JacksonWard Film

Control

Summer — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 08:15:04 +0000

One of the more quirky films I have seen recently was Control. The film is based around the beginnings of the band Joy Division in the mid 1970s, the trials and tribulations of the lead singer Ian Curtis and the music scene they entered. Set in Macclesfield and Manchester, the film centres around Curtis, a young man who has started up a band with his friends and they manage to get a record contract. Curtis’s life is far from simple though, with relationship problems and suffering from epilepsy, he finds it difficult to perform without having fits. Curtis eventually commits suicide in 1980, which is when the band became New Order.

The Wizard of Oz

Summer — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 08:38:29 +0000

The other day I caught the Wizard of Oz on the television and decided to watch it, as I hadn’t seen it for a good 10 years! It instantly reminded me of childhood and I remember all the characters quite vividly. My impression of the film has always been of a very dark, sinister message that looks into the dreams and fears of people and what can happen if you think about things too much. I’m not a massive fan of the film but the story is of fantasy, heartbreak and disaster, along with triumph and overcoming evil. All in all a decent film, eerie but interesting enough.

Cage and Kidman Team-Up

Summer — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 08:30:08 +0000

Hollywood stars Nicolas Cage and Nicole Kidman have signed on to feature in the action-adventure Trespass.

Joel Schumacher will direct the headline cast who are rumoured to play a married couple taken hostage by a brutal group of 4 trying to make some easy money. Aside from this film Nicole Kidman will next be appearing alongside Jennifer Aniston in Adam Sandler’s Just Go With It.

The studio behind Trespass, Nu Image/Millennium Films seems to be loving Nicolas Cage at the moment. He has already starred in three of their other productions, Drive Angry, The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans and The Wicker Man. He is also said to be reprising his popular role in National Treasure 3 later this year in what could be the final film of that series.

Predator 2

Summer — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 08:17:47 +0000

The other night on Channel 4 Predator 2 was aired. It was a good few years since I last saw this film, the 1990 sequel to the 1987 film Predator starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as the protagonist trying to hunt down an unknown being. At the end of that film the Predator is beaton by Arnie and self-destructs. 10 years on in time and the Predator comes to Los Angeles, the City is in a crisis with tropical temperatures and drug wars between Columbian and Jamaican gangs. The Predator is this time hunted by cop Danny Glover who after many attempts to track it down, kills it. As a sign of respect 3 other Predators drag the body away, and before flying off in their “spacecraft” they hand Glover an 18th Century Flintlock gun.

Sex and the City 2

Summer — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 08:10:43 +0000

Sex and the City 2 was released last week and the reviews have been pretty good. Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda all return as the 4 of them travel to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. The girls get up to their usual tricks of meeting old flames and behaving in an inappropriate manner in a country where Samantha’s customs are least welcome. Charlotte is worried about her nanny and if he husband will cheat on her while she is away, Miranda thinks she will miss her job, Samantha is dealing with the menopause and Carrie is worried about her marriage to Big. All in all it is a good film and worth seeing.

Polanski petition signed by Cannes directors

Toby — Wed, 26 May 2010 09:31:11 +0000

A number of influential and extremely high-profile film directors at Cannes Film Festival 2010 have reportedly signed a petition supporting Roman Polanski, the notorious director and fugitive.

Polanski was found guilty of unlawful sexual intercourse (statutory rape) with a 13-year-old girl back in 1978. He fled to France, avoiding his jail sentence and has been living there ever since. However, Polanski was arrested trying to enter Switzerland in September 2009 and has been under house arrest in the country ever since.

On a website run by philosopher Bernard-Henri Levi, over 100 big names have signed a petition in support of Polanski’s release and extradition. These include Jean-Luc Godard, Mathier Amalric, Bernard Tavernier, Woody Allen, David Lynch and Martin Scorsese.

Next Bigelow project blocked by Paraguay

Summer — Thu, 20 May 2010 09:28:28 +0000

Kathryn Bigelow, the award-winning director of The Hurt Locker, was planning for her next film project to be set and based on the Triple Border region, an area bordering Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina which is notorious for its smuggling and terrorist activities.

However, the project – provisionally titled Triple Frontier – has now ground to a halt after fervent objections from Paraguay’s government, who believe that showing the country in such a negative way would have a devastating effect on Paraguay’s economy and reputation.

Tourism Minister Liz Cramer, whilst also calling for Argentinean and Brazilian governments to lodge an objection, has said:

“How much will it cost us to clean up our image [afterwards]? It would be stupid for us to support [the film].”

Spielberg to direct film version of Morpurgo’s War Horse

Scott — Sat, 15 May 2010 16:18:49 +0000

Steven Spielberg has acquired the rights to the coming-of-age wartime novel War Horse, written by Michael Morpurgo. The director is working with writers Lee Hall (Billy Elliot) and Richard Curtis (Notting Hill, Love Actually) to adapt the poignant tale for the big screen.

Spielberg believes that the powerful and heart-breakingly moving story will translate well into the film medium, especially since a theatre adaptation of War Horse has proven so successful. He has said of the book:

“Its heart and its message provide a story that can be felt in every country.”

Expected to be released in summer 2011, War Horse will be released by DreamWorks and Disney.

Jackman’s back!

Toby — Sun, 09 May 2010 09:11:55 +0000

X-Men actor Hugh Jackman has reportedly said he is now ready to start making films again, after spending considerable time on the Broadway stage.

Hugh, 41, has recently been starring with Bond star Daniel Craig in a limited run of A Steady Rain at the Schoenfeld Theatre on Broadway, but he is now excited to come back to the movie world with a number of new projects including DreamWorks’ Real Steel directed by Sean Levy.

Although Hugh has said he enjoys both theatre and film work, many fans would agree that he seems much more comfortable on the big screen.

Are 3D films bad for your brain?

Summer — Wed, 05 May 2010 16:03:19 +0000

A story in the Daily Mail recently has prompted a health concern over 3D films. According to the paper, student Josh James blacked out whilst driving just half an hour after watching Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland in 3D. The car he was driving veered off the road and tipped over, but Josh was luckily unharmed.

There have been other worries about the dangers of 3D films, with many people claiming to have had headaches and migraines, dizziness, convulsions and altered vision after seeing films like AiW and Avatar in 3D. The question is though, was Josh James’ experience an isolated incident or are 3D films actually dangerous?