The Screen
£3.99
JUNE 2012, issue one
Snow white and the huntsman
Short films + JUNE REVIEWS + ADAPTATIONS
Every film IN
issue one
...
The Screen Contents 2 4 5 11 14 15 17
19 contributors 21 to the movies 27 10 welcome june reviews seen on screen 31 12 as v+a exhibition best film 39 white 45 16 snow fairy tale reincarnations tell me about it 48 editors note
the five year engagement: 9 the dark knight rises: 10
cemetry junction: 35
20 bbfc centenary and all 25 shorts short films for the books 30 one adaptations 38 should have... 43 2nd generation posters 47 anniversary some kind of wonderful and finally...
some kind of wonderful:41
Note
FROM the editor When I was roughly seven years of age I was loaded into my Dad’s navy blue Ford Escort with my thirteen and fifteen year old brothers. Our mother told us we were going to visit my Grandma. We were not. In actual fact it was a ploy to surprise us with an excursion to The Point cinema to see A Bug’s Life. It is my earliest memory of entering a cinema, inhaling the scent of popcorn and perching on a black polystyrene block because I was too small to see over the seats. I have grown since then. Although I don’t perch on awkward, crumbling child boosters I still get that spark when I walk into a cinema. Cinema can be a reassuring place at the close of a day, or somewhere to reconnect with friends. Cinema can be a solo experience and even with a full house, it can be a personal one. Cinema can be a space that allows you to escape from anything; to laugh, holler and sob. Cinema can be anything. The digital, disposable and downloaded have infiltrated the front line of film. But we still have cinema. This is a publication that welcomes you regardless of your preferred genre and tells you what’s coming whilst exploring where cinema has been before. Within this issue you’re holding are reviews, films that should have been better, adaptations, Ali Plumb’s favourite film and a celebration of short films...
Laura Creamer
The Screen editor and art director Laura Creamer :
lauraloucreamer@gmail.com thanks to:
ALI PLUMB, RICH WARREN, THE UNDERWIRE FESTIVAL TEAM, ENCOUNTERS FESTIVAL TEAM, THE LONDON SHORT FILM FESTIVAL TEAM, THE PRESS OFFICE AT THE V+A, James anderson, robert de niet and paul tierney.
special thanks to: PHILLIP CREAMER FOR PRINT PRIVELEDGES and being an ace papa, JAMIE CREAMER FOR outstanding CREATIVE INPUT, CAROLcreamer FOR both tremendous support and sub-editing skills and daisy rowell, katarina hjorth, lorna hatch, Jodie jones and Abdi Yazdi. all rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission ©the screen magazine 2012. the views expressed in the screen are those of the respective contributors
Contributors + THEir FAVOURITE FILMS
Ali Plumb: Film and lifestyle journalist The Big Lebowski Rich Warren: Programme Coordinator for Encounters Festival Stranger than Paradise Philip Ilson: Director of London Short Film Festival Buffalo66 Helen Jack: Co-Director for Underwire Festival gONE WITH THE WIND JAMIE CREAMER: creative designer batman: the dark knight Nicky Singer: Author of Feather Boy Shitman - home movie made by her son and his best friend Jodi Picoult: Author of My Sister's Keeper Shakespeare in Love
The Screen : 4
Reviews
Welcome to the movies Here we review and rate the new features without spoiling the plot, because after all less is more.
4
almost perfect
3
respectable
2
not great
1
avoid
www.snowwhiteandthehuntsman.com/
perfection
www.prometheus-movie.com
5
Prometheus
SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN
Big things have small beginnings
Skin white as snow, lips red as blood
1st june
1st june
A banner cast of well seasoned actors from Charlize Theron to Michael Fassbender, these kids needed no introduction or any help from the first-class cinematography and CGI. With leaves that could have been plucked from the Hammer horror days, it has the ability to make you jump and squirm with outstanding artistry. With only a few connecting stems rooted in the 1979 Alien, this film could easily stand alone as a fully fledged noble example of human natures need to explore space. An inspired example of why Riddly Scott is known as a director who helped shape the science fiction genre.
This epic attempt at a darker version of the Snow White tale succeeds where the 2010 Robin Hood failed. This Brothers Grimm narrative is brought writhing into the world through sharp dialogue and clever character developments. With a cast that’s headed by Charlize Theron and followed up nicely by Chris Hemsworth, we see Kristen Stewart try to break away from the chains of the Twilight saga with little success. None the less this epic action-adventure shows the world of cinema what to do with a fairy tale legend.
See this if you liked
See this if you liked
Alien, Quatermass and The Pit + Farscape
Twilight, Immortals + Once Upon a Time
5:The Screen
www.imdb.com/title/tt1592873/
www.imdb.com/title/tt1787127/
we owe them a life
watch responsibly
1st june
1st june
This official selection for the Sundance Festival is a piece of Albanian cinema that follows the story of a family pulled apart at the seams by a murder that endangers the lives of Nik and his sister Rudina.
A good old fashioned bitter-sweet British comedy, The Angels Share follows Robbie an ex-offender who stumbles into a whisky distillery and onto a second chance at a career and a life that doesn’t involve his child growing up in poverty. With humorous characters that manage to tug on your heart strings it’s no wonder it’s a hot tip for this years Cannes Festival. With sharp dialogue and an inventive plot this film has the ability to wheedle its way into your heart.
A fairly well accomplished attempt at a drama the film features some admirable performances that are slightly let down by the lack of story development and an unsatisfactory ending that leaves you wanting more.
See this if you liked
Maria full of Grace
Cemetery Junction
www.theangelsshare.co.uk/
See this if you liked
lol
the innkeepers
meet lola
come stay at the yankee pedlar
1st june
8th june In the age of technology, LOL follows the story of Lola and her friends as they circumnavigate high-school and attempt to avoid their apparently overbearing parents. With a film that finally sees Miley Cyrus pull away from the wig and persona of Hannah Montana, this teenage American attempt at a coming-of-age story isn’t half bad. Demi Moore’s portrayal as the domineering but cool parent isn’t far off believable and although the story line isn’t Oscar wining, the characters and their journey are a somewhat simple, slightly sweet success.
As the Yankee Pedlar Inn reaches the end of its days, two curious employees can’t resist a poke around the hotels haunted past.
See this if you liked
See this if you liked
Monte Carlo, Wild Child + Chalet Girl
They begin to experience some strange events as old guest check back in for one last stay. Although it’s not breaking the boundaries of the horror genre, Innkeepers proves that young director Ti West is one whom we can trust to keep it fresh and thrilling. With moments of humour and characters that invoke empathy, this is an almost distinctive horror that does what it says on the tin.
Awakening + The House of the Devil
www.imdb.com/title/tt1594562/
the the forgiveness of angels share blood
The Screen : 6
www.imdb.com/title/tt1336608/
www.imdb.com/title/tt2006040/
a fantastic fear of everything
the three stooges
8th june
8th june
As children’s author Jack makes the cross-over into writing horror fiction he finds himself afraid of absolutely everything. It’s hard to place a genre tag around the neck of this movie as it attempts the humour aspect and the scary aspect whilst not fully succeeding at either.
Moe, Larry and Curly have been dusted off and rolled on to the big screen. Whilst trying to save the orphanage that they grew up in, the trio inadvertently stumble on to a murder plot and eventually a TV show. A modern revamp of a classic premise sometimes misses the boat but this one just about makes it on board, even if it is slightly sea sick. This mischievous adventure is just what we’d expect, it won’t make history but it will make it a lot of laughs.
Nyuk-nyuk-nyuking NEW LEVEL IRRATIONALITY and woo-woo-wooing
See this if you liked
www.threestooges.com/
Simon Pegg
7:The Screen
THE ROCK OF AGES
jack an jill for the 21st century
WE BUILT THIS CITY ON SOMETHINg
15th june
15th june
A drama that manages to have encompassed itself in elements of humour, this Cannes nominee is about a village that’s in the midst of a battle of the sexes. Women threaten to withhold sexual favours and more if the men refuse to venture to a remote well and fetch the water. It’s a brilliantly made film with an almost graceful plot that manages to shed light on the injustices that befall many of the women in Arab countries with a touch of splendour and hope.
Los Angeles. 1987. Two strangers are searching for their dreams in the city when their eyes meet and love blossoms, but it doesn’t come easy.
See this if you liked
See this if you liked
Although you may turn your nose up at the thought of a topless, boots wearing, longhaired Tom Cruise, after the opening credits you forget it’s even him. With a plot that’s been raking in theatre fans since 2005, the film is just a clever, foot tapping, comedic nod to the 80’s.
See this if you liked
The Three Stooges + The Mask
Chocolat + The Tree of Life
www.imdb.com/title/tt1686067/
The only redeeming factor is that Simon Pegg just manages to accomplish believability and the odd flash of humour, Shaun of the Dead this aint.
the source
Rock of Ages musical + Mamma Mia
www.thefiveyearengagementmovie.com/
www.fastgirlsthemovie.co.uk/
on your marks...
g.i joe: retalliation
five year engagement
friends with kids
they're back
popping the question and tying the knot
love, happiness or kids?
22nd june
29th june
This savvy comedy charts the story of one couples journey from the proposal to the wedding. With hilarious ups and downs and solid performances from Jason Segel and Emily Blunt, this particular rom-com is set to attempt to fill a gigantic hole. From the producers that bought you Bridesmaids comes adult insight and humour. With a sensible plot and a satisfactory ending that keeps audiences happy, this is perfect example of where the comedy genre should continue to head.
With much of the same cast this feature sets to battle with Five Year Engagement for the title of this year’s Bridesmaids. After two best friends come to the conclusion that you can’t have love, happiness and kids, they decide to have a child together but let their relationship remain at the friend level. This magical cast of comically gifted actors, which includes Chris O’Dowd and Kristen Wig, bring to life a greatly touching story without taking away the funny factor. It will leave you smiling.
15th june
22nd june
Just in time for the Olympics, this is a story that follows a street-smart runner who develops a rivalry with an ambitious athlete from a more wealthy background as they try to win the gold in the woman’s 4x100 relay. A British, Olympic style feature was bound to happen the moment they announced London 2012, and it’s not half bad. With admirable performances from Kidulthood’s Noel Clarke and Being Human’s Lenora Crichlow it’s a nice, feel-good meeting of two worlds. All it’s missing is a bit of power and a less predictive plot.
After an assassin takes out a large chunk of the Joes those who remain band together in order to strike back. A slight improvement on the first, this G.I Joe has managed to extract the cheese and keep the cool. With a more inventive plot and a heavy dose of action and adventure it’s certainly on par with the Transformers of the world. Channing Tatum and Bruce Willis head an admirable cast that sees that the allAmerican franchise has its name restored. This is a successful little reboot but it’s still missing a little something extra.
See this if you liked
See this if you liked
www.gijoemovie.co.uk/
Streetdance+Kidulthood Jumper + Transformers
9:The Screen
See this if you liked
Bridesmaids
www.friendswithkids.com/
fast girls
See this if you liked
Away We Go
www.thedarkknightrises.com/
www.theamazingspiderman.com/
With the plot and ending kept under wraps for many a month, there's only one way to find out how the Nolan franchise will end.
the amazing spiderman
batman: the dark knight rises
the untold story of peter parker
there's a storm coming
4th july
20th july
As is the story with most teenagers, Peter Parker is struggling to find out who he is whist juggling his school-boy crush on Gwen Stacy. As he stumbles across his father’s old brief-case he unearths a need to understand his parent’s disappearance, a journey that will see him making life altering decisions. With a lead actor and actress who have quickly made names for themselves before either of them see 25, the plot would only have to have done the least for this to have worked. As it was, it actually did the most. This smart plot complete with curious character developments means that this comic book adaptation has the ability to step out of the shadow of its predecessors.
In the last of Christopher Nolan’s Batman exports this feature certainly sees the director out with an epic bang or two. Set eight years on from The Dark Knight and the night Batman took the fall for two-face’s crimes, a new villain, Bane, rises from the dark streets of Gotham and forces the masked crusader to come out of retirement. As new kid Tom Hardy attempts to steal the show with his spine-tingling portrayal of Bane, Christian Bale proves why he was Christopher’s choice and emerges at the top of his game to deliver the performance of his career. With the plot and ending kept under wraps for many a month, there’s only one way to find out how the Nolan franchise will end and that’s by witnessing it yourself.
See this if you liked
See this if you liked
Spiderman, X-Men Origins: Wolverine + Captain America
Inception + Batman: The Dark Knight
tune in next month for:
El Gringo, In Your Hands and strawberry fields The Screen : 10
HOLLYWOOD COMES TO TOWN IN...
N O N E E S AS
N E E R SC s
ing a d l i u b ame s e h t d in n a hy. t t s o o r t o D e sibl Vader and s o p e ecom ly, Darth b l l i it w y Golight r a e y this nes, Holl f o r e b In Octo Indiana Jo
words by laura creamer
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Film
when these characters disembark at the Victoria & Albert Museum in South Kensington, London they may seem slightly lifeless in comparison to their usual selves. This may be because when guest curators Deborah Nadoolman Landis and Professor Sir Christopher Frayling decided to exhibit a slice of Hollywood, it was the costumes they opted for.
perhaps
The exhibition that has been in the making for five years will bring together over a hundred iconic costumes designed for cinema in over a century of film-making. Herself a Hollywood costume designer, Deborah Nadoolman Landis believes that this could be a landmark exhibition, “it will provide a once in a life-time opportunity to explore the most beloved characters in Hollywood history and gain insight on the role of the costume designer and their vital contribution to cinema storytelling.” Sir Christopher Frayling also believes film costume is a large part of design that is
often taken for granted, “this V&A exhibition presents the ideal way to set the record straight and will do so in the most spectacular way”. In a hope to shed light on a designer’s creative journey from script to screen the showcase will also explore both the social and technological context in which costume designers have worked in over the years. Separated irrespectively into three acts and three rooms, the display will first introduce you to the role of the costume designer. Easing visitors in with instantly recognisable designs and outfits that are come accompanied with their original sketches. The second, entitled dialogue, will consider the creative collaboration between director and designer. This room will strive on featuring items from Edward Scissor Hands and Scorsese’s 2011 hit, Hugo. The final section will present the best known costumes in cinema history with heroes and femme fatales with items such as the suit from Batman: The Dark Knight Rises,
the robes from the Harry Potter saga and varying items from Twilight: New Moon. Imagine watching Dorothy skip down the yellow brick road in a pair of chinos and a vest top, or Captain Jack Sparrow and Indiana Jones locked in a brawl without their hats. Then you start to touch upon the importance of the costume that dons these lads and lasses as they take to the screen. Relaying a story and giving the audience an immeasurable sense of imagination would be a lot harder to do through the medium of film without a little help from the costumes. Regardless of the type of film a fan prefers, there is something that could attract a science-fiction admirer through the same door as someone who only has eyes for the classics. With a combined lure of film and fashion, the V&A anticipates that this exhibition will be one with huge box-office success.
Hollywood Costume will run at the V&A, London from the 20 October to the 27 January.
exhibition highlights Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) from Martin Scorcese's 1976 Taxi Driver designed by Ruth Morley. Cecilia Tallis (Keira Knightly) from Joe Wright's 2007 Atonement designed by Jacqueline Durran. Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) from the 1963 Alfred Hitchcock film, The Birds designed by Edith Head. Neytiti (Zoe Saldana) and Jake (Sam Worthington) as seen in James Cameron's Avatar designed by Mayes Rubeo and Deborah Scott. The Screen : 12
Best Film
Welcome to Best Film. This is a chance for someone from the industry to throw down the restrictions of time in order to tell you which is the best film ever made.
Ali Plumb When and where were you the first time you watched it? I’ve watched it so many times
now, I’m not exactly sure. But at a guess I’d say it’d be back when I was at boarding school – that’s right, I went there – when we had movie evenings to pass the time and stop us from physically assaulting each other. I would have been around 14 and I probably loved it at that age because it was so damn cool, so relaxed and so chilled out.
What would be the best scene? Who are you?
I’m Ali Plumb. I’m a film, games and lifestyle journalist. I mainly write for Empire and The Huffington Post.
What is the best film of all time? The Big Lebowski
Why is that?
That’s a very hard question because it’s just so hard to choose. I’m going to go with the bowling dream sequences where The Dude bowls himself down an alley through more than a few pairs of legs and ends up dancing with Julianne Moore in a Viking helmet. Not literally in a Viking helmet of
course. That’s just what she was wearing you see.
Would you change anything? No sir.
What would a film have to do to top The Big Lebowski?
It can’t. I guess that’s just not how a favourite film works. I can’t say what anything would have to do specifically to wheedle its way into my affections as much as this one but perhaps I might not like The Big Lewboski so much later on in my life. But that would only be because I’ve watched it too much or haven’t seen it recently.
What would you say to someone who had never seen the film? See this film. Then see The Big Sleep. Then see this film again. Or fuck it and just go bowling.
the dude in action
The Dude was an amazingly watchable character, appealing to that part of us that particularly chimes with a teenage boy: laziness. Plus, the whole thing is so quotable. Every line really, but ones that stick out in my head all the time have to be “SHUT THE FUCK UP DONNY!” and “don’t be fatuous, Jeffrey” “obviously you’re not a golfer” and so on and so on...
The Screen : 14
http://www.imgbase.info/images
SNOW WHITE "The red blood looked so beautiful against the white snow that the queen exclaimed 'I wish I had a daughter as white as snow, red as blood and black as ebony'."
as snow white and the huntsmen hits screens we take a look back at all the reincarnations of the fairytale classic
the brother's grimm fairytale
Disney's Snow White from 1937
The best known version of the fairy tale is of course the German one collected by the Brother’s Grimm in the 1800’s. In which notorious elements such as the magic mirror, the seven dwarfs and the poison apple are given life.
Taking three years, 570 artists and a budget of $1, 500,000, Snow White was a classic from the moment it hit cinemas and even during the depression it managed to skip away with around $8, 500, 000. Walt Disney brought to life the much loved Grimm’s Fairy Tale.
tv's once upon a time
the 2012 parody Mirror mirror
This TV adaptation encompasses many a fantasy character but most importantly, Snow White. With a combination of modern life, American drama and fairy tales, Once Upon Time was a well-needed interpretation that fits nicely in the television world.
This supposed funny fairy tale refresher released this year sees Lily Collins taking the title role and Julia Roberts portraying the evil queen. Entertaining as it is this particular reincarnation sees that the tale’s charm and narrative is sadly lost along the way.
other interpretations 1933 saw snow white collide Daddy's Little Bit of Dresden China, a 1988 The 2007 film Sydney White is a with betty boop in a cartoon short film usedthe Snow White tale as modern retelling of the fairy tale creation part of a story of child sexual abuse. starringAmanda Bynes as Sydney
TellIndependent me about it Films This month The Screen is going to tell you about independent films. Are you sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin. films were established just thirteen years after the birth of the moving picture in 1908. It’s a breed of film that grants directors the chance to have and to hold all the creative freedom they desire, with the small catch that they find their own means of financing. Although they’re produced outside of major film studios they’re still done so professionally and can be both distributed by the independent and the larger entertainment companies. They often experience a limited release but on the positive side, this presents audiences with a sense of exclusivity as they hunt for a cinema that’s showing the newly released independent offerings.
independent
These independently created features tend to be an antithesis to the Hollywood blockbusters; risky, extremely thought provoking pictures that are usually constructed on a shoe-string budget. With the restrictions of suitability and idealism taken away in conjunction with the major film studios, independent features delve a little further into real life characters and plots, sometimes examining the darker side of man. The Sundance Festival has made a name for itself as being the place to see the first screenings of the year’s best independent films. As its website says, the Sundance Institute was founded by none other than Robert Redford. In 1984, he and a group of his friends and colleagues decided to forge a place that would be designed to ‘foster independence, discovery and new voices in American film’. In the spring of
17:The Screen
its founding year ten emerging filmmakers were plucked from their homes, placed in a director’s lab and provided with leading writers and directors in order for them to develop their independent projects. Now with programmes such as its festival, Sundance has grown to international fame and has even introduced us to some very familiar independent films, from Reservoir Dogs in 1992 to Little Miss Sunshine in 2006. Although now we’ve lost the exclusivity of film festivals as the circuit doesn’t exist for the sole purpose of showcasing independent films, the bigger studios have cottoned on to why directors and audiences alike are drawn to freely conceived features. Festivals such as Sundance get an awful lot of news, blog and magazine coverage which inadvertently means coverage for the independent pictures. In the current financial climate there is a large amount of highquality, inexpensive film making equipment that has been made available to anyone and everyone. With this, the smaller production companies have the power to allow directors full reign with the right kind of equipment at a fraction of the price it would cost in Hollywood. If you’re in search of a feature that has normal running time and a uniqueness that is sometimes forgotten in the bigger films, take a look at some independent examples of cinema. You’ll have the luxury of being witness to something that was obviously created by a filmmaker who has chosen to worry about substance over profit.
top three indie fests SUNDANCE
200 films are screened, from experimental to low-budget, in competitive and non-competitive sections at Sundance. On a good year it attracts 40,000 attendees.
BERLIN
attracting 19,000 professionals and one of the largest audiences of any film festival The Berlinale screens 350 films from 120 countries.
tribeca
Co-founded by Robert DeNiro, this event screens over a hundred films from American and international filmmakers.
www.bbfc.co.uk/
BBFC Centenary The British Board of Film Classification is celebrating its 100th year of regulating in 1912 the BBFC was put in place to prevent local authorities imposing their own censorship standards on films and to bring uniformity to the growing amount of films that passed through the doors of British cinemas. This selffinanced, independent supervisory body is made up of a three tier management and examiner team to insure that each film is assessed and regulated at an impartial level. It has remained a board that has worked hard to gain the trust of British authorities and the public whilst refusing to bow to the pressure sometimes placed upon it by the film industry.
created
To commemorate its 100th year the board has created six retro revamps of their theatrical cards (left) that appear before the start of any film. Each one from either the 1910s, 40s, 60s, 70s or present day inpired slides will enjoy a place on the silver screen for two consecutive
months before being replaced. As is the way of the world now, there’s also a blog to follow. For the twelve months of 2012 the regulators will be taking a look back at they’re significant moments in film. Topics covered so far include the changing faces of David Lynch, a look back at the 1981 Clash of the Titans in relation to recent remakes and the difficulty of classifying Joan Crawford’s What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? For the more inquisitive they’re also releasing a book in September that charts the history of their lengthy reign from meagre beginnings to household name. This all-seeing, all-knowing organisation encompasses not just the world of cinema but also DVD’s, video games and film advertisements. It’s a firmstanding British establishment that, whether we all realise it or agree with it, will continue to safely regulate the films we absorb on a yearly basis like a
superhero of the screen. From the comfort of your sofa to the high-backed, collapsing chairs with limited leg room, the British Board of Film Classification is helping to shape the face of our nation’s cinema in the simplest and dependable of ways. Long may it reign and continue.
Important dates 1913 U for unniversal A for more suitable for adults
1982 PG for parental guidance 15 for no person under the age of 15 18 for no person under the age of 18 R18 for films containing more explicit sexual depictions
2002 12a for no one under the age of 12 unless accompanied by an adult
The Screen : 20
Shorts and all One of the most overlooked facets of the film industry is that of short films. These innovative films are generally made on the smallest of budgets and are usually lacking in an A-list cast to help drive promotion. Yet the stories told in a matter of minutes can be both captivating and provocative to a place beyond that of any big-time, box office conquest.
to find out more Laura creamer infiltrates the short film world.
featuring rich warren, helen jack and philip ilson 21:The Screen
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short as an original film that has a running time of forty-minutes or less, credits and all. Although not ignored by festivals, the media coverage for these succinct pictures is lacking. Televised award shows shove them at the end and only show the announcing of the winner and not other nominees, and even David Cameron has recently exclaimed that there should be not less but more focus on the commercially bulky, block-busters. Because of course the bigger the budget, the bigger the profit.
THE
These snippets of a film maker’s potential can be what starts them off. Without extensively developing a craft a director can produce something that if it fails, can be tossed aside without a fear of bankruptcy. With a myriad of festivals to choose from, short films can also get you coverage and there are a few more meters of leeway in comparison to feature films. This allows creators to showcase their original talent with adventurous story lines that do not see them pigeon holed for the rest of their movie making career. As film took off in the early 1900’s the longer the feature the more highly esteemed it was. To audiences then it was more impressive if film makers could invent a lengthy narrative and transform it to the silver screen. Short films became a mere accompaniment to these long features. This stigma has stayed around today only releasing slightly to allow room for a small loyal band of followers. It should be seen as very if not just as commendable to produce a short film with an exemplary narrative in comparison to ninety-minute features that make it into a cinema. The biggest of the UK shorts festivals is the Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival which is annually held in Bristol. Programme coordinator Rich Warren believes that short films can be more creatively impressive, “there’s much more freedom to experiment so because of that, for me it’s much
www.clermont-filmfest.com/index.php?nlang=2
more of an art form than the standard film”. He goes on to say that unlike the major features there’s no money in short films, but that doesn’t seem to deter film makers. “It’s about that talent aspect of it, it’s about teasing the art form, there’s no money in standard fine art but it’s still a cultural and a creative thing”. The short film fanatic explains that as a country we’re very much behind the times of how we perceive and support short films in comparison to the rest of mainland Europe. An example of this is the international short film festival called and held in Clermont Ferrand, France. He describes it as a little village in which “they shut the whole place down and they screen short films for a week and all the industry descend on Clermont Ferrand and all of the town come out to watch the films”, a result of the fact that they receive not just public funding but also public encouragement and recognition. When asked if we could ever catch up with the rest of Europe Warren insists he wouldn’t be doing what he does if he didn’t believe we could; “I think we’re more than capable, we definitely have the talent in the UK and we’ve kind of got the infer-structure in place now, so we’re getting everything in place to be able to have a good push at it”. In answer to how? “I’d love to shove a short film down everyone’s throat every day, you know find some bit of programming in TV; one short film a day and that’s all it would take”.
clermont ferrand
Among the UK’s short film scene is Underwire Festival, an annual event specifically created to showcase shorts created by women. Whether it’s directing, screenwriting or editing Underwire wants to encourage a bigger platform for women in the film industry. Co-director Helen Jack believes what better way to start than at the grass-roots level of shorts; “if women have the confidence early on in their career to work in film across a range of production roles we hope that their careers will grow into feature films we can see at the cinema”. Launched in 2010 it operates on the belief that by supporting the female talent it will eventually lead to a more varied cinematic future, “we’re about recognising and supporting British talent, and trying to help build the careers of women making films in our own country”. The list of short film festivals is one that encompasses the majority of the world, but besides these annual events the short film business doesn’t accomplish nearly as much coverage as the feature films. According to Rich Warren it’s an ongoing battle that seems to take them round in circles. “People need to be more aware of short films coming out and for it to become more popular and then to receive more coverage. But it won’t become more popular until it gets more coverage”. In a celebrity infatuated age, it’s hardly surprising that when short films featuring unknown actors are made by directors that no one has heard of, it doesn’t procure a double page review or a three minute trailer.
screening at short film festivals”. He also talks about how the World Wide Web is a great asset to their industry, explaining that video sharing websites such as Vimeo play a huge role in allowing people to post and watch original shorts. Mr Warren also commends those mediums that already display shorts; clarifying that channel four have been trying with initiatives such as Random Acts. Another example is a program called The Shooting Gallery that started on the 22nd of March, which showcases short films, but despondently he states that “it’s on at midnight, the only people you’re going to attract to watch short films at midnight are already film makers”.
shooting gallery, channel 4's short film collective
Helen Jack, however, believes that this lack of coverage is due to a bit more than just getting the word out. Her view is that those in control of broadcasting assume there’s little public concern for this particular area of film; “they make the assumption that audiences aren’t interested in short film, they think they’re a bit niche and arty. But I haven’t given up hope that shorts could become more main stream.”
In regards to short films simply being calling cards and starting points for aspiring film makers, this too has its positives. The process of creating short films is one that can be a lot quicker and simpler than creating a lengthy feature. So these blossoming film makers who are just starting out are able to learn the craft on the job instead of sitting on the side-lines and simply watching the process. “The feature industry sort of picks these film makers for first time features” Warren explains “because they know that they’ve learnt their craft to a certain extent and they’re ready for their next step up, it’s not such a big gamble”.
Short films are still something to be marvelled at regardless of whether we’ll ever fully jump on the band wagon or not. The director of the London Short Film Festival, Philip Ilson believes that it gets the appreciation and coverage where it matters; “short filmmakers congregate at festivals, so there’s much more networking and drinking in the bar, which can lead to future collaborations. Also, the bigger film industries look at the new names
Welcome to the world of short film. It’s an ongoing battle for recognition but one that admirers and festivals are unlikely to give up on. This beautifully expressive type of film making is one that will continue and hopefully flourish into something that won’t constantly raise expressions of puzzlement. Especially when audiences who are unfamiliar with the art of short films come to realise the brilliance that can be instilled in a twenty minute piece of
23:The Screen
In keeping with all things short we asked the programme coordinator for Encounters Festival, the co-director for Underwire and the director of the London Short Film Festival to answer one short question on short films:
What do you personally like about short films? Rich Warren (Encounters)
You do see much more creativity in short films, the restrictions are sort of taken away from you and it doesn’t take as long, there’s much more freedom to experiment so because of that, for me it’s much more of an art form than the standard film world. They have to do what they have to do but in a way that breathes creativity. There’s no money in short films that’s for certain it’s about that talent aspect of it, it’s about teasing the art form and for me it’s showing that original voice in a really creative way and on a original subject. There’s also so many people making short films in comparison to making feature films because the benefits of short film is just endless.
Helen Jack (Underwire)
Short films have the ability to strike a chord as much as anything that runs to for 90 minutes. Watching a programme of thought provoking shorts back to back really engages the mind - one minute you could be laughing, and the next crying. Within an hour’s programme, one can really stimulate the senses. Another aspect of short filmmaking that I love is that people tend to make short films at the start of their career - when they’re experimenting with style and form. This allows filmmakers to flex their creative muscles in a more open way, often resulting in more interesting work.
www.underwirefestival.com/
Philip Ilson (London SFF)
Short films can have a lot more honesty. A lot of the time they are a filmmaker’s personal project and are self funded, so there’s no one to answer to. Shorts can be a personal vision. Even when shorts are being funded, there’s not the pressure as the money is less and can be ‘written off’ as a longer term investment for the filmmaker. So for me personally, I love that honesty of a person just making what they feel is right, and getting their voice out there.
Underwire 2011, opening night
SPOT THE SHORT TO FIND OUT mORE ABOUT THE SHORT FILM SCENE, WE'VE SOME SPOTS TO CHECK OUT
Making Tracks - 30th May 2012 Wednesday 30th May 2012, 7.30pm Rich Mix Bar - 47 Bethnal Green Road, London, E1 6LA The premise for Making Tracks is simple; Whirlygig seek out remarkable films to showcase and strips them of their original soundtracks. The Cabinet then perform live re-scores whilst the shorts are playing. It is an ideal way for filmmakers who have had problems with music copyright to get their work screened in public.
Shortcutz London - Weekly Sunday event Proud Camden, the Horse Hospital, Stables Market Chalk Farm Road, Camden Town NW1 8AH
A weekly event that showcases three new and original British short films made by both amateurs and professionals. After a Q&A the top two films are placed into a competition to find the coveted ‘Best short of the month’ award.
Bristol Encounters 18-23 September 2012 The Cube, Cinema Watershed, Cinema 4 Princess Row, Bristol BS2 8NQ 1 Canon's Road, Bristol, Avon BS1 Bristol Encounters Short Film & Animation Festival is the longest running competitive short film and animation festival in England. They present one of the world’s bestknown showcases for new and established international short film talent.
Underwire Festival 20-24 November 2012 Usually held at Shortwave Cinema, 10 Bermondsey Square, London, SE1 3UN Underwire is a small festival run by volunteers that celebrates the best short films created by women across a range of crafts – director, screenwriter. Their belief is that women working in the UK film industry need more encouragement and a bigger platform for their work.
25:The Screen shortfilms.org.uk/lsff9/events
One for the books In our lifetime we are bound to read, peruse and love a novel, biography or comic book that will be torn from its pages and slotted into our cinemas. This trend of adaptations knows no limits and has engulfed classics, westerns and new novels alike and this year it is set to be full of greatly anticipated releases. From Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina and Tolkien's Hobbit to the Avengers Assemble release, 2012 is one for the books.
words by laura creamer
The Hobbit
www.thehobbitblog.com/
is no way for a book, fiction or not, to travel seamlessly into the medium of movie without losing some of what made it whole. There can be less room for imagination with film, the characters appearances and mannerisms are handed to us on the silver screen. As they’re extracted from their original environment, these characters are carved new traits and storylines that make them more valuable. But this aside, if a film does not live up to the standards of the work that inspired it, the book is an unwavering, undeterred by age apparatus forever accepting of new and old eyes.
there
Last year twenty of the top grossing films released in the UK were adaptations, and in America this figure was almost doubled. On top of this a large 40% of the all time, top grossing films ever released worldwide have been adaptations. There is no denying that companies and audiences both appreciate a faithful, from text to screen, adaptation. But their popularity has to have peaked for a reason.
went on to explain that “it’s hard for people to believe but when Hollywood adapts a movie to the screen, the author is pretty much at the bottom of the totem pole” she even likens the experience of selling the rights of her book, to that of giving up a baby for adoption. Literature and film experience a mother-and-child relationship which can lead to audiences who normally avoid prose, picking up the work that originally inspired the adaptation. Viewers wonder if the interpretation has done the novel proud and are therefore introduced to little known books and authors as well as being re-introduced to the classics. It may not please some literary purists, but this can result in people picking up books that otherwise would have switched on the TV.
"when Hollywood adapts a movie to the screen, the author is pretty much producers or benefactors at the bottom of the totem pole" When obtain the rights to adapt a
It seems likely that it is the result of the current film climate because excusing out of copyright books, authors can only be paid roughly 1% to 3% of the films overall budget. So even though you are paying the conventional cast and crew, as well as the rights to the book in question and the expense of hiring someone to adapt it from its state of prose into a fully formed script, it doesn’t make a dent in the budget if the end result is a good one that brings in the pennies.
novel they do so for an average of thirty-six months during which time they acquire their screen and adaptive writers. When books such as The Hobbit carry so much gravitas, film makers often pursue writers with prestige such as Academy Award winning Fran Walsh who has written for The Lord of the Rings trilogy, King Kong and The Lovely Bones.
the lovely bones, susie salmon
On a film such as My Sister’s Keeper whose budget was roughly £17500000 it is plausible that the production company would not have missed a measly 3% of it. All the same, the author Jodi Picoult was fairly happy with the outcome “there was a lot of wonderful stuff in the movie version, most notably the performances which I really enjoyed and by which I was really moved”. The right to a book sometimes means the power to both add scenes and take them away, as Picoult learnt because although the director had indicated that he was going to keep her ending “in the end he did not hold true to his word”. She
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Three of the assembled Avengers
theavengers.tv/forever/
Those that read before watching become critics who evaluate both text and film to a place beyond whether the adaptation was faithful, to one that looks at choices such as costume and character. In film the narrator vanishes and tools such as voice, tense and metaphors must be realized using methods other than words on a page. This is where the adaptive writer is most challenged and also the areas in which readers scrutinize. These readers are also a film maker’s insurance policy. Whether or not they agree to their beloved literature coming to life on the big screen, curiosity will no doubt draw them in and they become a readymade, inevitable audience that buckle up before non-readers even have the chance to watch the trailer.
order to better understand what he was going to do with her work, “it seemed to me that he absolutely understood the core of the work and this is all, as the writer, you can hope for”. Like Picoult she was quick to explain that as a writer you have no control over the adaptation “the exception to this would be J.K Rowling” which the author says was due to the language of money. For Singer it wasn’t about staying accurately faithful to the book, it was about preserving the central themes, “what’s important is that the well ” spring of the original piece, the thing you cared to write about in the first place, remains intact.”
'what's important is that the well spring of the original piece, the thing you cared to write about in the first place, remains intact.
Again film can be accused of allowing people to experience literature at a basic level without exercising their brains. But really it’s only when films aren’t successful or faithful to a book that adaptations become chastised. What makes an adaptation faithful? The obvious answer would be that it stays true to the book as much as is humanly possible. But that’s not always the best route. The substantially good adaptations are those that do something new with the original material. This way, a singular novel or comic book can be adapted for cinema numerous times seeing that each film is infused with the habits and personality of the director and producer ensuring slight changes in each outcome. Lord of the Rings will be a constantly referred to example because in the book Tolkien takes pride in describing miniscule details like each characters family tree, yet with the film version, viewers were able to digest Tolkien’s ingenious plot without the surrounding clobber. Children’s author Nicky Singer had her book Feather Boy adapted into a television series and a film. Before agreeing to both of those she was advised to tread carefully, “my agent suggested that if I cared about my work I should think very seriously about whether I wanted to sign on the dotted line”. In her case she met with the producer (Peter Tabern) in
The stigma that comes with reading comic books has partly been erased by the seamless transition that many comics and graphic novels have experienced whilst being adapted for cinema. In recent years we’ve seen Batman, Superman, Spiderman, the X-Men and
the hunger games, katniss everdeen
ones to watch from old releases to coming soon, these are the adaptations worth a watch even little league comics such as Scott Pilgrim Vs The World and The Losers settle down for some much deserved box-office stardom. For some fans there’s is no beating the original work but it comes back down to reputation. Action and sci-fi movie enthusiasts will again often turn to the comic after seeing the film and thus a new breed of comic followers is developed, one that would have previously scoffed at picking up a comic. It comes down the type of personality one has as to whether you favour the book over the film and vice versa. Reading is a process of interpretation which can be both slow and individualized. On the other hand film is a temporary, instant form of visual observation. Both have the power to while away the hours with little concentration but either way audiences are digesting stories that may never have reached such a broadened audience were it not for the decision to take the text to screen. The process can benefit both mediums. Whilst the film makers are promoting their adaptation they’re inadvertently advertising the book, meanwhile the author and publishing house are promoting the original work and unbeknown, are spreading the word about the film. This trend of prose to picture adaptation prevails for the simple reason that it’s durable and it’s successful. When one creation flourishes, hauls in the viewers and inevitably comes to an end, film makers are quickly in search of the next big thing. The Lord of the Rings lead the way for Harry Potter which in turn spurred on the release of Twilight, and this year sees new kid on the block The Hunger Games take a turn at the top. Between these top guns are the comic book features and the one-off-novel adaptations that admirably fill the gaps. As this year sees the film versions of some of literature’s best loved work such as The Great Gatsby and Great Expectations, it is quite obvious that the trend of adaptations will be on the books for some time.
www.imdb.com/title/tt1659337/
coming soon Snow White and The Huntsman - 1st June The Amazing Spiderman - 4th July The Dark Knight Rises - 20th July Wettest Country - 31st August Anna Karenina - 7th September The Perks of Being a Wallflower - 28th September Cloud Atlas - 19th October Cosmopolis - 23rd November The Hobbit - 14th December The Great Gatsby - January 2013
already out The 39 Steps (1935) One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) Blade Runner (1982) The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Babe (1995) Fight Club (1999) Lord of the Rings (2001-2003) Watchmen (2009) The Road (2009) True Grit (2010)
the perks of being a wallflower
movies
e v a h d l u o Sh This is the part where reminiscing takes on a whole new attitude. It's nearly impossible for a film fan to have never witnessed a feature that would have been perfect were it not for one thing or it just didn't receive the welcome it deserved.
These are the films that should have.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0120179/
www.imdb.com/title/tt0118688/
films that should have been better
Why? Some franchises don't have comedy element for a reason
Why? A runaway bus is replaced by the slowest vehicle known to man
A film that finds audiences talking more about Uma Thurman and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s villains in order to avoid discussing the fumbling lack of plot and embarrassing dialogue. This sequel could have been more than passable had it completely changed its clichéd plot.
Sandra Bullock’s eighties hair and ability to look good in a life jacket is wasted by a thin plot and a run-of-the-mill villain. With no imagination and a crash ending that should never have been picked up from the cutting room floor. Perhaps a runaway speed boat or yacht would have kept the aquatic theme but captured the essence of the original.
wwws.warnerbros.co.uk/movies/catwoman/
speed ii: cruise control (1997)
www.imdb.com/title/tt0120915/
batman and robin (1997)
star wars episode one: the phantom menace (1999)
catwoman (2004)
Why? It's like Star Wars, but lighter
Even Halle Berry couldn’t compensate for the panfaced acting supplied by Sharon Stone and the forced action sequences. All that was needed to bring this feline to life was a leaf from Batman’s book; an origins style approach and a better fitting costume.
A mediocre return to the galaxy sees an average plot and a series of character developments the audience could have lived without. Lucas should have banished Jar-Jar Binks and focused more on the story and progress of young Anakin.
Why? A film that took too much from the camp approach to comic books
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www.007.com/
james bond and the quantum of solace (2008) Why? Because it didn't quite fill the successful hole left by Casino Royale A forgetful villain and a lacking storyline could have been overlooked were it not for the fact that it’s supposed to be a Bond film. 007 should have taken a longer mourning period between films.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0114924/
www.shawshankredemption.org/
films that should have won awards
the shawshank redemption (1994)
while you were sleeping (1995)
Why? Morgan Freeman shows exceptional talent in a poignant, old time prison tale
Why? Charming romantic comedy cut from a different cloth
In light of Robert Zemeckis’ release of Forest Gump in the same year, Shawshank was nominated for seven Academy awards but died in the shadow of Tom Hanks. It most certainly deserved Best Picture and Best Actor for Morgan Freeman’s narration alone.
This Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman fairy-tale is one whose concept allows audiences to forget they’re watching a rom-com. With doses of warmth, humour and realism the film received great response and although Sandra Bullock was nominated for Best Comedy Actress, unrightfully she lost out to Nicole Kidman.
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www.waroftheworlds.com/
www.imdb.com/title/tt0167404/
War of the Worlds manages to give its audience a non-stop, thrilling adaptation that was perfectly molded for the modern viewer.
war of the worlds (2005)
Why? A Hollywood classic style film with a ghost story twist
Why? A tremendously admirable update of H.G Wells' novel
M. Night Shayamalan’s work was nominated for six Academy Awards and four BAFTA’s but took home none. This film should have received accolades in the form of Best Writer and Best Supporting Actor for little Haley Joel Osment.
Spielberg’s successful revamping of War of the Worlds manages to give its audience a non-stop, thrilling adaptation that was perfectly molded for the modern viewer. Unfortunately it came up against King Kong at the Academy Awards and lost. It should have been commended for its supporting actress, Dakota Fanning as well as screenplay and visual effects.
www.truegritmovie.com/
sixth sense (1995)
truegrit (2010) Why? A Coen Brothers masterpiece with exceptionally strong performances all round It was nominated for over thirty awards and only walked away with the BFCA award, Best Young Performer for Hailee Stienfeld and the BAFTA for Best cinematography. It should have at least received Best Actor for Jeff Bridges and Best Adapted Screenplay.
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wingkong.net/
www.imdb.com/title/tt0088847/
films that should have had sequels
Why? John Hughes' savvy insight into the mind of five impressive teenagers
Why? This eighties delight had big humour with little trouble
Quite possibly everyone who has ever watched this film has wondered what happened Monday morning when they went back to school. No teen, coming of age film has ever needed a sequel more.
All that a sequel for this would have had to keep was Kurt Russell’s character, John Burton and the eccentric balance of action and comedy. Cult followers everywhere would rejoice.
www.imdb.com/title/tt1196204/
big trouble in little china (1986)
www.imdb.com/title/tt0311113/
the breakfast club (1985)
master and commander: the far side of the word (1985)
cemetry junction (2010)
Why? Partly because the book that inspired the film was part of a twenty-volume set
Cemetery Junction is a funny, warm, nostalgic tale of a group of seemingly average people that by the end of the film have all gone separate ways. The possibilities for the sequels are as numerous as the amount of characters, and if Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant picked the right one, it could be an admirable little follow up.
A classic action adventure with exceptional CGI and a chunk of warming character developments. With so many paths and stories for Captain Aubrey to choose from, this is crying out for another largescale maritime quest.
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Why? Because where on earth did they all end up?
inceptionmovie.warnerbros.com/dvd/
inception (2010) Why? If done right, it could be another mind-blowing masterpiece for Christopher Nolan The cast of the film are signed up for a sequel but as of yet there are no rumours to suggest it has a green light. A film whose cast and plot combined were exceptionally innovative and ingenious doesn’t come around often, handle with care and the sequel could make history.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0102798/
www.imdb.com/title/tt0102057/
films that should have been recast
hook (1991)
robin hood; prince of thieves (1991)
Why? Because originally they wanted Bowie
Why? You're not supposed to prefer the Sheriff of Nottingham
Although this lively attempt at children’s classic is not in dire need of a recast, rumours have it that David Bowie was Spielberg’s initial choice for Hook. But the singer apparently turned it down and thus Dustin Hoffman took the title role. But a pirate Bowie with a hook for a hand and a Peter Pan played by Kurt Russell, and maybe this film would have avoided the bargain bin.
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A quintessentially English hero is played by allAmerican Kevin Costner in a film that results in audiences preferring Alan Rickman’s role of Sheriff and villain over Robin Hood. Keep the plot and Morgan Freeman but loose Costner’s overacting for someone dependable like Jeremy Irons and just maybe Russell Crowe would never have dared to pick up those tights in years to come.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0320661/
www.imdb.com/title/tt0252076/
Perhaps a more comfortably masculine Guy Pearce or even Hugh Jackman could have rescued it from the flames.
MAID IN MANHATTAN (2002)
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (2005)
Why? Ralph Fiennes is no Hugh Grant
Why? Because Orlando Bloom is just a bit too baby soft for Knights Templar Riddly Scott’s exceptional directing skills are slightly lost on his slightly bland main character played by Orlando Bloom. Keep Liam Neeson and keep Jeremy Irons but perhaps a tortured Christian Bale or Tom Hardy would have better suited this Crusaders epic.
www.ghostridermovie.net/
This is a fairly run-of-the-mill romantic comedy that sees Jennifer Lopez as a maid who falls for a politician who is bizarrely played by Ralph Fiennes. It wouldn’t have won an Oscar regardless of who played the male love interest but curiosity can’t help wonder what Hugh Grant or Dermot Mulroney could have done for the films reputation.
ghost rider (2007) Why? It wasn't actually supposed to be a parody of the Johnny Blaze comics This Marvel adaptation was an unexpected one and one that would have pleased the critics had it not been Nicholas Cage donning the leather pants and hopping on a motorcycle. Perhaps a more comfortably masculine Guy Pearce or even Hugh Jackman could have rescued it from the flames.
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2nd
Generation
posters
creative designer Jamie Creamer takes those good, bad and ugly posters and recreates them his way.
POSTER
POSTER
Some Kind of Wonderful This 12 rated film was directed by Howard Deutch, written and produced by John Hughes, is in total one hour and thirty-one minutes long and this year it celebrates its 25th anniversary.
www.somekindofwonderful.org/
Eric Stoltz, Lea Thompson and Mary Stuart Masterson, Some Kind of Wonderful is a John Hughes film that often gets left behind. Through an eloquent and witty use of dialogue and relatable characters, it is a model eighties movie that somehow manages to stay relevant. The film follows the story of mis-fit artist Keith, his tomboyish best friend Watts, and his affection for the preppy Miss Amanda Jones. He enlists the help of Watts to help catch his crush unaware of the fact that she is irrefutably in love with him. Among his trials is the fact that Amanda does not come alone; she has a bully of an ex-boyfriend, Hardy, who has an unyielding desire to rearrange her new beau’s face. In a typical fairytale fashion good triumphs over evil; Keith get’s the girl only to realise it was Watts he wanted all along, Amanda realises the error of her pompous ways and everyone lives happily ever eighties after.
Abuse this authentic batch of characters barely have to make a sound before you feel like you know each of them. You have your all-American beauty complete with prep and a need for validation, the sensitive mis-fit who just aims to please, a tom-boy with a secret and a supposed high school jerk who looks like filming began on his thirtieth birthday. The charming but predictable plot received a lot of stick as this wasn’t the first time Hughes had enrolled the help of the mis-fit-best-friend-popularstudent combo. His 1986 hit Pretty in Pink sees the distinguished Molly Ringwald as the object of a rich and popular fellow’s affection, again, unaware that her best friend is hopelessly head over heels for her. Hughes quite obviously favoured the Cinderella premise so much that after a year and a case of gender reversal, Some Kind of Wonderful was born. Rumours have it that he even offered the part of Amanda Jones to his favourite red-head only to have her turn it down. He did however secure the leading man he had in mind from the moment he picked up his pen and began to write the story.
The DVD, released in 2002, is much like most eighties movies that have made it on to disc seeing that it goes straight into the film and comes lacking in special features. It has, however, still maintained its grainy, aged feel that reminds you that the film you’re about to enjoy was made before Jennifer Laurence was even born. Taking just nine weeks to create, the film walked away from American cinemas with the tidy sum of $18,553,948. As the opening credits roll to the sound of Propaganda’s song
Another similar John Hughes trait is that of one young man’s struggle to find himself under the pressure of his family’s expectations. Keith’s father wants nothing more than for his son to save every last dollar he earns at the gas station so he can venture off to business school. Young Keith, however, wants to attend an art college and hone his creative skills. If you replace business with wrestling and art with college you have Emilio Esteves’ character, Andrew, in The Breakfast Club. Perhaps as the tag line
starring
to look at Some Kind of Wonderful with fresh eyes means seeing it for all its captivating and authentic glory.
Before they could stand together, they had to stand alone
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suggests, this film had to stand together with all the other Hughes exports before it could stand alone. Familiar themes aside, to look at Some Kind of Wonderful with fresh eyes means seeing it for all its captivating and authentic glory. It almost appears frozen in time for no matter whether you watched it then, you watch it now or in ten years, almost every girl can relate to Watts’ pining and almost every boy can relate to Keith’s desire for the popular girl and a need for normalcy. And even, if at a push, you can’t relate to either of them you’ll surely feel for Mary Stuart Masterson’s lovelorn interpretation of Watts (whose first name is evidently Susan, a fact that wasn’t revealed until a book version was released after the film). Just 21 at the time Masterson manages to bring depth to a sensitive character with a butch personality. Not devoid of humour the film also manages to take the cliché of the ear-pierced, leather wearing bad guy and turn him into an art fanatic that ends up helping Keith in his clash with Hardy.
even threatens to stay away for good. What’s more is that out of the myriad of films that see that the bad guy is bought down a peg or two, this particular example see not one but two underdogs rise to the top. Keith and Watts succeed in not just the taming of Hardy and Amanda but also in the finding of each other and although it’s a typical plot route, for the ones we want to end up with each other, it doesn’t take away from the sweetness of it all. The only thing that let’s this kind of wonderful film down is its slightly rushed and slightly understated ending. For a feature that prides itself on an end result that everyone wants to see, it could have benefitted from a little more steam. It roughly takes four minutes from the time that Keith realises how he feels about Watts to running after her, kissing her and them walking off into the sunset together. The foundations of it are ideal, from Keith giving Watts the earrings he originally bought for Amanda to the last line of “you look good wearing my future”. It was just too rushed. All it needed was an additional four minutes and viewers would have been satisfied until the next Hughes adventure.
Even if you're not taken in by the character developments or lucid dialogue, you'd find it challenging to switch the film off before the end.
Even if you’re not taken in by the character developments or lucid dialogue, you’d find it challenging to switch the film off before the end. No matter how obvious the outcome the need to see it unfold is unyielding. With an inbuilt strain of ‘will they/won’t they?’ viewing it feels like you’ve been let in on a secret. As an audience of course you know where Watts’ affections lie but for little naive Keith it takes him the length of the entire film to catch on. Of course before then the friendship has to be pushed to its limits, so much so that Watts
Endings aside, this is a solid example of a good eighties coming of age, romantic comedy. Complete with a simple teenage story that manages to capture slightly more maturity than most and a script that shows John Hughes in the best of light, it certainly has the staying power to last another 25
SEE THIS IF YOU LIKED Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, Say Anything, Footloose, Can't buy me Love and She's all That 46=:The Screen
And Finally... before you go here's a little something extra, and it goes like this:
iron man take 3
sweet n' salt From the people that bought you wasabi flavoured skinny popcorn, Metcalfe give you sweet n’ salt skinny topcorn.
Jon Favreau has declined the invitation to return to the directing chair as Marvel takes another shot at Iron Man.
It may sound wrong, but your taste buds will approve.
With a release date of 2013, Marvel has a few months to find someone whose name will fit the Favreau shaped gap on the back of that directors chair.
total remake
tweet pick - COLIN HANKS
Directed by Underworld: Evolution’s Len Wiseman, this version of the Arnold Schwarzenegger classic Total Recall will be a thrilling little sci-fi adventure.
“Think Cameron from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was a wimp? Any hockey fan will tell you it takes balls to wear a Red Wings Jersey round
This remake hits UK cinemas on the 22nd August 2012.
assassins atack the curzon Takashi Miike, the director responsible for movies such as Audition and Ichi The Killer’ brings you the all-violent, allaction epic 13 Assassins which is now available to watch on The Curzon library.
48:The Screen
Chicago” 6:34, 24th April 2012
Every film IN
issue one
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