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greatest cult hits

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March 2015 PRINTED IN THE UK

E C VI INHERENT s in t r a t s x i n e o h Joaquin P

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: G N I R U T A FE E U S S I S VIE O M T L U The C e secret Kingsman: Th

Fif

grey t y s h ades of

SERVICE

din Jupiter Ascen

Deadpool • Chris Pratt• Kristen StewarT • SPECTRE • Doctor Strange • Oscar Isaac • Ethan Hawke • The Gunman Lost River

Ryan Gosling switches roles on Lost River, page 78.

March 2015 Issue 229

TF steps into the ring with Southpaw star Jake Gyllenhaal.

Starship Troopers is among our cult picks.

= on the cover

>This issue…

68 | Fifty Shades Of Grey TF Kinky or camp? A groundbreaking piece of feminist erotica or the new Showgirls? TF investigates. 72 | Jupiter Ascending TF Cop an eyeful of the insane art behind the Wachowskis’ latest. Producer Grant Hill talks us through it. 78 | Lost river TF Ryan Gosling gets behind the camera for a dark fantasy that’s already making waves. 82 | Cult Movie Special TF Starship Troopers, Clerks, Oldboy, Society, Galaxy Quest, The Room... The best cult movies of all time. 109 | Oscar Special Facts, figures, funnies, runners and riders.

Madness afoot in Jupiter Ascending.

Will Fifty Shades Of Grey do the business?

>Buzz News

>Every issue

10 | john Wick Keanu Reeves does a Taken.

24 | It shouldn’t happen to a film journalist Jamie examines awards ceremony etiquette.

13 | Deadpool TF Exclusive interview with the character’s creator on The Merc with a Mouth. 14 | southpaw Jake Gyllenhaal bulks up beyond belief for boxing pic.

>Agenda Views

33 | career injection What Will Smith needs to get his jiggy back. 140 | Instant expert Disaster movies unpacked. 141 | Is It Just Me? Or is True Lies underrated?

29 | oscar isaac First he’s in Star Wars, then he’s 142 | CLASSIC SCENE in X-Men: Apocalypse. Cripes. The football stadium scene from The Secret In Their Eyes. 36 | sundance 2015 The films to watch in Park City. 146 | 60-second 38 | Mads Mikkelsen screenplay The great Dane on Bond The Hobbit made shorter villainy and Salvation. (and he was already a titch).

Ex_Machina wins our hearts.

>Screen Cinema reviews 41 | After going on about it all year, Whiplash finally gets the review it deserves. Big Hero 6 is super-cute, Ex_Machina is finely tuned, while Wild is pretty wild. Annie, on the other hand, doesn’t scrub up.

>Lounge Home entertainment 125 | Everyone in Maps To The Stars is horrible, but the film is great! More flawed characters in Gone Girl and The Last Seduction, out on Blu-ray. Lots of good telly too – Girls, Extant and that there Game Of Thrones. Now fully interactive on your iPad!

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KOBAL

62 | Inherent vice TF Behind the scenes of Paul Thomas Anderson’s ultra cool cult-in-the-making.

Mail, rants, theories etc... Email totalfilm@futurenet.com Write Total Film, 1-10 Praed Mews, London W2 1QY gamesradar.com/totalfilm twitter.com/totalfilm facebook.com/totalfilm totalfilm.tumblr.com

The ‘C’-Word

Does Showgirls deserve its cult movie status?

ow do you definite cult? Misunderstood gems ignored at release? Sleeper hits with a rabid fanbase? Brilliant nonsense you thought no one else had seen? It’s a nebulous subject – and we should know, since the team has been arguing about it for weeks. Check out our Cult Movies feature for our top picks, then join the debate on Twitter! (@totalfilm #TFcultmovies). With its neon cool, sprawling plot and pedigree talent Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice looks like a sure-fire cult hit in the making – we hope you love our cover illustration, hand drawn exclusively for Total Film, as much as we do. Then there is Ryan Gosling’s controversial directorial debut Lost River – we’ve been chatting to the man himself. And let’s not forget Fifty Shades Of Grey. Titillating? Scintillating? Irritating? TF enters the Red Room Of Pain to investigate… Enjoy the issue! rosie fletcher

STAR LETTER

acting editor

Drop us a line: totalfilm@futurenet.com The ups and downs of making this issue…

reflective interest curve™ Thrilled Exodus premiere

Entertained Watching Showgirls in the office

Nodding Off

6 | Total Film | March 2015

Matt’s wedding! Nippy New Year

Bye bye Kathryn

Zzzzzzzzz... week

Disco-lights man curiously quiet

Deadline

Dear Total Film, I wonder if you would be so kind as to write a note to my boss explaining that I need a couple of weeks off work to catch up on my Total Film reading. Issue 228 arrived in the post today but I am only up to issue 220. I’m sure you can appreciate that my condition is very serious and with your support in this matter hopefully I can make it through this difficult time.

HANNAH JONES, FAREHAM

‘Dear Hannah’s boss, please allow your employee, the one with truly excellent magazine taste (if somewhat workshy tendencies), a fortnight’s reading holiday. This will certainly benefit her water-cooler movie banter and overall mood. Or, alternatively, please make her do overtime until she reveals what could possibly be more pressing than keeping up to date with her prescribed consumption of Total Film’. That do? Hannah and everyone with a letter printed will receive a copy of the brilliant Boyhood, out on DVD/Blu-ray on 19 Jan via Universal Pictures. Didn’t send an address? Email it! Before we all grow poignantly older!

Bird on a pyre

I had to express my feelings on Birdman given the hype. Not even a week into January, and I think I have found the most overrated film of the year. So pretentious it couldn’t be more up its own bum unless it flashed ‘indie arthouse project’ sporadically on the screen. And no spoilers, but that’s the worst way to do an open-ended finale. I would’ve preferred to watch the actual Birdman trilogy.

GARY KEANE Y, LONDON

Now’s a perfectly awkward time to point out that our Birdman rating in TF228 mistakenly ran as a ‘See it!’ four rather than a ‘See it NOW!’ five. But yes, we too would like to see some full-blown B-man action, so long as the tone was quite black. Or very, very dark grey. Subscribe at www.totalfilm.com/subs

Mail, rants, theories etc...

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Dumb And Dumber To: Did it fill you with glee?

totalfilm online On our website… The 15 Dumbest Movie Characters http://www.gamesradar.com/15dumbest-movie-characters/ We eugoogoolize the most stupidest people ever to lower cinema’s IQ, from lamp-loving weathermen to male models who don’t do left turns.

Two Dumbs up

I have to disagree with your review of Dumb And Dumber To. It may not reach the highs of the original movie (which I would say is a five-star classic), but it is certainly not a two-star film – it’s easily a three. The screening I saw was full of laughs, many of which were of the “stop, I’m going to wee myself” variety.

ROB,NORTHAMPTON

Unlike Birdman, we’re sticking with the star rating as printed, but do envy the joy you took from the movie. Alas, the last time we thought “stop, I’m going to wee myself” was watching Transformers: Age Of Extinction as it creaked past the two-hour mark.

‘ Dumb And Dumber To was certainly not a two-star film. It’s easily a three’ We’re chuffed the cover went down so well – and nice to see ‘R2’ being so gracious about it… Honestly though, what a little diva during the photo shoot. “I want another oil change and get my numerologist in here NOW!” “That sort of feng shui might be good enough for Angelina, but…” “Do I LOOK like I do stairs?!?”

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Bleep thrills

news reviews videos trailers

Best. Cover. Ever.

GILL CLAY TON , GREAT TORRINGTON

Beep! Whizz. Beepy. Beep. Beep. Re: letter. From. Ava [Dialogue TF228]. Beep. Whizz. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Ha. Ha. R2. Second. In. Greatest. Movie. Robots [TF227]. Number. One. Beep. Next. Year: Issue. 228. Better. Front. Cover. Than. Ava. Whizzzzy! Beep! Beeeep! Beat. That!

R2-D2, VIA EMAIL

The imitation name game

Fresh from enjoying issue 228, and your rightful acclaim of Chris Pratt as 2014’s ‘Man Of The Year’, a rather weird occurrence happened. A few days later, I caught the neat 2007 crime flick The Lookout, starring a certain Mr Joseph Gordon-Levitt. But what was spooky was JG-L’s character’s name was… Chris Pratt!!! Now, this got me thinking. Are there any more movie characters that share a name with real-life actors? Would somebody care to indulge me? Anyone…?? TONY, via email

Office spaced

The Best Movies Of 2014 http://www.gamesradar.com/bestmovies-2014/ Winter soldiers! Gone girls! Grand hotels! In Budapest! Just ‘cos 2014 is so last year, doesn’t mean you can’t have a good pub row over our 50 best movies. Spoiler: half of them star Scarlett Johansson. 40 Baffling Movie Plot Holes http://www.gamesradar.com/40baffling-movie-plot-holes/ Even the best movies can have lapses in logic, characters breaking all known laws of geography or stuff happening that would never, ever happen...

@TOTALFILM BIRDMAN ACTION FIGURE https://twitter.com/totalfilm/ status/547087962929131521 One of the most cherished items that has recently landed in the TF office. And it’s not even edible. Staff are currently involved in a fiery legal battle over access rights. INSPECTRE GADGET https://twitter.com/ivyhousefilms/ status/544849399013449728 @ivyhousefilms ‘solves’ the mystery of Christoph Waltz’s Bond character, even posting a highly spurious image. That’s a bingo-go Gadget! BELVEDERE VODKA https://twitter.com/totalfilm/ status/544808826139316224 More (proper) SPECTRE news – this time it was Belvedere Vodka celebrating its sponsorship of the movie by sending out giant light-up bottles as Christmas pressies. Ho ho hic…

Chatter ‘gems’ overheard in the Total Film office this month...

“You know what? The flapjacks at the bottom are still quite moist.” “I had forgotten the simple pleasures of a Custard Cream.” “I did see a lot of myself in Paddington, yes.” “The desk destroyers are here!”

8 | Total Film | March 2015

TV REVIEWS gamesradar.com/tv Test your brain with our quiz on the genre happenings of the last 12 months: www.gamesradar.com/10best-sci-fi-fantasy-moments-2014/. While you’re there, binge on our sister mag SFX’s coverage of the hottest SF/ fantasy shows, including The Flash. Subscribe at www.totalfilm.com/subs

What’s your Inherent Vice? Tell us yours at @totalfilm #tfvice. No nose picking. Editor (maternity) Jane Crowther (JC) jane.crowther@futurenet.com @totalfilm_jane Vodka Martinis Acting Editor Rosie Fletcher (RF) rosie.fletcher@futurenet.com @totalfilm_rosie Judge Judy Acting Associate Editor Richard Jordan (RJ) richard.jordan@futurenet.com @richard_jordan Chocolate HobNobs Managing Editor Kathryn Twyford kathryn.twyford@futurenet.com @kathryntwyford Marmite on toast

Get a FREE issue of Start your 30-day trial today on iPad, iPhone or Android Search for Total Film on your device Yes we would. Take EastEnders actress Jessie Wallace, remove the ‘i’ and you’ve got the character played by Ethan Hawke in Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy. For more Ethan, see the TF Interview starting p118, where he candidly discusses what a bleeding wally that Alfie Moon is, before affirming that you gotta love him, intcha?

Slayed Bell

During the Christmas holidays, in the midst of yet another selection box, I watched Demolition Man on TV and noticed a massive edit within the film. As you may recall, the fast-food company Taco Bell plays a significant role within the movie. There’s a major fight scene at one of their restaurants, and they are mentioned in the script a few times during a certain segment. However, watching it on TV, Taco Bell has been changed to Pizza Hut! From dialogue changes to the addition of the PH logo! Is this a new thing?? Do you know if this happens regularly or is this specific film the one and only? What next? Will the Coca-Cola sign in Blade Runner be edited to Pepsi? And in Demolition Man, if they decided that anything needed editing, surely it was Wesley Snipes’ hairdo! Just curious to know if it has been done before, or is it the new way of generating advertising space?

Kobal

CONOR KE YS, OMAGH

You saw the European ‘cut’ of Demolition Man, where Pizza Hut was shoehorned in

Managing Art Editor Karl Jaques karl.jaques@futurenet.com Leeds United Screenings Editor Matthew Leyland (ML) matthew.leyland@futurenet.com @totalfilm_mattl Chewing pens and pen caps

as a more familiar reference for continental viewers. As for other examples, there are scurrilous rumours that before the Disney sale, George Lucas was tweaking Star Wars again to have Greedo not only shoot first but then fall snout first into a Muller Rice pot muttering “Tays-teh” as he expired. Before long we’ll be living in Minority Report future where movies exploit your individual consumer preferences. Been to Nando’s lately? Next time you watch a Spider-Man movie it’ll feature Peri-Peri Parker battling the Green Bean Salad Goblin and Doctor Choc-a-lot. Yes, we have just come back from lunch.

Blade bummer

Unless your article was written in 1981 and then re-edited only last month, you have achieved the spectacular feat of writing about great movie robots (issue 227) without a single mention of Blade Runner’s replicants. There were mentions for two other Ridley Scott robots – Ash and David – but, like tears in rain, Roy and Rachael were lost. Perhaps a new life awaits TF in the off-world colonies. I suspect however you just need a kick up the arse.

JA MES P. KELLY, GL ASGOW

This wasn’t the only letter received questioning the replicants’ non-inclusion; while it’s true they have more cinematic cachet than say, Rocky’s soft-rock robobutler, they were ineligible according to our rigorous definition of a robot: something with lots of metal (or plastic-y) bits. The replicants are genetically engineered, which means having relations with them wouldn’t feel like shagging your Macbook. More like Dolly The Sheep.

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News Editor Matt Maytum (MM) matt.maytum@futurenet.com @mattmaytum Sugar FILM GROUP, BATH

Editor (SFX) Richard Edwards Art Editor Jonathan Coates Deputy Art Editor Catherine Kirkpatrick (maternity) Operations Editor Alex Cox Features Editor Nick Setchfield Home Entertainment Editor Ian Berriman Community Editor Jordan Farley

Contributors

Editor-at-Large Jamie Graham Steven Seagal movies Hollywood Correspondent Jenny Cooney Carillo (JCC) Contributing Editors Kevin Harley (KH), James Mottram (JM), Neil Smith (NS), Josh Winning (JW) Contributors Paul Bradshaw (PB), Glen Brogan, Ali Catterall (AC), Emma Dibdin (ED), Nathan Ditum (ND), Matt Glasby (MG), Simon Gwynn (SG), Rob James (RJa), Philip Kemp (PK), Simon Kinnear (SK), Matt Looker (MLo), Andrew Lowry (AL), Ken McIntyre (KM), Emma Morgan (EM), Jason Pickersgill, Stephen Puddicombe (SP), Matt Risley (MR), Russ Sheath (RS), Kate Stables (KS), Lizzy Thomas, Drew Turney (DT) Thanks to Andy Ounsted (art), Rebecca Shaw (art), Alex Thomas (art), Warren Brown (iPad) TOTAL FILM IS NO LONGER ACCEPTING WORK EXPERIENCE APPLICATIONS

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March 2015 | Total Film | 9

buzz Welcome to the movies!

10 | Total Film | March 2015

Subscribe at www.totalfilm.com/subs

new films! edited by matt maytum

first LOOK!

Way of the gun

JOHN WICK | Keanu Reeves lights the fuse on an explosive comeback as an action man.

The hitman who leaves it all behind before he’s pulled back into the game when it gets personal… we’ve seen it so many times it’s almost become a genre unto itself. That well-worn trope doesn’t make John Wick an easy sell, but audiences in the US have responded to former stunt performers/coordinators David Leitch and Chad Stahelski’s $20m action romp, with sizeable box-office returns around the world. “We’re pretty familiar with a former killer dragged back to the violent life against his will,” agrees star Keanu Reeves, who plays the former

assassin-for-hire. Reeves was instrumental in the appointment of Leitch and Stahelski, after having worked with them both on The Matrix Revolutions. “Text-wise you’re in that particular archetype, but the directors have differentiated themselves using the characters and the way the world looks. You might have seen this story but you haven’t seen it told like this.” Though set in contemporary New York, John Wick exists in what Leitch and Stahelski call a ‘hyper-real’ world that pits him against fearsome Russian mobsters. “We tried to show New York in a different way,” Stahelski says. “We developed the locations wanting you to think you could look them up in the phone book and go there because they look so cool.”

Excellent adventure: Keanu Reeves is the one-time assassin called back for another job.

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March 2015 | Total Film | 11

buzz Welcome to the movies!

Driven men: Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen) and John Wick (Keanu Reeves) get down to business.

And just like the realistic-but-stylised world of the film, when John straps on his guns, Reeves’ martial arts-inspired fighting and shooting style is balletic and frenetic but also quite real. Most responsible for John Wick’s visual language though, according to Stahelski, is Reeves himself. “We’ve worked with so many action guys,” he says. “How many are going to cry over a puppy and a letter in their boxer shorts? There aren’t a lot of action guys out there who can show you that stuff, they don’t know how.” Reeves agrees, referencing revenge flicks like Unforgiven that feature heroes with vulnerabilities. “There’s a grace to him but also a grit,” the 50-year-old star says of the titular assassin. “He’s kind of schlumpy. When he takes that shower and you see the tattoo he looks fit, but I asked the directors if they wanted me to have more muscle and they said, ‘No, we just want you to look capable’.” The secret, Leitch and Stahelski explain, was settling on John Wick’s distinctive tone early and sticking to it throughout, letting it inform everything from the costuming to the performances. It’s a trick they’ve learnt after 12 | Total Film | March 2015

20 years on sets under visionaries including Zack Snyder, David Fincher and the Wachowskis. “As action choreographers the one question we ask directors is ‘What’s the tone?’” Stahelski says. “Give us a reference, do you want Taken, do you want Jackie Chan? The mistake most new directors who’ve come from stunts or second unit make is not knowing that. They say, ‘It’s kind of this and kind of that…’ and you can tell nobody has a clue.” It’s a commanding return to a genre Reeves has often had success in. “I haven’t done that many action films,” he says, before admitting to a list of some of the most impactful action films in cinema, from Point Break and Speed to The Matrix. And just like those films, Leitch and Stahelski have wisely used Reeves’ presence as much as they can, putting his considerable action chops front and centre. “You can already see how the Hollywood studio version works,” Stahelski says. “They take the greatest actors and flash the camera around and use stunt doubles and camera tricks. Are you invested in that character? You are up until they do action, then all of a sudden you’re watching Captain America’s stunt double.” With Reeves back doing what he does best, we could be looking at a Liam Neeson-esque resurgence. At one point in the film, John Wick himself says, “People keep asking if I’m back… Yeah, I’m thinking I’m back.” Seems like he took the words right out of Reeves’ mouth. DT ETA | 10 April John Wick opens this spring.

Keanu Reeves

The superstar on action roles, personal projects and Bill And Ted How have action movies changed since the days of Point Break and Speed? The biggest change is probably the amount of wire work. I started to feel the technologies when I did Point Break but mostly in Speed, the way they could hide wires and harnesses and put me in places they weren’t normally putting actors. You seem to have spent the last little while trying to create passion projects. Yeah, for the past 10 years I’ve been trying to make things, I guess. So whether it was a documentary like Side By Side or starting a production company or doing super independent movie Generation Um, I’ve been developing projects and then directing. Any Bill And Ted 3 news? There’s a script waiting for another draft and we need the rights from MGM, so it’s in the business part of show business. [Writers] Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon have been really cool about collaborating with Alex Winter and I. They’ve worked really hard in the past few years. Right now it’s at a place where it needs to take the next step.

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