Wednesday, 21 March 2012
Written by Jo Bromilow
 Director: Gary Ross
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Lenny Kravitz
Certificate: 12A
Trailer It's been called 'the next Twilight', but to draw a comparison between the two does a disservice to this superior teen offering. Set in a post-apocolyptic America (Panem) divided into twelve Districts, Collins introduces us to a futuristic tale of Theseus and the Minotaur - or, as has been the catcall of critics, a Westernised Battle Royale.
Wednesday, 07 March 2012
Written by Ivan Radford
If you're unlucky enough to follow me on Twitter, you'll be aware of the terrifying addiction that took over my my life for the past 12 weeks: The Hunger Games. When a big screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins' trilogy was first revealed, I took one look at it, was impressed, but dismissed it as Battle Royale. Several months later and I'm a changed man: I love the emotional (and surprisingly political) spin on the dystopian-reality-TV-kids-killing-each-other format; I'm torn between two fictional male characters (today is a Peeta day - yesterday was all about Gale); I have an unhealthy urge to shoot everything with arrows; and I can't wait to set my clothes on fire. All of these things would actually be true if I were physically able to put the flipping books down. I'm reading them all again right now. I'm typing with my chin just so I can keep turning the pages. It's taken a frankly superhuman amount of effort just to look away from the text for two minutes to enjoy the latest Hunger Games clip - and even then, I could only manage it because I knew it contained Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss talking to Cinna, her down-to-earth stylist with a nose for costume flair. But even the first full clip featuring Lenny Kravitz talking fashion couldn't cure my addiction. So before I go back to living between Collins' two covers, read on to watch the clip. Then start counting down to The Hunger Games on Friday 23rd March. Then start sending letters to Lionsgate to demand that they release this film as soon as possible. Then I can finally enjoy what looks to be a cracking cinematic version of Collins' novels, get over this obsession, and maybe, just maybe, I CAN GET MY SODDING LIFE BACK.
Friday, 02 March 2012
Written by Ivan Radford
The below message appeared on The Hunger Games Facebook page today from author Suzanne Collins. Needless to say, I'm very jealous...
Dear Readers,
I’ve just had the opportunity to see the finished film of The Hunger Games. I’m really happy with how it turned out. I feel like the book and the film are individual yet complementary pieces that enhance one another. The film opens up the world beyond Katniss’ point of view, allowing the audience access to the happenings of places… like the Hunger Games control room and President Snow’s rose garden, thereby adding a new dimension to the story.
Thursday, 02 February 2012
Written by Ivan Radford
 Director: Brad Peyton
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Josh Hutcherson, Michael Caine, Vanessa Hudgens, Luiz Guzman
Certificate: PG
Trailer Centuries of French literature, film and fantasy fiction and it has come down to this: Are The Rock's nipples bouncy enough to make Journey 2 fun? The answer is easy: Yes. You see, Dwayne Johnson, for all his limitations, possesses that one crucial thing: charisma. And the ability to play the ukelele. So that's two things. (Four things if you include both his pecs.) Shoved in a sequel to a film that people seem to dislike - despite it being rather good - Johnson effectively plays the lead as step-father to Alex (Hutcherson), the least memorable (yet only surviving) character from Journey to the Centre of the Earth 3D. Hutcherson is fine as the geeky teen, but Alex is such a non-entity that we need someone to root for. In case The Rock's nipples can't cut it, we also get Michael Caine as Alex's granddad. Riding a giant bumblebee. So really the question is this: Is Michael Caine riding a giant bee enough to make Journey 2 entertaining? That one's easy: hell yes.
Friday, 13 January 2012
Written by Ivan Radford
Sometimes you worry that sitting in a dark room all day watching films is bad for your brain. But I'm a firm believer that you can learn AND watch movies at the same time. Fortunately, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson agrees with me, as you can see by his use of the word "emasculating" in the middle of the Journey 2 The Mysterious Island trailer. What does emasculating mean? How do you use it in a sentence? The Rock reveals the range of his vocabulary... Word: Emasculating Definition: "To make (a person, idea, or piece of legislation) weaker or less effective." As spoken by: Dwayne Johnson In: Journey 2 The Mysterious Island Journey 2 The Mysterious Island is out on Friday 3rd February. Read on for some pretty new character banners - including one featuring Michael Caine riding a giant bumblebee. Yes, really.
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Written by Ivan Radford
Director: Brad Peyton
Cast: Josh Hutcherson, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Caine
Certificate: TBC
Release Date: Friday 10th February 2012 In this follow-up to the 2008 worldwide hit “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” the new 3D family adventure “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” begins when young Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson, reprising his role from the first film) receives a coded distress signal from a mysterious island where no island should exist. It’s a place of strange life forms, mountains of gold, deadly volcanoes, and more than one astonishing secret. Unable to stop him from going, Sean’s new stepfather, Hank (Dwayne Johnson), joins the quest. Together with a helicopter pilot (Luis Guzman) and his beautiful, strong-willed daughter (Vanessa Hudgens), they set out to find the island, rescue its lone inhabitant and escape before seismic shockwaves force the island under the sea and bury its treasures forever.
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Written by Ivan Radford
 In a seemingly endless wave of dystopian-movies-this and reality-TV-films-that, it takes something special to stand out. It turns out that something is Jennifer Lawrence with a bow and arrow. And The Hunger Games trailer certainly has that. Based on Suzanne Colinns' best-selling novel, The Hunger Games is about a bunch of kids (aged between 12 and 18) who are selected as part of an annual, incredibly-fatal TV contest. It's a bit like Battle Royale. With a PG-13 certificate. But if you're worried about the lack of violence and the glossy looks of the gorgeous teen cast, don't: Jennifer Lawrence is only in it because Katniss Everdeen volunteers to replace her younger sister in the kill-or-be-killed tournament. The Hunger Games may not have the blood splatter of Kinji Fukasaku's mental murder spree, but director Gary Ross has got garish pink costumes, a big budget and one heck of a sympathetic heroine. The Hunger Games UK release date is Friday 23rd March next year - and the film is looking very good. Hell, The Hunger Games trailer alone craps all over I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. Read on for the full video.
Friday, 29 October 2010
Written by Ivan Radford
 Director: Lisa Cholodenko
Cast: Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Josh Hutcherson, Mia Wasikowska
Certificate: 15 It's not easy being a lesbian. Especially when you're raising a family of sperm-donated kids. Jules (Moore) is feeling the strain of a long marriage, caught between the control-freak clutches of Nick (Bening) and the easygoing sexiness of Mark Ruffalo. Naturally, things soon go up the proverbial creek without a dildo.
Monday, 25 October 2010
Written by Ivan Radford
Director: Lisa Cholodenko
Cast: Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Josh Hutcherson, Mia Wasikowska
Showtimes It's not easy being a lesbian. Especially when you're raising a family of sperm-donated kids. Jules (Moore) is feeling the strain of a long marriage, caught between the control-freak clutches of Nick (Bening) and the easygoing sexiness of Mark Ruffalo. Naturally, things soon go up the proverbial creek without a dildo.
Thursday, 14 October 2010
Written by Ivan Radford
 Neil Patrick Harris will be making his directorial debut with Aaron and Sarah. Who sound like lovely people.
Aaron's a geek and Sarah's a popular girl, who go through high school gradually falling in love. An indie romantic comedy, then, for Mr Harris, who has previously directed episodes of How I Met Your Mother and a production of Rent in LA over the summer.
Will he be awesome? Probably. After all, this is the man who can sing, dance, defeat invading super-bugs, and wear suits like no other. He also has a PhD in Horribleness. There's almost nothing Neil Patrick Harris can't do. Including appear in The Smurfs movie.
Written by Chad Gomez and Dara Resnik Creazey, Aaron and Sarah was once in David O Russell territory, but has fallen into the backyard of HIMYM's Barney. Mr Harris will be giving instructions to both Emma Roberts (Scream 4) and Josh Hutcherson (Journey to the Centre of the Earth).
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