Author: Alton Williams

  • Delph Edition: Bits & Pieces

    Delph Edition: Bits & Pieces

    Delph Edition: Bits & Pieces. Omri Dorani’s caravan of suspense This is Our Home premieres on DVD and Demand this December from Uncork’d Entertainment. Jeff Ayars and Simone Policano star in the chilling account of a struggling couple who, during a weekend getaway, are greeted in the middle of the night by a child claiming to be their son. Scripted by Robert Harmon, This is our Home is a “measured piece of psychological horror that will follow you home” (Horror Buzz), hitting disc and digital December 3.

    After the death of his young daughter, Tom Dunn is a broken man. When his wife falls pregnant again, he cannot believe their luck. However, his joy is short lived, as on the very same day, the people of Earth become plagued with terrifying visions of the end of the world. When a gigantic, all-consuming alien mothership appears in the sky and launches a ruthless attack on Earth’s cities, chaos and destruction follow!

    A brand new quiz from Select Car Leasing testing users on their iconic movie car knowledge? One defining feature of iconic cars is their extremely distinct shapes, especially those known in pop culture. This got Select Car Leasing thinking, would it be possible to recognise some of the big screen’s most famous cars using just its outline of smoke?

    From Fernando Meirelles, the Academy Award-nominated director of “City of God,” and three-time Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Anthony McCarten, comes an intimate story of one of the most dramatic transitions of power in the last 2,000 years. Frustrated with the direction of the church, Cardinal Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce) requests permission to retire in 2012 from Pope Benedict (Anthony Hopkins). Instead, facing scandal and self-doubt, the introspective Pope Benedict summons his harshest critic and future successor to Rome to reveal a secret that would shake the foundations of the Catholic Church. Behind Vatican walls, a struggle commences between both tradition and progress, guilt and forgiveness, as these two very different men confront elements from their pasts in order to find common ground and forge a future for a billion followers around the world.

    In 2009 two Norwegian adventurers Joshua French and Tjostolv Moland cross the border to Eastern Congo. Just a few days later the news of their driver’s untimely death spreads. After several nights on the run in the unforgiving Congolese jungle, the two men are captured and sentenced to death for murder. Is this a clear-cut case of murder by two violent mercenaries? Or is this a diplomatic move by a government already ridden by civil unrest to frame two innocent former soldiers? Congo is a powerful, tension-filled thriller, filled with tragedy and conspiracy. It shows how easy, and scary it can be to get wrapped up in the relentless political system of a nation in crisis.

    QUEEN OF HEARTS explores the making of a tragic family secret step by step, as the consequences of hubris, lust and lies conspire to create an unimaginable dilemma.

    Troubled college freshman Luke (Robbins) suffers a violent family trauma and resurrects his childhood imaginary friend Daniel (Schwarzenegger) to help him cope. Charismatic and full of manic energy, Daniel helps Luke to achieve his dreams, before pushing him to the very edge of sanity and into a desperate struggle for control of his mind — and his soul.

    In the bleak Scottish winter, witty and sarcastic Liusaidh (Karen Gillan) is spiralling into a reckless, drunken, mid-twenties crisis. Filling her days and nights with casual joyless sex, junk food and a belief in ‘the power of positive drinking’ she’s plagued by visions of her best friend Alistair (Matthew Beard) throwing himself from a bridge. With bittersweet memories of the time spent with her friend, Liusaidh struggles to connect with anyone until a chance encounter with a stranger from out of town (Lee Pace).

    Pedro, a 70-year-old gay nurse, and a big fan of Greta Garbo, needs to find an empty bed in the hospital where he works to save his best friend, Daniela. To do so he decides to help Jean, a criminal in police custody, escape from the premises. But then, worried about Jean’s health, Pedro sets the criminal up in his apartment to treat his wounds. The two wind up having a highly-charged affair that brings to the surface Pedro’s own solitude, now augmented by Daniela’s imminent death.

  • Hocus Pocus Flying Thanks To Halloween Effect

    Hocus Pocus Flying Thanks To Halloween Effect

    Hocus Pocus Flying Thanks To Halloween Effect: There’s just no stopping Toy Story 4 as it sees off seasonal competition to claim the Number 1 spot on the Official Film Chart for a third week running.

    Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the gang have set up camp at the top of the Official Film Chart. Securing the biggest DVD and Blu-ray title of the week, the Disney•Pixar heartwarming animated sequel holds the chart throne for a third time while Spider-Man: Far From Home hits back as the UK’s most downloaded movie of the week.

    Men in Black: International are on the case at Number 3, while Danny Boyle’s Yesterday, which reimagines a world without The Beatles is a non-mover at 4, as is Aladdin whose magic carpet remains parked at Number 5 this week.

    Elton John biopic Rocketman climbs one spot to Number 6, while animated adventure Secret Life of Pets 2 slips to 7.

    Double, double, toil and trouble…the Halloween effect casts its spell next as ‘90s classic Hocus Pocus, starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as a trio of diabolical witches who were executed in the 17th Century, conjures up the highest climb of the week. Hocus Pocus flies across the sky 9 places to Number 8.

    Rounding off the Top 10 is Godzilla: King of The Monsters (9) and X-Men: Dark Phoenix (10), each slipping one position.

    On this week’s Official Film Chart online show, sing along to the gorgeous clip of Can You Feel the Love Tonight from Disney’s The Lion King, featuring Beyoncé & Donald Glover available to download and keep from November 11.

    The Official Film Chart Top 10 – 6 November 2019

    PosTitleLabel
    1TOY STORY 4WALT DISNEY
    2SPIDER-MAN – FAR FROM HOMESONY PICTURES HE
    3MEN IN BLACK – INTERNATIONALSONY PICTURES HE
    4YESTERDAYUNIVERSAL PICTURES
    5ALADDINWALT DISNEY
    6ROCKETMANPARAMOUNT
    7THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2UNIVERSAL PICTURES
    8HOCUS POCUSWALT DISNEY
    9GODZILLA – KING OF THE MONSTERSWARNER HOME VIDEO
    10X-MEN – DARK PHOENIX20TH CENTURY FOX HE

    © Official Charts Company 2019

  • ASFF: Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2019

    ASFF: Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2019

    ASFF once again transforms the historic city of York into a cinematic playground. Welcoming directors from over 60+ countries, the 2019 is the most extensive yet, expanding to feature, VR and short film. 

    ASFF also welcomes industry leaders from a range of disciplines to speak about their craft. For 2019, this includes Emmy- and Oscar-nominated producers, directors, sound designers, editors and cinematographers such as Simon ChinnDick Pope and Tracy Granger, as well as cultural powerhouses British Vogue, i-D and Rankin.

    Returning for 2019, the Screen School VR Lab, in partnership with the London College of Communication (LCC), is a celebration of new forms of storytelling in Virtual Reality. The Showcase Screenings presents a series of discussions hosted by staff and alumni of leading UK organisations, including University of the Arts London and Goldsmiths University of London. 

    ASFF also offers a selection of filmmakers the opportunity to pitch their projects to industry professionals from the UK’s biggest production companies, including Film 4BBCBaby Cow and the Guardian.

    Bear witness to some of the 20th century’s most defining and critical moments. As part of Defining an Era: The 20th Century on Screen Guest Programmes, the Imperial War Museum presents archival footage examining the D-Day invasion, and Filmfest Dresden curates a series of films depicting life on both sides of the Berlin Wall. Skin & Coal explores the divisiveness of miners’ strike-era Britain. Man on the Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission provides never before seen footage.

    CYCLE III from Dan Gianini on Vimeo.

    Providing a space for new voices and individual perspectives, ASFF’s Alternative Perspectives strand covers a broad range of ideas through film and panel discussions, presenting works from black filmmakers and women directors from the Arab World, presented by the BBC Arabic FestivalMeanwhile, Iris Prize Film Festival examines the relationships between siblings who identify as LGBTQ+, looking at complex narratives based around identity and sexuality.

  • Three Films That Make Us Feel Like We’re Living The High Life

    Three Films That Make Us Feel Like We’re Living The High Life

    Films that Make Us Feel Like We’re Living the High Life 

    At its heart, good cinema is about escapism. The best films act as portals into another world, giving us the chance to immerse ourselves in other people’s lives and realities. In the space of two movies, we can skip from being aboard the doomed decks of the Titanic to living in the fictional fantasy world of Pandora, where a blue-skinned humanoid species roams and giant, mythical creatures fill the skies.

    One of our favourite alternate existences to escape into is one of absolute luxury. For a few hours, we want to live a life we could only ever dream of, where money is plentiful and the world is ours for the taking. So, on that note, here are three films that can help you do that.

    Crazy Rich Asians (2018) 

    Released last year, Crazy Rich Asians became an instant box office hit, and we can’t help suspecting that a lot of that was to do with our love of escapism. Based on the 2013 novel of the same name, the film stars Constance Wu, Henry Golding and Gemma Chan, and tells the tale of a Chinese-American professor who travels overseas to meet her boyfriend’s family. Unbeknownst to her, she soon discovers that they’re one of the richest and best-connected clans in Singapore, opening the door to a luxurious world that most of us could only ever dream of. That said, you can catch a glimpse of the lifestyle you crave if you’re ever in the island city-state for yourself, by stopping at Gardens by the Bay – the amazing location where Collin and Araminta’s onscreen wedding takes place.

    Casino Royale (2006)

    Starring the inimitable acting talents of Daniel Craig and Eva Green, Casino Royale is arguably one of the best Bond movies to date, and it offers a lavish look into the dazzling world of the casino. Taking place at the beginning of Bond’s career, it sees everyone’s favourite fictional spy sent on an assignment to bankrupt terrorist financier Le Chiffre, through the medium of a high-stakes poker game. With the action on screen praised for its realism, and the surroundings perfectly epitomising the luxury we strive for, this is a tour de force of true decadence. And, for those who desire to enjoy such an experience for themselves, there are options on the web.  

    Playing at an online casino like Sky City with live 3-card poker and other livestreamed games promises to be just as exciting as the action you see on your television.     

    The Great Gatsby (2013)

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    Last but not least, let us add The Great Gatsby to this list. The 2013 romantic drama film is based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald book whose name it borrows, and stars Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role. With supporting performances by Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, and Isla Fisher, you can tell straight away that it’s going to be good – and it doesn’t disappoint. Lavish, decadent, and unashamedly moneyed, it charts the titular character’s attempts to win back the girl he has always adored. You’ll not only fall in love with their great and epic romance but with the insane millionaire lifestyle that lies at the film’s centre. Should you wish to experience a taste of its luxury for yourself, you’ll have to go all the way to Sydney and its pretty Centennial Park, which represented the amazing Gatsby estate on the screen. 

    Tell us, the next time you have a lazy afternoon spare, which of these films will you put on first?

  • How Horror Movies Have A Positive Influence On Your Brain

    How Horror Movies Have A Positive Influence On Your Brain

    Watching a horror film can be a divisive activity. Some of us absolutely love watching them, whilst others find the very thought of scary movies too much to contemplate. The enduring nature of scenes within horror movies proves that psychological elements or particularly gory aspects are still powerful tools to use on a cinematic audience, keeping the genre well and truly alive.

    This can be further evidenced by the huge number of highly-anticipated horror films already being released through 2019 as well as in 2020. Movies like Us, It: Chapter Two, Brightburn, Doctor Sleep, and the creature-feature Crawl were all released in 2019, while The Grudge remake, Underwater, and the sequel to the superb A Quiet Place will be commanding the crowds in 2020. In fact, there’s even a movie that is set to put a horror-spin on the superhero formula next year. The New Mutants is supposed to align with the X-Men movie franchise, will be released under the Disney banner and is set to be nothing less than a “‘full-fledged’ horror movie”.

    The release of Doctor Sleep highlights the continued popularity of horror films.

    To help you to convince your less-enthusiastic mate to come along and witness the scares, gore, and psychological torment, here are some intriguing ways in which horror movies can have a positive influence on your brain.

    Horror Tropes Have Become Familiar

    In the modern cinematic landscape, certain classic features of horror have seeped into other genres, too. One particularly popular example is the vampire and even The Marvel Cinematic Universe is looking to expand to more movie fans (after the success of the Infinity Saga) by bringing in new genres and character types – most notably in the form of a dark and twisted vampire.

    Vampires are making a comeback in modern pop-culture as horror icons with Morbius in the Marvel Cinematic Universe being an example.

    The vampire is a notorious being of the horror genre. And after being used differently in the box office-conquering Twilight series, the fame of this supernatural being has thrived across all mediums, taking on various depictions. The romance-heavy Twilight depiction is given an edge with more adult scenes and graphic murder in True Blood, showing us how vampires are now used not only as icons of horror but also as romanticised immortals in movies and television.

    That’s not all. Less horror and more love interest-themed vampires have even escaped the bounds of television and film to come into gaming. These new-look vampires have proven to be popular with the adult audience. In a review of 2019’s best slot games, the 243-ways Immortal Romance slot game clocked in alongside the ever-popular Starburst and the progressive jackpot behemoth Mega Moolah. This shows that the horror creature still upholds a great deal of appeal in entertainment. Could it be that familiarity with this “being” in other areas allows us to view horror in a new and more relaxing light?

    Audiences have indeed been very accepting of the newer forms of vampires. Now Marvel will be pulling up one of its most horrifying Spider-Man villains to bring the fear back to vampires and introduce it to the MCU with their living vampire, Morbius. It’s quite possibly this long media relationship with vampires that makes us so accepting. But it seems horror can soothe in other ways too.

    The Sheer Horror Can Calm You

    Getting your head around the idea that horror movies can help to calm you down, help with some of your anxieties, and reduce stress in your day to day life seems almost an impossibility. However, this is actually one of the many benefits that horror movies have the potential to bring.

    The horror genre manages to achieve this by distracting viewers from the strains and stresses of the everyday lives they lead; after all, there really isn’t any logical reason to believe that your next vacation will bear any similarity to some of the storylines in films like the movie that won Jordan Peele an Oscar, Get Out, or that your trip to the casino will involve the sort of storyline seen in Haunted Casino (originally titled Dead Man’s Hand), where the main character inherits a derelict casino inhabited by a brutal range of ghosts.

    A Rollercoaster for Your Brain

    It’s well documented that ‘up and down’ emotions release dopamine, serotonin, and glutamate due to increased brain activity, and the release of these chemicals can help to make sure that your brain is staying sharp. One of these chemicals is particularly interesting: serotonin, a chemical that has a huge amount of influence on the way your brain works, can have negative impacts if a lack of it is reported. 

    Horror movies have the ability to produce these chemicals in a far more ‘blockbuster’ way than comedy movies, or even generic drama movies. This is because the high and low points can truly be extreme. Good examples are arguably the likes of Martyrs or The Shining, which is still a must-see movie, as they end up reaching a truly awful end with a small amount of joy – and sometimes even comic elements – invoked from sudden one-off moments during the action.

    An Adrenaline Rush for the Brain

    Keeping your brain healthy, active, and in a happy place is nowadays recognised as being as important to your overall wellbeing as exercising regularly and not smoking. Doing interesting activities that help to stimulate your brain is important. What isn’t right, though, is the school of thought that says adrenaline and thrills cannot ever be achieved when you’re sat in your chair. 

    What this argument ignores is that you don’t need to go base jumping or skydiving in order to feel any level of adrenaline rush. Adrenaline rushes can, in fact, be achieved when you’re sat still, perhaps by playing online games such as poker, online casino, or social games, all of which involve heart-stopping moments, or horror movies as you sit there hoping that your hero succeeds and observing in terror as the bad guys start to gain the upper hand.

    A Cleansing Experience

    With all of the positive impacts that horror movies can have, it is perhaps strange to think how divisive they can be, with some people simply refusing to get involved in the genre without ever having watched a minute of horror screen time. The movies might leave you dripping with sweat at night as you wake up from that latest nightmare, but, more importantly, the issues raised and the challenges the movies present should allow your brain to be engaged and active. 

    Perhaps in the future, we may look back and consider that some of the most interesting movies, from a psychological perspective, may well be horror films.