Tag Archives: Film Presenter

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – Film Review #film #review #filmreview

13 Dec

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For anyone who is looking at the Hobbit posters that are plastering our walls, buses and underground stations, and wondering whether or not its worth your time (about 2.5 hours) and money to sit in a dark room throughout party season; I can categorically tell you it is!

Forget the first installment of the film franchise and all its appalling high frame rate filming and dull overly long set up plot lines, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is a triumph! What was lost in the first film is the distinct transportation to another world (its pretty hard to get lost in a film when the clarity of the filming is so high you can see the prosthetics covering each characters faces) and more frighteningly a lack lustre sense of action and adventure. Luckily part two brightens up all our woes and keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish!Screen Shot 2013-12-13 at 15.42.19

I know its always a good sign when I remember to check my watch and realize that its already over two hours through. I had been so preoccupied before hand with everything going on, I didn’t even think I stopped to take a breath let alone look at the time!

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is the continuation story of Bilbo Baggins the dwarves and Gandalf the Grey as they continue their journey to reclaim their rightful homeland Erebor, from the fire-breathing dragon that is Smaug. Unbeknown to the rest of the group, Bilbo is also in possession of a magical ring which gives him extraordinary powers and makes him a brave and valuable asset on this quest.

First and foremost the action is amazing. Whether it is a newly tweaked version of the 48fps or indeed the standard 24fps version, you will be dazzled by the intricacy and excitement of each action led sequence. One key highlight has to be the battle with giant spiders, which with added 3D gives them a new monstrous perception and will make you shudder out of reach in your cinema seat. Secondly, is the incredibly impressive river barrel sequence, with prancing elves killing Orcs with “endless” amounts of arrows, the logistical reality does not come into play in any way within this sequence as its 15 minutes of glory is truly breath taking.Screen Shot 2013-12-13 at 15.42.54

Each character that we have seen in the first installment of the franchise becomes more developed in their own right in this film. Bilbo has an increased level of confidence thanks to his secret weapon, Gandalf goes off to fight his own battle against Sauron, and there is an interesting start of a love triangle between Killy (Dwarf), Tauriel (Elf) and Legolas (Elf) which is left hanging ready for the conclusion in the third film.

And finally, we get to Smaug – Benedict Cumberbatch is superbly cast as the greedy dragon resting in the Misty Mountain awoken by Bilbo. The detail that is used to create the dragon is some of the best out there, each scale is clear to see and the fire in Smaug’s belly prepares you for a visual feast of fire and gold.

To round up, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug brings Peter Jackson back to Tolkien’s original fantasy and his directing best. Fun for all the family, this film is THE go to film for the Christmas period and not one to miss.

4 Stars.

 

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Who gets your vote? SAG Award Nominees – Full List #awardseason #film #tv #SAGAWARDS

11 Dec

Screen Shot 2013-12-11 at 14.22.36So its not even Christmas yet and the excitement for next year is building as of TODAY! Why you may ask, well, its because Awards Season is officially upon us (well almost). This afternoon the great and the good of the silver screen got announced as part of the nomination line up for the 2013 SAG Awards. Here they are….I’m thinking early front runners have to be 12 Years a Slave and American Hustle… who have you got your money on?

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE

“12 Years A Slave”
“American Hustle”
“August: Osage County”
“Dallas Buyers Club”
“Lee Daniels’ The Butler”

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Bruce Dern, “Nebraska”
Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years A Slave”
Tom Hanks, “Captain Phillips”
Matthew McConaughey, “Dallas Buyers Club”
Forest Whitaker, “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”
Sandra Bullock, “Gravity”
Judi Dench, “Philomena”
Meryl Streep, “August: Osage County”
Emma Thompson, “Saving Mr. Banks”

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Barkhad Abdi, “Captain Phillips”
Daniel Bruhl, “Rush”
Michael Fassbender, “12 Years A Slave”
James Gandolfini, “Enough Said”
Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club”

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Jennifer Lawrence, “American Hustle”
Lupita Nyong’o, “12 Years A Slave”
Julia Roberts, “August: Osage County”
June Squibb, “Nebraska”
Oprah Winfrey, “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”

OUTSTANDING ACTION PERFORMANCE BY STUNT ENSEMBLE MOTION PICTURE

“All is Lost”
“Fast and Furious 6”
“Lone Survivor”
“Rush”
“The Wolverine”

TELEVISION

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES

“Boardwalk Empire”
“Breaking Bad”
“Downton Abbey”
“Game of Thrones”
“Homeland”

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES

“30 Rock”
“Arrested Development”
“The Big Bang Theory”
“Modern Family”
“Veep”

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Steve Buscemi, “Boardwalk Empire”
Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad”
Jeff Daniels, “The Newsroom”
Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones”
Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards”

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Claire Danes, “Homeland”
Anna Gunn, “Breaking Bad”
Jessica Lange, “American Horror Story”
Maggie Smith, “Downton Abbey”
Kerry Washington, “Scandal”

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”
Jason Bateman, “Arrested Development”
Ty Burrell, “Modern Family”
Don Cheadle, “House of Lies”
Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory”

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Mayim Bialik, “The Big Bang Theory”
Julie Bowen, “Modern Family”
Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie”
Tina Fey, “30 Rock”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES

Matt Damon, “Behind the Candelabra”
Michael Douglas, “Behind the Candelabra”
Jeremy Irons, “The Hollow Crown”
Rob Lowe, “Killing Kennedy”
Al Pacino, “Phil Spector”

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES

Angela Bassett, “Betty and Corretta”
Helena Bonham Carter, “Burton and Taylor”
Holly Hunter, “Top of the Lake”
Helen Mirren, “Phil Spector”
Elisabeth Moss, “Top of the Lake”

OUTSTANDING ACTION PERFORMANCE BY STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A TELEVISION SERIES

“Boardwalk Empire”
“Breaking Bad”
“Game of Thrones”
“Homeland”
“The Walking Dead”

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She loves films and she likes to talk about them ALOT – so here’s her brand new showreel! #presenter #showreel #talent

5 Dec

Becks presenting 5

Hi folks,

Firstly as the year is drawing to a close, I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone for all their support of both my presenting work and blog (s) this past year. Its been really exciting with even more opportunities to look forward to in 2014. I really have been a lucky old so and so!

Because this year has been so fruitful, I’ve met and worked with some amazing people, its that time again where I need to update my showreel and let you all see the fun work I’ve been doing on your TV and computer screens.

As always, if you know someone who might benefit from using me as a presenter or a Film Critic, then please do put them in touch. All my details are on the ‘About Me’ page.

There are plenty more reviews to come, including The Hobbit (yes geek excitement is boiling), Anchorman 2 (stay classy) and of course everything that is heading to the bright lights of awards season! So please do keep following this blog, keep sharing my reviews, following me on Twitter and I’ll keep the film information coming right to your door/computer screen!

But for now, here it is in all its glory… my brand spanking new showreel!

 

 

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What to watch this week – #TheHungerGames #CatchingFire #film #movie #entertainment #cinema

27 Nov

Screen Shot 2013-11-22 at 16.37.24If you had any worries or concerns that Director Gary Ross’s successor would be turning this sequel into a Twilight esq format, where each film has its own unique stamp per director, and the lead character looks more and more bizarre as the films progress, then fear not, as The Hunger Games – Catching Fire  continues the franchise brilliantly.

In the second installment of the hugely popular film adaptation, Tribute victors of the 74th Hunger Games Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark become targets of the Capitol after their victory sparks a rebellion in the Districts of Panem. As a result, President Snow decides to hold the 75th Hunger Games in which all previous victors will once again fight against each other.

If you have been a fan of the books and then watched the first film, you may have felt a little short changed in terms of the detail throughout the Games section itself. Catering to a 12a audience, the first installment of this franchise lacked some of the more graphic scenes of violence throughout, and replaced this with clever jump cuts and edits to keep the action flowing. I for one, was one of those people, and felt slightly underwhelmed when walking out of that original viewing.Screen Shot 2013-11-22 at 16.40.18

However, this second film seems to have found its feet much more – realizing that there is a large share in terms of older audience members, it quite purposefully takes more risks. There is a whipping scene involving Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth) the shooting of an old man who dares to acknowledge the revolution, and a very unceremonious punch to the face for Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence). Although these are all wincing to the eye, they are a refreshing progression for the film, and as the film tackles more grown up subject matter, you very much feel like you’re watching a much more grown up film.Screen Shot 2013-11-22 at 16.37.46

Once again the lead characters are portrayed well. Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen is brooding and thoughtful, more of the relationship between herself and Hemsworths Gale is explored, and Josh Hutcherson’s Peeta Mellark has realized that he must suppress his feelings in order to play the game and put on a great show. There is also an influx of new cast members (all the other Tributes get killed off in the previous film – in the style of a less brutal Battle Royale!) and one of the biggest surprises of this is Sam Claflin as Finnick Odair. With a flawless American accent, a smile to melt a lot of hearts in the female share of the audience, this British actor will probably use this character to cement his place in the Hollywood heart throb elite – Robert Pattinson better watch out!

Out with the old and in with the new is the way this second running of the film works, the style has been cleverly matched by Director Francis Lawrence to its predecessor and not a minute of filming is wasted. Even if you’re coming to the movie having loved the book, its truthful approach to what is written will be a welcome relief, and it may even hold some surprises for you too. Plenty of action for everyone, some eye candy for both boys and girls, and a very enjoyable film to watch. You will not be disappointed!

4 Stars

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Brand new poster and trailer for Darren Aronofsky’s #NOAH #russellcrowe #film #filmposter #movie

14 Nov

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Yes you should be super excited for this… we’ve heard all about these actors mucking around on an oversized boat with a bunch of animals, but as the marketing machine kicks into gear, we finally have something to get excited about. Here it is, the very first look at what the Director of Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream has in store for us… I can only hope that it will blow our minds!!!!

Directed by Darren Aronofsky, the film stars Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Emma Watson, Anthony Hopkins and Logan Lerman.

Will keep you posted on further updates soon.

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Upstream Colour brings beautiful surrealism to life #filmreview #film #movie

15 Jul

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Director Shane Carruth’s second film follows his 2004 Sundance Grand Jury Prize winning “Primer” and takes you on an adventure of surrealism, disbelief, love and madness.

Upstream Colour stretches the concept of an experimental film to a point where you are watching it for its beauty and precision rather than any specific meaning. The synopsis describes the experience as watching “a man and a woman who are drawn together, entangled in the lifecycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives.” This in itself sounds complex, but you will find yourself getting swept up in the beauty of it all and intrigued to find out where this film could possibly lead.

Screen Shot 2013-07-14 at 21.49.20So in lamens terms, essentially you watch a girl, Kris, get drugged and kidnapped one night, and in an obedient hypnotic state, she gives away all of her money, lifestyle and previous conception of how a human should live to a petty drug dealing thief. Eventually, and as a result of this drugged state, she find herself at the hands of a pig farmer who has managed to join her life to that of a pig (in a much more lateral sense, rather than a Human Centipede sense). It quickly becomes apparent that Kris is not the only one who has fallen victim to this situation, and in fact a number of citizens live their life through the lives of pigs…which essentially allow the pig farmer to follow and co-ordinate their life choices as he sees fit.

Screen Shot 2013-07-14 at 21.49.44What message Carruth is trying to put across is baffling and may never be found, so if you’re looking for meaning over beauty, Upstream Colour will have the power to frustrate and annoy you. But with clever editing which keeps the action as cryptic for the audience as the characters themselves, sewing tiny fragments of this film together piece by piece, you’ll be coming away from this film discussing its fantastic cinematography and subtle but powerful acting rather than its narrative.

Upstream Colour is definitely one for those of you who like to be pushed to your cerebral limits, but for those who want to stay well away from science fiction and the possibility of pigs ruling the earth, this may be one to miss out on, selective audiences only.

The film hits cinemas in August.

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41 seconds of breathtaking awesomeness from the #manofsteel

13 May

 

Starring Henry Cavill (“Immortals,” TV’s “The Tudors”), Amy Adams (“The Fighter”), Laurence Fishburne (“What’s Love Got to Do with It”), Diane Lane(“Unfaithful”), Kevin Costner (“Dances with Wolves”), Michael Shannon (“Revolutionary Road”), Russell Crowe (“Gladiator”) and directed by Zack Snyder (“300,” “Watchmen”)

All you need to know is that you should clear your diary when this hits cinemas on the 14th June!

 

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Cannes Film Festival Official Line Up announced!

18 Apr

 

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Lots of hustle and bustle with the Cannes Film line up this year – but it looks like a fab run down of films that will be gracing the Croisette this year Here’s the long list of what to watch out for….what are your most anticipated films to come out of this years selection?

Personally, I’ll be interested to see is opener The Great Gatsby has substance as well as style, and it will be interesting to catch Ryan Gosling and Nicolas Winding Refn teaming up once again with Only God Forgives, following the smash hit Drive. Finally The Bling Ring is hotting up on press and marketing, so all eyes will be peeled to see if Emma Watson really can play that bad girl!

2013 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL LINEUP


OPENER

  • “The Great Gatsby” (Baz Luhrmann)


COMPETITION

  • “Behind the Candelabra” (Steven Soderbergh)
  • “Borgman” (Alex van Warmerdam)
  • “The Great Beauty” (Paolo Sorrentino)
  • “Grigris” (Mahamet Saleh-Haroun)
  • “Heli” (Amat Escalante)
  • “The Immigrant” (James Gray)
  • “Inside Llewyn Davis” (Joel and Ethan Coen)
  • “Jeune et jolie” (Francois Ozon)
  • “Jimmy P.” (Arnaud Desplechin)
  • “La Vie d’Adele” (Abdellatif Kechiche)
  • “Like Father, Like Son” (Hirokazu Kore-eda)
  • “Michael Kohlhaas” (Arnaud Despallieres)
  • “Nebraska” (Alexander Payne)
  • “Only God Forgives” (Nicolas Winding Refn)
  • “The Past” (Asghar Farhadi)
  • “Straw Shield” (Takashi Miike)
  • “A Touch of Sin” (Jia Zhangke)
  • “Un chateau en Italie” (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi)
  • “Venus in Fur” (Roman Polanski)


OUT OF COMPETITION 

  • “All Is Lost” (J.C. Chandor)
  • “Blood Ties” (Guillaume Canet)

UN CERTAIN REGARD

  • OPENER: “The Bling Ring” (Sofia Coppola)
  • “Anonymous” (Mohammad Rasoulof)
  • “The Bastards” (Claire Denis)
  • “Bends” (Flora Lau)
  • “Death March” (Adolfo Alix Jr.)
  • “Fruitvale Station” (Ryan Coogler)
  • “Grand Central” (Rebecca Zlotowski)
  • “La Jaula de Oro” (Diego Quemada-Diez)
  • “L’image manquante” (Rithy Panh)
  • “L’inconnu du lac” (Alain Guiraudie)
  • “Miele” (Valeria Golino)
  • “Norte, hangganan ng kasaysayan” (Lav Diaz)
  • “Omar” (Hany Abu-Assad)
  • “Sarah prefere la course” (Chloe Robichaud)


MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS

  • “Blind Detective” (Johnnie To)
  • “Monsoon Shootout” (Amit Kumar)


SPECIAL SCREENINGS

  • “Bite the Dust” (Taisia Igumentseva)
  • “Bombay Talkies” (Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar, Karan Johar)
  • “Max Rose” (Daniel Noah)
  • “Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight” (Stephen Frears)
  • “Seduced and Abandoned” (James Toback)
  • “Stop the Pounding Heart” (Roberto Minervini)
  • “Week End of a Champion” (Roman Polanski)


CLOSER

  • “Zulu” (Jerome Salle)

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New The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones trailer drops @eoneuk #film #movie #book

3 Apr

Move over The Hunger Games and Twilight, there looks like a new bestselling book come film adaptation in the mix with The Mortal Instruments. And if the announcement that it was going to be made into a film wasn’t enough then fan boys and girls prepare yourself for the brand new trailer!!

Looks pretty good doesn’t it! Well for those of you unfamiliar with the story, here’s a little more information for you….

Clary Fray (Lily Collins) thought she was an ordinary teenager living in Brooklyn until one night in a downtown nightclub she encounters theClary Fray (Lily Collins) in MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES.mysterious, charismatic Jace. Upon witnessing Jace hunt down and kill a demon in the crowded club, Clary begins to wonder if she is that ordinary after all. Especially as she appears to be the only one who can see him…

Jace Wayland (Jamie Campbell Bower) is a Shadowhunter. Part of a secret cadre of half-angel warriors, he is tasked with protecting humanity in an ancient battle against demonic forces. This battle has been fought secretly in our midst for centuries, but the stakes have just been raised.

Jamie Campbell Bower;Kevin ZegersWhen Clary’s mother is viciously attacked and taken from their home, she discovers her connections to Jace run deeper than she could ever have imagined and beneath surface of the city exists another world…one she unknowingly belongs to. As both Clary and best friend Simon (Robert Sheehan) are drawn into this dark and dangerous world, Clary realises Jace is both the key to uncovering her past and protecting her future.

Based on Cassandra Clare’s bestselling novel, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is directed by Harold Zwart and also stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Lena Headey.

The Mortal Instruments : City of Bones hits cinemas on AUGUST 23rd 2013.

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Hercules! Hercules! – McShane, Sewell, Fiennes & John Hurt join The Rock in film!

26 Mar

 

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Paramount and MGM have announced the casting of Golden Globe winner Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Joseph Fiennes and Oscar nominee (and general legend) John Hurt are all joining WWE star turned movie star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in  the upcoming film Hercules directed by Brett Ratner.

The film is set to start production in May, and is based on Radical Studio’s graphic novel “Hercules: The Thracian Wars,” the ensemble-action film is a revisionist take on the classic myth set in a grounded world where the supernatural does not exist. The screenplay is by Ryan Condal and Evan Spiliotopoulos.

Producers are Beau Flynn, Barry Levine and Brett Ratner; executive producers are Peter Berg, Sarah Aubrey and Jesse Berger.

HERCULES marks the reinvigorated MGM’s second original project, in addition to the previously announced film THE MACHINE with Vin Diesel scheduled to begin production later this year. The studio has several films slated for release this year including  CARRIE with Sony’s Screen Gems due October 18 and THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG set for December 13th 2013.

Hercules should hit cinemas in August, 2014.

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