Book, Film & TV Reviews
BBC Four is the place to be for Scandinavian drama at the minute. Following on from the success of The Bridge, River, and Trapped (which I reviewed last month), this month sees the DVD and Blu-Ray release of the latest Nordic Noir & Beyond TV series, Follow The Money.
After concluding on BBC4 on 16th April, the first series of this Danish crime drama will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray this week.
(Published on HeyUGuys)
Arrow Films is pleased to announce the release of the complete first season of the thrilling Icelandic crime drama, Trapped. The series concluded on BBC Four on 12th March, and follows previous Nordic Noir hit drama series, The Bridge.
Originally titled Ófærð, and created by the directed of last year’s theatrical true-story epic, Everest, Baltasar Kormákur, Trapped is Iceland’s most expensive TV series.
(Written for HeyUGuys)
If you’re a fan of literary adaptations then no doubt you’ll currently have your head stuck in a copy of Joyce Maynard’s emotional coming-of-age novel Labor Day, Nick Hornby’s heart-warming suicide drama A Long Way Down, or maybe even Veronica Roth’s debut dystopian Divergent. What we’re looking forward to most, however, is Richard Ayoade’s upcoming adaptation of Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s dark comedy novella, The Double.
Written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar, I’m So Excited is a Spanish ensemble comedy set aboard an aeroplane heading to Mexico City. When a technical failure endangers the lives of those on board and it appears as though the end is in sight, the pilots, flight crew, and passengers look to forget the anguish of the moment and face the greatest danger, which we carry within ourselves.
(Written for HeyUGuys)
Currently filming his latest comedy-drama The Grand Budapest Hotel, which is set to star an ensemble cast including Ralph Fiennes, Jude Law, and Saoirse Ronan, Wes Anderson has been producing quirky dramas for almost twenty years now. Director, screenwriter, actor, and producer of features, short films and commercials, Anderson’s work is mostly known for his family struggles, flawed characters, British rock soundtracks, and colourful cinematography. Not only do his films compare in visual style, though, they also often include regular collaborators Bill Murray, Anjelica Huston, Owen and Luke Wilson, and Jason Schwartzman. Here’s some of his best:
(Written for HeyUGuys)
Directed by writer Jamie Linden and serving as his directorial debut, 10 Years follows a group of friends who come together for their 10-year high school reunion. Jake (Channing Tatum) is preparing to propose to his girlfriend Jess (Jenna Dewan-Tatum), his ex-highschool flame Mary (Rosario Dawson) has already married, husband and wife Cully (Chris Patt) and Sam (Ari Graynor) are stressed from their family routine, Marty (Justin Long) and AJ (Max Minghella) are trying to impress the hottest girl in class (Lynn Collins), and rock star Reeves (Oscar Isaacs) is hoping to finally talk to his high school crush Elise (Kate Mara). As tensions run high and the night progresses, the group are made to contemplate what their own lives have become as well as what they might have been.
(Written for HeyUGuys)
From Sony Pictures Animation and directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, Hotel Transylvania tells the story of Dracula (voiced by Adam Sandler), the owner of the monster hotel, who invites some of the world’s most famous monsters – including Frankenstein (Kevin James), Frankenstein’s wife Eunice (Fran Drescher), werewolf Wayne (Steve Buscemi), Wayne’s wife Wanda (Molly Shannon), ghost Griffin (David Spade), and Murray the mummy (Cee Lo Green) – to stay for the 118th birthday of his daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez). When a human, Jonathan (Andy Samberg), finds his way to the hotel, however, Dracula isn’t in for the easy weekend he was expecting, as Mavis starts to realise that she’s old enough to experience the real world with the possibility of romance.
(Written for HeyUGuys)
When Series 3 of the British science fiction comedy drama Misfits came to an end this time last year, it was difficult to imagine what could happen next and which characters would even return if the series were to continue. With the revelation that most of the cast would not be reprising their roles in this new series, and that the series would instead be led by original member Curtis (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), recent additions Rudy (Joseph Gilgun) and Seth (Matthew McNulty), and new characters Jess (Karla Crome) and Finn (Nathan McMullen), it could either pick up quite suitably, or, more than likely, could go completely downhill. Fortunately, whilst the series will never be as good without its original cast members together, it worked out quite well.
(Written for HeyUGuys)
Written and directed by Alex Barrett, serving as his feature directorial debut and premiered at this year’s Edinburgh Film Festival, Life Just Is follows four university graduates living in London – Pete (Jack Gordon), Tom (Nathaniel Martello-White), Claire (Fiona Ryan) and Jay (Jayne Wisener) – who find themselves having trouble making the move into adult life. As they hang out, throw parties, and attempt to navigate their new responsibilities, romantic tensions stir and desires to find a spiritual answer to life’s meaning arise, as the true meaning of their friendships are put to the test.
(Written for HeyUGuys)
This month sees the release of an exclusive clip, released by Magnolia Pictures, for Ry Russo-Young’s latest drama, Nobody Walks, which he co-wrote with the brilliant Lena Dunham, creator of HBO’s sex-fuelled comedy Girls.
Winner of the Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Independent Filmmaking at this year’s Sundance, jointly with James Ponsoldt’s Smashed, Nobody Walks stars John Krasinski and Olivia Thirlby in the leads, as the film follows a 23-year-old artist from New York who arrives in Los Angeles to stay in the pool house of a family, where the father agrees to help her complete sound design on her film as a favour to his wife (Rosemarie DeWitt).
Continue reading “Exclusive Clip of John Krasinski & Olivia Thirlby In ‘Nobody Walks’”
(Written for HeyUGuys)
Directed and written by Jay and Mark Duplass and premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival, Jeff, Who Lives At Home follows slacker Jeff (Jason Segel) who is dispatched from his basement room on an errand for his mother, Sharon (Susan Sarandon). Set across one day, Jeff is determined to follow what he believes to be a ‘sign’ about what to do with his life, as he sets off on a journey to find his destiny, leading him to spend the day with his brother Pat (Ed Helms) who’s tracking down his possibly adulterous wife, Linda (Judy Greer).
(Written for HeyUGuys)
Rachel McAdams (The Vow) and Noomi Rapace (Prometheus) feature in the five new images for Brian De Palma’s erotic thriller, Passion, which have been released this week on Toronto International Film Festival’s official website as the film was added to their Galas and Special Presentations line-up.
Continue reading “3 New Images of Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace in ‘Passion’”
(Written for HeyUGuys)
I like the way you work it, no diggity.
This week we have the new TV Spot for Jason Moore‘s upcoming comedy musical, Pitch Perfect, and it’s sure to get you singing along.
Adapted from Mickey Rapkin‘s non-fiction novel of the same name, the idea came from the senior editor at GQ magazine when he followed a group of acapella groups in America and wrote about the singing, groupies, partying and rivalries that were all part of the experience.
Continue reading “Let’s Remix This Business: New TV Spot for ‘Pitch Perfect’”
(Written for HeyUGuys)
Debuting at Sundance earlier this year, we have the first trailer for So Yong Kim‘s (Treeless Mountain) indie drama For Ellen.
Steming from Kim’s desire to understand her own father, For Ellen follows aspiring rockstar Joby Taylor (Paul Dano) who, in the midst of a low period in his life, agrees to sign divorce papers with his estranged wife (Margarita Levieva). He soon realises, however, that signing the papers means he will forfeit all custody of his six-year-old daughter, Ellen (Shaylena Mandigo). With a good-natured lawyer (Jon Heder) unable to make headway in reversing the decision, Joby negotiates a visit with his daughter to explore whether he is able to walk away from his child, and whether it might be too late for reconciliation.
Continue reading “First Powerful Trailer for Paul Dano In ‘For Ellen’”
(Written for HeyUGuys)
Directed by Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod with screenplay by Rachel Bennette, Bel Ami is a British period drama based on the 1885 French novel of the same name written by Guy de Maupassant.
Premiered as an Official Selection at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, the film chronicles the life of Georges Duroy (Robert Pattinson), a penniless ex-soldier who travels through 1890s Paris, rising to power through his manipulation of the city’s most influential and wealthy women – Madeleine Forestier (Uma Thurman), Virginie Rousset (Kristin Scott Thomas) and Clotilde de Marelle (Christina Ricci).
(Written for HeyUGuys)
Marking the 50th anniversary of the Hollywood legend’s passing, the Forever Marilyn Collection is a four-disc set showcasing some of the most treasured cinematic moments of Marilyn Monroe’s career with Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire, The Seven Year Itch, and Some Like It Hot. From some of Monroe’s earlier films, playing the iconic sex symbol that she was known for, to the film where she broke out of her limitations and began showing a stronger talent that she fought to be recognised, this collection really captures the beauty of a star who will forever be remembered.
Continue reading “Blu-Ray Review: Forever Marilyn Collection”
(Written for HeyUGuys)
A new – Spanish – poster has been released for the upcoming drama based on one family’s experience of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, The Impossible, this week.
From the crew of The Orphanage, including director Juan Antonio Bayona who will be making his English-language debut and scribe Sergio G. Sánchez, the film follows the true account of a family – Henry (Ewan McGregor), Maria (Naomi Watts) and their three sons – who begin their winter vacation in Thailand but who find themselves caught with tens of thousands of strangers in the mayhem of one of the worst natural catastrophes of our time.
(Written for HeyUGuys)
This week we have the new image for the latest feature effort from Kevin Macdonald, How I Live Now.
Adapted from Meg Rosoff‘s award-winning young adult novel of the same name that was first published in 2004, the film follows Diasy (Saoirse Ronan), a New Yorker staying with English cousins when World War III breaks out. As the country becomes occupied, she falls for her cousin, Edmond, and has to protect her younger cousin Piper from the invading troops.
Continue reading “First Image Of Saoirse Ronan In WW3 Drama ‘How I Live Now’”
(Written for HeyUGuys)
Revealed at Comic-Con earlier this week, Mark Tonderai‘s upcoming thriller, House at the End of the Street, has a new clip, and it’s sure to make you jump!
Directed by Tonderai and written by Jonathan Mostow, the film is a twist on the familiar horror story of a family – Elisabeth Shue (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) and Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games) – who move into a house and things start to go badly wrong. In this case, it turns out that he house next door was the scene of a brutal murder, where a young girl murdered her parents, where the only survivor still resides.
Continue reading “New Clip Revealed for ‘House at the End of the Street’ After Viral Campaign”
(Written for HeyUGuys)
The cast for Darren Aronofsky‘s Biblical retelling of Noah just keeps getting better and better, with Sir Anthony Hopkins becoming the most recently announced to board the ark.
Hopkins, best known for his role as Hannibal, will play Noah’s grandfather, the 900-year-old Methusaleh, who dies seven days before the Great Flood.
Continue reading “Anthony Hopkins Climbs Aboard The Ark for Darren Aronofsky’s Noah”
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