Devon and Cornwall Film

The most dangerous DVD releases of the week!

Tom Leins — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:26:20 +0000

Sex, Leins & Videotape #49. Paignton film critic Tom Leins hacks his way through this week’s most dangerous DVD releases!

After cutting his teeth with the adrenaline-fuelled crowd-pleasers of the Transporter series, French director Louis Leterrier broadened his horizons with his curious 2008 re-imagining of the Incredible Hulk franchise. He continues his quest to embrace bigger and better projects with his latest movie: Clash of the Titans (Warner Home Video).

Inspired in equal measure by ancient Greek mythology and the fondly-remembered 1981 film of the same name, Clash of the Titans is a mind-boggling action movie that wastes no time in unleashing its violent agenda. Perseus (Sam Worthington) is the bastard son of Zeus (Liam Neeson), brought up on the ocean by a kindly fishing family. When the Gods wage war on their sceptical citizens – killing his family in the process – demi-God Perseus is forced into action in order to save humanity. Hell-bent on claiming Medusa’s scalp and using its sinister powers against the unstoppable Gods, Perseus and his intrepid band of followers embark on an episodic trek across the underworld, which sees them tangle with an increasingly dangerous assortment of mythological enemies.

Clocking in at a break-neck 90 minutes, the DVD version of Clash of the Titans doesn’t bother delving into its character’s inner psyches – preferring to concentrate on audacious back-to-back action scenes. As this particular preoccupation is director Louis Leterrier’s stock-in-trade, we’re in safe hands, and the Frenchman helms some truly awesome scenes of carnage – not least the fight against the gigantic scorpions halfway through. Rumours suggest that Leterrier has already been removed from the planned sequel – which is a shame, as his energetic approach is a welcome counterpoint to the dour ‘epic’ material directed by the likes of Ridley Scott. It may not be the fully rounded movie that purists were expecting, but Clash of the Titans is a hugely enjoyable spectacle that bolsters Leterrier’s ‘action auteur’ status.

After suffering a blown-out tyre on a deserted stretch of highway, mild-mannered Clark (Ian Duncan) and his pregnant wife Summer (Tess Panzer) are disturbed to find that they have no spare tyre in the trunk. Increasingly desperate, they seek refuge in the nearest town. Unfortunately for them, that town is the horrifyingly named Blood River (Revolver). Naturally, it isn’t long before our suburbanite newlyweds cross paths with brooding drifter Joseph (Andrew Howard). Initially keen to let the enigmatic stranger take control of the situation, Clark and Summer soon start to regret their decision when Joseph’s increasingly confrontational behaviour begins to make them uncomfortable.

After an interesting (if slightly predictable) opening, Blood River swerves into more unusual territory as it reaches the half-way point. Joseph claims to be an avenging angel – sent to Earth to punish sinners. Even stranger, he claims that Clark has sinned, and that he must be punished. A vicious stand-off ensues, and the traumatised Summer is confronted with some deeply unpleasant home truths. The scorched atmosphere and bleached-out scenery adds to the sinister mood, and despite its unremarkable premise, Blood River exceeds expectations, and remains a cut above most low-budget straight-to-DVD horror movies.

Anyone who has ever visited Thailand will confirm that Bangkok’s reputation for providing knock-off goods is second-to-none. True to form, The Storm Warriors (Cine Asia) is an enthusiastically pieced together ‘tribute’ to Zack Snyder’s 300! Despite being a sequel to Andrew Lau’s 1998 fantasy-epic The Storm Riders, The Storm Warriors takes its visual cues from Snyder’s hyper-stylised swords ‘n’ sandals epic – with strangely mixed results. After heading to Hollywood in search of fame and fortune – only to come badly unstuck with the dubious double-whammy of The Messengers and Bangkok Dangerous – Bangkok-based directors Oxide and Danny Pang have retreated to Asia to lick their wounds and rebuild their ailing reputations. Unfortunately, The Storm Warriors doesn’t seem like the kind of movie that will be reinvigorating anyone’s career in a hurry…

After absorbing the powers of legendary swordsman Nameless, and duly achieving invincibility, evil warlord Lord Godless begins his barbaric quest to conquer China. Fortunately for China, Wind (Ekin Cheng) and Cloud (Aaron Kwok) have other ideas, and re-enter the fray. However, Wind attempts to increase his powers by embracing his dark side, setting him on an unavoidable collision course with his ‘brother’. After a mind-numbing opening section – alleviated only by the sporadic 300-esque interludes, The Storm Warriors picks up when it reaches its energetic second half. As the movie reaches the end-zone, the Pang Brothers unveil an eye-opening array of fight scenes, which offers sufficient reward to tolerant film fans after the stodgy first half. The Pang Brothers are never less than interesting in their choice of movie material, but The Storm Warriors is a seriously uneven piece of work, that is unlikely to set Hollywood pulses racing. Approach with caution.

Germans may be known for their ruthless efficiency, but despite an icy Teutonic veneer, Cargo (Optimum) is a dangerously sloppy excuse for a horror movie. Set in the year 2267, Cargo takes place in a world where the planet Earth has become almost uninhabitable after some kind of chronic environmental meltdown. The human race, as we know it, is now confined to an assortment of overcrowded space stations, desperate to scrape together the funds to visit Rhea, a paradise-like planet unaffected by the environmental ravages that have destroyed Earth. Little do they know, Rhea is a sham, and there is scant chance of them achieving happiness on this so-called perfect world.

Last year was a good year for the disquieting space movies, and the Hollywood machine spat out the cerebral Moon and the visceral Pandorum. Compared to those two movies, Cargo’s anaemic story of shifting identities feels strangely pointless. With the script lacking both tension and excitement, Cargo’s cardboard cut-out cast don’t have much to work with, and this stodgy sci-fi flick doesn’t bring anything new to the party. Despite a neat premise, Cargo is blander than astronaut food. Urgh!

Advertise on ArtsCultre from 1p a click for text ads or from 25p CPM for display advertising

D+CFilm is part of the social enterprise News and Media Republic, an independent media company. We believe communication helps build confident communities. We don't believe in paywalls or barriers to information, and we rely on advertising and donations. To help us keep doing what we're doing please donate (suggested donation 40p).

News and Media Republic: People's Republic of South Devon • the Devon Week • Arts+Culture • D+CFilm

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Love Me Back – a new film about alchemy and change

D+CFilm — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:00:32 +0000

A group of filmmakers and actors got together to see where their collaboration based on alchemy and the supernatural would take them. Here’s the story of Love Me Back…

Back in November 2009 the initial idea of putting a story together about alchemy and change was born fuelled by Chris Green (acting as Chris) and Richard Down’s (filmmaker) interest of the supernatural.

Along with acting friend Paul Goldfinch (acting as the crone) and his interest for the very unusual, the trio started to explore the possibility of making a film. Marriane Esbenson (acting as woman/co-directing) and Julie Loquetea (acting as Julie) were included and filming commenced. With just a vague direction of where it was all going the group gathered for the first weekend of filming, and through the camera Richard started to see what was possible for a story.

Richard said: ”The story of Love Me Back and love renewal grew as a result of the way myself and my acting friends came through with a theme and flavour of supernatural and the ‘wanting to do something very different’ by way of film.

“Seeing them through the camera for the first time I just wanted to see the actors as they are in reality – themselves playing out scenarios that are naturally taking shape as a result of their characters.

“I wanted the film to be without narrative to see if we could convey the story through acting emotion adding to what I see as, furthering the ease of the surreal and helping our theme of supernatural.”

Filming for Love Me Back is almost complete with perhaps one more day of shooting some tie-in shots that complete the story of alchemy, supernatural influences and love renewal. This would make it a film shot over five weekends on location on a private estate near Tavistock, Devon.

The project is a first attempt at making a movie with the purpose of:

Creating an experimental film shot in black and white/silent
Creating an opportunity of acting experience for the actors as well as profile

Three test clips have been released on Youtube for feedback.

Mr Goldfinch

Love me back,

Surrender

and Nightmare

The Story.
Love Me Back: Chris and Julie, a couple in the dark throws of disfunction in their relationship and lifestyle, are driven to a mysterious place in the countryside. Arriving late at night, strung out and bitter, their journey in re-discovering themselves and each other begins. Chris seems to be haunted and tormented by a spirit forcing him to look at himself. This spirit appears as a crone in Chris’s dreams, frightening and mischievous and the catalyst for change.

At first it looks to Julie that Chris is just losing it, as we – the audience – see him influenced by the crone’s presence. Julie is also unaware that she too is being influenced by another resident spirit, a wise and beautiful woman who is often around her and appears in her dreams.

Not without struggle, and with strong influence from the spirit forces around them, the couple start to find a new understanding and love. From darkness to light. The story of alchemy and love renewal.

Advertise on ArtsCultre from 1p a click for text ads or from 25p CPM for display advertising

News and Media Republic: People's Republic of South Devon • the Devon Week • Arts+Culture • D+CFilm

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Fate, superstition and mortality: Cleo From 5–7

Nick Ingram — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:38:29 +0000

I know this may be strange, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen Cleo From 5-7 (Agnes Varda, 1962.) In fact this is my first Agnes Varda film.

Maybe I’ve spent too much time concentrating on the Nouvelle Vague group of filmmakers rather then those of the Rive Gauche – a movement which included novelists such as Marguerite Duras and Alain Robbe-Grillet, while at the same time producing the seminal Last Year In Marienbad (Alain Resnais, 1960).

Although this group may have similarities with the Nouvelle Vague they are distinctly different – the tone and even the style of the films are different. I don’t think it would be unfair to state that, particularly in Varda’s case, the films are lighter and lack the emotional impact of Francois Truffaut, Jean Luc Godard, or Eric Rohmer. Even then, I still think that the Rive Gauche are worth our attention.

The idea of mortality keeps creeping in here. Every time I write something for these pages mortality keeps coming up full on the screen in front of me. I’ve seen this in Please Give (Nichole Holocener, 2010) and in Valhalla Rising (Nicholas Winding Refn, 2009), and now it appears once again in Cleo From 5-7.

However, in Varda’s film the theme of mortality is used a little differently from the other two films. Here we find a fragile kind of mortality reflected through the character of Cleo (Corinne Marchard). This mortality comes through this character’s youthful beauty. It is opaque, unseen – just there below the flesh, built into Cleo as a mechanism of life. Regardless of where she wanders around the streets of Paris in a taxi the mortality of her human condition will always travel with her.

It does not matter if her medical tests are negative or positive, the result will still not change the fact that she is a living human being who must face the thought that one day she may be no more.

Life, like beauty, is fragile – it is a universal and we cannot change this condition of our existence. The flower of youth will always give way to the bare bones of the facts of life. Our fate can be nothing less.

Fate is an interesting word. I think it can conjure up many connotations, but as far as this word is concerned in relation to Varda’s film, it brings into life the tarot which is read to Cleo at the beginning of the film, as well as some of the beliefs held by some of the other characters in the film.

In this film mortality and fate is connected to the nature of superstitious belief. Meaning that if Cleo acts or wears something that will bring her back luck, including the reading of the tarot, then this will affect her fate and bring her mortality to the fore.

Because of this Cleo should not act in a way that would bring on her condition as a human being, which in the end would bring her closer to the point of having to face up to that mortality. In another way all this superstition shows how the human mind is susceptible to these continuous beliefs – even though we live in a modern age. They tend to be tightly bound in with human fate and eventually its own mortality. A theme which has been with us since the dawn of time.

One of the most delightful things about Cleo 5-7 is its photography. Although filmed by three separate cinematographers, the film, especially in its street scenes of Paris as Cleo drives through in a taxi or walks the pavements of the boulevard, has the quality of a still photographer’s take on life. The shots are rough and ready and natural. Life served up in a montage of rawness which removes the film from the studio.

The photography of this film reminded me of the images of Robert Doisneau, a photographer who would prowl the streets of the city with a Leica in hand ready to jump on any image that passed through the view finder.

Reminding us that even if we are surrounded by the mass of people in the city we still find ourselves alone with our thoughts. It is within this mass that Cleo finds herself alone with her thoughts and superstitions.

Cleo 5-7 is a film worth tracking down and taking a look at if you have the time. For the life of me I still cannot work out why I had never seen it or any other of Varda’s films – maybe she was just one film maker that got away from me and was buried underneath a whole other set of films and images.

But now we’ve met I can only invite some more of Varda’s films into my film-watching life.

Advertise on ArtsCultre from 1p a click for text ads or from 25p CPM for display advertising

News and Media Republic: People's Republic of South Devon • the Devon Week • Arts+Culture • D+CFilm

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Haunting and lyrical stills from Nick Cooke’s film Torquay

D+CFilm — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 10:07:12 +0000

We got our hands on stills from Torquay filmmaker Nick Cooke’s latest film, Torquay.

“Torquay is just a beautiful place and it’s not used enough,” Nick told D+CFilm.

The story, based on Nick’s own experiences is the story of 21-year-old Elliot exploring the town he once called home, and uses the ‘cine-writing’ technique… you know, haunting, lyrical, atmospheric

The film is currently in post production going through a sound mix and score and should be finished within the next two months.

Read D+CFilm’s Q&A with Nick Cooke

Advertise on ArtsCultre from 1p a click for text ads or from 25p CPM for display advertising

News and Media Republic: People's Republic of South Devon • the Devon Week • Arts+Culture • D+CFilm

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

The strange underbelly of British cinema – the latest DVD reviews

Tom Leins — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:39:01 +0000

Sex, Leins & Videotape # 48. Paignton film critic Tom Leins examines the strange underbelly of British cinema with this week’s batch of DVD reviews.

Shank (Revolver) takes place in a bizarre dystopian future where food is scarce and violence is rife. Set in a ravaged alternate version of London, the movie follows the exploits of the Paper Chaserz, a non-violent gang who pride themselves on their brains-over-brawn credo.

However, when gang leader Rager (Grime star Bashy) is murdered in cold blood by knife-wielding delinquents, his younger brother Junior (Kedar Williams-Stirling) vows to get revenge, and sets off on a dark journey in search of the culprits. Blending action-packed chase scenes with by-numbers urban drama, Shank seems to be aiming for a District 13-meets-Kidulthood vibe, but ends up feeling like a pale imitation of its superior influences.

However, Shank is far from a write-off and impresses when it follows its own unique path. Boasting enviably vivid production design, that imbues the film with a gritty edge, Shank is slick and edgy throughout – although possibly not quite as edgy as it thinks it is. Unfortunately, the limp script doesn’t match up to the film’s carefully cultivated image and threatens to unravel all of the production team’s hard work. The cartoonish supporting cast detracts slightly from Shank’s deadly-serious ‘futility of gang violence’ message, but overall Shank provides more hits than misses, and young Kedar Williams-Stirling impresses as Junior, suggesting he has a promising career ahead of him.

Alfred Hitchcock is arguably one of the finest British directors of all time, and his distinctive character is resurrected in Double Take (Soda), a mind-boggling art-house concoction that drags us back to an era of Cold War paranoia and sets in motion a story in which Alfred Hitchcock and his shadowy doppelganger become obsessed with planning the perfect murder of one another. Taking its cues from the fiction of Jose Luis Borges, Double Take is a cryptic montage of a movie that splices together old promotional footage, TV spots and new footage starring a Hitch look-alike, and weaves the material into an unsettling whole.

With the recurring motto: “If you meet your double, you should kill him” pushed to the fore, Double Take examines Hitchcock’s own fascination with doppelgangers, and the results are quirky and hypnotic. Although the fragmented, piecemeal approach gives the narrative an inevitable stop-start feeling, the ideas at play are intriguing enough to keep things on track. Occasionally easier to admire than to enjoy, Double Take is a fascinating concept, vividly executed by Belgian director Johan Grimonprez. Indeed, you suspect that Hitchcock himself would approve of its mischievous charms. Happily, decades after his death, Hitchcock is still very much the star of the show.

Low budget mock-umentary Resurrecting the Street Walker (Kaleidoscope) aims for similarly post-modern territory, with its shocking story about the warped powers of an abandoned ‘video nasty’. Film buff James is desperate to seize a foot-hold in the film industry, and secures himself an internship working for an independent film company in London. One day, when clearing out the cellar, James discovers a mysterious reel of film titled The Street Walker. Upon further inspection it becomes apparent that the film is an unfinished ‘video nasty’ that was derailed by the troubled director’s untimely suicide. Convinced that this movie could be his ticket to success, James begs his boss for the opportunity to finish the movie.

The movie’s troubled history is difficult to shake off and people surrounding James start to get the impression that the film is cursed. James’ devotion to the project starts to have a profound effect on his friendships, work relationships and family life, and his determination to finish the movie sees his increasingly fragile state of mind unravel completely. Just how far is he willing to go to finish the doomed video nasty? Although it is abundantly clear where the narrative is heading, Resurrecting the Street Walker is undeniably effective and James’ spiral into insanity is genuinely disquieting. Not a classic, but a worthwhile no-budget curio.

Anyone with an appetite for thuggish home-grown gangster dramas should check out Baseline (Optimum), a solid but unspectacular thriller set against the backdrop of the London Grime scene. Danny (Freddie Connor) is an ambitious bouncer keen to invest in a club of his own, and rise above the petty scuffles and low-rent drug deals that lower the tone. After saving his boss from a would-be assassin, Danny is promoted to the role of club manager, only to realise that his increased involvement is a sham. Danny’s problems multiply when his ex-best friend gets out of prison, keen to avenge himself against the gangsters whose actions put him behind bars. As the movie trudges towards its workmanlike conclusion there are some appealing jolts of nastiness, but Baseline never quite rises above its undemanding origins.

Years ago, Notting Hill courted controversy with its embarrassing absence of black characters, and Baseline treads a similarly dubious path. Anyone who considers Grime music the stomping ground of young, black, disenfranchised males will be baffled to realise that the underground Grime scene is actually dominated by chunky middle-aged white blokes! Newcomer Freddie Connor is an earnest (if slightly dodgy) central presence, and the fact that he produced the movie himself speaks volumes about his involvement. Despite supporting roles for Dexter Fletcher (Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels), Gary Stretch (Dead Man’s Shoes) and Jamie Foreman (Layer Cake), the involvement of a bunch of genre veterans doesn’t actually add much lustre to the proceedings. On the plus side, at least rent-a-Cockney Danny Dyer isn’t in it!

Advertise on ArtsCultre from 1p a click for text ads or from 25p CPM for display advertising

News and Media Republic: People's Republic of South Devon • the Devon Week • Arts+Culture • D+CFilm

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Young people wanted for Olympic-inspired documenting (full training provided!)

D+CFilm — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:00:29 +0000

First Light is looking for young people based in the South West to undertake training in order to digitally document the Olympic-inspired activity that is taking part in their areas.

First Light have teamed up with mygames to offer young people the opportunity to promote and celebrate the values of the 2012 Olympic Games while receiving training from professionals in filmmaking, citizen journalism, interviewing, blogging, vlogging and campaigning.

If you’re aged between 18 and 25 and have some spare time to volunteer this could be right for you.

You will receive training in how to use equipment such as digital voice recorders, camcorders, laptops and editing software to make short documentaries that capture the Olympic projects that are happening in the South West.

First Light and mygames want to help volunteers develop their skills, while making a real difference to their community.

If you’d like to get involved, pop along to the First Light website, go here, or email Rebecca@firstlightonline.co.uk for more info.

Advertise on ArtsCultre from 1p a click for text ads or from 25p CPM for display advertising

News and Media Republic: People's Republic of South Devon • the Devon Week • Arts+Culture • D+CFilm

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Filmmakers, what do you wish you’d known about copyright?

D+CFilm — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:56:54 +0000

Have you had your creativity stifled by copyright misuse, misinterpretation and misappropriation?

Alan Hardcastle, course leader for Vocational Media at Bridgwater College, is looking for people to complete a copyright questionnaire to help build up a better picture of the copyright issues filmmakers face.

It is part of research for an MA at Bournemouth University.

Alan aims to argue the importance of teaching copyright as part of a media literacy agenda in an attempt to help filmmakers avoid having their creativity stifled by copyright misuse, misinterpretation and misappropriation

Alan is looking for people to complete his questionnaire about copyright to help build up a better picture of the issues involved.

“I am particularly interested in cases of fair dealing/ fair use – a lot of companies seem to use the law to raise money and scare off small productions,” he said.

“So I am looking for case studies where producers, cirectors etc have had to change ideas due to overpriced licensing or clearances, or generally had their production adversely affected by copyright law in a way they believe to be unfair.

“Conversely, I am also interested in cases where the copyright law has not been effective.”

Alan poses this question to filmmakers: “What would you like to have learned about copyright? What one single lesson do you wish you had known?”

The end product – besides a 6,000 word report – will be the development of a teachers’ tool kit to help advise what teachers can do on fair dealing in the classroom, and what they should be teaching the next generation of filmmakers.

Take the surveys!
The first if for filmmakers to find people who have been affected by copyright issues.

The second is for consumers and focuses on what they understand to be legal or illegal, mainly concerning mechanical copyright and online piracy.

(please forward this survey’s to others who may be interested)

(Image: Copyright symbol by MikeBlogs used under Creative Commons licence)

Advertise on ArtsCultre from 1p a click for text ads or from 25p CPM for display advertising

News and Media Republic: People's Republic of South Devon • the Devon Week • Arts+Culture • D+CFilm

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

An ornately detailed walk through the world of dreams – Inception: review

Stuart McCoLL — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:14:54 +0000

With The Dark Knight making such considerable bank and uniting opinionated fans and critics alike, Christopher Nolan was essentially handed the keys to the kingdom by Warner Bros. With them in hand and his new-found experience working on big blockbuster pictures, he decided to set about filming one of his own scripts. One that was 10 years in the making – Inception – a highly ambitious walk through the ‘architecture of the mind’. And in doing this, he might just have saved the summer of 2010.

For the first 60 minutes, Inception takes you by both hands and guides you through a world where theft is now commonplace in dreams. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Dom Cobb, the best in the business at infiltrating and removing information from the fast asleep. When it’s not explaining the increasingly intricate canons of the entire concept, the film essentially plays out as a maze-like heist picture set in the dream(s) of Cillian Murphy’s Robert Fischer, a business magnate and rival of Ken Watanabe’s Saito. Cobb is tasked not with extracting information from Fischer’s mind, but inserting an idea within and tricking Fischer into believing that the idea was his own (an inception). If he can successfully pull this off, Cobb can return home to his two young children. If he can’t, he risks death. Or worse – being caught in the limbo of his own mind.

To pull off this gargantuan task, Cobb ensembles his own Ocean’s 11-style group of dream stealers – long-time point man Arthur (Joseph Gordon Levitt), shape-shifting Eames (the exceptional Tom Hardy), mind architect Ariadne (Ellen Page), experimental pharmacist Yusuf (Dileep Rao) and the man who gave him the mission, Saito. From here, Inception is a constantly unfurling meld of ideas and rules balanced delicately across two or three different layers at a time. The fact that its stability never comes into question is in virtue of the excellent script and the character of Ariadne, who acts as our guide throughout.

The collective must travel into dreams-upon-dreams if they’re to pull off the inception successfully – and to create something on such a large scale Nolan was provided with a $160m budget (pocket change from the $1bn+ that The Dark Knight has taken globally). It’s used to great effect with fights in rotating hotel corridors, cities eroded by huge waves and a bustling Parisian street folding in half like a sheet of paper.

There’s a look and feel of past Nolan films here, with Memento and The Dark Knight coming to the forefront. Memento for it’s out-and-out mind-trickery and The Dark Knight for it’s sweeping set-up shots of city skylines and constant sense of climax in both the script and the score. Providing the breathtaking soundtrack is Hans Zimmer (The Dark Knight), whose capricious music gives the sense that every dream sequence could implode at any second. Wally Pfister acts as cinematographer on yet another Christopher Nolan-directed picture, having worked with him on everything from Memento to The Dark Knight, through Insomnia, Batman Begins and The Prestige.

Inception will be remembered as one of the defining films of the decade, a contemporary masterpiece of modern cinema. Visually stunning, fantastically scored and with mind-bending layered set pieces that play out as microcosms of each other, Nolan has created his finest piece of work yet.

Advertise on ArtsCultre from 1p a click for text ads or from 25p CPM for display advertising

News and Media Republic: People's Republic of South Devon • the Devon Week • Arts+Culture • D+CFilm

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

August film offerings

Nick Ingram — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 09:13:26 +0000

It’s August and summer should be at its hottest. You should be on the beach, licking an ice cream covered in sand. But it could be one of those Augusts where the rain just keeps falling from the sky. If that’s the case then you should head to the cinema. After all, anything has to be more interesting then sitting at home watching back-to-back episodes of Jeremy Kyle.

If your thing is a large bucket of popcorn to accompany huge and brash uncomplicated film, then why not take in some of this summer’s blockbuster delights. Most of which I must add are repeats of some form or another. Showing here in August are remakes of The Karate Kid (Harald Zwart, 2010), with Jackie Chan, and The A-Team (Joe Carnanan, 2010), brought to you by major studios. Also, if you like you’re into CGI fantasy there’s always The Last Airbender (M Night Shyamalan,2010), which once again comes from a TV series.

For more varied and thought-provoking offerings, take yourself up to Looe Street, Plymouth, and the cinema at Plymouth Arts Centre.

Here at the end of July, Whatever Works (Woody Allen, 2009) gets served up staring Larry David, and it looks like it’s as wonderful as Allen’s Vicky Christina Barcelona. Also if you want to watch Christians take over Alexandria in late fourth century AD, then Agora (Alejandro Amenabar, 2009) will most likely be your film of the month. If this film is half as atmospheric as The Others back in 2001, then it will easily be worth the price of a ticket.

If you’re into ballet or you just like wonderfully filmed documentaries then La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet (Frederick Wiseman, 2010) will be right up your tutu. In fact it’s probably up there with the likes of Buena Vista Social Club (Wim Wenders, 1999) or Man On Wire (James Marsh,2008) (both of which are out on DVD and well worth checking out for an evening in). But La Danse is most likely to be one of the finest documentary’s shown anywhere this year.

Gainsbourg (Joann Safar, 2010) is a little decadent treat before summer enters in to the dog days of September. Based on a graphic novel, this film promises to give an image of Serge Gainsbourg in all his bourgeois baiting grandeur. It could be this film that rips straight though Marion Cotillard’s performance of Edith Piaf La Vie En Rose (Olivier Dahan, 2007). This film may well be one of the surprising sleepers of the summer.

If none of this floats your boat, then there’s the promise of the restored version of Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1927), the double page ad for which is sitting under the front cover of the August edition of Sight & Sound. This will be the first time that the full version has been seen since it was made, and has been completed using footage from a full version that was found at the Museum Of Cinema in Buenos Aires. It’s almost like a dream coming true – but there is no given release date, only a ‘coming soon’…

Advertise on ArtsCultre from 1p a click for text ads or from 25p CPM for display advertising

News and Media Republic: People's Republic of South Devon • the Devon Week • Arts+Culture • D+CFilm

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Torbay filmmaker seeks screenwriter for next project

D+CFilm — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 08:05:42 +0000

Torbay filmmaking John Tomkins got in touch about his latest project, a cross between The Third Man and Fugitive. And he’s after a script writer to help get the project off the ground. Over to you, John…

It’s 11am ‘David York’ has just received a shocking message from his wife. In a panic he runs from the table where he is having a business meeting with his best friend. Returning home he finds his wife has gone and so has everything else. On the lounge wall are painted the letters TC. So begins David’s search and the beginning of They’re Coming.

The best way to describe what I’m trying to achieve with the feel of They’re Coming is a cross between the The Third Man and The Fugitive – utilising the great scenery and narrow streets of Torbay. I’d also like to inject the suspense of those new and old-fashion thrillers – you’re not sure who to trust and the story twists and turns.

I have finished the plot of the picture and, with help of local actor Adam Barfield, have put together a pitch teaser trailer for the film. They say bad dialogue can ruining a picture and sharp dialogue can make a film great. I am looking for a screenwriter / writers to help me write the script and to make sure it’s razor sharp before a frame of film has been filmed. I’m looking to commence shooting in spring 2011, for a release date of late 2011. If this sounds like your sort of thing, please contact me with your details at jotomkin@hotmail.co.uk

On my other project news I have recently completed a website for my last project Like an Angel, where you can find out about the team behind the picture, as well as watch a show reel of scenes from the film. Plus on the music front I have recently released a new EP on iTunes called Super Flavour Cool Dial Matrix, which features the song Midnight, the video for which was on my last post on D+CFilm.

Advertise on ArtsCultre from 1p a click for text ads or from 25p CPM for display advertising

News and Media Republic: People's Republic of South Devon • the Devon Week • Arts+Culture • D+CFilm

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Spielberg to film War Horse on Dartmoor

D+CFilm — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 10:14:19 +0000

Steven Spielberg is the latest Hollywood supremo who is looking to Devon and Cornwall for inspiration. He’ll be shooting his next movie War Horse – the film of the book by Devon writer and former children’s laureate Michael Morpurgo – on Dartmoor.

The book has already been turned into a stage play and follows the story of a horse which was sent to the front during the First World War, and a boy’s efforts to bring him home.

Michael said: “I know they are filming on Dartmoor and in London.”

We’ve had a cast call for period actors for a Dartmoor shoot, it may tie in with the Speilberg film, and gives the extras from the South West the chance of working with another top director – Tim Burton filmed Alice in Wonderland at Anthony House.

Another film that’s in production with a Dartmoor connection is We Bought A Zoo, based on Ben Mee’s biographical tale of his acquisition of Dartmoor Zoo, which is being directed by Cameron Crowe, and has been connected with Matt Damon.

Emily Watson and David Thewlis will be leading the performance for War Horse, which has been adapted for screen by Richard Curtis, whose credits are too numerous to mention, and Lee Hall, of Billy Elliot fame.

It’s believed filming will being in August and last for three months.

“So much of Devon is stunning and I love the idea of bringing the countryside to people all over the world,” said Michael.

(image: screenshot from the National Theatre’s site for its production of War Horse)

Advertise on ArtsCultre from 1p a click for text ads or from 25p CPM for display advertising

News and Media Republic: People's Republic of South Devon • the Devon Week • Arts+Culture • D+CFilm

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Enlarging on the emotions: David Briggs on providing a live soundtrack to Nosferatu at Truro Cathedral

D+CFilm — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 09:13:50 +0000

World renown organist David Briggs will provide live accompaniment to the 1922 classic silent film Nosferatu at Truro Cathedral on Saturday, July 17. We caught up with him to ask a few questions about performing a live soundtrack to a classic.

What is the specific challenge of accompanying silent movies and what attracts you to Nosferatu?
I’ve loved to improvise ever since I was six years old. When I was young my piano teachers always used to complain that I didn’t practise my scales and arpeggios and used to prefer to make up music!

I’ve always found improvisation very liberating – it’s just something in my creative make-up, I guess. Improvising to movies is great fun – the main intention is always to enlarge on the emotional content of the film and there should obviously be as close a connection as possible – you have to stay one step ahead, like a good movie composer would.

How many times have you performed to silent films at Truro Cathedral?
Just once, I believe – that was for Hunchback of Notre-Dame last October. I remember the cathedral was packed. I think people are intrigued about the synthesis between a visual image from the 1920s and music which is completely spontaneous and created as a one-off for this point in time.

How different is accompanying a silent film to what we’re used to as a film score?
I think the main emphasis should be the same – but of course when you’re improvising you can never change your mind – never rub anything out. So you have to keep a certain distance, as well as being in control of the detail. It’s a bit like going into a ‘zone’.

Are there techniques in Nosferatu or your accompaniment that you’d like to see more of?
The sheer drama (to our minds rather ‘over the top’) of these great silents is very stimulating to any improviser. It’s extremely atmospheric, in a totally different way to later movies, and the Truro Willis organ is the perfect vehicle to highlight all the emotions in this fantastic movies – it’s a real treasure trove of colour and dynamic contrast.

David Briggs, many thanks

Advertise on ArtsCultre from 1p a click for text ads or from 25p CPM for display advertising

News and Media Republic: People's Republic of South Devon • the Devon Week • Arts+Culture • D+CFilm

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Reawakening the Predator franchise and erasing memories of alien crossovers – Predators: review

Stuart McCoLL — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:42:47 +0000

1987′s Predator spawned a multi-million dollar franchise and a gluttony of terrible ideas, two of which made their way to the big screen in Aliens Vs. Predator and its wholly awful sequel. The original Predator, despite a mixed critical reception at the time of release is remembered fondly by most and frequently finds its way onto ‘top 50 action movie’ lists across the internet, written by journalists and bloggers alike – and, if we’re counting, two of its stars also went on to become US governors in Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jesse Ventura. There’s still hope for Carl Weathers yet.

Three years later and Predator 2 saw everybody’s favourite dreadlocked alien make its way from the jungles of Guatemala to the streets of Los Angeles, with an all new cast headlined by Danny Glover and Gary Busey. It had the same state-of-the-art effects and the same Stan Winston behind the Predator character, but it was found sorely lacking when stacked up against it’s younger brother.

Around a year after the release of Predator 2, Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Desperado) wrote an early script for a further instalment in the franchise, which 20th Century Fox would turn down due to budget scale worries. Well over a decade later and that script would form the basis for Predators, with Rodriguez producing and Nimrod Antal (Vacancy) directing.

It’d be easy to overload a sequel such as this with homages and tributes to these predecessors, but Predators never once veers down the path of outright imitation and repetition. While it does tip its hat a few times (and to other films) it’s never done with a wink and a nudge, choosing to be subtle instead.

Which is one thing that the characters certainly aren’t. Portrayed by a venerable cast including Academy Award-winning Adrien Brody, cult icon and long-time Rodriguez muse Danny Trejo, as well as Lawrence Fishburne in his best role since forever, the cast list packs a heavy punch. Parachuted into an unknown jungle and all suffering from temporary amnesia, they quickly discover that something is awry – they’re all murderers, while perhaps not in the eyes of the law. Gangsters, mercenaries, soldiers or out-and-out criminals, the only anomaly on the list is Topher Grace’s doctor character, who is quite possibly there for his role in the diabolical Spider-man 3.

The plot doesn’t venture very far from here, as you’d expect. The body count adds up as Adrien Brody’s voice becomes increasingly indistinguishable from Christian Bale’s Batman growl (Why?!), and it’s not long before our ‘heroes’ realise that they’re not up against an earthly foe. There’s some more than acceptable set pieces and the action moves at a brisk pace, only slowing down to channel some of the horror elements that Predator did so well.

This is really the film that Predator 2 should have been – it’s fast, it’s fun and it really evokes the spirit of John McTiernan’s 1987 original. In 2010, we’ve arguably seen it all done before… but is that such a bad thing?

(image: Adrien Brody and Alice Braga in Predators)

Advertise on ArtsCultre from 1p a click for text ads or from 25p CPM for display advertising

News and Media Republic: People's Republic of South Devon • the Devon Week • Arts+Culture • D+CFilm

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Film industry work experience wanted!!

D+CFilm — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:12:24 +0000

It’s the time of year when students are looking to build on their knowledge and gain some real-life experience in the film and TV industry. And we’re getting an increasing number of people getting in touch asking for advice on obtaining that much-needed experience – but where do they start?

If you’ve got a work experience placement, or are interested in hearing from the up-and-coming generation of film professionals and are finding it hard to connect to people, pop on over to the D+CFilm network.

We’ve set up a group and a forum for people looking for and offering work experience. And it could be in any discipline or aspect of the industry, production, running, make-up, and so on.

It would be great if you could connect over there, and keep us up-to-date with what’s on offer and what you’re learning (it would be good if a provision of work experience was writing up a work-experience blog for D+CFilm…).

Let us know how you get on.

(image: Behind the scenes of Writing for Film & Television Port Short, “7 Day Work Week” by vancouverfilmschool used under Creative Commons licence)

Advertise on ArtsCultre from 1p a click for text ads or from 25p CPM for display advertising

News and Media Republic: People's Republic of South Devon • the Devon Week • Arts+Culture • D+CFilm

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Please Give: a film of guilt and mortality

Nick Ingram — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 09:07:08 +0000

Please Give (Nichole Holocener, 2010) is an unsure film – it can’t make up its mind if it wants to be a comedy or whether it wants to be a realist drama, which is a shame because there is good material here.

Director Nichole Holocener passes on a cool ironic distance to the audience. Aesthetically speaking, the core characters of the film are pushed back from the foreground of the screen, as if they are wisps of emotion floating through the city. Please Give is a film rooted within the emotions, the actions, and the relationships of the characters. Yet sometimes it feels that there is nothing within these figures. These characters are more like ghosts of a whole human being.

Kate (Catherine Keener) suffers for a serve guilt complex which forces her to give money to down and outs on the street. She even feels the need to volunteer to help Down’s Syndrome teenagers. The sight of these teenagers playing basket ball during a gym lesson turns her to tears. Kate, feels the pain of the world to the point that she doesn’t see the needs of her own daughter who walks beside her everyday as she hands the money to those she feels are in need.

The guilt has nothing to do with the tramps or the basketball playing teenagers. It is to do with the fact that she is a grown middle aged women with a husband, and a teenage daughter. By giving money to the needy she can ignore those who are closest to her. She can avoid emotional contact with them. There is no magic wand that can cure the ills of the world. Instead she needs to begin with her own family.

At the core of Please Give sits the 90-year-old Andra (Ann Gullbert). She is the classic example of the ageing grandmother who has not left her flat in years. Andra is downright blunt in what she says and the way she says it. She has a kind of open honesty, which others find as rudeness. For example, she tells Kate’s husband quite loudly that she thinks he has put on weight. Her honesty is lacking from the other characters of the film.

But she is not here to provide a moral compass for the others. Andra is here to provide a warning about life. She is a reminder of their mortality. And it is because of this that she comes across as being the only openly honest character in the film. It is like she has already been through the phases of life that the rest are now going through, and her reply to the them is that they will end up like her, leaving only the final act of death to take her away. Andra sits there, waiting, watching the television.

Please Give is a film about guilt, mortality, and the fact that the individual cannot change the world. But the question of Please Give becomes to whom shall we give? The answer being the family and the ones we love. Kate gives not in the end to down and outs, but to her family, and Andra’s granddaughters give to her and then eventually each other.

The core of the well being relies on the fact that we should give to those who are closest to us, for they are the ones who will carry us through life. Even if these questions are posed to us at a cool ironic distance.

Advertise on ArtsCultre from 1p a click for text ads or from 25p CPM for display advertising

News and Media Republic: People's Republic of South Devon • the Devon Week • Arts+Culture • D+CFilm

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh