With Super Bowl Sunday fast approaching, it’s time to get a little NFL-centric.

The Super Bowl is not just about splendid TV spots for upcoming cinema releases, there is a game to be played too. Many of us on this side of the North Atlantic rather look down our noses at American Football. Some dismiss it as rugby for softies (the “too much padding” argument), others as too stop-start (the “not as fluid as proper football” argument), others as too convoluted (the “I don’t really understand what’s happening here” argument).

For what my opinion is worth (please don’t tell me how little that is, I really am quite delicate) I think American Football is hugely entertaining and easily comprehensible, but more than that, the intricate choreography of its set-piece plays is so much better suited to cinema than either rugby or normal football.

Disagree? Tell me of a convincing and realistic portrayal of football in cinema? Mean Machine? Escape to Victory? You see?

Now of course that doesn’t make American Football a better or more compelling sport, but this is a film blog and so what it does make it is a better theme for a Six Of The Best article, in this case, Six of the Best cinematic portrayals of American Football. The film doesn’t need to be wholly or exclusively about Gridiron, but it must be a legitimate theme rather than a mere background detail. The Waterboy would be eligible, but sadly doesn’t make the list because it is deeply and enduringly terrible.

The excellent and exciting American Football-themed opening to Welcome to the Jungle (or “The Rundown” as it is otherwise known) is probably too peripheral a reference to qualify, more’s the pity. So what’s in? Here’s my list, please feel free to lambast me in the comments section for any glaring omissions, but be gentle. Remember, I’m delicate.

1. Jerry Maguire

Although Cameron Crowe’s 1996 film is not essentially about sport, but rather about a man trying to find his way to being the man he should and wants to be, American Football is threaded through. Very little on-field action is presented to us, save for the nail-biting finale when we wonder whether Rod Tidwell (a never-better Cuba Gooding Jr) will be able to pick himself up from the crunching end zone tackle that leaves him flat on his back, but the world of the NFL is there all the way through, from players getting caught in compromising situations, to the quest for a life-changing multi-year contract, to a splendid cameo from the Cowboys Troy Aikman (“I really liked your memo”).

Ultimately, Jerry Maguire is a great film because of its delicious script, note-perfect performances and deftly handled direction, not because it revolves around the world of the NFL, but revolve it does, commenting on the unpleasant side-effects of exclusive merchandising deals and the impact on the wives and children of professional athletes who continue to put their bodies in danger because they have such a small window within which to make their living. Although these matters are not the principal concern of the film (the condition of Jerry’s heart is), it is a fascinating insight to some of the collateral damage occasioned by American Football.

We got our first full look at the upcoming action thriller Safe House back in November last year when the first trailer hit, and it looked pretty sweet. Led by Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds, the film looks to be a nice dose of explosive action and intrigue early in the New Year.

Washingtonis of course a natural, and I’m a big fan of Reynolds, so putting the two together can only be good news in my books.

We’ve now got a new black and white poster to share from the film, courtesy of ComingSoon.net, ahead of its release next month. Along with Washington and Reynolds, the film has a great supporting cast that includes Vera Farmiga, Brendan Gleeson, Robert Patrick, Joel Kinnaman, and Sam Shepard. It marks the feature debut of screenwriter David Guggenheim, and the English-language debut of Swedish director Daniel Espinosa, who is reuniting with his Easy Money star Kinnaman for this.

“Oscar(R) winner Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds star in the action-thriller Safe House.Washingtonplays the most dangerous renegade from the CIA, who comes back onto the grid after a decade on the run. When the South African safe house he’s remanded to is attacked by mercenaries, a rookie operative (Reynolds) escapes with him. Now, the unlikely allies must stay alive long enough to uncover who wants them dead. For the past year, Matt Weston has been frustrated by his inactive, backwater post inCape Town. A “housekeeper” who aspires to be a full-fledged agent, the loyal company man has been waiting for an opportunity to prove himself. When the first and only occupant he’s had proves to be the most dangerous man he’s ever met, Weston readies for duty. Tobin Frost has eluded capture for almost a decade. One of the best ops men that the CIA’s known, the ex-intelligence officer has given up assets and sold military intel to anyone with cash since he turned. From trading secrets toNorth Koreato aiding splinter cells, the damage he’s done to theU.S.is immeasurable. And he’s now back on the reservation with a secret. As soon as Frost is brought in for debriefing, mercenaries come and tear apart Weston’s safe house. Barely escaping, the unlikely partners must discover if their attackers have been sent by terrorists or someone on the inside who will kill anyone standing in the way. Now it’s up to Weston to figure out who he can trust before they’re both eliminated from the game.”

Safe House will be hitting cinemas on 24^th February this year, which is a date I’m looking forward to. In case you missed the trailer a few months ago, I’ve embedded it beneath the poster below to get you looking forward to it too. As usual with the poster, click to enlarge.

I have to admit, my knowledge of ’80s TV series isn’t that great, but when you put Denzel Washington into the mix for an adaptation of one of them, you instantly start to get interested.

Variety are reporting that Sony Pictures Entertainment are partnering with Escape Artists to develop an adaptation of The Equalizer, a show which ran back in 1985-89, with Washington attached to star.

The film is to be scripted by Richard Wenk, whose credits include the actioners 16 Blocks, led by Bruce Willis, and the recent The Mechanic remake, led by Jason Statham and Ben Foster, along with the upcoming The Expendables 2, so clearly he’s got a penchant for writing action films.

The Equalizer,

“revolves around a former secret agent who offers his investigative services in order to atone for his past sins.”

Frequent collaborators Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, and Steve Tisch, who’ve worked with Washington already on the recent The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 remake, will be producing the film.

Washington is naturally one of those actors who needs no introduction, and any news of his upcoming roles will always be welcome. No word yet on a possible director, but with Washington attached, there’s a good chance that we’ll be hearing more news on this in the coming months. The actor is currently filming Robert Zemeckis’ return to live-action in Flight opposite John Goodman, and will next be seen starring alongside Ryan Reynolds in Safe House, which, judging by the trailer, looks pretty damn awesome, and will be with us on 24th February next year.

Put Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds in a movie and what do you get?

Something that’s going to be ridiculously awesome. At least, if this first trailer is anything to go by.

Apple, via FirstShowing.net, have debuted the first trailer for Safe House, the action thriller co-led by Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds, and it looks pretty damn sweet to me. And it goes nicely alongside the teaser poster that IMP Awards have for the film too.

“Oscar(R) winner Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds star in the action-thriller Safe House. Washington plays the most dangerous renegade from the CIA, who comes back onto the grid after a decade on the run. When the South African safe house he’s remanded to is attacked by mercenaries, a rookie operative (Reynolds) escapes with him. Now, the unlikely allies must stay alive long enough to uncover who wants them dead. For the past year, Matt Weston has been frustrated by his inactive, backwater post in Cape Town. A “housekeeper” who aspires to be a full-fledged agent, the loyal company man has been waiting for an opportunity to prove himself. When the first and only occupant he’s had proves to be the most dangerous man he’s ever met, Weston readies for duty. Tobin Frost has eluded capture for almost a decade. One of the best ops men that the CIA’s known, the ex-intelligence officer has given up assets and sold military intel to anyone with cash since he turned. From trading secrets to North Korea to aiding splinter cells, the damage he’s done to the U.S. is immeasurable. And he’s now back on the reservation with a secret. As soon as Frost is brought in for debriefing, mercenaries come and tear apart Weston’s safe house. Barely escaping, the unlikely partners must discover if their attackers have been sent by terrorists or someone on the inside who will kill anyone standing in the way. Now it’s up to Weston to figure out who he can trust before they’re both eliminated from the game.”

Alongside Washington and Reynolds are a brilliant supporting cast that includes Vera Farmiga, Brendan Gleeson, Sam Shepard, Liam Cunningham, and Robert Patrick. The script comes from David Guggenheim, a new writer whose credits include the upcoming Nicolas Cage-starrer Medallion, with direction from Sweden’s Daniel Espinosa.

Washington’s naturally pretty brilliant in everything he does, and I’m a big fan of Reynold’s too, so matching them together is a great play in my books. And the trailer really seems to be proving me right. This is going to be one to watch out for. It’ll be hitting the UK on 24th February next year, which really can’t come fast enough. Without further ado, here’s the new trailer to enjoy, followed by the poster. As usual with the latter, click to enlarge. And if you wish to watch the former in beautiful HD, then you can head on over to Apple here.

The fantastic news came just a few days ago that John Goodman, known for such brilliant roles as Sulley in Monsters, Inc. and of course Walter in The Big Lebowski, is set to join Robert Zemeckis’ return to live-action in Flight, starring as the best friend of the leading man, Denzel Washington.

More great casting additions have now surfaced over at THR, with Academy Award-winning Melissa Leo (The Fighter) and James Badge Dale (TV’s 24 and The Pacific) in talks to join the project.

Written by John Gatins (Coach Carter, the upcoming Real Steel), Flight,

“centers on an alcoholic and drug-addicted pilot (Washington) whose plane engine malfunctions, forcing him to rescue the aircraft and its passengers, becoming a hero in the process. When the FAA investigates and finds evidence of drug abuse, it tries to sweep the evidence to the side to help preserve the image of the captain, who is trying to change the course of his life.”

If talks go well, Dale would be playing a dying cancer patient and Leo an investigator determined to expose Washington’s character’s drug addiction and cast the blame upon him.

Leo’s talents were deservedly well recognised at the Oscars earlier this year, where she won Best Actress for her part as Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale’s mother in The Fighter. She’s currently starring in Kevin Smith’s Red State, out in cinemas now, having just been nominated for an Emmy for her role in Mildred Pierce.

After a terrific role in the third season of 24 as Kim Bauer’s boyfriend and Jack’s fellow CTU agent, Dale has mostly been picking up small roles here and there, but has seen some attention heading his way in the past year or so, with a lead role in HBO’s The Pacific, and upcoming roles in Steve McQueen’s highly anticipated Shame with Michael Fassbender, Joe Carnahan’s The Grey with Liam Neeson, and Marc Forster’s World War Z with Brad Pitt.

With Bruce Greenwood having just officially signed on for the project too, and Don Cheadle and Kelly Reilly in negotiations along with Goodman, and of course with Washington as the leading man, signing on to Flight can only be good news and further great recognition for both Leo and Dale, and hopefully we’ll soon be getting the news that their negotiations have been successful. This is definitely shaping up to be a project to look forward to.

Emmy Award- and Golden Globe-winning actor, John Goodman, one of my favourite people to have graced the big and small screen, is now in talks to join Denzel Washington on Robert Zemeckis’ next film, Flight, Deadline report.

The film will see Zemeckis’ first return to live-action since 2000’s Cast Away, having directed The Polar Express, Beowulf, and A Christmas Carol in the years since then, and will be written by the rising screenwriter, John Gatins (Coach Carter, the upcoming Real Steel).

Flight will see,

“Denzel Washington as an airline pilot who averts a plane crash, only to come under a cloud for possible substance abuse problems. Goodman will play a friend of the pilot who helps him come to terms with his problems.”

I think the pairing of Washington and Goodman on the screen will be absolutely brilliant, and I can’t wait to see it happen. Both men are now in their late fifties, and both have had such immense roles in all their years of acting, and seeing them come together for this project should be awesome.

Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda), Kelly Reilly (Sherlock Holmes), and Bruce Greenwood (JJ Abrams’ Star Trek) are also in negotiations to star, and with Goodman now coming into talks to join too, the cast is really shaping up nicely.

Goodman is coming into our cinemas as of today with Kevin Smith’s Red State (which I cannot wait to see), and will soon be soon in the upcoming silent film, The Artist, which has some pretty big buzz surrounding it, and the Tom Hanks-starring Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and is currently at work filming Ben Affleck’s Argo, the highly anticipated follow-up to last year’s The Town. Essentially, Goodman is going to be in a number of ridiculously brilliant projects over the next few years (and we can add to that list Monsters University), and Flight will hopefully be yet another film of his to look forward to.

Kelly Reilly (Sherlock Holmes) is in talks to play the female lead in Flight.

Reilly, who beat out Olivia Wilde (The Next Three Days) and Dominique McElligott (The Guard) for the role, will star opposite Denzel Washington (Training Day, Unstoppable) in the Robert Zemeckis-directed thriller.

An airline pilot (Washington) saves a flight from crashing, but an investigation into the malfunctions reveals something troubling.

Flight is being sold to distributors at the currently underway 36th Toronto Film Festival, and will shoot at the end of the year.

Reilly will next be seen opposite Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, due for release in the U.K. on December 16.

Source: Deadline

Originally attached to lead the film himself, Will Smith is now looking to offer the lead role in the Hurricane Katrina drama, The American Can, to the two-time Academy Award-winning actor, Denzel Washington, Vulture report.

The film has been written and will be directed by John Lee Hancock, the writer-director of The Blind Side, which won Sandra Bullock her Oscar for Best Actress two years ago.

The American Can is based on the real-life events in a New Orleans apartment building during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the most costly natural disaster in recorded history in the United States at more than $80bn. The film will tell the story of,

the real-life harrowing ordeal suffered by the residents of the American Can apartment complex when the levees broke. Trapped by eleven feet of fetid water for two days, a six-foot-seven ex-Marine named John Keller stayed behind to ward off looters and help care for the dozens of aged or infirm residents who couldn’t evacuate. After spending two futile days trying to flag down help, Keller ultimately succeeded in getting desperately needed food, water, and medical supplies air-dropped onto the complex only after finally moving dozens of aged and infirm residents onto the rooftop of American Can to catch rescuers’ attention.

In an interesting interview Keller gave with The Times-Picayune about the whole experience, he said,

““I could have got in that boat and paddled my ass out of here,” Keller says.

But he didn’t. He stayed.

“It sure wasn’t for money,” he says. “It wasn’t for recognition. It wasn’t to be no damn hero. What made me stay was the old people. I just realized that nobody else in here could have gotten those people out. They would have sat in here for five more days. And they didn’t have five more days. When I looked at all those old people, I thought about my grandmother and I wondered: Would I entrust my grandmother to be stuck out here at the mercy of these thugs?””

The project is one that Smith has been working on for two years, trying to get made. But after deciding to sign on to lead M. Night Shyamalan’s next project, One Thousand A.E., he chose to step aside and is now offering the role to Washington. He’s now reading the script and giving notes, and if it feels right for all parties involved, then the role will be his. It certainly has the makings for an incredible and moving film, and Washington is a man I love to watch playing the hero.

Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air), Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges), Sam Shepard (Swordfish), Robert Patrick (Walk the Line) and Liam Cunningham (The Wind That Shakes the Barley) have all signed on to star in Safe House.

The five new additions will star opposite Ryan Reynolds (Buried) and Denzel Washington (Unstoppable) in the action-thriller.

When a group of villains destroy a CIA-operated safe house, the facility’s young house-sitter must work to move the criminal who’s being hidden there to another secure location.

Daniel Espinosa (Easy Money) will direct from a screenplay by David Guggenheim.

Safe House will be released in the UK on February 10, 2012.

Source: Deadline

Could Robert Zemeckis be on the cusp of making his live-action comeback?

News has come through (via The Hollywood Reporter) that the Forrest Gump director is circling a project called Flight. It’s the story of a pilot (wrestling with a drink and drug addiction), who becomes an accidental hero after rescuing his aircraft and passengers after an engine malfunction.

Yep, you’ve guessed it – everyman hero of the people, Denzel Washington, is “loosely” attached to the project, although it sounds like something tailor-made for him.

The last time Zemeckis wasn’t directing actors in green suits and asking them to emote with a dangling tennis ball was 2000’s underrated Robinson Crusoe-esque drama, Castaway. Whatever advancements he’s made in the animated, mo-cap field, I’m sure fans will be happy to see him back in the land of the living.

It’s been over 13 years ago since Nicholas Cage uttered that immortal line “Put the bunny in the box!” in nutty, yet incredibly entertaining action epic Con Air.

/Film is running a story that the actor is teaming up again with Simon West (the director of that 1997 feature) for Medallion, which is the tale of a retired master thief who is on the hunt for his missing daughter, who has been abducted and locked in the trunk of a New York Medallion Taxi Cab.

Another action director, McG, is on board as one of the producers and the script is by newcomer David Guggenheim, (whose screenplay, Safe House, has been set up at Universal with leads Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington attached).

West (who has the Jason Statham vehicle The Mechanic due out early next year) must be hoping that lightning will strike twice with this second collaboration with Cage. I think it’s almost certain that they won’t be able to match that level of gleefully ridiculous tone again, however.

Denzel Washington’s new movie, Unstoppable is released today in UK cinemas. We’ve been fortunate enough to meet him and interview him for the movie and you can check out the interview here. Our review is also up and can be seen here. And if that’s not enough, we have a competition for you to win merchandise from the movie here!

Unstoppable is directed by Tony Scott and marks his  fifth collaboration with Washington. The movie also stars Chris Pine and Rosario Dawson and we think you’ll rather like it!

Synopsis: Inspired by actual events, “Unstoppable” is an adrenaline rush fueled by director Tony Scott’s signature mark of propulsive action rooted in the reality of ordinary people placed in extraordinary circumstances.  A veteran train engineer (Denzel Washington) and a young conductor (Chris Pine) race the clock to stop an unmanned runaway train – effectively a missile the size of a skyscraper — and prevent disaster in a heavily populated area.

When I started HeyUGuys just over two years ago, I never thought that it would take me to a place where I’d get the chance to interviewing Oscar winning actor and all round legend, Denzel Washington! Well, with his new movie, Unstoppable coming out this Wednesday in UK cinemas, I got just the chance and it was one of the highlights of the past two years and 25 minutes spent that I’ll never forget!

Hope you enjoy in the interview and check out my review of the movie here.

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You’ve done five films with Tony Scott Now – What is it about working with him that you like so much?

In the past 18 years, we’ve done 5 movies. He calls me! That’s the only way it’s going to happen. He says “hey you wanna do this” but he also makes excellent films and it’s a good mix for me with good character based film or good character based action films.

Cant we look forward to you working together again in the future?

(Leans into the microphone and says slowly…) He hasn’t called me for Top Gun 2 yet!

Are you heavily involved in the casting process and did you get involved in casting Rosario’s character?

Well I do have casting approval, yes! I didn’t have to get involved in Rosario’s character as he said what do you think about Rosario and I said ‘yes’. In the true story, it was the woman who was the boss.

Did you see some of the footage of the real event?

I did. Tony got all the tapes. And these guys really unhitched their train, went backwards and caught it! They didn’t run on the top of it like we did! And I’m sure there was no seventy piece orchestra playing as they were doing it!

Was that you running on top of the train?

A lot of it was, yeah. A stuntman did an overwhelming amount but I really did it, I had to do it, running on top of a train going 50mph… like a fool!

What did that feel like, was it scary?

Yes it was. Well, I got used to it, being up there. One of the most frightening ones was when we were about to go over that big turn on top of the train and the train was up in the air 100 feet at that part of the movie. I didn’t have to do any running at that part – and I wouldn’t have! I wouldn’t have been running up there. It was bad enough when it was on the ground. I wouldn’t have been running up there! No sir!!

Ho w has your relationship working with Tony changed over that time?

I’m sure I’ve got more to say now just cos I know more. I was just glad to be there the first time. He wants my input. He’s the director. One of the best things about working with him on so many films now is that I trust him, I know he’s going to shoot the heck out of it. My whole thing is script development and then, personally character developments.

You’ve shot two films with trains now. Can you actually drive a train?

The first film (The Taking of Pelham 123) was more about the hostages. This one, it’s all about the train and I did learn how to drive a train.

Were the scenes with Chris Pine actually shot on an actually train?

Nothing was shot on a set. I didn’t shoot anything with green screen or CGI. They built a platform around the front of this car, then they cut the back of the car off and they put a circle track around the front half of that car. So you see those scenes where we’re talking and we’re heading down a track at 50mph with this big contraction going around in a circle. It was a real challenge for him. There were two sections we were shooting there was a road alongside. They were in a pickup truck with 5 cameras flying along with us. Helicopters were keeping up with us and they were kinda frightening too cos they got real close and were right on top of us!

What do you think of 3d?

I think the industry will jump onto whatever the new thing is; bleed them until they’re useless or till people get sick of it until the next thing comes along!

What did you think of Avatar?

I haven’t seen it! He doesn’t need my money! Trust me. He doesn’t need my money, he’s doing alright! (Laughs)

What did have you liked this year?

I’m not really a movie buff. I liked Hurt Locker, An Education, and the other one with Cary Mulligan, Never Let Me Go, The Other Guys, Public Enemies.

Are there are roles you’ve turned down that you’re regretted?

Seven and Michael Clayton. I would have been the kid in Seven…. I was younger then! (Laughs!)

Which life stories would you be interested in as you’ve done a few now?

None. There’s no check list, they just happen. Dickie Attenborough asked if I wanted to Steve Beco, Spike asked if I wanted to be Malcolm X – Yeah!

Is there a checklist with other directors or actors you’d like to work with?

No. Although there’s the obvious ones like Scorsese or Tarantino….. they haven’t called!

You have this amazing profile now. Has fame changed your life or have you remained the same person?

Everything changes your life; the rain changes your life! You can’t walk around as much!

Do you resent that?

I lead a great life. I have no complaints! It’s a job for my publicist to keep me on a low profile. And I think that to a degree you can control that by not doing something stupid number one. I’m a low key guy who’s not looking to be at every premiere. I’m just a normal guy who’s an actor.

What did you do to prepare for the movie?

Hit the trains. Met the guys, learnt to drive a train, drove a train, by myself. Met the guy who I play! He’s the one who talked about his daughters working at Hooters so we put that right into the movie!

Did you see the train as the enemy / the villain of this film?

I think so. He definitely shot it like that. Low angle shots making it more imposing. It’s the beast and we even call it the beat. It’s like a monster He tweaked the music and the sound to make it like that.

Which role that you’ve played are you most proud of?

I don’t really think about it that way. I don’t look back, I look forward. I watch my movies so I can talk to the press so I can know what I’m talking about but after that, I don’t want them. It’s gone; I’ve spent that money (laughs!)! I don’t get any joy out if it. For me the best part of it is making it. It’s the process, I’ve just never been one to live in the part!

There’s a moment in the film when a badger runs in front of the train! Was that a stunt badger!

(Whole room laughs!) Did you see that?! Down the track! I’m not at liberty to say cos I know Fox are going back and forth with the badger union! That was a trip! That had to be real, that couldn’t have been a CGI badger! He made it though, he was like I’ve done this before!!

Unstoppable is released in the UK this Wednesday 24th November.

Unstoppable is the latest movie to reunite Tony Scott and Denzel Washington in what turns out to be their fifth movie together. The previous outings including Crimson Tide, Man on Fire, Deja Vu and more recently, The Taking of Pelham 123 and as you might notice, they all have a similar formula – action! I’m a big fan of both Tony Scott and Denzel Washington so when I got the chance to see this movie, I was very much looking forward to seeing it.

Unstoppable is based on a true story about a runaway train which is unmanned and under power thundering through the towns across Ohio with hazardous chemicals on board and a train load of kids heading straight for it. With the train smashing through everything in it’s path, two men (Chris Pine and Denzel Washington) decide to take it upon themselves to try and stop it be devising an ambitious plan that if successful, could stop the train in it’s tracks – quite literally! This goes against all their orders from the men in suits back at head office,  more interested in saving money and saving face than saving lives. Denzel and Chris do have one allie however in the form of Rosario Dawson who plays Connie, and is in charge of mission control back at the train depot. She’s able to help them with the details on where the train is at any given moment and is really well cast in the movie.

Let’s face it, watching a train pootle along a track at speed for 90 minutes is never going to be that exciting but when Tony Scott adds the multitudes of helicopters, loads of police cars, children on another train in imminent danger and a horse on the track, it’s always going to make it that little bit more interesting! He even manages to get an explosion in there in true Tony Scott style! By using loads of close up shots of the characters and the train, it really feels like the train is out of control and you do actually begin to care about what happens to the people involved (can you see I’m still thinking about my Skyline review!). I was never overwhelmed by the chemistry between Pine and Washington and Pine’s back story was a little lame. It basically focuses around a messy court case around the access to his daughter and ends in a rather silly fashion where they all live happily ever after by the time the credits roll! I guess it is a film and it had to have this backstory for you to want Pine’s character of Will to suceed.

Overall though, I’m pleased to report I did very much enjoy this movie. I always think of myself as a very mainstream kind of movie goer. I love all that over hyped over done action genre and Unstoppable is exactly that! Denzel is back on form, running over trains and the sound was excellent, especially in the Fox screening room where the floor shakes when the train comes roaring at you head on!

If you’re a fan of all things Denzel Washington and Tony Scott, then this one is yet another to add to the collection and I’d definitely buy it on DVD when it’s released next year.

Unstoppable is released in UK cinemas next Wednesday, 24th November and if you haven’t already entered, click here to win merchandise from the movie.

Denzel Washington re-teams with director, Tony Scott for new movie, Unstoppable which hits UK cinemas next Wednesday, 24th November. To celebrate, Twentieth Century Fox have been kind enough to give us some merchandise for you, our lovely readers.

Synopsis: Inspired by actual events, “Unstoppable” is an adrenaline rush fueled by director Tony Scott’s signature mark of propulsive action rooted in the reality of ordinary people placed in extraordinary circumstances.  A veteran train engineer (Denzel Washington) and a young conductor (Chris Pine) race the clock to stop an unmanned runaway train – effectively a missile the size of a skyscraper — and prevent disaster in a heavily populated area.

Unstoppable also stars Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson and we have five sets of Unstoppable promotional packs to give away, which includes a  keychain, a beanie, and a t-shirt.

To be in with a chance of winning this great prize, all you need to do is answer the following question using the form below.

What’s the name of Denzel Washington’s character in Unstoppable?

The small print:

• This competition is open to the UK only.
• Only one entry per household will be counted.
• The competition will close on Friday the 26th November at 23.59 GMT.
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received.

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

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

Megamind has managed to hold its position on the top spot at the American box office for the second week running. It made an estimated $30.1 million this week, bringing the total to nearly $90 million ($89,757,000). It’s been a great year for the studio so far, having scored a huge money-making hat trick with this film and both How to Train Your Dragon and Shrek Forever After.

Tony Scott’s new action thriller Unstoppable (starring Denzel Washington) has debuted at number two, having earned approx $23,500,000. It’s not the biggest opening for the Scott’s and Washington’s work together (that was last year’s The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3) but it’s earned some great reviews and strong word-of-mouth should mean that the film will gain momentum in the coming weeks.

Due Date takes the third position with an impressive total of $59 million so far, although it still has a long way to go before matching director Todd Philipps’ last feature The Hangover, which managed an incredible final US box office gross of over $277 million.

Figures from Box Office Mojo.

Tony Scott’s new action packed movie, Unstoppable hits UK cinemas 24th November and to get us ready, Twentieth Century Fox have sent us this brand new TV spot for the movie.

Synopsis: Inspired by actual events, “Unstoppable” is an adrenaline rush fueled by director Tony Scott’s signature mark of propulsive action rooted in the reality of ordinary people placed in extraordinary circumstances.  A veteran train engineer (Denzel Washington) and a young conductor (Chris Pine) race the clock to stop an unmanned runaway train – effectively a missile the size of a skyscraper — and prevent disaster in a heavily populated area.

Unstoppable stars Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson, Jessy Schram, Kevin Dunn and Ethan Suplee.

Inspired by actual events, “Unstoppable”  (released in cinemas 24th November) is an adrenaline rush fuelled by director Tony Scott’s signature mark of propulsive action rooted in the reality of ordinary people placed in extraordinary circumstances.  A veteran train engineer (Denzel Washington®) and a young conductor (Chris Pine) race the clock to stop an unmanned runaway train – effectively a missile the size of a skyscraper – and prevent disaster in a heavily populated area. 

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox and Show Film First, the preview screenings will be taking place at the following locations, on Monday 15th November:

CINEWORLD:  :  Aberdeen, Ashford, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol,  Cheltenham, Chichester, Crawley, Didsbury, Glasgow Renfrew, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Sheffield, Wandsworth, West India Quay, Wolverhampton and Yeovil.

Just visit https://www.showfilmfirst.com/pin/206980 to claim your free tickets – subject to availability

Be sure to tell us what you think on Twitter by using the hash tag #unstoppable. Random Tweets will be selected daily between 7th – 18th November to win Unstoppable prizes!

• Cast: Denzel Washington®, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson
• Director: Tony Scott
• Official Website: www.unstoppablemovie.co.uk
• Facebook http://tinyurl.com/UKunstoppableFB

Just visit https://www.showfilmfirst.com/pin/206980 to claim your free tickets – subject to availability

TM & © 2010 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved

This nice new look behind the scenes of Tony Scott’s latest film, Unstoppable, has everything you’d expect from the man himself: cigars and cinematic hyperbole of the explosive kind.

Chris Pine joins Scott regular Denzel Washington on this story of a runaway train and this clip has cast and crew talking about a particularly large action scene. It’s worth watching, if for nothing else you get to see Tony Scott playing with his toys and setting up two dozen cameras to capture the action.

Clip Ahoy!

Ripe Maze Enigma gave this to the world. Gawd bless them.

Deadline have announced multiple release the dates on behalf of Universal Studios this afternoon which tell us when some of their biggest movies will be released. Now that we know the Tony Gilroy directed Bourne: Legacy is on the way, and now we know when  - August 3rd 2012.

Other movies announced include:

• Larry Crowne which is not only directed by but also star Tom Hanks alongside Julia Roberts – July 1st 2012
• Safe House which stars Denzel Washington (who we’re interviewing for Unstoppable next week), Ryan Reynolds, and directed by Daniel Espinosa – February 10, 2012
• Contraband starring Mark Wahlberg and Kate Beckinsale -  directed by Baltasar Kormakur – March 16, 2012
• Judd Apatow’s new movie (No title as yet) which he has written, and will produce , direct – June 1, 2012
• 47 Ronin which stars Keanu Reeves and directed by Carl Rinsch – November 21, 2012
• Ouija, a Hasbro Entertainment and Platinum Dunes production - November 9, 2012
• Snow White And The Huntsman, produced by Joe Roth and directed by Rupert Sanders - December 21, 2012
• The Dark Tower, an Imagine Entertainment and Weed Road  production to be directed – May 17, 2013

Which ones are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below.