Royale With Cheese issue 1

ROYALE WITH CHEESE

Issue 1 June 2015

Interview with

Michael Evans Reviews!

A visit to

The Making of Harry Potter

From sci fi thrillers to the latest disney films

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elcome to the first issue of Royale with Cheese! We

aim to create a film magazine that looks at all corners

of the industry. We hope you enjoy it!

Georgia Harman and Juliet Sawyer A huge thanks to everyone who contributed and helped: Lauren for helping with design Michael Evans for doing an awesome interview Everyone from the JAx Journalism Academy

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Contents Man Vs. Machine

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Check out our review of Alex Garland’s directional debut of the sci-fi thriller Ex-Machina.

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Michael Evans

RWC talks to the talented Michael Evans about his impressive collection of short films.

The Making of Harry Potter A look at the Harry Potter Studios in Watford.

Johnny Depp

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RWC pays homage to one of the best actors around

Cinderlla

We took a look at the latest adaptation of the classic Cinderella.

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Man Vs. Machine

Ex-Machina

By Juliet Sawyer

Unapologetically peculiar, stunningly filmed and surprisingly philosophical, Ex-Machina leaves us all asking the same question: what does it mean to be human? Exploring the consequences of playing God, with the combination of an inquisitive, unpredictable robot, this Frankenstein – Blade Runner hybrid gives some originality to the sci-fi genre.

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and technology may be progressing, but perhaps we’ve been watching too many sci-fi movies if we think A.Is are going to be around any time soon…

At 108 minutes long, Ex-Machina starts off slow, eventually leading to an intense ending. Ava’s curiosity grows, as she wonders what will happen if she fails her turing test – if she doesn’t live up to her creator’s expectations. She questions the chances of ever leaving the room in which she is observed from, trapped behind a wall of glass. Ava is clever – Nathan gave her the knowledge of everyone who has ever searched anything on Bluebook – yet she lacks experience.

She knows all about the outside world, but has never been there. On the other hand, Nathan has achieved everything he ever wanted. He is rich from his successful business, yet this has lead him to a lonely, paranoid life, where’s he’s gone to the extent of having a foreign housemaid, unable to speak English, to avoid her listening in on private conversations. So, truthfully, was it worth it? Does success necessarily ensure happiness?

Alicia Vikander in Ex-Machina

Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) is a rather conventional protagonist – an intelligent idiot, complete with a pair of dead parents to trigger some sympathy. When he wins a competition to work with Nathan, (Oscar Isaac) the founder of Bluebook, a search engine at the success standard of Google, Caleb is instantly whisked away to Nathan’s spectacular, yet isolated home, hidden amongst Alaska’s breathtaking landscape. Nathan explains to Caleb how he’ll be monitoring his latest masterpiece – an A.I named Ava (Alicia Vikander). As Caleb spends more time observing Ava, he becomes increasingly convinced that she has thoughts and feelings, just as humans do. But can a machine ever truly feel emotion? Can they

ever think for themselves, or do they only react as they’ve been programmed to?

As discussed in many other stories, there are various arguments over building an A.I. Is it ethically right? Is it even safe?

Many of us have pointed out the danger of creating something capable of outsmarting us – something merely out of our control. Even some of the most intelligent people have expressed concern over the matter. “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race” said physicist Stephen Hawking. Should we find the idea of artificial intelligence fascinating or terrifying? Or are we just speculating over an unrealistic likelihood – science

A lack of stereotypical sci-fi features (don’t expect to see any overly dramatic action scenes, heavy with special effects, complete with guns, aliens and spaceships) causes Ex-Machina to overlap into the psychological thriller genre. Character’s weaknesses are exposed, as we watch them descend into chaos, unaware of their exact motives. However, Ava’s striking appearance is a constant reminder of the sci-fi genre. Despite having a human face, her body is a rather complex, yet delicate work of art. The transparent design of her ‘brain’ was supposedly inspired by the appearance of a jellyfish.

Being Alex Garland’s directional debut, he has certainly set the bar high for future projects. With beautifully crisp, sleek cinematography and a thought provoking storyline, this is a highly impressive movie. The cast’s acting was both natural and convincing. Due to Vikander’s dancing background, she managed to move mechanically, yet gracefully. Oscar Isaac effectively played a pretentious, immoral genius, who nevertheless managed to make us smile. And Domhanll Gleeson smashed the role of a niave, socially awkward coder. If these performances are anything to go by, look out for Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson in the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, as well as Alicia Vikander in The Man from U.N.C.L.E, out in August.

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Michael Evans

By Juliet Sawyer

Everybody loves movies. From the biggest blockbusters to the smallest independent projects, there’s something out there to please everyone. But an increasing amount of attention is going to towards the category of short films. Social media and an abundance of film festivals are allowing even the most cheaply, homemade films to gain international recognition. Although often underestimated, the production of short films can act as a spring board, launching film makers into the spotlight.

Michael Evans is a film maker, currently living in Las Vegas. He has produced an impressive collection of short films, such as 2AM: The Smiling Man, which has exceeded 2 million views on YouTube. Today he tells us about his work.

Sean Simon in 2AM: The Smiling Man

RWC: Short films are becoming increasingly popular. What do you think is the attraction to them?

Michael: Our world is changing so much and a lot of it is mobile. We access a lot of our entertainment on our phones and so entertainment is becoming bite-sized. Twitter has a character limit so people are succinct and that brevity carries over to films. Short films have always existed, but there’s more of a place for them now. Being able to tell a story in a short amount of time is a fun challenge.

RWC: Tell us about your latest film.

M: I’m incredibly excited about this film. It’s called Trivia Night and it’s a return to straightup horror. I have the incredible acting talents of Mabel Maultsby, Tom Peck and Jeremy Boone enlisted, all of whom, I have worked with before. It’s about a girl who gets a call from a twisted trivia Host.

RWC: What advice would you give to somebody starting out as a film maker?

M: Like a lot of things, it’s practice, practice, practice. You should take film classes if you can, but make sure you’re always making your own films or figure out what aspect of filmmaking you want to do and get yourself

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into as many projects as you can. You learn something from every shoot. Film school is great for making good contacts. Be easy to work with. If you have a vision, stay strong to the vision, but be fun to work with.

RWC: How do you keep the budget low when making a film? Can this be hard to do?

M: It is and it’s not. I have two conflicting modes to filmmaking. Sometimes I’ll write a film in a way that I know I can shoot it and spend very little. Other times, I’ll dream big and then figure out how to make those dreams occur under the confines of my limitations. I have been extremely limited so far.

I’ve never had any substantial budget, but I’m always making films. It’s important to network well and have friends that are talented. That doesn’t happen overnight. Our next film, Trivia Night is going to be great and it’s not due to budget. It’s due to a lot of talented people coming together because they enjoy making films and they have faith in the story.

RWC: Are there any particular film makers or movies that have inspired you?

M: Christopher Nolan is making huge films now, but he started doing films on very little money. Memento is a great example. It’s a

great movie and there’s no real spectacle to it. David Lynch is great for his atmosphere.

You might not always understand completely what’s happening but there are some very real feelings there. My heart beats stronger just thinking about some of the tense scenes he’s created. Fincher is awesome. Spielberg is a giant, and Jaws is still incredible today.

I’m a HUGE fan of James Wan. He has a great voice for horror and I was so impressed with The Conjuring. I’m glad he’s onto Fast and Furious now. I’m glad he is showing you can explore many genres.

RWC: You’ve made some very creepy thrillers, such as 2AM: The Smiling Man, whereas Post it was much more light hearted. Do you approach the production of different genres differently?

M: This is a fantastic question because I’m honestly not sure if my approach is much different for different genres. I’m an actor at heart so it all comes down to feeling. When I’m directing on set I have the pace of the film in my head. I’m watching the film in my head already as we work. I know how I want the scene to make me feel so we are just merely trying to capture that. Post It was great because I never really know what people will

Jeremy Boone in Trivia Night feel or how they will react. I only know that at some point, I felt it was a story I wanted to tell. For two years I had this story of a sad guy at a bus stop meeting a nosey but kind girl.

Never as a romance either, just people talking and opening up. Two years later, the post it idea struck me and I wrote the whole script out. A month or so later we were shooting it.

I’m very impulsive.

RWC: Where do you get ideas for your films?

M: 2AM was the only time we directly adapted something. The story resonated with me so much I had to do it. I’m glad I did too! People liked it. Otherwise, a lot of my stories begin from what-ifs. What if a guy lived in a house he couldn’t escape and knew he was being monitored? (The Subject) What if a painting changed and was kind of alive in a way? (The Landscape) Post It is kind of sad because I worked at an office and we had learned an older woman that worked there had passed away. I was working at the front desk and a young guy showed up to collect the stuff from her desk. That stayed with me for years before I finally made Post It. Trivia Night is different because it is seriously a twisted movie idea and that just kind of popped into my head out of nowhere. I’m kind of messed up sometimes!

Deana Deatherage and Michael Evans in Post it

RWC: Peep has a very interesting storyline.

Can you tell us a bit about the film?

M: Peep was another what-if. I just thought to myself late one night looking at my front door, “What if someone is standing outside my door right now? What would I do? Right now I can make the decision not to look. And if I never see that person, then they can’t bother me.”

Almost like ‘if a tree falls in the forest’ but the question of what if there is this evil near me but I never knew? It’s a weird line of thinking and originally it was much simpler, just, it was going to be me, and there’d be a creepy guy standing out there every night. The problem was I felt that was too similar to Smiling Man, and at that point I felt I wanted to write from a female perspective. The story ended up becoming very surreal and that is completely on purpose. I know it’s frustrating for some because people want to have answers. Well, the story is definitely about obsession, and becoming so obsessed with someone that you aren’t sure what’s real and what is your imagination. It has to be that way so the viewer is just as confused as the character.

You can check out Michael’s work online, at michaeljamesevans.com or on his Youtube channel. His latest award-winning film, Triva Night, is a must see. The dark humour aspect only makes this film more chilling, as Susan, played by Mabel Maultsby, becomes the victim of a ruthless gameshow. It’s a short, suspensful story, and when you just about think you’ve guessed the ending, you realise just how quickly the game can change.

You can also keep up to date with Michael Evans on a number of social netwroking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @ michaelmakesmovies.

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Mabel Maultsby in Peep

The Making of

By Juliet Sawyer

Harry Potter Attention all Potterheads: if you haven’t already visited Watford’s Harry Potter Studios, then this should definitely be the next place on your Bucket list. RWC decided to head over and see what the fuss was all about.

It was busy, lively and heaving with hardcore fans. Never before has there been a higher concentration of Gryffindor scarves and butter beer in one area.

And of course the recent instalment of the Hogwarts Express, at platform 9 and ¾, has only attracted more fans to the studios. It was surprising the amount of people who had travelled from overseas to visit this attraction, many of whom would desperately fight their way to the front of the crowd to get a decent spot for a photo (queue the selfie sticks).

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The sets, despite looking a lot smaller than anticipated, were intriguing. You just can’t help but picture Dumbledore sat at the top of the great hall, or Hagrid in his hut. There were a phenomenal number of props – many more than a typical production would have saved.

The books were still being made as the films were released, meaning the crew had to keep sets, props and costumes that may be needed in the future. To our benefit, this supplied the public with plenty of jaw dropping attractions, from Moody’s trunk to a disturbingly large collection of goblin masks. It was all a pleasure to see. Although, I have to break it to you, the philosopher’s stone didn’t look so impressive in real life.

The studio made a great day out, taking RWC approximately 4 hours to complete

the tour. During the first section, we were guided by enthusiastic members of staff.

Then, we were left to our own devices, and free to explore each attraction independently.

The Making of Harry Potter is an interesting place for anyone to visit, but for any Potterheads this is an essential pilgrimage.

A few facts...

1. Michael Jackson came to JK Rowl-

4. Rupert Grint dressed like his female

ing with the idea of a musical version of Harry Potter. However, she turned down the offer.

drama teacher and rapped for his audition tape.

2. JK Rowling was the first person to

210,000 coins were created for the Gringotts scene in The Deathly Hallows Part 2

become a billionaire from writing books.

3.

Shirley Henderson was 37 years old when she played the ghost of the teenaged Harry Potter student, Moaning Myrtle.

5.

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Alfonso Cuaron, who signed on to direct The Prisoner of Azkaban, gave the three leads homework, to write a short

essay about their character. True to their roles, Emma Watson handed in a 16 paged essay, whereas Daniel Radcliffe only wrote a page. Rupert Grint never turned anything in, saying he simply did what Ron would do.

8. Evanna Lynch was told by JK Rowling that if she beat anorexia, she could play Luna Lovegood, which she did.

9. Tom Felton’s robe pockets were sewn

shut, to stop him sneaking food onto set.

10.

In The Chamber of Secrets, a picture of Gandalf can be seen in Dumbledore’s study.

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Johnny Depp

By Georgia Harman

Talented, Popular and sexy. Three words which perfectly describe Johnny Depp.

Since his first acting job at the age of 21, as Glen in Nightmare on Elm Street, Mr Depp has been thrilling all ages with his acting ability and the creative characters which he plays. Over the last 52 years Johnny has had endless roles and lived a star studded life with houses in England as well as Hollywood. We at RWC thought it was about time we wrote an article on him!

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After his first successful role in Nightmare on Elm Street, Johnny decided acting was the path he wanted to take. After

endless acting classes he got his second role in 21 Jump Street, which again was a hit. In both films Johnny plays the cute sensitive character from Glen to Tommy Hanson, and from then on he has played the main character in most films he has acted in.

However his life changed when ‘Johnny met Tim’. Tim Burton, winner of 3 BAFTA’s through directing, became Johnny’s new ‘bestie’ and employer after Tim was amazed by Depp’s versatile acting and charming character. After that first meeting they were joined at the hip as far as film making is concerned. It became

a near definite if Burton was directing a film, Johnny would be an actor involved.

Each dark and distinctive character Tim designed, from Edward Scissor Hands, Sweeny Todd in The Demon Barber, to Barnabas Colins in Dark Shadows and The Mad Hatter in Burtons adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, Depp made individual. However they still had Johnny’s trademark acting: perfected, fresh and never scared to be individual and wacky.

All characters Johnny Depp plays all share three common grounds, they are all goofy, spooky and of course loveable.

Even if you have to dig deep to find the loveable part.

None of these acting parts however have given Johnny the fame and fortune which Jack Sparrow bought him. I mean ‘Captain’ Jack Sparrow. The loveable rouge who sails the high seas of the Caribbean in the endless search for chests filled with hearts and potions which bring with them a life which never ends. This free spirit, who has a weird way of viewing the world yet always comes out on top, caught the eye of the film-watching public. It is refreshing to see a character in a film which has a clear view of right and wrong and a sense of humour. Only

a few film franchises can keep audiences entertained and enthralled even after four films, and Pirates of the Caribbean is one of them.

Unlike other fairy dusted Disney films.

Pirates of the Caribbean is action packed, funny and even a little bit violent.

With a new Pirates of the Caribbean film airing in 2017 anyone would think that Johnny Depp would take a rest for a while. It’s not as if he needs the money, Johnny Depp got in to the Guinness World Records in 2012 for being the

Johnny Depp and Anne Hathaway in Tim Burton’s unforgettable version of Alice in Wonderland

highest paid actor. However he hasn’t stopped. He has had leading roles in Mortdecai, as an international terrorist and is soon to star in Black Mass, with his unrecognisable self as a murderer in a film which follows the true story of Whitney Bulgar, one of the most infamous criminals in South Boston.

Now aged 52 and with his new wife Amber Depp will Johnny Depp settle down to his retirement … Unlikey. Well we would miss him if he did, wouldn’t we?

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Film Review: Cinderella

By Georgia Harman

When I sat down in my seat to watch the new Cinderella I can’t hide the sudden buzz I get when I watch any Disney film.

The go to company to get a quick happiness fix, Disney has been mesmerizing children and adults to believe in happily ever afters and Prince Charmings for almost 8 decades.

Since their first moving picture of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937 they have come a long way and have become one of the biggest film making companies around the world.

Cinderella, which was first released as a cartoon in 1950, was one of the first films

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made by Disney so no wonder they felt it was time to remake it.

The film was amazing, capturing even my friend’s imagination who doesn’t usually fall for films. She is the only person I know who didn’t cry at the end of Marley and Me! The costumes and sets were delightful with even the Step Sisters in their ghastly dresses catching the audiences eye. Can anyone wear a yellow and blue spotted dress and really pull it off?

Kenneth Branagh, the director, did his usual magic with sweeping camera shots and artistic, creative cutting. These help Cinderella feel modern without changing

the storyline of the original which never goes well. Although the whole story has a chilling undertone – both Cinders parents die within the first half an hour of the film and she ends up a slave for her step family.

Lily James’ portrayal of Cinderella is spot on. Happy and carefree, she is the modern day Cinders, and also shows us her full acting potential with her seamless performance when talking to CGI mice.

The best acting however has to go to Helena Bonham Carter and Cate Blanchett for their flawless portrayal of good and bad. Everybody is used to Helena’s wonderfully distinctive portrayal of the dark

Lily James as Cinderella

side, from Bellatrix to Mrs Sweeny, so it is a surprise to see her as the crazy platinum blonde Fairy God Mother. Although she has converted to the good side you aren’t left feeling let down as Helena still acts with her usual confidence, beauty and wits. On the other end of the scale Cate Blanchett shocks the audience with her old school elegance and evil. Adding another dimension to the normally simple and easily played Evil Step Mother.

Blachett makes her character more realistic through her portrayal of back stories and history which she has added to her character.

However something was bugging me about the production and it wasn’t until I was in the car home that I realised. Compared to Disney’s new female employed films, like Brave and Frozen where the girls can solve their own problems, Cinderella is the opposite. The whole story hung on Prince Charming, and his ridiculously tight trousers. I understand that this is partly due to the original dated story line, but this patriarchal story line stuck out compared to the other female empowered films Disney have recently brought out.

Maybe Cinderella is not Oscar worthy and maybe not a film you could watch again and again, however Cinderella is defiantly a film which proves happiness and kindness are the keys to a fulfilling life.

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