Showing posts with label Alex Garland. Show all posts

The Establishing Shot Magazine 2 2013 All the Film News worth reading

The Establishing Shot Film News It's been awhile since my last news update a combination of injuries that had me off my feet for a couple of months and a haphazard late Summer that caused scheduling nightmares but a wrap this week has given me some time to prep this edition of The Establishing Shot's All The Film News you need to know, in between preparing for our search for the great and elusive Mola.

Over the last couple of months I have seen numerous films, unfortunately the majority have not been worth mentioning but there have been many highlights.

THE ESTABLISHING SHOT MAGAZINE EDITION 2 2013 ALL THE FILM NEWS WORTH READING
A QUICK RECAP OF FILMS SEEN RECENTLY
At the UK Cinema Showcase I managed to pack in a record (for me) 16 screenings over 3 days. With great films like; Rush, Black Fish, Metro Manila & Ain’t them Bodies Saints and good films like; Pain and Gain, The Great Hip Hop Hoax & The Worlds End. All well worth a watch as well as many others.
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The Establishing Shot Magazine 1 2013 The Establishing Shot Magazine -1 2013 All the Film News worth reading
Ron Howard's Rush is in my top 10 for the year and took me by surprise as an outstanding performance from Daniel Brühl as Niki Lauda stole the show. I managed to review Black Fish over here!

And the subtlety and emotion of  Metro Manila made it a long time favourite of mine. The slow burning Ain’t them Bodies Saints is a quite, reflective film that won't please those looking for explosions punctuated with gunshots. 
Rush Poster
Rush Poster ZOOM
A note on Pain & Gain - it's good despite the awful near Domino visual stylings it has decent performances and captures the mind set of the seemingly bizarre characters perfectly, unfortunately many UK reviewers who have local myopia will not be able to see past the cultural nuances. Another surprise was Thanks For Sharing which was charming despite some shameless performances, OK one in particular, who also happens to sneak in a really bizarre pitch for her lifestyle website. But it continues Mark Ruffalo's rise as one of the most charming actors working today and officially marks Josh Gad as a future star.
Metro Manila UK Poster
Metro Manila UK Poster ZOOM
I enjoyed two science fiction films on the opposite ends of the spectrum Shane Carruth's Upstream Colour a reflective and original science fiction film which really deserves a lot more accolades than its receiving as it is a brilliant piece of lo-fi film making  that breaks boundaries and the other on the completely opposite end of the spectrum is David Twohy's Riddick which offers imaginative high entertainment and a lot of bang for your buck.
Blue Jasmine Poster
Blue Jasmine Poster ZOOM
More recently Woody Allen's BLUE JASMINE COMPLETELY BLEW ME AWAY as Allen seemingly (and not soon enough) leaves his charming and light period behind to make a film of genuine substance with incredible performances from Cate Blanchett, an unrecognisable Sally Hawkins and Andrew Dice Clay in this near perfect tragi-comedy which plays on expectations and personalities. For another great performance from Sally Hawkins check out Phil Morrison's low key All Is Bright in cinemas later this year. 

I also appreciated Denis Villeneuve's much awaited Prisoners, which is a worthy follow up to his earlier Incendies and landed somewhere between bloody good and absolutely awesome for me. It's been ages since a film like this has gripped me as much. It appears Villeneuve has made the definitive film of this genre.Villeneuve is a master director bringing naturalistic and powerful performances out of his cast as well as creating moods, specifically a dread filled ambience which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout - all with help from Roger Deakins of course. 
Prisoners UK Poster
Prisoners UK Poster ZOOM
Prisoners allows Jake Gyllenhaal to act and boy does he, it also went much of the distance for me to accept Hugh Jackman as a serious actor. Stand out performances are delivered across the board from Maria Bello, Viola Davis, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo and a creepy Paul Dano. I think that is it as far as a film recap goes. So without further ado here is: 
Upstream Colour UK Poster
Upstream Colour UK Poster ZOOM

WE CHAT DREDD WITH WRITER & PRODUCER ALEX GARLAND & DREDD SEQUELS, CHOPPER, GARLAND’S APPROACH TO DREDD & WORKING STYLE, DREDD TV SPIN OFFS & GARLAND’S NEXT STEPS - IN CONVERSATION

Alex Garland talks DreddThis Friday, 7 September Pete Travis’ eagerly anticipated cinematic adaptation of 2000 AD’s futurism science fiction character Judge Dredd or DREDD as it is now known will be unleashed into cinemas.

I can’t lie I can’t wait to see DREDD. It may be show BUSINESS but we seem to be in the throes of an age where film makers not only understand what key audiences want but can choose to act on it, as opposed to watering down stories to suit everyone they can choose, albeit a risky choice, to create art for people who will appreciate it. And much like the way Alex Garland & Danny Boyle updated the Zombie genre with 28 Days Later I am hoping that with Alex Garland writing and the very visual Pete Travis Directing that DREDD sets itself apart and is one of those films that defines itself rather than letting audiences define it.

Like most of the characters in the 2000 AD fold there is nothing stereotypical or cliché about Judge Dredd. 2000 AD may have broken the mould with almost every one of their fresh and original characters, but even amongst them DREDD is something of an anomaly. If someone was to explain him to you it would become apparent that he could be an oppressive force of the conservative establishment and a fascist with a seriously un-unhealthy relationship with guns.

But I always saw him as the last line of defence in an out of control world. In the mad apocalyptic ravaged, over populated future world (oddly not too dissimilar to our current global state of affairs) that 2000 AD creates where human traits and foibles are taken to their extremef - you can only win by being madder and more extreme. Not only that but for me DREDD exemplifies that most endearing of qualities we seek in our heroes - the man just doesn’t give up. He is unbreakable.

No matter the odds or how fearsome the fantastical threat he faces DREDD squares up in the same way and doesn’t change course until he has obliterated or jailed the lawbreaker. He doesn’t seem to mind which of those outcomes play out first. In DREDD’s black & white world view - dead or alive you will be judged! Like an unmoveable force DREDD doesn’t just enforce the law he is the strong arm of justice and is incorruptible. Try reading that without hearing Sylvester Stallone wail I YAM THE LAAAAUUUGHG! He rights the wrongs often to a fault.

With that in mind last week I got to sit down with Producer and writer of DREDD Mr. Alex Garland, probably most well known for working with Danny Boyle on The Beach, (based on Garland’s first novel of his backpacking experiences – he also drew Daffy’s map), Boyle’s revisionist zombie film 28 Days Later and the deafening silence of their quiet mini sci-fi masterpiece Sunshine.

Garland has written 3 novels, 2 are films, he wrote the screenplay for 2 games HALO (still stuck in development hell) & Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, written a Batman comic and adapted Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go for screen. He was also an Executive Producer on 28 Weeks and may currently be working with Director Nicolas Winding Refn and stars; Ryan Gosling & Rose Byrne on a new version of Logan’s Run (if you are interested in this - skip down to the bottom of the interview for more info) but truth be told ever since I was slightly confused by some of the character elements of the adaptation of The Beach and read the novel to understand it better - I was always curious about Garland and type of mind he might have so when the opportunity to chat with him came up I jumped at the chance.

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