worth saving. Do they stay together and continue with their increasingly stale relationship, or should they attempt to relight the flame that they are both missing? Would sex toys be the answer? Will dressing up and role play help spice things up? Or should they indulge in the ultimate marriage scruple of wife swapping? Alvin and Ellie are about to discover whether swinging is the answer to their marital problems…

Featuring an unforgettably “cheeky” appearance by TV personality Angus Deayton as he has never been seen before, and also starring British comedy star Daisy Beaumont (Star Stories), US comedy legend Jerry Stiller (Zoolander) and Pineapple Dance Studios’ Louis Spence, Swinging with The Finkels is directed by Jonathan Newman, creator of the original short film “Sex with the Finkels” and produced by Deepak Nayar (Bend it Like Beckham).

Distributor: UNO Films

Green Lantern (12A) (D)

Director: Martin Campbell

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Mark Strong, Peter Sarsgaard

Ryan Reynolds stars as the test pilot granted extraordinary powers after he encounters a dying alien in a crash landed spacecraft.

With power comes responsibility and Hal soon faces up to the challenge of battling an evil force that threatens the whole universe, as well as an enemy from closer to home.

Distributor: Warner Bros.

Venue: UK wide

Bad Teacher (15) (D)

Director: Jake Kasdan

Cast: Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Jason Segel, Lucy Punch

The worst kind of example for her young students, Elizabeth (Cameron Diaz) is clocking in at school just long enough to nd a rich husband. Enter a handsome, wealthy substitute teacher (Justin Timberlake), though she faces erce competition from a rival and the distracting advances

Distributor: Sony Pictures

Venue: UK wide

Life In A Day (12A) (D)

Director: Kevin McDonald

LIFE IN A DAY idea was borne out of a unique partnership between Ridley Scott’s Scott Free UK production company and YouTube. The film is a user-generated feature film, shot on a single day, July 24, 2010, that enlisted people around the world to capture a moment of their lives on camera.

People responded by submitting more than 80,000 videos representing over 4,500 hours of deeply personal, powerful films. Contributions poured in from 197 countries from Australia to Zambia, Peru to Ukraine, UK to Japan, from the heart of bustling cities to the furthest and most remote reaches of the earth. Many of the entries were submitted via YouTube whilst a number came from cameras that were handed out by contacts in the developing world.

LIFE IN A DAY brings together the most compelling footage, combining 331 clips into a 95-minute film. It shows in beautiful, humorous and joyful honesty what it is like to be alive on earth today.

Distributor: Scott Free

Venue: UK wide

Always Kabhi Kabhi (U) (D)

Director: Roshan Abbas

Cast: Zoa Morani, Giselli Monteiro, Ali Fazal, Satyajeet Dubey

Character Sketch Ali Fazal: Sameer we have the uber cool Sameer, Aishwarya’s first true friend and a guy everyone wants to be like –but with a skeleton in his closet. Giselli Monteiro: Aishwarya Dhawan First up is the sweet-natured and beautiful Aishwarya Dhawan, who is trying to escape her mother’s pressures of making her a Superstar. Zoa Morani: Nandini The bitch of the school, whom everyone hates – Nandini. Her pet peeve is Tariq and her love is taking bets!! Tariq Naqvi His best friend, the Bill Gates-like genius, Tariq Naqri who’s under a different pressure of his own… his parents expect him to top MIT! Synopsis: St. Marks another school full of bright teenagers having aspirations and looking to make a mark on the world. But this teen-age isn't just about school... it's also about love and the craze of one's first-ever crushes. It's the period where everyone is growing up and moving on to the next level. In this competitive, confusing and sometimes cruel world, we have four characters whose destinies seem to take them on different paths. Somehow, though, they all come together at St. Marks.

Distributor: Eros International

Venue: Key Cities

Sunday 19th of June 2011

Kylie 3D - Aphrodite Les Folies (U) (D)

Filmed at London's O2 Arena, this stunning concert film features all of Kylie's biggest hits including "Can't Get You Out Of My Head", "Spinning Around" and "Slow", along with tracks from her latest Platinum selling album Aphrodite. From golden chariots via flying angels to a water-soaked finale - this is an epic show not to be missed!

Directed by William Baker and Marcus Viner.

Distributor: Arts Alliance

Venue: One Night Only : Sunday 19 June

Trailers and stills © The Distributors