So striking and unique was Swedish actress Noomi Rapace’s portrayal of 21^st century anti-heroine Lisbeth Salander in the original 2009 film that director David Fincher and screenwriter Steven Zaillian already had their work cut out adapting author Stieg Larsson’s complex first book of his Millennium trilogy as an English-language film. The plot is so complex with its plethora of characters and emotions and deals with so many issues, including Nazism, serial murder, rape, torture and twisted family liaisons that it acts as both a cinematic dream and a hindrance if done incorrectly. Therefore, it’s a relief that Fincher and Zaillian not only appreciated that the central theme to refer everything to is the Salander journey and the breaking down of her defiant resolve, but also that the film could not be set anywhere else but in Sweden again, purely for the inherent cultural quality and mystique that the story desperately requires.

Disgraced magazine journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig taking on the Michael Nyqvist part) is hired by wealthy industrialist Vanger (Christopher Plummer) to discover what happened to his missing grandniece – presumed dead after forty years. Blomkvist learns that he has been investigated by a brilliant computer hacker – also hired by Vanger, the anti-social punk Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) who joins forces with Blomkvist on the search. The pair forms an unusual bond and uncovers dark and ugly family secrets and corporate corruption.

Fincher’s pedigree in gritty film noir thrillers (Zodiac, Se7en, Panic Room etc) is not necessarily apparent at first from the opening title sequence, a nod to Bond (and his 007 star, Craig, perhaps), but an eye-catching, fetish-like monochrome affair of writhing bodies trapped in oily gook, accompanied by the nerve-shredding and pumping cover of Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The opener means business and suggests the story to be Salander’s and her fight against tyranny.

What accompanies this chic and mesmerising title sequence is a near-identical palette and chilling tone, as to the original film, without any Hollywood gloss, particularly as people will not necessarily come to this version afresh. As in Fincher’s Se7en and Fight Club, Jeff Cronenweth’s fluid interior cinematography sets the mood with its low-key lighting and shadowy depth, accentuating the whole Gothic flair and unease of the story’s environment, while bringing a heightened iciness and desolation to certain scenes with daylight blue temperature. Fincher certainly manages to still stamp his mark on the subject matter while retaining the alien and hostile environment of the original.

But where the film’s slick look matches and even surpasses expectations, Zaillian – who claimed he’d never seen the original – still had to decipher Larsson’s lengthy written word, and naturally because of the involved nature of the book and necessary elements to relay, the result for Fincher fans is a less succinct style of film than should be expected.

That said the lead performance does not disappoint and is surprising; if you wondered whether Mara is a fitting English-speaking substitute, she is. Her physical transformation, complete with dyed blonde eyebrows and chopped hair is spectacular. Her mental state as Salander is equally focused and wildly effective. Mara’s recent Oscar buzz is more than justified, as she ploughs through the injustice and transcends the story’s knottier moments like a biking avenging angel. Somewhat out of context with the darker, lurid secrets that the whole story represents, Mara confronts Salander’s notorious rape scene and subsequent revenge with full and startling aplomb, giving Salander more of a ‘damaged’ soul and worthy cause than Rapace’s emo-styled thug.

Embracing that gritty determination he and his screen characters are renowned for, Craig’s Blomkvist is equally compelling and dogged in his quest, perhaps almost too methodical in fact – like a Bond figure: Nyqvist’s 2009 portrayal of the embattled hack is more debilitated and at times, something of a closed emotional book, shown in the Swedish actor’s pitted, rugged and haunted features. In turn, the sexual attraction between Salander and Blomkvist feels less of an enigma in this film, and more overly simplified, as merely two social ‘outcasts’ finding solace from their work. Still, the nature of the story is such that the narrative naturally gives way to Salander’s domination, and Craig is generous in giving the Mara performance as much breathing power as possible.

As a standalone, dark and twisted thriller, the Fincher-Zaillian partnership does not fail to capture the viewer’s attention, and the story’s unsavoury familiar mystery is heightened by the strong performances of its dynamic leads – Mara, unquestionably. Like recent English adaptations of Scandinavian tales, such as Matt Reeves’s of Tomas Alfredson’s 2008 Let The Right One In, Let Me In (2010), fans can expect the translation to clarify elements of the characters’ psyches, even if the action needs no further explanation. For Fincher purists, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is lumpier in plot fluidity than his other, sleeker work, but his call sign is still very much present and he uses the Swedish environment to interpret foreboding events to full effect.

***½~ (3.5/5)

I’m not entirely sure why but Sony have released an eight minute long trailer for their new movie, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The trailer gives bucket loads away so if you don’t want to be spoilt then don’t watch on.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a remake of the Swedish film released in 2010 but is based on the book by Stieg Larsson. It stars Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Joely Richardson, Steven Berkoff, David Dencik and is directed by David Fincher.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the first film in Columbia Pictures’ three-picture adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s literary blockbuster The Millennium Trilogy. Directed by David Fincher and starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara, the film is based on the first novel in the trilogy, which altogether have sold 50 million copies in 46 countries and become a worldwide phenomenon. The screenplay is by Steven Zaillian.

The movie is set for release 12th December. Evil shall with evil be expelled!

Source: The Film Stage

To mark the release of Beginners on 14th November starring Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer and directed by Mike Mills, Universal Pictures (UK) have given us three copies of the movie to give away on DVD. As well as that, you could also win the official soundtrack to the movie.

Beginners imaginatively explores the hilarity, confusion, and surprises of love through the evolving consciousness of Oliver (Ewan McGregor). Oliver meets the irreverent and unpredictable Anna (Mélanie Laurent) only months after his father Hal (Academy® Award nominee** Christopher Plummer) has passed away. Throughout the film Oliver shares his woes with Arthur, the Jack Russell terrier he inherited from his dad with the dog’s contributions to their “dialogue” appearing as subtitles.

The new love Oliver finds with Anna floods him with memories of his father who, following 44 years of marriage, came out of the closet at age 75 to live a full, energized, and wonderfully tumultuous gay life. The upheavals of Hal’s new honesty brought father and son closer than they ever had been and ever imagined possible. Now Oliver endeavours to love Anna with all the bravery, humour, and hope that his father taught him.

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

Who directed the movie, Beginners?

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

The small print:

• Open to UK residents only
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close 14th November at 23.59 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received
• No cash alternative is available

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

The more I see of David Fincher’s take on Steig Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo the more I like it.

Dark, dour and with a mean streak a mile wide there’s a new TV spot out in the wild today which will shake the last vestige of apathy from you. Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig lead the US adadptation of one of the most popular books of the last few years and there’s a definite sense of momentum behind this one.

Starring alongside our two leads are Robin Wright, Stellan Skarsgård, Christopher Plummer​, Geraldine James, Joely Richardson, Joel Kinnaman, Yorick van Wageningen, Goran Visnjic, Alexandra Daddario, and the film is scheduled to be released in the UK on December 26.

Synopsis: One fateful day several years ago, Harriet Vanger (Daddario) disappeared off the secluded island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger family. There was no corpse, no witnesses and no evidence. Nearly forty years later, investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Craig) reluctantly accepts the unusual and seemingly unsolvable assignment of finding out what really happened to Harriet. Genius hacker, Lisbeth Salander​ (Mara) is drawn into the case and the two form a fragile alliance as they dig into the sinister past of the Vangers and find out just how far they’re prepared to go to protect themselves and each other.

The Movie Box (via ComingSoon) had the spot which is below.

Sony Pictures have released a brand new Neil Kellerhouse-designed poster for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which carries the new tagline “What is hidden in the snow comes forth in the thaw”.

Directed by David Fincher (The Social Network), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo stars Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgård, Robin Wright, Steven Berkoff, Joely Richardson and Yorick van Wageningen.

Journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Craig) is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing for forty years by Lisbeth Salander (Mara), a young computer hacker.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the second film adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s acclaimed novel, hits U.K. cinemas on December 26.

Check out the new poster embedded below:

Source: MouthTapedShut

Quite how David Fincher plucked and gothed Rooney Mara into the terrifying Lisbeth Salander is anybody’s guess, but the actress is has stepped into one hell of a role with Noomi Rapace already catapulted to crazy fame with her portrayal of the character in the Swedish adaptations of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy.

Putting a director of Fincher’s stature in charge of a seemingly needless adaptation went a long way to convincing people that this was a good idea and the kick arse trailer we saw recently only compounded this.

The cast is full of accomplished actors and there’s no doubting that the novels could well be described in blurbs everywhere as ‘a sensation’ so it seem entirely appropriate that a cast and crew of this calibre is bringing them to a big screen, and in English, near you.

These three new pics give us a first look at Yorick van Wageningen as Nils Bjurman, Salander’s new guardian, and one whose relationship with the titular tattooed girl is all manner of nasty. I’m still working through the first book and have reached a very uncomfortable moment between the two. Daniel Craig and Christopher Plummer are glimpsed below also.

Boxing Day is the UK release date and a better present I cannot imagine.

Clickable pics follow,

Let’s all give Empire a big pat on the back, why don’t we?

The official website of David Fincher’s adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has been updated and there’s a whole host of new pictures and character profiles to give you an idea of the faces and names you’ll be getting involved with over the next few years.

I’m just starting out in the first of Stieg Larsson’s acclaimed trilogy and it’s the very definition of a page-turner with a tragic event and the subsequent mystery surrounding it being the spark to unfurling a twisted family history. The original Swedish films have done so well, and proved to be star Noomi Rapace’s ticket to Hollywood, that many questioned the necessity of an English Language remake, but with this cast and Fincher behind the camera it’s shaping up to be something very special indeed.

Here are the characters images, fresh from the pages of Collider, and there’s some of the film’s score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross to hear below.

Click them to see them full size.

/Film posted this up.

We’re all searching for our purpose in life, a place where all the pieces of the puzzle fit together, and this is what resonates loudly from Mike Mills’s bittersweet and profoundly sincere dramedy, Beginners, with anyone pondering over their current lot. Starring a wonderful pairing of Christopher Plummer and Ewan McGregor as father and son, Hal and Oliver, the non-linear narrative moves between poignant periods of the family’s life to highlight pivotal moments in a saddening but witty manner to trace how Oliver has become. However, it simultaneously and intentionally seems lost in direction at times to reflect Oliver’s (McGregor) desperate search for fulfilment.

Only child Oliver appears to have been in his enigmatic parents’ shadow all his life, and after the death of his eccentric mother (played by Mary Page Keller), his fragile world is rocked again by his father, Hal’s announcement at age 75 that he is gay – and has known this since the age of 12 – and that he has terminal lung cancer. Struggling to cope with new events, Oliver has also met a potential love of his life in mysterious and independent French actress Anna (Inglourious Basterds’ Mélanie Laurent’s first English-speaking role). Can ever-woeful Oliver allow love and contentment into his life?

Mills’ film never feels deeply intense, spiralling into blackening despair and self-indulgence, or lacks gravity of a situation, feeling frivolous. Mills’s meticulous balance of emotions keeps the story rousing and engaging, as the Cinéma vérité style plays down any melodrama and keeps the characters as real as possible. It also reflects Oliver’s numbing mood as he floats through his existence, coming alive when Anna offers him some promise of ‘normality’. Intriguingly, although he wants happiness and control, as soon as he has these things and ventures out of his parents’ hold, his self-destructive nature denies them. Here, is a new battle he must acknowledge and tackle if he is to survive.

McGregor gives one of his career-defining performances as Oliver. His is the emotionally-layered character in the film that alternates throughout, expressing the reactions to Plummer’s playful and inspiring actions, and is always on the verge of slow-burning meltdown, but finding a release through drawings and momentary explosions of ‘civil disobedience’ graffiti. McGregor plays down Oliver, never allowing him to become neurotic and ungrounded. This is further expressed by the Fonejacker-styled narrations of periods in his history, as well as subtitled conversations with his father’s pining dog, Arthur, who provides a lot of light and welcome relief throughout.

Plummer is simply delightful as Hal, as though in his element in a new defining role in his prime at 82. Again, although Hal is boisterous and borderline-camp, Plummer never allows him to become a gay caricature, managing to capture Hal’s adventurous new lifestyle, but acknowledging the sobering terminal restraints once he has found the freedom and contentment he’s craved. There are some harrowingly tender moments between father and son as they begin to understand each other once time is running out. The mischievous side of both actors compliments their more sensitive expressions, resulting in some memorable scenes.

In addition, Oliver and Anna’s odd bittersweet meeting and unconventional relationship gives greater scope for McGregor to portray Oliver’s destructive side that moves full circle – nurturing then spurning Anna when she gets too close. Even his mother mentions that black or Jewish music ‘is the deepest as they suffered the most’, engraining at an early age in Oliver that to be in pain at least means you are alive. At the same time, Laurent keeps Anna as an enigma, a lost soul with an equally needy parent – providing some insight into her nomadic and unattached lifestyle, but showing her faults, including commitment issues of her own. Through their relationship, Mills questions our sense of normality and what’s deemed right and wrong in society.

Throughout Beginners, there is a sense of captivating innocence; of never really knowing it all in life as the playing field can change at any one moment. It’s this constant look at rebirth and starting over, as well as Mills basing this story on his own father’s ‘coming out’ experiences that gives Beginners a refreshing vitality and sense of hope amidst a challenging story of embracing change, as and when fate comes knocking, to find purpose.

****~ (4/5)

A little earlier in the year, our roving US reporter, Daniel Waller caught up with Ewan McGregor and Mike Mills to talk about their new movie, Beginners which hits UK cinemas this Friday, 22nd July. In the interview, he finds out about how McGregor found playing the director in the movie and how Mills found directing actors in his true life story!

Scroll down to watch the interview and check out our review of the ovie which goes live tomorrow.

Synopsis: Beginners imaginatively explores the hilarity, confusion, and surprises of love through the evolving consciousness of Oliver (Golden Globe Award nominee Ewan McGregor). Oliver meets the irreverent and unpredictable Anna (Mélanie Laurent of Inglourious Basterds) only months after his father Hal Fields (Academy Award nominee Christopher Plummer) has passed away.

This new love floods Oliver with memories of his father, who, following the death of his wife of 45 years, came out of the closet at age 75 to live a full, energized, and wonderfully tumultuous gay life – which included a younger boyfriend, Andy (Goran Visnjic of ER). The upheavals of Hal’s new honesty, by turns funny and moving, brought father and son closer than they’d ever been able to be. Now Oliver endeavors to love Anna with all the bravery, humor, and hope that his father taught him.

At once deeply personal and universal, Beginners was inspired by Mike Mills’ own father and is meant in turn to inspire everyone weighing their chances and choices in life and love.

Beginners hits UK cinemas next Friday, 22nd July and to mark it’s release Focus Features International have sent over this new clip from the film. It stars Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer and Mélanie Laurent and is based on the true life story of writer director, Mike Mills.

Beginners imaginatively explores the hilarity, confusion, and surprises of love through the evolving consciousness of Oliver (Golden Globe Award nominee Ewan McGregor). Oliver meets the irreverent and unpredictable Anna (Mélanie Laurent of Inglourious Basterds) only months after his father Hal Fields (Academy Award nominee Christopher Plummer) has passed away.

This new love floods Oliver with memories of his father, who, following the death of his wife of 45 years, came out of the closet at age 75 to live a full, energized, and wonderfully tumultuous gay life – which included a younger boyfriend, Andy (Goran Visnjic of ER). The upheavals of Hal’s new honesty, by turns funny and moving, brought father and son closer than they’d ever been able to be. Now Oliver endeavors to love Anna with all the bravery, humor, and hope that his father taught him.

At once deeply personal and universal, Beginners was inspired by Mike Mills’ own father and is meant in turn to inspire everyone weighing their chances and choices in life and love.

In the clip we get to see Christopher Plummer (Hal) offer his son Oliver (played by Ewan McGregor) some fatherly advice!

Keep your eyes peeled next week for our interview with Ewan McGregor and director, Mike Mills and we hope you enjoy the clip below.

Back on April 21st, HeyUGuys was able to attend opening night of the 54th annual San Francisco Film Festival.  We also got a chance to see the film that kicked off the two week event, Mike Mills’ Beginners.

Written and directed by Mills, the film follows Oliver (Ewan McGregor) as he navigates life right after his widowed father Hal (Christopher Plummer) passed away.  Before Hal died, he shared a secret with his son.  After 44 years of marriage to Oliver’s mother, Hal opens up to Oliver and informs his that he’s gay.  Hal then, at 75 years old, lives the rest of his days as openly gay man.  This revelation brings father and son closer then they have ever been. Once Hal died, Oliver is left with nothing but a house full of his father’s belongings, memories of seeing his father happy in his final days and a string of his own broken relationships. Oliver then meets Anna (Melanie Laurent) and tries to encompass the lessons his father taught him about loving and living life.

The story is told through three different interwoven time-lines.  Time line A deals with Oliver in the present while dealing with the aftermath of his father’s death, meeting Anna and just generally trying to make it through each day.  His blooming relationship with Anna and his coming out of the blackness of mourning prompts flashbacks to time-lines B and C.

Time-line B deals with Oliver as he cares for his father.  This time-line basically starts when Hal tells Oliver that he’s gay, and continues through to Hal’s death.

Time-line C goes back even further to Oliver’s childhood where his parents relationship is practically non-existent.  His mother (played by Mary Page Keller) seems to work at the marriage but his father is never there.

Weaving three different time-lines can be a risky move, but here it really lends itself to the finished product.  There are pieces of the puzzle to be picked up though out the film and as it progresses you’re able to see the big picture.  This film certainly doesn’t follow your typical point A to point B storytelling formula, but if it did, it wouldn’t work.  This is a film that takes you on a journey.  Journeys can be messy and jumbled and make you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing but the end of the journey is beautiful and worth the trip.  This film is exactly like that.

Ewan McGregor was able to capture this character so well.  This film is a semi-autobiographical account of Director Mike Mills’ experiences so in essence, Oliver is Mills, or a loose interpretation there of.  Having seen McGregor and Mills interact after the showing of this film, the chemistry between the two was clear as day.  Of course McGregor was able to pull this off because they seemed like the best of friends.

Christopher Plummer is gold.  He always is.  Seeing him play a freewheeling, bursting-with-life gay man seemed normal.  He brings such magnetism to the screen that you can’t help but be ensnared in his web.  Melanie Laurent’s Anna was the fresh breeze to Oliver’s stale life.  She is a natural beauty and that’s exactly what she played in this film.  I don’t recall seeing her plastered in make-up at all and that, in itself, is refreshing.  She has a complex easiness about her.  She’s the type where on the surface what you see is what you get, but underneath is something else entirely.  The standout star of the film however was Arthur, the Jack Russell terrier.  The dog actually ended up with an integral part in the film and you’ll see why when you watch it.  Arthur helps Oliver through the turmoil of loss and the uncertainty of beginning a new relationship all with the understanding and love only man’s best friend can offer.

The subject matter may seem quite heavy, but don’t let the synopsis fool you.  Beginners is a rich tapestry of emotion.  Humor and sadness were layered with a humanity that gives the audience something to hold on to.  You feel involved in this film, you don’t just watch.  The camera work used puts the viewer right in the room with the characters so they can experience what the characters are experiencing.  The film also uses certain devices that in other movies may not work so well in other films, namely, McGregor’s narration.  Throughout the film the narration is cut with imagery that works as transitional pieces.  This could become downright gaudy and irritating in other films but here it works because it’s not overused and actually plays a part in the overall story.

Beginners is a beautifully told story about love, loss and acceptance and the messy road everyone has to travel on their respective destination.

****~ (4/5)

Columbia Pictures have released the official UK poster for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Directed by David Fincher (The Social Network), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the second film to be adapted from the Swedish novel of the same name by acclaimed author Stieg Larsson.

The film stars Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig, Robin Wright, Stellan Skarsgård, Christopher Plummer, Geraldine James, Joely Richardson, Joel Kinnaman, Yorick van Wageningen, Goran Visnjic, Alexandra Daddario, and is scheduled to be released in the UK on December 26.

Synopsis: One fateful day several years ago, Harriet Vanger (Daddario) disappeared off the secluded island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger family. There was no corpse, no witnesses and no evidence. Nearly forty years later, investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Craig) reluctantly accepts the unusual and seemingly unsolvable assignment of finding out what really happened to Harriet. Genius hacker, Lisbeth Salander (Mara) is drawn into the case and the two form a fragile alliance as they dig into the sinister past of the Vangers and find out just how far they’re prepared to go to protect themselves and each other.

Check out the official UK poster below:

Source: Digitalspy

No doubt many of you saw the ripped Red-Band trailer at the weekend for David Fincher’s adaptation of bestseller, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Well , now you can watch a nice, clear and legit Green-Band version, which although designed for a universal audience, still has the same incredible momentum and visceral feel of the other trailer, and is accompanied again by that blistering Led Zeppelin cover by recent Fincher collaborator Trent Reznor and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O.

For the two or three of you out there who have yet to read the book, the story follows a journalist (played by Daniel Craig in the US version) who is aided in his search for a woman, presumed to be missing (or dead), by a young female hacker (The Social Network’s Rooney Mara, in what will surely be a star-making performance).

Co-starring Stellan Skarsgård, Robin Wright and Christopher Plummer (who can all be seen fleetingly in the trailer), the self-proclaimed “feel-bad movie of Christmas” is due for release on December 26th.

Thanks to Movie-List.com

If there was ever a film which could serve as the perfect example of a Frankenstein-like stitching together of every past popular fantasy genre film from the last thirty years or so, the unholy genre mash-up that is Priest would fit the bill.

Beginning with a stylised animated sequence (the material itself is based on a series of Japanese graphic novels) which reconfigures earth’s history and presents a place where vampires and humans have supposedly waged war against each other for centuries, we’re then introduced to a post-apocalyptic world and a rigid, theocratic state governed by men of the cloth and preceded over by Monsignor Orelas (Christopher Plummer, adding his usual gravitas to proceedings). The surviving humans here are housed in a huge walled city, where the inhabitants line up for a daily routine, ready to divulge their sins in huge metallic, industrial-looking confession booths. Priest (Paul Bettany), a former warrior in those battles with the undead, is forced out of retirement (much to the disapproval of his superiors who believe that such an act suggests treason towards the church) to save his 18 year-old niece who has been kidnapped by a pack of remaining vampires in the outside desert world.

Priest then hooks up with her boyfriend and local sheriff (Cam Gigandet) and a former member of his team who has been charged with tracking him down (Maggie Q). Together they embark on a rescue mission and quest to take down the mutated vampiric horde, who are led by a former padre and member of Bettany’s crew who has now pledged his allegiance to the dark side (Karl Urban).

Although it’s chock-full with moments of pseudo-religious nonsense and is also highly derivative, against all odds, Priest never fails to entertain. It hits all those familiar action beats you’re seen numerous times before (all slow-mo attack lunges and head-to-head video game-inspired clashes) yet somehow it manages to succeed despite an overriding sense of déjà vu almost everywhere. Some of this must be attributed to Bettany, who cuts a surprisingly lean and badass figure as Priest, complete with a laconic, Eastwood-esque drawl and fighting skills which are part kung fu (and in a seemingly arbitrary development later on) part gravity-defying superhero. He plays it thoroughly straight throughout, as does everyone else, adding to the ridiculous and fun atmosphere. Jim from Neighbours and now fully-fledged denizen of US TV land, Alan Dale, crops up briefly as one of Plummer’s cronies, momentarily taking you out of the picture, but again, his po-faced delivery is a welcomed presence.

We’re also presented with a fantastic-looking fantasy world, which is an intriguing mix of western iconography and archetypes (there’s even a travelling medicine man, played by genre fave Brad Dourif), alongside a more recognisable dystopian futuristic landscape. A powerful and sweeping score by Christopher Young really helps to build an epic sense throughout too, and the sight of Priest and his companions roaring through a vast and desolate desert on huge enhanced motorcycles, which look like they’ve been drafted in from Mega City One (the film shamelessly steals from everything and anywhere it can) is one of the many thrilling sights on offer.

Another surprisingly successful addition here is the 3D work – achieved via the post-conversion process. Where a film like Thor benefits little from the enhancement (once again making you question the studio’s unethical and exploitative handling of the medium), the quality on display here is much superior, and many should be fooled into thinking that the film was shot using that format.

Priest will never sit amongst its cribbed-from predecessors and achieve the longevity enjoyed by many of those (mainly) superior features, but it’s a fun and undemanding yarn, and will provide its intended audience with an adequate fix before what looks like an oversaturation of similar material during the summer blockbuster season.

Whatever the box office outcome, the makers appear to be wholly confident they have a hit on their hands. The film sets up the intended further escapades of Bettany & Co in such a self-assured way, you half expect to be greeted with a title card at the end which reads ‘short intermission’ before being thrust back into the action once again.

***~~ (3/5)

Over the weekend, we joined together with four other UK movie blogs to chat with Karl Urban about his new movie, Priest 3D which hits cinemas this Friday, 6th May. In the interview we talk about the movie in hand but also do our best to get some info out of him for the forthcoming movie Dredd, based on the Judge Dredd comics.

Priest also stars Paul Bettany, Cam Gigndet, Maggie Q, Lily Collins, Steven Moyer, Brad Dourif, and Christopher Plummer. It’ll be with us 13th May but scroll down to view the new trailer below.

Synopsis: A Vampire western about a warrior priest who disobeys church law by teaming with a young sheriff and a priestess to track down a band of renegade vampires who have kidnapped his niece.  Based on the graphic novel by Min-Woo Hyung.

This interview was conducted in conjunction with four other great blogs including Film Shaft, The Hollywood News, Flicks and Bits and Live For Films. I’ve placed our questions top followed by the others below…..

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Vampires are very common in movies today. What sets Priest apart? HeyUGuys!

The vampires in our film are not the vampires that we’ve become accustomed to, they’re creatures. They’re closer to elements that you’d find in The Lord of the Rings. I think it’s refreshing that they’re not the vampires that you take home to meet mum. These creatures are scary, which is refreshing after we’ve had a raft of these sexy, pretty boy vampires. We’ve taken the thing a bit more in a direction which is grounded in horror and fantasy.

We will see you soon as the new Judge Dredd. Dredd, like Priest, came from a comic book – are you staying faithful to the source and are the two projects at all similar? HeyUGuys!

I think on some levels there are definite similarities between Dredd and Priest. The Priest lives in a walled city and there’s a post-apocalyptic wasteland around it outside. He rides a motorbike too and I’m sure there are more similarities.

The character of Black Hat seems more ambiguous than your generic movie villain – how does it compare to a ‘good’ character like Judge Dredd? HeyUGuys!

I guess the aspect that appealed to me about the character – as I approached him -  was that there is wonderful element of tragedy about him. He’s a fallen hero, a Warrior Priest who’s job was to protect mankind from this plague of vampires. In the course of doing his job he falls in battle and gets transformed into the very thing that he’s been fighting. That’s an amazing starting point. To suddenly be on the other side of that bridge and have no choice about it. It was really interesting – a question of where do you take it from there?

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Did you have to do any training for the ass kicking antics in the film, if so did that help you with your character? Flicks and Bits

Yeah, the physical aspect is definitely a part of it. The vampire is endowed with superhuman strength and ability. Paul Bettany and I trained for about 4 or 5 weeks with a martial arts team. We get to do a lot of physical action in the film. I think it’s great. It really stacks up.

Are you big on comics or was joining the film a reaction to the script, character or project in general? Film Shaft

I do enjoy comics although I don’t get much opportunity to read them these days. But certainly a few years ago there were a few favourites. Frank Miller’s Dark Knight was one of my favourites all time comics along with the Judge Dredd series. I guess my first point of contact for Priest was not the comic. My first point of contact was the script, which I read and found to be very interesting. I guess I was drawn to the characters. And upon reading the script I met with director Scott Stewart and found myself to be quite in sync with him. The way he outlined his vision for the film was loaded with references that I understood and respected. He was talking about Blade Runner, Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood and films like The Searchers. It was clear to me that he was very specific in his vision and what he was attempting to achieve had a truly epic quality to it. So I figured when you encounter someone like that it’s a good idea to go with it.

The film is a mash-mash of many genres; it’s post-apocalyptic, it’s futuristic, it’s got horror elements, western elements… how would you describe it? Flicks and Bits

(Laughs) Well that’s exactly how I would describe it! That’s actually how I have been describing it. ‘A post-apocalyptic, sci-fi, vampire, western’. I also believe that there is a tinge of fantasy in there.

How was it handling the fight choreography? Any accidents? Flicks and Bits

Yeah there were a few. I accidently crushed Paul Bettany’s fingers in one scene. There was another time when we were rehearsing a fight sequence on gravel. Some error of co-ordination and my fist ended up in Paul Bettany’s face – which I was most apologetic about!

How was working closely with Paul Bettany as your nemesis? The Hollywood News

I had a great time working with him, he’s just a class act. He really is. He’s a fun, funny guy to be around. The great thing about Paul is that he comes to the set with such a positive attitude. He’s so genuinely happy to be there that it’s infectious – a great chap. The entire cast and crew became one big family. You can tell that you’ve had a great time making a movie when on the last time of filming you are genuinely sad that it’s over. You feel like you could continue with these characters.

Have you seen the finished film yet? Live For Film

Yes I have, I loved it and 3D is the way to see it. Don Burgess, the cinematographer, has done an incredible job. They really come at with a lot of energy and the 3D conversion is fantastic too.

Do you have a favourite line or moment from Priest? Live For Film

A favourite line? I just loved everything about it but I thought Lily Collins was extraordinary as were Maggie Q and Paul and Cam. Just really strong performances. The fact that you enjoy spending time with these characters I think is a good sign. When you get to the end of the film you want to know what happens next.

So the Priest comics may have taken some inspiration from Judge Dredd and 2000AD comics? The Hollywood News

Everything is some way shape or form is derivative. I mean Judge Dredd was inspired by Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry in creating the character so it has it’s own point of genesis.

Are you a fan of the Stallone version of Judge Dredd? Film Shaft

The interesting thing about the Stallone version was that there were some elements that were faithful and some that were not. I was a fan of the Judge Dredd comics before the Stallone version came out. Even though on some levels I felt the film was not exactly honourable to what John Wagner had created, it was still Judge Dredd and I still enjoyed seeing that world up there. I think the most telling admission that’s come out recently is that Stallone said himself that he felt his Judge Dredd was a missed opportunity.

Priest 3D is at cinemas on Friday 6^th May

https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/PriestUK

MTV have released a nice new batch of images of upcoming movies this summer and we’ll show you each one in a series of posts over the next few days.

Title: Beginners

Director: Mike Mills

Cast: Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Mélanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic, Bill Oberst Jr., Mary Page Keller

Synopsis: From writer/director Mike Mills comes a comedy/drama about how deeply funny and transformative life can be, even at its most serious moments. -Beginners- imaginatively explores the hilarity, confusion, and surprises of love through the evolving consciousness of Oliver (Ewan McGregor). Oliver meets the irreverent and unpredictable Anna (Melanie Laurent of Inglourious Basterds) only months after his father Hal (Academy Award nominee Christopher Plummer) has passed away. This new love floods Oliver with memories of his father who following 44 years of marriage came out of the closet at age 75 to live a full, energized, and wonderfully tumultuous gay life. The upheavals of Hals new honesty, by turns funny and moving, brought father and son closer than theyd ever been able to be. Now Oliver endeavors to love Anna with all the bravery, humor, and hope that his father taught him.

UK Release date: 22nd July

Trailer: Click here to view

The cutting of a film trailer – a good film trailer, is a fine art.

The quality of the choices you make, the shots you select, how you use the music and the decision to tease or to throw your best shots at the screen – all of these must be faced and for a group of London students the decisions they made had some very important consequences.

Forty-one film students were given the chance to re-edit the recent Priest trailer (which you can see here) and give their own spin on the world Scott Stewart and Paul Bettany have created.

Once the tast was completed three of the students were chosen to fly out to Los Angeles and show their new trailers to the film’s stars and director who then had the task of selecting their favourite.

It’s a fascinating story as its one thing to spur on film students to learn part of the filmmaking process by creating something new and exciting, but its quite another to have their work shown to established filmmakers themselves.

Having seen the trailers it’s testament to the creativity and understanding of the chosen three that they made such varied choices which resulted in the three distinct visions.

You can see the story unfold, and the reaction from the director of Priest, in the video below and we’ve got an exclusive look at the three trailers chosen – check those out beneath the next video.

A longer version of this story is available to watch here.

Trailer 1:

Trailer 2:

Trailer 3:

Yahoo have just released the second full-length theatrical trailer for Paul Bettany’s new movie Priest. This movie reunites him with the director of Legion, Scott Charles Stewart but let’s hope this movie is better than that was. Adam got to see a sizzle reel for it last week at Sony and it seemed quite positive. This trailer is actually more like a clip with 50% of it being dedicated to showing us how one of the enemy is brought down by Bettany along with some nifty weapons.

Priest also stars Cam Gigndet, Maggie Q, Karl Urban, Lily Collins, Steven Moyer, Brad Dourif, and Christopher Plummer. It’ll be with us 13th May but scroll down to view the new trailer below.

Synopsis: A Vampire western about a warrior priest who disobeys church law by teaming with a young sheriff and a priestess to track down a band of renegade vampires who have kidnapped his niece.  Based on the graphic novel by Min-Woo Hyung.

Here at HeyUGuys we’re suckers for a fun-looking, sci-fi/horror/western hybrid, post-apocalyptic shoot em’ up and yesterday we got a little taster of a feature that could potentially satisfy this yearning.

The film in question was Priest, and judging from the scene and extended trailer we were provided with, it would appear to tick all those fantasy boxes. Starring Paul Bettany in the titular role, this tale of a combat-savvy man the cloth who sets out on a quest to rescue his niece from a pack of vampires (the species have a monopoly over the planet) has a epic look and feel which extends beyond the Mega City One-esque vibe of the huge, fort-like human city, to the striking desert landscape beyond it’s walls (which featured one impressive shot of Bettany and his crew roaring thorough the sand on some souped-up, industrial-looking motorcycles).

Although a post-conversion 3D effort, the scene we were shown of the Priest taking out a pack of predatory vampiric creatures (which features the greatest use of a bible for combat we’ve ever likely to see on cinema screens) looked a cut above any previous features to use this process. A lengthy post-production time must be accountable for the quality here, and it really looks like the makers were intent on getting it as good as possible.

You can judge for yourself if their time and effort was worth it when the film is released in the UK on 11th May.

Here’s a nice new high res poster for Paul Bettany’s new movie, Priest. Tomorrow, Adam is off to see a 10 minute preview of the movie and report back.

Priest stars Paul Bettany, Cam Gigndet, Maggie Q, Karl Urban, Lily Collins, Steven Moyer, Brad Dourif, and Christopher Plummer and is directed by Scott Stewart.  Stewart and Bettany previously worked on Legion together and we’re all hoping that this movie is a vast improvement on that! Unfortunately from one of these images, it looks like it could be more of the same but I guess we’ll have to wait and see!

Synopsis: Priest is set in a world ravaged by centuries of war between man and vampires. Paul Bettany is Priest, a legendary warrior priest during the last Vampire War, who now lives in obscurity among the other human inhabitants in walled-in dystopian cities controlled by the Church. But when his 18-year-old niece is abducted by a murderous pack of vampires in the desolate wastelands outside, Priest breaks his sacred vows and ventures out to find her and seek vengeance upon those responsible, especially their brutal leader (Karl Urban). Priest is joined on his crusade by his niece’s boyfriend, Hicks (Cam Gigandet), a local outpost sheriff, and Priestess (Maggie Q), a member of his former legion of vampire-killers who has otherworldly fighting skills.

Priest is released in the UK 13th May. Click the poster images below to enlarge.

Source: ShockYa