Believe the hype – It Follows – leads the way as a genuinely scary, modern horror classic and now this nightmare inducing freakout fest, from award-winning director David Robert Mitchell, is about to creep up and shock you with an immense new Limited Edition 4K Uhd / Blu-ray dual release from Second Sight Films.
Lauded by critics and audiences alike, It Follows has been described by The Independent as ‘Ingenious…… gets under the skin’ and by Little White Lies as ‘Petrifying and refreshingly original… unremittingly pursues the two greatest themes in both art and life’ and now Second Sight Films has relentlessly chased down the best special features, contributors and design for a stellar must-have release of this seminal film.
Care-free high school student Jay Height (Maika Monroe – Independence Day: Resurgence) has just started dating a ‘nice’ guy – Hugh (Jake Weary – Zombeavers), but they have sex, everything changes and life will never be the same again…...
Lauded by critics and audiences alike, It Follows has been described by The Independent as ‘Ingenious…… gets under the skin’ and by Little White Lies as ‘Petrifying and refreshingly original… unremittingly pursues the two greatest themes in both art and life’ and now Second Sight Films has relentlessly chased down the best special features, contributors and design for a stellar must-have release of this seminal film.
Care-free high school student Jay Height (Maika Monroe – Independence Day: Resurgence) has just started dating a ‘nice’ guy – Hugh (Jake Weary – Zombeavers), but they have sex, everything changes and life will never be the same again…...
- 10/13/2023
- by Peter 'Witchfinder' Hopkins
- Horror Asylum
Cinephiles tend to be reluctant to call a new movie a favorite, instead favoring tried and true paradigms, but It Follows is a rare contemporary film that immediately struck a wide swath of viewers — myself included — as a modern classic upon its release in 2014. Comfortingly familiar yet invigoratingly fresh, I’ve only come to appreciate it more since, and Second Sight Films’ new 4K Ultra HD edition proves it hasn’t lost any staying power after nearly a decade.
The plot is deceptively simple: after a sexual encounter, 19-year-old Jay begins being followed by… something. The supernatural force takes a human form but never sticks to one for long; it could be a familiar face, an obscene stranger, or anyone in between. The only recourse seems to be passing it on to someone else via sexual intercourse. Otherwise, it will kill her, then the person who gave it to her,...
The plot is deceptively simple: after a sexual encounter, 19-year-old Jay begins being followed by… something. The supernatural force takes a human form but never sticks to one for long; it could be a familiar face, an obscene stranger, or anyone in between. The only recourse seems to be passing it on to someone else via sexual intercourse. Otherwise, it will kill her, then the person who gave it to her,...
- 10/2/2023
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
“Medusa Deluxe” is a British murder mystery film directed by Thomas Hardiman, starring Clare Perkins, Anita-Joy Uwajeh, Kae Alexander, Harriet Webb, Darrell D’Silva, Luke Pasqualino and Heider Ali.
Synopsis
Set in a competitive hairdressing competition, where one of the contestants is found murdered and the remaining contestants must then try to uncover the killer, as rivalries and mistrust build among them.
This whodunit thriller set in a hairdressing competition, was initially released a the Locarno Festival in the summer of 2022, and has since been released in the U.K. Soon you will be able to enjoy this gripping, and by all accounts stylish murder mystery in a theater near you.
Anita-Joy Uwajeh in Medusa Deluxe (2022) Reviews
“It all adds up to something not so unlike one of the competing hair-dos: ornate, effortful and niche, but oddly hard to take your eyes off.” – Danny Leigh, Financial Times
“An arresting and visually stunning achievement,...
Synopsis
Set in a competitive hairdressing competition, where one of the contestants is found murdered and the remaining contestants must then try to uncover the killer, as rivalries and mistrust build among them.
This whodunit thriller set in a hairdressing competition, was initially released a the Locarno Festival in the summer of 2022, and has since been released in the U.K. Soon you will be able to enjoy this gripping, and by all accounts stylish murder mystery in a theater near you.
Anita-Joy Uwajeh in Medusa Deluxe (2022) Reviews
“It all adds up to something not so unlike one of the competing hair-dos: ornate, effortful and niche, but oddly hard to take your eyes off.” – Danny Leigh, Financial Times
“An arresting and visually stunning achievement,...
- 7/25/2023
- by Movies Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Distributor and streaming platform Mubi’s award-winning audio-documentary series “Mubi Podcast” kicks off Season 2 today.
IndieWire can exclusively announce that the “Mubi Podcast,” hosted by Wall Street Journal journalist Rico Gagliano, returns today, Thursday, June 30 with its first episode of the second season, “Only in Theaters.” The podcast will focus on the surprising stories of individual cinemas that had a huge impact on film history, ranging from the Cinémathèque Française to the Westgate in Minneapolis.
Guests for Season 2 include filmmakers Mary Harron (“American Psycho”), Barbet Schroeder, Peter Strickland (“The Duke of Burgundy”), Nick Broomfield (“Kurt & Courtney”), and Alejandro Jodorowsky. Film writers J. Hoberman, Amy Nicholson, Louis Menand, Danny Leigh and more also add insights and commentary. Episodes are released every Thursday.
The first episode, available now on all major podcast platforms and via Mubi’s Notebook, centers on the Cinémathèque Française and the public uproar for the brief firing of...
IndieWire can exclusively announce that the “Mubi Podcast,” hosted by Wall Street Journal journalist Rico Gagliano, returns today, Thursday, June 30 with its first episode of the second season, “Only in Theaters.” The podcast will focus on the surprising stories of individual cinemas that had a huge impact on film history, ranging from the Cinémathèque Française to the Westgate in Minneapolis.
Guests for Season 2 include filmmakers Mary Harron (“American Psycho”), Barbet Schroeder, Peter Strickland (“The Duke of Burgundy”), Nick Broomfield (“Kurt & Courtney”), and Alejandro Jodorowsky. Film writers J. Hoberman, Amy Nicholson, Louis Menand, Danny Leigh and more also add insights and commentary. Episodes are released every Thursday.
The first episode, available now on all major podcast platforms and via Mubi’s Notebook, centers on the Cinémathèque Française and the public uproar for the brief firing of...
- 6/30/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
When Amazon Prime Video faced a shutout at the 2021 Emmys, among the snubs were seven nominations for Barry Jenkins’ “The Underground Railroad.” Critics loved Jenkins’ limited series based on Colson Whitehead’s 2016 novel, but audiences may have been slow to embrace realistically grim programming during a pandemic — and Amazon faced criticism for what some perceived as lackluster handling of the limited series’ release.
Whatever: The series, which is still eligible for guild awards this year, did pick up Spirit Awards and Golden Globe nominations in major categories. And Amazon clearly knows Jenkins’ rhapsodic adaptation stands as a singular work of artistic achievement. Even as the drama’s award window recedes, the streamer commissioned a lush promotional book comprised of exclusive essays, photography, and art that celebrates the craftspeople responsible for bringing it to the screen. It’s not for sale; Amazon made it widely accessible in digital form, and IndieWire has a first-look.
Whatever: The series, which is still eligible for guild awards this year, did pick up Spirit Awards and Golden Globe nominations in major categories. And Amazon clearly knows Jenkins’ rhapsodic adaptation stands as a singular work of artistic achievement. Even as the drama’s award window recedes, the streamer commissioned a lush promotional book comprised of exclusive essays, photography, and art that celebrates the craftspeople responsible for bringing it to the screen. It’s not for sale; Amazon made it widely accessible in digital form, and IndieWire has a first-look.
- 12/16/2021
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
Tom Holland stars in Netflix’s upcoming “The Devil All the Time,” a film about a young man set on finding morality in the corrupt environment in which he grows up.
In an interview moderated by Danny Leigh, Holland and other stars including Bill Skarsgard, Jason Clarke, Sebastian Stan, Haley Bennett, Harry Melling, Eliza Scanlen and Pokey Lafarge joined director and co-writer Antonio Campos to discuss their characters and experiences on set.
“I’ve got to say I was really nervous and scared coming on set for the first time because I didn’t know if I had it in me to play this type of character,” Holland said. “He is a really complicated character and it is very dark, and I had to go to places mentally that I didn’t know I could go to or don’t think I ever want to go to again.”
The actor added that his character,...
In an interview moderated by Danny Leigh, Holland and other stars including Bill Skarsgard, Jason Clarke, Sebastian Stan, Haley Bennett, Harry Melling, Eliza Scanlen and Pokey Lafarge joined director and co-writer Antonio Campos to discuss their characters and experiences on set.
“I’ve got to say I was really nervous and scared coming on set for the first time because I didn’t know if I had it in me to play this type of character,” Holland said. “He is a really complicated character and it is very dark, and I had to go to places mentally that I didn’t know I could go to or don’t think I ever want to go to again.”
The actor added that his character,...
- 9/11/2020
- by Eli Countryman
- Variety Film + TV
(L-r) Earl Cave, Essie Davis, Justin Kurzel and George MacKay at the UK premiere.
Justin Kurzel’s True History of the Kelly Gang opened in the UK last Friday, drawing mostly enthusiastic reviews but lukewarm interest from moviegoers.
Picturehouse launched the subversive bushranger movie adapted by Shaun Grant from the Peter Carey novel on 93 screens, generating £155,000 and £170,000 including previews in three days.
Kurzel and stars Essie Davis, George MacKay and Earl Cave attended the charity premiere at Picturehouse Central last Tuesday, which raised £4,000 for the Country Fire Authority of Victoria to help fight the bushfires in the region.
Porchlight Film’s Liz Watts, Daybreak Pictures’ Hal Vogel, Kurzel and Paul Ranford produced the film which had an abbreviated theatrical release here before the Stan Original premiere, grossing $116,000,
Evidently few moviegoers took much notice of the critics such as The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey, who observed: “Director Justin Kurzel, after an...
Justin Kurzel’s True History of the Kelly Gang opened in the UK last Friday, drawing mostly enthusiastic reviews but lukewarm interest from moviegoers.
Picturehouse launched the subversive bushranger movie adapted by Shaun Grant from the Peter Carey novel on 93 screens, generating £155,000 and £170,000 including previews in three days.
Kurzel and stars Essie Davis, George MacKay and Earl Cave attended the charity premiere at Picturehouse Central last Tuesday, which raised £4,000 for the Country Fire Authority of Victoria to help fight the bushfires in the region.
Porchlight Film’s Liz Watts, Daybreak Pictures’ Hal Vogel, Kurzel and Paul Ranford produced the film which had an abbreviated theatrical release here before the Stan Original premiere, grossing $116,000,
Evidently few moviegoers took much notice of the critics such as The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey, who observed: “Director Justin Kurzel, after an...
- 3/1/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
As the world applauded the Oscar success of Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite,” the film’s producers had further reason to celebrate following a record-breaking theatrical release in the U.K. over the weekend, pushing its worldwide cume to new heights.
The tragicomedy about social inequality in modern Korea scored £1.4 million ($1.81 million) for its opening weekend, including previews, in the U.K. and Ireland, according to Comscore, breaking the record for a foreign-language film’s opening weekend. Philip Knatchbull, CEO of the film’s distributor Curzon, tweeted that he had so many request from theaters to play the film that he is looking to expand its release to 275 cinemas from Friday, having opened in 137 locations. The pic, which contains scenes of bloody violence, is rated 15 in the U.K.
The film has received rave reviews from U.K. critics as elsewhere. Mark Kermode at the Observer said: “‘Parasite’ really is...
The tragicomedy about social inequality in modern Korea scored £1.4 million ($1.81 million) for its opening weekend, including previews, in the U.K. and Ireland, according to Comscore, breaking the record for a foreign-language film’s opening weekend. Philip Knatchbull, CEO of the film’s distributor Curzon, tweeted that he had so many request from theaters to play the film that he is looking to expand its release to 275 cinemas from Friday, having opened in 137 locations. The pic, which contains scenes of bloody violence, is rated 15 in the U.K.
The film has received rave reviews from U.K. critics as elsewhere. Mark Kermode at the Observer said: “‘Parasite’ really is...
- 2/10/2020
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Margot Robbie‘s Birds of Prey has critics singing it praises.
Early reviews for the movie, which marks her character’s first standalone film after 2016’s Suicide Squad, applaud the movie from bringing a colorful energy to the superhero genre — and serving as a way forward for DC Comics movies.
“Rights so many of the Dceu’s wrongs, trading CGI for carefully choreographed fight scenes and breathing new life into a stagnant genre,” said Hannah Woodhead, Little White Lies.
“Birds of Prey looks like what you’d imagine Suicide Squad could have been under a clearer vision,” wrote Angie Han,...
Early reviews for the movie, which marks her character’s first standalone film after 2016’s Suicide Squad, applaud the movie from bringing a colorful energy to the superhero genre — and serving as a way forward for DC Comics movies.
“Rights so many of the Dceu’s wrongs, trading CGI for carefully choreographed fight scenes and breathing new life into a stagnant genre,” said Hannah Woodhead, Little White Lies.
“Birds of Prey looks like what you’d imagine Suicide Squad could have been under a clearer vision,” wrote Angie Han,...
- 2/6/2020
- by Ale Russian
- PEOPLE.com
Greengrass was giving a talk with journalist Danny Leigh at Sheffield Doc/Fest.
Filmmaker Paul Greengrass has spoken out about the need to widen access to jobs in the creative industries, describing the sector as ”more meritocratic” when he started his career in the 1970s.
In a discussion event with journalist and curator Danny Leigh at Sheffield Doc/Fest on Friday June 7, the Jason Bourne and Captain Phillips director said, ”When I started… it was more meritocratic because the unions were strong, and you didn’t get hired without a proper contract.”
“It’s still far, far too reliant on networking,...
Filmmaker Paul Greengrass has spoken out about the need to widen access to jobs in the creative industries, describing the sector as ”more meritocratic” when he started his career in the 1970s.
In a discussion event with journalist and curator Danny Leigh at Sheffield Doc/Fest on Friday June 7, the Jason Bourne and Captain Phillips director said, ”When I started… it was more meritocratic because the unions were strong, and you didn’t get hired without a proper contract.”
“It’s still far, far too reliant on networking,...
- 6/11/2019
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Film will have its UK premiere at the event.
The UK premiere of Asif Kapadia’s Diego Maradona will open the 2019 edition of Sheffield Doc/Fest, at Sheffield’s City Hall on June 6.
The film will screen at the festival after its world premiere in Cannes, where it has been selected for an Out of Competition slot.
As previously announced, Altitude is releasing the title in the UK on June 14.
Diego Maradona looks at the wild life of the iconic footballer, both on and off the pitch, during his time at Ssc Napoli in Naples.
Kapadia, who will give a...
The UK premiere of Asif Kapadia’s Diego Maradona will open the 2019 edition of Sheffield Doc/Fest, at Sheffield’s City Hall on June 6.
The film will screen at the festival after its world premiere in Cannes, where it has been selected for an Out of Competition slot.
As previously announced, Altitude is releasing the title in the UK on June 14.
Diego Maradona looks at the wild life of the iconic footballer, both on and off the pitch, during his time at Ssc Napoli in Naples.
Kapadia, who will give a...
- 4/25/2019
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Rock documentaries about the likes of Sinead O’Connor, The Happy Mondays and The Towers of London as well as films about boxer Frank Bruno and Murakami Haruki make up the line-up of the Sheffield Doc/Fest’s pitch scheme MeetMarket.
The event runs in the northern British city from 6-11 June with execs from broadcasters and platforms including Netflix, A+E, BBC, Channel 4 and ESPN set to attend. Films that have previously found funding at the MeetMarket include Searching for Sugarman and The Act of Killing.
Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist is producing Nothing Compares, a doc about controversial pop star Sinead O’Connor, that looks at her rise to worldwide fame, and how her iconoclastic personality resulted in exile from the mainstream. Focusing on her prophetic behaviour between 1987 and 1992, the film contemporaneously reflects on the legacy of this feminist trailblazer. It is directed by Kathryn Ferguson, who previously...
The event runs in the northern British city from 6-11 June with execs from broadcasters and platforms including Netflix, A+E, BBC, Channel 4 and ESPN set to attend. Films that have previously found funding at the MeetMarket include Searching for Sugarman and The Act of Killing.
Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist is producing Nothing Compares, a doc about controversial pop star Sinead O’Connor, that looks at her rise to worldwide fame, and how her iconoclastic personality resulted in exile from the mainstream. Focusing on her prophetic behaviour between 1987 and 1992, the film contemporaneously reflects on the legacy of this feminist trailblazer. It is directed by Kathryn Ferguson, who previously...
- 4/10/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Projects include ’The Real Truman Show’, Sally Potter’s ’Oh Moscow’ and docs about Frank Bruno and Sinead O’Connor.
Sheffield Doc/Fest (June 6-11) has revealed the titles that will pitch for funding at the 15th edition of its MeetMarket initiative.
Among the line-up are films by Sally Potter and Mark Cousins, and docs about Frank Bruno and Sinead O’Connor.
62 project teams from 27 countries will pitch to international and UK decision makers for research, development and production funding. Over 300 delegates from 30 countries will attend the market, including executives from Netflix, BBC, Channel 4 and ESPN.
The festival has...
Sheffield Doc/Fest (June 6-11) has revealed the titles that will pitch for funding at the 15th edition of its MeetMarket initiative.
Among the line-up are films by Sally Potter and Mark Cousins, and docs about Frank Bruno and Sinead O’Connor.
62 project teams from 27 countries will pitch to international and UK decision makers for research, development and production funding. Over 300 delegates from 30 countries will attend the market, including executives from Netflix, BBC, Channel 4 and ESPN.
The festival has...
- 4/10/2019
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
BFI panel exploring class included the BFI’s Ben Roberts and Birds’ Eye View director Mia Bays.
Insufficient attention to socio-economic class has resulted in the UK film industry having a “class divide at its very heart”, according to participants in yesterday’s BFI London Film Festival panel ’Breaking the Class Ceiling in UK Film’ (October 18).
Danny Leigh, broadcaster and BFI senior curator, was joined onstage by Ben Roberts, director of BFI Film Fund and BFI deputy chief executive; Jennifer Smith, BFI head of inclusion; Mia Bays, producer and director-at-large of Birds’ Eye View; casting director Shaheen Baig; screenwriter Shola Amoo...
Insufficient attention to socio-economic class has resulted in the UK film industry having a “class divide at its very heart”, according to participants in yesterday’s BFI London Film Festival panel ’Breaking the Class Ceiling in UK Film’ (October 18).
Danny Leigh, broadcaster and BFI senior curator, was joined onstage by Ben Roberts, director of BFI Film Fund and BFI deputy chief executive; Jennifer Smith, BFI head of inclusion; Mia Bays, producer and director-at-large of Birds’ Eye View; casting director Shaheen Baig; screenwriter Shola Amoo...
- 10/19/2018
- by Tom Draper
- ScreenDaily
Director Paul Greengrass has brought his unique brand of verite thriller to Netflix: “22 July” debuted on the streaming service on Wednesday, October 10, telling the true story of the title day in 2011 when right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people in Norway’s worst attack since World War II. How does it compare to Greengrass’s previous docudramas about real-life acts of terror “Bloody Sunday” (2002), “United 93” (2006) and “Captain Phillips” (2013)?
As of this writing the film has scored 73 on MetaCritic based on 21 reviews. And it has an 83% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 47 reviews. The Tomatometer consensus is that it “offers a hard-hitting close-up look at the aftereffects of terrorism, telling a story with a thriller’s visceral impact and the lingering emotional resonance of a drama.”
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Greengrass’s previous films in this vein have been awards contenders. “Bloody Sunday...
As of this writing the film has scored 73 on MetaCritic based on 21 reviews. And it has an 83% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 47 reviews. The Tomatometer consensus is that it “offers a hard-hitting close-up look at the aftereffects of terrorism, telling a story with a thriller’s visceral impact and the lingering emotional resonance of a drama.”
Sign UPfor Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions
Greengrass’s previous films in this vein have been awards contenders. “Bloody Sunday...
- 10/11/2018
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Guests include composer Alexandre Desplat and producer Ed Guiney.
The BFI London Film Festival (October 10-21) has unveiled the industry programme that will run alongside its 2018 event.
Guests this year include Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat (taking part in an AMPAS event); producer and head of Element Pictures Ed Guiney; producer and co-founder of Number 9 Films Elizabeth Karlsen; and Ben Roberts, director of the BFI Film Fund.
Also attending will be Femi Oguns, founder of the Identity Agency Group; Stacy Smith, the creator of the ‘inclusion rider’; and screenwriter Jeff Pope.
Events
A co-production discussion entitled ‘What Has Co-Production Ever Done For Us?...
The BFI London Film Festival (October 10-21) has unveiled the industry programme that will run alongside its 2018 event.
Guests this year include Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat (taking part in an AMPAS event); producer and head of Element Pictures Ed Guiney; producer and co-founder of Number 9 Films Elizabeth Karlsen; and Ben Roberts, director of the BFI Film Fund.
Also attending will be Femi Oguns, founder of the Identity Agency Group; Stacy Smith, the creator of the ‘inclusion rider’; and screenwriter Jeff Pope.
Events
A co-production discussion entitled ‘What Has Co-Production Ever Done For Us?...
- 9/6/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Author: Linda Marric
From Margot Robbie’s brilliantly crafted ice skating spandex wardrobe in I, Tonya, to Sally Hawkins’ immaculate mid-century outfits in The Shape of Water, getting costume design just right is as important for a production as offering a believable screenplay, even if the story is about a mute woman falling in love with an amphibious creature.
On the eve of the British Academy Awards, HeyUGuys were fortunate enough to attend a Costume Design session at BAFTA with two of the nominees, namely Jennifer Johnson for I, Tonya and Luis Sequeira for The Shape of Water. Chaired by film writer and broadcaster Danny Leigh, the session allowed us to dig deep into the fine intricacies of costume design and the hard work that goes on behind the scenes in most productions.
Talking at great length about her experiences working on I, Tonya, Jennifer Johnson was able to divulge...
From Margot Robbie’s brilliantly crafted ice skating spandex wardrobe in I, Tonya, to Sally Hawkins’ immaculate mid-century outfits in The Shape of Water, getting costume design just right is as important for a production as offering a believable screenplay, even if the story is about a mute woman falling in love with an amphibious creature.
On the eve of the British Academy Awards, HeyUGuys were fortunate enough to attend a Costume Design session at BAFTA with two of the nominees, namely Jennifer Johnson for I, Tonya and Luis Sequeira for The Shape of Water. Chaired by film writer and broadcaster Danny Leigh, the session allowed us to dig deep into the fine intricacies of costume design and the hard work that goes on behind the scenes in most productions.
Talking at great length about her experiences working on I, Tonya, Jennifer Johnson was able to divulge...
- 2/18/2018
- by Linda Marric
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Ryan Lambie Oct 17, 2017
Film trailers have to be loud, aggressive and exciting. But what if the movie itself is neither?
Bwooommmm. Honk! Ratatatatat. A hushed voice: “You don’t know what’s coming”. Ominous silence. Bwoommmmm. Honk! Brahhmmm.
See related The Snowman review
By now, the conventions of the modern movie trailer - all rapid-fire editing, loud whooshing and parping noises and ominous portent - have become as established as the oft-lampooned ones we used to get back in the 1980s. The ones that always began, “He was a man on the edge...”, or “In a world...", or a variant thereof.
In fact, trailers for mainstream movies are now so standardised and formulaic that Red Letter Media was able to put together an eight-minute video made of nothing but cliched shots from blockbuster movie promos, and it looked almost indistinguishable from the real thing.
In the 21st century, film trailers...
Film trailers have to be loud, aggressive and exciting. But what if the movie itself is neither?
Bwooommmm. Honk! Ratatatatat. A hushed voice: “You don’t know what’s coming”. Ominous silence. Bwoommmmm. Honk! Brahhmmm.
See related The Snowman review
By now, the conventions of the modern movie trailer - all rapid-fire editing, loud whooshing and parping noises and ominous portent - have become as established as the oft-lampooned ones we used to get back in the 1980s. The ones that always began, “He was a man on the edge...”, or “In a world...", or a variant thereof.
In fact, trailers for mainstream movies are now so standardised and formulaic that Red Letter Media was able to put together an eight-minute video made of nothing but cliched shots from blockbuster movie promos, and it looked almost indistinguishable from the real thing.
In the 21st century, film trailers...
- 10/13/2017
- Den of Geek
BFI National Archive makes key hires for curatorial team.
The British Film Institute (BFI) has appointed Will Massa and Danny Leigh to the curatorial team for its BFI National Archive.
Leigh is a journalist with more than 20 years experiences working in print, for the Ft and Guardian, as well as on television where he is co-host of the BBC’s long-running film programme Film 2017.
He joins the BFI as senior curator of fiction film and television and will have a remit including developing and promoting the current collection, as well as building the archive. He took us his position yesterday, June 26.
Massa joins from the British Council’s film department where he was senior programme manager, working on a variety of UK film showcase projects across the Americas and Europe. Prior to that role, he worked in talent development at regional screen agencies Screen Yorkshire and North West Vision+Media.
Massa has been...
The British Film Institute (BFI) has appointed Will Massa and Danny Leigh to the curatorial team for its BFI National Archive.
Leigh is a journalist with more than 20 years experiences working in print, for the Ft and Guardian, as well as on television where he is co-host of the BBC’s long-running film programme Film 2017.
He joins the BFI as senior curator of fiction film and television and will have a remit including developing and promoting the current collection, as well as building the archive. He took us his position yesterday, June 26.
Massa joins from the British Council’s film department where he was senior programme manager, working on a variety of UK film showcase projects across the Americas and Europe. Prior to that role, he worked in talent development at regional screen agencies Screen Yorkshire and North West Vision+Media.
Massa has been...
- 6/27/2017
- by tom.grater@screendaily.com (Tom Grater)
- ScreenDaily
Simon Brew Nov 2, 2016
Film 2016 returns tonight with a new guest presenter approach. Full details lie within...
Tonight marks the return to our screens of the BBC’s one-time flagship film programme, Film 2016. And following the announcement at the end of the summer that Claudia Winkleman was standing down as co-host of the show, the BBC has finally announced her replacement.
Or replacements.
For the BBC has opted to go with a rotation of guest presenters for the new series, who in turn will accompany the returning resident critic Danny Leigh. There’s precedence for this in film programmes, I should note. Following the death of Gene Siskel, the late Roger Ebert continued to present a television film review programme with guest presenters for a while after. And that was deemed quite successful, if not quite - inevitably - up to majesty of seeing the original duo together.
The...
Film 2016 returns tonight with a new guest presenter approach. Full details lie within...
Tonight marks the return to our screens of the BBC’s one-time flagship film programme, Film 2016. And following the announcement at the end of the summer that Claudia Winkleman was standing down as co-host of the show, the BBC has finally announced her replacement.
Or replacements.
For the BBC has opted to go with a rotation of guest presenters for the new series, who in turn will accompany the returning resident critic Danny Leigh. There’s precedence for this in film programmes, I should note. Following the death of Gene Siskel, the late Roger Ebert continued to present a television film review programme with guest presenters for a while after. And that was deemed quite successful, if not quite - inevitably - up to majesty of seeing the original duo together.
The...
- 11/2/2016
- Den of Geek
Ryan Lambie Nov 1, 2016
Maverick director Nicolas Winding Refn talks to us about The Neon Demon, out this month on disc, and creativity in the digital age...
The breakthrough hit Drive aside, Nicolas Winding Refn's films seldom play nicely with their audience. Only God Forgives, the Danish director's follow-up to Drive and also starring Ryan Gosling, was a garish revenge fantasy set in Thailand but seemingly shot in the depths of hell; released in 2013, it received an openly hostile reception at Cannes.
See related Crazyhead episode 2 review: A Pine Fresh Scent Crazyhead episode 1 review: A Very Trippy Horse Buffy The Vampire Slayer: an episode roadmap for beginners Wolfblood: Buffy for the Cbbc generation
Likewise The Neon Demon, another fantastical horror-thriller which depicts Hollywood as a kind of colour-saturated purgatory. Young waif Jessie (Elle Fanning) shows up here with ambitions of becoming a top model; she achieves her ambition, but...
Maverick director Nicolas Winding Refn talks to us about The Neon Demon, out this month on disc, and creativity in the digital age...
The breakthrough hit Drive aside, Nicolas Winding Refn's films seldom play nicely with their audience. Only God Forgives, the Danish director's follow-up to Drive and also starring Ryan Gosling, was a garish revenge fantasy set in Thailand but seemingly shot in the depths of hell; released in 2013, it received an openly hostile reception at Cannes.
See related Crazyhead episode 2 review: A Pine Fresh Scent Crazyhead episode 1 review: A Very Trippy Horse Buffy The Vampire Slayer: an episode roadmap for beginners Wolfblood: Buffy for the Cbbc generation
Likewise The Neon Demon, another fantastical horror-thriller which depicts Hollywood as a kind of colour-saturated purgatory. Young waif Jessie (Elle Fanning) shows up here with ambitions of becoming a top model; she achieves her ambition, but...
- 10/25/2016
- Den of Geek
The BBC’s long-running movie discussion show decides not to find permanent replacement for Claudia Winkleman, who announced departure in September
The BBC’s Film 2016 show will no longer have a permanent host, but a series of guest hosts, beginning with Zoe Ball.
The move was announced on the show’s Twitter account. Critics Danny Leigh and Ellen E Jones remain on the show, which will return to a live format after being recorded last year, the Radio Times reported.
Continue reading...
The BBC’s Film 2016 show will no longer have a permanent host, but a series of guest hosts, beginning with Zoe Ball.
The move was announced on the show’s Twitter account. Critics Danny Leigh and Ellen E Jones remain on the show, which will return to a live format after being recorded last year, the Radio Times reported.
Continue reading...
- 10/21/2016
- by Alan Evans
- The Guardian - Film News
Jeremy Irons is in many respects the quintessential English film actor. That’s not simply because of the honeyed diction and innate elegance, but the versatility that has enabled him to travel with ease between romantic leading man, edgy character actor and sinister villain, towards an Indian summer of ever-dependable supporting player.
Read More: Jeremy Irons Knocks ‘Batman v Superman’: It’s ‘Overstuffed’ & ‘Very Muddled’
Think James Mason. In fact, Irons and Mason even have a role in common – the riskiest of roles, Nabokov’s infamous pedophile Humbert Humbert, Mason most famously in Kubrick’s “Lolita” of 1962, Irons for Adrian Lyne in 1997. It’s difficult to imagine many Americans jumping at a character who came second in Time’s “Top 10 Worst Fictional Fathers,” or possessing the nuance necessary to make us almost like the man.
Again like many Brits, Irons is classically trained (at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School,...
Read More: Jeremy Irons Knocks ‘Batman v Superman’: It’s ‘Overstuffed’ & ‘Very Muddled’
Think James Mason. In fact, Irons and Mason even have a role in common – the riskiest of roles, Nabokov’s infamous pedophile Humbert Humbert, Mason most famously in Kubrick’s “Lolita” of 1962, Irons for Adrian Lyne in 1997. It’s difficult to imagine many Americans jumping at a character who came second in Time’s “Top 10 Worst Fictional Fathers,” or possessing the nuance necessary to make us almost like the man.
Again like many Brits, Irons is classically trained (at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School,...
- 9/13/2016
- by Demetrios Matheou
- Indiewire
Actor Jeremy Irons appears in Lone Scherfig’s latest film “Their Finest,” which premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. But while the film is screening in Toronto, Irons himself is in London because he was the latest subject of BAFTA’s “A Life In Pictures” series, a conversational interview that looks back at an actor’s professional career. Last Friday, Irons sat down with critic and broadcaster Danny Leigh in front of an attendant audience to discuss his life on stage and on film. Below are some choice excerpts from the evening, in which he discusses working with Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro, his work on David Cronenberg’s “Dead Ringers,” and seeing himself in “The Lion King.”
Read More: Jeremy Irons Knocks ‘Batman v Superman’: It’s ‘Overstuffed’ & ‘Very Muddled’
On Being Cast in “The French Lieutenant’s Woman”
“I told director Karel Reisz,...
Read More: Jeremy Irons Knocks ‘Batman v Superman’: It’s ‘Overstuffed’ & ‘Very Muddled’
On Being Cast in “The French Lieutenant’s Woman”
“I told director Karel Reisz,...
- 9/12/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
Simon Brew Sep 5, 2016
Film 2016 will need a new presenter when it returns later this year, as Claudia Winkleman confirms her departure.
The BBC’s second most important film programme is on the hunt for a new lead presenter, with the news that Claudia Winkleman has quit as host of Film 2016.
Winkleman, who took over from Jonathan Ross in 2010, told the BBC that “at this time of year I juggle all kinds of things for TV and radio and the show simply deserves someone who can give it their all”. She is about to start co-hosting the latest run of Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One, in addition to her radio commitments.
The search is then on for a new host for Film 2016, which in turn will presumably determine whether Danny Leigh stays on as co-presenter. Speculation will no doubt turn back in the direction of Mark Kermode,...
Film 2016 will need a new presenter when it returns later this year, as Claudia Winkleman confirms her departure.
The BBC’s second most important film programme is on the hunt for a new lead presenter, with the news that Claudia Winkleman has quit as host of Film 2016.
Winkleman, who took over from Jonathan Ross in 2010, told the BBC that “at this time of year I juggle all kinds of things for TV and radio and the show simply deserves someone who can give it their all”. She is about to start co-hosting the latest run of Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One, in addition to her radio commitments.
The search is then on for a new host for Film 2016, which in turn will presumably determine whether Danny Leigh stays on as co-presenter. Speculation will no doubt turn back in the direction of Mark Kermode,...
- 9/5/2016
- Den of Geek
During the shooting of The Neon Demon last summer, Danny Leigh paid a visit to the set: a rambling old Hollywood mansion said to be haunted by the ghosts of a silent movie star and his oil heiress wife. Director Nicolas Winding Refn and star Elle Fanning talk about their La fashion industry thriller and our obsession with beauty. Quiet on set. Lights, camera, violence!
• The Neon Demon is released in the UK on 8 July
Driving round La with Nicolas Winding Refn: ‘I will go against good taste till I die’ – video feature Continue reading...
• The Neon Demon is released in the UK on 8 July
Driving round La with Nicolas Winding Refn: ‘I will go against good taste till I die’ – video feature Continue reading...
- 7/6/2016
- by Danny Leigh, Will Roegge and Tom Silverstone
- The Guardian - Film News
In this video shot when Nicolas Winding Refn was making The Neon Demon in Los Angeles last summer, Danny Leigh and the director motor round town, stop for a haircut and visit a parking lot where Refn recently saw a man die. They also discuss why a self-confessed ‘wholesome Danish socialist’ still prefers success-orientated La to any other place, as well as the point at which Hollywood iconography became forever fixed
• The Neon Demon is released in the UK on 8 July
In the belly of the beast: on the set of The Neon Demon – video interview Continue reading...
• The Neon Demon is released in the UK on 8 July
In the belly of the beast: on the set of The Neon Demon – video interview Continue reading...
- 7/5/2016
- by Danny Leigh , Tom Silverstone and Will Roegge
- The Guardian - Film News
In today's roundup of news and views: Charlie Fox on Buster Keaton, Danny Leigh on Alan Clarke, Abel Ferrara on collaboration, Adrian Martin on the "New Cinephilia," Martin Amis on Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas, Sérgio Dias Branco on Roberto Rossellini's The Flowers of St. Francis, Peter Cowie on Ingmar Bergman's cinematographers, Gunnar Fischer and Sven Nykvist, Benjamin Bergholtz on Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky on Michael Mann's Heat, David Kalat on Harry Langdon, Duncan Gray on Brad Bird's Tomorrowland—and more. » - David Hudson...
- 6/16/2015
- Fandor: Keyframe
In today's roundup of news and views: Charlie Fox on Buster Keaton, Danny Leigh on Alan Clarke, Abel Ferrara on collaboration, Adrian Martin on the "New Cinephilia," Martin Amis on Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas, Sérgio Dias Branco on Roberto Rossellini's The Flowers of St. Francis, Peter Cowie on Ingmar Bergman's cinematographers, Gunnar Fischer and Sven Nykvist, Benjamin Bergholtz on Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky on Michael Mann's Heat, David Kalat on Harry Langdon, Duncan Gray on Brad Bird's Tomorrowland—and more. » - David Hudson...
- 6/16/2015
- Keyframe
The Look of Silence and new music from members of Sigur Ros to open festival; Monty Python documentary to close.
Sheffield Doc/Fest (June 5-10) has revealed the line-up of its 2015 edition, which will open with two events.
The first is the UK premiere of Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Look of Silence, the follow-up to critically acclaimed The Act of Killing, in which a family that survives the genocide in Indonesia confronts the men who killed one of their brothers.
The second is the world premiere of Icelandic director Benedikt Erlingsson’s The Greatest Shows on Earth: A Century of Funfairs, Circuses and Carnivals – a music and archive film that will feature a new score by Georg Hólm and Orri Páll Dýrason of Sigur Rós and the head of the Pagan Church in Iceland, Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson.
The film centres on the lives of travelling showpeople and has been created with exclusive access to the University of Sheffield...
Sheffield Doc/Fest (June 5-10) has revealed the line-up of its 2015 edition, which will open with two events.
The first is the UK premiere of Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Look of Silence, the follow-up to critically acclaimed The Act of Killing, in which a family that survives the genocide in Indonesia confronts the men who killed one of their brothers.
The second is the world premiere of Icelandic director Benedikt Erlingsson’s The Greatest Shows on Earth: A Century of Funfairs, Circuses and Carnivals – a music and archive film that will feature a new score by Georg Hólm and Orri Páll Dýrason of Sigur Rós and the head of the Pagan Church in Iceland, Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson.
The film centres on the lives of travelling showpeople and has been created with exclusive access to the University of Sheffield...
- 5/7/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Film critic Danny Leigh will be talking us through how Twin Peaks changed the TV landscape at 4pm on Monday the 6th of April...
"There are many stories in Twin Peaks - some of them are sad, some funny. Some of them are stories of madness, of violence. Some are ordinary. Yet they all have about them a sense of mystery - the mystery of life. Sometimes, the mystery of death."
A few introductory words from the Log Lady there, ta Maggie.
Should your rained-off barbeque/Diy plans for this UK Bank Holiday Monday take you within range of a functioning radio, may we suggest you tune in to this damn fine looking half-hour documentary on the legacy of Twin Peaks?
The doc, presented by film critic Danny Leigh with contributions from Richard Ayoade and more, airs at 4pm on Monday the 6th of April. It promises to revisit how,...
"There are many stories in Twin Peaks - some of them are sad, some funny. Some of them are stories of madness, of violence. Some are ordinary. Yet they all have about them a sense of mystery - the mystery of life. Sometimes, the mystery of death."
A few introductory words from the Log Lady there, ta Maggie.
Should your rained-off barbeque/Diy plans for this UK Bank Holiday Monday take you within range of a functioning radio, may we suggest you tune in to this damn fine looking half-hour documentary on the legacy of Twin Peaks?
The doc, presented by film critic Danny Leigh with contributions from Richard Ayoade and more, airs at 4pm on Monday the 6th of April. It promises to revisit how,...
- 4/1/2015
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Director Céline Sciamma talks about her film Girlhood at which received an honorary commendation at the BFI Festival Awards. Danny Leigh at ft.com says its “one of the Lff’s freshest experiences,...
- 10/20/2014
- by Ryan Adams
- AwardsDaily.com
The unlikely location of Eastleigh is now the home of a geek-friendly film festival…
News Rob Leane
Ever wanted to hit the lanes in your dressing gown after seeing The Big Lebowski? Well, now you can. The newly launched Eastleigh Film Festival in Hampshire boasts an impressively geeky line-up, including a chance to see the Coen brothers’ hilarious dark comedy across the lanes of a real bowling alley.
Other interactive experiences throughout the week (which kicks off on Monday 22nd September) include enjoying an authentic Italian meal during Stanley Tucci’s ristorante-set drama Big Night and, perhaps best of all, a rare screening of George A Romero’s original Dawn Of The Dead in the spooky Swan shopping centre after dark. Count us in.
Danny Leigh, of BBC Film 2014 fame, has helped organise the event by picking his top ten genre movies, three of which will make up the...
News Rob Leane
Ever wanted to hit the lanes in your dressing gown after seeing The Big Lebowski? Well, now you can. The newly launched Eastleigh Film Festival in Hampshire boasts an impressively geeky line-up, including a chance to see the Coen brothers’ hilarious dark comedy across the lanes of a real bowling alley.
Other interactive experiences throughout the week (which kicks off on Monday 22nd September) include enjoying an authentic Italian meal during Stanley Tucci’s ristorante-set drama Big Night and, perhaps best of all, a rare screening of George A Romero’s original Dawn Of The Dead in the spooky Swan shopping centre after dark. Count us in.
Danny Leigh, of BBC Film 2014 fame, has helped organise the event by picking his top ten genre movies, three of which will make up the...
- 6/6/2014
- by rleane
- Den of Geek
Joanna Hogg's new film is about an artist couple who are selling their house. Danny Leigh visited the set and found that stars Viv Albertine of the Slits and artist Liam Gillick had moved in
• Joanna Hogg interview: 'I'm going further into my dreams'
• Exhibition – first look review
In September 2012, Joanna Hogg was about to make her third film. Later it would be called Exhibition; its working title was the London Project. There was a budget, location, a story about a married couple in crisis. It just didn't have the couple. Ten days before shooting, Hogg had no actor for either role.
Bright-eyed and well spoken, she remembers it vividly. "I was getting desperate. I was at the point of approaching people in the street."
Continue reading...
• Joanna Hogg interview: 'I'm going further into my dreams'
• Exhibition – first look review
In September 2012, Joanna Hogg was about to make her third film. Later it would be called Exhibition; its working title was the London Project. There was a budget, location, a story about a married couple in crisis. It just didn't have the couple. Ten days before shooting, Hogg had no actor for either role.
Bright-eyed and well spoken, she remembers it vividly. "I was getting desperate. I was at the point of approaching people in the street."
Continue reading...
- 4/22/2014
- by Danny Leigh
- The Guardian - Film News
Joanna Hogg's new film is about an artist couple who are selling their house. Danny Leigh visited the set and found that stars Viv Albertine of the Slits and artist Liam Gillick had moved in
Joanna Hogg interview: 'I'm going further into my dreams'
Exhibition first look review
In September 2012, Joanna Hogg was about to make her third film. Later it would be called Exhibition; its working title was the London Project. There was a budget, location, a story about a married couple in crisis. It just didn't have the couple. Ten days before shooting, Hogg had no actor for either role.
Bright-eyed and well spoken, she remembers it vividly. "I was getting desperate. I was at the point of approaching people in the street."
Continue reading...
Joanna Hogg interview: 'I'm going further into my dreams'
Exhibition first look review
In September 2012, Joanna Hogg was about to make her third film. Later it would be called Exhibition; its working title was the London Project. There was a budget, location, a story about a married couple in crisis. It just didn't have the couple. Ten days before shooting, Hogg had no actor for either role.
Bright-eyed and well spoken, she remembers it vividly. "I was getting desperate. I was at the point of approaching people in the street."
Continue reading...
- 4/22/2014
- by Danny Leigh
- The Guardian - Film News
Actor known for swashbuckling, wisecracking roles has muscled in on Hollywood's top table with role in Dallas Buyers Club
With the Academy Awards taking place on 2 March, a once almost unthinkable name has edged to the front of the best actor pack: Matthew McConaughey, once the bronzed clown prince of the romcom. His film Dallas Buyers Club, which hits British cinemas this weekend, has already won him top prizes at the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild awards. The Oscar narrative, for what it's worth, has his name pencilled in.
He plays Ron Woodroof, a roguish character with Aids who starts importing drug treatments, and generated many faux-concerned tabloid headlines for his gaunt appearance. His performance is far more than mere body shock, however.
"It's such a compelling, grand performance, that it bursts out of the seams of the film," says Danny Leigh, of the BBC's Film 2014. "It's...
With the Academy Awards taking place on 2 March, a once almost unthinkable name has edged to the front of the best actor pack: Matthew McConaughey, once the bronzed clown prince of the romcom. His film Dallas Buyers Club, which hits British cinemas this weekend, has already won him top prizes at the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild awards. The Oscar narrative, for what it's worth, has his name pencilled in.
He plays Ron Woodroof, a roguish character with Aids who starts importing drug treatments, and generated many faux-concerned tabloid headlines for his gaunt appearance. His performance is far more than mere body shock, however.
"It's such a compelling, grand performance, that it bursts out of the seams of the film," says Danny Leigh, of the BBC's Film 2014. "It's...
- 2/8/2014
- by Ben Beaumont-Thomas
- The Guardian - Film News
Ross Kemp: Extreme World: Sky1, 9pm
Now starting its third run, this hard-hitting documentary series follows Ross Kemp as he and his crew film and expose crime and destitution. In this series opener, Ross travels to India to investigate sex trafficking, and secretly filmed footage reveals the disturbing scale of the industry.
The Following: Sky Atlantic, 10pm
The hit Us thriller returns for a second season, as former FBI agent Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) is called back in to investigate a series of murders eerily similar to those committed by Joe Carroll (James Hardy). But he died in the explosion at the end of the last season... didn't he?
Film 2014: BBC One, 11.25pm
Claudia's back! Winkleman and her partner in crime Danny Leigh return for a new series of film discussion. Reviewed tonight: the dark folk music drama Inside Llewyn Davis and CIA thiller Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.
Now starting its third run, this hard-hitting documentary series follows Ross Kemp as he and his crew film and expose crime and destitution. In this series opener, Ross travels to India to investigate sex trafficking, and secretly filmed footage reveals the disturbing scale of the industry.
The Following: Sky Atlantic, 10pm
The hit Us thriller returns for a second season, as former FBI agent Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) is called back in to investigate a series of murders eerily similar to those committed by Joe Carroll (James Hardy). But he died in the explosion at the end of the last season... didn't he?
Film 2014: BBC One, 11.25pm
Claudia's back! Winkleman and her partner in crime Danny Leigh return for a new series of film discussion. Reviewed tonight: the dark folk music drama Inside Llewyn Davis and CIA thiller Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.
- 1/21/2014
- Digital Spy
Who cares what picture you see? We do. Here's what to watch this Saturday night, plus the rest of today's film news
What should you watch over the weekend?
In the UK? Get a face-full of Blue is the Warmest Colour, load your bow with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, or check if your mates with the guys of Computer Chess. Conspiracy theorists should head to JFK film Parkland, but run, run fast as you can away from duff Robert De Niro gangster comedy The Family. Or you could say dammit all and go to the re-released Gone with the Wind instead.
In the Us? Take your pick from The Hunger Games, Philomena or Vince Vaughn comedy Delivery Man.
In the paper today
• Geezy does it. Danny Dyer gives us 30 minutes of his time.
• Peter Bradshaw's reviewed all this week's new releases. He's keeps doing that!
• Kelly Marcel -...
What should you watch over the weekend?
In the UK? Get a face-full of Blue is the Warmest Colour, load your bow with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, or check if your mates with the guys of Computer Chess. Conspiracy theorists should head to JFK film Parkland, but run, run fast as you can away from duff Robert De Niro gangster comedy The Family. Or you could say dammit all and go to the re-released Gone with the Wind instead.
In the Us? Take your pick from The Hunger Games, Philomena or Vince Vaughn comedy Delivery Man.
In the paper today
• Geezy does it. Danny Dyer gives us 30 minutes of his time.
• Peter Bradshaw's reviewed all this week's new releases. He's keeps doing that!
• Kelly Marcel -...
- 11/22/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
Stewart Alexander is a Canadian actor and writer based in London, England. He was born and raised in Lachine, Quebec, and moved to the UK shortly after graduating from McGill University. Having made a number of short films on Super-8 in college, he embarked on a self-appointed apprenticeship assisting in the lighting, sound and editorial departments for a number of production companies in the UK. He also wrote and directed a short film called, “The Leather Jacket,” which was shot on 16mm, and edited, in a pre-digital age, on a Steenbeck. After meeting Kerry Skinner while studying to be an actor, he wrote the stage-play “Body Checks,” which they co-produced to considerable critical acclaim, and then adapted into a screenplay.
Now Alexander and Skinner have co-directed their first feature, the comedy-drama Common People. The film weaves together six stories and over thirty characters to present a dramatic, humorous and sometimes magical tale of romance,...
Now Alexander and Skinner have co-directed their first feature, the comedy-drama Common People. The film weaves together six stories and over thirty characters to present a dramatic, humorous and sometimes magical tale of romance,...
- 11/11/2013
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
He introduced Scorsese to De Niro, sorted out the start of Star Wars, and terrified a whole generation with Carrie. As Brian de Palma returns with a typically sexually charged thriller, he talks to Damon Wise
• Philip French on de Palma's Dressed to Kill
• Al Pacino and Brian De Palma to join forces again for Joe Paterno biopic
• Danny Leigh on the $1,000 Scarface Blu-ray set
Brian de Palma sighs. "I just like to shoot beautiful women," he says, "as elegantly as possible." The director is recalling how critics reacted to his new film Passion when it debuted at the Toronto film festival last year. Although he has dabbled in many genres in a 45-year career – from gangster to heist, from sci-fi to horror – critics drew immediate comparisons with a brace of movies De Palma made in the early 1980s, in particular Dressed to Kill and Body Double. Preferring not to dwell on his technical accomplishments,...
• Philip French on de Palma's Dressed to Kill
• Al Pacino and Brian De Palma to join forces again for Joe Paterno biopic
• Danny Leigh on the $1,000 Scarface Blu-ray set
Brian de Palma sighs. "I just like to shoot beautiful women," he says, "as elegantly as possible." The director is recalling how critics reacted to his new film Passion when it debuted at the Toronto film festival last year. Although he has dabbled in many genres in a 45-year career – from gangster to heist, from sci-fi to horror – critics drew immediate comparisons with a brace of movies De Palma made in the early 1980s, in particular Dressed to Kill and Body Double. Preferring not to dwell on his technical accomplishments,...
- 8/19/2013
- by Damon Wise
- The Guardian - Film News
From a silent Hitchcock movie to the story of a boxer who dreams of being a great violinist, Danny Leigh explores cinema's enduring love of the fight game
Boxing was there at the very dawn of cinema. As early as 1894, film-makers were shooting prize fights: the fast and furious physical spectacle was perfect for the new medium of motion pictures. Soon, scores of directors had been drawn to boxing – not just for the violence but for the drama of fighters' lives. In 1927, Hitchcock made The Ring, a silent tale of a pugilistic love triangle that is his one and only original screenplay. While many boxing movies reached greatness, even the most ordinary could still thrill with a canny sprinkling of what became genre staples: wise old trainers, crooked promoters, fixes, comebacks, wives who can't bear to look. In fact, plenty of boxing films are really about the women behind the men.
Boxing was there at the very dawn of cinema. As early as 1894, film-makers were shooting prize fights: the fast and furious physical spectacle was perfect for the new medium of motion pictures. Soon, scores of directors had been drawn to boxing – not just for the violence but for the drama of fighters' lives. In 1927, Hitchcock made The Ring, a silent tale of a pugilistic love triangle that is his one and only original screenplay. While many boxing movies reached greatness, even the most ordinary could still thrill with a canny sprinkling of what became genre staples: wise old trainers, crooked promoters, fixes, comebacks, wives who can't bear to look. In fact, plenty of boxing films are really about the women behind the men.
- 2/28/2013
- by Danny Leigh
- The Guardian - Film News
Revisiting 18 years of pop culture, from the Strokes to the early hipster, plus lots of Charlie Brooker
2000: Nasty Nick
Charlie Brooker's first Screen Burn "Hate your job? Weep yourself awake each Monday morning? Spend the working day toying with your desktop icons while nonchalantly contemplating suicide? Ever considered doing something – anything – else? Then whatever you do, don't look to the coming week's television for inspiration. Tucked away in the schedules are four glaring examples of the very worst careers imaginable this side of "oil-rig bitch". First up servile pandering, or "being a butler", as it's commonly known..."
Macy Mania Macy Gray has a (fleeting) moment. "The latest craze is precisely what Macy Gray has become. The first bona-fide pop phenomenon of the new millennium. Right now, the world and its uncle appear infatuated with her. She's bigger than big. And getting bigger all the time."
2020 vision Danny Leigh...
2000: Nasty Nick
Charlie Brooker's first Screen Burn "Hate your job? Weep yourself awake each Monday morning? Spend the working day toying with your desktop icons while nonchalantly contemplating suicide? Ever considered doing something – anything – else? Then whatever you do, don't look to the coming week's television for inspiration. Tucked away in the schedules are four glaring examples of the very worst careers imaginable this side of "oil-rig bitch". First up servile pandering, or "being a butler", as it's commonly known..."
Macy Mania Macy Gray has a (fleeting) moment. "The latest craze is precisely what Macy Gray has become. The first bona-fide pop phenomenon of the new millennium. Right now, the world and its uncle appear infatuated with her. She's bigger than big. And getting bigger all the time."
2020 vision Danny Leigh...
- 1/5/2013
- by The Guide
- The Guardian - Film News
Revisiting 18 years of pop culture, from Britpop to the Spice Girls, via Father Ted
1994: Mad fer it!
Issue No 1 Previously a broadsheet section in the newspaper, The Guide was expanded into a magazine proper on 27 August 1994. Nobody bothered to archive a copy, though, so the best we can do is show you a Xeroxed reproduction of the cover. At the time we were concerned with the weird state of science shows on TV and had a wander around the Notting Hill Carnival.
Spotted! All Saints From a review of their single Silver Shadow: "Born in the same year and in the same area of London, what else could these girls do but form a swingbeat group? Their debut is a sickly Atlantic Starr cover with an idiotic number of mixes, encompassing every dance style bar Morris. Eternal may rest easy in their Timberlands." Note: swingbeat was a form of...
1994: Mad fer it!
Issue No 1 Previously a broadsheet section in the newspaper, The Guide was expanded into a magazine proper on 27 August 1994. Nobody bothered to archive a copy, though, so the best we can do is show you a Xeroxed reproduction of the cover. At the time we were concerned with the weird state of science shows on TV and had a wander around the Notting Hill Carnival.
Spotted! All Saints From a review of their single Silver Shadow: "Born in the same year and in the same area of London, what else could these girls do but form a swingbeat group? Their debut is a sickly Atlantic Starr cover with an idiotic number of mixes, encompassing every dance style bar Morris. Eternal may rest easy in their Timberlands." Note: swingbeat was a form of...
- 1/5/2013
- by The Guide
- The Guardian - Film News
Film 2012 is back at last – but too late and not for long; tussling over a title; and when Salles met Senna
Film falls from favour at the Beeb
Jonathan Ross's announcement that he is to host a new, populist film review show on ITV should send shivers down the already frail BBC arts spine. The Beeb's long-running film programme Film 2012 returns this week on Wednesday night, having been off-air for a scandalously long time and missed the year's most important film events, from Cannes, Toronto and Venice, through the summer blockbuster season, to the release of Skyfall. What's the point of that?
The show, hosted by Claudia Winkleman and Danny Leigh (above), has smartly avoided critical ire in the film community by inviting most of the nation's critics on to the show at some point (myself included). But, whatever one thinks of the programme's odd chemistry, it...
Film falls from favour at the Beeb
Jonathan Ross's announcement that he is to host a new, populist film review show on ITV should send shivers down the already frail BBC arts spine. The Beeb's long-running film programme Film 2012 returns this week on Wednesday night, having been off-air for a scandalously long time and missed the year's most important film events, from Cannes, Toronto and Venice, through the summer blockbuster season, to the release of Skyfall. What's the point of that?
The show, hosted by Claudia Winkleman and Danny Leigh (above), has smartly avoided critical ire in the film community by inviting most of the nation's critics on to the show at some point (myself included). But, whatever one thinks of the programme's odd chemistry, it...
- 11/11/2012
- by Jason Solomons
- The Guardian - Film News
Ross is at his best when he's discussing films on television – and in April he will launch a new film programme for ITV. So will it provide competition for the BBC show he once fronted?
Jonathan Ross has confirmed the latest phase in his plan to become as colossally unavoidable on ITV as he was at the BBC. After successfully replicating his BBC1 chatshow – almost to the letter – for the channel, he is also going to launch a new film show in April.
Perhaps wisely, Ross has decided that he's going to ITV it up a little bit. "We're doing stuff that is a bit bigger; we're opening it up a bit more … In the pilot we had Ross Noble with a dialogue coach trying to do a scene from Jaws," he said. So it'll be part film show, part Top Gear, part Ross Noble saying: "We're gonna need a...
Jonathan Ross has confirmed the latest phase in his plan to become as colossally unavoidable on ITV as he was at the BBC. After successfully replicating his BBC1 chatshow – almost to the letter – for the channel, he is also going to launch a new film show in April.
Perhaps wisely, Ross has decided that he's going to ITV it up a little bit. "We're doing stuff that is a bit bigger; we're opening it up a bit more … In the pilot we had Ross Noble with a dialogue coach trying to do a scene from Jaws," he said. So it'll be part film show, part Top Gear, part Ross Noble saying: "We're gonna need a...
- 11/6/2012
- by Stuart Heritage
- The Guardian - Film News
The nominations for the 15th annual Moët British Independent Film Awards have been unveiled in London.
They were announced by patron Adrian Lester (above), the Birmingham-born actor whose credits include The Day After Tomorrow and TV series Being Human, Bonekickers, Merlin and Hustle.
In a statement, joint directors of the awards Johanna von Fischer & Tessa Collinson said: "In this our 15th year, we are delighted to welcome back six-time former host James Nesbitt.
"We would like to take this opportunity to thank our dedicated Pre-Selection Committee who watched over 200 films in order to produce the 2012 nominations, which once again reflect the diverse range of British film talent, and also welcome this year's appointed independent jury who will now spend the next month considering the nominated films."
The highest number of nominations this year goes to Broken with 9 nominations including Best Film, Best Director and Best Debut Director for Rufus Norris,...
They were announced by patron Adrian Lester (above), the Birmingham-born actor whose credits include The Day After Tomorrow and TV series Being Human, Bonekickers, Merlin and Hustle.
In a statement, joint directors of the awards Johanna von Fischer & Tessa Collinson said: "In this our 15th year, we are delighted to welcome back six-time former host James Nesbitt.
"We would like to take this opportunity to thank our dedicated Pre-Selection Committee who watched over 200 films in order to produce the 2012 nominations, which once again reflect the diverse range of British film talent, and also welcome this year's appointed independent jury who will now spend the next month considering the nominated films."
The highest number of nominations this year goes to Broken with 9 nominations including Best Film, Best Director and Best Debut Director for Rufus Norris,...
- 11/6/2012
- by David Bentley
- The Geek Files
Celebrating its fifteenth year, The Moët British Independent Film Awards have now been announced, honouring some of the finest independent films released in Britain this year.
This year’s awards will be held on 9th December, and you can be sure we’ll be bringing you the results on the night as they come in. It’s been another excellent year for British cinema, and it’s always nice to see films like these get the recognition they deserve.
Last year, Paddy Considine’s powerful directorial debut, Tyrannosaur, swept the top awards, taking Best Film, Best Directorial Debut, and Best Actress; Lynne Ramsay took home the Best Director award for We Need to Talk About Kevin; and Michael Fassbender’s remarkable performance in Steve McQueen’s Shame was rightfully honoured with Best Actor (whereas the film was sadly absent from the Oscars at the start of the year).
James Nesbitt...
This year’s awards will be held on 9th December, and you can be sure we’ll be bringing you the results on the night as they come in. It’s been another excellent year for British cinema, and it’s always nice to see films like these get the recognition they deserve.
Last year, Paddy Considine’s powerful directorial debut, Tyrannosaur, swept the top awards, taking Best Film, Best Directorial Debut, and Best Actress; Lynne Ramsay took home the Best Director award for We Need to Talk About Kevin; and Michael Fassbender’s remarkable performance in Steve McQueen’s Shame was rightfully honoured with Best Actor (whereas the film was sadly absent from the Oscars at the start of the year).
James Nesbitt...
- 11/5/2012
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Catch up with the last seven days in the world of film
The big story
It can't be Bond again, can it? Friday was the 50th anniversary of Dr No, the first film in the series, and – not shy of a handy bit of synchronous publicity – the Skyfall marketing people took the chance to push out a new trailer with the Adele theme song and a clip from the film.
But we've gone on about Bond long enough. Out with the old, in with the new, that's what we say in the fast moving world of motion pictures. Truth at 24 frames a second, that's what we're all about. Hence, we're going to forget about Bond and look forward: specifically, to the London film festival, which has just kicked off.
First out of the blocks was the gala screening of Tim Burton's Frankenweenie, a rather nice little stop-motion film about...
The big story
It can't be Bond again, can it? Friday was the 50th anniversary of Dr No, the first film in the series, and – not shy of a handy bit of synchronous publicity – the Skyfall marketing people took the chance to push out a new trailer with the Adele theme song and a clip from the film.
But we've gone on about Bond long enough. Out with the old, in with the new, that's what we say in the fast moving world of motion pictures. Truth at 24 frames a second, that's what we're all about. Hence, we're going to forget about Bond and look forward: specifically, to the London film festival, which has just kicked off.
First out of the blocks was the gala screening of Tim Burton's Frankenweenie, a rather nice little stop-motion film about...
- 10/11/2012
- The Guardian - Film News
Hollywood was quick to jump on the 3D bandwagon, but ticket sales are falling. Film buffs Francine Stock and Danny Leigh discuss whether or not the format has a future
The number of films being made in 3D is falling – and so are ticket sales, it emerged this week. Broadcasters Francine Stock, presenter of Radio 4's The Film Programme, and Danny Leigh, critic and co-host of BBC1's Film 2012, discuss whether the 3D bubble has burst. Emine Saner listens in.
Danny Leigh: The death knell has been sounding for a while. It's impossible to talk about 3D without a slightly funereal bearing, because it has not worked. When Avatar came out, it seemed like the dawning of a new era, but if I was financially invested in 3D, I would be feeling a bit glum because there hasn't been a follow-up to Avatar, either a film or a general groundswell of enthusiasm.
The number of films being made in 3D is falling – and so are ticket sales, it emerged this week. Broadcasters Francine Stock, presenter of Radio 4's The Film Programme, and Danny Leigh, critic and co-host of BBC1's Film 2012, discuss whether the 3D bubble has burst. Emine Saner listens in.
Danny Leigh: The death knell has been sounding for a while. It's impossible to talk about 3D without a slightly funereal bearing, because it has not worked. When Avatar came out, it seemed like the dawning of a new era, but if I was financially invested in 3D, I would be feeling a bit glum because there hasn't been a follow-up to Avatar, either a film or a general groundswell of enthusiasm.
- 3/10/2012
- by Emine Saner
- The Guardian - Film News
Stephen Daldry's post-9/11 drama is almost universally reviled, but the Academy has a history of nominating some dreadful films for the top prize, and often ignoring future classics
If there is to be a prize for the best picture at this year's Oscars, then why not one for the worst? To make a great film is difficult and therefore worthy of honour. But to make a bad film that gulls the voters into thinking it's great is no mean feat either. It may not be noble, but you have to admire the chutzpah.
The presence of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close on this year's Oscar shortlist stirs golden memories of the interlopers of old. Stephen Daldry's candy-floss memorial to the events of 9/11 had the critics gagging. The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw daubed it with a one-star review, dubbing it "extremely contrived and incredibly preposterous". Danny Leigh, co-host of the BBC's Film 2012,...
If there is to be a prize for the best picture at this year's Oscars, then why not one for the worst? To make a great film is difficult and therefore worthy of honour. But to make a bad film that gulls the voters into thinking it's great is no mean feat either. It may not be noble, but you have to admire the chutzpah.
The presence of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close on this year's Oscar shortlist stirs golden memories of the interlopers of old. Stephen Daldry's candy-floss memorial to the events of 9/11 had the critics gagging. The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw daubed it with a one-star review, dubbing it "extremely contrived and incredibly preposterous". Danny Leigh, co-host of the BBC's Film 2012,...
- 2/24/2012
- by Xan Brooks
- The Guardian - Film News
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