Surprise! Joker has the last laugh witha second week at Number 1 following its release on DVD, Blu-ray & 4K UHD.
Shifting a staggering 211,000 copies on disc, Joaquin Phoenix’s Oscar-winning performance denies Maleficent: Mistress of Evil a top-scoring debut. No surprise there…
Instead, the Disney flick takes Number 2 on digital downloads only and is the highest new entry this week. Angelina Jolie reprises her role of the titular character as Maleficent and goddaughter Aurora (Elle Fanning) begin to question the complex family ties that bind them.
Previous Number 1 Downton Abbey drops to Number 3, quickly followed by a brand-new entry from A Shaun The Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (4), which sees the much-loved Aardman character on a mission to save an alien with amazing powers after she crash-lands near Mossy Bottom Farm.
The third new entry in this week’s Top 10 comes from Zombieland: Double Tap (5), the sequel to 2009’s cult classic Zombieland, starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin as survivors of a zombie apocalypse.
Animation Abominable drops to Number 6, just ahead of Academy Award-winning Judy at 7.
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood lands at Number 8 this week, just ahead of Will Smith’s Gemini Man (9) and finally, Elton John biopic Rocketman at Number 10.
This week’s show features a sneak preview of Doctor Sleep, available to Download & Keep from February 24.
The Official Film Chart Top 10 – 19th February 2020
Doc’n Roll, the UK’s Music Documentary Festival, returns for its 5th Brighton edition from 25th to 29th March 2020 with a thrillingly eclectic programme at both Duke Of York’s Picturehouse and Duke’s at Komedia.
Doc’n Roll Brighton looks forward to screening 6 features, each providing a fascinating doorway into a musical world. Join us as we witness the births of movements both musical (UK Drum & Bass and the mysterious Synthwave) and political (antifascist protest group Rock Against Racism), go behind-the-scenes with living legend David Crosby and uncover the rebel roots of today’s desert festivals.
As ever, this year’s programme is set to dazzle music lovers, entertain documentary devotees and break down boundaries, shining a light on musical outliers and the pioneers who have proved that music is a universal language of hope and inclusion.
Doc’n Roll is supported by the BFI using funds from the National Lottery to grow audience appetite and enjoyment for a wide range of independent British and international films. Launched in 2014 by founder Colm Forde, its mission is to show long-overdue love to the many under-the-radar music docs that risk-averse film programmers have long ignored.
Forde says: “I’m delighted to present our film programme for the 5th Brighton edition of Doc’n Roll. Focusing on musical outliers, this year’s selection of films, including works by first-time directors, is a testament to the power of music as a universal language of hope and inclusion.”
Two of the films that premiered at Doc’n Roll London 2019 and are being shown in Brighton – David Crosby: Remember My Name, and The Rise of the Synths – were shortlisted for the Best Music Documentary 2019 prize, judged by a jury panel featuring Paul Rodgers (Head of BBC 6 Music), Sophie K (journalist, Kerrang!), Jen Long (Take Care Management), Julia Nottingham (Head of Dorothy St Pictures) and author and broadcaster, Emma Dabiri.
Raindance and paus today announce a partnership to bring a selection of independent and award-winning short films and documentaries exclusively curated by Raindance onto paus, for launch of the new streaming service in March.
As the largest independent film festival in the UK, Raindance attracts 10,000+ submissions each year, from which around 200 features and shorts are selected to screen. Raindance is also a qualifying festival for the Oscars®, BAFTA and BIFA. It’s from this world-renowned programme of the best UK and international independent films that the ‘Best of Raindance’ selection will be made. This selection of shorts will feature on paus alongside other award-winning content, with some of the titles to be screened at the paus launch event at London’s Century Club on 17 March.
“At paus we share Raindance’s passion for independent film. Our partnership will enable great stories to be seen, by enabling filmmakers to get their content in front of an audience that embraces and supports them,” said Rishi Kapoor, Founder and CEO of paus. “We don’t believe in barriers – there are no ads on paus, and we don’t ask people to subscribe to enjoy quality film. We have created paus as the platform for filmmakers to flourish.”
With this, filmmakers can get their content in front of an audience that embraces and supports them. Creators are invited to submit their shorts or docs to paus to share their work with a like-minded community of independent film fans. It’s free and quick to submit, and once films are live on the app, audiences and supporters can show their appreciation by leaving a tip.
The unique digital tipping feature allows audiences to tip any film or filmmaker they want to support – any amount from 10p to £1000+, at any time. paus is integrated with native digital payment methods, such as Apple Pay, so the process is quick and easy, and gets the tip to the filmmaker with no friction. Unlike other video platforms, the scales are weighed in the creator’s favour as they keep 80% of every single tip.
Elliot Grove, founder of Raindance says: “As a champion of independent film of every shape and size, Raindance always conveys many incredible stories, including the very best from the international short filmmaking community. Thanks to Raindance’s partnership with paus, short filmmakers now have a new platform to share their stories with an even bigger year-round global audience. It’s an opportunity that we at Raindance are excited to be a part of, and we can’t wait to see many amazing short films and documentaries making their debut on paus.”
Joaquin Phoenix: Oscar Worthy Performances. Last Sunday night Joaquin Phoenix topped off a flawless awards campaign, collecting the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in Joker, adding to the BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors’ Guild Award he’d already picked up earlier this year.
While his victory at the Academy Awards might have seen like a shoo-in, the actor’s previous form at the ceremony suggested otherwise; this was the fourth-time Phoenix had been nominated, without ever having walked away with a statuette.
In celebration of the DVD release of Joker, which is available to buy now, we’re looking back at the roles which earned Joaquin Phoenix his previous nominations, looking at the actors to have beaten him out to the award in past years and seeing how Phoenix learned from the roles to set him up for his 2020 clean sweep.
JOAQUINS’ PREVIOUS OSCAR-WORTHY ROLES:
GLADIATOR (2001)
Before his iconic thumbs down became a viral meme, Phoenix’s role as the psychotic sovereign Commodus was remembered for its unhinged brilliance. The role cemented Phoenix’s status in Hollywood and highlighted the young actor’s ability to take-on mentally complex characters in blockbuster films.
Phoenix was nominated for ‘The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor’ for his portrayal of Commodus but lost out to the much less iconic, but no less impressive Benicio del Toro Award for his role of Javier Rodriguez in Traffic.
WALK THE LINE (2005)
In Walk the Line, Phoenix plays the role of Johnny Cash, tracing the country music legend’s story from his early days on an Arkansas cotton farm, his time in the US Air Force to his rise to fame at Sun Records in Memphis. At its centre, the film focuses on the musician’s relationship with singer June Carter and the ups and downs of his precarious lifestyle and drug addiction.
Phoenix was nominated for ‘Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role’ at the Oscars for Walk the Line but lost out to the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman, whose win for his portrayal of the author Truman Capote would be his first and last time Seymour-Hoffman would walk away with the award.
THE MASTER (2012)
The Master is a psychological drama that focuses on Freddie (Phoenix), a World War II veteran that has returned home from war. Worried about his future and struggling to adjust to a post-war society, he is indoctrinated by Lancaster Dodd (previous award-rival Philip Seymour Hoffman), the leader of a mysterious religious movement called ‘The Cause’.
Phoenix was nominated for Best Actor for The Master but lost out to Daniel Day-Lewis playing the titular role of the US president in Lincoln. This would be the second of Day-Lewis’s three ‘Best Actor’ wins at the Oscars– a record in the category.
HER (2013)
Phoenix wasn’t nominated for an Academy Award for his role in Her but his performance in the film was so good, we’ve included it anyway.
Phoenix’s character in the film, Theodore, is reminiscent of his role in Joker: an eccentric ‘loner’, cast out by society. But instead of turning into mass-murder Theodore, a lonely writer, establishes a relationship with an advanced computer AI (basically an Alexa) after he is left heartbroken by a failed relationship.
2013 marked the peak of the McConaissance, as Matthew McConaughey walked away with the golden statuette for the first time for his role as Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club.
JOKER (2020)
Joker focuses on Arthur Fleck, a mentally ill, aspiring comedian who lives with his mother who becomes increasingly isolated and depressed as he is physically assaulted by segregated by society.
From his now infamous body transformation (for which he lost three and a half stone to achieve), to the flair he brought to the iconic character, Phoenix’s role has already achieved legendary status.
While in previous years, the Academy have overlooked Phoenix’s unhinged on-screen personas, it seems that this year, his portrayal of an outsider searching for meaning in a broken society resonated with voters and despite tough competition from cinema legends Leonardo Di Caprio, Adam Driver, Jonathan Pryce and Antonio Banderas, Phoenix finally picked up the elusive prize – congratulations Joaquin!
JOKER is available to buy on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD now.
Storm Dennis Edition: Bits & Pieces. The last in a trio of transcontinental slice-and-dice co-productions helmed by Larraz towards the end of the 80s (all of which which he directed under the anglicized moniker of Joseph Braunstein), Deadly Manor – released on VHS in the US under the title Savage Lust – is a fitting capper to the director’s prolific career in fear, now finally unearthed for the first time on Blu-ray.
Eureka Entertainment to release RIO GRANDE, John Ford’s intelligent and entertaining final instalment of the “Cavalry Trilogy”, starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. To be released on 6 April 2020, for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK as part of The Masters of Cinema Series, featuring a Limited Edition O-Card Slipcase (First Print Run of 2000 units only].
Marcel Duchamp: The Art of the Possibleexplores the life, philosophy and impact of one of the most influential early 20th century modernists, Marcel Duchamp. The film breaks down Duchamp’s ideas and applies them to both historical events and the modernist explosion that blanketed the early 20th century. Art of the Possible isn’t simply a biopic; rather, the film shows how Duchamp’s ideas changed the public consciousness, and our understanding of aesthetics, art, and culture. The film highlights the singular impact of Duchamp’s philosophy on art, and, more importantly, examines how Duchamp’s revolutionary ideas from the early 20th century have shaped the 21st century and modern day.
The Movie Partnership have confirmed that the Rogue Warfare trilogy will be released across Digital Download platforms, with the first in the series set to be available from 10th February. The second and third installment, Rogue Warfare: The Hunt & Rogue Warfare: Death Of A Nation will be released monthly and made available from 16th March and 13th April respectively.
When a covert desert base is forced to divert World War III against a formidable adversary, a group of commandos and weaponized dinosaurs are hired to get the job done. Heath C. Heine, Rick Haak, Jon Cotton star in a film by Milko Davis and Thomas Martwick. From the director of Tsunambee comes The Jurassic Dead, Available on DVD and Digital March 10, 2020 from High Octane Pictures.
Indie Rights has announced the theatrical world premiere and Digital HD rollout of Tucia Lyman’s hard-hitting M.O.M. (Mothers of Monsters). Melinda Page Hamilton (Netflix’s “Messiah”, “How to Get Away with Murder”) headlines as a troubled single mother who fears that her teenage son, played by Bailey Edwards in a star-making debut, is a duplicitous psychopath. Desperate to know if her son is capable of murder, she begins recording him at home on a network of spy cameras.
GREED tells the story of self-made British billionaire Sir Richard McCreadie (Steve Coogan), whose retail empire is in crisis. For 30 years he has ruled the world of retail fashion – bringing the high street to the catwalk and the catwalk to the high street – but after a damaging public inquiry, his image is tarnished. To save his reputation, he decides to bounce back with a highly publicised and extravagant party celebrating his 60th birthday on the Greek island of Mykonos. A satire on the grotesque inequality of wealth in the fashion industry, the film sees McCreadie’s rise and fall through the eyes of his biographer, Nick (David Mitchell).
An electric cast, headed up by David Chokachi (“Witchblade”), Yancy Butler (Drop Zone), Chris Mulkey (“Twin Peaks”), Vernon Wells (Commando), John Schneider (“Smallville”) and Michael Pare (Streets of Fire), feature in EMERALD RUN, coming to theaters everywhere February 21.
Daniel Radcliffe stars as Tim Jenkin, a real-life ANC activist who was branded a terrorist – and imprisoned – in Africa’s maximum-security Pretoria prison in the late 1970’s during Apartheid. Along with two fellow freedom fighters, played by Daniel Webber (The Punisher, The Dirt) and Mark Leonard Winter (The Dressmaker) Tim made a complex and daring escape 18 months into his incarceration using hand-crafted wooden keys. The ingenious escape attempt happened 40 years ago on 11th December 1979.
