They were music megastars, and they all opened up to him. As Tony Palmer's best films resurface, the documentarian talks to Phelim O'Neill about Leonard Cohen's tears, John Lennon's fake beard – and the day Liberace invited him into his hot tub
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Tony Palmer was studying moral sciences at Cambridge University in the 1960s when a moderately famous band arrived in town. "I got a call to attend this press conference the Beatles were holding, to cover it for the college paper," he recalls. "They'd had a No 1 single or two by then, so they were very well known – but not yet intergalactic. Afterwards, John Lennon came up and asked me why I hadn't asked them any questions. I told him I found the whole thing pretty silly. He laughed, and when I told him I was studying moral sciences,...
Reading this on mobile? Click here to view video
Tony Palmer was studying moral sciences at Cambridge University in the 1960s when a moderately famous band arrived in town. "I got a call to attend this press conference the Beatles were holding, to cover it for the college paper," he recalls. "They'd had a No 1 single or two by then, so they were very well known – but not yet intergalactic. Afterwards, John Lennon came up and asked me why I hadn't asked them any questions. I told him I found the whole thing pretty silly. He laughed, and when I told him I was studying moral sciences,...
- 7/28/2013
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
They were music megastars, and they all opened up to him. As Tony Palmer's best films resurface, the documentarian talks to Phelim O'Neill about Leonard Cohen's tears, John Lennon's fake beard – and the day Liberace invited him into his hot tub
Reading this on mobile? Click here to view video
Tony Palmer was studying moral sciences at Cambridge University in the 1960s when a moderately famous band arrived in town. "I got a call to attend this press conference the Beatles were holding, to cover it for the college paper," he recalls. "They'd had a No 1 single or two by then, so they were very well known – but not yet intergalactic. Afterwards, John Lennon came up and asked me why I hadn't asked them any questions. I told him I found the whole thing pretty silly. He laughed, and when I told him I was studying moral sciences,...
Reading this on mobile? Click here to view video
Tony Palmer was studying moral sciences at Cambridge University in the 1960s when a moderately famous band arrived in town. "I got a call to attend this press conference the Beatles were holding, to cover it for the college paper," he recalls. "They'd had a No 1 single or two by then, so they were very well known – but not yet intergalactic. Afterwards, John Lennon came up and asked me why I hadn't asked them any questions. I told him I found the whole thing pretty silly. He laughed, and when I told him I was studying moral sciences,...
- 7/28/2013
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Armstrong and Miller comic lambasts 'inverse snobbery' while Ricky Gervais teaches guitar – and who's the hottest comedian?
This week's comedy news
We begin with the Telegraph's tale of Alexander Armstrong and the apparent victimisation of "posh" comics. "Why should your background be held against you?," asks the descendant of William the Conqueror, alumnus of a Durham public school and director of a production company called Toff Media. "It is so short-sighted … This tribal aversion to anyone with a posh voice is very boring." Armstrong – best known as one half of the sketch double-act Armstrong and Miller – even lodges the improbable complaint that his privileged upbringing has been detrimental to his career in British entertainment. In the piece, he blames inverse snobbery for the BBC initially spurning Armstrong and Miller after their big break on the Edinburgh fringe in the mid-1990s. And, he adds, "I'm not anticipating an offer to...
This week's comedy news
We begin with the Telegraph's tale of Alexander Armstrong and the apparent victimisation of "posh" comics. "Why should your background be held against you?," asks the descendant of William the Conqueror, alumnus of a Durham public school and director of a production company called Toff Media. "It is so short-sighted … This tribal aversion to anyone with a posh voice is very boring." Armstrong – best known as one half of the sketch double-act Armstrong and Miller – even lodges the improbable complaint that his privileged upbringing has been detrimental to his career in British entertainment. In the piece, he blames inverse snobbery for the BBC initially spurning Armstrong and Miller after their big break on the Edinburgh fringe in the mid-1990s. And, he adds, "I'm not anticipating an offer to...
- 5/14/2013
- by Brian Logan
- The Guardian - Film News
The fourth in our New View film season is a loving tribute to the master of the creature feature, stop-motion effects pioneer Ray Harryhausen. Available in the UK and Ireland only
Reading on mobile? Click here to watch Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan
If your ears are still ringing after The Punk Syndrome, then here's a gentle, healing balm. The fourth in our five-film New View series is a documentary profile of one of the true pioneers of the film industry, Ray Harryhausen, whose wonderful stop-motion animation has propped up many a dinosaur movie or mythological fantasy.
Harryhausen, one of the industry's true gentlemen, is beloved among A-list directors: acolytes like James Cameron and Peter Jackson have access to budgets and facilities he could only dream of, but he remains unfailingly gracious in his 90s.
Here's a sample of that acclaim: director John Landis, of American Werewolf in London renown,...
Reading on mobile? Click here to watch Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan
If your ears are still ringing after The Punk Syndrome, then here's a gentle, healing balm. The fourth in our five-film New View series is a documentary profile of one of the true pioneers of the film industry, Ray Harryhausen, whose wonderful stop-motion animation has propped up many a dinosaur movie or mythological fantasy.
Harryhausen, one of the industry's true gentlemen, is beloved among A-list directors: acolytes like James Cameron and Peter Jackson have access to budgets and facilities he could only dream of, but he remains unfailingly gracious in his 90s.
Here's a sample of that acclaim: director John Landis, of American Werewolf in London renown,...
- 4/18/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
Rust And Bone | Frankenweenie | McCullin | From Beyond | Defying Gravity
Rust And Bone
Another film that made most serious film fans' Best Of 2012 lists yet remained conspicuous by its absence in the roll call of Oscar nominees. And you can see why: it's full of shocks and surprises, and the Academy, generally, hates that. Following on from his hard-hitting crime drama A Prophet, director Jacques Audiard tackles a very different subject matter while applying his usual method of eradicating every trace of cliche. This is a romance, albeit one that leans more toward tragedy than melodrama.Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts) uproots himself and his son from Belgium to a more promising life in France. In an unfamiliar country and a single-parent situation he turns to his kickboxing skills as a streetfighter. He hooks up with orca trainer Stephanie (Marion Cotillard), but things soon take a turn when she has a terrible accident (without wishing to spoil things,...
Rust And Bone
Another film that made most serious film fans' Best Of 2012 lists yet remained conspicuous by its absence in the roll call of Oscar nominees. And you can see why: it's full of shocks and surprises, and the Academy, generally, hates that. Following on from his hard-hitting crime drama A Prophet, director Jacques Audiard tackles a very different subject matter while applying his usual method of eradicating every trace of cliche. This is a romance, albeit one that leans more toward tragedy than melodrama.Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts) uproots himself and his son from Belgium to a more promising life in France. In an unfamiliar country and a single-parent situation he turns to his kickboxing skills as a streetfighter. He hooks up with orca trainer Stephanie (Marion Cotillard), but things soon take a turn when she has a terrible accident (without wishing to spoil things,...
- 2/23/2013
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Phelim O'Neill rounds up the best new releases and restorations of 2012
The gap between theatrical and home releasing has narrowed over the last 12 months. The cinema seats were still warm when Avengers Assemble, Prometheus, The Dark Knight Rises and the rest of the summer blockbusters hit disc and (legal) download formats, in plenty of time for Christmas. It's been a great year for back catalogue titles, with startling digital dust-offs being given to Lawrence Of Arabia, Jaws and even the slightly less classic Zombie Flesh-Eaters. Box-sets have delivered tidy collections of Hitchcock, James Bond and The Universal Horror Classics (Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolf-Man, etc). So what if no channel will air Breaking Bad (you can get it on DVD, first four seasons anyway – and Netflix has the fifth). It's almost worth side-stepping TV broadcasts altogether when you can watch box sets of Mad Men, Homeland, Spartacus, The Killing, Game Of Thrones,...
The gap between theatrical and home releasing has narrowed over the last 12 months. The cinema seats were still warm when Avengers Assemble, Prometheus, The Dark Knight Rises and the rest of the summer blockbusters hit disc and (legal) download formats, in plenty of time for Christmas. It's been a great year for back catalogue titles, with startling digital dust-offs being given to Lawrence Of Arabia, Jaws and even the slightly less classic Zombie Flesh-Eaters. Box-sets have delivered tidy collections of Hitchcock, James Bond and The Universal Horror Classics (Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolf-Man, etc). So what if no channel will air Breaking Bad (you can get it on DVD, first four seasons anyway – and Netflix has the fifth). It's almost worth side-stepping TV broadcasts altogether when you can watch box sets of Mad Men, Homeland, Spartacus, The Killing, Game Of Thrones,...
- 12/29/2012
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Unreported World | Castle | 4Funnies: Uncle | James Bond 50th Anniversary Gala Concert | Jack Irish: Bad Debts | An Idiot Abroad
Unreported World
7.30pm, Channel 4
Ksenia Sobchak is about as well connected as one can get in Russia. Raised as part of the elite that got rich in the wake of the collapse of the Ussr, she was, until recently, best known as a socialite and Big Brother host. Then she started criticising family friend Vladimir Putin's government. Instead of appearing on mainstream TV, she now hosts a political discussion show on a small cable channel, and armed cops have raided her flat. Reporter Marcel Theroux and director David Fuller meet Sobchak, and look on as she records an interview with Pussy Riot's Katya Samutsevich. Jonathan Wright
Castle
10pm, Channel 5
A retired bank robber is found dead in his car, seemingly the result of an interrogation that went too far. Castle...
Unreported World
7.30pm, Channel 4
Ksenia Sobchak is about as well connected as one can get in Russia. Raised as part of the elite that got rich in the wake of the collapse of the Ussr, she was, until recently, best known as a socialite and Big Brother host. Then she started criticising family friend Vladimir Putin's government. Instead of appearing on mainstream TV, she now hosts a political discussion show on a small cable channel, and armed cops have raided her flat. Reporter Marcel Theroux and director David Fuller meet Sobchak, and look on as she records an interview with Pussy Riot's Katya Samutsevich. Jonathan Wright
Castle
10pm, Channel 5
A retired bank robber is found dead in his car, seemingly the result of an interrogation that went too far. Castle...
- 12/14/2012
- by Jonathan Wright, Phelim O'Neill, Ben Arnold, Martin Skegg, Ali Catterall, Julia Raeside
- The Guardian - Film News
Yotam Ottolenghi savours the flavours of Marrakech, 1950s TV newsroom drama The Hour returns and Michael Winterbottom explores the effects of a long stretch in prison
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday
MondayCrime Stories
2pm, ITV1
Co-created by the people who brought us The Bill, here's a peculiar and rather worthy hybrid of fact and fiction – a fake fly-on-the-wall police procedural, starring a former real-life detective chief superintendent (Jane Antrobus). It's certainly plodding and humdrum enough to be authentic – though does chuck in the odd Columbo-style red herring to keep us interested. In this series opener, Di Jane and DS Ben Shaw (Hollyoaks' Ben Hull) investigate the case of an care home resident who's had his money stolen. Ali Catterall
The Dark Charisma Of Adolf Hitler
9pm, BBC2
Debut of a three-part series seeking to explain one of history's great inexplicables: how and why did the civilised people of a great European nation,...
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday
MondayCrime Stories
2pm, ITV1
Co-created by the people who brought us The Bill, here's a peculiar and rather worthy hybrid of fact and fiction – a fake fly-on-the-wall police procedural, starring a former real-life detective chief superintendent (Jane Antrobus). It's certainly plodding and humdrum enough to be authentic – though does chuck in the odd Columbo-style red herring to keep us interested. In this series opener, Di Jane and DS Ben Shaw (Hollyoaks' Ben Hull) investigate the case of an care home resident who's had his money stolen. Ali Catterall
The Dark Charisma Of Adolf Hitler
9pm, BBC2
Debut of a three-part series seeking to explain one of history's great inexplicables: how and why did the civilised people of a great European nation,...
- 11/13/2012
- by Ali Catterall, Andrew Mueller, Hannah Verdier, David Stubbs, Ben Arnold, Phelim O'Neill, John Robinson, Jonathan Wright, Julia Raeside, Mark Jones, Martin Skegg
- The Guardian - Film News
This immaculate big screen transfer for the French children's fiction charms Phelim O'Neill
The books on which this is based, though hardly known here, have been, since their creation in the late 1950s, an integral part of growing up in France - where this film demolished all challengers at the box office upon its release a couple of years ago. Written by Rene Goscinny (better known for Asterix, whose comics make a cameo here) it takes the adult world and filters it through the more simplistic and imaginative eyes of a young boy, Nicolas. Here Nicolas, through a series of misunderstandings, believes his parents are planning to supplant him with a new baby brother, he rallies his friends in a series of unusual plans to make sure this doesn't happen. It presents a gently humorous, beautifully shot idyllic version of childhood, all blue skies, good manners and not a hair out of place.
The books on which this is based, though hardly known here, have been, since their creation in the late 1950s, an integral part of growing up in France - where this film demolished all challengers at the box office upon its release a couple of years ago. Written by Rene Goscinny (better known for Asterix, whose comics make a cameo here) it takes the adult world and filters it through the more simplistic and imaginative eyes of a young boy, Nicolas. Here Nicolas, through a series of misunderstandings, believes his parents are planning to supplant him with a new baby brother, he rallies his friends in a series of unusual plans to make sure this doesn't happen. It presents a gently humorous, beautifully shot idyllic version of childhood, all blue skies, good manners and not a hair out of place.
- 8/24/2012
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Line Of Duty | Gordon Behind Bars | Coming Here Soon: Greece, Bust And Broken | Ethan Hawke On Macbeth | Hit & Miss | Imagine
Line Of Duty
9pm, BBC2
Vicky McClure, Lennie James and Gina McKee head a cast list so impressive that even the "and Neil Morrissey" at the end doesn't spoil the overall "serious drama" effect. This five-part drama tackles police corruption and it's quickly apparent who the dodgy coppers are, as they're much more interesting than the honest ones. It's off to a fine start: in only a few minutes we're knee-deep in botched police raids, faked reports, unreported crimes and cover-ups. This opening episode lays out the numerous characters efficiently, with a few big twists kept for the end. Phelim O'Neill
Gordon Behind Bars
9pm, Channel 4
Jamie's cornered the school dinner market, so Gordon Ramsay heads to Brixton prison for his do-good mission. His aim is to spend six...
Line Of Duty
9pm, BBC2
Vicky McClure, Lennie James and Gina McKee head a cast list so impressive that even the "and Neil Morrissey" at the end doesn't spoil the overall "serious drama" effect. This five-part drama tackles police corruption and it's quickly apparent who the dodgy coppers are, as they're much more interesting than the honest ones. It's off to a fine start: in only a few minutes we're knee-deep in botched police raids, faked reports, unreported crimes and cover-ups. This opening episode lays out the numerous characters efficiently, with a few big twists kept for the end. Phelim O'Neill
Gordon Behind Bars
9pm, Channel 4
Jamie's cornered the school dinner market, so Gordon Ramsay heads to Brixton prison for his do-good mission. His aim is to spend six...
- 6/25/2012
- by Phelim O'Neill, Hannah Verdier, Martin Skegg, Julia Raeside, David Stubbs, John Robinson
- The Guardian - Film News
The Apprentice | Elizabeth Taylor: Auction Of A Lifetime | Beautiful Minds | Decked Out | Sons Of Anarchy | 2012 Olympic Games – 100 Days To Go
The Apprentice
9pm, BBC1
It is hard to decide what is more worrying about The Apprentice: the dodgy calibre of the characters upon whose shoulders our entrepreneurial future apparently rests, or the sheer sadism of those willing to watch them make such excruciating spectacles of themselves. This week, watch between your fingers as the teams pitch dance and weight-based gym programmes to health and fitness chains, with disaster surely in the offing. David Stubbs
Elizabeth Taylor: Auction Of A Lifetime
9pm, Channel 4
Elizabeth Taylor was magnetic, with diamonds attaching themselves to her like iron filings. This documentary tells her story through her extraordinary collection of bling, amassed over the course of eight marriages and recently auctioned off for staggering amounts. Meanwhile, Liza Minnelli and Joan Collins...
The Apprentice
9pm, BBC1
It is hard to decide what is more worrying about The Apprentice: the dodgy calibre of the characters upon whose shoulders our entrepreneurial future apparently rests, or the sheer sadism of those willing to watch them make such excruciating spectacles of themselves. This week, watch between your fingers as the teams pitch dance and weight-based gym programmes to health and fitness chains, with disaster surely in the offing. David Stubbs
Elizabeth Taylor: Auction Of A Lifetime
9pm, Channel 4
Elizabeth Taylor was magnetic, with diamonds attaching themselves to her like iron filings. This documentary tells her story through her extraordinary collection of bling, amassed over the course of eight marriages and recently auctioned off for staggering amounts. Meanwhile, Liza Minnelli and Joan Collins...
- 4/17/2012
- by David Stubbs, Ali Catterall, Martin Skegg, John Robinson, Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Good intentions there may have been, but this prequel to John Carpenter's classic is not up to scratch, says Phelim O'Neill
Whatever good intentions were behind this prequel to John Carpenter's 1982 classic, the sloppy execution renders them moot. Residual goodwill from the, ahem, original remake rapidly dissipates as this degenerates into a slack bug hunt, the characters differentiated only by how poorly written or acted they are. Added to which, it's a riot of badly designed cartoonish digital FX. Even for empty calorie thrills, this is not up to scratch.
Rating: 2/5
HorrorAction and adventureThrillerPhelim O'Neill
guardian.co.uk © 2011 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds...
Whatever good intentions were behind this prequel to John Carpenter's 1982 classic, the sloppy execution renders them moot. Residual goodwill from the, ahem, original remake rapidly dissipates as this degenerates into a slack bug hunt, the characters differentiated only by how poorly written or acted they are. Added to which, it's a riot of badly designed cartoonish digital FX. Even for empty calorie thrills, this is not up to scratch.
Rating: 2/5
HorrorAction and adventureThrillerPhelim O'Neill
guardian.co.uk © 2011 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds...
- 12/2/2011
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Brooklyn Close-Up, a monthly series at BAMcinématek, opens tonight with The Warriors (1979) and James Hughes spoke with Walter Hill recently for the Voice. Hill: "[T]his vaguely futuristic, science-fiction movie — why was it so audience-friendly? I don't exactly have the answer. I wish I did." Hughes: "Disturbing to admirers of the film is the specter of a remake, which was at one time attached to director Tony Scott, who planned to move the action to contemporary La. Its future remains unclear. 'I have no idea what the studio plans are,' Hill says. 'They don't call me. The producer tells me they've spent five times as much in developing a sequel as we did to make the movie. I made my version. Somebody else wants to take a shot at it, good luck.'"
On Saturday, Hill will be at MoMA for a screening of another of his landmark works: "His most underappreciated and airtight film,...
On Saturday, Hill will be at MoMA for a screening of another of his landmark works: "His most underappreciated and airtight film,...
- 10/31/2011
- MUBI
British artist says Tate Modern Turbine Hall installation celebrates analogue film-making at a time when the 'beautiful medium is about to go'
The big story
Pallbearers at the ready, for film is checking out. The great medium of the 20th-century – officially born on December 28th 1895, when the Lumiere brothers laid on the first paid public screening – is now facing its final fade out, killed off by new technology and outpaced by digital. "This beautiful medium, which we invented 125 years ago, is about to go," laments the British artist Tacita Dean. "How long have we got? I hope we've got a year left. It's that critical."
Film, Dean's acclaimed Turbine Hall commission at the Tate Modern, is an elegy to the joys of 35mm and the language of old-school analogue film-making. Elsewhere, the artist describes her working process and explains how film and digital are "intrinsically different mediums". Digital technology has no personal appeal for Dean.
The big story
Pallbearers at the ready, for film is checking out. The great medium of the 20th-century – officially born on December 28th 1895, when the Lumiere brothers laid on the first paid public screening – is now facing its final fade out, killed off by new technology and outpaced by digital. "This beautiful medium, which we invented 125 years ago, is about to go," laments the British artist Tacita Dean. "How long have we got? I hope we've got a year left. It's that critical."
Film, Dean's acclaimed Turbine Hall commission at the Tate Modern, is an elegy to the joys of 35mm and the language of old-school analogue film-making. Elsewhere, the artist describes her working process and explains how film and digital are "intrinsically different mediums". Digital technology has no personal appeal for Dean.
- 10/13/2011
- by Xan Brooks
- The Guardian - Film News
The Culture Show | Rostropovich – The Genius Of The Cello | Autumnwatch 2011 | Criminal Minds | A League Of Their Own | Chris Addison: My Funniest Year
The Culture Show
7pm, BBC2
Another week, another eclectic collection of reports from the arts show, which this week visits Glasgow. Top of the bill is host Andrew Graham-Dixon interviewing Grayson Perry, who's lately curated an installation of new works mixed up with objects drawn from the British Museum collection. Mark Kermode discusses We Need To Talk About Kevin with its director Lynne Ramsay, Simon Armitage celebrates National Poetry Day, and critic Michael Collins considers representations of working-class characters in the theatre. Plus, choreographer Akram Khan and the work of artist Gerhard Richter. Jonathan Wright
Rostropovich – The Genius Of The Cello
7.30pm, BBC4
The cello is the closest orchestral instrument to the human voice in its range of expression. It has achieved a pre-eminence in the classical repertoire,...
The Culture Show
7pm, BBC2
Another week, another eclectic collection of reports from the arts show, which this week visits Glasgow. Top of the bill is host Andrew Graham-Dixon interviewing Grayson Perry, who's lately curated an installation of new works mixed up with objects drawn from the British Museum collection. Mark Kermode discusses We Need To Talk About Kevin with its director Lynne Ramsay, Simon Armitage celebrates National Poetry Day, and critic Michael Collins considers representations of working-class characters in the theatre. Plus, choreographer Akram Khan and the work of artist Gerhard Richter. Jonathan Wright
Rostropovich – The Genius Of The Cello
7.30pm, BBC4
The cello is the closest orchestral instrument to the human voice in its range of expression. It has achieved a pre-eminence in the classical repertoire,...
- 10/7/2011
- by Jonathan Wright, David Stubbs, John Robinson, Martin Skegg
- The Guardian - Film News
A fresh clip from Matthijs van Heijningen Jr's film suggests it may not do the brilliantly gory 1982 version justice
The Thing, Matthijs van Heijningen Jr's forthcoming prequel to John Carpenter's cult 1982 horror/sci-fi hybrid about an extraterrestrial creature with the ability to mimic life on Earth, is yet another unlikely follow-up to an 80s film that didn't exactly set the box office on fire at time of release. Its arrival does make rather more sense, however, than last year's Tron Legacy or the recent cheap and cheerful Conan remake. It at least explores events hinted at in the Carpenter's film, as well as offering the opportunity to re-examine one of the most genuinely terrifying entities in the history of horror.
It does seem strange that the past decade has seen shallow retreads of slasher flicks such as Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the Thirteenth when the...
The Thing, Matthijs van Heijningen Jr's forthcoming prequel to John Carpenter's cult 1982 horror/sci-fi hybrid about an extraterrestrial creature with the ability to mimic life on Earth, is yet another unlikely follow-up to an 80s film that didn't exactly set the box office on fire at time of release. Its arrival does make rather more sense, however, than last year's Tron Legacy or the recent cheap and cheerful Conan remake. It at least explores events hinted at in the Carpenter's film, as well as offering the opportunity to re-examine one of the most genuinely terrifying entities in the history of horror.
It does seem strange that the past decade has seen shallow retreads of slasher flicks such as Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the Thirteenth when the...
- 9/16/2011
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
In a week of grubby airborne incidents Jodie Foster's donation to a California's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute took us to a higher place
The big story
It's been a week when the movements of large airborne body (allegedly) caused all sorts of trouble, so let's look to the skies. Up through the stratosphere, up where the air is clear, to the far out reaches of space where - if Jodie Foster's wallet has its way - we'll finally realise the dream of making contact with extraterrestrial life. Foster donated an undisclosed amount to the California-based Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (Seti) this week, helping to raise enough money to put the centre's 42 radio telescope dishes back into action. "We need to return it to the task of searching newly discovered planetary worlds for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence," Foster told Afp, adding that she hoped her money would...
The big story
It's been a week when the movements of large airborne body (allegedly) caused all sorts of trouble, so let's look to the skies. Up through the stratosphere, up where the air is clear, to the far out reaches of space where - if Jodie Foster's wallet has its way - we'll finally realise the dream of making contact with extraterrestrial life. Foster donated an undisclosed amount to the California-based Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (Seti) this week, helping to raise enough money to put the centre's 42 radio telescope dishes back into action. "We need to return it to the task of searching newly discovered planetary worlds for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence," Foster told Afp, adding that she hoped her money would...
- 8/18/2011
- by Henry Barnes
- The Guardian - Film News
I'm no purist, but it really takes me out of a film to hear the Narnia kids saying 'Sorted!' or Alice in Wonderland using terms like 'bonkers'
Much as I wanted to enjoy Super 8, I kept getting distracted by anachronisms. The film is set, specifically, in a small Ohio town in the summer of 1979, yet one of the kids compares an alien building block to a Rubik's Cube, which didn't go on sale till 1980. (I'd already checked the date when writing about Let the Right One In.) The gas station attendant must have been going out with someone whose uncle worked at Sony, because he has a Walkman, yet I didn't even glimpse Walkmans till late 1979 – and I was living in Tokyo at the time.
Most distracting of all, the kids in Jj Abrams's film are making a zombie movie. But why? They might conceivably have caught...
Much as I wanted to enjoy Super 8, I kept getting distracted by anachronisms. The film is set, specifically, in a small Ohio town in the summer of 1979, yet one of the kids compares an alien building block to a Rubik's Cube, which didn't go on sale till 1980. (I'd already checked the date when writing about Let the Right One In.) The gas station attendant must have been going out with someone whose uncle worked at Sony, because he has a Walkman, yet I didn't even glimpse Walkmans till late 1979 – and I was living in Tokyo at the time.
Most distracting of all, the kids in Jj Abrams's film are making a zombie movie. But why? They might conceivably have caught...
- 8/4/2011
- by Anne Billson
- The Guardian - Film News
Danish director plans two edits of his new film, which will deal with 'the erotic life of a woman from infancy to middle age'
The big story (softcore edit)
One day, "Naughty Lars von Trier being naughty again" won't be enough of a headline to grab our attention. But for now, the Danish enfant terrible is back among our pages, cackling away about his plan to make two edits of his next film, Nymphomaniac - a softcore cut for the sensitive, and a hardcore version for those who thought The Idiots a touch conservative.
Previously, Von Trier has handled such fluff as genital mutilation and the end of the world. Nymphomaniac will deal with child sexuality, following "the erotic life of a woman from infancy to middle age," according to Von Trier's producer Peter Aalbæk Jensen. "Lars wants to see the sexual arousement of a girl [on screen]," Jensen added. "If Lars...
The big story (softcore edit)
One day, "Naughty Lars von Trier being naughty again" won't be enough of a headline to grab our attention. But for now, the Danish enfant terrible is back among our pages, cackling away about his plan to make two edits of his next film, Nymphomaniac - a softcore cut for the sensitive, and a hardcore version for those who thought The Idiots a touch conservative.
Previously, Von Trier has handled such fluff as genital mutilation and the end of the world. Nymphomaniac will deal with child sexuality, following "the erotic life of a woman from infancy to middle age," according to Von Trier's producer Peter Aalbæk Jensen. "Lars wants to see the sexual arousement of a girl [on screen]," Jensen added. "If Lars...
- 8/4/2011
- by Henry Barnes
- The Guardian - Film News
Andrei Tarkovsky Collection
DVD, Artificial Eye
Sometimes box sets make sense. There are some directors, rare ones, whose work just doesn't sit well alongside the more humdrum and run of the mill. They make films so unique that even when they deal in familiar genres their work is more defined by director than subject. For instance, this collection of seven films by the Russian director includes science fiction, historical epic, semi-autobiographical and wartime dramas, but regardless of where and when the stories are set they are all best classified simply as Tarkovsky films. The title of the book he wrote on his work, Sculpting In Time, should key you in a little as to what to expect. Solaris is perhaps the most famous film here. With its tale of humanity's first encounter with a truly alien intelligence, it has the look of science fiction with the contemplative feel of poetry.
DVD, Artificial Eye
Sometimes box sets make sense. There are some directors, rare ones, whose work just doesn't sit well alongside the more humdrum and run of the mill. They make films so unique that even when they deal in familiar genres their work is more defined by director than subject. For instance, this collection of seven films by the Russian director includes science fiction, historical epic, semi-autobiographical and wartime dramas, but regardless of where and when the stories are set they are all best classified simply as Tarkovsky films. The title of the book he wrote on his work, Sculpting In Time, should key you in a little as to what to expect. Solaris is perhaps the most famous film here. With its tale of humanity's first encounter with a truly alien intelligence, it has the look of science fiction with the contemplative feel of poetry.
- 6/24/2011
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
It's a good weekend for moviegoing in the UK, starting with the pleasantly surprising revival of Ivan Passer's Cutter's Way (1981). "Much as womanizing slacker Richard Bone (Jeff Bridges) finds himself late one evening in a rainy Santa Barbara alleyway at the same time as a silhouetted figure dumps a young woman's body there, Cutter's Way suffered the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time," begins Anton Bitel in Little White Lies:
Adapted from Newton Thorburg's 1976 novel Cutter and Bone, Ivan Passer's film was released under the same title, only to receive a critical drubbing, be withdrawn from screens a week later, and then renamed and repackaged for United Artists' arthouse division, and ultimately for VHS (where its reputation really grew). This was the early Eighties, when American cinema, ruled over by Spielberg and Lucas, had become all about action, spectacle and escapism,...
Adapted from Newton Thorburg's 1976 novel Cutter and Bone, Ivan Passer's film was released under the same title, only to receive a critical drubbing, be withdrawn from screens a week later, and then renamed and repackaged for United Artists' arthouse division, and ultimately for VHS (where its reputation really grew). This was the early Eighties, when American cinema, ruled over by Spielberg and Lucas, had become all about action, spectacle and escapism,...
- 6/24/2011
- MUBI
Camcorder? Check. Zombified extras? Check. You have yourself a zombie film, says Phelim O'Neill
There's never been a better or cheaper time to make a zombie flick. Just get a few actors, a camcorder for that found-footage, shoot-em-up feel, and then Twitter up a flashmob of willing extras to be zombified. Job done. Set some four months after an "outbreak" has turned the world (well, parts of Sussex) into zombieland, we follow a group of soldiers on the move in a film that offers little new other than some ill-judged sexual violence. The can-do spirit results in one or two scenes where it all comes together, and make this perhaps a notch or two up from actually reading a diary written by a zombie.
Rating: 2/5
Action and adventureHorrorPhelim O'Neill
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There's never been a better or cheaper time to make a zombie flick. Just get a few actors, a camcorder for that found-footage, shoot-em-up feel, and then Twitter up a flashmob of willing extras to be zombified. Job done. Set some four months after an "outbreak" has turned the world (well, parts of Sussex) into zombieland, we follow a group of soldiers on the move in a film that offers little new other than some ill-judged sexual violence. The can-do spirit results in one or two scenes where it all comes together, and make this perhaps a notch or two up from actually reading a diary written by a zombie.
Rating: 2/5
Action and adventureHorrorPhelim O'Neill
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- 6/23/2011
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
The Culture Show | Andrew Marr's Megacities | Bums, Boobs And Botox | In Confidence | In Confidence | Ideal
The Culture Show
7pm, BBC2
Unusually, the biggest name on tonight's show is that of one of the reporters: David Attenborough, who presents a digression on the subject of John Craxton, as a new exhibition of the late artist's work opens at Tate Britain. Elsewhere, in a typically bountiful lineup, Mark Kermode speaks to Philip Seymour Hoffman about his directorial debut, Jack Goes Boating, Jacques Peretti meets writer Iain Sinclair, and Michael Smith attempts a Friday-night art crawl in south London. Andrew Mueller
Andrew Marr's Megacities
8pm, BBC1
Andrew Marr takes us on a tour of the "megacity", the habitat of the future. There are already 21 cities with populations of more than 10 million and plenty more on the way. For the first time in human history, there are now more people across the...
The Culture Show
7pm, BBC2
Unusually, the biggest name on tonight's show is that of one of the reporters: David Attenborough, who presents a digression on the subject of John Craxton, as a new exhibition of the late artist's work opens at Tate Britain. Elsewhere, in a typically bountiful lineup, Mark Kermode speaks to Philip Seymour Hoffman about his directorial debut, Jack Goes Boating, Jacques Peretti meets writer Iain Sinclair, and Michael Smith attempts a Friday-night art crawl in south London. Andrew Mueller
Andrew Marr's Megacities
8pm, BBC1
Andrew Marr takes us on a tour of the "megacity", the habitat of the future. There are already 21 cities with populations of more than 10 million and plenty more on the way. For the first time in human history, there are now more people across the...
- 6/2/2011
- by Andrew Mueller, Martin Skegg, Nosheen Iqbal, Phelim O'Neill, Julia Raeside
- The Guardian - Film News
L'Age D'Or
DVD & Blu-ray, BFI
Spanish director Luis Buñuel's importance in the world of film-making is often overlooked, perhaps because he wasn't part of any handy film movement such as New Wave or neo-realism.
But he was part of an artistic movement, hanging out with surrealists such as Man Ray and Max Ernst. Oddly, this has left him between two stools: too artistic for cinema, too cinematic to be considered true art. This release contains two groundbreaking films Buñuel made some 80 years ago in collaboration with Salvador Dalí.
Their first, the notorious Un Chien Andalou, included here as an extra, has inspired everyone from David Lynch to David Bowie and Pixies. It's rich in imagery, from ants crawling out of a hand and rotting animals stuffed in pianos to the famous shot of a razor blade bisecting an eye. With sequences drawn from dreams rather than conscious imagination, the...
DVD & Blu-ray, BFI
Spanish director Luis Buñuel's importance in the world of film-making is often overlooked, perhaps because he wasn't part of any handy film movement such as New Wave or neo-realism.
But he was part of an artistic movement, hanging out with surrealists such as Man Ray and Max Ernst. Oddly, this has left him between two stools: too artistic for cinema, too cinematic to be considered true art. This release contains two groundbreaking films Buñuel made some 80 years ago in collaboration with Salvador Dalí.
Their first, the notorious Un Chien Andalou, included here as an extra, has inspired everyone from David Lynch to David Bowie and Pixies. It's rich in imagery, from ants crawling out of a hand and rotting animals stuffed in pianos to the famous shot of a razor blade bisecting an eye. With sequences drawn from dreams rather than conscious imagination, the...
- 5/27/2011
- by Phelim O'Neill, Richard Vine
- The Guardian - Film News
Funnier and faster than its predecessor, this sequel is the first live-action film by David Bowers, who directed Flushed Away. By Phelim O'Neill
David "Flushed Away" Bowers brings a lot of slick, comic energy to his first live-action feature, making it funnier and faster than its charming predecessor. Wimpy kid Greg is still negotiating the minefield of pre-teen life, but this time it's his big brother Rodrick who provides him with trouble when the pair find themselves home alone for the weekend. So many movies aimed at this age group aim low with crude, slapstick humour, but this one, despite such tried and tested routines as chocolate-stained trousers, manages to be restrained enough to be actually entertaining.
Rating: 3/5
ComedyPhelim O'Neill
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David "Flushed Away" Bowers brings a lot of slick, comic energy to his first live-action feature, making it funnier and faster than its charming predecessor. Wimpy kid Greg is still negotiating the minefield of pre-teen life, but this time it's his big brother Rodrick who provides him with trouble when the pair find themselves home alone for the weekend. So many movies aimed at this age group aim low with crude, slapstick humour, but this one, despite such tried and tested routines as chocolate-stained trousers, manages to be restrained enough to be actually entertaining.
Rating: 3/5
ComedyPhelim O'Neill
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- 5/26/2011
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Drama about boxer Howard Winstone who fought his way to the top against the odds after an industrial accident. By Phelim O'Neill
There's an interesting story here, in the true-life tale of Great Welsh Hope boxer Howard Winstone who fought his way to the top after an industrial accident smashed one of his hands. Unfortunately the film doesn't quite get to grips with it on anything other than a superficial level, seemingly too charmed by the polite, respectful lead character to get down and dirty with any bigger issues, so punches are pulled in the drama.
Rating: 2/5
DramaPhelim O'Neill
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There's an interesting story here, in the true-life tale of Great Welsh Hope boxer Howard Winstone who fought his way to the top after an industrial accident smashed one of his hands. Unfortunately the film doesn't quite get to grips with it on anything other than a superficial level, seemingly too charmed by the polite, respectful lead character to get down and dirty with any bigger issues, so punches are pulled in the drama.
Rating: 2/5
DramaPhelim O'Neill
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- 5/12/2011
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Strictly for kids only, these are supposed highlights from the cartoon franchise. By Phelim O'Neill
Short and in a very limited style of animation, this movie compiles the supposed best bits from the cartoon wing of a franchise that includes comics, toys and cards. The target audience may get a kick out of it, but for anyone whose age has reached double figures, it'll be hard to see this as anything other than a shouty, tacky advert for things you'll never buy.
Rating: 2/5
AnimationAction and adventurePhelim O'Neill
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Short and in a very limited style of animation, this movie compiles the supposed best bits from the cartoon wing of a franchise that includes comics, toys and cards. The target audience may get a kick out of it, but for anyone whose age has reached double figures, it'll be hard to see this as anything other than a shouty, tacky advert for things you'll never buy.
Rating: 2/5
AnimationAction and adventurePhelim O'Neill
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- 5/12/2011
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
It's a family affair as Emilio Estevez directs father Martin Sheen in the well-intentioned tale of a pilgrimage. By Phelim O'Neill
The two less controversial members of the Sheen family collaborate for a bit of father-and-son time. Sheen plays a doctor who travels to France to collect the body of his son, who died while just starting the 800km Camino pilgrimage. He decides to complete the journey himself, carrying his son's ashes and distributing them on the way. It starts off really well, but halfway through, James Nesbitt pops up in a cataclysmically misjudged role. But, on the whole, it's a well-intentioned and nicely performed piece.
Rating: 3/5
Action and adventureComedyMartin SheenPhelim O'Neill
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The two less controversial members of the Sheen family collaborate for a bit of father-and-son time. Sheen plays a doctor who travels to France to collect the body of his son, who died while just starting the 800km Camino pilgrimage. He decides to complete the journey himself, carrying his son's ashes and distributing them on the way. It starts off really well, but halfway through, James Nesbitt pops up in a cataclysmically misjudged role. But, on the whole, it's a well-intentioned and nicely performed piece.
Rating: 3/5
Action and adventureComedyMartin SheenPhelim O'Neill
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- 5/12/2011
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
The National Movie Awards | Julia Bradbury's Iceland Walk | McFly On The Wall | Justified | Wonderland: The Trouble With Love And Sex | 24 Hours In A&E
The National Movie Awards
8pm, ITV1
Now in its fourth year, and live from Wembley Arena, this awards show is a little different, as all the voting is done by the public. So it's a good opportunity to see if people like Black Swan and The Social Network as much as critics do. A-list Hollywood guests are promised, if yet to be announced, but Jls will perform and Christine Bleakley is presenting – two bits of news that should excite any movie fan. Still, it's a nice level playing field, and probably the only ceremony outside of the Razzies where flicks like Gulliver's Travels and Little Fockers can be real contenders. Phelim O'Neill
Julia Bradbury's Iceland Walk
9pm, BBC4
As part of the Wonders Of Iceland season,...
The National Movie Awards
8pm, ITV1
Now in its fourth year, and live from Wembley Arena, this awards show is a little different, as all the voting is done by the public. So it's a good opportunity to see if people like Black Swan and The Social Network as much as critics do. A-list Hollywood guests are promised, if yet to be announced, but Jls will perform and Christine Bleakley is presenting – two bits of news that should excite any movie fan. Still, it's a nice level playing field, and probably the only ceremony outside of the Razzies where flicks like Gulliver's Travels and Little Fockers can be real contenders. Phelim O'Neill
Julia Bradbury's Iceland Walk
9pm, BBC4
As part of the Wonders Of Iceland season,...
- 5/10/2011
- by Phelim O'Neill, David Stubbs, Eleanor Morgan, Jonathan Wright, Andrew Mueller
- The Guardian - Film News
A musician rescues a barmaid and a relationship is forged on a wander round London. It may sound like Before Sunrise, but this is a real achievement on a low budget, says Phelim O'Neill
A suicidal musician Will (Menzies) rescues barmaid Eve (O'Reilly) from a drunken attack from a punter at closing time and, as the night progresses, they wander around London, forging a relationship while taking care not to ask if the other has seen Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise. Made quickly, with extremely limited resources, the result is quite an achievement. London looks good, as do the leads who whip up some credible chemistry, and there's even a decent message to impart. Access to a little more time and money would have solved one or two problems, but there's a rough-hewn charm and clumsiness here that's invigorating.
Rating: 3/5
RomancePhelim O'Neill
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A suicidal musician Will (Menzies) rescues barmaid Eve (O'Reilly) from a drunken attack from a punter at closing time and, as the night progresses, they wander around London, forging a relationship while taking care not to ask if the other has seen Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise. Made quickly, with extremely limited resources, the result is quite an achievement. London looks good, as do the leads who whip up some credible chemistry, and there's even a decent message to impart. Access to a little more time and money would have solved one or two problems, but there's a rough-hewn charm and clumsiness here that's invigorating.
Rating: 3/5
RomancePhelim O'Neill
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use...
- 5/5/2011
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Primordial jungles and swooping, colourful reptiles in an IMAX documentary. By Phelim O'Neill
It wasn't all that long ago that this sort of short, lightly scientific, flashy documentary was pretty much all you could see at Imax cinemas. Now they are used fill up the gaps between the likes of Sucker Punch and Avatar. It's the latter movie that seems to have been the inspiration for this one: primordial jungles and swooping, colourful reptiles that all seem drawn from Cameron's playbook rather than from any startling archaeological insight. David Attenborough's voice lends authority to the more suspect theories.
Rating: 3/5
DocumentaryDavid AttenboroughPhelim O'Neill
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It wasn't all that long ago that this sort of short, lightly scientific, flashy documentary was pretty much all you could see at Imax cinemas. Now they are used fill up the gaps between the likes of Sucker Punch and Avatar. It's the latter movie that seems to have been the inspiration for this one: primordial jungles and swooping, colourful reptiles that all seem drawn from Cameron's playbook rather than from any startling archaeological insight. David Attenborough's voice lends authority to the more suspect theories.
Rating: 3/5
DocumentaryDavid AttenboroughPhelim O'Neill
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- 5/5/2011
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
The illegal narcotics trade in Goa is an unusual topic for Bollywood, but this is a brave attempt, says Phelim O'Neill
It's always been tough for Indian cinema to tackle the more controversial issues with much depth, so while this drama set around the illegal narcotics trade in Goa may be less explicit than an episode of Grange Hill, it's still an honourable and brave attempt. To give you an idea; there is a written warning against smoking tobacco in the opening titles, while all the pills and powders are handled in a far more coy fashion than would be the case in the west. A poor young student fails to get the scholarship he desperately needs to join his girlfriend at university in the Us. He falls prey to drug traffickers who send him on a disastrous mission as a mule. It's made to high technical standards with plenty...
It's always been tough for Indian cinema to tackle the more controversial issues with much depth, so while this drama set around the illegal narcotics trade in Goa may be less explicit than an episode of Grange Hill, it's still an honourable and brave attempt. To give you an idea; there is a written warning against smoking tobacco in the opening titles, while all the pills and powders are handled in a far more coy fashion than would be the case in the west. A poor young student fails to get the scholarship he desperately needs to join his girlfriend at university in the Us. He falls prey to drug traffickers who send him on a disastrous mission as a mule. It's made to high technical standards with plenty...
- 4/28/2011
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
First-time Italian director Federico Zampaglione has a clear love and enthusiasm for the horror genre and pulls off a pretty good film, despite a limited budget, says Phelim O'Neill
A mountain-biking ex-soldier meets a nice girl but incurs the wrath of two incredibly angry hunters, one British, one American while holidaying in the Italian Alps. Just when you're settled into thinking you're watching another survival horror, there's a massive and quite bold change in direction and all bets are off. First-time director Zampaglione has a clear love and enthusiasm for the genre, chucking in as many different moods as the meagre budget and brief running time will allow, from foggy forests to creepy laboratories and spooky houses as well as a proggy score. His next film is a collaboration with screenwriter Dardano Sachetti, who has previously worked with all three of the legends of Italian horror; Argento, Bava and Fulci.
A mountain-biking ex-soldier meets a nice girl but incurs the wrath of two incredibly angry hunters, one British, one American while holidaying in the Italian Alps. Just when you're settled into thinking you're watching another survival horror, there's a massive and quite bold change in direction and all bets are off. First-time director Zampaglione has a clear love and enthusiasm for the genre, chucking in as many different moods as the meagre budget and brief running time will allow, from foggy forests to creepy laboratories and spooky houses as well as a proggy score. His next film is a collaboration with screenwriter Dardano Sachetti, who has previously worked with all three of the legends of Italian horror; Argento, Bava and Fulci.
- 4/28/2011
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
A British urban spoof that is irredeemably lame and unfunny, writes Phelim O'Neill
Triple threat writer/director/actor Adam Deacon stars as K (real name Kenneth), a wannabe Mc who disastrously turns to dealing weed after his family loses nearly all their possessions to bailiffs. He and his equally hopeless crew get into all kinds of scrapes with the local criminals. Oh, and it's a comedy. Hopelessly broad and almost continually annoying, it's a film that it's hard to imagine even the target audience warming to. It's really just a torrent of age-old gags and clumsy, pointless situations dressed up with street slang. At least they didn't appear to have wasted much money on this, which is one of the few plus points.
Rating: 1/5
ComedyCrimePhelim O'Neill
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Triple threat writer/director/actor Adam Deacon stars as K (real name Kenneth), a wannabe Mc who disastrously turns to dealing weed after his family loses nearly all their possessions to bailiffs. He and his equally hopeless crew get into all kinds of scrapes with the local criminals. Oh, and it's a comedy. Hopelessly broad and almost continually annoying, it's a film that it's hard to imagine even the target audience warming to. It's really just a torrent of age-old gags and clumsy, pointless situations dressed up with street slang. At least they didn't appear to have wasted much money on this, which is one of the few plus points.
Rating: 1/5
ComedyCrimePhelim O'Neill
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- 3/18/2011
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Bible's Buried Secrets | Carole Quentin: A Passage Through India | Lily Allen: From Riches To Rags | Agony & Ecstasy: A Year With English National Ballet | True Stories: Marilyn, The Last Sessions | $#*! My Dad Says
Bible's Buried Secrets
9pm, BBC2
The story of the empire of King David is fundamental to the validity of the state of modern Israel. It was David who was supposed to have united Israel and Judah. An extensive archeological dig in the 50s and 60s supposedly provided verification. However, here, Dr Franscesca Stavrakopoulou questions whether those archeologists were digging "with a trowel in one hand and a Bible in the other" and examines more recent evidence that casts doubt on whether David presided over much of an empire at all. David Stubbs
Caroline Quentin: A Passage Through India
9pm, ITV1
It will be an iron-willed viewer who doesn't switch this off or heave their television into the street after 10 seconds.
Bible's Buried Secrets
9pm, BBC2
The story of the empire of King David is fundamental to the validity of the state of modern Israel. It was David who was supposed to have united Israel and Judah. An extensive archeological dig in the 50s and 60s supposedly provided verification. However, here, Dr Franscesca Stavrakopoulou questions whether those archeologists were digging "with a trowel in one hand and a Bible in the other" and examines more recent evidence that casts doubt on whether David presided over much of an empire at all. David Stubbs
Caroline Quentin: A Passage Through India
9pm, ITV1
It will be an iron-willed viewer who doesn't switch this off or heave their television into the street after 10 seconds.
- 3/15/2011
- by Rebecca Nicholson, David Stubbs, Martin Skegg, Phelim O'Neill, Andrew Mueller
- The Guardian - Film News
The legendary director in decent form with a well-made horror pic. By Phelim O'Neill
John Carpenter's current reputation as a spent force is undeserved, even if he's not made much recently that knocked anyone's socks off. This one is more a step in the right direction than a fully fledged return to form. Amber Heard plays a young amnesiac in a psychiatric institution trying to figure out why a ghostly apparition/zombie thing is brutally killing her fellow patients. Unfortunately, the audience is way ahead of her – we've seen this many times before. The denouement is visible from a distance; a shame if you recall how expertly Carpenter unleashed the powerful climaxes of The Thing et al. Still, it's a well-made film, with some finely crafted shocks and a steady pace that almost seems stately in these days of fast-cut horror.
Rating: 3/5
HorrorThrillerPhelim O'Neill
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News...
John Carpenter's current reputation as a spent force is undeserved, even if he's not made much recently that knocked anyone's socks off. This one is more a step in the right direction than a fully fledged return to form. Amber Heard plays a young amnesiac in a psychiatric institution trying to figure out why a ghostly apparition/zombie thing is brutally killing her fellow patients. Unfortunately, the audience is way ahead of her – we've seen this many times before. The denouement is visible from a distance; a shame if you recall how expertly Carpenter unleashed the powerful climaxes of The Thing et al. Still, it's a well-made film, with some finely crafted shocks and a steady pace that almost seems stately in these days of fast-cut horror.
Rating: 3/5
HorrorThrillerPhelim O'Neill
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News...
- 1/21/2011
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
The Bollywood Decade. And what a decade it has been. Records created, Records Broken. Some surprise hits, some surprise flops. The industry has kept us on our toes. Here is a look at the films we all loved and appreciated so much that they are the top films of the decade. Not a small feat considering the number of films that were released over the years. Here I present the top 10 grossing films of the decade.
10. My Name is Khan
Starring - Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol
Director - Karan Johar
Producer - Hiroo Johar, Gauri Khan
Music - Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Release Date - 12 February 2010
Gross - Rs 72,74,00,000
Karan Johar’s 2010 offering was released in time for Valentines Day. And why not. It was after all a love story with a twist.
One of 2010’s most awaited films, Mnik saw the welcomed return of Kajol, Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar team return after nine years…...
10. My Name is Khan
Starring - Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol
Director - Karan Johar
Producer - Hiroo Johar, Gauri Khan
Music - Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Release Date - 12 February 2010
Gross - Rs 72,74,00,000
Karan Johar’s 2010 offering was released in time for Valentines Day. And why not. It was after all a love story with a twist.
One of 2010’s most awaited films, Mnik saw the welcomed return of Kajol, Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar team return after nine years…...
- 1/10/2011
- Bollyspice
The likes of Inception and Toy Story 3 got all the acclaim last year, but which movies will you really watch again and again?
Wading through the endless lists of best and worst films of 2010 it quickly became obvious that all you needed to compile them was a pair of rubber stamps; Inception, Toy Story 3, Winter's Bone, etc for the best, The Last Airbender, Jonah Hex, Sex and the City 2, etc for the worst. All well and good, but these consensus selections give a distorted view of the year in film. There are hundreds of films that don't get a mention in such binary best/worst selections, films that are ignored for committing the crimes of not being either bold statements that approach "perfection" or for being so bad they're virtually unwatchable. These films in the critical no man's land are often the ones that become favourites, the sort...
Wading through the endless lists of best and worst films of 2010 it quickly became obvious that all you needed to compile them was a pair of rubber stamps; Inception, Toy Story 3, Winter's Bone, etc for the best, The Last Airbender, Jonah Hex, Sex and the City 2, etc for the worst. All well and good, but these consensus selections give a distorted view of the year in film. There are hundreds of films that don't get a mention in such binary best/worst selections, films that are ignored for committing the crimes of not being either bold statements that approach "perfection" or for being so bad they're virtually unwatchable. These films in the critical no man's land are often the ones that become favourites, the sort...
- 1/10/2011
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
White Material
DVD & Blu-ray, Artificial Eye
Director Claire Denis was raised in colonial Africa, a location she seems driven to revisit in film every decade – previously with Chocolat (1988) and Beau Travail (1999). The continent made such a formative impression on her that it informs most of her work: her films about the lives of the displaced, expats and immigrants are drawn directly and indirectly from this history. Denis always has something different to say about the place, taking advantage of personal changes, as well as those that alter Africa, for her inspiration. Pale and frail-looking Isabelle Huppert, looking slightly out of place in the beautiful, baking scenery, plays a woman trying to run a coffee plantation she doesn't even properly own, while around her the unnamed African country she lives in undergoes a bloody revolution. The whites are fleeing, the workers are deserting, the colonial party is over – and the guests are being forcibly ejected.
DVD & Blu-ray, Artificial Eye
Director Claire Denis was raised in colonial Africa, a location she seems driven to revisit in film every decade – previously with Chocolat (1988) and Beau Travail (1999). The continent made such a formative impression on her that it informs most of her work: her films about the lives of the displaced, expats and immigrants are drawn directly and indirectly from this history. Denis always has something different to say about the place, taking advantage of personal changes, as well as those that alter Africa, for her inspiration. Pale and frail-looking Isabelle Huppert, looking slightly out of place in the beautiful, baking scenery, plays a woman trying to run a coffee plantation she doesn't even properly own, while around her the unnamed African country she lives in undergoes a bloody revolution. The whites are fleeing, the workers are deserting, the colonial party is over – and the guests are being forcibly ejected.
- 12/4/2010
- by Phelim O'Neill, Richard Vine
- The Guardian - Film News
Welcome to the second Guardian film newsletter. This week, Mike Leigh was in the house, and he wasn't taking any prisoners
Taking dictation from Mike Leigh, against the clock and on an unfamiliar keyboard, is not for the faint hearted. The director came in on Wednesday to answer questions you'd posted on the blog the day before. After cheese sandwiches and black tea, he read out his responses calmly, requesting precisely how many question or exclamation marks he wanted (though spelling and grammar was left to us … not always the best idea).
So, how did he go down? Well, some of you found his approach refreshingly rebarbative. Others thought it belied an over-sensitivity to criticism. I thought he was terrific, and especially liked his thoughts on the crop circles of Wiltshire.
In the news
• Who you gonna call back? Ghostbusters 3 has been greenlit
• The Asa has banned a rather...
Taking dictation from Mike Leigh, against the clock and on an unfamiliar keyboard, is not for the faint hearted. The director came in on Wednesday to answer questions you'd posted on the blog the day before. After cheese sandwiches and black tea, he read out his responses calmly, requesting precisely how many question or exclamation marks he wanted (though spelling and grammar was left to us … not always the best idea).
So, how did he go down? Well, some of you found his approach refreshingly rebarbative. Others thought it belied an over-sensitivity to criticism. I thought he was terrific, and especially liked his thoughts on the crop circles of Wiltshire.
In the news
• Who you gonna call back? Ghostbusters 3 has been greenlit
• The Asa has banned a rather...
- 11/4/2010
- The Guardian - Film News
A British thriller about human trafficking that resorts to cliche all the way, says Phelim O'Neill
A barely serviceable human trafficking thriller that gets less thrilling and more ludicrous as it progresses. Julie (Laura Aikman), the daughter of portable toilet entrepreneur Gabe (Billy Murray) gets kidnapped by Romanian gangsters. (Or maybe they're Russian, the film doesn't care enough to make it clear.) Shoehorned together are cage fighting, lap dancing and illegal labour, all plot elements torn from the headlines then hastily stuck together to make what passes for a script. Gabe's business means we get lines like "I will burn every toilet you have!"; presumably they are supposed to be taken seriously, but it's impossible. Some of the stunts and fights aren't too bad, but almost everything else is.
Rating: 1/5
ThrillerDramaPhelim O'Neill
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More...
A barely serviceable human trafficking thriller that gets less thrilling and more ludicrous as it progresses. Julie (Laura Aikman), the daughter of portable toilet entrepreneur Gabe (Billy Murray) gets kidnapped by Romanian gangsters. (Or maybe they're Russian, the film doesn't care enough to make it clear.) Shoehorned together are cage fighting, lap dancing and illegal labour, all plot elements torn from the headlines then hastily stuck together to make what passes for a script. Gabe's business means we get lines like "I will burn every toilet you have!"; presumably they are supposed to be taken seriously, but it's impossible. Some of the stunts and fights aren't too bad, but almost everything else is.
Rating: 1/5
ThrillerDramaPhelim O'Neill
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More...
- 10/7/2010
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Idris Elba leads the line in a very second-rate heist movie, says Phelim O'Neill
Incredibly, this is the second crime caper movie this year, after The Losers, to star both Idris Elba and Zoe Saldana. After opening with a robbery that seems to rely a little too much on chance, Elba's crew foolishly take on a heist set up by an ex-flunky fresh out of prison. They spend so much time enjoying the spoils of their trade that much of the film plays like an advert. Wall-to-wall music, glossy handheld camerawork and frantic editing all conspire to try and make this seem a lot more exciting than the relentlessly unimaginitive script deserves.
Rating: 2/5
Idris ElbaCrimeAction and adventureThrillerPhelim O'Neill
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Incredibly, this is the second crime caper movie this year, after The Losers, to star both Idris Elba and Zoe Saldana. After opening with a robbery that seems to rely a little too much on chance, Elba's crew foolishly take on a heist set up by an ex-flunky fresh out of prison. They spend so much time enjoying the spoils of their trade that much of the film plays like an advert. Wall-to-wall music, glossy handheld camerawork and frantic editing all conspire to try and make this seem a lot more exciting than the relentlessly unimaginitive script deserves.
Rating: 2/5
Idris ElbaCrimeAction and adventureThrillerPhelim O'Neill
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- 9/30/2010
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Fine use of 3D in a series let down by the absence of any originality or imagination. Milla Jovovich stars as ever. By Phelim O'Neill
The fourth Resident Evil movie has 3D as its main selling point, and without doubt the 3D is of a very high quality. There are plenty of visually impressive scenes, with planes skimming over glaciers or examining the inside of huge, expansive white hangars. But as we have come to expect from this series, and this director, the films always look good and have well-staged action, but they don't have one iota of originality or imagination – to the extent of virtually recreating key scenes from The Matrix, Die Hard and The Descent. It matters not, though; if you've seen the previous three Re films, you'll know not to expect any surprises. Milla Jovovich is relaxed and at ease in her role; another dozen or so...
The fourth Resident Evil movie has 3D as its main selling point, and without doubt the 3D is of a very high quality. There are plenty of visually impressive scenes, with planes skimming over glaciers or examining the inside of huge, expansive white hangars. But as we have come to expect from this series, and this director, the films always look good and have well-staged action, but they don't have one iota of originality or imagination – to the extent of virtually recreating key scenes from The Matrix, Die Hard and The Descent. It matters not, though; if you've seen the previous three Re films, you'll know not to expect any surprises. Milla Jovovich is relaxed and at ease in her role; another dozen or so...
- 9/9/2010
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
This yarn about a priest who uses exorcism as a form of therapy is a neat and scary little horror film – it's enough to restore your faith in the genre, writes Phelim O'Neill
The poster for this film makes a big deal out of the involvement of Hostel director Eli Roth. But don't worry; as producer, Roth is here using his powers for good, giving some industry weight so this excellent horror film doesn't become ignored like Stamm's previous, A Necessary Death. Cynical evangelist Cotton Marcus (Fabian) has a documentary crew follow him as he performs his lucrative sideline of exorcisms, a ritual he believes to be more an effective placebo for the mentally stressed than actual divine intervention against demonic possession. His work takes him to a backwoods farm where teenage Nell (Bell) is suffering blackouts and animals are found mutilated. Rather than go for easy jump shocks, Stamm...
The poster for this film makes a big deal out of the involvement of Hostel director Eli Roth. But don't worry; as producer, Roth is here using his powers for good, giving some industry weight so this excellent horror film doesn't become ignored like Stamm's previous, A Necessary Death. Cynical evangelist Cotton Marcus (Fabian) has a documentary crew follow him as he performs his lucrative sideline of exorcisms, a ritual he believes to be more an effective placebo for the mentally stressed than actual divine intervention against demonic possession. His work takes him to a backwoods farm where teenage Nell (Bell) is suffering blackouts and animals are found mutilated. Rather than go for easy jump shocks, Stamm...
- 9/2/2010
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
The acclaimed graphic novel about the mysterious, scarred old West bounty hunter has become a muddled, inept film, says Phelim O'Neill
Even if you didn't know how troubled this adaptation of John Albano's comic book was, with rumours of countless rewrites and reshoots, it's obvious something is drastically wrong here even before the opening titles are over. After we are introduced to gruesomely scarred semi-supernatural old west bounty hunter Hex (Brolin, in grisly prosthetics), there is a terrible expositional animated sequence; it's as if they simply forgot to film some key scenes. Otherwise, it seems like a bad case of lost nerve: Hex is never quite the bad-ass he is in the comics, while the plot attempts some clunky relevance as Hex hunts down a campy villain (Malkovich) who is making an olden-days weapon of mass destruction. It just gets louder and more nonsensical as it progresses, with Fox...
Even if you didn't know how troubled this adaptation of John Albano's comic book was, with rumours of countless rewrites and reshoots, it's obvious something is drastically wrong here even before the opening titles are over. After we are introduced to gruesomely scarred semi-supernatural old west bounty hunter Hex (Brolin, in grisly prosthetics), there is a terrible expositional animated sequence; it's as if they simply forgot to film some key scenes. Otherwise, it seems like a bad case of lost nerve: Hex is never quite the bad-ass he is in the comics, while the plot attempts some clunky relevance as Hex hunts down a campy villain (Malkovich) who is making an olden-days weapon of mass destruction. It just gets louder and more nonsensical as it progresses, with Fox...
- 9/2/2010
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
A low-budget British horror film in the style of Hollyoaks. By Phelim O'Neill
A low-budget British horror film about a group of friends who foolishly venture deep into the Welsh woods to capture (on video) a legendary local beast that has been killing livestock, and soon find themselves chased by a huffing and puffing big bad wolfman. But this feels more like an episode of Hollyoaks: when faced with actors with little talent, simply have them argue constantly, so these dead-eyed, bland beauties will at least register as living creatures. Of course, the trouble with this is that they quickly become immensely irritating, and you just can't wait for them to get killed off quickly enough.
Rating: 1/5
HorrorPhelim O'Neill
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds...
A low-budget British horror film about a group of friends who foolishly venture deep into the Welsh woods to capture (on video) a legendary local beast that has been killing livestock, and soon find themselves chased by a huffing and puffing big bad wolfman. But this feels more like an episode of Hollyoaks: when faced with actors with little talent, simply have them argue constantly, so these dead-eyed, bland beauties will at least register as living creatures. Of course, the trouble with this is that they quickly become immensely irritating, and you just can't wait for them to get killed off quickly enough.
Rating: 1/5
HorrorPhelim O'Neill
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds...
- 9/2/2010
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Owen Wilson voices the canine lead in a real dog of a film based on a long-running newspaper cartoon. By Phelim O'Neill
It would be unreasonable to expect realism in a talking dog movie but justifiable to expect maybe a little consistency, imagination and wit, elements absent here. Fans of the single-panel cartoon that has run in newspapers since the 1950s will find plenty to disappoint them in this live-action adaptation. The film seems not to have a script, rather to have been assembled by stitching together a lot of notes from producers and focus groups: have the dog talk (in fact he never shuts up, with Owen Wilson droning on as the CGI mouth flaps away), move him to California, have him wear cool sunglasses, stick him on a surfboard and so on. It has more in common with Poochie from The Simpsons than its source material. There's a...
It would be unreasonable to expect realism in a talking dog movie but justifiable to expect maybe a little consistency, imagination and wit, elements absent here. Fans of the single-panel cartoon that has run in newspapers since the 1950s will find plenty to disappoint them in this live-action adaptation. The film seems not to have a script, rather to have been assembled by stitching together a lot of notes from producers and focus groups: have the dog talk (in fact he never shuts up, with Owen Wilson droning on as the CGI mouth flaps away), move him to California, have him wear cool sunglasses, stick him on a surfboard and so on. It has more in common with Poochie from The Simpsons than its source material. There's a...
- 8/19/2010
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Sylvester Stallone and his faded action co-stars have produced the movie equivalent of a momentarily diverting puff of smoke
The basics
Back in the dim and distant 1980s, with advances in special effects and stunt art, there emerged a new type of cinema. Figuring that audiences were younger and with lower attention spans than ever before, Hollywood directors began to turn out movies that were a cocktail of musclebound protagonists, car chases, fight scenes and epic explosions. The Expendables is Sylvester Stallone's attempt to crystallise all that was exciting about that format into one extreme blast-fest which counts almost entirely on our nostalgia for faded action stars such as Bruce Willis, Dolph Lundgren, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jet Li to notch up points.
The stakes
This is an important movie for Stallone. The Italian Stallion has been enjoying something of a renaissance in recent years, but only due to his willingness to retread familiar,...
The basics
Back in the dim and distant 1980s, with advances in special effects and stunt art, there emerged a new type of cinema. Figuring that audiences were younger and with lower attention spans than ever before, Hollywood directors began to turn out movies that were a cocktail of musclebound protagonists, car chases, fight scenes and epic explosions. The Expendables is Sylvester Stallone's attempt to crystallise all that was exciting about that format into one extreme blast-fest which counts almost entirely on our nostalgia for faded action stars such as Bruce Willis, Dolph Lundgren, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jet Li to notch up points.
The stakes
This is an important movie for Stallone. The Italian Stallion has been enjoying something of a renaissance in recent years, but only due to his willingness to retread familiar,...
- 8/17/2010
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
This comic-book adaptation about a bunch of ex-special forces soldiers out for revenge may look like every other comic-book adaptation in recent years, but it's still fun, says Phelim O'Neill
With the central premise of a band of soldiers hitting the revenge trail, wanted for a crime they didn't commit, you could be forgiven for thinking the A-Team movie has come early. Based on a comic, The Losers plays like a one-stop shop for all your action-movie-cliches. Not only are the characters all beefy quip machines (sole female Saldana barely registers amid the posturing) but the dated execution and style – skip-frames, cartoony captions, thundering soundtrack – conspire to make it a film you could know all about without actually needing to watch. Still, it has a breezy charm, thanks to Jason Patric's nutjob badguy and Evans's comic relief, while the plot is effective if mechanical. Only the strangely coy approach...
With the central premise of a band of soldiers hitting the revenge trail, wanted for a crime they didn't commit, you could be forgiven for thinking the A-Team movie has come early. Based on a comic, The Losers plays like a one-stop shop for all your action-movie-cliches. Not only are the characters all beefy quip machines (sole female Saldana barely registers amid the posturing) but the dated execution and style – skip-frames, cartoony captions, thundering soundtrack – conspire to make it a film you could know all about without actually needing to watch. Still, it has a breezy charm, thanks to Jason Patric's nutjob badguy and Evans's comic relief, while the plot is effective if mechanical. Only the strangely coy approach...
- 5/27/2010
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Behind the scenes documentary that's a little too exclusive and elitist. By Phelim O'Neill
Wiseman has been a prominent and influential name on the documentary scene since his near-legendarydebut 1967 film The Titicut Follies. His style is almost puritanical in its anti-style: no captions, no voiceovers, one camera, no soundtrack music, he's like a Dogme documentarian. In this instance a little dropping of his high standards would have helped as here it's a little exclusive and elitist, an outdated image of the ballet world at odds with the modernisation of the works they're performing. It's more like monitoring some very classy CCTV footage than getting captivated by a true-life tale. It is interesting up to a point, unfortunately it's a point that is reached long before the lengthy running time is even halfway over.
Rating: 2/5
DocumentaryBalletPhelim O'Neill
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to...
Wiseman has been a prominent and influential name on the documentary scene since his near-legendarydebut 1967 film The Titicut Follies. His style is almost puritanical in its anti-style: no captions, no voiceovers, one camera, no soundtrack music, he's like a Dogme documentarian. In this instance a little dropping of his high standards would have helped as here it's a little exclusive and elitist, an outdated image of the ballet world at odds with the modernisation of the works they're performing. It's more like monitoring some very classy CCTV footage than getting captivated by a true-life tale. It is interesting up to a point, unfortunately it's a point that is reached long before the lengthy running time is even halfway over.
Rating: 2/5
DocumentaryBalletPhelim O'Neill
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to...
- 4/22/2010
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
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