Maika Monroe deserves to be a massive star. She first came on to my, and many folks’, radar with her tremendous turn in It Follows. More than just a scream queen in the making, Monroe had an X factor about her that suggested greatness. She again shows that in the new comedic thriller Villains, which teams her up with three other massively entertaining performances to craft a wholly surprising delight. Opening this week, the film easily could have been little more than a knock off of Quentin Tarantino’s work, but instead, it finds its own quirky wavelengths and delights from start to finish. The movie is a mixture of comedy, drama, horror, and thriller, all told with the allure of a crime caper. Jules (Monroe) and Mickey (Bill Skarsgård) are a couple hoping to rob their way to a new life in Florida. After holding up a gas station,...
- 9/18/2019
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
In Stacie Passon’s dynamic directorial debut “Concussion”, a housewife breaks free of her suburban bubble by taking on sex work in the city. With her sophomore feature “We Have Always Lived in the Castle,” adapted by Mark Kruger from the 1962 novel by Shirley Jackson, Passon offers a female protagonist who’s the antithesis of her previous one: Merricat Blackwood (Taissa Farmiga) can’t ensconce herself enough from the world outside.
(The heroine of “Concussion” spends most of the film renovating a Manhattan apartment, while Merricat builds her entire world within the walls of the family manse, meaning that someday, someone is going to craft a thesis with a title like “Inquire Within: Real Estate in the Films of Stacie Passon.”)
While this period adaptation sees the filmmaker operating in a more traditional, classical mode, “We Have Always Lived in the Castle” allows Passon to work with a larger, more...
(The heroine of “Concussion” spends most of the film renovating a Manhattan apartment, while Merricat builds her entire world within the walls of the family manse, meaning that someday, someone is going to craft a thesis with a title like “Inquire Within: Real Estate in the Films of Stacie Passon.”)
While this period adaptation sees the filmmaker operating in a more traditional, classical mode, “We Have Always Lived in the Castle” allows Passon to work with a larger, more...
- 5/16/2019
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
If the recent failure of films such as “The Little Stranger” and “Marrowbone” has taught us anything, it’s that audiences don’t seem as thrilled with good, bone-chilling Gothic mysteries as they once were. Today, when it comes to spine-tinglers, moviegoers seem to value jump scares and gore over psychological brooding. That hasn’t stopped filmmakers who, every few decades, revive the works of novelist Shirley Jackson. Her stories speak to a darker side of humanity. Stacie Passon, director of “We Have Always Lived in the Castle,” sharply channels the author’s atmosphere of dread, paranoia, and isolation, making the past feel prescient.
Socially awkward 18-year-old Mary Katherine Blackwood (Taissa Farmiga), nicknamed “Merricat” by her family, lives with her agoraphobic sister Constance (Alexandra Daddario) and anguished, barely lucid Uncle Julian (Crispin Glover) on the sprawling grounds of Blackwood Manor. The gorgeous Gothic mansion sits high above a small New England town,...
Socially awkward 18-year-old Mary Katherine Blackwood (Taissa Farmiga), nicknamed “Merricat” by her family, lives with her agoraphobic sister Constance (Alexandra Daddario) and anguished, barely lucid Uncle Julian (Crispin Glover) on the sprawling grounds of Blackwood Manor. The gorgeous Gothic mansion sits high above a small New England town,...
- 9/25/2018
- by Courtney Howard
- Variety Film + TV
The 25th anniversary of Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” will be celebrated at the Hollywood Bowl with two performances led by Danny Elfman and featuring cast members and guest artists.
Scheduled for October 26 and 27, the live-to-picture screening and concert is produced by Laura Engel and Richard Kraft, Tim Fox and Alison Ahart Williams, and Live Nation/Andrew Hewitt & Bill Silva Presents, in association with Disney Concerts. The orchestra will be led by conductor John Mauceri, founding Director of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.
Elfman will reprise his role of Jack Skellington with Catherine O’Hara (Sally) and Ken Page (Oogie Boogie) set to take part in a presentation that includes living scenery projected onto the facade of the Bowl in what Kraft and Engel term a “fully immersive digital” visual.
The 1993 movie directed by Henry Selick (“James and the Giant Peach”) and based on a story and characters by Tim Burton.
Scheduled for October 26 and 27, the live-to-picture screening and concert is produced by Laura Engel and Richard Kraft, Tim Fox and Alison Ahart Williams, and Live Nation/Andrew Hewitt & Bill Silva Presents, in association with Disney Concerts. The orchestra will be led by conductor John Mauceri, founding Director of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.
Elfman will reprise his role of Jack Skellington with Catherine O’Hara (Sally) and Ken Page (Oogie Boogie) set to take part in a presentation that includes living scenery projected onto the facade of the Bowl in what Kraft and Engel term a “fully immersive digital” visual.
The 1993 movie directed by Henry Selick (“James and the Giant Peach”) and based on a story and characters by Tim Burton.
- 9/4/2018
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question:
Last Friday saw the release of Garth Davis’ “Lion,” the musical score for which is the gorgeous result of a collaboration between two giants of the neo-classical movement, Dustin O’Halloran and Hauschka. It’s just the latest indication that we’re living in a fascinating, vibrant time for movie music, and December boasts a number of films that will only add more fuel to that fire. With that in mind, we asked our panel of critics to name their favorite film score of the 21st Century.
Tasha Robinson (@TashaRobinson), The Verge
There are some really striking contenders out there, topped by Susumu Hirasawa’s manic,...
This week’s question:
Last Friday saw the release of Garth Davis’ “Lion,” the musical score for which is the gorgeous result of a collaboration between two giants of the neo-classical movement, Dustin O’Halloran and Hauschka. It’s just the latest indication that we’re living in a fascinating, vibrant time for movie music, and December boasts a number of films that will only add more fuel to that fire. With that in mind, we asked our panel of critics to name their favorite film score of the 21st Century.
Tasha Robinson (@TashaRobinson), The Verge
There are some really striking contenders out there, topped by Susumu Hirasawa’s manic,...
- 11/28/2016
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Fans of Disney's timeless holiday classic, Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas will now have another chance to see Disney In Concert's Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday, October 28 at 8:00pm.
The first two nights of this concert event sold out within days when it was announced Los Angeles' reigning Pumpkin King, Danny Elfman, would return to the Hollywood Bowl performing his role of Jack Skellington singing live to film. Elfman will be joined by other original cast members including Catherine O'Hara(Sally), Ken Page (Oogie Boogie) and Paul Reubens (Lock).
Danny Elfman, who wrote the film's songs (music and lyrics), composed its original score and was the original singing voice of Jack Skellington, says:
"Being able to perform 'Nightmare' live last year, in synch to the movie with a full orchestra was such a thrill. But having Catherine O'Hara, Ken Page...
The first two nights of this concert event sold out within days when it was announced Los Angeles' reigning Pumpkin King, Danny Elfman, would return to the Hollywood Bowl performing his role of Jack Skellington singing live to film. Elfman will be joined by other original cast members including Catherine O'Hara(Sally), Ken Page (Oogie Boogie) and Paul Reubens (Lock).
Danny Elfman, who wrote the film's songs (music and lyrics), composed its original score and was the original singing voice of Jack Skellington, says:
"Being able to perform 'Nightmare' live last year, in synch to the movie with a full orchestra was such a thrill. But having Catherine O'Hara, Ken Page...
- 9/14/2016
- by Kellvin Chavez
- LRMonline.com
It’s been a great year for film music. I say that as someone who had to endure the laughably dated qualities of Alberto Iglesias’ Exodus: Gods and Kings and had to swallow the pill that is Howard Shore‘s latter days Middle-earth music.
But it has been a great year. Clint Mansell gave us haunting, complex soundscapes in Noah, the Alexandre Desplat Hive Mind unleashed another five feature-length scores on the planet, and we even got a peak at John Williams‘ forthcoming music in that Star Wars trailer.
So what was the best of the bunch? For simplicity’s sake, I’ve limited this list to movies with U.S. theatrical runs in 2014. When possible, I’ve also linked to our reviews and select cues on Spotify, although you’ll note the occasional YouTube or SoundCloud embed as well. Let’s do this:
20. Horns — Robin Coudert
Every few years,...
But it has been a great year. Clint Mansell gave us haunting, complex soundscapes in Noah, the Alexandre Desplat Hive Mind unleashed another five feature-length scores on the planet, and we even got a peak at John Williams‘ forthcoming music in that Star Wars trailer.
So what was the best of the bunch? For simplicity’s sake, I’ve limited this list to movies with U.S. theatrical runs in 2014. When possible, I’ve also linked to our reviews and select cues on Spotify, although you’ll note the occasional YouTube or SoundCloud embed as well. Let’s do this:
20. Horns — Robin Coudert
Every few years,...
- 12/31/2014
- by David Klein
- SoundOnSight
A great film score complements without burrowing too far into the ideas, wrestles with genre without locking the picture into a fixed identity, amplifies actors and actress’ choices without spilling the beans. A composer’s job is a balancing act. More and more, movie music finds itself backing off too far, devolving into incidental muzac, or going too far, where full-blast orchestral sounds pummel us like the Transformers’ energon punches. There’s a sweet spot, and the best film scores of the year ride it for an entire runtime. I shouldn’t be surprised that my favorite film scores of the year line-up closely with my favorite films of the year. As someone who goes to the movies with his ears as wide open as his eyes, I found myself captivated by 2014’s audio-visual offerings. Below, what I’d consider the "best" of the year (along with a few runner-ups,...
- 12/29/2014
- by Matt Patches
- Hitfix
Back in August, I released a mix tape consisting of the best tracks, from the best movie soundtracks and best scores of the first half of 2014. This here, is the entire mix consisting of the best songs heard in movies all year long.
Note: If you’ve already heard the first half, simply skip ahead one hour in. Enjoy!
Playlist:
Phase 1
Guardians of the Galaxy Clip
The Band – “The Weight” (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Clip
Superhuman – “Where It Ends” (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes)
Alexandre Desplat – “Godzilla Main Theme”
Marco Beltrami – “We Go Forward” (Snowpiercer)
Snowpiercer Clip
Hot Blood – “Soul Dracula” (Only Lovers Left Alive)
Only Lovers Left Alive Clip
James Brown – “Papas Got A Brand New Bag” (Get On Up: The James Brown Story)
Get On Up Movie Clip
Elvis Presley – “You’re the Devil in Disquise...
Note: If you’ve already heard the first half, simply skip ahead one hour in. Enjoy!
Playlist:
Phase 1
Guardians of the Galaxy Clip
The Band – “The Weight” (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Clip
Superhuman – “Where It Ends” (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes)
Alexandre Desplat – “Godzilla Main Theme”
Marco Beltrami – “We Go Forward” (Snowpiercer)
Snowpiercer Clip
Hot Blood – “Soul Dracula” (Only Lovers Left Alive)
Only Lovers Left Alive Clip
James Brown – “Papas Got A Brand New Bag” (Get On Up: The James Brown Story)
Get On Up Movie Clip
Elvis Presley – “You’re the Devil in Disquise...
- 12/5/2014
- by Sordid Cinema Podcast
- SoundOnSight
Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Mia Wasikowska, Noah Taylor, Chris O’Dowd, Wallace Shawn, James Fox, Sally Hawkins, Paddy Considine, Cathy Moriarty | Written by Richard Ayoade, Avi Korine | Directed by Richard Ayoade
In only two films Richard Ayoade has proven to be one of the most talented young minds in the world of cinema today. With his first film Submarine he provided new life to the world of coming of age tales by crafting a film that was unique and heartfelt. His latest film The Double is rather a hard one to quantify. It is this roaming amalgamation of different cinematic features that should not go together, yet strangely do. There is a distinct Orwellian tone spliced with David Lynch sense of weirdness. Ayoade avoids creating too overbearing of a mood by adding in a dry comedic wit reminiscent of Wes Anderson’s fast paced humor. Within these familiar qualities is an...
In only two films Richard Ayoade has proven to be one of the most talented young minds in the world of cinema today. With his first film Submarine he provided new life to the world of coming of age tales by crafting a film that was unique and heartfelt. His latest film The Double is rather a hard one to quantify. It is this roaming amalgamation of different cinematic features that should not go together, yet strangely do. There is a distinct Orwellian tone spliced with David Lynch sense of weirdness. Ayoade avoids creating too overbearing of a mood by adding in a dry comedic wit reminiscent of Wes Anderson’s fast paced humor. Within these familiar qualities is an...
- 5/9/2014
- by Dan Clark
- Nerdly
As you've probably already surmised by now from our coverage, we are big fans of Richard Ayoade's "The Double." When we saw the film at Tiff last year, we called it "totally bonkers, hilarious and wickedly clever." And indeed, in addition to Jesse Eisenberg's great (dual) performance, the fantastic set design, the pitch perfect control of tone and the spot on casting, one of the elements that really makes the film sing, is the soundtrack. And today we've got a nice preview of what's to come. Andrew Hewitt might not be the first film composer to spring to mind, but he's definitely one to be keeping an ear out for. He scored Ayoade's first feature film "Submarine," but it's his work on "The Double," that really finds him kicking things up a notch. Below, you'll hear the exclusive track "A Boy Held Up By String" which is...
- 5/1/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Richard Ayoade's deliriously cinematic comedy-of-errors "The Double," adapted from Fyodor Dostoevsky's novella, doesn't hit theaters or VOD until May 9. But in the meantime, stream this track off the film's soundtrack, composed by Andrew Hewitt, exclusively on Toh!Set in a gloomy dystopia, "The Double" stars Jesse Eisenberg as a joyless data clerk whose obsession with a beautiful coworker (Mia Wasikowska) brings him face-to-face with his far more charismatic and charming doppelganger. (Here's our Toh! review.)Composer Andrew Hewitt, who scored Ayoade's 2010 hip feature debut "Submarine," has created a head-spinning orchestral score that perfectly captures "The Double"'s stressful, frenetic tone. The score, like the film, is brilliant and infectious. The soundtrack is available to download in full on May 6 before the film arrives May 9 via Magnolia Pictures. Stream the main theme below, and watch the trailer.
- 4/22/2014
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Feature Gem Wheeler 4 Apr 2014 - 07:00
Ten years on, Gem looks back fondly on the masterwork of dreamweaver Garth Marenghi and his Darkplace...
We should have seen it coming. They’d managed to keep it under wraps for twenty years: hiding the tapes, suppressing the press coverage. Two long decades of misinformation separated us from a truth too shocking to screen. Rumours persisted: a Peruvian broadcast, a missing castmember, skulduggery in high places. Finally, in 2004, Channel 4 did the decent thing. Some brave souls bit the bullet – perhaps literally, though we have no real proof – and broadcast Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, giving the self-styled ‘dreamweaver’ (‘horror writer’, for the uninitiated) some long overdue exposure. Writer of countless bestselling chillers, the man’s brilliant career’s won him acolytes and enemies in equal measure. Inevitably, his every venture has been dogged by controversy. Even Dean Learner, Garth’s manager and agent,...
Ten years on, Gem looks back fondly on the masterwork of dreamweaver Garth Marenghi and his Darkplace...
We should have seen it coming. They’d managed to keep it under wraps for twenty years: hiding the tapes, suppressing the press coverage. Two long decades of misinformation separated us from a truth too shocking to screen. Rumours persisted: a Peruvian broadcast, a missing castmember, skulduggery in high places. Finally, in 2004, Channel 4 did the decent thing. Some brave souls bit the bullet – perhaps literally, though we have no real proof – and broadcast Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, giving the self-styled ‘dreamweaver’ (‘horror writer’, for the uninitiated) some long overdue exposure. Writer of countless bestselling chillers, the man’s brilliant career’s won him acolytes and enemies in equal measure. Inevitably, his every venture has been dogged by controversy. Even Dean Learner, Garth’s manager and agent,...
- 4/3/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
After a series of playful teasers that focused on atmosphere or tone, or told stories about snakes, a new traditional trailer has arrived for Richard Ayoade's "The Double." Well, about as traditional as a movie like this can get, which is another way of saying, this is truly something special. The latest from the director of "Submarine" drops you into a steampunk world that is wholly conjured, where Jesse Eisenberg's Simon James finds his life unraveling after his exact doppelganger James Simon comes sauntering into view. With an eye on his girl and his job, the much more confident James threatens to reduce the meek Simon to nothing, until of course he decides to fight back. It's a pretty terrific and entertaining movie, one what that tips its hat to Terry Gilliam, but feels very much like its own creation. And that's due to the team involved in making the film,...
- 2/18/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
The pleasures to be found in Richard Ayoade's upcoming "The Double" go far beyond Jesse Eisenberg's dual performance that powers the movie. From the great score by Andrew Hewitt, to the production design from David Crank, every inch of the "Submarine" director's film has been carefully considered and thought through. That it all comes together as a near flawless steampunk comedy/romance/thriller is the icing on the cake. With the film headed to theaters abroad, a new teaser trailer has landed for "The Double," giving a pretty good sense of the tone of the flick. The story follows the nebbish Simon James, whose dull, ordinary and routine life is turned totally upside down when a doppelganger comes gunning for his job, his girl (played by Mia Wasikowska) and his personality. Surreal and hilarious all at once, the film is a Kafka-esque nightmare that we called out of...
- 12/17/2013
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
The fun of watching a week's worth of new movies that almost no one has seen is the unknown -- you're not sure which ones will be great, which ones will move you to tears, or which ones will make you get up and walk out of the theater.
In other words, going into this year's Toronto International Film Festival, I expected the same thing I always do at events like these: to see a few good movies, one-to-two outstanding ones, a couple of hidden gems, and a whole lotta' duds. After returning from Canada last Wednesday, I am happy to admit that I was wrong.
Of the 20 films I saw at Tiff this year, two of them were bad, one was downright weird, two more were so-so, and the other 15 (15!) were spectacular. This is a phenomenal track record for a film festival, even one as distinguished as Toronto's.
As...
In other words, going into this year's Toronto International Film Festival, I expected the same thing I always do at events like these: to see a few good movies, one-to-two outstanding ones, a couple of hidden gems, and a whole lotta' duds. After returning from Canada last Wednesday, I am happy to admit that I was wrong.
Of the 20 films I saw at Tiff this year, two of them were bad, one was downright weird, two more were so-so, and the other 15 (15!) were spectacular. This is a phenomenal track record for a film festival, even one as distinguished as Toronto's.
As...
- 9/13/2013
- by Alex Suskind
- Moviefone
Richard Ayoade's The Double is a Terry Gilliam-esque journey into the psyche of a man that has lost his sense of self. Twisted and strange, I couldn't get into it in the slightest as it deals with a guy suffering from something of a psychotic breakdown as his life is slowly taken over by his doppelganger. It's all so obvious, the strange narrative and world Ayoade has created feels as if it's weird for the sake of being weird, almost as a justification for why the film exists at all. I understand there are people that will fall head over heels for this kind of storytelling, that's fine, I'm just not one of them. As for the story, Simon James (Jesse Eisenberg) is a hard worker, plugging away each and every day at a nondescript data processing center. He has a crush on the photocopy girl, Hanna (Mia Wasikowska...
- 9/9/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
You just have to love end of year lists. Well, you don’t have to I suppose, but they are good fun to compile. Of course, they do get complicated with regards to the actual official release date. In fact it was just last week that myself and the hairy one Justin Laliberty were discussing this very thing. So, when it comes to my list the films have had either theatrical, DVD/Blu-ray (first time and not re-issues) releases or have yet to have releases outside of screeners or a festival showing.
With all that being said, below are my favorite non-horror films of 2011. Any quotes are taken from my reviews (if I reviewed them).
10. Red Hill
This classy Australian flick snuck in with a January DVD release and impressed the hell out of me.
“Beautifully shot, Red Hill truly does have the atmosphere of a classic Western movie. From...
With all that being said, below are my favorite non-horror films of 2011. Any quotes are taken from my reviews (if I reviewed them).
10. Red Hill
This classy Australian flick snuck in with a January DVD release and impressed the hell out of me.
“Beautifully shot, Red Hill truly does have the atmosphere of a classic Western movie. From...
- 12/29/2011
- by Jude
- The Liberal Dead
Only one new movie is opening wide this weekend:
Matthew Vaughn’s comic book adaptation X-Men: First Class starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Lawrence and Rosamunde Pike is expected to top the weekend box office. The film’s music is written by Henry Jackman and a soundtrack album has been released digitally earlier this week by Sony Classical. A physical release will follow on June 28. For more information on the album and to listen to audio clips from the score, visit our previous article.
Opening in limited release is the dramedy Beginners directed by Mike Mills and starring Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer and Melanie Laurent. The film’s score is composed by Roger Neill, David Palmer and Brian Reitzell. The movie also features a number of songs. A soundtrack album with both songs and score has been released earlier this week by Relativity Music Group. To preview...
Matthew Vaughn’s comic book adaptation X-Men: First Class starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Lawrence and Rosamunde Pike is expected to top the weekend box office. The film’s music is written by Henry Jackman and a soundtrack album has been released digitally earlier this week by Sony Classical. A physical release will follow on June 28. For more information on the album and to listen to audio clips from the score, visit our previous article.
Opening in limited release is the dramedy Beginners directed by Mike Mills and starring Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer and Melanie Laurent. The film’s score is composed by Roger Neill, David Palmer and Brian Reitzell. The movie also features a number of songs. A soundtrack album with both songs and score has been released earlier this week by Relativity Music Group. To preview...
- 6/4/2011
- by filmmusicreporter
- Film Music Reporter
Polly (Laura Fraser) works with Professor Julian Greengrass (Richard E Grant) in a generic “science lab”, running tests on something to do with heart disease. When she is not there, she is holed up in her dark apartment where she starts to hear voices. Professor Greengrass is infatuated with her, her boyfriend Chapman (Adam Fenton) keeps wandering off and her sister Jimi (Antonia Bernath) won’t leave her alone. She is concerned that she is losing her hold on reality. We are concerned that we might not reach the end of the film still awake.
*****
Although it may have felt like something of a coup for writer/director Richard Bracewell to have bagged Richard E Grant for his sophomore effort, the reality is that Grant’s best years and work are long behind him. The recognition factor of his name may have helped attract funding for the film’s production and distribution,...
*****
Although it may have felt like something of a coup for writer/director Richard Bracewell to have bagged Richard E Grant for his sophomore effort, the reality is that Grant’s best years and work are long behind him. The recognition factor of his name may have helped attract funding for the film’s production and distribution,...
- 3/28/2011
- by Dave Roper
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Richard E. Grant stars in Cuckoo (2010), a dull, one-note psychological thriller from Richard Bracewell, whose marginally superior debut The Gigolos (2006) was a similarly throwaway medley of over-obvious stylistic debt and self conscious construction.
Cuckoo concerns the supposed mental disintegration of Polly (Laura Fraser), a talented student under Grant’s leery Professor Greengrass. Landing an important job interview that will allow her to escape her constricting station in life, Polly begins to hear ghostly noises echoing through her cavernous flat as she prepares for a new life - those closest to her, however, have different plans.
Richard Bracewell’s film is a decidedly televisual affair, displaying the same po-faced shallowness that one would associate with a daytime soap. The actors stand, grimace, fumble to reach their markers with the naturalism of a cardboard cut out and then grimace some more. While this may seem a harsh evaluation of the performers, it...
Cuckoo concerns the supposed mental disintegration of Polly (Laura Fraser), a talented student under Grant’s leery Professor Greengrass. Landing an important job interview that will allow her to escape her constricting station in life, Polly begins to hear ghostly noises echoing through her cavernous flat as she prepares for a new life - those closest to her, however, have different plans.
Richard Bracewell’s film is a decidedly televisual affair, displaying the same po-faced shallowness that one would associate with a daytime soap. The actors stand, grimace, fumble to reach their markers with the naturalism of a cardboard cut out and then grimace some more. While this may seem a harsh evaluation of the performers, it...
- 3/1/2011
- by Daniel Green
- CineVue
Having made the festival rounds at Toronto, London and now Sundance, I.T. Crowd star Richard Ayoade’s directorial debut Submarine is garnering a lot of acclaim for itself. Starring Craig Roberts, Sally Hawkins, Paddy Considine, Yasmin Paige and Noah Taylor, it’s a coming-of-age-tale that has been winning over pretty much everyone who has seen it. Our own Jordan Raup, a man of serious taste, saw it this past September at Tiff and loved it. Among other things, it’s earning comparisons to the work of Wes Anderson (particularly Rushmore), which only adds to people’s anticipation. The first poster has premiered at MTV (via ThePlaylist), and gives off a vibe that feels indie but not to a degree where it’s off-putting. I especially like the visual metaphor and pun that’s communicated here, and it’s not helping to quell my intense desire to see the movie.
- 1/22/2011
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
With British drama Cuckoo out now in cinemas, we caught up with its producer and writer-director, Tony and Richard Bracewell, to chat about it…
Brothers Tony and Richard Bracewell area formidable team. Richard, with his background in TV work, is the writer-director, while ex-pr man Tony has the production firmly under control. Together, they produced the cult movie The Gigolos, their first feature from 2006. Cuckoo is an atmospheric psychological thriller with riveting performances by Laura Fraser and Richard E. Grant.
We caught up with Tony and Richard to talk about the making of the latest film, marketing, and working with Richard E. Grant...
Your film has been ready for some time, but it has only just come out. I watched it for the first time a few months ago – why did you start showing it so early on?
Tony: It’s all about finding the right slot for the film to come out.
Brothers Tony and Richard Bracewell area formidable team. Richard, with his background in TV work, is the writer-director, while ex-pr man Tony has the production firmly under control. Together, they produced the cult movie The Gigolos, their first feature from 2006. Cuckoo is an atmospheric psychological thriller with riveting performances by Laura Fraser and Richard E. Grant.
We caught up with Tony and Richard to talk about the making of the latest film, marketing, and working with Richard E. Grant...
Your film has been ready for some time, but it has only just come out. I watched it for the first time a few months ago – why did you start showing it so early on?
Tony: It’s all about finding the right slot for the film to come out.
- 12/20/2010
- Den of Geek
Doralba reviews the British drama, Cuckoo, and finds a brooding, paranoid movie, with a particularly creepy performance by Richard E Grant...
Writer/director Richard Bracewell has put together a little gem of a movie here, a disturbing little thriller which will keep you engrossed for its duration and get you to do a lot of thinking about it afterwards.
This is independent British cinema at its best, a thought-provoking feature where there are no clear demarcations of either guilt or reality and the atmosphere is rarefied and eerie, unsettling without being scary.
Helped by well-scripted dialogue, Laura Fraser (a hot property at the moment, you can also see her in the BBC3 drama Lip Service) gives a beautifully controlled if a tad neurotic performance, which always keeps you guessing as to whether her character Polly is losing her mind or not.
The support cast delivers great and subdued acting. Richard E Grant...
Writer/director Richard Bracewell has put together a little gem of a movie here, a disturbing little thriller which will keep you engrossed for its duration and get you to do a lot of thinking about it afterwards.
This is independent British cinema at its best, a thought-provoking feature where there are no clear demarcations of either guilt or reality and the atmosphere is rarefied and eerie, unsettling without being scary.
Helped by well-scripted dialogue, Laura Fraser (a hot property at the moment, you can also see her in the BBC3 drama Lip Service) gives a beautifully controlled if a tad neurotic performance, which always keeps you guessing as to whether her character Polly is losing her mind or not.
The support cast delivers great and subdued acting. Richard E Grant...
- 12/12/2010
- Den of Geek
Garth Marenghi's Darkplace is the British cult television show which didn't do too well in its initial run but by now became an instantly quotable phenomenon… Horror author / dream weaver Garth Marenghi (Matthew Holness) is the only writer on Earth who happily confesses that he wrote more books than he read. Together with the financial support of producer Dean Lerner (Richard Ayoade), he managed to create a series in the 1980s entitled Darkplace which was pulled because it was considered to be too radical for the screen. Now the show is resurrected from its eternal slumber, lovingly restored with each episode receiving a new introduction by Marenghi himself, who also contributes new interview footage for the show.
This hilarious spoof of the 80s series takes its inspiration from a wide range of sources that include The A-Team and the era’s nostalgic hospital shows. The music plays an important part...
This hilarious spoof of the 80s series takes its inspiration from a wide range of sources that include The A-Team and the era’s nostalgic hospital shows. The music plays an important part...
- 1/2/2009
- Daily Film Music Blog
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