THE FAIRY TALE FAD EXPLAINED!
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the rom-com trap // Sheffield Doc Fest // Reviews & Things to See
Contents
July 2011
June Features
Reviews Section
Page 4: Sheffield Doc Fest
Page 19: The Amazing SpiderMan
Page 10: The Fairy Tale Fashion Page 14: How To Escapre Romcom Typecasting
Page 20: Cosmopolis Page 21: The Five Year Engagement
Regulars
Page 22: Rock Of Ages
Page 3: Editor’s Note and Contributors
Page 23: A Fantastic Fear Of Everything
Page 24: Things To See In July
Contributors Editor’s Note Editors
Joshua Hammond: Editor-in-Chief joshua@pictureshow-magazine.com
Dale Pearson: Editor
dale@ pictureshow-magazine.com
Words
Joshua Hammond Dale Pearson Chris Binding Josh Sutherland
Online
Find us at pictureshow-magazine.com Like us on facebook Follow us @PictureShowMag
Welcome Back to PictureShow Magazine Considering the weather is dreadful at the moment and that the Olympics don’t start for another few weeks, what more is there to for you do than to go to the cinema? Thankfully, this month’s ‘Things To See’ section is packed full of fantastic films being shown around the UK over July. Chris Binding’s coverage of Sheffield Doc Fest is as comprehensive as ever and covers the breadth of the festival with great insight and detail. Keep an eye out for Chris’ coverage of this year’s Frightfest too, which will be published right here and we are all looking forward to reading it. Dale J Pearson has taken a break fromm directing his fantastic Edinburgh Fringe debut, The Ride Of The Bluebottles to look at the emerging trend of Fairy Tale adaptations in our cinemas Have a great July and we’ll see you in August. Joshua Hammond, Editor-in-Chief
Chris Binding once again introduces PictureShow to some of the most interesting and vital fiFilmmaking today. this is his lowdown on ShefField Doc/Fest
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very year an influx of industry professionals descend upon Sheffield for the ‘documentary equivalent of Cannes film festival’ Sheffield Docfest. As a young festival with a prestigious history it annually transforms Sheffield, with the city shrouded by myriad screenings, special events and industry workshops, as filmgoers and filmmakers unite in a creative hub of media activity across several of Sheffield’s cultural venues. Whether you are a delegate, volunteer or casual film spectator, the festival is an exciting place for aspiring journalists and filmmakers, with executives from powerful distributors, the BBC and Channel 4 wandering the city and where spontaneous pitch situations can arise at any moment, (especially during the many post event parties). However, the real appeal of the festival is its strong varied programme of films and question and answer sessions, with documentaries ranging from features and shorts to pilot episodes of upcoming television shows in the elusive ‘secret screenings’. With the documentary programme segmented into themes such as activism, music, ‘queer screen’ alongside a giant free outdoor screen and the appearance of Nick Broomfield, Louis Theroux, Micheal Apsted and the producers of Frozen Planet, the festival presents exciting behind the scenes talks from the key players in the industry. Despite spending an unhealthy amount of time in crowded dark theatres, the week still boasted incredible films, memorable Q and A’s and even political controversy involving the Chinese government. As the festivals tagline ‘The Truth is in Here’ suggests, Sheffield Docfest is a recommended and highly stimulating festival experience, mirroring the international and historical issues challenged by filmmakers and the important role of documentary in the contemporary world. And as a reviewer and attendee I was subsequently thrilled, appalled and exhilarated by the visual journeys documentary allowed me to take and the people it allowed me to meet. Here’s to Docfest 2013!
Ai WeiWei: Never Sorry As one of the most anticipated and controversial films of the festival, director Alison Klayman’s documentary on China’s most famous international artist was a captivating account of political criticism and a un paralleled character study on a often reclusive , enigmatic popular figure. From Ai’s
controversial artwork , including his recent exhibition at the London Tate Gallery, to his student years in New York, director Klayman reveals unforeseen access into WeiWei’s life including the revelation of a love –child. However the real drama of Ai WeiWei’s life is his position as an outspoken domestic critic under a restrictive authoritarian government, having his newly built studio demolished, suffering police brutality, online censorship and being placed under house arrest by the authorities. Working within a context of strict censorship Wei Wei communicates through art and social media and remains an important international figure, with the Chinese delegation pulling out of Sheffield Doc Fest in protest, blurring the lines between documentary and reality. With a stylish guerrilla shooting style and priceless humour balanced with the horrifying reality of the censorship in China, Ai WeiWei: Never Sorry is a memorable parable on the importance of free – speech, cult of personality and the pivotal role of individual dissent. Look out for its UK theatrical release in independent cinemas later this year.
Law Of The Jungle
Indie Game: The Movie
As large portions of the Peruvian Amazon rainforest are engulfed by industrialisation and multi –national interests, a volatile social divide has developed between the indigenous Amazonians and the government. After a policeman is killed in an indigenous occupation of an Oil companies airfield, several are arrested and brought to criminal trial. With an impassioned defence lawyer behind the accused and a witness too terrified to testify, director Michael Christofferson follows the subsequent court case plagued by corruption and exploitative inequality. The film gives insight into how oil companies destroy the rainforest and hide behind the judicial process, criminalising indigenous people to destroy their accountability. This is made all the more sinister when it is revealed that contaminants from the company leaking into the indigenous water supply have a peculiar correlation with infant mortality, where a village has ‘three graveyards, one for adults and two for children’. As with many of the documentaries in the programme, the court case seems almost fictional in its dramatic ferocity, with the eloquent laywer as an inspiring and intimidating figure in a judicial system, under the powerful strings of corporate interests. As a category in the environmental ’Green Award’ programme, Law of the Jungle accounts a rare account of a criminal cases overturned in Peruvian parliament , yet provides hope for legal reform in an area of the world where indigenous peoples rights and lives are frequently threatened by the power dynamics multinational corporations. Although it posits a victory, the lack of closure on a number of individuals within the film does produce more questions than answers.
As opposed to the small armies of games developers and programmers working on big studio console games, indie developers exist at the bleaker end of the spectrum, often working alone and living on a pittance endured for the future hope of glory and riches. With direct access to some of indie gaming’s biggest successes and promising newcomers, fresh out of a successful run at Sundance directors Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky craft an entertaining and empowering underdog story of creative individuals succeeding within an increasingly institutionalised system. With indie game developers often commissioned by Microsoft for Xbox live releases, the film shows the strain placed upon the developers and the effects it has on their family and friends, along with the legal battles and fall outs that characterise entering the big leagues. The most interesting element of the film is the way that the developers position themselves in the market , shying away from the glossy over produced studio games lining commercial shelves and opting for well designed playable games ‘that their 8 year old selves would love’. This ethos underlying the scene lends itself to a lot of spiel about gaming being the medium of expressing themselves and communicating with the world, yet the games and kooky documentary style (often noticeable in Canadian documentary film) produce a certain charm and individuality that captures the essence of classic perfect old school gaming experience. As a testament to the quirky charm and slick structure of Indie Game: The Movie, the fact that the films protagonists go on to make millions from their bedroom endeavours feels earned, comes without any malice or spite and is a testament to the labourers and their pet projects, succeeding and providing and alternative in an increasingly homogenised and financially dominated marketplace.
Jaywick Escapes As technological advances in tourism and travel have made mobility incredibly accessible it’s hard to believe that at one moment the humble seaside town was one of Britain’s main tourist incomes. With the exception of Blackpool, many of today’s pleasure beaches today have become nothing more than relics of a forgotten past. Taking one of these locations and its thematic potential by the helm, directors Kathryn Guthrie and Nine Pope explore the once popular tourist town of Jaywick Sands in East Anglia, currently labelled as ‘the most deprived areas in the UK. Mixing a variety of atmospheric natural footage with character centred interviews, the documentary is a chilling portrayal of a town plagued by violence, statis and the past. From young couples using Jaywick as a refuge from the drug and gang violence of London, to a child recounting the violent homicide of his parents, the residents of Jaywick are presented as either refuges or people trapped in a time vacuum. Although the interviewees are presented fairly there are a lot of atmospheric shots playing with the ‘ghost town’ ethic, with the documentary at some points resembling a kind of middle class safari tour along the lines of other docs on British minorities such as Gypsy Blood. Social stereotypes aside, Jaywick Escapes is an undeniably haunting and well crafted piece and gives faces and accountability to a town often statistically relegated to the dustbin of history. Looking For Nicolas Sarkozy The questionably elected French president Nicolas Sarkozy is often regarded as more of a caricature of himself, a French president more famous for his love life than for his foreign policy decisions. Taking the bumbling statesman director premiership as the films centrepiece William Karel enlists the help of 18 foreign correspondents to explore the man, the myth and the legend and his bizarre political career. Focusing upon the anticipation of his initial coming to power to the upcoming election (which he was later voted out), the film shows the transition from his huge initial support to widespread dissatisfaction as a man who didn’t really seem to understand his role as president. The film in many ways plays upon this idea, using selected footage of his almost childish interactions with world leaders and his state control of the media which almost turned French parliament into a glorified soap opera. Although the film does give the zany statesmen some
faint praise for certain policy decisions, the rest is a gloriously humorous parody which isn’t hard given the amount of stock footage and flamboyant public appearances Sarkozy gleefully encouraged. As a mixture of political criticism and revisionist history, with a healthy dollop of irony, Looking for Nicolas Sarkozy is has a potentially hilarious message that you can achieve and maintain political power, without having a clue what you are doing. Only in France...
Big Boys Gone Bananas Running in the vein of British documentary McLibel, Big Boys Gone Bananas presents a familiar David Vs Goliath documentary story in which individuals are sued for libel and entangled in legal duels with huge multi –national corporations. In this duel filmmaker Fredrick Gerttin’s expose of multinational fruit corporation Dole, implicating their use of dangerous pesticides in Nicaragua, releases hellfire in the form of threatening libel action. Deciding to take the action to court against all odds and filming the process, Big Boys Gone Bananas quickly becomes a film less about international issues and more about corporate intimidation and the lengths companies will go to protect their brand image. Following Frederick Gerttin throughout the court case is fascinating and at many parts, the films events take on elements akin to a fictional conspiracy thriller building to a crescendo where the Swedish Parliament and Sweden itself unites behind the filmmaker, boycotting Dole’s products. The film also highlights many specific tactics of intimidation that corporations use, highlighting their control and influence of media, public opinion and the cat and mouse dynamics of legal battles. Even if the film presented Gerttin seemingly ‘winning’ with a settlement of $200,000, his comments in the after screening Q and A suggested that it barely covered the lawyers’ fees and nearly bankrupted his company , humorously flogging copies of the film Banana’s that caused the furore in the first place. As a film about a film that nearly didn’t get made, Big Boys Gone Bananas is an incredible work about the limits of ‘free speech’ in a volatile world, with corporate ethics exposed in their most oppressive and malevolent form.
The Punk Syndrome
Love Free Or Die
The Finnish band Pertti Kurikka’s Name Day doesn’t sound like a generic band name and fittingly they are not a ‘normal’ band in the conventional sense, with all the members having learning difficulties. In director Jukka Karkkainen’s enjoyable life affirming film , we follow the band as they play to bigger and bigger gigs , while dealing with the everyday frustrations of ‘being different’. From the volatile singer channelling his frustrations into lyrics, to gentle loving Peritti Kurikka fascinated by the seams in people’s clothes, the band members own eccentricities and traits shine through. These band dynamics are fascinating and entertaining to watch and when mirrored by their own concerns with family, love and independence from ‘group homes’ make for an endearing film and well handled subject matter. However the real appeal of the film is the music, with the band having an incredible stage presence, punchy guitar riffs and anger filled lyrics touching upon the marginalisation people with learning difficulties face on a day to day basis. If the documentary wasn’t entertaining enough, the band appeared themselves in a Q and A in one of the most uncontrollable, bi –lingual and hilarious interviews I have ever witnessed, with the band hanging around outside the cinema for high fives, hugs and cigarettes (as well as playing live after one of the screenings). The Punk Syndrome for all its entertainment value and its sheer feel –good factor should put it up there alongside the Spinal Taps of the music doc oeuvre , using music as a method to raise awareness and tackle the important issues of discrimination and ‘difference’ in popular music.
While sifting through the hate drenched placards and language of American social conflicts, there is fair cause to say that on matters of sexuality, LGBT and organised Christianity don’t always meet eye to eye. In the middle of this ideological chasm is Gene Robinson, the Anglican Church’s first openly gay bishop, who has spent the last decade preaching for inclusion and being shunned by members of his fellow clergy. Offering both footage of his home life and professional speech in the face of protesters screaming heresy, director Macky Alston paints a picture of an incredibly normal man in a pivotal position in popular social debate. Dealing with the dangers of his high profile identity including assassination attempts and the harsh words of current Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams on his UK tour, Gene Robinson’s upbeat demeanour in the face of such unified hate is quite remarkable alongside his achievements. Achieving reforms within the Anglican Church in the passing of an act to allow homosexual bishops to become anointed in states with marriage is a remarkable achievement, while his speeches also inspire younger believers to ‘come out’ in their repressive and religiously conservative environments. Despite only a small minority of states actually allowing same sex marriage, Gene Robinson’s message that faith and homosexuality are not compatible is one that is spreading, fitting again into the Docfest paradigm of inspirational individuals facing repressive institutions head on. An absolute must for anyone interested in LGBT issues and the internal struggles in American social life.
Sector Zero
Gypsy Blood
For all the incredible documentaries in the programme this year, there were unfortunately some low points: case in point: Sector Zero. On paper the film sounded incredibly appealing, purporting to take the camera deep into one of Lebanon’s darkest corners: the derelict neighbourhood of Karantina. Throughout Lebanon’s history this site has been a swell of minorities and a sort of ‘social quarantine’ before the infamous massacre in the Lebanon war left it as a dark mark in the country’s history and ‘fractured psyche’. Director Nadim Mishlawl runs with the psychoanalysis element along with a few steely academics to attempt to theorise the locations place as ‘the return of the repressed’. As a musician by profession the film attempts to emulate the early films of Werner Herzog , artistically matching sound and image ; but even at 67 minutes the result is plodding, un-inspiring collection of images, which despite the interesting sound design , falls flat in many respects. It also seems a real waste that the opportunity to film in Karantina, which is almost impossible to gain authorisation for, produced nothing more than shots of walls and rubble and a severe lack of contextual information , which even the festival programmer picked up on, resorting to ‘Google’ for more context. Despite Mishllawl defending his credibility in the post screening Q and A, the film still seems like an ill conceived thought experiment that somehow made it onto screen and as the audience filtered down throughout the runtime and people drifted in and out of sleep, cerebral art house documentary just didn’t compare to the dynamic documentary ‘realism’ of the rest of Sheffield Docfest programme. Above all Sector Zero is a poster boy for misleading promotional material and begs the question why some films get funded to the festival circuit at all. The answer? (tentatively sidestepped in the Q and A), The Saudi Arabian government, who are unfortunately funding and promoting his next film.
British broadcasting seems to have an obsession on documenting perceived under classes from gang crime documentaries, to the forays into Anglo Irish traveller communities with programmes such as My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, characterising this bad taste voyeurism. Following in the vein of feature bare- knuckle boxing documentary Knuckle, Gypsy Blood chronicles how a culture of violence can be handed down from generation to generation. Filmed over two years by award winning photographer Leo Mcguire, the film provides access into the private lives of travellers where violence is a currency in which conflicts are resolved and testosterone fuelled parenting raises children in an environment where to back out of a fight is simply inconceivable. Contrasting home life with footage of adult and child fights, the documentary at some points delves into the realms of horror where children are indoctrinated into becoming security and protection within the repeated cycle of family wars. And although many characters get to speak, the real stereotype that shines through is one of travellers as unemployed, explosively violent group existing on the fringes of society, which becomes problematic in representing ‘reality’. Being confronted by this in the post Q and A about not representing full –time working travellers, Leo Macguire’s light hearted of response of ‘are there any?’ , released a hailstorm of criticism upon his moral responsibility in constructing and reproducing negative social stereotypes. Nevertheless despite its oft questionable representations, the film remains an engrossing and well constructed documentary, with rare insights into the traveller community and some downright frightening observations ; including a sad prolonged fight scene between two children in the closing frames, which is excruciating to watch. For those wanting to make up their own minds, the blood curdling Gypsy Blood is still available on Channel 4 online for your viewing pleasure or potential displeasure.
Once Upon A Time, In a Hollywood Studio Meeting...
The fairy tale in the teen market has exploded in recent years. Dale J. Pearson explores why.
W
hen the girl finished her meal, the wolf said, “Are you tired from your journey, child? Then take off your clothes, come to bed, and I shall warm you up.” “Where shall I put my apron, Grandmother?” “Throw it on the fire, child, for you won’t need it anymore.” “Where shall I put my bodice, Grandmother?” “Throw it on the fire, for you won’t need it anymore.” The girl repeats this question for her skirt, her petticoat, and her stockings. The wolf gives the same answer, and she throws each item on the fire. As she comes to bed, she says to him, “Grandmother, how hairy you are!” “The better to keep you warm, my child,” “Grandmother, what big arms you have!” “The better to hold you close, my child.” “Grandmother, what big ears you have!” “The better to hear you with, my child.” “Grandmother, what sharp teeth you have!” “The better to eat you with, my child. Now come and lie beside me.” “But first I must go and relieve myself.” “Do it in the bed, my child.” So goes the original Red Riding Hood and one may be forgiven for making a double take. By today’s standards, the fairy tale’s literary roots are downright shocking. It is apparent that the French peasants who developed the tale were not subject to any sort of BBFC equivalent! Red Riding Hood is not the only fairy tale that started life so harrowingly. In some Albanian versions of Snow White, Snow White was essentially gang-raped by the dwarves, and in the Brothers Grimm version, the wicked stepmother is made to dance in red-hot shoes until she drops down dead. Fairy Tales have never been particularly female-friendly either. The tales themselves were originally developed as educational tool that used fear to warn children about the dangers of the world. And the message for young girls was clear - independence is NOT okay - you will at some stage definitely need a handsome prince, or failing that, a passing woodcutter.
films marketed to a female-teen audience. 2011 saw the release of Red Riding Hood and already this year, we have seen two films based on Snow White, Mirror Mirror and Snow White And The Huntsman (this is not to mention the recent TV series, ABC’s Once Upon A Time and NBC’s Grimm which both take a darker look at fairy tales). What’s more, whilst recent adaptations may not be as uncompromisingly brutal as the original peasant stories, they certainly couldn’t all be considered completely ‘family friendly’; they are a damn sight more provocative than Disney’s Snow White (1937), for example. Snow White and the Huntsman even wore its 12A rating with pride, declaring that ‘this is no fairy tale’ (well, actually, it is, but you can see the point they were making...). So why what is the reason for this new trend of poisoned apples and red clothing? Has Hollywood decided that today’s female youth are in need of a good patriarchal education, or is it just that certain filmic climates have With this in mind, it is curious that the past few meant that there is a quick buck to be made? years have seen an explosion of sexed-up fairy tale
One of the obvious factors in the recent surge of teen fairy tales is the success of the Twilight Saga. Recent commentators have relished the phrase, ‘The Twilight generation’, but what does it actually mean? Twilight’s ability to teach the principles of sex to children though vampiric allegory was a large reason for its success. Not childish enough to not be irrelevant, but not so sex-drenched that it is inappropriate for young people, Twilight brought out the hormones beneath the narrative in exactly the same way as the fairy tales of old. What’s more, its old-fashioned views on sex and gender roles meant that conservative parents were not offended. It could therefore be stated that a lot of the recently greenlit movies have had twilight to thank. Twilight, however, does not explain the entirety of the teen fairy tale boom, which can be dated back to Stardust in 2007 and Brothers Grimm in 2005. Instead, one could look to Lord Of The Rings as a reason for the broader emergence of the teen fairy tale movie. Lord of the rings dominated the young male markets but did considerably less well in the female markets. Did Hollywood see an opening? It is no coincidence that the epic landscaping fantasy shots that were the cornerstone of The Lord Of The Rings’ success have found there way into films such as Stardust and Snow White And The Huntsman. To a large extent we can see that this recent influx of what are essentially ‘fantasy romances’ are Hollywood’s attempt to make a ‘Lord Of The Rings
for girls’. Points of style can also be explained by the large franchise reboots that occurred in the 2000s. Batman Begins’ and Casino Royale’s talent for taking the well known and making it darker and grittier was indeed a winning formula. And with that philosophy in mind, the recent darkening of fairy tales may have even happened blindly, unaware of the tales’ violent beginnings. Regardless, it can be seen that the recent genre spike is largely in line with the styles of the most profitable films of the last decade. Another precedent for these teen fairy tales is, of course, Harry Potter. Anything remotely associated with the magical escapism genre has been rushed into production and fairy tales, having the timesaving benefit of being already-written, suddenly become very attractive to producers. Harry Potter can also explain the mature content of these films. Early on, the Harry Potter series started to deal with very mature subject matter such as death. The later Harry Potter films and books are surprisingly violent. Combine this with its strong statements on good and evil and we can almost start to see a blueprint emerging. Fairy tales are simply an extension of the ‘revelation’ that younger audiences can deal with mature content, albeit, beneath the veneer of a magical fantasy.
One might even speculate that the reason for the genres spike is far less cynical. The fact of the matter is, that playing with old fairy tales is simply a writer’s creative sandbox. Take Snow White, all the basic characters are already there, but the source material is vague enough that you can characterise them in whatever way you want. You don’t even have the restriction of having to be historically accurate, as there is no time setting. And as Shrek showed, the scope for ironic twiddling of form is simply infinite. As we can see, the genre spike can logically be explained by an amalgamated view of Hollywood’s most successful recent films. What is considerably more puzzling however, in light of their intended audience, is the fiscal reasons for these big budget teen girl films. In targeting teen females so specifically, the marketability to other demographs is severely damaged, in a way that doesn’t really happen in more general family films. If anything, the films are doing exceptionally well to be even recuperating their large 9-figure production budgets. So why make a Lord Of The Rings- sized film when a Juno-sized film would do? What’s in it for Hollywood? One theory that would explain it is pretty radical, it actually stipulates that Hollywood is thinking about things in the long run (so it’s probably incorrect). The theory is this: Hollywood is nurturing its audiences, in spite of the lack of short-term gain. Many of Holly-
wood’s past recessions have simply been because they have lost large sections of the public indefinitely - the over 40s, women, etc. And in a big budget, CGI age, with orcs and rest, it’s conceivable that the teen female audience may be disenfranchised forever. And even though there are no real big potential profits in the revamped fairy tale picture, does it not keep teen females interested in cinema in general? And what’s more, does it not wean them on to a type of filmmaking - a big budget, fantasy style type of filmmaking? And if the demograph can be hooked now, will it not pay dividends as the generation grows up in the years to come, when the men and women of such a generation do not have to be targeted separately, because they have both been brought up on the same filmmaking styles? If this is the case, then it’s a bold strategy. What can be seen for certain is that the fairy tale genre spike is most definitely an attempt to capitalise on various cash cows of the day, whether for short or long-term gain. And it’s also a very interesting example of how the success of seemingly disparate film successes can influence the ensuing Hollywood production line in equal measure. But remember this, next time you see a fairy tale film advertised and think ‘ooo...that’s a bit raunchy’ don’t be fooled into thinking that it is some hearkening back to Brothers Grimm, the actual influences on its form are probably far more recent.
The Break Up
Studios have lost conf i dence in the romantic comedy. PictureShow has a look at how different stars have tried to adapt to this sudden change in direction.
The Romantic Comedy as we know it, is over. For a number of reasons audiences are no longer as interested in paying the best part of a tenner to see a film they have seen again and again in different guises. In the last few months alone Wanderlust, What To Expect What You’re Expecting, The Five Year Engagement and Friends With Kids have all failed to set the Box Office alight regardless of the quality of the cast, crew and critical reception. The spectacular successes of fantasy (see page 10) and superhero based films (see Issue 9) demonstrate that all audiences are looking for something new in the cinema and that the heyday of the rom-com has ended. As such, it is time for the plethora of actors who have been typecast as ‘just a pretty face’ or ‘that cute girl/guy from those cute films’ to try and escape this typecasting and resurrect their careers. PictureShow has brought together the best romcom escapees and looked at how they have tried to keep their career going in this downturn.
Route 1 The Matthew McConaughey AKA Take a huge pay cut and take more smaller roles The beginnings of this career u-turn began a few
years ago. At one point McConaughey could rake in an easy $10-20million just for showing up to the set and taking his shirt off. McConaughey was so good at this that he had little need for a costar, women would line up around the block just to see his body (even if they could see it at home in that D&G ad). Slightly ahead of the curve, McConaughey embarked on a series of more interesting low budget films with more creative directors so that he could show off his acting chops. While taking a MASSIVE pay cut in the process. Last year’s The Lincoln Lawyer, garnered Matt a whole new legion of fans, who enjoyed the twisty thriller and McConaughey’s performance. By appearing in smaller lower, budget fare, and taking smaller roles McConaughey has more time to explore his own range. In this year alone we’ll see him in FIVE different movies and a TV series: Killer Joe, Magic Mike, The Paperboy, Mud and Bernie which all show different sides to his acting ability that had remained entirely hidden. This was the guy from Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past playing; a corrupt and homicidal lawman, a stripclub owner, a reporter investigating the events surrounding a homicide, a fugitive searching for his true love and a cruel District Attorney. There are already whisperings of McConaughey getting an Oscar nod for his turn as a strip club owner in Magic Mike. He may spend the majority of his time in the movie with his shirt off, but it’s his performance that has grabbed headlines.
Route 2 The Sandra Bullock
Route 3 The Hugh Grant
AKA Offset any Rom-com work you do, with something guaranteed to be Oscar nominated
AKA Stick with the genre and try and ride it out Hugh Grant is possibly the most prolific mainstay of the rom-com genre. Since Four Weddings in 1994 catapulted his status into the stratosphere, Hugh has appeared in almost one rom-com every year since. In all reality, the rom-com has been VERY good to Hugh Grant, after his arrest for ‘lewd conduct’ before his first big break in Nine Months, he still managed to get good work and his celebrity status just rose and rose.
Sandra Bullock, was heir to Julia Roberts’ throne, though recently her attempts to capture the zeitgeist have been largely hedged. For every All About Steve there’s a The Blind Side. For every Two Weeks Notice there’s Crash. For the last two decades Bullock had managed to keep her dual careers as both a comedic and dramatic actress going until the rom-com bubble burst. After having kept both a lucrative career and a more respected career on the go, Bullock can now rest happy as a more re- As such, it is easy to see why Grant has few qualms spected actress with an Academy Award safely in about sticking with the genre that made his name. her cabinet. He has made very small baby steps outside the genre, his role as Pirate Captain in The Pirates! Recently she appeared in Extremely Loud and In- An Adventure With Scientists and he will appear credibly Close, while it may not have been the in the Wachowski Siblings’ Cloud Atlas. There is greatest movie of the year, it was Oscar nominated always the proposition that another Bridget Jones and kept her name in print even if it won nothing. is just around the corner. This is a tactic that has worked equally well for Reese Witherspoon, who off set her work in Sweet Home Alabama, Legally Blonde (and it’s dire sequel) and Four Christmases with critically lauded work in Election, Walk The Line and Rendition. This year alone we see Reese balancing This Means War with Mud a terrible rom-com and an interesting indie movie from the director of the PictureShow favourite Take Shelter.
Julia Roberts is taking a similar route, still largely starring in romcom fare, though she has also taken little steps outside of her comfort zone. Mirror Mirror was Roberts’ first feature in a few years that wasn’t strictly romcom fare. While Roberts certainly has acting chops she hasn’t exercised those muscles in a long time. The last critically acclaimed drama Roberts appeared in, was Closer, which was released over 8 years ago.
Rouite 4 The Katherine Heigl
While the romcom may be on its last legs, the careers of those most frequently attached to them may AKA Get out of the business by making sure no- not be. Sacrifices probably have to be made to one wants to work with you. keep a career afloat it could be more satisfying to make them. PictureShow for one, prefers the new To say that Katherine Heigl’s career over the last respected McConaughey who plays difficult roles few years has been a rollercoaster ride would be a to the old pretty boy D&G advert that called himself massive understatement. Heigl is an incredibly po- an actor. lemic figure in Hollywood at the moment, largely being seen as either petulant and spoilt or boring This decrease in popularity of the romcom can only and predictable. Heigl has come into the romcom be a good thing for cinemagoers. Not only will it game late on, but this hasn’t stopped her from re- force studios to come up with something considerleasing six features in the last 4 years. ably more interesting to lure more women to the cinema but it will reinforce the notion that studios What Heigl has failed to realise is that the work cannot just sleep through their releases. Talented that made her name was vastly different to the work actresses will no longer have to take work that is she is doing now. Heigl’s greatest career move was beneath their talents just to keep their name in the Knocked Up, a comedy where she played a smart paper or because their agent is pressuring them to career woman who, after a one night stand with do it. Seth Rogen, gets pregnant. Heigl’s character was interesting and crucially … hilarious. This won her Romcoms will still be a part of the cinematic landa lot of faans who had ignored Grey’s Anatomy scape, as they always have been, but they will be because of it’s heightened soap-opera style sto- more considered affairs relying less on big names rylines. However she has since dismissed the film or mega ensemble casts. The emphasis will hopeas sexist and distanced herself from Apatown. fully go back onto the storylines, but you never know ... Fantasy romcoms set in space about two Heigl’s more recent roles have been vacuous offer- snarky superheroes who get lumped with a baby ings with leading men of less calibre than her. She werewolf may only be a few years away. was approached for the massive ensemble flick, Valentine’s Day, but reportedly wanted $3 million for six minutes of screen time. It’s certainly one way to get out of the game.
The Amazing Spider-Man The Amazing Spider-Man intends to be ‘The Untold Story’ of Peter Parker and his progression into becoming New York’s friendly neighbourhood superhero. The scriptwriters and director must have been purposefully avoiding ALL Spider-man media for the last two decades because their idea of an ‘Untold Story’ is remarkably similar to a story everyone knows and everyone has seen. The differences between Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-man and Sam Raimi’s Spiderman are utterly inconsequential and Webb’s film comes off feeling like a poor imitation. Marc Webb’s only feature film prior to The Amazing Spider-Man was (500) Days Of Summer, an inventive romcom that used clever narrative tricks to tell the story of a relationship. From impromptu musical numbers to Han Solo’s reflection and “Expectation/Reality” mise-en-scene’s (500) Days Of Summer was interesting even if Zooey Desschanel and Joseph Gordon Levitt were too cute for you. All of this flair that Webb demonstrated in his debut goes out of the window in The Amazing SpiderMan. Even the music cues feel like they have been borrowed from more interesting or impressive films.
The Amazing Spider-Man does one thing marginally better than the previous incarnations. Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy is a considerably more interesting and less wet female lead than Kirsten Dunst’s Mary Jane. This is largely down to Stone’s natural comedic talent and charm on screen rather than the script she is given. Stacy’s relationship with Peter Parker is charming and the main highlight of the film. It is unfortunate that their story is mired Even if the film may appear pointless, it is also as- in so much dirge, given their palpable chemistry tonishingly badly executed. The script is incredibly on screen a drama with Garfield and Stone in the lazy, relying heavily on motifs we’ve seen count- leads could have great potential. less times before in superhero movies. A montage where our hero is discovering his new powers is All in all, seeing The Amazing Spider-Man is an a comedic fashion? Check. The hero’s girlfriend entirely hollow experience. Everything on screen in peril? Check. The hero is deeply misunderstood that is tolerable has been seen before and everyby the establishment? Check. The CGI in the film is thing else is dreadful. While many superhero films shoddy, the majority of the set pieces are so clearly and big budget blockbusters can be accused of created on a computer with little thought or plan- favouring flashy explosions over plot and develning going into them. One of the moments in the opment, The Amazing Spider-Man is the worst later stages of the film is just dreadful, designed to example of this. Possibly because of the director’s inexperience, the editing of this film needed some be uplifting but in realty it is just laughable. serious work to avoid the series of irritating loose The script is also all over the place. Plot strands ends that hinder the movie. JH are introduced and forgotton, characters motives are desperately unclear and everything appears incredibly coincidental. The script flags up future plot elements with an alarming lack of subtlety. “What’s that?” “Oh that? It does THIS... In case THIS ever happens. But THAT never happens.” Dialogue and character development are desperately lacking. It is hard to support Peter Parker through his journey when he largely seems like a bit of a moody git.
dends. Eric Packer is a fantastic character, entirely detached from the world, his limo is a bubble to keep him from feeling and experienceing anything. Though for the majority of the film Pattinson is on camera, his co-stars are equally effective. Paul Giamatti’s final act entrance as Benno Levin is one of sweaty gross intensity and Sarah Gadon perfectly reflects Pattinson’s detachment as Elise, Parker’s girlfriend. Juliette Binoche and Samantha Morton are also surprisingly memorable even with their limited screen time. Jay Baruchel also gets a limited amount of screentime but is effective for the time he is on screen.
Cosmopolis Cosmopolis is the latest offering from David Cronenberg, the man who became notorious in the 1970’s for pioneering “body horror” in which philosophical science fiction and gross out horror came together in a twisted sense of harmony. Since then he has become less concerned with the viscera and more with the intellectual side of the coin. Prior to Cosmopolis, his latest film was A Dangerous Method a film looking at the relationship between Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung and a young female patient. Cosmopolis is a staggeringly different beast, but it maintains the profundity found in all of his work. Based on the novel by Don DeLillo, Cosmopolis concerns an incredibly wealthy trader Eric Packer (Robert Pattinson) who travels across town in his Limosine that doubles up as an office to get his hair cut by a very specific barber. As the town becomes deadlocked in traffic jams caused by the arrival of the President, Packer continues his business from his car, becoming increasingly determined to get across town. Robert Pattinson’s post Twilight career has failed to really engage any audience. Bel Ami was a dreadful attempt at adapting the Guy de Maupassant novel, that aimed for insight and sex appeal but was a mess of bad accents and worse plotting. Water For Elephants looked like a home-run with a great cast but again failed to set audiences and critics on fire. Cosmopolis is Pattinson’s most daring move yet and one that has paid substantial divi-
Though it is unsurprising that Cosmopolis will be seen as a statement against the 1%, but more simply it is a tale of detachment. Packer is detached from the real world, sealed in his limo, not even caring about the way the stock markets fluctuate. Cosmopolis is the documneting of a man’s life that truly means nothing. Nothing affects him and he effects nothing, not even those closest to him. Cosmopolis’ interesting cinematography, brings attention to this, Parker is seems to be permanently in the centre of the screen framed by either side of his limo. Parker is preserved, yet fenced off. While Cosmopolis may not be Cronenberg’s finest hour, it is compelling cinema. The screenplay is beautifully minimalist, focussing on the bare minimum that needs to be said to convey the message. Robert Pattinson finally demonstrates that he has some real acting talent to offer the world. Cosmopolis doesn’t rely on his boyish good looks or obvious sex appeal, it relies on his talent. Being on screen for 110 minutes is a tough gig and a lesser actor may have not been able to pull it off. JH
The Five Year Engagement Tom (Jason Segel), a sous chef at a top restaurant, and Violet (Emily Blunt), a psychology PhD graduate are a happy couple who live in San Francisco and get engaged a year after they began dating. When Violet is offered a two year post-doctorate at the University of Michigan, Tom is forced to sacrifice his career for the sake of their future marriage by relocating with her to Michigan and getting a job at a sandwich shop. And so with the premise set and a strong cast in place, an insightful dissection of modern relationships infused with moments of hilarity and profound sentiment ensues. Or so Judd Apatow (producer) and Jason Segel (co-writer) would have you believe with their film The Five Year Engagement. Many of the more recent Team Apatow comedies have suffered from a misplaced confidence in their premise and an over-reliance on the charisma of their leads, and The Five Year Engagement is no different. Whilst Jason Segel and Emily Blunt are entertaining to watch and occasionally amusing, they are only partly successful in dragging the audience through an over-long and depressingly lacklustre screenplay that only occasionally amuses. All the usual Apatow tropes are on show. The plainlooking, likeable but flawed male lead, the off-beat tomfoolery of the crude best friend (‘you were sending telepathic wiener missiles to her face!’), and the ‘oh no, they’re so right for each-other, but it looks like circumstances have driven them apart’ overlong mid-section are wheeled out like the vaguely entertaining geriatric great uncle who makes the same mundane wise-cracks every Christmas to the dismay of everyone involved.
ing the average-at-best standard of the script this is no mean feat.
In recent interviews, Team Apatow have seemed to be attempting to place themselves as the twentyfirst century’s answer to early Woody Allan’s playful but insightful dissections of human relationships. The depressing thing is that they may be right. With the exception of one-off gems like (500) Days of Summer and (the albeit Apatow produced) Bridesmaids, modern mainstream American comedy is in a rut. The Five Year Engagement is a prime example of the watered down, formulaic and down-right boring comedies that are sold to cinema-goers as the new-wave of intelligent American comedy. The talents of actors like Emily Blunt are sadly being squandered on films that aim to be at once profound and hilarious, but fail miserably at both. Instead these films provoke a mildly amused, but generally indifferent reaction from modern audiences. Like most Apatow movies though, there are some It saddens me to say this, but for the time being this strong performances that produce a few amusing is the best kind of mainstream comedy we are gomoments. Emily Blunt is by far the most talented ing to get. JS actor on show. Her graceful warmth and natural comic timing are at times a wonder to behold. Her subtle performance as the troubled but intriguing Violet squeezes a lot more humour out of the script than it deserves, and at times her natural charm overshadows Segel. Segel is, as always, easy to watch though. There is genuine chemistry between the two and they depict the clunky shifts in mood with careful and considerable skill. When Tom’s and Violet’s relationship inevitably begins to strain, their convincing and heart-felt performances force the audience to engage with the film, and consider-
The songs themselves are good, everyone loves a bit of Journey or Twisted Sister in the right context, but nobody really wants to see bad cover versions by unknown actors who have been autotuned into a terrifying robotic nasal monstrosity. Glee already had a patent on that and the gimmick got old fast. It would make sense for the film to be almost 3/4 of the length it currently runs at. Rock Of Ages wants to be fast, loose and a good time, but it’s none of those things and the massive run time makes it go on and on and on.
Rock Of Ages Rock Of Ages is a jukebox musical, like Mamma Mia, that means that it has been created using music from other sources to communicate its message. This is different to musicals such as West Side Story which used original songs to accompany the action. The story is a typically chiched affair revolving around a young man Drew (Diego Boneta) and a young woman Sherrie (Julianne Hough) with fire in their hearts and stars in their eyes who both dream of becoming rock stars. They meet cute outside the Bourbon Room in LA and follow their dreams together. There are many issues with the film, starting with the script. The “country girl follows her dreams, but discovers that they’re not what she thought they would be” has been done countless times on stage, on screen and on TV. The use of songs from the era becomes tiring quickly, it feels as though the plot is being shoehorned in around the lyrics of late 80’s metal bands which means that the story gets pulled from pillar to post. The blosssoming relationship between Drew and Sherrie that we are meant to care about gets swept to the side by the freakshow that is Tom Cruise’s Stacee Jaxx. The last few years have been tough on Tom Cruise’s career, as his ability to carry a film was questioned, but how did he ever get THIS desperate? His cameo in Tropic Thunder aside, Cruise has never had any comedic timing, and Rock Of Ages just compounds this notion. He can jump off the tallest building in the world, but he cannot pull off a punchline.
The ensemble cast makes it hard to figure out who it is that you’re meant to be following, is Rock Of Ages Tom Cruise’s show or Alec Baldwin’s? It’s certainly not Boneta’s or Hough’s because their characters are so bland that any time they spend on screen feels like it lasts forever. Even members of the cast with a good reputation get sidelined or lumped with awful stilted dialogue. To clarify, Rock Of Ages is a dreadful, over long, underwritten, cliché ridden zombie of a movie that stumbles from one ungodly reanimation of a classic tune to another without reason or any hint of a plot. Rock Of Ages doesn’t know if it wants to be a satire of the world of late 80s LA or if it wants to be a shrine to it, either way, it doesn’t work and it’s not funny, engaging or watchable. JH
A Fantastic Fear Of Everything A Feantastic Fear Of Everything revolves around Jack (Simon Pegg), a children’s writer who has put writing for children on hold, at the behest of his agents and become obsessed with victorian mystery and murder for a new project. After surrounding himself with tales of violence the outside world becomes infinitely more terrifying, especially as tales of brutal murders have peppering the front pages of the tabloids. A Fantastic Fear Of Everything is writer/director Crispian Mills’ (of Kula Shaker fame) feature debut and the roughness that comes with his lack of experience is part of the charm of this film. Mills’ story gleefully takes turns down whatever alley it can find. The story doesn’t really exist, it strays from event to event in a semi-linear fashion with the guise of a story but the plot does not matter. Essentially, A Fantastic Fear sets up a number of gags rather than a story and it follows through with all of them, though some punchlines do take longer than others. Mills’ skill shines through in one particularly good stop motion sequence that involves some fantastic animation and voiceover work By now Simon Pegg is an established household name, doing a large amount of his work in big Hollywood blockbusters like Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Star Trek and its upcoming sequel. A Fantastic Fear Of Everything appears to have been something of a sandbox for Pegg to play in, demonstrating not only his fantastic “scared” faces but also his decent rapping skills (though this is less of a surprise than Chris Cooper revealing his skills in The Muppets). Pegg’s voiceover is one of the highlights of the project, hearing the demented thoughts of a paranoid crime writer is hilarious. While Pegg’s antics may not appeal to everybody in the audience, he certainly makes an effort, which cannot be said for some of his more recent projects such as Burke And Hare and How To Lose Friends And Alienate People where Pegg was both let down by the script and his own ambivalence towards the project. The remaining cast members don’t make much of an appearance, A Fantastic Fear Of Everything is definitely Pegg’s show. Pegg is usually tempered by a co-star but here he remains on screen largely alone and his antics he gets up to could certainly begin to get old, especially with the lack of any tan
gible story. While Crispian Mills may not be moving into motion pictures for good, his demented camera work and small nods to horror greats is admirable, it may be wise to get a story cemented down first. A Fantastic Fear Of Everything is certainly not for everybody, the lack of a story and any thread of direction will most likely throw many people off. There is, however, something to see here. Pegg’s manic performance is a joy to see after so many toned down or more accessible roles almost seemed to dim his appeal. A Fantastic Fear Of Everything brings a more madcap Pegg than we have ever seen before. It may not be for everybody, but if you just want to guffaw at nonsense on screen, then A Fantastic Fear Of Everything is a decent option. JH
Things to see in July There’s loads of great film showings going on this month. Our nation’s independent cinmea owners have not been deterred by the Olympics and the release of Box Office juggernaut The Dark Knight Rises and are releasing a fantatic roster of classic, cult and continental films. Find the closest cinema to you and give a show a go. Wales Aberystwyth Aberystwyth Arts Centre Effie Briest (1974) 25 July Effie Briest is an adaptation of the novel by Theodor Fontane. This 1974 adaptation by Rainer Werner Fassbinder was nominated for the 1974 Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival but only came away with the “Interfilm Award”. Still a magnificent piece of filmmaking. Cardiff Chapter The Lodger 21 July One of Alfred Hitchcock’s earliest films, The Lodger concerns a landlady who becomes concerned that her lodger is secretly a mass murderer. Possibly the first film that really marked Hitchcock our for greatness. The Barbican are bradcasting this screening nationwide with a new score performed by the London Symphony Orchestra
Scotland
JOSHUA HAMMOND
Dundee Dundee Contemporary Arts Mars Attacks! 14 July Possibly the greatest film that ever features Tom Jones and that is made considerably better for his involvement. Tim Burton’s homage to the B-movies of 1950s Hollywood is a delirious production. Featuring Pierce Brosnan, Jock Nicholson and a very young Lukas Haas all tasked with defending the Earth from alien takeover. The CGI may be incredibly dated 16 years after release but the humour remains. Edinburgh Filmhouse The Apartment 28 July Glasgow Glasgow Film Theatre Friday the 13th 13 July With it being Friday 13th this month, there are a number of cinemas up and down the country all of whom are rolling out their aged reels of Friday the 13th for a new audience every 7 months or so. Friday the 13th may not be the classiest horror that the 1980s ever produced but it is one of the most memorable. Nairn Cinema Nairn Whiskey Galore! 27 July One of the few Ealing Comedies that have been rereleased and remastered is 1949’s Whiskey Galore! The film is set in the Outer Hebrides during WWII. While the community may be unaffected by rationing, a real problem occurs when the Whiskey begins to run out.
South East
North West
London Prince Charles Cinema “Comic Book All Nighter” Superman Batman Scott Pilgrim vs The World Sin City X Men Spiderman The Rocketeer + Cosplay Competition
Beetham The Heron Kind Hearts and Coronets 20 July
Possibly one of the greatest all nighters ever devised by the good folks at The Prince Charles Cinema. Seven adaptations of comic book properties from 5 different decades (the 80’s missed out on a quality superhero flick). Joe Johnston’s underrated The Rocketeer may be the highlight for most viewers. it is considerably less wwidely available than the other six movies. The Rocketeer is also streets ahead of the lacklustre Captain America: The First Avenger that Johnston recently directed. Roxy Bar And Screen Queens of Evil 26 July A masterpiece of Italian Genre cinema, Queens of Evil is the tale of David a man who searches for true freedom who comes across a commune of unfeasibly attractive women. This newly remastered version of the movie has some fantastic set designed and is being scored by Mr Eldiabolik and his World of Psychotronic Soundtracks. Well worth a look for any fans of obscure Italian cinema. .South West Salisbury Salisbury Arts Centre The Deep Blue Sea 23 July The most modern film in theis month’s “Things To See”, but that shouldn’t take away from the beauty of the feature. From Terence Davies, Deep Blue Sea tells the tale of a love triangle in the early 1950’s. Definitely NOT to be confused with the Samuel L Jackson film involving genetically modified super sharks.
This digital restoration of the 1949 Dennis Price movie is wonderful on the big screen. Dennis Price plays the imprisoned Duke of Chalfont who while writing his memoirs dozes into a flashback. Alec Guiness plays a total of eight supporting roles in his flashbacks. One of the greatest British films ever, the opportunity to see Kind Hearts And Coronets on a big screen should not be passed up. Kendal Brewery Arts Centre Zatoichi 15 July Kendal Arts Centre are having a weekend of Japanese cinema showing a selection of everyhting from Studio Ghibli to the output of Takeshi Miike. Zatoichi is one of Japanese cinema’s longest running characters. This 2003 version directed by and starring Takeshi Kitano took the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival. It might be worth taking the trip to Kendal, just to see the plethora of great movies that are on this weekend, from Ghost In The Shell and Akira to Himizu and 13 Assassins there is a fantastic programme of films in this small creative space. Lancaster The Dukes Beetlejuice 21 July Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice. Audiences were not taken by Tim Burton’s Dark Shodows, and after rewatching Beetlejuice it is easy to see why. Before his first collaboration with Johnny Depp, Beetlejuice is a mad, bad, gothic masterpiece of hyperactive filmmaking. Michael Keaton may be more well known as Burton’s Batman but his Beetlejuice is deligthfully deranged.
North East
Central
Hexham The Forum Wall-E 28 July
Derby QUAD The Thing & Call Of Ctulhu (Double Bill) 13 July
In PictureShow’s opinion, Wall-E is Pixar’s greatest achievement. In the last two decades Pixar has made some of the most beautiful and heart wrenching films to hit the multiplex, but Wall-E is the cream of the crop. The animation is absolutely stunning, the depth of detail in the futuristic worlds is awe inspiring and the realsitation of the relationship between two robots is just wonderful especially considering that neither of them can speak.
Another cinema taking advantage of the Friday 13th date. QUAD in Derby decided to go down a different route, instead of showing Jason Voorhies hacking and slashing his way across America they have opted to show John Carpenter’s The Thing and Call Of Ctulhu. Both inspired by the work of H.P Lovecraft a great evening’s entertainment.
Leeds Hyde Park Picture House Dazed And Confused 28 July One of Richard Linklater’s earliest movies, Dazed And Confused tells the story of one school on the last day before summer in 1976. With early performances from Milla Jovovich, Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey and Adam Goldberg. Dazed And Confused is a wonderful little coming of age comedy. Newcastle Tyneside Cinema The Terminator 12 July
Leicester Phoenix Square Serenity 28 July One of the greatest SF movies of the 00’s. Most have you have seen The Avengers by now, Serenity was Joss Whedon’s feature film debut and demonstrates every bit of promise and confidence that came through in The Avengers. While intended as a companion to Whedon’s TV series Firefly, Serenity stands equally well on its own feet. Stoke Stoke Film Theatre The Manchurian Candidate (1962) 25 June
The original The Manchurian Candidate starred Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey and Janet Leigh in James Cameron’s first real foray into the world of a tale of Cold War conspiracy and brainwashing. Science Fiction. While its memory may have been Considerably better than the 2004 affair with Liev tainted by the lacklustre direction of the franchise Schrieber. Tense and taught, this political thriller over the last decade, The Terminator is still an ex- does not sacrifice ideas for cheap action and is one hilarating and terrifying cinematic experience. of the few Sinatra films that is actually worth watching. Penistone Paramount Wolverhampton A Night To Remember The Light House 15 July The Cruel Sea 17 July A Night To Remember tells the tale of the Titanic 45 years before James Cameron even considered Another classic Ealing film, The Cruel Sea is an telling the story with an implausibly hot cast and adaptation of the novel by Nicholas Montserrat. It massive budget. Praised for its accuracy in portray- is a story set in WWII about the war between the ing the final day of the Titanic’s voyage, A Night Britich and German Navys. Told from the British To Remember is a more humble and more interest- point of view, the film portrays the effect of the sea ing version of the tale. on naval officers.
PictureShow Magazine will return on the 6th of August