Walter Hill's classic THE DRIVER is coming to cinemas and Home Release in 4K
Whoa! StudioCanal has restored and remastered Walter Hill's 70s neo-noir crime classic THE DRIVER in 4K and before its home release in December, it will be screened in cinemas from 11 November.
Getting to see The Driver in 4K on big screen is very good news as I am a huge fan of Walter Hill’s body of work and the man himself. His films certainly contributed to my love of the medium. Some of his films are favourites of mine and timeless greats like; The Streetfighter (1975), The Driver (1978), The Warriors (1979), Streets of Fire (1984), Red Heat (1988), Johnny Handsome (1989) and the first episode of Deadwood (2004).
Hill’s reputation for making hard-edged gritty action films starring tough guys seems to have overshadowed his remarkable storytelling proficiency. He made his bones starting out as an oil roustabout during school and later construction work before shifting gear into film. It’s exactly that kind of real-world experience that informs grounded characters and plots that are engaging.
Working as second direction allowed him to learn the craft of film-making while he honed his writing skills, selling his first screenplay Lloyd Williams and His Brother in 1969 it never made it to screen (in its entirety). In the early years, he worked with Golden Era pioneering greats like Sam Peckinpah and John Huston which helped form his narrative voice. He has pointed out that he can write in many styles but has a preference for his own unique brand of storytelling.
He has written 12 of the 21 feature films he had made across multiple genres including westerns, military, crime, science fiction, music(als), buddy films, comedy and science fiction. He also created a TV series, Produced TV Series as well as made many, many TV films. Hill was instrumental in getting Ridley Scott’s Alien made, when his production company picked it up ensuring Fox's involvement and was indeed involved in writing and producing some of the earlier films of the franchise.
The man is a living legend and should be celebrated now.
Mat Whitecross' The Sound of 007 music Documentary is released on 5 October 2022
As I referenced in my previous post, in this latter part of 2022 we continue with the 60 Anniversary celebration of James Bond’s breakout onto the silver screen and EON is putting on some fantastic events to mark the year.
- Following the concert, Prime Video will globally stream an exclusive recording - The Sound of 007: LIVE from the Royal Albert Hall - as part of the streamer’s 60th celebration of James Bond
- The Sound of 007 - the documentary directed by Mat Whitecross and produced by John Battsek for Ventureland - will be available exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide from 5 October, following a preview at the ‘James Bond at 60’ weekend at the BFI Southbank on 1 October
- The Christie’s Sixty Years of James Bond two-part official charity sale will include multiple music lots including a No Time To Die song sheet with lyrics signed by Billie Eilish
- ‘Bond 25’, an album performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will also be released by DECCA on 23 September
Ever since hearing about the then untitled forthcoming documentary focused on the music of James Bond, now known as The Sound of 007, I have been quietly looking forward to it. If you read my post about “James Bond songs you may not have heard” you would know that I am keenly interested in the music, as well as the history of the music of Bond.
Snake's Back! John Carpenter's Escape from L.A. Arrives On 4K Ultra HD For The First Time February 21
It's no secret that I am a fan of John Carpenter. He writes, he takes photographs, he directs, he edits, he produces, he makes music - he's like a modern Renaissance man.
I have a deep fondness for a number of his earlier masterpieces particularly: Assault on Precinct 13, Escape from New York and The Thing. The understated significance of his first feature film made while a student - the wacky, Dark Star cannot be ignored. Without it, the landscape of Science Fiction on screen would be very different and we may never have heard of Dan O'Bannon which in turn means this timeline would never have had: Alien, Total Recall, Jodorowsky's Dune (oh! scratch that one) or Blue Thunder. Yea! I know it's very niche but it's an underrated masterpiece.
A couple of years ago when John Carpenter Classics got their 4K Restorations I was fortunate to see Escape From New York on the big screen again and was blown away all over again by Carpenter's dark vision of a world gone wrong and Kurt Russell's living embodiment of Snake Plisskin a man or rather shark thrown back into the water.
I am not the biggest fan of the sequel to Escape From New York - John Carpenter's 1996 Escape From L.A. it always seemed like a bit of a wasted opportunity to explore the dystopian world created in Escape From New York as well as further the adventures of one of cinemas greatest anti-heroes Colonel Robert (call him, Snake) Plissken. In a bit of a rarity, to keep things fresh with Escape From L.A. Carpenter doesn't tread the same path as Snake's first outing and goes in a very different direction, the execution is however very typical of Hollywood 80s excess. But some Snake is better than no Snake, it also has a ton of over the top action scenes and a catalogue of cult favourite cameos but most notably it has become eerily prophetic.
The events portrayed in Escape from L.A. may have taken place almost a decade ago but John Carpenter's Escape from L.A. submarines onto 4K Ultra HD™ For
The First Time this February 21.
Ding dong! It's happening! We are 73 days away from seeing the continuing saga of the Crawley family (and their residence) on the big screen, in Simon Curtis' Downton Abbey: A New Era and it's 29th of April UK cinema release date cannot come quick enough.
The timing of Downton Abbey: A New Era's UK cinema release is however timeous for us as - we succumbed to the charm of Downton Abbey relatively late, despite the cultural impact of the show we only started watching the series during the lockdown and sadly only have two more seasons to go before the end but we also have Michael Engler's 2019 Downton Abbey bookmarked for viewing after the show has ended.
Even though I am trying to avoid spoilers, as I still have much to catch up on, the marketing for Downton Abbey: A New Era is ramping up and the first trailer for the film has just dropped (I am relieved to see many of my favourite characters are still in the frame as well as some new friends). Henceforth I'll try to update this page with Downton Abbey: A New Era media as it is released.
From award-winning creator Julian Fellowes comes the motion picture event DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA.
The much-anticipated cinematic return of the global phenomenon reunites the beloved cast as they go on a grand journey to the South of France to uncover the mystery of the Dowager Countess’ newly inherited villa.
Throughout Saturday night 18th September, in honour of Batman Day 2021, the iconic Bat-Signal lit up the skies in
London, Liverpool and Glasgow to celebrate The Dark Knight on Batman Day
2021.
The iconic Bat-Signal shone a light on imposing buildings across the UK
on Saturday. The participating cities - London, Liverpool, and Glasgow - had
been revealed in advance, but the exact locations were shrouded in mystery. The
exact locations were teased on Instagram and Facebook by
DC GB Facebook
and
DCUKComics
on the 18th to give Bat-Signal seekers a head start.
Saturday 18th September, 8 - 8.30pm - Batman Day 2021 Bat-Signal on Odeon Luxe
Leicester, London:
Batman Day 2021 Bat-Signal Odeon Luxe Leicester, London
To my shame I must confess I only got around to seeing Sergio Corbucci’s The Great Silence back when it was mentioned as an influence on Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight and I am glad I did. It's well worth a watch for any aficionado of the Western genre, anyone who appreciates good cinema or anyone who appreciates incredible sound and composition. Did I mention the score is by Il Maestro himself - Ennio Morricone
Il Grande Silenzio harks to a time when you had a variety of films to choose for your entertainment. Not the same story slightly altered
With the upcoming joint Sky and Canal+ production of a new television series version of Sergio Corbucci's Django starring our favourites Matthias Schoenaerts and Noomi Rapace, let's hope Matthias SchoenaertsDjango doesn't die in the first episode with Noomi Rapace's character having to reluctantly pick up his guns to dispense justice for the remainder of the series (transporting the coffin would be a mission all of it's own) Sergio Corbucci came back on to my radar as did Eureka Entertainment's restoration and release of his classic of the genre The Great Silence this November.
One of the best and most influential Westerns ever made
Eureka Entertainment is to release Sergio Corbucci’s Western masterpiece, THE
GREAT SILENCE, presented on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK from a 2K
restoration in a Limited Edition Set as part of The Masters of Cinema Series
from 22 November 2021.
‘Being James Bond’ Daniel Craig’s 007 adventure to stream for free
Bond fans Can Stream the Special Film as a Free Rental on the Apple TV App Only from September 7 through October 7 Ahead of the Theatrical Release of ‘No Time To Die’
Eureka Entertainment to release FULL ALERT, the raw, intense & gritty psychological crime thriller from Ringo Lam, presented on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK as part of the Eureka Classics range from 18 October 2021. The first print run of 2000 copies will feature a Limited-Edition O-card Slipcase and Collector’s Booklet.
Ringo Lam's Full Alert Blu-Ray Packshot
A late career highlight from Ringo Lam, an action-packed tale of cops and robbers presented in the director’s inimitable style.
Perfectionist, workaholic Inspector Pao (Lau Ching-wan, Running Out of Time) finds himself up against Mak Kwan (Francis Ng, The Mission), a seasoned criminal intending to use his explosive skills to pull off a huge heist. Pao must use his own resources to stop Mak and prevent heavy civilian casualties.
With heart-stopping car chases on the streets of Hong Kong and brilliant performances by the two leads, Full Alert is an intelligent, high velocity action movie considered to be one of director Ringo Lam's finest works.
Born on 20 January 1920, this month marks the centenary of Italian director Federico Fellini, one of the most original creative minds of the twentieth century. To celebrate this landmark, the director’s incredible body of work is being appraised across the United Kingdom with a series of events and theatrical releases of his greatest works.
On this 100-year anniversary, CultFilms is proud to present two new Blu-ray releases, giving audiences the opportunity to revisit and rediscover his most influential films in sparkling restorations.
See a one of a kind film series curated by Quentin Tarantino
In the run-up to the release of his ninth feature film Quentin Tarantino has
personally curated a collection of 9 films from the Columbia Pictures library
to get you in the mood for Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood.
The nine films collection entitled “Swinging Sixties, A Movie Marathon” will allow viewers to immerse themselves into the world that influenced
Tarantino when creating Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood. Swinging Sixties, A Movie Marathon will be screened on the
Sony Movie Channel from Monday 5 through to Monday 12th August.
Sadly whilst the home re-release date of Arnie's restored Terminator 2: Judgment Day's may have been pushed back, it
look like his genre bending all out man vs creature action fest - John
McTiernan's Predator's re-release is still on for 9 November 2017.
Ahead of next year Shane Black's new
Predator film will be hitting cinemas so this announcement is timely - I
am stoked with the announcement that to celebrate it's 30 Anniversary - John McTiernan's Predator will be getting a limited theatrical re-release this
November as it is one of my favourite action films, of all time as a
hardcore elite military team go toe to to toe with an unknown foe - to discover
that man may not be at the top of the pecking order.
It certainly seems as if we are having an
Arnold Schwarzenegger comeback fest this year as two of his major classic
action flicks Terminator 2 and Predator are being re-released - so
new audiences can see them as they were meant to be seen and enjoy them as much
as existing fans. The full announcement, images and trailer can be found
below.
Yes! On it's 40th Anniversary William Friedkin's masterpiece SORCERER has been restored, I believe in 4K high definition, and returns to the big screen, so you can see experience this thriller the way it was meant to be. SORCERER will also be released in high definition on Blu-ray as well.
“In 1971, William Friedkin directed the French Connection.
It received 5 Academy Awards including best picture.
In 1973, he directed The Exorcist it made history.
After that, Friedkin spent over two years in five countries
on three continents creating his next film.
40 years later, this lost masterpiece, a courageous adventure
into the heart of darkness, returns to cinemas... “
Alittle while back I was very fortunate to go along to an exceptional talk by leading practitioners in the film sector hosted by the FDA. One of the experts on the panel was Alan Jones of Frightfest, who gave us some insight into the inner workings of what has made FrightFest the success it is. When pressed he revealed that one of the projects he is working on is another collaboration with Nicolas Winding Refn called “NWR”, they had previously worked on a The Act of Seeing - a journey through Nicolas Refn's collection of rare American film posters and how the imagery evokes a certain response in the eye of the beholder.
#Update: Apologies I have checked my recordings from the panel discussion and Jones clearly states that amongst other projects that include a TV Show with Eli Roth his next collaboration with Nicolas Winding Refn is in fact another book called Discomania. Jones was clearly reluctant to go into any detail but said that this new project was similar, I had imagined it was another book focused on a different sub genre's posters. But with this week's exciting announcement it is possible that the project he was referring to could be part of something much bigger and more ambitious in in scope.
To be fair I was never a big reader of Ben Edlund's The Tick comics I was however a huge fan of the 2001 Tick TV Show with Patrick Warburton in the lead role, with his wit and dry delivery he was born to play the role, in fact he is very much, much born to play any role he gets. I can't get enough of his original and unique droll comedy.
So since first heard Amazon's upcoming version of The Tick I have been very curious. I was sad to discover that Patrick Warburton would not be involved but stoked to hear that our very own Peter Serafinowicz would be suiting up for the role of The Tick.
You may know him as Darth Maul or SupernovaDenarian What a bunch of a-holes Saal or Cut-Rate James Mason but his numerous roles in many, many, many, many productions from Spitting Image, Spaced, World of Pub, Shaun of the Dead, Little Britain, Doctor Who, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Spy, through his eponymous The Peter Serafinowicz Show, Parks and Recreation, South Park, Guardians of the Galaxy, Mr. Sloane, to his recent cameo in John Wick: Chapter 2 have seen him deliver his his own brand of comedic stylings making him a fan favourite and me looking forward to Amazon's The Tick.
Since viewing the original series of The Tick the character's creator Ben Edlund, who came up with The Tick whilst at high school, has gone on from strength to strength and not only involved with various genre favourites including; Firefly, Angel, Gotham, Powers and one of my favourites Jackson Publick's outrageously hilarious The Venture Bros. which has much in common with The Tick and he will also be executive producer on The Tick so we can hopefully expect something special.
I received some stuff about The Tick a little while back but didn't get a chance to post it – but when we received a first look heads up at the brand-new trailer for The Tick I thought I would get this up.
I'm pretty sure I don't need to tell you what The Game of Thrones is - the immensely addictive, engaging, shocking, sexy, twisting, tragic, bloody, exciting and uplifting TV adaptation of novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones (part of his A Song of Fire and Ice series) has become a worldwide phenomenon and HBO's most watched series ever.
The eagerly anticipated Season 7 of Game of Thrones arrives on 16 July (10 days from now) and we have just received this very exciting news. To support GOT Season 7 The Game of Thrones Touring Exhibition is coming to Europe, more specifically to London and it looks very immersive - hopefully we'll get to sit on the Iron Throne but it is still a little while before the tour kicks off.
James Cameron has proven himself not only to be a master of film but innovative technology to enhance storytelling as well.
Since the 90s he has pioneered the use of 3D cinema with work like; his part on Terminator 2 3-D: Battle Across Time for the Universal Studios Theme ParkTerminator 2 experience, his 2003 Titanic documentary Titanic 3D: Ghosts of the Abyss and 2005 documentary Aliens of the Deep both filmed in the 3D IMAX format UNDERWATER. This was all part of his journey to his landmark 2009 3D feature Avatar - shot using the 3D
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
A cyborg, identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah Connor, must now protect her teenage son, John Connor, from a more advanced cyborg.
Director: James Cameron Writers: James Cameron, William Wisher Jr. Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick
Fusion Camera System that Cameron and DOP Vince Pace developed together under the Cameron-Pace Group banner.
You may not be familiar with the system but some of the most advanced 3D feature films including; Life of Pi, Hugo, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, TRON: Legacy, Speed Racer were shot with the Cameron's camera system.
They are currently working out how to bring glassless 3D to cinemas, a while back they teamed with Dolby & Philips on glassless 3D TVs and I'm pretty sure I saw one of these back in 2013 at the London Dolby Atmos Screening Room, so I would be surprised if the technology was too way off in the future. After watching the Berlinale QA session with James Cameron it would appear that glassless 3D cinemas may not be on the table for the near future.
Back in 2012 Cameron proved that 3D conversions given sufficient passion, time and money can be stunningly flawless when he re-released Titanic 3D.
Later this year, 26 years after it's release we can look forward to seeing the groundbreaking special effects extravaganza and film that shot James Cameron into the stratosphere, the sequel to his 1984 cult classic The Terminator - Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Fully restored in 4k and converted into 3D. Terminator 2: Judgment Day 3D
Wish I could have gone back in time and got this post up sooner - as this week sees the 15th-anniversary re-release of director Richard Kelly's modern cult classic Donnie Darko.
I say modern cult classic as, well, not to labour the point, but there are precious few good cult films that can be found for our viewing pleasure (in proportion to the number of films released a year) and even fewer that have been made in the last 15 years and still even fewer hailing from the United States that have anything near Donnie Darko's cult status.
Perhaps unsurprising as increasingly film producers/studios test film concept to the nth degree before committing to finance to a potentially risky proposition - it is afterall Showbusiness and film marketeers have become more savvy and quick to label a film as "cult" when it doesn't have a wider demographic appeal.
So Donnie Darko is something of an enduring anomaly and a cult film, possibly the last American cult film, in the truest sense of the definition. I hasten to add I have as not yet seen Alejandro Jodorowsky's The Dance of Reality or completed Álex de la Iglesia's The Last Circus - both of which may well fit the bill, albe they not American.
If you are a regular reader you will know that I am a fan of John le Carré literature, something my father passed on to me. So of course the latest adaptation of his 2010 novel Our Kind of Traitor, his 22nd novel, is of interest to me, and who isn't intrigued when a public figure is revealed to have had a secret of double life?
Our Kind of Traitor is of further interest to me as it involves half of my current Bond 25 dream team:
Hossein Amini who has a rich varied body of work (The Four Feathers, The Wings of the Dove, Jude, 47 Ronin, Snow White and the Huntsman, Shanghai, Killshot) and intrinsically brings relationships to the fore in all his works as well as has intelligently dealt with matters of secrecy, subterfuge and intrigue in his works like Peter Kosminsky's 1992 The Dying of the Light and Diarmuid Lawrence's 1996 Deep Secrets.
He has just adapted Norwegian bestselling Author Harry Hole's The Snowman starring Michael Fassbender, Chloë Sevigny & Rebecca Ferguson for Tomas Alfredson who previously directed John le Carré's Gary Oldman starrer Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
Amini is probably most well known for adapting Drive for Nicolas Winding Refn, again showing his versatility but should be more feted for his rather brilliant adaption and direction of Patricia Highsmith's The Two Faces of January starring Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst & Oscar Isaac. I would love to see what Hossein Amini does with a Bond story arc.
I think Our Kind of Traitor Director Susanna White would bring all the right things to a Bond story. Not only a measured, nuanced approach to complex international intrigue but she also has an eye for action as demonstrated with her episodes, of one of the best War TV shows in recent history 2008's Generation Kill. My second choice would be the return of Martin Campbell (GoldenEye, Casino Royale) who constantly surprises, refreshes and updates with the demands of every film he takes on.
A Bond story written by Hossein Amini, directed by Susanna White, shot by Roger Deakins (Skyfall & everything he does is beautiful), Hoyte Van Hoytema (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Spectre, Interstellar, Dunkirk), Wally Pfister, Phil Meheux, Roberto Schaefer or new to the list - Anthony Dod Mantle whose long list of beautifully shot films, which includes: In the Heart of the Sea, Rush, Trance, Dredd, The Eagle, 127 Hours, Slumdog Millionaire, can add Our Kind of Traitor as the cherry on top. Would be a superb combination!
If Daniel Craig was not to return, Susanna White could bring along my current favourite choice for Bond -Damian Lewis who stars in Our Kind of Traitor and she has also worked with on the fast paced TV show Billions. Lewis sparkles with intelligence and can certainly pull off the physical side of the role with aplomb. Besides he has a fair resemblance to Ian Fleming.
Enough daydreaming already here is a list of 5 surprising real life celebrity spies that led double lives and the one you already know Mr. Ian Fleming.
Over the years, the film industry has produced a plethora of films that capitalise on the theme of espionage and the life of a spy. Due to the illusive nature of those who work with top-secret government intelligence, a whole host of different characters have been concocted in a bid to represent the life of a person with one of the most mysterious occupations on the planet. We’ve been shown debonair men, who drive around in extravagant cars and adorn expensive suits, like the infamous James Bond, to the more unassuming and calculating spy characters such as George Smiley.
The new film Our Kind of Traitor reimagines the spy once again, this time through the eyes of an unsuspecting couple who are thrust between the Russian Mafia and British Intelligence, neither of whom are as clear-cut good and bad as one would assume.
It is no secret that I am a huge Nicolas Roeg fan. His career epitomises a time honoured path of a master of the arts. Incredibly talented he started out as an Apprentice Editor following a path learning all aspects of filmmaking that led to eventual auteur-ship.
Able to draw on his multidisciplinary talents and experience, particularly his camera work to shape emotive works of art. Along the way he worked with just about every serious talented individual in film as he carved out a path of originality - often leading to being at odds with the studios as he manifested his unique vision.
Indeed some of his works are amongst my favourite films but all of them across the board are compelling viewing and offer an almost hallucinatory and unique viewing experience. Roeg's works have been on my mind lately, most recently with the release of concept art for the Blade Runner sequel, the original was made by legendary British Producer Michael Deeley who also produced Nicolas Roeg's brilliant adaptation of Author Walter Tevis' The Man Who Fell to Earth, watching the extra features on last year's Far From The Madding Crowd restored release I discovered Nicolas Roeg's involvement and early signs of his trademark camera work, and of course the tragic passing of one of our shining lights - David Bowie the titular Man Who Fell to Earth - one of my favourite science fiction films of all time.
For me The Man Who Fell to Earth is a companion piece alongside Roeg's debut feature six years earlier - the great Performance, which he co directed with Donald Cammell (who conceived the concept and wrote the screenplay) and his Bad Timing with Art Garfunkel. Not only do the film and music world's blur with the casting of prominent musicians - Mick Jagger in Performance and David Bowie in The Man Who Fell To Earth but reality and film merge as Roeg explores issues of identity, duality, isolation and humanity in an experimental experience - drawing on his actor's understanding of the issues of fame and the lines between themselves and others to bring their characters to life in engaging performances.
So I'm over the moon that for its 40th Anniversary The Man Who Fell to Earth has been restored and will be getting a high definition 4K home release, a Special Collector's Edition release as well as a big screen release - as it should be seen.
The upcoming re-release is part of STUDIOCANAL's Vintage Classics collection - showcasing iconic British films, all fully restored and featuring brand new extra content.
The Man Who Fell To Earth Alternative Poster [ZOOM]
This week may mark the 35th anniversary of the debut of Stephen Spielberg's Dr Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark but there can only be one as this year sees the 30th Anniversary of another cinematic legend - Russell Mulcahy's immortal - Connor MacLeod the Highlander. And StudioCanal are intending to give the captivating tale of immortal Connor MacLeod tragically set on the path for the prize, played out by an engaging cast, fuelled by mesmeric visuals and a hypnotic soundtrack - the grand celebration Highlander deserves with a restored 4K home release and a re-release world premiere at the Edinburgh Film Festival.
