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  • Strings

    Strings

    Strings has been chosen to play in competition at this year’s Raindance Film Festival. Despite the writer and director only being 17 years of age at the time of production, the film has received a Best Debut Feature nomination at the festival. Rob Savage, the director, is one of the youngest people ever to receive a Feature Film nomination at the festival.

    Rob, who has no formal film training, started writing the film when he was just 16 years old after watching the German film Requiem. He was so enamoured by the film that he contacted the film’s lead actress (Sandra Hüller,who won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for her performance in the film) and she encouraged him to start developing his first feature.

    Strings (2012) – Teaser Trailer from Rob Savage on Vimeo.

    The film is about a German exchange student who begins an impulsive and ultimately destructive relationship with a shy British boy in her final weeks before returning to Munich and her warring family. It was shot partly in German with a translator present (we do not speak the language) and partly in English, with an extended rehearsal period of structured improvisation around the original script.

    Rob has also had great success outside of Strings. His short films have won numerous awards, including the BFI Future Film award and second place at the Sci-Fi-London 48 Hour Film challenge, the competition that introduced the world to Gareth Edwards of the Monsters fame. Strings also got Rob a place on the renowned Berlin Film Festival Talent Campus, where he was mentored by filmmakers such as Werner Herzog and Mike Leigh.

    Looks incredible – more on this soon…

  • Taking A Look Back At Tom Hardy’s Career So Far

    Taking A Look Back At Tom Hardy’s Career So Far

    Tom Hardy has undoubtedly been the breakout star of this year starring in a number of critically acclaimed films, here we take a look back at some of his best performances.

    Rocknrolla (2008)
    Gerard Butler (300), Tom Hardy, Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton) and Thandie Newton (Run, Fat Boy, Run) star in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels writer and director Guy Ritchie’s Rocknrolla. When a Russian mobster orchestrates a crooked land deal, millions of dollars are up for grabs, drawing in the entire London underworld into a feeding frenzy at a time when the old criminal regime is quickly losing turf to a wealthy foreign mob.

    Bronson (2008)
    The film follows the life of notorious prisoner Michael Gordon Peterson, who was renamed Charles Bronson by his fight promoter. Born into a respectable middle-class family, Peterson would nevertheless become one of the United Kingdom’s most dangerous criminals, and is known for having spent almost his entire adult life in solitary confinement. Bronson is narrated with humour, blurring the line between blurring the line between comedy and horror.

    Inception (2010)
    Box-office star Leonardo DiCaprio stars in this contemporary science fiction action film set “within the architecture of the mind.” Written, directed and produced by Oscar® and Golden Globe nominee Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Batman Begins, The Prestige), this eagerly awaited follow-up to 2008’s billion-dollar blockbuster is yet another visionary tale. Shooting in London, Paris, Tangiers, Calgary and Los Angeles, Nolan’s mind-bending film also stars Academy Award® winners Michael Caine and Marion Cotillard, in addition to Juno’s Ellen Page, Batman Begins’ Cillian Murphy and Oscar® nominees Ken Watanabe (The Last Samurai), Tom Berenger (Platoon) and of course Tom Hardy who stars as Eames.

    Warrior (2011)
    Warrior is an American sports drama film directed by Gavin O’Connor and starring Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, and Nick Nolte. Warrior tells the story of two estranged brothers entering a mixed martial arts (MMA) tournament and deals with the brothers’ struggling relationship with each other and with their father.

    Tinker Tailor Solider Spy (2011)
    Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a Anglo-French espionage film directed by Tomas Alfredson, from a screenplay written by Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan based on the 1974 novel Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré. The film stars Gary Oldman as George Smiley, and co-stars Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, Toby Jones, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch and Ciarán Hinds. Set in London in the early 1970s, the story follows the hunt for a Soviet double agent at the top of the British secret service.

  • Celebrating The Career Of Bruce Willis

    Celebrating The Career Of Bruce Willis

    With Bruce Willis’s most recent film Looper hitting the screens on September 28, we are taking a look back at his long and successful career to remember some other favourites that Bruce Willis has starred in.

    The Cold Light of Day (2012)
    Stranded in a foreign country. His family kidnapped. With only 12 hours to save them. If only he knew how. Man of Steel‘s Henry Cavill stars with Golden Globe winners Bruce Willis and Sigourney Weaver in this action thriller about a young American (Cavill) who finds himself caught in a government conspiracy when his family are kidnapped during their vacation in Spain. In a race against time to save them, he’s left with only hours to find the connection between their disappearance and his father’s darkest secrets.

    Lucky Number Slevin (2006)
    A case of mistaken identity lands Slevin into the middle of a war being plotted by two of the city’s most rival crime bosses: The Rabbi and The Boss. Slevin is under constant surveillance by relentless Detective Brikowski as well as the infamous assassin Goodkat played by Willis and finds himself having to hatch his own ingenious plot to get them before they get him.

    Sin City (2005)
    Four tales of crime adapted from Frank Miller’s popular comics, focusing around a muscular brute who’s looking for the person responsible for the death of his beloved Goldie, a man fed up with Sin City‘s corrupt law enforcement who takes the law into his own hands after a horrible mistake, a cop who risks his life to protect a girl from a deformed paedophile, and a hitman looking to make a little cash.

    The Whole Nine Yards (2000)
    Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry wreak havoc on suburban Montreal as two neighbours stalked by hired killers in a comedy about life, love and ammunition. Jimmy “The Tulip” Tudeski (Willis) comes to Montreal to hide from the Chicago mob. He befriends his hapless neighbour, Nicholas “Oz” Oseransky (Perry), a quiet dentist with a strikingly beautiful wife (Rosanna Arquette) and a bubbly assistant (Amanda Peet) and bullets start to fly. For Jimmy, dodging an assassin is child’s play, but Oz usually fights cavities not gangsters. To stay alive, Jimmy and Oz forge an alliance combining Jimmy’s ruthless cunning with Oz’s sharply honed dental skills.

    The Whole Ten Yards (2004)
    Bruce Willis and “Friends” star Matthew Perry return in the sequel to their comedy. This time, dentist Nicholas “Oz” Oseransky begs mob hit man Jimmy “The Tulip” Tudeski for help in rescuing Oz’s wife from Hungarian mobsters. Together, Oz and Jimmy will have to go the whole nine yards and then some to manage the mounting mob mayhem.

    The Story of Us (1999)
    Can love survive 15 years of marriage? Superstars Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer wrestle with this universal question in a hilarious yet poignant fable. Two jilted lovers spend fifteen years of marriage together, only to find that they might no longer love each other. In this time they have two children and go through the various events both dramatic and comical that take place in an average marriage.

    Die Hard (1988)
    New York City Detective John McClane has just arrived in Los Angeles to spend Christmas with his wife. Unfortunately, it is not going to be a Merry Christmas for everyone. A group of terrorists, led by Hans Gruber is holding everyone in the Nakatomi Plaza building hostage. With no way of anyone getting in or out, it’s up to McClane to stop them all. The film’s success spawned has four sequels; Die Hard 2 (1990), Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), Live Free or Die Hard (2007), and A Good Day to Die Hard (2013).

  • Hope Springs – Review

    Hope Springs – Review

    Tales of romance and high schmaltz are something of an acquired taste in cinema. Much like testosterone fuelled action, or outlandish science fiction, Romantic movies have a specific audience to aim at and as such, will more than likely divide the room when it comes to opinions. Hope Springs, the latest from The Devil Wears Prada helmer David Frankel, is most definitely one of those movies but nevertheless exudes enough honesty and charm to appeal to even the most stonehearted of folk.

    Kay (Meryl Streep) and Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) have been happily married for 30 years, but from sleeping in separate bedrooms and simply growing older, physical affection has all but evaporated in their relationship. In an effort to rekindle the youthful intimacy that somehow got lost along the years, Kay coerces her husband to an intensive counselling retreat under the tutelage of relationship expert Dr. Feld (Steve Carell). What follows is a heart-warming, comedic tale of two people reigniting the fire of their love and remembering why they are married in the first place.

    The on-screen chemistry between Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee-Jones is just lovely

    While it won’t be to everyone’s taste, Hope Springs is a lovely film with an exceptionally written script and a sweet level of humour its trio of stars project with absolute brilliance. Streep is delightful yet again, illustrating her obvious versatility as the loving but frustrated wife who fears old age will spell the end of any intimate bedroom frolicking with her husband. Tommy Lee Jones’s turn as the grumpy old man obliviously dismissive to the emotional needs of his wife is a somewhat familiar fair, but no-less endearing and ultimately contributes to a brilliant chemistry between the two. They play their roles with a certain honesty that makes their relationship utterly believable on screen. While obviously feeling sympathy towards Streep for the most part, we never feel any hatred towards the misunderstood Jones, so it splays a perfect balance of imperfection in both rather than simply blaming the husband for everything. As result, we end up really routing for them to sort out their troubles…even if it is essentially willing on two old people to get a bit frisky. Steve Carrell is charged with getting these bickering spouses back in the sack and he doesn’t disappoint either. Never being overly comedic or forced, Dr Feld’s stand offs with an overly defensive Arnold are where the film shares its funnier moments. It becomes a pleasure to watch the trio at work, delivering an often perfectly toned script with the right amount of sincerity to make it work.

    Steve Carrell as the couples relationship therapist (complete with gorgeous tweed jacket).

    Witnessing the two aged lovers attempt to return to a time when they were very much in love is a very charming journey indeed. Yes, it may frequently descend into a thick fog of concentrated corniness, and go through the motions of other films of a similar ilk but it’s expected if not unavoidable with such a story. There are a good few moments that raise a smile and overall it’s a comfortable watch due to its safe familiarity.

    Hope Springs is a pleasant surprise; it’s a charming, sentimental tale that should resonate with any a moviegoer that find themselves in a loving relationship. Tackling such a story between people of an older generation was in danger of isolating a younger audience, but Frankel’s overriding message is a simple one that everyone should relate to.

    Hope Springs is released on the 14th of September.  

  • Human Centipede SteelBook & Double Pack Announced

    Human Centipede SteelBook & Double Pack Announced

    The 100% medically accurate film The Human Centipede (First Sequence) and the 100% medically inaccurate sequel The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) will be available together for the first time in a limited SteelBook and DVD double pack editions from 29 October 2012.

    Since its release, The Human Centipede (First Sequence) has become a worldwide cultural phenomenon. Inspired by a conversation over what punishment would be appropriate for convicted paedophiles, Tom Six’s bizarre biological horror film has the distinction of being 100% medically accurate. The film went on to win more than 10 international awards including the awards for “Best Horror Film” and “Best Actor” at Fantastic Fest 2009, “Best Picture” at the 2009 Scream Fest and “Most Memorable Mutilation” at the 2010 Scream Awards.

    The highly anticipated follow up, The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) premiered in 2011 as the opening film at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas and made instant worldwide headlines when the BBFC banned the film outright in the UK claiming the film could potentially harm viewers. The controversy led to worldwide debates and major articles across the world press. After nearly four months of detailed discussion and debate, an agreement with the BBFC was reached and a viable cut of the film that did not compromise the level of horror, was released theatrically and on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK.

    The Human Centipede films broke the mould, set a new standard in the horror genre and in the process went on to become major cult hits. Now for the very first time, both films will be released together by Monster Pictures as a collectable Four-disc Special Limited Edition Dual Format (Blu-ray & DVD) SteelBook, available from 29 October 2012.