A few weeks ago the news came out that 60s British comic strip The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire was being turned into a movie. At the time, this slipped under our radar – lots of properties get optioned, but very few ever see the light of day as movies.

Since then we’ve done a bit of digging, and given what we’ve heard, we’re now rather excited.

Having spoken to someone close to the project, we’ve been told that the script has been through several drafts, and is currently out to directors. The plan is, ideally to find a director familiar with property to adapt it. More specifically, the producers are currently looking at British directors, although they may expand their search.

Just over a year ago, Duncan Jones spoke about his fondness for the comics, so it’s pretty safe to assume he’s been approached – he’d certainly be our first choice. That said, there’s currently a swathe of interesting British directors working, and we wouldn’t be disappointed to see someone like Gareth Edwards, Paul McGuigan and Neil Marshall take the reins. And to be honest, we wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve all been asked to read it.

Regardless of who adapts it, the film has huge-budget blockbuster all over it. The comics tell the story of a Roman-style empire, set on a distant, technologically advanced planet – think 300 with ray guns. Because they were written so long ago, some of the fine details of the stories are rather hackneyed and corny, but a modern take could learn from the success of updated sci-fi like Battlestar Galactica, and crank up the political intrigue and tone down the campier elements. At any length, having grown up with a very battered copy of the collected stories, from the first few years, I’m personally very excited for the project. I like sci-fi, I like Romans and Greeks, and the combination of the two is too good to resist.

Duncan Jones’ Source Code, written by Ben Ripley and starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Monaghan, was a fantastic follow-up to his 2009 debut, Moon, taking almost quadruple its $32m. budget at the box office alone this spring.

One of the film’s producers, Mark Gordon, has now sold a TV version of it to CBS, THR report, turning the concept into a weekly episodic format.

Gordon is an Oscar-nominated producer of both film and television programmes, whose list of credits is very impressive, including feature films Saving Private Ryan (which earned him his nomination), Speed, The Day After Tomorrow, and TV shows Reaper, Grey’s Anatomy, and Criminal Minds.

Initially, I thought the idea of developing Source Code into a television show was a terrible idea, because there’s almost no way that the TV show would be anything like as brilliant as the film. But thinking about it a little more, I don’t think it would necessarily have to be as good as the film to still be good. The concept of Source Code, when you think about it, lends itself very well to being turned into a weekly show.

“The action/procedural follows three former federal agents who are part of a top-secret program. Each week, they’ll use “Source Code” technology to jump into the consciousness of people involved in tragic events.”

The only possible/probable pitfall is that, like many shows of its kind (and especially those at CBS – CSI, I’m looking at you), it will no doubt have a very formulaic structure for every episode, and thus quickly start to feel repetitive. Having said this, CSI has of course turned into a major franchise watched across the globe by millions of people every week, who clearly don’t mind if the majority of the episodes have the same basic structure. If it keeps you entertained, does it really matter if it’s entirely original? (An argument can of course be made either way.)

Regardless, I think I’m actually rather warming to the prospect of a Source Code TV show. I love the film so much, and my love for it won’t change regardless of the quality of the adaptation. Steven Maeda, who’s written for TV’s Lost, Lie To Me, and The X-Files, is on board to pen the new programme, and with any luck, Gordon will get a brilliant cast to star, and some great directors on board to shoot it. Hopefully that means I’ll just have more stories set in a world with Source Code to enjoy. More news as we get it.

After making a fantastic debut in 2009 with Moon, winning himself a BAFTA for an Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer, all eyes were on Duncan Jones to see how he would fare with his follow-up project. Source Code does not disappoint.

There are few young British directors working at the moment that I think are showing both current excellence and incredible promise for the future, and Jones is certainly one of them. His debut was by far one of the best I’ve seen in years, and this second film confirms that his talents are not to be underestimated; his creative vision is a force to be reckoned with.

Source Code’s basic premise is arguably nothing groundbreaking, and similar territory has been covered in cinema by the sci-fi genre in years previous. But to me, a film doesn’t necessarily have to be groundbreaking to be worthwhile. If the genre is yet to produce a perfect representation of that story, then all the more reason for writers to try and devise it. And I think Source Code is as close to that perfection as I’ve ever seen.

At the film’s outset, Jake Gyllenhaal’s character, Captain Colter Stevens, awakes on a train bound for Chicago in a body that he soon realises is not his, opposite a woman he does not recognise who calls him Sean and talks to him as if they are friends. Minutes later, just as this woman tells him that everything is going to be okay, we get the first of many brilliantly shot explosions that shoots down the train, engulfing everything in its path.

It is here that we get to see the second world of the film, outside of the Source Code. Captain Stevens is rocketed back into a darkened capsule, where he finds a woman on a screen in front of him in a military uniform. It is she, Goodwin (Vera Farmiga), who briefs him on his mission and tells him about the Source Code. The technology has been developed to allow a person to experience the last eight minutes of another person’s life, and to exist in their reality for those eight minutes. Goodwin tells Stevens that a bomb is on the train, and it is his mission to identify the bomber; a second wave of attacks is imminent, and he is their only hope at stopping them.

She sends him back, into the Source Code, and he awakes at the same moment we first meet him, with the same minute details repeating before – a spilt cup of coffee, a can being opened, the woman opposite him, Christina (Michelle Monaghan), talking to him – but everything is a little bit different each time he goes back. Every time he goes back, he struggles to find anything useful, returning to the capsule with just a sliver of new information following the bomb’s repeated detonations.

With the nature of these kinds of sci-fi films, where time is re-lived again and again, it is difficult to go into significant detail about the film without delving into spoiler territory, and so I will stop myself here from further discussions of the plot. I know there will be many out there who missed Source Code at the cinema and would like to see it for the first time now, and I would hate to spoil your enjoyment of the film in any way.

The danger of such a premise as Source Code’s is of course that it will soon begin to feel repetitive. The same eight minutes re-lived again and again is of course a pitfall for any story to become uninteresting for its reader or viewer. But Jones and writer Ben Ripley seem to avoid this problem with ease; not once in every repeated journey in and out of the Source Code does repetition ever feel evident to the viewer, nor does it feel stressed to do things differently. Jones’ direction is remarkable in being able to ensure that the story is kept alive and enthralling throughout.

And supporting Jones is a fantastic cast. Gyllenhaal’s career is one that I have always thought has been exceptional. I first saw him, like most, in Donnie Darko ten years ago, and his subsequent roles in films like The Good Girl, Brokeback Mountain, Proof (a little-known but brilliant film), Jarhead, Zodiac, and Love And Other Drugs at the start of this year have proven what a terrific actor he is. Source Code is yet another role that he performs outstandingly.

Similarly, Michelle Monaghan shines in her role. The love interest in a film like this could easily have been underwhelming, but the chemistry between Monaghan and Gyllenhaal is very believable. After finding some success in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang opposite Robert Downey, Jr. and Gone Baby Gone opposite Casey Affleck, Monaghan seems to be cementing her worth in this film just as Jones does, proving that she too is a rising star.

I think one of the things I loved most about this film was its attention to detail. When you re-live just eight minutes over a period of a ninety-minute film, you have to pay attention to the details to keep your audience engrossed, and Jones and Ripley have done just that. And if you have the capabilities to watch this film on Blu-Ray, I highly recommend you do just that, because the visual quality is so impressive; high definition was made to show off a film like this, letting you appreciate all its tiny details.

Perhaps the most interesting motif that recurs throughout is the simple phrase, ‘Everything is going to be okay.’ I can’t quite put my finger on why, but I thought its appearance through the film was perfect. At times said in ignorance, in honesty, in fear, in desperation, those few little words come back just enough to be memorable without being repetitive, and just like the characters in and out of the Source Code, we can never know whether or not the words will prove true.

What can be said with certainty, however, is that Jones is a director here to stay. Source Code is an immense second film from him that shows there is much talent that British directors have to offer, and with Jones currently at work writing his third film, I’m already excited to see what he’ll bring to the big screen next. You can be sure that it’s going to be something incredible.

Film: ****½ (4.5/5)

Special Features

Reviewed by Jon Lyus

I reviewed Source Code on its theatrical release and spoke to Duncan Jones soon afterwards and while the answers he gave on my own specific problems with the film were considered and convincing I wanted to hear how he would approach the commentary track knowing that there is much to talk about, and much explaining to do. Very mild spoilers from here on in.

The commentary track, featuring Jones with writer Ben Ripley and Jake Gyllenhaal, has a lot to enjoy if you’re a hardened sci-fi fan interested in the background and influences on the time-shift device but there’s a far more interesting story of how the film came about, the decisions made during (and after) the filming and on the consequences of the ending. Jones reveals that he had two endings (neither of them the one I expected) and how the litany of doomed relationships continues far beyond the closing credits.

From the technical aspects of filming on the Red camera and the light sourcing in the pod, and the discussion of the budget (which was relatively low, but it certainly doesn’t look like it) to the challenges encumbered at the scene when the bomber is revealed, and how it’s really the first time the film actually stops. Jones’s take on his way of filming is very interesting; the director is a safety net or sorts, which fosters a tone of improvisation on the set, and how much of the film’s tone and direction was chosen in editing suite.  The discussion of the ending is present of course and Jones and Ripley explain their thoughts behind it and this is one example of the interesting mode of collaboration between the two and how Jones brought the film to life from the written word.

This commentary is the real highlight. The other extras are listed below and there are some excellently designed small featurettes explaining the science behind it – think Aubrey Beardsley designing pages of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and you’re nearly there. The usual ‘it was great to work with’ moments are there as is an option to watch the film with pop ups on screen to allow you to flow off at a tangent which I can never understand.

Highly recommended, in all arenas.

• Audio commentary with Jake Gyllenhaal, director Duncan Jones and writer Ben Ripley
• Cast and Crew insights
• Access Source Code featurette
• Focal Points

Features: ***½~ (3.5/5)

]]> http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2011/08/15/source-code-blu-ray-review/feed/ 0 http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2011/07/15/super-8-one-small-step-for-a-man-one-giant-leap-backwards-for-science-fiction/ http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2011/07/15/super-8-one-small-step-for-a-man-one-giant-leap-backwards-for-science-fiction/#comments Fri, 15 Jul 2011 11:30:57 +0000 Guest http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/?p=97245

On the 5th August, Super 8 will finally hit our shores, riding on a wave of critical praise from the other side of the Atlantic. Its combination of eighties youthful nostalgia (Stand by Me, Goonies) and Spielgburg-esque science fiction (Close Encounters, E.T) looks set to titillate young and old alike. However, Super 8 also acts to highlight the growing trend of modern Science Fiction taking its influences from the past. Whilst seemingly going against the grain of the genre’s forward thinking philosophy,  it’s a welcome relief from the recent influx of movies which have forgone the subtle underlying warnings which made Science Fiction such a stalwart of seventies and eighties cinema .

Unlike other genres of film this speculative, science based medium of entertainment isn’t bound to any particular era, period or location, allowing film makers a free reign when it comes to storytelling. However, as the genre has progressed through the years certain elements have become evocative of this explosive and thoughtful strand of cinema. As well as the spacecrafts, robots and other technological advances we’ve come to associate with these films, Science Fiction has often been used as a tool to explore political and social issues as well as more philosophical issues such our inheritably destructive human behaviour.
Despite becoming a mainstay of the silent era, by the time the fifties were upon us Science Fiction had faded to little more than cheap jovial entertainment consisting mainly of low-budget B movies who’s plot and premises where almost as flimsy as the cardboard set designs they were filmed on.

It wasn’t until 1957 and the beginnings of the Space Race that Science Fiction began to be taken seriously again. Ever since the dawn of time man has looked up and stared at the stars, but during the cold war there was a growing sense of marvel towards the universe that was clearly reflected within cinema. From Stanley Kubrick’s spectacular 2001: a Space Odyssey (1968), New Wave darling Jean-Luc Godard’s desolately bleak Alphaville (1965), Tarkovsky’s sombre masterpiece Solaris (1972) to Chalton Heston’s surprisingly powerful performance in Soylent Green (1973), Science Fiction was beginning to grow a brain whilst simultaneously reflecting the social issues of a public which had plenty to feel disenfranchised about amidst this period of escalated fear.

Then a film came along which changed the game forever. Love it or hate it, there’s little doubt that the Star Wars trilogy took Science Fiction from a small committed audience of art house devotees and movie geeks and exploded it upon a mass audience. Smart and technically assured classics such as Terminator, Alien and Blade Runner may well have struggled to get financing beforehand but with every studio in Hollywood desperate to get a piece of the action the genre began to be taken seriously again by those who’s interest had been peaked by its new found commercial success.

It resulted in a flurry of Intelligent and exhilarating films which achieved a fine balance between mirroring social concerns and being universally enjoyable slices of entertainment. Despite the overwhelming success of Star Wars and George Lucas’s new found fame there was one man who became synonymous with this 2nd golden age of Sci-Fi.

Somehow managing to channel into the core themes of Science Fiction whilst injecting a commercially successful formula into his films, Steven Spielberg created several of the most loved films of the eighties and helped reignite this once sneered upon genre. His involvement in Super8 has sparked excitement that a bright new future is about to evolve, using this once successful template to break away from the current reliance on CGI effects and comic book adaptations in what has so far resulted in little more than superficial escapism of little depth or importance.

If successful, Super 8 will join a host of other films which are attempting to conjure up the same magic approach which worked so well in previous years. Attack the Block (2010) with its various references to eighties cinema is probably the most recent example of a film which managed to capture the nostalgically enjoyable themes from the past whilst transcending mere plagiarism and gaining its own identity through a subtle use of social satire which prevented it from feeling like a throw back or pastiche of a better time. Paul (2010) managed to transfer the E.T template to an older audience who had grown up on a diet of these Spielberg epics and whilst perhaps not the success many would have hoped for, it certainly showed signs of promising new direction.

Duncan Jones seems to be attempting to singlehandedly resusatate the genre’s more thoughtful approach so far delighting us with both Moon (2009) and Source Code (2011). Moon was set in a space station not dissimilar from those seen in Alien and Solaris (cold and sterile but with a eerie haunting quality), whilst GERTY, Sam Bell’s talking droid assistant, looked like the result of a bizarre cross breeding exercise between 2001:A Space Odyssey’s H.A.L and Robby the robot from Forbidden Planet. The same subtle evocation is also noticeable with Source Code which seems like a lovingly experimental amalgamation of Total Recall, Quantum Leap and Groundhog Day, yet somehow they both managed to show that whilst Science Fiction may well be 99% regurgitated material installed to add an air of familiarity to an otherwise outlandish genre, if you use that remaining 1% well enough you can still create something wonderfully unique and enjoyable.

It doesn’t stop there either, this year we still have re-imaginations of The Thing and Planet of the Apes to look forward to whilst Ridley Scott is putting the final touches to his Alien prequel Prometheus.
With the last ten years of Science Fiction failing to capture young imaginations due to its overly stylised and superficial reliance on visual effects, let’s pray that Super 8 continues this budding new approach of reinventing this golden era of cinema. Despite its futurist settings and apparent quest for knowledge, Science Fiction has always worked best when it stood as a social commentary, reflecting our concerns and fears as to which way society is heading. Indeed “Those who do not remember their past are condemned to repeat their mistakes” hopefully Hollywood will heed notice and once again start creating the socially important Science Fiction films we so richly deserve.

Written by Patrick Gamble

We love posting some unofficial artwork here on HeyUGuys and these three creations from artist Lloyd Stas are too good to pass by.

On his Flickr page (which we were pointed to by LFF and Quiet Earth) there’s a wonderful series of posters for Edgar Wright’s films, even one for his TV show Spaced and his epic Grindhouse trailer ‘Don’t', and they are really worth a look.

The posters below are a sample of his work and ones which really caught our eyes – the posters for Source Code and Mute are such different styles but work completely although we know next to nothing about Mute, a project which Jones has said will probably be made into a comic book first and, if there’s interest, a film later on. If he needs anyone to create an alternate cover I think we know to whom his first call should be placed.

The final poster here is for the forthcoming Rise of the Planet of the Apes, created obviously before panic set in that people may not tie it into the Apes series and assume James Franco was narrating a wildlife documentary.

Mondo, the art devision of the world famous Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, have announced Wes Craven as the next director in their “Director’s Series”.

Craven is the fourth director to be featured in this series, which has already payed homage to the films of Guillermo Del Toro, Duncan Jones and Zack Snyder.

To top it off, we’ve been sent the first two prints – Scream and A Nightmare on Elm Street – with more to be added in the next couple of months.

The A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream prints are by Alex Pardee, who we interviewed recently about his excellent work on Sucker Punch, and will be made available on April 14th at an undisclosed time. Be sure to follow @MondoNews for the official details.

In the meantime, you can feast your eyes on the clever, and extremely gruesome, prints for A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream below:

Craven’s Scream 4 is released in the UK on Friday.

The critical and commercial success of Source Code has made a lot of Duncan Jones fans happy.

The director’s first film, Moon, was a triumphant debut and formed part of the resurgence of intelligent and commercially successful sci-fi seen in the last few years. All eyes were on his next move and Source Code, the Ben Ripley scripted sci-fi thriller which Jones chose as his second film,  opened to excellent reviews a week and a half ago.

I had the chance to sit down with Duncan Jones last week, when the reviews for Source Code were already in, and we talked about the pressure of following Moon, find out what happened to his supposed follow up Mute and, of course, we touch on the rumours about Jones picking up The Wolverine now that the film’s original director, Darren Aronofsky, has left the project.

Here’s the interview in which we talk in detail about Moon and Source Code so does contain some spoilers for the films.

Duncan Jones’ Moon is one of my favourite films of recent times so to say that I’m excited about seeing it, as well as ridiculously jealous of those who have seen it at previews already, would be something of an understatement.

In advance of the film’s release Summit Entertainment have released an interesting infographic which they’ve sent over to us that explores the various scenarios explored in the film. I have to say that it has revealed a little more about the film that I would have liked before watching it so if you want to go in cold it’s probably best not to look at it in any detail.

If you’re excited about Source Code; check out Jon’s review here.

We’ve teamed up with Optimum Releasing to offer 15 lucky readers the chance to win a pair of tickets to attend the ultimate Duncan Jones double bill screening of SOURCE CODE and MOON, to celebrate SOURCE CODE’s release in cinemas April 1st.

SOURCE CODE and MOON are Duncan Jones’ only two cinematic features to date and are being shown back-to back at this exclusive event!

The double bill screening will be taking place Wednesday 30^th March at 6 for 6.30pm start at a Central London Location.

When decorated soldier Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he discovers he’s part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train. In an assignment unlike any he’s ever known, he learns he’s part of a government experiment called the “Source Code,” a program that enables him to cross over into another man’s identity in the last 8 minutes of his life. With a second, much larger target threatening to kill millions in downtown Chicago, Colter re-lives the incident over and over again, gathering clues each time, until he can solve the mystery of who is behind the bombs and prevent the next attack.

Filled with mind-boggling twists and heart-pounding suspense, Source Code is a smart action-thriller directed by Duncan Jones (Moon) also starring Michelle Monaghan (Eagle Eye, Due Date), Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air, The Departed), and Jeffrey Wright (Quantum of Solace, Syriana).

You can follow all our Source Code coverage here and all our Moon coverage which was rather extensive here.

To be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets to the double bill screening of SOURCE CODE and MOON, simply answer the following question using the form below:

How many minutes does Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) have to complete his mission?

1. 20 minutes
2. 8 minutes
3. 60 minutes

Source Code is in Cinemas April 1st.

Become a fan of SOURCE CODE on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SourceCodeUK

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

HeyUGuys small print:

• Open to UK residents only
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close Monday 28th March 12.00 midday GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received

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

Terms and Conditions:

• Prize is a pair of tickets to the double bill screening of SOURCE CODE and MOON at 6.00 for 6.30pm start at a Central London Location
• Winners will be notified by email
• Winners must be able to attend the double bill screening on the evening of 30^th March
• In order to gain entry into the event, winners must print off their confirmation email and show this to door staff upon arrival
• There is no cash or other alternative to the prize stated and the prize is not transferable and no part or parts of the prize may be substituted for other benefits, items or additions
• Travel and accommodation is not included

Before he dabbled with Source Code for his latest project Duncan Jones directed a sublime sci-fi movie Moon, I’m sure you’ve heard of it.

The film’s existential themes and measured narrative pacing in no way lend themselves to a money spinning video game conversion for the XBox 360 or PS3, which makes this imagined adaptation all the more perfect.

If you grew up near a computer in the late eighties and early nineties you’ll probably be familiar with LucasArts’ graphical adventure, with Loom, The Dig and the first two Monkey Island games being the prime examples. Now a PC gamer, animator and graphic artist has taken Moon and imagined would it have looked like if it was given the LucasArts treatment.

The ever excellent Man Made Movies blog did the hard work and found this on Mads Johansen’s blog, and I share his excitement for this never to be seen project. Regulars at LucasArts’ SCUMM bar will instantly recognise the VGA graphics and Point and Click mechanics and if you’ve never played Ron Gilbert’s marvelous The Secret of Monkey Island and its sequel, but do own one of those fancy smartphones, then updated versions of the games are available and are just as much fun today.

Of course, there was a Point and Click PC adventure game released in 1997 based on and in the world of Blade Runner and Jones has often talked of his fondness for Ridley Scott’s seminal sci-fi as well as the shadow of Blade Runner looming over his comic book project Mute, so there is a strange symbiosis here. Basically what I’m saying is can someone please make this game?

Here’s the picture, and head on over to the Man Made Movies blogpost to indulge your geekery further as Jones and Ron Gilbert tweet each other.

I mean – could you leave this box sitting on the shelf?

No. Me neither. Someone, please make this happen.

Duncan Jones’ second film comes to us with a wave of expectation, carrying with it the hopes that the British director can follow up his award scooping debut Moon with something better, something to cement his reputation as one of the most exciting talents of this new century.

Source Code, released on the 1st of April against Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch, does indeed make good on the promise shown, though the film lacks the soul of Moon it is a very strong and engaging thriller with its head, if not its heart, in the right place.

Beginning with shots of a commuter train thundering towards Chicago in the early morning we see Jake Gyllenhaal’s character Colter Stevens wake with a start, confused and apparently in mid conversation with a woman opposite him whom he does not recognise. His senses are heightened and every detail of the train is noted and he tries to shake off the confusion, not helped by the woman opposite , Michelle Monaghan’s Christina, calling him Sean. Stumbling to the bathroom and to a mirror where a confused face, not his own, stares back at him his confusion is our confusion, something that isn’t helped by the sudden explosion on the train, killing all of the passengers including Christina, Colter and Sean – whoever he is.

It is then we get into the Source Code and the search for answers really begins.

In talking about the film I’ll naturally mosey into spoiler territory, but I’ll save the big spoilers for my discussion of the ending later on, I’ll warn you. But to begin with – music.

The news that scheduling conflicts would keep Clint Mansell from scoring Source Code was unfortunate for fans of the composer who did such great things for Jones’ first film, and as the titles roll over shots of the doomed train following the track towards Chicago Chris Bacon’s score is evocative of Bernard Herrmann, not least North By Northwest, whose ghost haunts this film in the beginning until it finds its feet and the story unravels. The theme of the innocent man thrust into a terrifying situation was used by Hitchcock many times, and Source Code marries the search for a train bomber with the search for the identity of Captain Colter Stevens, who finds himself not in Iraq with his helicopter squadron as expected but in a strange cockpit with unknown faces on a screen talking to him. The quest for identity is something this film shares with Moon, and at first Vera Farmiga’s unknown military officer, Goodwin, speaks very like Gerty, impassioned and to the job, only with less emotional connection to Colter, and little patience to explain what he’s doing, or what Source Code is.

When it comes the explanation for how Colter Stevens is in another body, and why he is being sent back to relive the final eight minutes of a passenger’s life on the train is given quickly, using the words ‘quantum’ and ‘parallel’ and some sort of ‘temporal afterglow’ and while the military minds behind this classified project seem certain we, like Colter, remain unconvinced. He is told that another attack is planned and the bomber probably left the train before it blew up. Eager to save lives Colter refuses to find the bomber instead wanting to get everyone off of the train and is told that what he does in the Source Code will not affect the real world – it is a projection. Then we are thrust back in time again, and with Colter Stevens, are back on the train with eight minutes to find the bomb and the bomber before the train explodes.

In his discussions with Truffaut Hitchcock defined the difference between surprise and suspense as having two men sitting at a table with a bomb hidden under it – suspense is showing the audience the bomb while the two carry on their conversation, surprise is having the bomb explode without anyone knowing it was there. Jones substitutes a fast moving train for a table and moving from the initial surprise of the train explosion the film continues on a recurring eight minutes of tangible suspense, with each return to the doomed train yielding more answers to the bomber’s identity just as each time returning to the strange Source Code environment helps Colter piece together his current reality. Thankfully the suspense is bolstered by some imaginative camerawork, doing a good and necessary job in differentiating each eight minutes, and Gyllenhaal is thoroughly compelling in the lead here.

Ben Ripley’s script does a good job of setting up the two mysteries and Jones’ solid direction allows each to remain separate until the need to bring them together arises. Seeing Jones work with another, more conventional, sci-fi premise is bracing as he brings a cohesion and engagement to the narrative with a confidence and sense of fun that elevates the film above its Twilight Zone-esque familiars, notably two in the cinema at the moment – The Adjustment Bureau and Limitless. The subplot of reconciliation with Colter’s father is genuinely moving and provide Gyllenhaal’s best moments in the film, and Jeffrey Wright as the man in charge of the Source Code is great fun, although his delivery wavers into James Earl Jones territory when his blood is up.  Monaghan does good work with a character who on the page came across as thoroughly one dimensional and at journey’s end part of the reason it works is the life she brings to the role. And yes, the dulcet tones of Chesney Hawkes make an appearance too.

The device of resetting time allows the story to build in layers rather than on a linear pathway, each return revealing another piece of the puzzle, while the real world mystery of the Source Code fades slightly and when the answers come it is an anti climax, a discussion rather than a discovery. Initially I thought this was a mistake, and the film had given up one of its mysteries too easily, but Jones knew exactly what he was doing, setting us up for the end, which is where we need to stop those who would not be spoiled except to say that Source Code is a very solid piece of work, a lot of fun with Gyllenhaal in particular giving a powerful performance. Fans of decent sci-fi will love it, fans of Moon will be intrigued to see Duncan Jones riding the Hollywood train while maintaining his own character, and it deserves to do well if for nothing else so we can see what Jones has in store for us next.

Now, the Ending. Here is a spoiler warning.

We discover that ‘narrow’ parameters for entry into the Source Code necessitates near brain death and we see that the real Colter Stevens is half a body after being ‘killed’ in action in Iraq and now he lies with his brain exposed wired up to the machine capable of throwing him back in time. Once the bomber is found and the information is gathered it is understood that Colter’s memory will be wiped and the death he seeks, once the realisation comes, will be denied him. He convinces Goodwin to throw him back on the train one last time at which point he saves the day, gets the girl and when the eight minutes are up Goodwin turns off the life support machine and time in the Source Code stops.

If the film had left us here I would have been happy in the ignorance of what happened next. The film had come to a natural conclusion in emotional and narrative terms. Instead time continues even though Colter is dead and he (Sean) and Christina get off the train and we are shown the beginnings of a very happy ending. It is like witnessing Sam Bell returning to Earth at the end of Moon, staggering his way home and embracing his confused daughter as they both cry and credits roll. But this, still is not the end.

While in his final eight minutes in the Source Code, not only getting the girl and trapping the bomber Colter phones his Dad, and there is a genuinely affecting moment here, he also sends a text to Goodwin – remembering that nothing in the Source Code affects the real world. After the happy ending described above we then see Goodwin coming into work that morning and receiving the text from Colter telling her how he averted disaster – a disaster she and the Source Code would now not be involved with. Thus the day is saved and Colter still lies wired up to the Source Code machine and may do forever more, ignorant of the truth and denied any catharsis.  I have no problem with this twist, yet felt a little cheated that we had spent so long desiring and witnessing a lost soldier and an ailing man’s escape from the Source Code prison only to have it teased and then pulled from us.

I was reminded of Brazil and the moment the grim fate of Sam Lowry is revealed – this hits so hard because the film sets up Sam Lowry as the only man opposing the huge force of the totalitarian state, and while the happy ending (which we find to be false) is unlikely when the rug is pulled from under our feet it makes complete sense and is all the more depressing for it. Perhaps it speaks to the selfless nature of Colter Stevens the soldier that he saved lives, and gave his Father the resolution he needed, but by remaining trapped in the Source Code the film’s ending felt a little uneven, whereas Brazil’s twist of the knife felt completely correct, Source Code’s felt like a stab in the dark.

Nonetheless I had a lot of fun with Source Code. Jones has made good on Moon’s potential and we see a very talented director emerging, in command of his craft and pushing his boundaries. It is relatively unusual to be excited by what a director will do next and I want this film to do well if for no other reason than to have Duncan Jones working again, and soon.

****~ (4/5)

I’m not sure how much I like the idea of seeing the five opening minutes of a film when we’re close to being able to see the whole thing. I’ve written and posted about Duncan Jones’ Source Code more than any other film in the last month or so, and I am really excited to be seeing it very soon, but I’ll not be watching the video Yahoo put up, but I wanted to put it up on the site in case you do.

Certainly the buzz coming out of SXSW where the film had it’s premiere last Friday is extremely positive and it will be intriguing to see how Jones handles a more conventional sci-fi tale than his first film.

So if you fancy it here’s the first five minutes.

Source Code stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright, Russell Peters and is released in the UK on the 1st of April.

Synopsis: Directed by Duncan Jones (MOON) SOURCE CODE centers on a soldier (Jake Gyllenhaal, JARHEAD) who, as part of an experimental government program to investigate a terrorist incident, finds himself in the body of an unknown commuter living and reliving a harrowing train bombing until he can find out who is responsible for it.

I unfortunately got to SXSW a little too late to see Duncan Jones’ new movie, Source Code but from what we hear, it went down a treat! I guess we’ll just have to wait till it hits UK screenings now since it was the only showing of the movie.

Instead, we have this brand new international poster for the movie which hits UK cinemas1st April. Source Code stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright and Russell Peters.

If you’ve missed the two trailers which have been released for the movie over the past few months, you can catch up here and here.

Synopsis: Directed by Duncan Jones (MOON) SOURCE CODE centers on a soldier (Jake Gyllenhaal, JARHEAD) who, as part of an experimental government program to investigate a terrorist incident, finds himself in the body of an unknown commuter living and reliving a harrowing train bombing until he can find out who is responsible for it.

What do you think of this new poster? We find it a little odd!

Source: IMPA

Yesterday I made the, frankly stupid, prediction that we’d post nothing more on Duncan Jones’ Source Code until it’s premiere at SXSW tonight. How wrong could I be?

Three new stills and a featurette’s worth it seems, as that is what we have on offer for you today, and the stills have Jake Gyllenhaal getting up close and personal with the bomb he is repeatedly sent back in time to find (but not, importantly, defuse). Gyllenhaal stars with Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga and Jeffrey Wright in Jones’ tale of time travelling and train bombing.

SOURCE CODE centers on a soldier (Jake Gyllenhaal, JARHEAD) who, as part of an experimental government program to investigate a terrorist incident, finds himself in the body of an unknown commuter living and reliving a harrowing train bombing until he can find out who is responsible for it.

Here are the new pics from our friends at Sky Movies, the video follows below,

The featurette features a load of new footage and has talking heads from the writer, the producer, actors and an astrophysicist – so you really have to watch it don’t you?

Apple have in HD, but you can view it below,

While the world and his Gerty waits for the verdict on Duncan Jones’ follow up to Moon when his time bending thriller Source Code premieres in Austin tomorrow night word has escaped about his long awaited sci-fi project Mute.

Set in the same universe as Moon, with an epilogue of sorts featuring the character of Sam Bell, Mute’s brief synopsis told of a story about a woman whose disappearance causes a mystery for her partner, a mute bartender. When she disappears, he has to go up against the city’s gangsters. Then Source Code came along, and Mute was pushed back.

A few moments ago Jones tweeted the following,

If anyone has a recommendation on the best publishers for graphic novels, (US only, I’m afraid,) let me know. I’m a researchin’.

Immediately my mind went to Mute, which was at one time to be the next film Jones made after Moon, but when Source Code was announced there were rumours that Mute may become a comic book. Jones tonight confirmed those rumours.

ManMadeMovies brought us the news from Gordon and the Whale who sat down with the man himself to talk over his future projects and Mute came up. Here’s what he said when asked about his third film, and Mute was suggested,

Not MUTE, no. Although, I can sort of tell you that I’ve been talking to my producer today and we have decided that we’re going to release MUTE as a graphic novel. Because we’ve had so many problems trying to get this film made, you know? The people who are involved with financing films have just been…shy…shy of making the script. So what we decided to do is we’re going to make a graphic novel of it, prove it…prove it to an audience that this works and maybe in the future get the chance to come back and make it.

While I’m very pleased we’ll be able to see Mute sooner rather than later I am slightly disappointed that it won’t be the big screen Blade Runner-esque film it was teased to be. The budget was rumoured by be around $25 million when it was shaping up to be Jones’ next project, certainly not huge by today’s standards, and if Source Code does well there’s a good chance that studios will be throwing that sort of money at the director.   Although the conversation then turned to what the director’s actual film will be,

I will say this; you know what a big fan I am of BLADE RUNNER…but there’s all this news on the Internet lately about the rights to BLADE RUNNER being bought up…I’m interested in doing a city-based science fiction film. And this is going to do all the geeky things I would want [from one of those kinds of films].

City-based sci-fi?  It’s a damn shame Judge Dredd and Mr Jones didn’t get to meet. But at least we’re looking forward to spending more time in the company of one of most talented directors of our day.

The Source Code tease continues, with another (and probably the last) piece of the Source Code puzzle we’ll see before the film hits the big screens, and the new TV spot released today will turn heads.

There has been a lot of marketing for the film, which is great to see as Duncan Jones has a lot of admirers following his wonderful debut Moon, and we’re all hoping that Source Code will be every bit as good.

For those not in the know, Source Code stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright, Russell Peters and is released on the 1st of April, so get that date marked.

JoBlo debuted the latest TV spot for the film, which has its premiere at SXSW in Austin in a few days time and this short clip gives a decent overview of what to expect, with the benefit of a little new footage for hardened Coders to pour through.

Two new images from Source Code for you this morning, including a decent look at the source code ‘chamber’ from which Jake Gyllenhaal jumps into the body of a man who died in a train bombing eight minutes before the fateful event. Living these eight minutes over and over Gyllenhaal’s character has to find the bomber and prevent a further threatened bombing.

It’s a great premise and Jones has lined up Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright and Michelle Monaghan to aid Gyllenhaal. It has its premiere ay SXSW in Austin in a  few day’s time and we can’t wait to see how Jones’ follow up to Moon plays out.

Directed by Duncan Jones (MOON) SOURCE CODE centers on a soldier (Jake Gyllenhaal, JARHEAD) who, as part of an experimental government program to investigate a terrorist incident, finds himself in the body of an unknown commuter living and reliving a harrowing train bombing until he can find out who is responsible for it.

These pics came from the ever excellent Wet Dark and Wild and IHJ

There has been rather a lot of Source Code content on the site of late, and while this presents no ethical problems as we’re very much looking forward to Moonman Duncan Jones’ next, there is increasingly a desire to actually see the film rather than be teased endlessly.

So, while we wait for the SXSW screening to come around, or for those not heading Austinwards next week the 1st of April will suffice, here’s a new poster. It doesn’t match up to Olly Moss’s fine work but it’s diverting enough, though I can’t help but think it’s a little early 90s action thriller DVD cover. What exactly is that firing into Jake Gyllenhaal’s chest anyway? The future? A tiny train?

Think of the posters for Moon, then look at the various posters for Jones’ follow up – I can understand the need to sell the film to as many people as possible but if this was the first advertising I had seen then I’d be mentally adding it to my Lovefilm queue.

If you want a synopsis look down, if you want to skip the synopsis and take in the poster  you can look down further,

Directed by Duncan Jones (MOON) SOURCE CODE centers on a soldier (Jake Gyllenhaal, JARHEAD) who, as part of an experimental government program to investigate a terrorist incident, finds himself in the body of an unknown commuter living and reliving a harrowing train bombing until he can find out who is responsible for it.

 

Empire have gifted this to the world, so you know who to thank.

Only a few short days until Duncan Jones runs through Austin, Texas with his time rewinding/face replacing/bomber finding epic Source Code, which has its premiere at SXSW.

If you know HeyUGuys then you’ll know there is something of a love affair between us and Dr Jones and we’re looking forward to taking in the Austin ambience to enjoy his latest. You’ll also know that designer Olly Moss is something of a legend in these parts and the two posters he created for Source Code and Jones’ debut film Moon are fantastic.

If Jones is your man for all things film then I urge you in the strongest possible terms to bookmark ManMadeMovies, because it kicks most of the internet’s arse, and they pointed us to these fine works.

You can see the posters below and ask yourself why Olly Moss isn’t designing everything ever.

Here’s the first clip from Duncan Jones’ new movie, Source Code which is his first movie since the fantastic Moon which was released last year.

Source Code stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright, Russell Peters and is released in the UK 11th March.

If you’ve missed the two trailers which have been released for the movie over the past few months, you can catch up here and here.

Synopsis: Directed by Duncan Jones (MOON) SOURCE CODE centers on a soldier (Jake Gyllenhaal, JARHEAD) who, as part of an experimental government program to investigate a terrorist incident, finds himself in the body of an unknown commuter living and reliving a harrowing train bombing until he can find out who is responsible for it.

In the clip, we get to find out a little bit of the threat which Jake Gylenhaal and down-town Chicago are facing. Check it out below!