Off the screen magazine june 2013

June 2013 www.offthescreenmagazine.com

On the Enterprise Actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Zachary Quinto talk to us about their roles in the latest instalment of the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Into Darkness

On Patrol We talk to South African comedian Joey Rasdien, star of the local comedy Blitz Patrollie

The Great DiCaprio Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio talks to us about his role in Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby

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Content s Cover Story:

18 The Great DiCaprio

Star of the new film, The Great Gatsby, Leonardo DiCaprio talks to us about his role and taking part in another Baz Luhrmann experience

Features:

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On the cover: Leonardo DiCaprio talks The Great Gatsby

8 Leader of the Pack Action man Vin Diesel tells us about his time racing again in the latest instalment in the Fast and Furious franchise, Fast and Furious 6

26 Gatsby Premiere Fashion

We went along to the premiere of The Great Gatsby at Montecasino to check out the fashions. Have a look at the photos.

32 The Worst of the Worst

British actor Benedict Cumberbatch tells us what it’s like to take on the greatest villain in the Star Trek universe

36 His Girlfriends Back

One of the original members of the Fast and Furious family returns to the screen this month as Michele Rodriguez reprises her role as Letty Ortiz in Fast and Furious 6.

44 On Patrol Local comedian Joey Rasdien stars in the new buddy cop film, Blitz Patrolie, opening this month. We chatted to him about the role

54 It’s Only Logical

We talk to Zachary Quinto who reprises his role as the legendary Vulcan Spock in the latest J.J Abrams film, Star Trek: Into Darkness

60 Selected Projects at the Durban FilmMart

We have a look at the films that are being presented at this year’s Durban FilmMart, running concurrently with the Durban International Film Festival

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54 44 32

62 From The Wings Features

62 A Seriously Funny Man

We talk to Jonathan Roxmouth about his role in the comedy show, Hats Off as well as his love for the stage

Reviews: Theatre Reviews

68 The Greatest Love of All: The Whitney Houston Tribute

70 An Audience with Pieter Dirk Eish 72 Hats Off Feature Reviews 74 An Old Adversary Returns

Film

84 360

Shadow Dancer

85 Blitz Patrollie

A Haunted House

86 Fast and Furious 6 Stand Up Guys

87 Jurassic Park 3D

Bullet to the Head

88 Side Effects

Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D

89 The Hangover Part III DVD

90 Wreck-It Ralph The Wicked The Master Looper

91 Lawless

Abel’s Field The Inbetweeners Tomorrow You’re Gone

We review the latest instalment to the Star Trek universe, J.J Abrams, Star Trek: Into Darkness

92 Flight

We review Baz Luhrmann’s new investigation into 1920’s corruption and immorality, The Great Gatsby

93 Red State

78 It’s All About the Party

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Here comes the Boom Argo Jack Reacher Donnie Darko A Walk to Remember Welcome to Collinwood Off The Screen Magazine

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Editor Jon Broeke jon.broeke@gmail.com

Deputy Editor Annette Bayne

Editors Letter

annette.bayne@gmail.com

Contributors Versfeld & Associates

Photo Credits Nu Metro, Ster Kinekor, Getty Images, UPI.com, Jon Broeke, Google Images, imdb.com, Suzy Bernstein

Contact us offthescreenmagazine@gmail.com

Or www.offthescreenmagazine.com

Online at www.offthescreenmagazine.com

Published by www.issuu.com

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We’ve got a bumper month for you again.

Firstly, it’s all about the Great Gatsby. We talk to Leonardo DiCaprio about the title role and also have a look at the fabulous fashions that appeared at our very own premiere of the film.

We also have interviews with Benedict Cumberbatch and Zachary Quinto, both from the latest Star Trek Film, Star Trek: Into Darkness, Vin Diesel and Michele Rodriguez, both From the latest in the Fast and Furious franchise, Fast and Furious 6, Comedian Joey Rasdien talks to us about his role in the South African buddy cop comedy, Blitz Patrollie, and we talk to stage star Jonathan Roxmouth about his current and up-coming roles.

We at Off The Screen would like to send our best to the family of Vuyo Mbuli. He was a light of our TV screens and he will be sorely missed.

www.facebook.com/ offthescreenmagazine

Best Wishes Jon Broeke Editor

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Leader of the Pack

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Vin Diesel returns to the screen this month in a role he’s been doing for 12 years, Dominic Toretto in Fast and Furious 6. We chatted to him about London, the action and the return of his girlfriend.

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hen a film about an undercover cop getting involved in underground street racing to find a group of hi-jackers hit the big screens back in 2001 no one expected it to do as well as it did, but soon after its release it became a cult classic, and now, 12 years later, the it has turned into a very successful franchise spurning 5 sequels. The latest, Fast and Furious 6, is on our screens this month and is just as entertaining as the first one was back in the day.

Reprising his role as Dominic Toretto is action man Vin Diesel. This film follows on from the fifth instalment were Dom and Brian, Paul Walker’s character from the franchise, brought together a team of their friends from the previous films in the franchise to steal $100 000 000 from a Brazilian drug dealer and being tracked by a no nonsense cop, Hobbs, played by Dwayne Johnson. They all return for the new film, but this time Dom and the team are working side by side with Hobbs to stop a militarily trained driver who’s terrorising London.

“We could never do again what we did in Fast 5,” Diesel tells us. “We could never match brawn with brawn in the same way.

There wouldn’t be a bigger person to get than Hobbs. There wouldn’t be a more fantasised match up then Hobbs, so how would we push the envelope? And by choosing this kind of very efficient, almost, Bond goes rogue like character, you and the audience go, ‘How is Dom going to handle this?’ It’s not just a warehouse brawl, it’s not just a,” He poses in a fighting stance. “You know, muscle against muscle.

This guy, the rival that Dom is facing right now, works in a different way and is not, simultaneously, not afraid to exploit your weakness, which is anything that you feel is dear to you.”

Of course it wouldn’t be a Fast film without the cars and Dom gets to drive a great on in this film, the classic 1969 Dodge Daytona.

“I was like, ‘There’s a car that I couldn’t have gotten in my wildest dreams if I wanted to, how the hell did you get it, Dennis?’” he laughs. “I was ecstatic. I was ecstatic because it’s so unique. I was ecstatic Off The Screen Magazine

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“The audience is going to lose their minds when they see Dom and Letty racing around Piccadilly Circus,�

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___________________________________________________________________________ because it’s such a history, and in a sick, sick, sick way, in the same way that Dom was banned from the race track, so was this Daytona.” He thumbs to the car standing behind him. “But you’re talking about my car guys who think so deeply about the Dom character and the car and their identities and how they’re similar.”

The Dennis Diesel refers to is Dennis McCarthy, the picture car coordinator for the film. He is responsible for all the cars that appear on the screen and there are a couple of great ones, from the Daytona to a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda to a 2010 Dodge Challenger, and those are just the ones that Diesel drives in the film.

Another surprise in this film is the return of a much loved character that many in the Fast world thought was dead. Michele Rodriguez played Letty Ortiz, Dom’s girlfriend, in the first film, but she was killed in the fourth, causing Dom and Brian to come back together. Trick is she didn’t die,

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and she’s back in this film, but she’s not on Dom’s side, in fact she’s working for the bad guy, British military man Shaw, played by Luke Evans. In the film Dom and Letty end up having a huge race, getting involved in the underground street racing scene in London.

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___________________________________________________________________________ “The audience is going to lose their minds when they see Dom and Letty racing around Piccadilly Circus,” he says. And he’s right. They race all around the streets of London, dodging double decker buses and taxies, ending in a back lot where they have a

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heart to heart. It’s one of the highlights of the entire film, but there are a couple of them, including a smack down, full on fight between Letty and the other newest member of the cast, professional MMA fighter turned actor, Gina Carano.

“The great thing about Fast 6 though is that we have this wonderful character coming back,” Diesel tells us.

“Letty. And Letty allows us to do so many great things. One of them is to put a gender spin of the fight we just did in Fast 5. So part of doing that was finding who the female counterpart would be for our rough Letty, who we saw in 2001 punch guys and knock guys out, that’s how we were introduced to her. And Soderbergh did a lot of the work for us, because we got Gina Carano after she’d already broken through.

The butterflies were out and because she has so much experience as an athlete we were able to exploit that, we were able to Off The Screen Magazine

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___________________________________________________________________________ incorporate all that and really, really take our time to really design a really intense fight sequence between Letty and Riley, who’s played

by Gina Carano.”

The Soderbergh that Diesel refers to is Steven Soderbergh, the director of Carano’s first film, Haywire. The other thing that is different in this film is the location. The Fast group has never been in Europe and this time they’re in London and Spain.

“We were all gung-ho about going over to Spain and going over to London,” he says. “London also offered a contrast to the warm Rio. It wasn’t going to be so happy in this one. It was going to start getting dark. We were happy in Rio because we thought we had overcome the Letty loss. That’s ultimately why we were happy in Rio. If you’re kind of tapping into the heart of that story, you’re

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1969 Dodge Daytona

kind of thinking at the end of Fast 5, ‘He’s over Letty. He’s going to survive’. Only to find in Fast 6, that’s not the case, and when that’s not the case, here comes the gloom, here comes the cold reality. That London offered.”

So if you want to see the cold reality, along with a bunch of great stunts, the cars that make the films as popular as they are and your favourite characters back on the screen go and check out Fast and Furious 6 on screen now. And be sure to stay for the credits, since it introduces Fast and Furious 7, which is going to be just a crazy a ride.

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1970 Plymouth Barracuda

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The Great DiCaprio Off The Screen Magazine

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This month sees Baz Luhrmann’s newest work hitting our screens as we get to see The Great Gatsby. We chatted to star Leonardo DiCaprio about the film, the book and working with the great Baz Luhrmann

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ince he played Johnny Depp’s retarded brother in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? Film critics and fans alike knew that there was something about Leonardo DiCaprio that made him a star. Since then he’s starred in some of the biggest box office hits, and cult classics, that exist including The Basketball Diaries, Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet, The Aviator, Gangs of New York and a little film about a big ship called Titanic, just to name a few.

This month he stars in a classic novel bought to life on screen by his Romeo + Juliet director Baz Luhrmann, the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic, The Great Gatsby.

The film tells the tale of Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire living on Long Island at the beginning of the 1920’s. He throws great parties and has a lot of hanger-on’s, but no

one knows much about him. At the end we discover that the façade that he created, saying he was born wealthy, son of a noble, etc. is rubbish. He was in fact born penniless and created himself from nothing. This is an aspect the Dicaprio connected with in the character.

“I think everyone has some sort of connection to Gatsby as a character,” he says during a press conference in Los Angeles.

“He’s a character that has created himself according to his own imagination and dreams and lifted himself from his own boot straps as a poor youth in the Midwest and created this image that is 'The Great Gatsby.'

And it’s a truly American story in that regard.

Here is this emerging democracy that is America in the 1920s and he wants to emulate a Rockefeller of that time period.

And, of course, he creates his wealth in the Off The Screen Magazine

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“For me, you know, this is like American Shakespeare,” he says. “This is one of the most celebrated novels of all time.”

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___________________________________________________________________________ underworld, but this is the new land that is America. And it was a very exciting time. I think we can all relate to that dreamer in Gatsby. Each one of us gets excited by the prospect of somebody with that much ambition.”

The aspects that make up Gatsby, his re-inventing himself as he grows to be what he dreams instead of the country boy is something every actor also can connect with.

They all re-create themselves with every role that they portray. Of course it’s on a much smaller scale, Gatsby lived his deception while actors do it for a short period, but it is something they can connect with.

Dicaprio did.

“The Gatsby that I remember reading,” he tells us. “When I was fifteen years old, in junior high school, was far different than the Gatsby that I read as an adult. And what I remember from my years in junior high was a hopeless romantic that was solely in love with this one woman and created a great amount of wealth to respectably be able to hold her hand. Then, to reread it as an adult was incredibly fascinating. It is one of

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those novels that is talked about nearly a hundred years later for a reason. It’s incredibly nuanced. It’s existential. And here, at the centre of this movie, is this man that is incredibly hollow. He’s searching for some sort of meaning in his life, and has attached himself to this relic known as Daisy. She’s a mirage. I was struck by the sadness in him for the first time, and I looked at him completely differently. I looked him as somebody that was very hollow and searching for some sort

of meaning. And Nick is the only one that truly sees what’s going on in reality--here's this man that’s desperately holding on to this Off The Screen Magazine

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___________________________________________________________________________ image. One very telling sequence that we talked about a lot and, for me, was a very important one in the book was after this great care he’s taken creating Gatsby’s castle in order to lure Daisy in, Nick notices that he’s holding her, yet he’s still staring out at the green light. He’s finally got her in his arms, but he’s still searching for this thing that he thinks is going to complete him. And that was the Gatsby that I was incredibly excited about playing as an actor. So, as I got older it took

on new meaning, and I think that that’s what’s so incredible about this novel.

Everyone who reads it has their own

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interpretation of who these people are, who these characters are. That’s what’s very difficult making a movie about it, because everyone has their own personal attachment to this book. They feel like they know these characters on a very intimate level. And, of course, when you’re making a movie, you have to be much more specific.”

Daisy, the object of Gatsby’s affection is played by Carey Mulligan, while Nick, the only friend that Gatsby really has, is portrayed

by Tobey Maguire. The film is told through Nick’s eyes.

From the parties to the opulence to the rampantly loose morals, to the undying love that Gatsby holds for Daisy, Nick sees it all and gives the audience a look into it.

DiCaprio and Maguire have been friends since childhood, but haven’t acted together since a small film back in 1993, This Boy’s Life, which was Maguire’s feature debut.

DiCaprio was thrilled when he discovered that Maguire was going to take the vital role of Nick, and it went a long way to him agreeing to do the role.

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“For me, you know, this is like American Shakespeare,” he says. “This is one of the most celebrated novels of all time. So, to venture into a project of this magnitude, it really took a sort of core unit of trust for me to feel comfortable and to know that somebody that I’ve known for 20 years and Baz Luhrmann were involved. And Tobey was immediately involved in that process from the onset, which was incredibly comforting. We’re always extremely honest with each other.

And, to me, I don’t know if this project would have happened unless we had that relationship, because we needed those checks and balances. And we needed to have a contract with each other to continually be honest with one another.”

It is an honesty that comes across on the screen. Though the film was set in New York it was actually shot entirely in Australia.

“Baz's original intent was to shoot in New York,” DiCaprio says. “And for budgetary reasons we shipped the whole production to Australia. And I think what was amazing about shooting in Australia and recreating all these sets and this entire world was the incredible enthusiasm and work ethic of all the people there. I think it infused us with this great energy. I mean, every actor besides three or four were Australian actors and the entire crew was Australian. Everyone had this amazing enthusiasm about bringing this production there. Their work ethic was tireless and their enthusiasm for this project was tireless. I don’t think it would have been enthused with the same energy and passion

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had we not shot there, truly. I really admired how passionate everyone was about having this production there. It was an amazing experience.”

The film relies heavily on the spectacle of the visuals, as All Luhrmann’s films do. And in this one they are spectacular.

The opulence of New York City with the skyscrapers and speak-easies, the mansions and absolute wealth of Long Island with the mansions and insane parties that take a page from the Moulin Rouge itself, and the desolation and pure desperation that is the coal miners home stuck right in the middle, giving everyone a glimpse of reality that no one is willing, or possibly able, to see. It is a visual masterpiece, but there’s a lot more to the film than just the incredible scenes on the silver. The film tells a cautionary tale about wanting to much, chasing a dream instead of seeing the reality in front of your eyes, which everyone in the film does, even Nick to a point. DiCaprio thinks it’s a story that resonates as much today as it did back in the 20’s.

“Baz talks about it a lot,” he says. “But in a lot of ways this book predicted the great crash in the early 1930s in America. It’s a book that talks about the great opulence and wealth in America during that time period, and the idea that the future is endless and we can keep consuming and living the way we do without any consequences. It is timeless in the sense that that is an eighty-year cycle.

We’ve encountered again in our modern era.

And it’s something that we keep doing. It isn't just an American novel in that regard. It’s something that’s happening world-wide.

Fitzgerald was very much commenting on society and human nature and the great

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___________________________________________________________________________ pursuit of wealth. And it’s a timeless novel in that regard.”

Well, the timeless novel has now become a timeless film. Go and see The Great

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Gatsby in cinemas now. It’s the kind of film that needs to be seen on the big one, and enjoy another great performance by one of the greatest actors of our generation.

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Gatsby Fashion

The premiere for the new feature film, the Great Gastby, took place at the Il Grande at Montecasino this month and a lot of people went out of their way to emulate the fabulous fashion seen in the film.

The film tells the tale of a man, Gatsby, played by Loenardo DiCaprio, who is a millionaire and throws huge parties at his mansion in Long Island. Told through the eyes of his neighbour, Nick Carraway, played by Tobey Maguire, the film tells the tale of a man obsessed with love and dreams and blindly following these things down, without thinking about the consequences.

At the premiere, sponsored by Elle magazine and Martini, with co-operation from Nu Metro cinemas, people dressed up in the 1920’s style.

The woman in short dresses, beads and feathers, and the guys in suits, hats, and even canes.

It was a fantastic evening, thoroughly enjoyed by everyone that arrived, and not just because they got to see the movie as well.

Check out the photos on the next few pages.

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Martini was at the event in force handing out cocktails

The venue provided the revellers with hats and boas for the photo booth they set up

Small tables and chairs were set up around the Il Grande with waiters on hand

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Some of the fashions on hand at the premiere

Feather boas, head dresses and feathers were the call of the day

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Even the men got in on the action dressing in suits, hats and some even carrying canes

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This month we see the sequel to the 2009 smash Star Trek reboot hit our screens, featuring one of the most feared Star Trek baddies there are. We chatted with Benedict Cumberbatch, the British acting playing the role, about being part of the Star Trek universe and working with director/producer J.J Abrams.

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he Star Trek universe has been going on for at almost fifty years now, and in that time they have had some uber bad guys. From the Klingon’s to the Borg to the Romulan’s to individual baddies in each episode, the antagonists in the Star Trek universe are too many to count, but there is one that stands out above the rest. One bad guy that if you ask any true Star Trek fan who is the biggest bad guy in the Star Trek universe, the one bad guy they need to bring back with the reboot that J.J Abrams has brought us, would say, and that bad

guy is back in the latest Star Trek film, Star Trek: Into Darkness.

The character to which I refer, and this is a spoiler alert for you that haven’t seen the film yet, is Khan, played

by Ricardo Montalban in the original TV series and the second feature film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and this time British actor Benedict Cumberbatch dons the mantle to play the genetically enhanced madman.

The film starts off with Cumberbatch’s character being called John Harrison, a spy working for Star Fleet who goes off the reservation and destroys a library, killing 40 people. He then attackes the top brass Off The Screen Magazine

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___________________________________________________________________________ at Star Fleet, sending Kirk, played again by Chris Pine, Spock, played again by Zachary Quinto, and the rest of the crew of the Enterprise after him, and straight to the Klingon home world.

We asked him what the appeal of the project was.

“When I first read the script I was completely hooked,” he says. “And the idea of working with J.J after the success of the first franchise. He’s such a smart witty and lovely guy to be around as well, but I thought just pinned every detail and flavour and tone of that first film, was judged so sublimely well.”

The first film, Star Trek, was J.J Abrams first foray into the world of Star Trek, and he did a great job, but even more so in this film. We asked Cumberbatch how he got involved in the project and how much about the character he was actually told.

“It was very speedy,” he tells us.

“Almost overnight. I got a call saying, ‘They are considering you to play the baddie in the new Star Trek film’, and I was, ‘As in the J.J Abrams franchise’, and they were like, ‘Yeah’. So I went, ‘Oo, nice. Can I see a script?’ No. Can I see…? No. Who am I playing? We can’t tell you.” He laughs at the absurdity of not being allowed to be told

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anything, but in this day if internet bloggers it’s the kind of thing that can ruin a film.

Though we broke the news back in January since imdb.com has had the information up since before that.

We asked him what it was like working on the Star Trek set with Abrams, and being part of the Star Trek universe, as vast as it is.

“It’s just absurdly good fun,” he says.

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___________________________________________________________________________ “It gets to the point sometimes where you… you don’t will it to be hard work, but you wonder sometimes that you’re really in your right to get paid for what you do. I mean it’s really good fun. The hours are crazy, but that’s just the way of doing a big film like this.

You just have to work until you get the day done.”

That day can go into the wee hours of the morning, especially since a lot of the

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scenes are night shoots. Shooting throughout the night. Not so glamorous, but the film looks wonderful at the end of the day.

Abrams is known for being open to the actors, giving them time to work through their respective processes to get the best out of them. We asked Cumberbatch what his experience of working with the producer, slash director, slash writer, was like.

“J.J has great respect for actors and their process,” he affirms the rumours.

“So there’s always a time and a place for play, but also for serious concentration and getting on with the job, and it’s just a great mixture of dynamics to have on the set.”

Well, the play and work balance seemed to work very well, because what you’ve got is a fantastic Star Trek film. If you’re a fan of Star Trek you will love this film, it has all the aspects that made the first film in the reboot successful, but also a lot of the aspects that made the originals as big as they are. This one has the ability to become the next big film in the Star Trek franchise, and Cumberbatch is wonderful as the updated version of one of the biggest bad guys in feature film history, but I’ll let you judge for yourself. Check out Star Trek: Into Darkness, on screens now.

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His Girlfriends Back

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This month sees a familiar face coming back to one of the most successful franchises of all time when Michele Rodriguez returns to Fast and Furious 6. We chatted to her about returning to the franchise and the insane stunts that entailed.

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n the first Fast and Furious film Dominic Toretto, played by Vin Diesel, was very much in love with Letty Ortiz, played by Michele Rodriguez.

They’d been high school sweet hearts and had done everything together, race together, virtually live together, even hijack trucks together, but after they almost got busted, and almost died, Dom ran off to parts unknown and so did Letty, until Brian O’Connor, played by Paul Walker, by now an FBI agent asked her to go undercover to try and flush out a drug dealer.

She agreed, but the job got her killed, bringing Dom back and

reuniting him with Brian, an unsteady alliance at first, but ending up with Brian becoming his brother-in-law and the father to his nephew.

This month sees the release of the latest instalment of the franchise, and the return of the once thought of as dead, Letty, only this time she’s not on Dom’s side.

In fact she’s the enemy.

“I love it,” she says. “You know what my favourite part about it is? Me and Vin definitely do not fall under that category of your typical pretty boy and pretty girl, you know what I mean?

We’re pretty gritty.

We’re as gritty as it gets actually,” she laughs.

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___________________________________________________________________________ with him so much. It’s a chemistry. It’s also a thirteen year relationship and that’s something that comes across on that screen.”

There is certainly a lot of chemistry between the two of them in this film, whether it’s the two of them talking or in their cars, and yes the cars have a major role as they do in all the Fast films. The film is also heavy on the action, with a lot of gun play included this time around, but at the heart of it this film comes down to Dom searching for the love of his life.

“That age old story of having a love lost,” she says.

“And getting it back, it’s pretty damn powerful. I think it holds it all together.

I think it’s kind of the glue that weaves in all the most magnanimous action which I think is the biggest thing about Fast and Furious 6 that hasn’t been seen in the franchise before.”

Of course the film isn’t just about the love story, otherwise it wouldn’t be a Fast film. The stunts are amazing.

“You’re just like, ‘Really? A frickin tank dude?

Flipping over?

Stop it,” she laughs. “’He did not just fly from one side of…

Isn’t there a three story drop in between, you

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know?” Is he leaping over that? He did not just swing his car to leap over that, catch her in mid-air and slam into…’ There’s some serious stuff, and the Antonov sequence is pretty sick. The second unit guys are just frickin incredible. They’ve done such a great job. I really wish I was in another line of work when I watch the footage and I get to see all

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___________________________________________________________________________ the stuff blowing up and the leaping and the flying, that’s why I got into the business was because I thought it would be so cool to do these things that if you did them in real life it would be against the law.”

And there are a bunch of those. The Antonov she refers to is a huge aeroplane that gets blown up in the film, the rest we won’t

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say, you’ll need to watch the film, but we will say the stunt she’s referring to took our breath away. Another cool stunt that Rodriguez gets to do in the film is hand to hand fighting, and not with just anyone, with former professional MMA fighter turned actor Gina Carano.

“I want this to be gritty man,” she tells us about the fight. “I want to respect all those tom boys out there who want that integrity in the fight.

We don’t have a lot of girl fights, at all, I mean I could name probably twenty, thirty movies where you have amazing guy fights, bar fights and cowboy gun fights, and just great action. I think the closest we come I could count it with one hand, you know, you’ve got like a Kill Bill, or it’s a girl against a guy and she kicks him in the nuts, you know what I mean? But girl on girl man, that’s some cool stuff. We could really do something amazing with that.

So we tried to milk it as much as possible and I hope we did it justice.”

It is a really gritty, smack down fight in which both parties get whipped.

Of course because Carano has the fighting back ground it looks real.

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Like they’re really kicking each other’s asses.

“We wanted to make it as real as possible,” she continues about the fight. “So the idea was creating a dynamic where I’m all about survival, and she’s all technique. So you could see that my will is all fight or flight, and I’ll do anything, I’ll bite, I’ll scratch, I’ll kick, I’ll find something on the floor and hit you with it, whatever it takes to get out of there, which I think is more primal, more real for the Letty character, than standing there and be like, ‘Bring it’, you know, I’m not a fighter, you know what I mean? I’m not dumb.”

She laughs, but she has a point, going head to head with an ex-champion MMA may not be the best idea in the world. If you want to see the fight, and the cars, and the action sequences then go and catch Fast and Furious 6 on screen nationwide right now and see Dom’s girlfriend kick ass, and get her ass kicked at the same time.

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On Patrol

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Buddy cop comedy Blitz Patrollie hits our screen this month. Jon Broeke chatted to star Joey Radien about his role in the film and taking it to the Cannes Film Festival.

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outh African films are branching out from the traditional Karoo or AIDS stories that we’re normally making. The Afrikaans films are doing very well with the release of Verraaiers and Die Wonderwerker and English filmmakers are pushing the envelope by trying their hands at thrillers, such as Sleepers Wake. This month they try their hands at the buddy cop genre with the release of the film Blitz Patrollie.

Written by Kagiso Lediga and directed

by Andrew Wessels, the film stars David Kau as Ace Dikolobe and Joey Rasdien as Rummy Augustine. I recently chatted to Rasdien on the phone about the role and he told me about his character.

“He’s just this guy who’s got a family,” he told me. “He’s abused by his mother-in-law and he’s trying to make ends meet. He’s partners with this guy Ace Dikolobe who thinks he can take over the world. He’s a normal guy, trying to feed his family by being a policeman.”

This normal policeman finds himself in the middle of a firestorm when he and his partner bust an Indian drug lord, played by Santhiran Moonsamy, only to lose the drugs.

Worse than that they have an assassin running around the city killing people with half bricks, and a government minister might be involved in the whole thing. A lot of the film takes place in the police car with Kau and

Rasdien being in close proximity a lot of the time. It wasn’t a chore though.

“We’re friends,” Radien told me about his relationship with Kau. “We’ve known each other for long, like ten years. We started out on the Pure Monate Show, all of us, like ten years ago. So it’s not like a train smash working together.”

When he says all of us he means all of us.

Himself, Kau, writer Lediga, as well as other actors in the film Chris Forrest and David Kibuuka, but he didn’t get involved because of his acting on the Pure Monate Show.

“No, not really,” he tells me when I ask. “Kagiso Lediga wrote the movie for us, because he’s known us for so long, so he wrote the movie for us, for me and David. Not a movie for us specifically, a movie with us in mind to play the characters.”

Being such great friends Lediga knew exactly what he wanted. The film is about police so obviously there is gun play involved, as well as several other stunts. One especially interesting one sees Kau standing on the ledge of a three story building in his underwear, with a gun. I asked Rasdien what kind of training they underwent to use the weapons in the film, which include hand guns, AK-47’s and sniper rifles.

“We went for gun training,” he says.

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“It’s not about image,” he says. “It’s about having a body of work you can be proud of.

So hopefully there will be roads I can go, and this will be part of that body of work so when I retire, when I’m old, I can be proud.”

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___________________________________________________________________________ shoot all those things. So we went for proper training. There was also always a gunsmith on set all the time just too re-fresh our memories.”

Another big part of the stunts was the driving, which Radien did the most of, and he didn’t need training for that.

“No, no, no, I drive bakgat,” he tells me, and it shows in the film.

The film travelled to Cannes this month as one of the three official South African entries into the festival. This isn’t the first time Rasdien has been part of the festival, having attended before for Bunny Chow, which was made back in 2006 and a script called Umbrella Men. I asked him how the international audiences reacted to our South Africa films.

“It depends what type of film it is,” he tells me.

“There’s room for everything. There’s room for a Black Swan and there’s room for Talladega Nights, so in the same building you’ll have The Great Gatsby and next to Great Gatsby you’ll have Adam

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Sandler’s new movie, but none of them is going to win something, but because they’re in the market people buy it to show it in their countries. It’s not a competition, we’re not in competition. We’re in the market, so the international audiences want to see good hearted, light hearted, entertaining stories

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___________________________________________________________________________ from South Africa, not heavy hearted AIDS films and such, no, they don’t want to see that, because the Brazilian people produce films like that, South Korea there’s movies like that, they want light hearted stuff. You know the most successful movies are the fun, enjoyable movies, not the Oscar winning

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movies. The general public they want to be entertained.”

That’s exactly the way he wants the audience here at home to take the film as well, as entertainment.

“We’re not trying to win an Oscar,” he says. “We’re not trying to make a movie that will compete with Material in terms of winning a SAFTA, no, we’re trying to give people entertainment, that’s why Schuster was so successful because he knows how to entertain people. You can say what you want to, but he’s successful and he’s a legend because he understands how to entertain the masses.”

Rasdien has made a name for himself acting in films like Blitz Patrollie, as well as doing stand-up comedy for which he has become a bit of a house hold name, but word is that he’s looking for more serious roles. I asked him if that’s true.

“Not actually,” he answers, rather not committedly.

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and White Pipes, which was quite serious, that was a proper serious movie about gangsterism on the Cape Flats. That movie did well. I don’t know. I just take it as it comes.

I’ve been offered some other roles, but I didn’t like it, so I didn’t take it.”

He is, however, focused on what he wants from his career.

“It’s not about image,” he says. “It’s about having a body of work you can be proud of. So hopefully there will be roads I can go, and this will be part of that body of work so when I retire, when I’m old, I can be proud. So Dollars and White Pipes, Material, Blitz Patrollie, all those movies I can be proud of them because they’re good movies.”

Catch Blitz Patrollie at cinemas now.

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It’s Only Logical

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This month Zachary Quinto returns to our screen as the Vulcan Spock in Star Trek: Into Darkness.

We chatted to him about the new film and the iconic role.

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lot of people were sceptical when they cast Zachary Quinto as Spock in J.J Abrams reboot of Star Trek, but he more than proved himself by creating his own version of the logical, attempting to be unfeeling, but not always succeeding, alien that is relied on by the entire crew of the Enterprise, but he did spend most of his time arguing with Chris Pine’s Kirk. In the sequel to the 2009 epic Quinto reprises his role as the Vulcan, but this time he has a lot more substance to his role.

The film follows the crew of the Enterprise as they chase down a man, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, who has killed forty or so Star Fleet members with a bomb and then wiped out most of the top brass at Star Fleet as well. The crew, led by Kirk, then go on a vengeance mission after the man, but they all have their doubts about what they’re doing, Spock especially.

We asked him how he approaches a character with the popularity of Spock.

“It’s a real honour, I think,” he tells us.

“For me to inhabit a character who is so widely regarded as a beacon of intelligence and logic and compassion. Spock teaches me, every time, whenever I come into contact with him, whether it’s through playing him or through my interactions with Leonard, that integrity is one of things that is most important, I think, as we get older, as we go through our lives, and I think being a part of the Star Trek franchise, particularly under J.J’s direction, has taught me a lot about integrity, and a lot about its value, and a lot about its power, and, you know, and also to laugh, also to know that at the end of the day hopefully people enjoy what we’re making.”

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___________________________________________________________________________ Abrams who is at the helm again of this film.

We asked Quinto about the characters, and the humanity the Abrams beings to them.

“J.J’s obviously such an incredibly gifted director and story teller,” he says. “And I think a big part of that has to do with the emphasis he places on humanity and character, and so, I think it’s what sets him apart in a lot of ways. He doesn’t just do things by the books, and that’s one of things that draws me to him as an actor and also as an audience member of his projects and his stories.”

Abrams is best known for the first film in the Star Trek reboot, but also for his TV work, with Alias, Lost and Alcatraz, as well as the features Super 8 and Cloverfield, just to name a few. Any science fiction movie is only as good as the costumes and sets the character get to play on, and Abrams is known for creating some of the best of both for his features.

We asked Quinto what he thought about them for the sequel.

“What Scott Chandlis is able to create is incredibly rich and multi-dimensional

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environments for us to play in and be supported by,” he tells us. “The ships that he builds. The Enterprise itself, but then also the volcano set that they built and the stuff that they just made happen out of nothing. And then Michael Caplan, who is such a visionary and so much integrity in his work. For us, as

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___________________________________________________________________________ actors, it really becomes about, like, fabric is the word I think about. It’s like how much fabric to we have to stitch together our performances and our understanding of the world that we’re in, and when you’re in a sci-fi story and so much is ultimately left to the imagination, the more practical, tangible

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things we have to work with, the more beneficial. And with those guys it’s really just tons and tons to work with. It’s really pretty remarkable.”

In the first film we discovered that Spock and Uhura, played by Zoe Saldana, are in a relationship. Something that didn’t exist in the original films.

The relationship is still going strong, though it goes through a bit of a rough patch in the film, and Saldana reprises her role. We asked Quinto what she’s like to work with.

“Such and angel is Zoe Saldana,” he says. “I mean she’s got such an openness and such a vulnerability on camera, and yet such a strength. She can kick ass with the best of them, and yet she can really, really soften and open up in a way that is magnetising, whether you’re here,” he motions towards himself as a fellow actor. “Or watching it on screen, it’s got a real power to it, and she’s just familial love. I love her, we’ve known each other for years and it’s great to come back to that kind of familiarity, especially when you’re working with such intimacy.”

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___________________________________________________________________________ Urban as Bones, Anton Yelchin as Chekov and Simon Pegg as Scotty. Of course Spock wouldn’t be Spock without a Captain James T. Kirk to play against, and Chris Pine has done a wonderful job of becoming the young Kirk. He’s back in this film and we asked Quinto about playing next to him.

“The great thing about working with Chris is that we really check in with each other, creatively and personally,” he says.

“We’ve both gone through a lot of stuff since the first movie came out and it’s been really nice to be able to connect with him about that and bring it to our work together. There’s an implicit trust and I think something that happened to both of us in this film, is that we both came to realise the impact that being a

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part of this franchise is going to have, not only on our careers, but on our lives. It’s always a blast. He’s an incredibly hard working actor.

He’s enormously talented. He’s very serious about what he’s doing and he’s enormously, enormously talented, and able to bring the bravado of this character and also the complexity of this character to life in a really exciting way.”

If you want to see Pine as Kirk and Quinto’s Spock battling their biggest foe ever go and see Star Trek: Into Darkness, showing in cinemas right now.

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Durban FilmMart – Selected Projects Announced

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ighteen projects by African filmmakers have been selected for the finance forum of the Durban FilmMart (DFM) which takes place from July 19 to 22 during the 34th Durban International Film Festival (July 18 to 28).

The Durban FilmMart, which is a coproduction, finance market, and filmmakers networking event, is a joint programme of the Durban Film Office (DFO) and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF). The event, an important event on the South African film calendar, is an opportunity for filmmakers, financiers and top film experts to gather and share expertize, explore new ventures and keep up to date with industry trends.

The finance forum of the DFM provides filmmakers from across Africa an opportunity to pitch their projects to international financiers, distributors, sales agents and potential co-producers, as well as meet experts in master classes, attend meetings and engage with industry professionals.

“The Durban FilmMart, which attracted around 350 delegates last year, is now firmly established as a prominent project development and finance forum on the continent,” said Toni Monty of the Durban Film Office, who is currently at Cannes to promote the DFM. “We are pleased that the filmmakers are now looking to this market as a valuable step in the development of their projects.”

A total of 113 submissions, comprising 31 documentaries and 82 features were

received, out of which eight documentaries and 10 fiction projects were selected. A Reader Panel of African and international film professionals assessed these projects and made the selection based on a number of standard criteria. The directors and producers of these projects will have one-on-one meetings with potential investors and coproducers at the Finance Forum.

“Making film is not simple process.

Months and years of planning go into developing concepts and projects. The DFM allows filmmakers an opportunity to unpack and investigate financing possibilities for their projects and it can provide the momentum to shift projects to the next level.” says Peter Machen, the manager of the DIFF. “We look forward to seeing how the DFM paves the way for further opportunities for these African filmmakers.”

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___________________________________________________________________________ Selected Documentaries Blindness (South Africa): Directed by Sarah Ping Nie Jones and produced by Jean Meeran Behind the Falls (South Africa): Directed by Rowan Pybus and produced by Sydelle Willow Smith Miners Shot Down (South Africa): Directed/Produced by Rehad Desai, produced/written and co-directd by Anita Khanna and produced by Brian Tilley Not Just a Stripper (South Africa): Directed and produced by Izette Mostert GTI – Paradise in Hell (Rwanda): Directed and produced by Yves Montand Searching for Janitou (Algeria): Directed by Mohamed el Amine Hattou and produced by Anusha Nandakumar and co-produced by Claire Mazeau-Karoum Unearthed (South Africa): Directed and produced by Jolynn Minnaar We Want Development (Kenya): Directed by Phillipa Ndisi-Hermann and produced by Atieno Odenyo Selected Fiction Projects Andani and the Mechanic (South Africa): Directed and produced by Sara Blecher Black Sunshine (Ghana): Directed by Akosua Adoma Owusu and co-produced by Julio Chavezmontes and Angele Diabang

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Five Fingers for Marseilles (South Africa): Directed and produced by Michael Matthews and written and produced by Sean Drummond Free the Town (Kenya): Directed by Nikyatu Jusu and produced by Vincho Nchogu Life More or Less (Nigeria): Directed by Julius Morno and produced by Kinsley Madueke Njangi- Fifty Fifty (Cameroon): Directed and produced by Victor Viyuoh Sea Monster (South Africa): Directed by Anthony Silverston and co-produced

by Stuart Forrest and Mike Buckland Solidarity (Zambia): Directed by Rungano Nyoni and produced by Juliette Grandmont The Bill (South Africa): Directed by Nosipho Dumisa and produced by Travis Taute Whiplash (South Africa): Directed by Meg Rickards and produced by Jacky Lourens The 4th edition of the Durban FilmMart takes place from 19-22 July 2013, during the 34th edition of the DIFF (18-28 July 2012). Filmmakers who did not submit projects for official selection can still register as delegates for the event and enjoy the expert panels, master classes and networking opportunities. Registration will officially open on June 6, 2013. For more information or to register go to www.durbanfilmmart.com

Above far left: Producer Director Sara Blecher, Above: Director Nikyatu Jusu, far left: Producer Julio Chavezmontes, left: Producer Kingsley Madueke

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Jonathan with Angela Killian who stars with him in Sunset Boulevard Photo courtesy of Suzy Bernstein

From the Wings ______________________ Feature

A Seriously Funny Man

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From the Wings ______________________ Feature Stage star Jonathan Roxmouth stars in his own show this month at the Pieter Toerien Theatre at Montecasino, Hats Off. Jon Broeke sat down with him to discuss the show, his other work and his love of comedy.

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aving won an award at the 2013 Naledi’s and coming off a successful season in A Handful of Keys with Ian Von Memerty, Jonathan Roxmouth now hits the stage in a second season of a show that he, and director Alan Swerdlow, created together, Hats Off, before he hits the stage in Sunset Boulevard.

The show is a celebration of the music and jokes of British born satirists Michael Flanders and Donald Swann. I sat down with him at the Cobblestone Pub opposite the Pieter Toerien Theatre at Montecasino and asked him to tell me, in his own words, what it was about the music of Flanders and Swann that made him want to create a show about their music.

“Basically I grew up with Flanders and Swann, as I think three other people in South Africa did,” he laughs. “But they pioneered the idea of British absurd humour. They were before Monty Python, they were before Tom Lehrer, in America, and basically they satirised the current events with metaphor, with funny stories, with parody, all that sort of thing.

What Gilbert and Sullivan did, but for a modern audience with a completely modern twist. The type of music that they played was slightly rumpty-tumpty, but it has a bite to it, and it certainly resonates with an audience. I just looked at the material and, it’s not that

it’s only still relevant, it’s also quite catchy, I mean, The Gnu, The Hippopotamus song, Design for Living , all of these songs they kind of picked up where [Noel] Coward left off.”

Noel Coward was a satirist working in London a few years before Flanders and Swann started performing. The show originally staged back in 2010 and Roxmouth feels that it was the perfect time to start.

“I just thought it was time,” he tells me.

“Because I firmly believe that everything old is new again, and if you leave things long enough they seem like a brand new idea, and it seemed like the perfect time, because when we did the show originally, it was 2010, so we had the World Cup, so the microscope was on us, and I thought it was the perfect time for audiences to go, ‘Well, let’s analyse that as well’. So we put in songs, we re-wrote some lyrics, we changed songs, we adapted them in such a way, I hate the word accessible because that denotes that the audience needs to be dumbed down too, and that’s nonsense. What we did was we explained why it was still relevant, just by performing it, and it’s a mix of absurdist humour. The way I liken it is that if you have Da Vinci next door, you have Salvador Dali upstairs, that’s the best way I can describe it.”

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From the Wings ______________________ Feature The re-writes include some cutting South African audience, who’s comedy commentary into the politics and other stylings are in tune with Leon Schuster, or the aspects of our country. This was something Hangover films, are relating to the humour in that Roxmouth wanted. the songs.

“Audiences have given over to the “We have an essentially British sense idea of absurdist humour,” he explains. of humour,” he says. “Because of the past. We “Because there’s not much of it at the were a colony for a while, so there’s still moment, and we need it, because we have remnants of that. Also I feel with television, enough material to poke fun at, and we do. For instance we have a song called The Reluctant Cannibal, and it’s about a young man telling his dad that he doesn’t want to continue the old ways of the world and he’d like to try his luck at other things, and we do it with ANC colours, and it goes,” he makes a popping sound. “And the audience goes, ‘Oh, I think I know what this is’, and they feel like they’re in on the joke, which is empowering for an audience, because it’s wonderful, and we don’t at any time profess to being ground breaking, we just profess to being completely silly, and they’re loving it, so far.”

The show is very British, with a lot of the songs being sang by the performers in fake British accents. I asked him how the Jonathan with Angela Killian who stars with him in Sunset Boulevard Photo courtesy of Suzy Bernstein Off The Screen Magazine

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From the Wings ______________________ Feature stuff like Downtown Abbey, the BBC channel, we’re very much into that because there’s a sense of class to that. So we are still there, I mean we do the show in smoking jackets,” at which point I tell Roxmouth that I, in fact, saw the show the previous night. “Well, you’ve seen then in the audience that in the beginning they just start laughing because it’s

such a strange juxtaposition. You’ve got these two young guys, essentially, enjoying being old men for a while, in one aspect. Then you look at the set and it’s completely crazy, with the paintings,” which are classics like The Mona Lisa but with her head replaced with a hippopotamus’ head. “I think because it’s so bizarre, it’s new. To me it’s got a freshness to it we found again doing the second run, and when we say popular demand, we mean popular demand for a change. It’s not just a marketing line, it’s true. People asked for it back, and that for me was huge. For an artist in South Africa in 2013 to have his work appreciated and asked for again is massive. Louis [Zurnamer] and I have a unique chemistry, because I sort of have a reputation for being two handers.

I prefer two handers because it strips everything away and makes a big difference.”

Zurnamer is taking the place of Swerdlow in this run of the show.

Swerdlow is currently overseas with another show.

This show has a strong comedy aspect. I asked Roxmouth about walking the line between comedy and musical.

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From the Wings ______________________ Feature “It’s ironic,’ he tells me. “My first show was Gaston, Beauty and the Beast, so I was known as the funny guy, then suddenly, Jesus Christ Superstar happened and everybody went,” he drops his mouth open, feigning surprise. “Wait a second, what’s this all about? Then I did Phantom, which is melodrama, very heartfelt stuff, there’s not a laugh to be had. It was a beautiful show. Now I’m the funny guy again. I like to shake things up, because I industry is such that you have to be versatile, and if you’re versatile, then you can work. I’m not being boxed, because once you’re boxed then you don’t work and I have a lot on offer that I still want to do that you have to push boundaries and break the mould every now and again. Which is why I went from Phantom, into Topsy Turvey, into Noel and Gertie, into Handful, into Flanders and Swann. I never do the same thing twice.

Handful was a strong musical show, this is strong comedy show, and not just a comedy show, and absurdist comedy show, it’s an acquired humour. I think it’s important to try new things, otherwise you don’t grow, and

stagnation is the biggest danger to our profession. As soon as you get comfortable, you get lazy, and you don’t deliver and you throw your name away.”

With all the shows he’s done, and the ones he’s working on doing at the moment, I asked him if there is any show he would really like to do. His immediate response is Les Miserables, but since we decide that this is a show that every person working in musicals wants to do, he needs to pick again.

“I think Singing in the Rain would be wonderful,” he answers after thinking about it. “They’ve just done a new production in London, I saw it. Beautiful, and just light hearted, not to put my work down, I would love to do a fluffy musical again.”

This would fit well into his tap dance training, something he did at high school for a production they did there, and he can still do it, demonstrating on the stage during Hats Off. IF you want to see him dance, sing and just be plain silly for the fun of it, see him in Hats Off running at the Pieter Toerien Studio Theatre at Montecasino.

Jonathan with Ian Von Memerty in A Handful of Keys

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From the Wings _____________ Theatre Review

The Greatest Love of All: The Whitney Houston Show At the Mandela at the Joburg Theatre

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here has been a flurry of tribute shows lately at the Joburg Theatre. From Kenny Wizz’s Michael Jackson to Joseph Clark’s Queen Experience the greatest bands and musicians are being remembered on the stage. This month it’s Whitney Houston’s turn and I’ve got to say this show is just as good as the others.

Performing as Houston is Belinda Davids. The Port Elizabeth born singer has been performing the songs of her idol since she was a little girl, but also has a career of her own. She walks on the stage to celebrate the life of one of the best singers the entertainment world has ever known, as well as one of the biggest divas, though that side of it is not shown. The show itself is simply a concert of Houston’s most popular songs. From the ones that made her famous, namely The Greatest Love of All, I Want to Dance With Somebody (Somebody That Love Me), to her latest hits before her untimely death, It’s Not Right, But it’s Okay, and of course the true hits of her career, the songs that made up the

soundtrack to the feature film that won her an Oscar, The Bodyguard, Queen of the Night, I Have Nothing, and the Dolly Parton Penned, smash hit, I Will Always Love You, the show really is a celebration of all the music that made Houston such a star, and as loved today as at the height of her career.

The entire show is performed in front of a live band, namely Richard Baker on guitar and vocals, also the musical director for the show, Nicholas McCreadie on drums, Steve Bennett on bass, Giles Tingey on keyboard and vocals, Dale Scheepers on keyboard, vocals and saxophone, Giselle Bouwer on vocals and Linidiwe Bungane on vocals. The band was predominantly South African as well with only Baker and Tingey hailing from overseas, from Australia and Canada respectively.

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From the Wings _____________ Theatre Review ‘Taekwondo’ Seabi. All four did good jobs, but the boys outshone the girls. I just wish they’d been allowed to cut loose a little more with their breakdancing, which was very good, but only touched upon in the show.

The highlight of the show was Davids.

From the moment she walked on the stage, performing I’m Every Woman, you could have been excused for thinking Houston was there herself. She looks like her, she sounds like her, and she has a similar presence that Houston had one stage. At one stage a screen drops behind Davids while a projection of Houston performing I Have Nothing on stage in a red dress is shown on the screen and Davids wears a similar dress, singing the song. It was a remarkable moment and had the crowd on their feet screaming and shouting. This was the consensus for the show. A get out of your seat and dance around experience with amazing singing and incredible music.

If you’re a fan of Houston in any way shape or form then you should go and see this concert and keep the memory of one of our most loved, and most dearly missed, divas alive.

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From the Wings _________________ Theatre Review

An audience with Pieter Dirk Eish At the Theatre on the Square By Annette Bayne

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t was a chilly Tuesday night when I nipped into the now Auto and General Theatre on the Square. Tuesday doesn’t generally strike you as a theatre-going night and even the vibe in the restaurants surrounding the Square could best be described as low-key, better yet empty.

But the theatre was full, in fact there wasn’t a seat to be had, a common factor in this run, I am told.

Perhaps it speaks to the theatrical mastery of Pieter Dirk Uys or our need, as South Africans to laugh out loud at things that we can’t say, sometimes even fear to think. For over forty years Uys has been saying the things that have put many people in jail. He was banned, but still his voice was heard, albeit covertly. He has written over twenty plays and numerous books including his autobiography and that of alter-ego Evita Bezuidenhout. So the full house was hardly surprising, but perhaps this particular work An Audience with Pieter Dirk Eish was.

For one it was personal, far more intimate, Uys has always been personal, outspoken, camp and usually channelling anger at the political or social situation into satirical comedy. His views are strongly his own, except maybe those of Evita, who I think has been allowed her space in the lime light for so long, she even surprises Uys occasionally.

There is very little to the set – numbered boxes and Uys, dressed in only black, with a touch of eyeliner he seems a little more vulnerable than usual, particularly with the house lights up.

Uys talks about his life, his love of the stage and of course his politics and we are given an array of the characters that have become synonymous with his career, as well as a banana masqueradin g as penis in a snippet of his powerful aids awareness programme.

The show is dependent on the audience, they choose the box in which one of his many characters or stories is hidden. By this logic, one may go to the show and not even see Evita. This got me wondering whether Uys employed Derren Brown mind techniques in how he organised his boxes and bags on stage, certain boxes seem bound to be picked, but what would an Uys show be without Evita or Desmond Tutu for that matter?

Every show is different, the order of our show was such that Uys seemed to be putting on and taking off lipstick in almost every scene of the show. By the time the performance ended I think he needed a good dollop of make-up remover to get rid of the smears around his mouth. Luck was on our side as the show ended on such a high note in a celebration of the man

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From the Wings _________________ Theatre Review “who proves that practice makes perfect – the more you practice humanity, the more perfect you become” – The Arch – Desmond Tutu.

Uys has beef with the ANC government, but it is not just the ANC, it is tyrants in general (his portrait of Grace Mugabe was chilling!) And he certainly gave the Nats a run for their dirty money! There must be something about wearing a dress, which has allowed Uys to straddle the dangerous waters of politics.

Although he teased the audience about keeping their cell phones on so that they can google what they don’t understand or know about, for the most part his commentary was

current. I got the sense that Uys is disappointed in the ANC and maybe even the “new” South Africa; there was delightful story about Winnie Mandela, in the very early days of the ANC government and Uys tells it with a disillusioned nostalgia that I didn’t sense in some of the other stories. That’s not say he wasn’t funny – that goes without say! But I wonder what the audience were laughing at, the material “that writes itself”? Were they in agreement with Uys? Or hiding their discomfort at how closely he touches the truth with a lick of lipstick and a wig or two.

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Hats Off At the Pieter Toerien Studio Theatre at Montecasino

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or years comedy and song have gone hand in hand. From the songs of Spike Lee to our very own Deep Fried Man people have always put funny lyrics to their songs to make a joke.

That is exactly what the new show at the Pieter Toerien Studio Theatre, Hats Off, is all about.

The show, brainchild of Jonathan Roxmouth and Alan Swerdlow, features the songs of two British born satirists, Michael Flanders and Donald Swann, very popular in

the 1950’s and 60’s, and the songs are odd and peculiar and, above all else, very, very funny.

The show opens with the two stars Roxmouth and in this case Louis Zurnamer, coming onto the stage to play the hits of Flanders and Swann. They then proceed to do just that, play their records on a grammar phone, but when the second record is broken they need to get on the piano and play, which they take turns doing, very well, each time changing hats with each number. The hats Off The Screen Magazine

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From the Wings _____________ Theatre Review vary from top hats, to bowlers, to a pot with a flower velcro’d to the top and a bee hive, with a ridiculously large plush bee attached. It is all a little surreal, and delightful at the same time.

The stage is cluttered with a baby grand piano standing in the middle, and a bunch of sundry props standing around, including the multitude of hats that are used in the show. The only other props that are used, besides a smoking chair and a bell on the piano, are the voices of the two performers, and they make full use of those instruments. From straight singing to putting on the British accents, to, almost, female voices, they move seamlessly through an array of increasingly infantile, but thoroughly amusing songs.

The thing that makes this show so good is the comedy. Roxmouth and Zurnamer

both, but particularily Roxmouth, are wonderful straight men. They both have a knack for telling a joke with a simple look, or a gesture, not needing to go overboard and make it silly, instead they teeter on the edge of idiocracy for the entire show, but never cross over. Well, almost never, but when you’re singing about an imaginary animal called a G’Nu, there’s a little idiocracy attached.

This show is about the ludicrous, and if you enjoy that type of thing then you’ll enjoy it and have a good laugh. Or, on the other hand, if you’re in your sixties and know the songs, like the entire audience when I saw it, then you’ll get even more out of it. It’s funny, and insane and complete fun.

If you missed it at the Pieter Toerien theatre then you can catch them at the Theatre on the Bay in Cape Town from June 25th.

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Feature Review

An Old Adversary Returns

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Feature Review

The sequel to the 2009 smash Star Trek reboot hits our screens this month with Star Trek: Into Darkness.

We went along to the cinema to see if it matches up to the original and the original franchise or if it should have stayed in the darkness.

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tar Trek returns to our screens this month with the release of the second film in the new rebooted franchise, Star Trek: Into Darkness.

Bringing back the cast from the first film in the reboot, this film offers a bigger storyline, bigger special effects, and a bad guy that trekkies will recognise.

After a semi-successful mission to a planet inhabited by people just starting out on their evolutionary path, Captain James T. Kirk, played again

by Chris Pine, finds himself demoted and suspended from commanding the Enterprise, his ship.

Spock, played again

by Zachary Quinto, is placed on another ship, after turning Kirk in, and the two have their friendship tested, even though Spock is still not entirely sure they are friends. Everything changes though when a library in London is destroyed in a terrorist bombing by a Star Fleet spy named John Harrison, played

by Benedict Cumberpatch, and then the top commanders of Star Fleet are attacked by the same man, ending in the death of Captain Pike, played again by Bruce Greenwood, Kirk’s former commander and his mentor. Kirk

Feature Review

takes it badly and finds an ally in Admiral Marcus, played by Peter Weller, who gives Kirk back the Enterprise with one mission: Travel to Kronos, the home world of the Klingon’s, where Harrison is hiding, and destroy him using new state of the art proton missiles. Kirk takes Spock back as his executive officer and the two, along with the rest of the

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____________________________________________________________________ crew of the Enterprise head off to complete the mission, even though they all have doubts. But as soon as soon as they reach the planet things start to go wrong and they realise that there is more going on then they realise, and that the man they’re searching for may not be the enemy. Or he may be the most dangerous adversary any Enterprise has

Feature Review

ever faced.

I absolutely loved this film. The effects are better than the first film in the reboot, the story is true to the Star Trek universe. I loved that especially. I found the first film, even though they had Leonard Nimoy, who cameos in this film too, as the original Spock, I found it was too far removed from the original universe. I know they did that to create a new world so they could reboot the franchise, and it worked, but with this film they’ve incorporated aspects from the previous Star Trek films that will make any die-hard Star Trek fan, and there are a lot of them out there, happy. I’m not going to give too much away, but the bad guy is a real bad guy, and one of the most recognised Star Trek bad guys ever, but that’s all I’ll say. Also the almost penultimate scene has aspects from the original third film, only different. It was a really clever piece of screen writing. In essence this is a new Star Trek that keeps true with the originals, which will make the fans happy. A truly enjoyable ride which gets a 10/10.

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Feature Review

It’s All About the Party

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Feature Review

This month Baz Luhrmann’s new film, The Great Gatsby, hits our screens. We went along to the cinema to see if he does the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic justice, or if it’s just a flash in the pan.

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he Great Gatsby has been made into a film no less than five times, and has starred some of Hollywood’s greatest talent. From the 1926 version, made only a year after the book was published and starring Warner Baxter and Louise Wilson, to the most famous 1974 version starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow, it has been a successful film at the box office every time, and this time the latest version directed by Australian Baz Luhrmann and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Carrey Mulligan is not going to be any different, already doing very well in the United States.

Written by F. Scott Fitzgerald back in 1925, the film tells that tale of Nick Carraway, played by Toby Maguire, a wanna-be writer who moves to New York to get his share of the American stock market madness of the 1920’s. He rents a small cottage next door to a huge mansion owned by a mysterious millionaire, Mr Jay Gatsby, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, who throws incredibly lavish parties that everyone attends, well almost everyone.

The one person who doesn’t attend the parties is Nick’s cousin, Daisy Buchanan, played by Carrey Mulligan, and her husband, Tom Buchanan, played by Joel Edgarton, and it turns out that she’s the one person that Gatsby really wants at the party. The truth comes out that Gatsby knew Daisy years

Feature Review

before and they fell in love, but due to circumstances they couldn’t be together and she, instead, married Tom, but Gatsby is still in love with her and trying to get her back in his life. Now Nick finds himself caught up in this insane love triangle between a man stuck in the past, a woman that’s too afraid to live

her life, and her husband who is not a very nice person. The plot unfolds against the unparalleled opulence of the rich in the 1920’s and ends in Shakespearean tragedy.

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___________________________________________________________________ A lot of people will say that the previous versions of this film are better, but that’s true of anything, isn’t it? The new version never really matches up to the old, but I never saw any of the previous versions of the film, or even read the book to be honest, so this film was my first array into the

world of Gatsby and I have to say, I was blown away. The story is really moving. From Gatsby’s naïve belief of regaining his past, to Daisy’s unrelenting self-preservation, to Tom’s just plain debauchery, the characters are vivid

Feature Review

and alive on the screen. I also love Nick, the outsider learning about these characters as we do, and trying his best to help them all, but failing miserably, eventually realizing that the only real one was Gatsby all along, the only one that hid who he actually was. It’s a great exploration into human nature.

The film itself is wonderful. It has all the bright, colourful, insanity that you expect from a Baz Luhrmann project. The parties are huge and loud and vibrant, with more than a little Moulin Rouge feel to them. I love the way that Luhrmann can have his huge scenes with singing and dancing and drinking and make them impossibly lavish, but then also have an intense focus on the drama that creates the story. He did the same thing in Moulin Rouge that worked so well, and it works just as well in this film.

He truly is a fantastic director. In terms of visuals nothing compares to the variance between Long Island, with its mansions, New York City, with its skyscrapers and huge buildings, and the coal dump in the middle. It’s a fantastic Off The Screen Magazine

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___________________________________________________________________ metaphor for the separation between the people as well, and impossible to miss.

Add to all this great performances by Maguire, DiCaprio and Mulligan. Maguire casts back to his Cider House Rules days as he gives a stellar performance. DiCaprio is at his best as a man unable to let go of the past and hiding from the truth inside his own naivety.

Mulligan is flighty and sweet and terrible all at the same time as the incredibly flawed Daisy. I didn’t like her very much, but you’re not supposed to.

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If you’ve liked the other versions of The Great Gatsby, I’m sure you will like this one. If you liked the other Baz Luhrmann films, you’ll love this one. IF you’ve never seen a Baz Luhrmann film or the Great Gatsby, this could be the starting point for you. I gave it a

10/10, because it is such a visual masterpiece.

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Film Reviews

360 6/10

Starring Jude Law, Rachel Weisz and Ben Foster Directed by Fernando Meirelles

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everal different stories merge to bring a vast array of different people into each other’s lives. A British woman (Rachel Weisz) is having an affair with a photographer, while her husband (Jude Law) is in Vienna meeting a prostitute (Gabriela Marcinkova), but the meeting doesn’t happen when he’s interrupted by some work colleagues. Meanwhile a French Muslim man is in love with a married Russian woman, who loves him back. She realises this while in America visiting friends, at an AA meeting, attended by a man (Anthony Hopkins) searching for his missing daughter, who met a

Brazilian woman on the plane, the girlfriend of the man having the affair. Meanwhile the Russian woman’s husband is working for his gangster boss and meets the prostitute’s sister.

All these stories meld together to create an interesting and compelling film. I loved the way the writer combined the stories in interesting and exciting ways, creating a world for the viewer, but I will be honest. The film doesn’t seem to go anywhere. It does a 360, ending the same way it began, you’ll need to watch it to understand that, but there’s no real point to it. The different plots run their course, from beginning to end, but nothing is resolved. It’s a bit of a head scratcher.

Shadow Dancer 7/10 Starring Clive Owen, Andrea Riseborough and Gillian Anderson Directed by James Marsh

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hen Colette McVeigh (Andrea Riseborough) is arrested for her activities as a member of the Irish Republican Army, she agrees to help British Intelligence agent Mac (Clive Owen) to find and arrest her fellow members in return for leaving her at home with her young son, but things don’t go according to plan when Mac discovers that his acquiring Colette as an asset was only a smoke screen to protect another asset British Intelligence already has inside the IRA. An agent that has been inside the

group for many years. An asset called Shadow Dancer.

This film shines a light on the IRA and the battle between them and the British. I was shocked at the almost Mafia mentality of the IRA. The lead characters, for instance, are members of the group due to the death of their little brother many years previously, and this death was the catalyst to their terrorist activities. They blame the British for his death so their work is vengeful, instead of freeing Ireland, which what they’re supposed to be about. This is a good film, with strong performances especially by Riseborough, who I didn’t like in Madonna’s W.E, but I like her in this, and Owens, who gives his, Owen-esque, performance again, which is always enjoyable.

If you’re interested in spy, or historical film, then you should enjoy this.

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Film Reviews

Blitz Patrollie 1/10

Starring Joey Rasdien, David Kau and Kagiso Lediga Directed by Andrew Wessels Written by Kagiso Lediga and starring the guys that bought the Pure Monate Show to South African TV screens, this film is basic buddy cop fodder, and it should be good.

Even the story sounds interesting. The hile intervening in a domestic problem is, it’s not good. In fact it’s rubbish. I dispute officers Rummy Augustine really didn’t like this film. I was hoping to (Joey Rasdien) and Ace Dikolobe laugh, and really wanted to, but instead I (David Kau) accidentally find themselves in a found myself staring at my watch, praying for house full of cocaine. They arrest the owner, the time to pass so I could leave and avoid Ellerine Naidoo (Santhiran Moonsamy) and traffic. The comedy is heavy handed and confiscate the drugs, but on the way to the forced, the acting is wooden and unbelievable evidence the driver of the truck is attacked. and the story, once the good section is over, Rummy and Ace don’t know this, but when sinks in annoyance and stupidity. I will say they try to book Ellerine, they discover all the that the cinematography and directing are drugs are gone and they have no evidence to good. The film looks lovely, but without any hold him. They are angry, but they think that’s content to speak of it may as well have been a the end of, far from the truth. They now find still motion picture. Another big themselves caught between Ellerine and his disappointment for South African cinema, and brothers, Jerry (Quentin Krog) and Deshi they’ve taken it to Cannes. I just shake my (Kaseran Pillay), a brick throwing assassin and head. a corrupt politician as they get deeper and deeper into trouble.

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A Haunted House 5/10

Starring Marlon Wayans, Marlene Forte and Essence Atkins Directed by Michael Tiddes on Malcolm, but neither can do anything.

Things get worse when the monster gets inside Kisha and they call on a priest (Cedric the Entertainer) to save her.

A spoof on the Paranormal Activity hen Malcolm (Marlon Wayans) franchise this is the lowest form of humour. asks his girlfriend, Kisha (Essence The jokes are crass and nasty, really below the Atkins) to move in with him, he’s belt the entire time. The story is stolen from actually really excited about it. What he the other films, but they turn the scary doesn’t know is that she’s not the only one moments into comedic relief. I will be honest moving in with them. As soon as she arrives that it has some funny moments that had me strange things begin to happen. Things move laughing. The moments when, in Paranormal on their own, there are strange noises in the Activity, the people would go investigate, middle of the night, and both have an uneasy these characters really don’t want to, and feel in the house. They ask for help, from a they make their feelings known. It’s a good security expert, Dan the security man (David laugh, but a lot of it is a little too much. If you Koechner) who also happens to be a ghost like the Wayans’ brand of comedy, think Scary hunter in his spare time, and Chip (Nick Movie, then you’ll love this. If not, steer clear.

Swardson), a very gay psychic who has a crush

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Film Reviews

Fast and Furious 6 9/10

Starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson Directed by Justin Lin Gibson) and Tej (Ludacris) as he tries to stop he fast and furious crowd are back, but Shaw and bring back Letty. this time they’re on the right side of the This film picks up from where Fast 5 law. When Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) ended. The group are rich and living happily, approaches Dom (Vin Diesel) to help him take but they come back to re-unit their family, by down a high jacker named Owen Shaw and his bringing back Letty, and they do it in an team of highly trained drivers, Dom wants awesome way. They film is bigger and badder nothing to do with it, until he finds out that and better than the ones before. The action is one of those drivers is Letty (Michelle more spectacular, the cars are faster and the Rodriguez), his girlfriend from The Fast and explosions are more furious. The acting is also the Furious, who was supposed to have died strong, and bringing back Rodriguez was a at the beginning of Fast & Furious, the fourth masterstroke. A highlight is the end where film in the franchise. Dom enlists the help of they set up for Fast and Furious 7, which is the rest of his team from Fast 5, Brian (Paul going to be epic. If you liked the other Fast Walker), now living with Mia (Jordana and Furious films, you’ll love this one. If you Brewster) and their baby boy, Jack, Han (Sung enjoy a good action flick then you’ll love this Kang), Gisele (Gal Gadot), Roman (Tyrese one. It’s a film any petrol head, or car junky should see. Really cool.

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Stand Up Guys 7/10 Starring Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin Directed by Fisher Stevens

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hen Val (Al Pacino) is released from prison after serving 28 years, he and his best friend, Doc (Christopher Walken), go on a night on the town to celebrate, including saving a damsel in distress, busting their old friend, Hirsch (Alan Arkin), out of an old age home and spending time with a couple of girls, one of them very special to Doc, but all through the night Doc has a secret. A job that he needs to

carry out before 10 AM the following morning, a job that concerns Val, and the reason he was in prison.

This is a good, crazy night film. Pacino and Walken are both wonderful in their roles.

It’s great to see two masters of their art just having a ball. Arkin is in the film for a very short time, but he steals the show in every scene he’s in, especially the driving scenes and the scenes with the prostitutes. It’s the funniest scene in the film. I will admit that the start of the film is a little slow, and it takes a little time to get going, but once it’s going its very enjoyable. If you like classic gangster films, with age, then you’ll enjoy this one.

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Film Reviews

Jurassic Park 3D 9/10 Starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum Directed by Steven Spielberg

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hen Dr Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Dr Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) are asked to consult on a theme park by its owner and creator, Richard Hammond (Sir Richard Attenborough), at first they are confused as to why he would want the opinions of a palaeontologist and palaeobotanist, but they soon understand as they are flown off to Jurassic Park a place where the attractions are dinosaurs, real dinosaurs, created by genetic scientists from blood collected from prehistoric mosquitos.

At first everyone at the island, including mathematician Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), also brought along for an expert opinion, are amazed by the dinosaurs, but a series of

events results in the fences being turn off in the park and the dinosaurs getting lose, resulting in absolute chaos of prehistoric proportions.

This is the same film released back in 1993. The same dinosaurs, the same actors, the same storyline, the difference is that this time the film is 3D. I question the thought process behind re-releasing films, shot is 2D, as 3D. It worked for me with Titanic, because it made you feel like you were really in the boat as the water was coming towards you, but in this film, as in Lion King, the 3D doesn’t really add anything too it. That said, it’s still a great film, and if you didn’t see it in 3D back in ’93 then go now. I’m also happy that a new generation of viewer will be able to enjoy it.

Bullet to the Head 8/10

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Sung Kang and Jason Momoa Directed by Walter Hill

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fter a hit man, Jimmy Bobo (Sylvester Stallone) is set up after a hit on a former Wasgington D.C. police officer, and his partner (Jon Seda) is killed and he narrowly escapes, he teams up with a Washington D.C. detective, Taylor Kwon (Sung Kang) to find the people responsible and get his money. The detective is investigating the death Bobo is responsible for, but feels finding the person that ordered the hit, instead of just the person that carried it out, is more important. The two find themselves drawn into a conspiracy that reaches from the gutter to the highest echelons of power, and

facing off with a fanatical mercenary (Jason Momoa) who has no loyalty to anyone, even money.

We all remember the big action heroes of yesteryear. From Arnold to JeanClaude to Dolph, and Stallone was among them, but lately these stars of the past have been releasing tongue in cheek films to show that they’re aging, take The Last Stand for instance. Stallone seems to be going a different route, changing from the good guy hero to the bad guy anti-hero, which is what his character is. He’s a bad guy, you know he’s a bad guy, but you still hope he wins, because the others are worse guys. I loved this film, especially the interactions between Kang and Stallone, the old school killer, versus the new school cop. Blade versus cell phone, a great analogy. If you like smart action, watch it.

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Film Reviews

Side Effects 9/10

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hen Martin (Channing Tatum) is released from prison for insider trading, his wife Emily (Rooney Mara) is thrilled, but her happiness wanes when the depression that she struggles with comes back. She goes to a psychiatrist, Dr Jonathan Banks (Jude Law) who prescribes medication after medication, but nothing works. Then he prescribes a new medication, Ablixa, which seems to have the needed effect, until an unforeseen side effect starts effecting Emily. She starts to sleep walk.

Thinking nothing of this Dr Banks just prescribes something for the sleep walking, but when Emily kills her husband while sleep

Starring Jude Law, Catherine ZetaJones and Rooney Mara Directed by Steven Soderbergh walking everything suddenly starts collapsing around the good Dr as he needs to understand what happened, and help this girl.

But things aren’t all they appear.

This is a very clever, really well written film. It’s smart and compelling and really keeps you guessing until the very last moment. The performances are really good especially by Law as a man whose life is unravelling due to something he did, or did not, do, and by Mara as a woman who kills her husband, but doesn’t remember doing it, or meaning to, or does she? I will be honest and say the first thirty minutes or so, while they’re establishing the plot, are a bit slow, but once the plot really kicks in it’s great. If you like you’re thrillers with some thought behind them then you will enjoy this one.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D 7/10 Starring Alexandra Daddario, Trey Songz and Scott Eastwood Directed by John Luessenhop the basement. He then goes about chainsaw murdering the girl’s friends and trying to kill her, but there’s more to the girl’s story than even she realises as she discovers while trying to escape the killer, and the even more dangerous secret that plagues the town. sequel to the 1986 slasher that started I never liked The Texas Chainsaw it all, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D tells Massacre. I don’t particularly like these the tale of Heather (Alexandra slasher type films that have no real point to Daddario), a Texas girl who has no idea of her the killing, only a crazy dude with, in this case, past until she receives a letter from her a chainsaw killing people. I like my killers to at grandmother telling her that she’s just least have a motive that is a little more than inherited a house in Texas. She confronts her craziness. That’s what they did right in this parents and discovers that she was adopted, film. They give Leatherface a reason, and a sort of, when she was a baby. She and her motive and introduce Scream type moments. friends travel to Texas to see the house and There are still the overly grotesque moments, sign the papers, but inadvertently release the but it wouldn’t be a chainsaw massacre facemask wearing killer, Leatherface (Dan without them, so… It you liked the first one Yeager ) from the first film, who was living in you’ll like this one.

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Film Review

The Hangover Part III 4/10

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he wolf pack returns for the final chapter in the Hangover trilogy. After his father dies and his insane behaviour gets too much for his family and friends the guys, Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Doug (Justin Bartha) stage an intervention for Alan (Zach Galifianakis) to get him to a wellness centre to get him back on his medication and back in a sane state of mind, but things go very wrong when they are attacked on route by Marshall (John Goodman) a drug dealer. The problem is that years ago Mr Chow (Ken Jeong) stole $20 000 000 worth of gold from him and disappeared, until he got arrested in Bangkok, in the previous film. He then tells the guys that Mr Chow has broken out of prison and is back in the United States and that they need to find him and get back the gold or he’s going to kill Doug. And so a mad cap search begins for the completely unhinged Mr Chow through America culminating in a huge showdown back where it all began, Las Vegas, Nevada.

This is the last film in what the makers are calling the Wolf Pack Trilogy, but I must argue that. Yes it features the same characters, and yes the story is similar to the

Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis Directed by Todd Phillips original films, but it’s seriously lacking one specific thing that made the Hangover movies, Hangover movies, and that thing is the

Hangover. There is no crazy night this time, no waking up with no memory, just being given a task and carrying it out, which isn’t true to the Hangover formulae. As such the film doesn’t work for me. The comedy was always finding out what insane things they did while drugged, but without the drugs there’s simply no comedy. It plods along from one pointless scene to the next without anything reminiscent of the insanity that made the other films as good as they are. A shame to end the franchise on a sour note.

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DVD Reviews

Wreck-It Ralph 9/10

The Master 4/10

Starring the voices of John C. Reilly, Jane Lynch and Sarah Silverman Directed by Rich Moore Ralph (John C. Reilly) is the bad guy on a video game, but after 30 years he doesn’t want to be the bad guy anymore. He gets it in his head that his life will be better if he wins a medal, so he heads out to do just that, only to lose it again to a little girl in a racing game, Venellope (Sarah Silverman). As he tries to get it back they become friends, unaware that Ralph bought a monster with him into the game that could destroy the entire arcade.

This has to be the smartest animated film that I’ve seen in a long time. The way they seamlessly put the new character created for the film, together with well-known arcade characters, is wonderful. If you like animation then this one is for you, and not just for the kids either.

Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson A navy man in World War II, Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) can’t come to terms with the war ending. After being fired from another job he stows away on a ship belonging to a man named Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a man that has written a book about a new spiritual movement which has made him a bit of a guru. Dodd takes Quell under his wing and tries to help him, but the navy man’s psychosis, added to the flailing life of Dodd himself leads them steadily towards disaster.

This film did nothing for me. It’s odd and off-kilter and just makes no sense. The only good I can say about it are the performances by Hoffman, Phoenix and Adams. All three inhabit their characters so well it’s understandable why they received the nominations they did, but even these stellar performances can’t save a floundering film.

The Wicked 7/10 Starring Devon Werkheiser, Justin Deeley and Jess Adams Directed by Peter Winther A lot of small towns in America have folk legends about witches, and Summerset is no different. Their witch lives in an old house in a place called Open Hearth and if you throw a rock at the house and break a window she comes, takes you and eats you. Four friends, Zach (Justin Deeley), Carter (Chase Maser), Carter’s girlfriend, Terri (Nicole Forester) and new girl Julie (Jess Adams) go to the house and test the legend, while they’re being followed by Zach’s brother, Max (Devon Werkheiser) and his best friend, soon to be girlfriend, Sam (Diana Hopper), who also decide to throw stones, and when they break a window all hell breaks loose.

I enjoyed this film. I’ll admit it’s not as good as some other films in this genre, but the story is good, the acting is fair and the witch is pretty scary. I also love seeing Devon Werkheiser in something new. I was a fan of his in Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide and it’s nice to see him still working. If you like horror, give it a try.

Looper 7/10 Starring Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt Directed by Rian Johnson Thirty years from now people travel through time, but it’s controlled by organised crime that uses it to dispose of bodies. They send them back to people called loopers, who kill the person and dispose of the body, in return for a couple bricks of pure silver, except when their job is finished, the loop is closed. Then the person sent back is them and they receive gold. One such looper is Joe (Joseph GordonLevitt). He’s one of the best, but when his loop is closed his future self manages to escape. Now he needs to find his future self, and kill him before the people in charge kill him.

This is a great premise, and I loved the time travel paradoxes they played with. If you like time travel films then you should watch this, but be warned, I don’t like what they did to Gordon-Levitt’s face, and think it was totally unnecessary. See what you think.

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DVD Reviews

Lawless 7/10

The Inbetweeners 7/10

Starring Shia LeBeouf, Tom Hardy and Gary Oldman Directed by John Hillcoat The Bondurant brothers, Forest (Tom Hardy) the oldest and meanest of the brothers, Howard (Jason Clarke), the muscle of the group and the youngest brother, Jack (Shia LeBeouf), who dreams of becoming the new Al Capone, run the boot legging trade in Louisiana, but they are fiercely loyal to their friends and neighbours and honourable thieves. When the big town starts moving in on their territory, in the form of a psychotic new sheriff (Guy Pearce), the brothers go to war.

A smart film filled with good actors.

LeBeouf and Hardy are great in their roles, as are Mia Wasikowska as LeBeouf’s love interest and Jessica Chastain as Hardy’s, but the stand out performance is Pearce who is creepy and completely insane. A gem of a performance.

Starring Simon Bird, James Buckley and Blake Harrison Directed by Ben Palmer The last day of school has come and gone and our heroes Will (Simon Bird), Jay (James Buckley), Neil (Blake Harrison) and Simon (Joe Thomas) are officially out of school and on the path to growing up, but at the same time things are changing. Simon’s girlfriend, Carli (Emily Head) dumps him and to cheer him up they all head off to Mailia, in Crete, but, of course, they choose the exact same place that Carli and her friends have gone. Simon finds out and sets out on a mission to get her back, alienating his friends, and a possible future love, Lucy (Tamla Kari) in the process.

If you loved the series then you’ll love the movie. The antics are insane, the comedy, especially out of Will’s mouth, is biting and it’s a good laugh. Enjoyable if you’re into this kind of thing.

Abel’s Field 5/10 Starring Kevin Sorbo, Samuel Davis and Nicole Elliott Directed by Gordie Haakstad Seth (Samuel Davis) is a teen senior trying to keep his family together since his mother died and his father took off. Now it’s just him and his twin 5 year old sisters, but the bank is coming after his house and he can’t make ends meet, even working two jobs. Things get worse for him when he gets into another fight with the school quarterback. As punishment he’s assigned to help Abel (Kevin Sorbo), the school janitor, to put a new irrigation system in the school football field. In each other they find the help they’re both looking as they become friends and try to turn their lives around.

I’m not a fan of this kind of religious film. I prefer film where religion is not present at all, but it is a major theme in this one. It’s not a bad film, the performances by Sorbo and Davis are good, and the sisters are really cute, but if you feel like I do about religious films, don’t rent this one.

Tomorrow You’re Gone 2/10 Starring Stephen Dorff, Michelle Monaghan and Willem Dafoe Directed by David Jacobson Samson (Stephen Dorff) is fresh out of prison after 4 years. Just before his release he receives a letter from a man known as the Buddha (Willem Dafoe), telling him to kill a man, and soon he has a bag full of money and a gun to complete his task. Then he meets Florence (Michelle Monaghan), a strange, porn actress, who comes onto him hard. They start a relationship, but after he botches the hit, leaving a witness, and being haunted by the ghosts of his past, can they have any chance?

This is a silly, slow film directed by someone who wanted to direct an art film, but got saddled with this script instead. I’m not sure why actors with the abilities of Monaghan, Dorff and Dafoe got involved, but I’m pretty sure they regret the decision now.

Don’t waste the money.

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DVD Reviews

Flight 9/10

Argo 9/10

Starring Denzel Washington, John Goodman and Don Cheadle Directed by Robert Zemeckis After a malfunction causes the plane he’s flying to go berserk, Captain Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) manages a miraculous landing saving almost every soul on board the plane. He’s hailed as a hero at first, but then questions begin being asked as those responsible try to find out what happened, and more importantly to them, who’s to blame. Things start getting messy when it’s discovered that Whitaker has a drinking problem, and may have been drunk while flying on that fateful day.

This is a fantastic film. The flying sequence will take your breath away and the performances turned in by both Washington and John Goodman, as his drug dealer, are simply wonderful. There’s a reason it was nominated for Oscars and it’s worth the watch.

Starring Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston and Alan Arkin Directed by Ben Affleck Based on the true story. Six Americans escape the American embassy in Iran moments before it’s overrun by revolutionists. They seek refuge in the diplomatic home of the Canadian ambassador and wait to be rescued.

That rescue eventually comes in the form of Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck), a CIA operative who specialises in impossible escapes. He comes up with an insane plan to come into the country and convince the security on the ground that the escapees are a film crew looking to shoot in Iran and then fly them straight out of the country. A plan that’s so crazy it may just work, or get them all killed.

A riveting, suspense filled film that keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole way through. Great performances by Affleck, Alan Arkin as a producer they get to help make it look legit and John Goodman as a Hollywood insider who’s worked with the CIA before. It’s a fantastic film, that’s made better by knowing it is a true story.

Check out the feature review in the February 2013 issue

Here Comes the Boom 8/10

Starring Kevin James, Salma Hayek and Henry Winkler Directed by Frank Coraci Scott Voss (Kevin James) is one of those teachers that started out with the best of intentions, but somewhere along the way, lost his inspiration. Now he just coasts through his life and his work, until he discovers that the school at which he teaches is about to cut the music program and in doing so fire his friend, the music teacher (Henry Winkler). Scott decides to do something, and raise the money needed to keep the program alive, but when all his attempts fail he turns to a one of the most unlikely choices, the world of mixed martial arts.

This is a funny, sweet film. It has a good message and a sweet, albeit unbelievable, story. James is great as an overweight, once good wrestler, who becomes a MMA fighter to save a friend, and he’s even believable as a fighter giving the younger guys a good run for their money. A good movie for a Saturday night.

Jack Reacher 9/10 Starring Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike and Robert Duvall Directed by Christopher McQuarrie When five, seemingly unconnected, people are killed by a sniper, who is quickly caught by police, he will say nothing except that they need to find Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise), but who is Jack Reacher? He’s a ghost. A former military policeman he has vanished off the radar, hiding wherever he wants for personal reasons, but he comes out of hiding to deal with this man, a man he knows and has dealt with before, but what he expects to find is something very different to the puzzle he finds himself in as he starts to unravel the mystery surrounding the deaths.

Based on the book by Lee Child this is a tight, exciting action driven film. Cruise is rough and takes no prisoners as Reacher and Rosamund Pike is gorgeous as the lawyer trying to help him. A good film in all accounts for action junkies.

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DVD Reviews

Red State 6/10

Re-release

Starring Michael Angarano, Kyle Gallner and John Goodman Directed by Kevin Smith Three teenage boys, Travis (Michale Angarano), Billy Ray (Nicholas Braun) and Jarod (Kyle Gallner), find themselves in the middle of a stand-off between a religious sect and the government when they set up a liaison with a woman online for sex and end up becoming the sect’s hostages in an insane lesson that preacher, Abin Cooper (Michael Pars) is trying to teach his parish, but things go completely wrong when a passing cop hears gunshots and the showdown begins.

This film is not as biting as other Kevin Smith films, think Dogma and the Jay and Silent Bob films, but it is interesting. The strong performance by Parks, as a completely insane preacher helps to push the film forward, but it just doesn’t have the same level of greatness you expect from a writer director of Smith’s capabilities. A little of a letdown, but Smith fans should see it to say they have.

Starring Shane West, Mandy Moore and Darryl Hannah Directed by Adam Shankman Landon (Shane West) is a cocky, can’t-doanything-wrong, popular high school jerk, but when he gets another student badly injured in a hazing he finds himself in deep trouble. He’s sentenced to community service, including joining the school play, where he asks Jamie (Mandy Moore) the quiet, independent preacher’s daughter for help. The two get to know each other better and gradually fall in love, much to the horror of Landon’s friends, but they fight through and stay together, until a secret Jamie’s been hiding threatens to rip them apart.

One of the first films based on a Nicholas Sparks book, this film has everything you’d expect, angst, love and loss. It’s a very sweet film with good performances by Moore and West. If you like Nicholas Sparks watch this one again.

Re-release

Donnie Darko (2001) 9/10 Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jena Malone Directed by Richard Kelly Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a troubled young man. Having been found guilty of arson as a boy he now takes medication and visits a shrink, but things get totally out of control when he’s lured out of his house in the middle of the night by a seven foot tall guy in a rabbit suit, Frank (James Duval) escaping a falling jet engine that destroys his room. This act sends Donnie off on an insane series of events that includes flooding the school and burning another house down, all in an attempt to stop the end of the world that Frank has predicted.

This is a cult classic with a strong following, but I can’t really put into words why. It’s a fantastic film that I loved back in2001 when I first saw it, and I’ve loved it ever since. It’s weird and quirky and an absolute gem. If you haven’t seen it before have a look, if you have buy it now for your collection.

A Walk to Remember (2002) 8/10

Re-release

Welcome to Collinwood (2002) 7/10 Starring William H. Macy, Sam Rockwell and Isaiah Washington Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo When thief Cosimo (Luis Guzzman) gets himself thrown in jail for car theft he is told about a perfect job involving pushing through a dry wall into an office and breaking into a safe, but he can’t do anything about it in jail so his girlfriend, Rosalind (Patricia Clarkson) goes about trying to find someone to take his place. She finds wannabe boxer Pero (Sam Rockwell) who instead finds out the details of the plan and goes about trying to pull it off himself, with the help of a mad cap group of wannabe bad guys, but none of them know what they’re doing. And then Cosimo breaks out.

This is a quirky, funny film, with a couple of really funny scenes. The performances by the entire cast is great, but it’s didn’t really blow me away. It really could have been funnier, and it doesn’t really go anywhere. Good for a couple laughs, but not a keeper.

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