Category: NEWS

Essex Boys: Retribution is released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 23rd, after a week-long run at selected UK cinemas starting this monday (16th). From filmmakers Paul Tanter and Simon Phillips, and already described by Box Office Buz as “The Best British gangster film this year… Raw, Bloody and Brutal”, this is the fictionalised follow up to Tanter and Phillips’ early 2013 hit The Fall of The Essex Boys, which sold over 70,000 copies in its first three months of release, making it one of the years biggest independent releases. The duo are also the creative force between 2012’s smash independent hit, The Rise & Fall of a White Collar Hooligan.

“When three of the country’s most notorious killers were shot dead in a desolate field, late one night, a criminal empire was toppled and the legend of the infamous Range Rover murders was born. Twenty years later, new faces are at the forefront of gangland Britain, but with the notorious killer never caught, there are those who haven’t forgotten and won’t rest until justice is served. The epic revenge spree that would shake the local crime families and police force to their core. Their names will never be known, but their actions shocked a nation.”

Essex Boys: Retribution stars Ian Virgo (Rise of The Footsoldier), Ryan Winsley (Piggy), Alex Esmail (Attack the Block), Kyle Summercorn (Turnout), Kye Loren (He Who Dares), Vas Blackwood (Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels), Lorraine Stanley (London to Brighton) and Billy Murray (White Collar Hooligan).

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23rd December also sees Tanter and Phillips release their police drama Riot, previously released under the title G.B.H.

Rise of the Fellowship, currently keeping the family entertained on DVD, will be released on Netflix in January.

The popular Phase 4 Films release, which features the Lord the Rings online game as an integral part of its plot, tells of a group of friends who embark on an epic journey to find a new world they have only heard of, encountering dangerous obstacles and threats around every corner.

During their quest they lose one of their most precious possessions and must display depths of bravery and heroism that they never thought possible. With the aid of some unexpected allies along the way, the companions fiercely look for certainty that they can reach their destination.

The film, catching on with those of all ages, will be released to coincide with The Hobbit : The Desolation of Smaug.

Wind down after the busy Christmas period by renting Rise of the Fellowship from Netflix on the 3rd of January, 2014.

Directed by Ron Newcomb and starring Justin Moe, Emma Earnest, Jayme Bell, Alyssa Jacobsen, and Cole Matson, Rise of the Fellowship has struck a chord with not only Lord of the Rings fans but fans of funny, fantastical family films alike!

Showcasing four decades of alternative cabaret and experimental performance in both the UK and US, THIS IS NOT A DREAM is an engaging journey through the development of the avant-garde and the radical side of fringe comedy from the early 1970s to the present day, highlighting performers who have introduced film and video into their acts, incorporating talk shows, soap operas and YouTube.

Beginning with Andy Warhol’s first experiments with Portapak cameras, the film follows the video revolution of the 1970s into the interactive multi-media age which enabled avant-garde queer performers and artists to develop revolutionary new ways of communicating to their audience. It includes interviews with makers of a number of America’s pioneering art works and performances including Vincent Fremont who shot video for Andy Warhol; Dara Birnbaum who subverted the Wonder Woman TV show; Glenn O’Brien the creator of TV Party which foreshadowed today’s reality TV programmes; Vaginal Davis who made the punk Fertile LaToyah Jackson magazine show; Kalup Linzy famous for his cross-dressing role in US soap opera, General Hospital, alongside James Franco; multi-media artist Nao Bustamante who made interventions on the Joan Rivers Show; and Cole Escola, creator of one of the earliest syndicated web comedies.

This is Not A Dream – Trailer from Live Art Development Agency on Vimeo.

The film also features prominent figures from the UK’s alternative cabaret circuit who have also made an impact at Edinburgh Fringe and on national TV. Such names include experimental ‘mess-maker’ Scottee, renowned for his anarchic appearance with Rhianna on The X Factor; interactive performer and Time Out cabaret winner Alp Haydar; punk comedian David Hoyle, who found a wider audience with his The Divine David Presents … on Channel 4; female drag artist Holestar who made a spectacle of herself on Chatroulette; and drag fabulist Dickie Beau, who combines mime and commedia dell’arte skills to lip synch to famous movie star monologues.

The film includes new video work by Beau made specifically for This Is Not a Dream’s DVD release.

Directed by Gavin Butt and Ben Walters, THIS IS NOT A DREAM charts the lineage of this revolution and its continued impact on contemporary art and performance with new interviews with all the performers as well as illustrated throughout by TV and film clips from across the decades. It offers an authoritative but entertaining voice to explore the vibrant, radical landscape of self-expression that continues to influence artists, musicians and actors alike.

THIS IS NOT A DREAM is part of the Crossovers DVD series of artists’ films, documentaries and dialogues, commissioned by Performance Matters, to examine the history of performance art as it engages with mainstream TV, appears on the internet, as subculture, in stand-up comedy, and in avant-garde art. Other films in the series include Mel Brimfield’s This Is Performance Art and Oreet Ashery’s Party For Freedom, both available now.

The acclaimed documentary $uperthief : Inside America’s Biggest Bank Score is now available on VOD (https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/superthief/id741518645) from Osiris Entertainment.

Submerging into the true events of one of the most notorious bank burglaries in U.S history, $uperthief centers around career criminal and Cleveland-native Phil Christopher and the United California Bank Burglary that took place on March 24, 1972 in Orange County, California. Breaking into the vault of the United California Bank, Christopher and his team stole jewels, bonds, and cash that summed up to a total of 30 million dollars, a score which net worth grew and now currently stands at about 100 million dollars.  Creating a historically significant impact and impression, Phil Christopher ingeniously disarmed the alarm system and opened the vault using innovative strategy, tools, and technology. Superthief is the exclusive inside story of the notable United California Bank Burglary consisting of profoundly in-depth interviews with firsthand accounts including the Superthief himself: Phil Christopher. This documentary explores the many curious factors of this historical event: How and why did they do it? Where are the lost bonds? What happened to Phil Christopher? And who is he now?

Director/Producer Tommy Reid says the film’s tale is an intriguing one, and he doesn’t doubt it’ll hook VOD consumers as much as it did DVD enthusiasts earlier in the year.

“It’s a great story”, the filmmaker said.. “This documentary exposes what a $uperthief will do to accomplish his goals.”

Director/Producer Tommy Reid believes $uperthief, which has received 5 star reviews, will reach a wider audience via VOD (https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/superthief/id741518645).

“VOD is a great outlet for $uperthief; people can now purchase and view the film when they want on any devicethey want – be it a computer, tablet or mobile phone”, he says, adding that $uperthief should appeal to those that love documentaries, historic pieces, and a good, solid true-crime story.”