Wednesday 31 October 2012

Breaking dawn gets more

We've just been sent over a new trailer for the entire Twilight series as well as three new posters for the lst installment


The fifth and final instalment of the Saga stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner and will be in cinemas across the UK and Ireland on November 16th.

Tuesday 30 October 2012

Gremlins making their way back into cinemas

Joe Dante’s 80s Warner Bros. classic Gremlins is coming back to the big screen on brand new digital prints. New and nostalgic fans will be able to see the Gremlins back where they belong for the ultimate Christmas cult comedy-horror.

Intended as a Christmas present for his son Billy, Randall Peltzer picks up a Mogwai armed with those famous mysterious instructions: 'Don't ever get him wet. Keep him away from bright light. And the most important thing, the one thing you must never forget: no matter how much he cries, no matter how much he begs . . . never, ever feed him after midnight.' Hilarious accidents and frightful chaos ensues as Gremlins spawn all over the small American suburb of Kingston Falls, making this Christmas an unforgettable one for the Peltzers.
Cute, clever, mischievous, intelligent and dangerous -
Gremlins returns to UK cinemas from 7 December 2012.

Monday 29 October 2012

FIRST LOOK: LOUISE DEARMAN AS ‘ELPHABA’ IN LONDON’S RECORD-BREAKING HIT MUSICAL WICKED

WICKED, the record-breaking West End musical now in its 7th smash hit year at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, is pleased to release the first pictures of Louise Dearman as Elphaba, who will play her first performance tonight (29 October 2012).

Louise Dearman previously played Glinda to huge acclaim (from March 2010 to December 2011) and is the first actress to have starred in both leading roles in the nearly decade-long history of the global musical phenomenon.

From tonight (29 October 2012) Wicked stars: Louise Dearman (Elphaba), Gina Beck (Glinda), Ben Freeman (Fiyero), Louise Plowright (Madame Morrible), Keith Bartlett (The Wizard), Christopher Howell (Doctor Dillamond), Sam Lupton (Boq), Katie Rowley Jones (Nessarose), Hayley Gallivan (Standby Elphaba), Lucy van Gasse (Standby Glinda), Florence Andrews, Gemma Atkins, William Bozier, Oliver Brenin, Lauren Brooke, Philip Catchpole, Aisling Duffy, Chlöe Hart, Jacqueline Hughes, Robert Jones, Sophie Linder Lee, Tania Mathurin, Marc McBride, Stacey McGuire, Tom Muggeridge, Sean Parkins, Michelle Pentecost, Stuart Ramsay, Lindsay Taylor, Paulo Teixeira, Justin Thomas, Hannah Toy, Matt Turner, Oliver Watton and Jason Winter.

Wicked is already the 16th longest-running West End musical of all time* and recently celebrated its landmark 2500th performance (8 September 2012) and 6th Birthday (27 September 2012). The Olivier and Evening Standard Award-winning London production has been seen by almost 5 million theatregoers since its West End premiere in 2006. *Information verified by the Society of London Theatre

Wicked has music and lyrics by multi GRAMMY and Academy® Award winner Stephen Schwartz, a book by Winnie Holzman and is directed by two-time Tony® Award winner and Olivier Award nominee Joe Mantello. Wicked is based on the best-selling novel, ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’, by Gregory Maguire.

Wicked is produced by: Marc Platt, Universal Pictures Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone. Executive Producer (UK): Michael McCabe.

Apollo Victoria Theatre, Wilton Road, London, SW1V 1LG

The theatre is 1 minute from London Victoria Mainline and Underground Stations. Official UK website, video trailer and online booking: www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk

Wicked spearheads and supports a range of good causes born out of the themes of the award-winning musical. Discover more at: www.WickedForGood.co.uk

Meet Argo


On November 4, 1979, as the Iranian revolution reaches its boiling point, militants storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. But, in the midst of the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador. Knowing it is only a matter of time before the six are found out and likely killed, a CIA “exfiltration” specialist named Tony Mendez (Affleck) comes up with a risky plan to get them safely out of the country. A plan so incredible, it could only happen in the movies.
Sneaking into cinemas November 7, 2012

Hansel and Gretel gets bloody

A new, redband, trailer has just hit the web over at IGN. However, we have got hold of the trailer and have linked to it below.

The trailer is very similar to the last one released but with a lot more blood and a hint to what the 3D will look like...

Catching up with Hansel and Gretel 15 years after the traumatic incident involving a gingerbread house, the siblings have evolved into vengeful bounty hunters dedicated to exterminating witches. Over the years, the siblings became expert hunters, famous for their proficiency at tracking and taking down their prey. Although still recovering from their ordeal, their work is relatively easy as for an unknown reason harmful spells and curses do not work well against them. The Mayor of Augsburg recruits them to rid the town and nearby forests of an evil sorceress who is planning to sacrifice many local children at the witches' gathering during the upcoming 'Blood Moon' night in two days time. To make things worse, the duo also has to deal with the brutal Sheriff Berringer who has taken power in Augsburg and conducts a very indiscriminate witch-hunt of his own.
Tearing into UK cinemas March 15, 2013

Sunday 28 October 2012

The Wolverine talks

HUGH JACKMAN AND DIRECTOR JAMES MANGOLD ANSWER FAN QUESTIONS LIVE FROM THE WOLVERINE SET

Marvel’s Agent M Hosts Global Online Fan Chat on October 29th 8:00 pm GMT (UK, London time)


Fans around the world are invited to tune-in and participate in a live chat with Hugh Jackman and director James Mangold from the set of The Wolverine in Sydney, Australia. This extraordinary event will take place on Monday, October 29th at 8:00 pm GMT (UK, London time) on YouTube and the film’s official website at www.TheWolverineMovie.com. Marvel’s own Agent M will host and provide fans special access to this highly anticipated movie.

Hear the details directly from Hugh Jackman and James Mangold themselves in this exclusive video from the set



Have questions about the The Wolverine’s epic story and thrilling action? Visit The Wolverine on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about this exciting opportunity and submit questions for the chance to have them presented to Jackman and Mangold. Be sure to include #TheWolverineMovie when sending questions.

The live chat will be available across all The Wolverine, X-Men and Marvel social pages; additionally Hugh Jackman and James Mangold will provide the chat directly to their fans.
The live chat player will be available to embed on sites across the Web to provide for audiences globally. The video will also be distributed after the chat.

The Wolverine, directed by James Mangold (Walk the Line, Girl, Interrupted) and produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and Hutch Parker, is filming in Japan and Australia.
Based on the celebrated comic book arc, The Wolverine finds Logan, the eternal warrior and outsider, in Japan. There, samurai steel will clash with adamantium claw as Logan confronts a mysterious figure from his past in an epic battle that will leave him forever changed.
The Wolverine opens in UK cinemas summer 2013.
For more information about the film, visit facebook and twitter.

Saturday 27 October 2012

Tinkerbell And The Secret Of The Wings


TINKERBELL AND THE SECRET OF THE WINGS takes Tinker Bell and her fairy friends from the warm world of Pixie Hollow to cross a "great divide" into the mysterious and forbidden Winter Woods. Curiosity and adventure soon lead Tinker Bell to reveal a magical secret that will change her world forever when she meets Periwinkle, a winter fairy who is equally high-spirited and playful.

TINKERBELL AND THE SECRET OF THE WINGS is the first 3D movie in the Disney Fairies franchise and features a spectacular voice cast. Returning to reprise their roles are, Academy Award®-Winner ANJELICA HUSTON (Prizzi's Honor) as Queen Clarion, MAE WHITMAN (Parenthood) as Tinker Bell, LUCY LIU (Southland, Charlie's Angels) as Silvermist, RAVEN-SYMONÉ (That's So Raven) as Iridessa, PAMELA ADLON (Californication) as Vidia and MEGAN HILTY (Smash) as Rosetta the Garden Fairy. All new characters in the adventure include Lord Milori, voiced by TIMOTHY DALTON (Chuck, The Living Daylights), supercool frost Fairies, Sled and Spike who are voiced by MATT LANTER (90210) and DEBBY RYAN (Disney Channel's Jesse) as Spike respectively and LUCY HALE (ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars).voices the sparkling new winter fairy, Periwinkle. Disney legend JODI BENSON (Ariel in The Little Mermaid) also provides the comic voice of the Healing Fairy.

Introducing a whole new cast of winter fairies, Periwinkle is Disney's first animated character to have her hair designed by a leading hair stylist. Dubbed "The hottest hairdresser in Hollywood", Ken Paves created her edgy design - he is one of the world's foremost hairstylists. His credentials include imaginative hairstyles for the likes of Victoria Beckham, Jessica and Ashlee Simpson, Fergie and Jennifer Lopez.
In cinemas in Disney Digital 3D from December 14, 2012

Life Of Pi gets a clip

Fox has just sent over a new clip from the upcoming Life Of Pi. This one is a bit strange as it involves flying fish (of all sizes) a tiger and a small lifeboat!


Based upon the bestselling book by Yann Martel, LIFE OF PI tells the story of a young man’s incredible survival at sea against impossible odds. A remarkable technological breakthrough in 3D epic adventure, PI is an emotionally captivating experience that will inspire, touch and transport audiences to a place of discovery that they will never forget.
Life of Pi is released in cinemas December 2012

Friday 26 October 2012

Secrets behind the dark arts are revealed at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making Of Harry Potter

Special feature for half-term only

Secrets behind the Dark Arts will be revealed for the first time this half-term at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter. For one week only visitors will learn how the Dark Arts were brought to life in the films. Discover how the costumes were developed for the most infamous characters, learn about the make-up techniques used to help the actors get into character and come face-to-face with Death Eaters.

Other special features include a ‘lesson’ in the Potions classroom where the real contents of the potion jars will be explained. Over 500 of the original jars are displayed all with handwritten labels. Some of the few remaining Prophecy orbs will be on show at the Malfoy Manor fireplace with revelations about their use during filming in the Hall of Prophecy.

Dark Art Facts from the Studio Tour
  • An extra layer of fabric was added to Voldemort’s™ costume every time he became more powerful. During filming for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix™ over 50 meters of silk were used.
  • Aragog, the giant spider, was covered by hand with yak hair, sisal and hemp from brooms.
  • The make-up effects used to create the Dark Lord included temporary tattoos for veins, enhanced cheekbones, contact lenses and false eyebrows, fingernails and teeth.
  • Each werewolf prosthetic was made with real goat hair that was inserted strand-by-strand.
  • The Prophecy orbs are made of glass and were filled with seed pods, mushrooms, mussels and rubber frogs.
The secrets behind the Dark Arts will start on Saturday 27 October to Sunday 4 November.

Foodfight anyone?

With an incredibly well know cast the, slightly risqué, children's film foodfight hits DVD on Monday. Don't worry, Martin Sheen did the voice for the film "before he went bonkers".


Charlie Sheen, Hilary Duff, Eva Longoria and Chris Kattan lend their voices to this computer-animated tale of a grocery store that springs to life after the doors have been locked and the workers have all gone home. When the lights are turned off chaos reigns supreme for the products in this grocery store and in this playground of choice for the most fun-loving brand names around is in the Copa-Banana.

Located in the produce aisle, the Copa-Banana is the destination of choice for such celebrity icons. But trouble is brewing within this bustling metropolis, because when the villainous Lady X (Eva Longoria) arrives in town with her Brand X minions, the brand-named products start to get a little hot under the label. As sleuthing USDA (United Supermarkets Defense Association) Dex Dogtective (Charlie Sheen) teams with flying stunt squirrel Daredevil Dan (Wayne Brady) and the beautiful Sunshine Goodness (Hilary Duff) to uncover the truth about these unmarked invaders, it begins to appear that the only way to fend off the dreaded Brand X is to engage them in an all-out, no-holds-barred food fight.
Hitting DVD October 29, 2012

John McClane is back


Bruce Willis returns in his most iconic role as John McClane - the “real” hero with the skills and attitude to always be the last man standing. This time the take-no-prisoners cop is really in the wrong place at the wrong time after traveling to Moscow to help his estranged son Jack. With the Russian underworld in pursuit, and battling a countdown to war, the two McClanes discover that their opposing methods make them unstoppable heroes.
A Good Day To Die Hard explodes into UK cinemas February 14, 2013.

Thursday 25 October 2012

WARNER BROS. PICTURES UK & IRELAND LAUNCH A BIG LEGO CREATION CONTEST FOR CHILDREN

Winners have the chance for their creations to appear in the upcoming LEGO movie due to be released in cinemas in 2014

This contest is for children aged 5-13 years old. As of today, participants can register on www.lego-themovie.co.uk and they have until the end of December to design and build the best LEGO creation. This is an opportunity to receive 5 family passes to LEGOLAND (Windsor), but most of all, the chance to see their creation appear in the new LEGO movie from Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures, directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, and set for a 2014 release.

Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Chris Pratt and Morgan Freeman will lend their vocal talents to the LEGO® world, starring as characters in the upcoming original 3D animated LEGO feature, currently in production, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures.
The film, the first-ever full length theatrical LEGO movie, follows Emmet, an ordinary, rules-following, perfectly average LEGO minifigure who is mistakenly identified as the most extraordinary person and the key to saving the world. He is drafted into a fellowship of strangers on an epic quest to stop an evil tyrant, a journey for which Emmet is hopelessly and hilariously underprepared.
Chris Pratt (“Moneyball”) stars as Emmet. Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman (“Million Dollar Baby”) and Elizabeth Banks (“The Hunger Games,” Emmy nominee for “30 Rock”), will star as two of Emmet’s fellow travelers: Vitruvius, an old mystic; and tough-as-nails Lucy, who mistakes Emmet for the savior of the world and guides him on his quest. She also calls upon the mysterious Batman, a LEGO® minifigure voiced by Will Arnett (Emmy nominee, “30 Rock”), with whom she shares a history.

The 3D computer animated adventure will open nationwide on February 28, 2014.

Phil Lord & Christopher Miller (“21 Jump Street,” Golden Globe nominee “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”) are directing from their original screenplay, story by Dan Hageman & Kevin Hageman and Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, based on LEGO construction toys. The film will incorporate some of the most popular LEGO figures while introducing several new characters, inviting fans who have enjoyed the brand’s innovative toys and hugely popular video games for generations to experience their visually unique LEGO world as never seen before.

The film will be produced by Dan Lin (“Sherlock Holmes,” “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows”) and Roy Lee (“The Departed,” “How to Train Your Dragon”). It will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

LEGO, its logo, brick & knob configuration and the Minifigure are trademarks of The LEGO Group. ©2012 The LEGO Group. All rights reserved.

Argo, the new feature


On November 4, 1979, as the Iranian revolution reaches its boiling point, militants storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. But, in the midst of the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador. Knowing it is only a matter of time before the six are found out and likely killed, a CIA “exfiltration” specialist named Tony Mendez (Affleck) comes up with a risky plan to get them safely out of the country. A plan so incredible, it could only happen in the movies.
In UK cinemas November 7, 2012

Wednesday 24 October 2012

COCKNEYS VS ZOMBIES

STUDIOCANAL are ‘eaven and ‘ell chuffed to announce that ‘orror comedy ‘Cockneys vs Zombies’ is available on DVD & Blu-Ray now.

Cockneys vs Zombies follows a group of plucky cousins as they try to rob a bank to save their grandparents care home from developers. Little do they know, whilst they’re cleaning out the vault, zombies as cleaning up the east end and shuffling towards Bow Bells’ care home with an appetite for OAPs.

Starring a host of Britain’s finest acting talent including; Honor Blackman (Goldfinger, ‘The Avengers’, Bridget Jones’s Diary), Rasmus Hardiker (Starter for 10, I Want Candy, ‘Saxondale’), Harry Treadaway (Fish Tank, Control), Michelle Ryan (4.3.2.1, ‘Bionic Woman’), Ashley ‘Bashy’ Thomas (4.3.2.1, Shank), Jack Doolan (Cemetery Junction, ‘The Green Green Grass’) and Alan Ford (Snatch, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels). Cockneys vs. Zombies is written by James Moran ('Torchwood', Severance) and directed by Partizan's Matthias Hoene.

Cockneys vs. Zombies is a new breed of zombie adventure filled with equal edge-of-your-seat-tension and rocking-in-your-seat-with-laughter moments. If you ever wanted to see how a zimmer frame could turn into a lethal weapon, pick up Cockneys vs. Zombies on DVD or Blu-Ray now, released by STUDIOCANAL.

Click to enlarge
When you’re robbing a bank, a zombie invasion makes things a lot harder.

As contractors at an East London building site unlock a 350 year old vault of seriously hungry zombies, our hapless team of wanna-be bank robbers are in the wrong place at the right time. Katy (Michelle Ryan), Andy (Harry Treadaway), Terry (Rasmus Hardiker) and bank robbing “experts” Mental Mickey (Ashley 'Bashy' Thomas) and Davey Tuppence (Jack Doolan) find themselves the unlikely heroes of a zombie attack.

Equipped with all the guns and ammo they can carry, it’s up to the gang to save not only their grandparents but the East End from Zombie-Armageddon. When it’s the living vs. the undead... it’s Cockneys vs. Zombies.
© BISHOP ROCK FILMS LIMITED/ COCKNEYS VS ZOMBIES LIMITED 2012, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Diango gets a new trailer

A new trailer has just hit my inbox for Django Unchained. With more of the humour and bloodsheed that we have come to know in a Tarantino

film.
Set in the South two years before the Civil War, DJANGO UNCHAINED stars Academy Award®-winner Jamie Foxx as Django, a slave whose brutal history with his former owners lands him face-to-face with German-born bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Academy Award®-winner Christoph Waltz). Schultz is on the trail of the murderous Brittle brothers, and only Django can lead him to his bounty. The unorthodox Schultz acquires Django with a promise to free him upon the capture of the Brittles – dead or alive.

Success leads Schultz to free Django, though the two men choose not to go their separate ways. Instead, Schultz seeks out the South’s most wanted criminals with Django by his side. Honing vital hunting skills, Django remains focused on one goal: finding and rescuing Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), the wife he lost to the slave trade long ago.

Django and Schultz’s search ultimately leads them to Calvin Candie (Academy Award®-nominee Leonardo DiCaprio), the proprietor of “Candyland,” an infamous plantation where slaves are groomed by trainer Ace Woody (Kurt Russell) to battle each other for sport. Exploring the compound under false pretenses, Django and Schultz arouse the suspicion of Stephen (Academy Award®-nominee Samuel L. Jackson), Candie’s trusted house slave. Their moves are marked, and a treacherous organization closes in on them. If Django and Schultz are to escape with Broomhilda, they must choose between independence and solidarity, between sacrifice and survival...
In Cinemas January 18, 2013

Skyfall gets a Royal premiere

Yesterday saw the Royal World Premiere of the new bond film, Skyfall. It took place at the Royal Albert Hall in London with the Duke and Dutches of Cornwall.



Daniel Craig is back as James Bond 007 in SKYFALL, the 23rd instalment of the longest-running film franchise in history.

In SKYFALL, Bond’s loyalty to M (JUDI DENCH) is tested as her past returns to haunt her. 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

When Bond’s latest assignment goes gravely wrong and agents around the world are exposed, MI6 is attacked forcing M to relocate the agency. These events cause her authority and position to be challenged by Mallory (RALPH FIENNES), the new Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee. With MI6 now compromised from both inside and out, M is left with one ally she can trust: Bond. 007 takes to the shadows – aided only by field agent, Eve (NAOMIE HARRIS) – following a trail to the mysterious Silva (JAVIER BARDEM), whose lethal and hidden motives have yet to reveal themselves. The film is from Albert R. Broccoli’s EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment.
In Cinemas October 26, 2012

Tuesday 23 October 2012

British Academy Children's Awards - Children's awards - Nominations announced

DOUBLE WORLD RECORD HOLDER HELEN SKELTON NOMINATED FOR BEST PRESENTER AT 2012 BRITISH ACADEMY CHILDREN’S AWARDS

YOUNG ONE’S NIGEL PLANER RECEIVES FIRST EVER NOMINATION

HORRIBLE HISTORIES LEADS WITH THREE CHILDREN’S AWARDS NOMINATIONS

VOTING IN BAFTA KIDS’ VOTE CATEGORY OPENS TODAY


London, 23 October 2012: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has today announced the nominations for the 2012 British Academy Children's Awards, which take place on Sunday 25 November at the London Hilton, Park Lane.

Children’s BAFTA winner and Blue Peter presenter Barney Harwood will return to host the Awards that celebrate the very best in children’s media, including television, film, video games and online.

Double world record holder Helen Skelton can now add a second Children’s BAFTA nomination to her list of achievements for presenting Helen’s Polar Challenge For Sport Relief. The programme saw her become the first person in the world to reach the South Pole by bicycle. Skelton is nominated in the Presenter category alongside last year’s winner Steve Backshall, Milkshake’s Kemi Majeks and previous winner Justin Fletcher, who also has two nominated programmes in the Pre-School Live Action category.

The Performer category features stiff competition between upcoming and established talent, with 14 year old rapper and actor Khalil Madovi up against 59 year old Young One Nigel Planer.

Three nominations go to the hugely successful series Horrible Histories, which has received nominations in the same categories for the last three years (Comedy, Writer and Performer), and winning for Comedy last year.

The four films nominated in the Feature Film category this year include BAFTA Fellow Martin Scorsese’s Hugo and Disney’s The Muppets. The Hunger Games and Arthur Christmas, the two other films competing for the Award, also appear in the BAFTA Kids’ Vote shortlist.

The final series of Tracy Beaker Returns, featuring Strictly Come Dancing star Dani Harmer, receives two nominations, for Drama and Writer, and a BAFTA Kids’ Vote shortlisting in the Television category. The popular Tracy Beaker series has now received nine nominations at the Children’s Awards over the years. The Amazing World of Gumball also receives two nominations, for Writer and Animation – the same two categories in which it won last year, and is shortlisted for the Kids’ Vote in the Television category too.

Junior Bake Off follows the success of The Great British Bake Off, the BAFTA-winning television programme at this year’s Television Awards, by being nominated in the Entertainment category.

The BAFTA Kids’ Vote opens for voting today: 7-14 year olds will have their say across a whole range of entertainment media in a nationwide poll to choose their favourite film, television programme, website and video game. The shortlist in each category is incredibly strong this year, with films including The Hunger Games, Marvel Avengers Assemble, Ice Age 4: Continental Drift and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 all going head-to-head in the Feature Film category. Nominations for Television show include The Sarah Jane Adventures, Tracy Beaker Returns, Phineas and Ferb, House of Anubis and Almost Naked Animals.

The BAFTA Kids’ Vote opens today (23 October) at 09.00 and closes on Friday 23 November 2012 at 18.00. Children can cast their votes at www.baftakidsvote.org.

For a third year, the winners of the annual BAFTA Young Game Designers competition will be announced at the Awards ceremony. The competition is open to 11-16 year olds and aims to inspire the game designers and game-makers of the future. For the first time this year there were two categories: the Game Concept Award for young people who submitted an idea for a new game; and the Game-making Award, presented by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, for young people who made their own game using computer software. The top three entrants in both categories will attend the ceremony, and the winners will have their game developed further with experts from the University of Abertay Dundee, as well as visiting SCE London Studio, makers of the BAFTA Award-winning EyeToy® and SingStar® franchises. BAFTA has partnered with Abertay University and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) on the initiative.

The British Academy Children’s Awards represent all aspects of children’s entertainment: Animation, Channel of the Year, Comedy, Drama, Entertainment, Factual, Feature Film, Independent Production Company, Interactive, International, Learning–Primary, Learning–Secondary, Performer, Pre-school Animation, Pre-school Live Action, Presenter, Short Form, Video Game and Writer.

Monday 22 October 2012

SUNDANCE LONDON RETURNS TO THE O2 IN 2013 AND 2014

Second Sundance London film and music festival to be held 25-28 April, 2013

Passes and ticket packages for 2013 on sale 9 November at www.sundance-london.com

The O2, London, 22 October 2012 — Robert Redford, Sundance Institute and AEG Europe announced today that following the success of the first-ever Sundance London film and music festival in April 2012, the event will return to the world famous London venue, The O2, for a further two years, in 2013 and 2014. Passes and ticket packages for the 2013 event will go on general sale on 9 November at www.sundance-london.com.

The second Sundance London will take place from 25-28 April, 2013, and host the international and UK premieres of American independent films fresh from the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A., as well as live music performances, panels and events. The 2013 programme will continue its 2012 focus on presenting new work by American filmmakers and music artists. Sundance Institute, which annually presents the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A, will select the films and related programming.

The first Sundance London featured screenings of 27 films, including many European premieres, and performances by 17 musical acts. Highlights included the Royal Premiere of HARMONY: A New Way of Looking at Our World attended by HRH, The Prince of Wales; an intimate performance by Rufus and Martha Wainwright following the world premiere of Lian Lunson’s film about the music of their mother; the Opening Night event An Evening With Robert Redford And T Bone Burnett; Tricky and Martina Topley-Bird performing Maxinquaye; and screenings of 14 feature-length and eight short films from the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Audiences were also treated to several thought-provoking panels featuring industry experts and artists discussing topical film and music issues.

Robert Redford, President & Founder of Sundance Institute, said: “Sundance was warmly welcomed to London last year, by engaged and adventurous audiences eager to take a chance on independent film, and this makes a second year all the more exciting for us."

The vibrant arts community in London has informed this decision as much as anything,” continued Redford. “Seeing what comes of nurturing a broader global community for new voices and varied perspectives in American independent film and music, seems a worthy 21st Century endeavour.

Alex Hill, Chief Finance and Strategy Officer at AEG Europe said: “The O2 has long been known for hosting some of the world’s most exciting music acts and sports spectacles, and our growth into film with the hugely successful Sundance London film and music festival is a perfect complement to our current calendar. We’re thrilled to be hosting Sundance London again in 2013 and 2014, building even further on the achievements of our inaugural year.

John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival, said: “In addition to exposing European audiences to American film and music, we will continue connecting with the UK and European filmmaking community through workshops, panels and conversations designed to create a forum for identifying commonalities of independent filmmaking as well an exchange of best practices and new ideas.

For more information visit www.sundance-london.com or follow @SundancefestUK on Twitter.

George Méliès’ restored A Trip to the Moon (Le Voyage dans la lune) with documentary The Extraordinary Voyage

Méliès’ masterpiece, A Trip to the Moon first appeared on the big screen 110 years ago. The colour version of this innovative work, hand-painted frame by frame, was considered lost for many years, until a print, in a desperate condition, was found in Spain in 1993. It is this version, which has been meticulously restored and brought back to life. Accompanying A Trip to the Moon, which opened the 2011 Cannes Film Festival to widespread acclaim, is an original soundtrack from the hugely popular French musicians, AIR. Park Circus will release Méliès’ magical mystery moon-ride on DVD in the UK from November 26, 2012.

Supplementing this comprehensive DVD edition is a superb detailed documentary by Serge Bromberg (Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Inferno) and Éric Lange titled, The Extraordinary Voyage. Delving into what became one of the most sophisticated and expensive film restorations in cinema history and featuring words from acclaimed directors and fans of the film: Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amélie), Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) and Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), The Extraordinary Voyage makes for the perfect companion to this exciting new release and a fascinating and revealing portrait of an eternal classic.

In a visually stunning, action-filled 16 minutes, A Trip to the Moon presents a tale of six scholars and members of the Astronomers' Club who set off on an expedition to the moon. They travel in a bullet-shaped rocket fired into space by a giant canon. After arriving on the moon, they meet its inhabitants, escape their king and return to earth in their rocket, which, after falling into the ocean, is fished out by a sailor. Applause, decorations and a triumphant parade for the six heroes of the first outer-space adventure in the history of cinema play out to AIR’s thumping soundtrack.

A Trip to the Moon with accompanying documentary The Extraordinary Voyage is released on DVD in the UK from Monday November 26, 2012. Total DVD run-time: 80-minutes

Extras:
  • Documentary by Serge Bromberg and Éric Lange – The Extraordinary Voyage
  • Image Gallery – A Trip to the Moon
  • Image Gallery – The Extraordinary Voyage

Sunday 21 October 2012

The Impossible

"Based on the remarkable true story of...". in other words, let's get quite an interesting story and then make it Hollywood believable! The film does look quite good.


Both epic and intimate, devastating and uplifting, THE IMPOSSIBLE is a journey to the core of the human heart. Based on a remarkable true story, THE IMPOSSIBLE is the unforgettable account of a family caught, with tens of thousands of strangers, in the mayhem of one of the worst natural catastrophes of our time. The true-life terror is tempered by the unexpected displays of compassion, courage and simple kindness that Maria (Watts) and her family encounter during the darkest hours of their lives.
The Impossible is out in cinemas January 2, 2013.

Saturday 20 October 2012

End of Watch gets a new poster

Police officers Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal, SOURCE CODE) and Zavala (Michael Pena, CRASH) are partners and best friends. A night-school student in film production, Taylor affixes tiny cameras to his and Zavala's uniforms to record their daily routines, collecting material for a short video about the real lives of the LAPD. Life is good - until a seemingly routine vehicle check finds the pair stepping on the toes of powerful drug traffickers. David Ayer (TRAINING DAY) writes and directs this high-octane crime film, which is adrenaline-fuelled, throat-grabbingly suspenseful, and one hell of a thrill ride.
Hitting UK cinemas November 23, 2012

So Undercover


Miley Cyrus stars as MOLLY, a private investigator who chose to leave high school to work with her father (Mike O’Malley), a former police officer. Together their days are filled with busting cheating spouses and taking down petty thieves. However, her life unexpectedly changes when she is approached by an FBI agent (Jeremy Piven) to go undercover in the one place they’re unable to infiltrate – and a world she knows nothing about... A university sorority.

During a major makeover, Molly physically transforms herself from the tough, streetwise investigator, to a very affluent sorority girl BROOKE STONEBRIDGE. However, Molly also has to learn how to “walk the walk” and “talk the talk” to keep her cover for her mission: protect the life of sorority sister ALEX PATRONE (Lauren McKnight) whose father plans to testify against some very dangerous people.

Surveillance proves nearly impossible for outsider Molly, who struggles to adjust to university culture, her new friends, and her new assignment, which includes NICHOLAS (Josh Bowman) – a strong, self confident guy who may have taken a piece of Molly’s heart, if only he weren’t possibly the hit man in disguise.

With multiple suspects on her list and the trial fast approaching, Molly must navigate a minefield of double crosses as well as the pageantry and chaos of a sorority sister’s social life. Through her journey, Molly must protect Alex while discovering that not everyone is who he or she appears to be – including herself.
In cinemas from December 7, 2012

Thursday 18 October 2012

Jack Reacher gets a new trailer and poster

I'm not sure if Tom Cruise is doing another comedy or if somebody thought this cliche ridden new trailer was a good idea? The first trailer was bad enough but this takes some watching... Try and do it without laughing out loud to the dreadful dialogue.

Not only that, we also get a poster that looks like it's come out of a dubious Photoshop sweatshop that have decided that what the poster needs is a picture of Tom so photoshopped it looks like it was taken in the 80s and then superimposed over a shot of a car just about to run him over


From The New York Times bestselling author Lee Child comes one of the most compelling heroes to step from novel to screen—ex-military investigator Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise).

When a gunman takes five lives with six shots, all evidence points to the suspect in custody. On interrogation, the suspect offers up a single note: “Get Jack Reacher!” So begins an extraordinary chase for the truth, pitting Jack Reacher against an unexpected enemy, with a skill for violence and a secret to keep.
Blasting into UK cinemas December 26, 2012

Django Unchained gets new posters

Sony has just sent over a new set of posters for Quentin Tarantino's upcoming film Django Unchained. The posters, and the film, sees a mix of Tarantino regulars and new faces.

Set in the South two years before the Civil War, DJANGO UNCHAINED stars Academy Award®-winner Jamie Foxx as Django, a slave whose brutal history with his former owners lands him face-to-face with German-born bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Academy Award®-winner Christoph Waltz). Schultz is on the trail of the murderous Brittle brothers, and only Django can lead him to his bounty. The unorthodox Schultz acquires Django with a promise to free him upon the capture of the Brittles – dead or alive.

Success leads Schultz to free Django, though the two men choose not to go their separate ways. Instead, Schultz seeks out the South’s most wanted criminals with Django by his side. Honing vital hunting skills, Django remains focused on one goal: finding and rescuing Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), the wife he lost to the slave trade long ago.

Django and Schultz’s search ultimately leads them to Calvin Candie (Academy Award®-nominee Leonardo DiCaprio), the proprietor of “Candyland,” an infamous plantation where slaves are groomed by trainer Ace Woody (Kurt Russell) to battle each other for sport. Exploring the compound under false pretenses, Django and Schultz arouse the suspicion of Stephen (Academy Award®-nominee Samuel L. Jackson), Candie’s trusted house slave. Their moves are marked, and a treacherous organization closes in on them. If Django and Schultz are to escape with Broomhilda, they must choose between independence and solidarity, between sacrifice and survival...
Released in the UK January 18, 2013.

Wednesday 17 October 2012

DYNAMO: Magician Impossible Series 2 – Best Moments

Dynamo is capable of making magic wherever he goes. Growing up in Bradford’s Holme Wood estate, the celebrated street magician first learnt tricks from his grandfather before perfecting the art of illusion on a trip to New Orleans. Since then he has stunned passers-by around the globe from Austria to Brazil, Italy to the USA.

To celebrate the release of Dynamo: Magician Impossible series 2 on Blu-ray and DVD from 22nd October, we take a look at the best moments for series 2!

Lemon Sweets

Dynamo believes that Hollywood brings out the magic in people and is a place where anything is possible. During Magician Impossible Series 2, Dynamo took his own brand of magic to the streets of Hollywood. Watch as he eats a little girl’s last 2 Lemon Head’s only to make a full packet magically re-appear in her hands.

Trafalgar Square Photo’s

Dynamo joins the tourists who flock around Trafalgar square taking photos, only he does so without a camera. Not only do his hands take the photo, they print them too! Watch carefully as he mesmerises the general public with his clever magic, leaving them wondering how it was even possible…

Venice Beach Money Suit

Check out Dynamo as he leaves a Venice Beach street performer stunned. The entertainer, who is used to commanding attention on the busy promenade, is speechless after Dynamo manages to magically pull a real 50 dollar note from his jacket.

Park Bench Levitation

Dynamo manages to silence passers by in the hustle and bustle of Rio as he levitates on a bench in this spectacular clip. Using only one arm, the magician floats horizontally in the air on a warm Brazilian night and enhances the magic of the city for all who stop to watch.

Key Put onto Headphones

Finding a group of lads on Ipanema beach, Dynamo captivates them by threading a headphone wire through a key and leaving them to work out how to separate them as he walks into the sunset.

Dropping a Coin Through Hands

Dynamo amazes the young children of a favela by performing various tricks to them as they play in the street. They are amazed as he drops a coin through their hands and enchanted when he takes a boy’s rubber bands and joins them together.

Pi gets a featurette

20th Century Fox has just sent over a short featurette about the making of the film. It covers, mainly, the use of a CGI tiger!


Based upon the bestselling book by Yann Martel, LIFE OF PI tells the story of a young man’s incredible survival at sea against impossible odds. A remarkable technological breakthrough in 3D epic adventure, PI is an emotionally captivating experience that will inspire, touch and transport audiences to a place of discovery that they will never forget.
Life of Pi is released in cinemas December 2012

Tuesday 16 October 2012

Happy Ada Lovelace Day

Today is Ada Lovelace Day. A day to remember that science isn't just a man's job. If you look at the history of science there are a lot of women that have made giant discoveries but the credit have been taken by male colleges.  Sometimes there are luck ones that get know in their own right.  Some you will have heard of, but the ones that you haven't are as important.

This is a list of heroic women scientists that have made me think and admire.  I think that there are probably more women in my "top 5" scientists and engineers than men.  This is only a small part of the women that have helped change the world.  This isn't in any order apart from the first name on the list.

Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace
 Today is the day that we celebrate the work of women in science and this is one of the pioneers. Thje only legitimate child of Lord Byron. A child who had an unhappy childhood with a very overbearing mother who tried to keep her, in her view, turning into her father. She only partially succeeded as she did end up being Probably the world's first computer programmer in her collaboration with another great, Charles Babbage.

She has also given her name to the ADA programming language, or to give it its official title MIL-STD-1815 (her year of birth). She also appears as herself in William Gibson and Bruce Sterling's book, The Difference Engine. she is one of the major characters in the book!

Now onto another great in computing. not only did she find the first computer bug, actually a moth but that's not important now, and debugged the compter (by removing it from the relay that it burnt out). This being the great...

Rear Admiral Grace Hopper
A wonderful lady who did so much for computing in the second half of the 20th century. From writing the first compilers, via co-writing COBOL and in later life lecturing about her passion for computing. her appearance on Letterman shows.




That's not bad for someone who is almost 80.  I would spend some time going through youTube and watching some more clips of this wonderful woman at what she did best. Talking to people.

Moving away from computing and into biology with Rosalind Franklin.
She was one of the team that helped finally discover the structure of DNS. She is best known for X-ray diffraction images of DNA, and more specifically, "Photo 51". The turning point in the work of Watson and Crick. Her help in the discovery has, in one view, been sidelined or airbrushed out of the discovery. She died in 1958 of ovarian cancer. She was 37 at the time. If she had lived, she may have been a noble Prize winner. The first since the double winner and the final person on this short list...

Marie Curie
A pioneering scientist on the early years of the 20th Century.  Not only the first woman to win a Nobel prize but the only person to win two prizes, in difference sciences; being Physics and Chemistry.

She is best known for her discovery of Radioactivity as well as the way that she died, of prolonged exposure of radiation. She was known to carry around with her a small sample.

Finally, to celebrate this day, I give you some wallpaper to brighten up your desktop...

Ada Lovelace wallpaper

Halloween - Back in Cinemas this Halloween

The ultimate Halloween film is coming back to the big screen where, and when, it belongs. The original version of John Carpenter’s hugely successful 70s slasher-film went on to be the benchmark for future films of its type while it took influence from masters of suspense and horror: Hitchcock and De Palma. See once more through the eyes of Michael Myers and feel the tension build with Carpenter’s celebrated soundtrack. One of the most famous horror films of them all, Halloween is back in cinemas.


It’s Halloween 1963, a 6-year-old masked Michael Myers has just stabbed to death his older sister and condemned himself to life imprisonment. But, 15 years later, he escapes and it’s only his psychiatrist Dr Loomis who foresees the horror that will ensue on that fateful Halloween night in 1978. It is left to Dr Loomis to track down Myers and protect the residents of Haddonfield including the young, innocent and oblivious Laurie Strode played by a then-unknown Jamie-Lee Curtis. This is one Haddonfield homecoming you will never forget.
Halloween will open in the UK from Friday 26 October at Apollo West End and will screen across Vue and Apollo Cinemas on 31 October.

Four Scottish films at world’s biggest documentary festival and The Perfect Fit on shortlist for Oscar® nomination

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences published a list which includes The Perfect Fit, a Scottish short film directed by Tali Yankelevich and produced by the Scottish Documentary Institute

The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) announced an unprecedented number of Scottish documentaries in its programme.

Edinburgh: Tuesday 16th October 2012 - The Perfect Fit, directed by Tali Yankelevich, is included in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ eight contenders for the field Documentary Short Subject, of which three to five will earn Oscar® nominations.

This award-winning Scottish production was shown in New York, alongside other short documentaries, in a week-long showcase in August. This theatrical run qualified the 10-minute film to be eligible for a submission to the Academy.

The Perfect Fit looks at professional ballet through the eyes of a shoemaker who pounds his soul out making each pair perfect, trying to ease the burden on the dancers’ feet. Creative Scotland and BBC Scotland invested in this film made by SDI Productions and Teebster.

The film was produced as part of the Scottish Documentary Institute’s Bridging the Gap programme which enables young talent to break into the industry. SDI Productions is based at the Edinburgh College of Art, and Tali Yankelevich is also a graduate of ECA.

Finlay Pretsell, the film’s producer, commented: “This is brilliant news and a great recognition of how we’re bringing Scottish documentaries to the world. It’s a huge boost for Tali’s career. We know this is not a nomination yet, but we’re certainly keeping our fingers crossed.”

The 85th Academy Awards nominations will be announced on 10 January 2013.

Coinciding with the Academy’s publication, the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam has announced its 2012 programme today (Friday), including four productions involving the Scottish Documentary Institute. IDFA is the world’s pre-eminent festival for creative documentaries.

Most notably, I Am Breathing by Emma Davie and Morag McKinnon will have its world premiere in IDFA’s prestigious Competition for Feature-Length Documentary. Exploring “the thin space between life and death”, the film follows Neil Platt who suffers from Motor Neurone Disease, a terminal illness affecting around 5,000 people in the UK. Neil invited the filmmakers to follow him through his final months, while he’s trying to sum up his life in a message to his baby son.

I Am Breathing was co-produced by ECA-based SDI Productions and Danish Documentary, with investments by Creative Scotland, Danish Film Institute, Wellcome Trust, MND Association and the former UK Film Council. Broadcasters involved in the production are Channel 4, DR (Denmark) and YLE (Finland).

Caroline Parkinson, Director of Creative Development at Creative Scotland, commented: “Creative Scotland congratulates the documentary filmmakers in competition and wishes them every success. It is testament to the depth and quality of filmmaking talent working in Scotland today that they are selected for one of the world's most prestigious film festivals.”

IDFA will also show Pablo’s Winter directed by Chico Pereira, which will have its world premiere later this month at Dok Leipzig, one of the longest-running documentary festivals in the world. Presented as classic black-and-white cinema, Pablo’s story is one of “nicotine, mercury, and matters of the heart,” a homage to a retired Spanish miner against a backdrop of decay.

Professor Robin MacPherson, director of Screen Academy Scotland where the film was produced, said: "We're absolutely thrilled to see Chico's film competing for documentary honours in both Amsterdam and Leipzig. It is especially gratifying that three more of our graduates played key roles in its realisation, demonstrating how our focus on creative collaboration is really paying off."

In addition, two short documentaries made as part of this year’s edition of Bridging the Gap will have their international premiere at IDFA in Amsterdam: Polaris, also by Chico Pereira, follows Filipino fishermen in the North East of Scotland, and Pouters, by Paul Fegan, chronicles the fight to become Glasgow’s “doo fleein” (pigeon flying) champion. Both films were first shown at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in June.

It was also announced today that Future My Love, which celebrated an acclaimed world premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival this year to much acclaim, will have its international premiere at CPH:DOX, the innovative documentary festival in Copenhagen. Maja Borg’s film is a poetic road trip through personal and social utopias. Filmmaker Magazine wrote about Future My Love at EIFF: "Everyone loves this beautiful, poetic, important movie, and it seems likely to be one of the films that 2012 will be remembered for."

More about the films, including trailers:
‘Oscar’ and ‘Academy Awards’ are registered trademarks and service marks owned by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The Scottish Documentary Institute is an internationally recognised research centre at Edinburgh College of Art, part of of the University of Edinburgh and complemented by SDI Productions Ltd, a production and distribution company.

Bridging the Gap, supported by Creative Scotland, is one of the leading documentary new talent initiatives for cinema and broadcast in the UK. Consistently picking up awards, BAFTAs, special mentions and festival screenings in over 40 countries worldwide, it offers a creative training programme alongside production. Blog posts about Pouters and Polaris

Creative Scotland is the national development agency for the arts, screen and creative industries. Our vision is that Scotland will be recognised as one of the world’s most creative nations – one that attracts, develops and retains talent, where the arts and the creative industries are supported and celebrated and their economic contribution fully captured; a nation where the arts and creativity play a central part in the lives, education and well-being of our population.

The Year of Creative Scotland began on January 1, 2012 and is a chance to showcase, celebrate and promote Scotland’s cultural and creative strengths on a world stage. Through a dynamic and exciting year-long programme of activity celebrating our world-class events, festivals, culture and heritage, the year puts Scotland’s culture and creativity in the international spotlight with a focus on cultural tourism and developing the events industry and creative sector in Scotland.

Screen Academy Scotland is a Skillset Film & Media Academy in partnership between Edinburgh Napier University and Edinburgh College of Art.

Monday 15 October 2012

Cloud Atlas gets more

Two new items from the The Wachowskis and somebody else's new film, Cloud Atlas. A great documentary about the making of the film and another one that is following this years trend of photoshop montage posters...

“Cloud Atlas” explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future. Action, mystery and romance weave dramatically through the story as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero and a single act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution in the distant future.
Hitting UK cinemas 2013.
(c) 2012 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved

Sunday 14 October 2012

The Gangsters get a new trailer

It's been a while since the last time I heard anything from this film. now we have a new set of images, a new trailer and a confirmed releases date.



 
 
Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and—if he has his way—every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop…except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart.
Blasting into UK cinemas January 11, 2013

Saturday 13 October 2012

What happens when 553 kids want to find their father!


David Wozniak (Patrick Huard) has reached his 40s lumbering around without a single adult responsibility. He coasts through life as an unreliable delivery man and is a burden to his girlfriend Valerie.

But when she announces her surprise pregnancy, David's past suddenly catches up. Having to face the fact that he will be a father, David discovers that a series of sperm donations he made 20 years earlier mean he's already the unwitting father of 533 children - of which 142 are determined to discover his identity. Suddenly, his life is much more complicated than he anticipated.

Directed by Ken Scott and starring Patrick Huard, Antoine Bertrand and Julie LeBreton, Starbuck is already in the works for a Hollywood re-make starring Vince Vaughn.
Starbuck is released on November 23, 2012 from Signature Entertainment.