Here’s a nice new set of posters for Wrath of the Titans, the sequel to the 2009 movie, Clash of the Titans. This 2012 movie stars Sam Worthington, Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson, Danny Huston, Edgar Ramirez, Bill Nighy, Toby Kebbell, Rosamund Pike and is directed by Jonathan Liebesman.

Rather like these new posters although what the heck is going on with Sam Worthington’s hair?! I think it’s the background but it makes him look like he has a lovely perm from 1982! We can expect to see the movie 30th March. No doubt we’ll see the other characters appear on their own poster rather than in the montage that we see below…..

A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, Perseus (Worthington) –the demigod son of Zeus (Neeson)–is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius. Meanwhile, a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. Dangerously weakened by humanity’s lack of devotion, the gods are losing control of the imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos, father of the long-ruling brothers Zeus, Hades (Fiennes) and Poseidon (Danny Huston). The triumvirate had overthrown their powerful father long ago, leaving him to rot in the gloomy abyss of Tartarus, a dungeon that lies deep within the cavernous underworld. Perseus cannot ignore his true calling when Hades, along with Zeus’ godly son, Ares (Edgar Ramirez), switch loyalties and make a deal with Kronos to capture Zeus. The Titans’ strength grows stronger as Zeus’ remaining godly powers are siphoned, and hell is unleashed on earth. Enlisting the help of the warrior Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike), Poseidon’s demigod son, Argenor (Toby Kebbell), and fallen god Hephaestus (Bill Nighy), Perseus bravely embarks on a treacherous quest into the underworld to rescue Zeus, overthrow the Titans and save mankind.

Click the posters to enlarge.

Source: Digital Spy

More images from the sequel to the best advert for Viewmaster in years, Wrath of the Titans returns Sam Worthington to a post-Kraken world to fend off more Gods and Monsters and lucky for us that Liam Neeson (in full Cylon regalia hopefully) and Ralph Fiennes return with him.

Rosamund Pike is on English-deity duty and they’ve taken the rather startling decision to post convert the film into 3D, a move which isn’t surprising despite the reaction from the attempt to shoe-horn a third dimension into the previous film. Here’s hoping everything turns out fine.

An unnecessailry lengthy synopsis follows,

A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, Perseus—the demigod son of Zeus—is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius.

Meanwhile, a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. Dangerously weakened by humanity’s lack of devotion, the gods are losing control of the imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos, father of the long-ruling brothers Zeus, Hades and Poseidon. The triumvirate had overthrown their powerful father long ago, leaving him to rot in the gloomy abyss of Tartarus, a dungeon that lies deep within the cavernous underworld.

Perseus cannot ignore his true calling when Hades, along with Zeus’ godly son, Ares (Edgar Ramírez), switch loyalty and make a deal with Kronos to capture Zeus. The Titans’ strength grows stronger as Zeus’ remaining godly powers are siphoned, and hell is unleashed on earth.

Enlisting the help of the warrior Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike), Poseidon’s demigod son, Argenor (Toby Kebbell), and fallen god Hephaestus (Bill Nighy), Perseus bravely embarks on a treacherous quest into the underworld to rescue Zeus, overthrow the Titans and save mankind.

tl;dr Titans will Wrath

Here are your pics, get clicking to see them all big,

A slap on the back for Latino Review if you please.

With the release of the first trailer and poster for the Clash of the Titans sequel, Wrath of The Titans, a few weeks ago, a set of new posters have been recently put online, showing more of the incredible looking Titans themselves.

Directed by Jonathan Liebesman, The Wrath of the Titans follows Perseus (Sam Worthington), the demigod son of Zeus, who, a decade after his historic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, is attempting to live a quieter life whilst looking after his 10-year old son, Helius.

Meanwhile, weakened by humanity’s lack of devotion, the gods are losing control of the imprisoned Titans and a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. When Hades (Ralph Fiennes), along with Zeus’ godly son, Ares (Edgar Ramírez), switch loyalty and make a deal to capture Zeus, Perseus can no longer ignore his true calling. Enlisting the help of the warrior Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike), Poseidon’s demigod son, Argenor (Toby Kebbell), and fallen god Hephaestus (Bill Nighy), Perseus must embark on a treacherous quest into the underworld to rescue Zeus (Liam Neeson) and overthrow the Titans and save mankind.

Wrath Of The Titans is set to be released on 30th March, 2012. Here is the new Titan poster for the film, courtesy of IMP Awards, as well as the individual posters for each creature.

The Titans poster:

The gigantic Minotaur:

The two-headed beast Chimera:

The sword-yielding Makhai:

The thunderous Kronos, the father of Zeus:

What the heck is going on tonight?! Apple have obviously done a sale on trailer releases as this evening we’ve had The Dark Knight Rises trailer, then Prometheus (although that one is the trailer for the trailer) and now here is the first look footage in the trailer Wrath Of The Titans. The sequel to the 2009 movie Clash of the titans stars Sam Worthington, Toby Kebbell​, Rosamund Pike​, Ralph Fiennes​, Liam Neeson​, Danny Huston​, Edgar Ramirez​ and Bill Nighy​ and will be with us in the UK 30th March 2012.

A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, Perseus—the demigod son of Zeus—is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius.

Meanwhile, a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. Dangerously weakened by humanity’s lack of devotion, the gods are losing control of the imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos, father of the long-ruling brothers Zeus, Hades and Poseidon. The triumvirate had overthrown their powerful father long ago, leaving him to rot in the gloomy abyss of Tartarus, a dungeon that lies deep within the cavernous underworld.

Perseus cannot ignore his true calling when Hades, along with Zeus’ godly son, Ares (Edgar Ramírez), switch loyalty and make a deal with Kronos to capture Zeus. The Titans’ strength grows stronger as Zeus’ remaining godly powers are siphoned, and hell is unleashed on earth.

Enlisting the help of the warrior Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike), Poseidon’s demigod son, Argenor (Toby Kebbell), and fallen god Hephaestus (Bill Nighy), Perseus bravely embarks on a treacherous quest into the underworld to rescue Zeus, overthrow the Titans and save mankind.

Here you will now find the first trailer for Wrath of the Titans!!

Source: Apple

Warner Bros. Pictures have released the debut poster and trailer for Jack the Giant Killer, a modern take on the fantasy-adventure fairy tale of the same name.

Directed by Bryan Singer (X-Men), Jack the Giant Killer stars Nicholas Hoult (A Single Man), Eleanor Tomlinson (The Village), Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones), Ian McShane (Death Race), Bill Nighy (Hot Fuzz), Ewan McGregor (Perfect Sense) and Eddie Marsan (Happy-Go-Lucky).

Jack the Giant Killer tells the story of an ancient war that is reignited when a young farmhand unwittingly opens a gateway between our world and a fearsome race of giants. Unleashed on the Earth for the first time in centuries, the giants strive to reclaim the land they once lost, forcing the young man, Jack, into the battle of his life to stop them. Fighting for a kingdom, its people, and the love of a brave princess, he comes face to face with the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in legend—and gets the chance to become a legend himself.

Jack the Giant Killer will be released in the U.K. on June 15, 2012.

Check out the poster and trailer below:

Source: Apple

Here’s the first look image from Wrath of the Titans, the sequel to the 2009 movie, Clash of the Titans that if I’m, honest, wasn’t very good but still managed to bring in nearly half a billion dollars at the worldwide box office.The sequel stars Sam Worthington, Toby Kebbell, Rosamund Pike, Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson, Danny Huston, Edgar Ramirez and Bill Nighy and will be with us in the UK 30th March 2012.

A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, Perseus—the demigod son of Zeus—is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius.

Meanwhile, a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. Dangerously weakened by humanity’s lack of devotion, the gods are losing control of the imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos, father of the long-ruling brothers Zeus, Hades and Poseidon. The triumvirate had overthrown their powerful father long ago, leaving him to rot in the gloomy abyss of Tartarus, a dungeon that lies deep within the cavernous underworld.

Perseus cannot ignore his true calling when Hades, along with Zeus’ godly son, Ares (Edgar Ramírez), switch loyalty and make a deal with Kronos to capture Zeus. The Titans’ strength grows stronger as Zeus’ remaining godly powers are siphoned, and hell is unleashed on earth.

Enlisting the help of the warrior Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike), Poseidon’s demigod son, Argenor (Toby Kebbell), and fallen god Hephaestus (Bill Nighy), Perseus bravely embarks on a treacherous quest into the underworld to rescue Zeus, overthrow the Titans and save mankind.

Anyone up for this movie? Tell us in the comments below.

To celebrate the release of the fantastic 3D, CG-animated family comedy Arthur Christmas, an Aardman production for Sony Pictures Animation released on November 11th, we are giving away 5 Arthur Christmas Story Books – just in time for Christmas!!

Arthur Christmas reveals the incredible, never-before seen answer to every child’s question: ‘So how does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?’ The answer: Santa’s exhilarating, ultra-high-tech operation hidden beneath the North Pole. But at the heart of the film is a story with the ingredients of a Christmas classic – a family in a state of comic dysfunction and an unlikely hero, Arthur, with an urgent mission that must be completed before Christmas morning dawns. Voiced by James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent and Bill Nighy.

If you haven’t already, you can become a fan of Arthur Christmas on their Facebook page. We’re massive fans of Arthur Christmas and our review is up here and the trailer is embedded below.

To be in with a chance of winning this great prize, just answer the following question using the form below:

Which famous James voices Arthur Christmas?

1. James Dean
2. James McAvoy
3. James Marsden

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

Terms and conditions

• Competition Close date – 21/11/11
• The winners will be drawn at random from all the correct entries, and only they will be contacted personally. Prize must be taken as stated and cannot be deferred. There will be no cash alternatives.
• Sony Pictures UK and HeyUGuys do not accept any responsibility for late or lost entries due to the Internet or email problems. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt. Entrants must supply full details as required on the competition page, and comply with all rules to be eligible for the prizes.
• No responsibility is accepted for ineligible entries or entries made fraudulently.
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Aardman Animation have put 5 new clips online for their latest film, Arthur Christmas, this week.

From the studio behind Chicken Run and Wallace and Gromit, Arthur Christmas tells a classic Christmas tale asking the often-wondered, never-answered question, “How does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?” The answer is found through unlikely hero, Arthur, the son of Santa, who must use his father’s ultra-high-tech operation hidden beneath the North Pole to deliver a present to a little girl before Christmas morning dawns.

These latest clips include a scene on how Santa reaches every house in only one night, with the help of his ninja elves, and another where Arthur has to wrap up a bicycle whilst riding it. They will certainly fill you with Christmas spirit, and show you that this isn’t just a film for the younger audience as well.

Directed by Sarah Smith, the cast for the voices of the characters also includes James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, and Ashley Jensen, and the film is set to be released on 11th November in the UK on and on 23rd November in the US.

Watch the clips below, courtesy of Collider, and you can read more about Arthur Christmas here.

For those out there who are still mystified as to how Santa manages that seemingly superhuman feat of single-handedly delivering presents to every child on earth the night before Christmas, this new Aardman/Sony Pictures co-production offers a feasible explanation.

In a position passed down through generations of Clauses, the close-to-retirement Santa (Jim Broadbent, in a role he was born to voice) has relinquished almost full control to eldest son Steve (Hugh Laurie), a Patton-like figure who runs proceedings like a tight military operation He oversees the hundreds of elves manning control desks and providing support to a huge sledge-shaped aircraft which is filled with their co-workers, who perform incredibly orchestrated present drops to homes all around the world.

In the middle of all this, Santa’s other son Arthur, a caring and well-meaning chap (if a little ineffectual), sits in the shadow of his older brother. He loves Christmastime so much he has a 365-day advent calendar in the study where he spends hour upon hour personally replying to children from around the globe who have written in with present requests and other general festive queries.

An opportunity for Arthur to break away from the frustrating role of Christmas Eve bit player presents itself when an undelivered toy is found after the last successful mission has been completed and the elf crew have returned back to the North Pole. Steve is willing to let this mistake slide (he argues that only one child in the entire world will face disappointment that morning) but Arthur has other plans, and enlists the help of his 137 year-old Grandsanta (Bill Nighy) and a cluster of clapped-out reindeer to ensure the present reaches its destination, no matter what.

After a painfully prolonged and sometimes problematic collaboration with DreamWorks (the forgettable Flushed Away was one of the fruits of their labour), there’s a great deal riding on this co-production with Sony Pictures for Aardman. Fortunately, its good news as Arthur Christmas more than succeeds in marrying the vision of both studios together. It’s a winning combination of that Aardman charm and inventiveness, coupled with a Hollywood awe and spectacle sensibility.

This symbiosis is particularly apparent towards the beginning of the film during the aforementioned action set-piece, which see’s the elves resorting to increasingly ingenious ways to create the illusion of a rustic, traditional Santa home visit. It’s a film which bristles with creativity, and framing the narrative within a real-time setting (the on-screen digital countdown is a fun nod to 24) the pace never wavers. Director Sarah Smith (formerly a collaborator with he likes of Armando Iannucci and The League of Gentlemen crew) brings the skills she’s honed in live-action comedy to her first feature-length film, and character interaction and the staging of many scenes often feel pretty life-like, drawing you further into the action and completely engaging you in the world of these characters.

A handsomely-animated tale, the attention to detail here (from Steve’s Christmas tree-shaped goatee to the hundreds of uniquely-styled elves in mission control) is truly stunning. The cast give it their all too and Nighy, in particular, as the wonderfully salty Santa Sr. (who visually, is reminiscent of a thin, slightly deranged Uncle Albert from Only Fools and Horses) is fantastic fun, providing much of the film’s adult-tinged humour.

It may hit many of the same emotional beats associated with films from this season (what it means to celebrate that time of year, family togetherness, etc) but the joy of storytelling and dazzling  momentum found in Arthur Christmas  more than eradicates any feelings of the familiar. This is a rousing, cynicism-free festive treat for all ages.

****½ (4.5/5)

Here’s another new poster for Arthur Christmas, Aardman’s movie together with Sony Animation. The movie will be with us 11th November and has a great voice cast which includes James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Ashley Jensen and is directed by Sarah Smith.

An Aardman production for Sony Pictures Animation, at last reveals the incredible, never-before seen answer to every child’s question: ‘So how does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?’ The answer: Santa’s exhilarating, ultra-high-tech operation hidden beneath the North Pole. But at the heart of the film is a story with the ingredients of a Christmas classic – a family in a state of comic dysfunction and an unlikely hero, Arthur, with an urgent mission that must be completed before Christmas morning dawns.

You can see all our Arthur Christmas coverage here.

Source: IMPA

Sony have released a new trailer for their forthcoming film Arthur Christmas and it’s the best look yet at what Aardman have in store for us this coming Yuletide season.

The film features the voice talents of James McAvoy​, Imelda Staunton​, Jim Broadbent​, Bill Nighy​, Hugh Laurie​ and Ashley Jensen​ which is probably reason enough to see it don’t you think?

Here’s a synopsis for those who want to know what the film is all about in an encapsulating and pithy paragraph,

Arthur Christmas highlights the technological advances of operations at the North Pole, revealing how Santa (Broadbent) and his vast army of highly trained elves produce gifts and distribute them around the world in one night. However, every operation has a margin of error… When one of 600 million children to receive a gift from Santa on Christmas Eve is missed, it is deemed “acceptable” to all but one, Arthur (McAvoy). Arthur Claus is Santa’s misfit son who executes an unauthorized rookie mission to get the last present half way around the globe before dawn on Christmas morning.

The film is out in a little over a month, filling the same family friendly November to Christmas slot as A Christmas Carol 3D did a couple of years ago. It looks as if the all important Aardman humour is present and correct. Can’t wait.

Opinion seems to be fairly sharply divided over Colin Farrell, with some rating him highly and others dismissing him roundly. I think his excellent work in Tigerland, Minority Report and In Bruges has at times been overshadowed by some of his more incautious choices, so it will be interesting to see his take on the none-more-Arniefied Total Recall.

Shooting is carrying on for this subtly reworked version of Philip K. Dick’s “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale”, with Mars shelved in favour of nation-state/corporate conglomerate hybrids, but undercover agent and lost/replaced memory issues intact. Courtesy of Comic Book Movie, we now have a series of on-set videos, which are very much a mixed bag.

There are shots of what will no doubt become hovering cars, close-ups of Farrell and his co-star Jessica Biel and some well-executed car flips, apparently filmed around Toronto University campus. It will be a while until we see the finished article and until then, see what you think of the clips below.

This latest installment of the Underworld saga has the benefit of returning vamp Kate Beckinsale but the undeniable burden of looking like a Resident Evil rip-off straight from the hauntless corridors of The Asylum. There are a number of almost identical scenes evident in the first minute of so of this trailer alone. This does not bode well.

So derivative does this trailer look that with all the goodwill for the series engendered from the first two films all but ruined by the third film, the prequel Rise of the Lycans, it seems Screen Gems has now given up any pretence of originality and gone for a blue-tinged molasses of the aforementioned Resident Evil films with a helping of The Matrix stirred into the mix.

It could be the best film of the year of course, this trailer suggests that is highly unlikely though, and the ‘PLEASE NOTICE THE 3D – HERE’S SOME FLYING WEAPONS’ element is so worn out that even Harold & Kumar are taking the mick.

Still, there’s a lot of love for this series out there. For them I present the following. Here’s your trailer fang fans,

In my mind, the British take on spy dramas is consistently better than any of our international counterparts. A new trailer and images for Sir David Hare’s Page Eight have just been released, courtesy of Rope of Silicon, and they’re a prime example of just how good we do things here.

The film debuted back in June at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, where Steven got to see and review it, and it will be the closing night film for the Toronto International Film Festival next month.

Written and directed by Hare, Page Eight sees him back behind the camera for the first time in almost a decade and a half, having been focusing on his screenwriting career since then, and earning himself two Oscar nominations in doing so with The Hours and The Reader.

Page Eight also boasts a terrific cast, including Bill Nighy, Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Michael Gambon, Felicity Jones, and Ewen Bremner.

“In the film Nighy plays Johnny Worricker, a long-serving M15 officer. His boss and best friend Benedict Baron (Gambon) dies suddenly, leaving behind him an inexplicable file, threatening the stability of the organization. Meanwhile, a seemingly chance encounter with Johnny’s striking next-door neighbor and political activist Nancy Pierpan (Weisz) seems too good to be true. Set in London and Cambridge, Page Eight is described as a contemporary spy film which addresses intelligence issues and moral dilemmas peculiar to the new century.”

Though Page Eight has been screened on the festival circuit, it has in fact been filmed for BBC Two, on which it will be broadcast later this year. I think this is definitely something to keep your eyes peeled for; it looks to be TV Licence money very well spent. Without further ado, here is the new trailer, followed by the four new images from the film. As usual, click to enlarge.

Any film which has Jim Broadbent as Father Christmas has my attention, and throw the name of Aardman Animation into the ring and there’s a ninety percent chance of heavy anticipation.

Arthur Christmas is Aardman’s latest, with James McAvoy, Imelda Staunton, Bill Nighy and Hugh Laurie lending their voices to the production with Peter Baynham aiding director Sarah  Smith with the script. Decent talent therefore, which makes this new trailer a touch disappointing.

It’s not that the character designs aren’t appealing, nor that the voices don’t suit the characters we see – and bear in mind that this is specially created trailer and doesn’t contain any footage from the film as far as I can see – it’s just seems a little uninspired. I like the idea of Full Metal Wrapping Paper army of elves as much as the next man but I’d rather see some magic on screen rather than a knowing nod to teaser traildom.

I’m still looking forward to it, just would like to be hit with the festive. 11th of November is fast approaching…

Trailer and poster follow,

Making its world debut at this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival, Page Eight marks director David Hare’s first feature film in 14 years. Although intended for television (Page Eight was directed for broadcast on BBC 2) it is nevertheless an accomplished spy drama that holds its own on the big screen.

Bill Nighty stars as Johnny Worricker, a gentlemanly intelligence officer for M15. Housed in a faceless office in Whitechapel, Worricker reports to immediate superior and best friend Benedict Baron (Michael Gambon, on reliably top form as a be-suited curmudgeon), a confident with whom his ex-wife (Alice Krige) and daughter (Felicity Jones) now reside.

Given a file which, upon close inspection of page eight, points to incriminating and secretive support of illicit U.S. activities by the British hierarchy, Worricker is soon left with a conspiracy to resolve, a friend to mourn and a publishing editor neighbour (Rachel Weisz as Nancy Pierpan) to try and not fall in love with.  Throw in an antagonistic Prime Minister (Ralph Fiennes) and a belligerent colleage (Judy Davis) and you have the workings of a terrifically engaging espionage thriller.

Nighy is exceptionally well - if unsurprisingly – cast in the role of Worricker, all suave suits and good manners. He shares impeccable chemistry with Gambon’s Baron, their exchanges responsible for some of the film’s best lines and most dramatic moments. In fact, the writing is so pregnant with wit and vigor in these scenes that the rest of the film seems limp and torpid in comparison.

This is through no fault of the actors, however, with each bringing something new and arresting to their relatively staid, bureaucratic roles. Weisz is endlessly sympathetic and quietly compelling as the outraged sister of a man disappeared under suspicious circumstances at the hands of the Israeli army, her Nancy enjoying one of the most emotionally successful arcs in the movie. Fiennes is similarly effective as the corrupt PM, an unsettling amalgam of Blair-esque foppishness and Cameron’s general air of schoolboy malevolence. And Felicity Jones, well it’s just nice seeing her in anything.

Though low on thrills – audiences weened on Green Zone and its ilk will find themselves starved of the requisite high-octane chases and visceral action set pieces – Page Eight is a hugely watchable and delightfully engaging spy thriller that follows a welcomingly unconvoluted plot. Though it could have done with an injection of wit and loquacious playfulness into the scenes devoid of Michael Gambon, the result is a thoroughly enjoyable Whitechapel-set romp.

****~ (4/5)

Casting news is ramping up for the reworking of the Paul Verhoeven/Arnie exercise in restraint and subtlety that was Total Recall. As you’ll know if you’ve been following our posts to date on the Colin Farrell-starring new version, TR 2.0 will eschew the Martian plot of the original film (and Philip K. Dick’s source novel, “We can remember it for you, wholesale”) and give us a story about a factory worker (Farrell) who believes that he is a spy in the ongoing and escalating disputes between Euromerica and New Shanghai.

As we told you a couple of days ago, Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel have joined the cast in advance of the commencement of shooting next week and now we hear that Bill Nighy (Love, Actually, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Shaun of the Dead) is in talks to sign on as Quatto. Those of you familiar with the original will recall that Kuato (as he was then spelled) was the leader of the resistance on Mars and was actually a fairly ordinary guy, just with a mutant wrinkly baby thing growing out of his torso, who encouraged Arnie’s Quaid to open his mind.

It seems that Quatto will be the leader of the resistance this time around too, though quite how you have a resistance with two evenly matched superpowers duking it out is beyond me. No doubt it will all make sense in the end. Nighy is “in negotiations”, as they say. We’ll let you know as soon as we know.

Source: THR.

The official programme for the 65th Edinburgh International Film Festival was announced earlier today, featuring a wide variety of exciting films from around the world.

The programme not only represents how the Edinburgh International Film Festival will continue to be a cutting-edge platform for UK film, but also how it plans to adapt itself in light of recent budget cuts.

John Michael McDonagh’s comedy-thriller The Guard, starring Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle, has been chosen as the Festival’s Opening Gala. The film follows an unorthodox Irish policeman (Gleeson) whose teamed up with an uptight FBI agent (Cheadle) to investigate an international drug-smuggling ring.

Other films of interest include The Divide, starring Lauren German and Milo Ventimiglia; Perfect Sense, starring Ewan McGregor and Eva Green; Meet Monica Velour, starring Kim Cattrall and Dustin Ingram; and The Borrower Arriety, the latest film from Japanese animation powerhouse Studio Ghibli.

In addition to the comprehensive range of films on offer, there will be the Nokia Shorts Weekend, classic films, retrospectives and interviews – including a very special BAFTA Scotland Interview with Bill Nighy, who stars in festival pick Page Eight.

The 65th Edinburgh Film Festival will run fromJune 15th – June 26th, and you can browse the full programme here.

The 65th Edinburgh International Film Festival has revealed the first titles from this year’s British section of the programme, including several world premieres.

Nine British and Irish films were announced in the press release ahead of the full programme launch later this month, and represent how the Edinburgh International Film Festival will continue to be a cutting-edge platform for UK film.

James Mullighan, director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival, said of the films selected:

“The Edinburgh International Film Festival has long been regarded as the ideal launch pad for important new British cinema and the place at which UK emerging talent is nurtured. The films announced today confirm that those twin traditions continue into 2011. Of the nearly 3000 films submitted to EIFF, 58 were British feature fiction films and we’re delighted to be in a position to showcase some of them to Edinburgh audiences in June.”

The titles receiving world premieres include David Hare’s Page Eight, starring Bill Nighy, Michael Gambon and Rachel Weisz; Karl Golden’s Weekender, starring Jack O’Connell and Emily Barclay; Niall MacCormick’s Albatross, starring Felicity Jones, Peter Vaughn and Jessica Brown-Findlay; Matthew Parkhill’s The Caller, starring Stephen Moyer, Rachel Lefevre and Luis Guzmán.

Other films to be included are David Mackenzie’s Perfect Sense, starring Ewan McGregor and Eva Green; Gaby Dellal’s Angel’s Crest, starring Jeremy Piven and Elizabeth McGovern; and Dan Turner’s Stormhouse, starring Katherine Flynn and Martin Delaney.

In addition, two films from first-time Scottish filmmakers will also be shown. Fast Romance is a romantic-comedy directed by Carter Ferguson, and Charlie Casanova is a crime thriller from writer/director Terry McMahon.

The 65th Edinburgh Film Festival will run from June 15th – June 26th, and mix groundbreaking global film with cutting-edge documentaries and shorts. The full programme will be launched at an event on May 17th.

You know that joke that comes around every year or two?  The one that you just hear over and over until it makes you want to scream?  Well, it appears that once again Warner Bros. is set to raise the bad joke bar with it’s intention to continue on with its Clash of the Titans franchise.  It appears that the studio execs over on the Warner lot love to gamble, and seem naively certain that they can repeat the freak success of the first Titans movie.  They are so sure of the film’s inevitable success, that they’ve decided to weed out some of the last films actors, with the mind set that “People probably won’t remember who played Andromeda or Ares anyway”.

There are some signs though that things may not be completely headed for the dump.  The producing team behind the film has managed to somehow rope in Bill Nighy for the role of the blacksmith God Hephaestus, and even Danny Huston has agreed to reprise his role as Poseidon.  Warner Bros. has also made the decision to kick the first film’s screenwriters to the curb, and bring in Steven Knight whose track record includes the screenplays for Dirty Pretty Things, and Eastern Promises.  However, we all know that a even a good script is at the mercy of it’s director, who in this case is Johnathan Liebesman.  So who exactly is this Liebesman character anyways?  Well, he’s the guy that brought you such classic gems as Darkness Falls and Battle: Los Angeles!  It’s nice to know that the man who is set to bring the God of all Gods, Kronos, to life, is also the same guy that brought you the ever so menacing… Toothfairy Monster *cue menacing orchestra hits*!!

Even knowing the odds, a gambling man such as myself can’t help but at least display a bit of admiration for whoever is behind the reins at Warner Bros.  It takes guts to throw another $100+ million at a film whose epic flop will most likely out dazzle whatever terrible CGI they manage to stir up.