This evening (well, it’s now 6.45 am so I guess it was last night!) Laura and I headed off to the brilliant venue, Old Billingsgate near London Bridge in the City of London to attend the 14th Annual Moet British Independent Film Awards. We’d never been to the event before and after seeing the incredible list of people attending, we had to go along!

I’ve literally been up editing footage from the event all night so I won’t be writing too much now but the list of people that we got to interview is rather endless and total 37 interviews in one night! Rather than do one long video with them all in, I’ve broken them all into separate ones and placed them below.

I’ve decided to break them up into sections, this post will be Red Carpet Arrivals and the one that will follow will be the post award interviews that we got with the winners of the awards as they came back to walk the carpet. We also got interviews with some of those presenting awards so keep your eyes peeled.

I’ll probably add a little more commentary to this in the morning but for now, enjoy interviews with: Abi Morgan, Dominic West, Chris O’Dowd, Dawn Porter, Michael Fassbender, Manish Pandev, Asif Kapadida, Kenneth Branagh, Ralph Fiennes, Vanessa Redgrave, Ruth Wilson, MyAnna Buring, John Boyega, Will Poluter, Yasmin Paige, Craig Roberts, Elliot Grove,  and Benedict Cumberbatch.

P.s. Thanks to all those celebs who have us a HeyUGuys shout out! There were many of you!

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A few weeks ago, I got to see a very early screening of the fabulous movie, My Week With Marilyn (see Lisa’s review here) and then meet and interview Eddie Redmayne who plays Colin Clark, in the movie. Colin Clark was the man who had a short fling with Marilyn Monroe while she was in the UK filming The Prince and the Showgirl in the 1950s at Pinewood Studios with Sir Laurence Olivier Directing. My Week With Marilyn is the completely bonkers but true story of Clark’s short encounter with quite possibly the most famous actress that has ever lived.

Eddie is such a nice bloke and was an absolute delight to interview. He was so passionate about the movie and the history both around Marilyn Monroe (played by Michelle Williams) but also for his stellar supporting cast and the iconic Pinewood Studios.

In the interview we talk about how he got the part, what it was like working with the likes of Kenneth Branagh, Dame Judy Dench, Toby Jones, Michelle Williams, Emma Watson and Dominic Cooper and we touch on working at Pinewood Studios and how he did research on his character Colin Clark.

My Week With Marilyn is Directed by Simon Curtis and is released in the UK tomorrow, 25th November and you must go and see it!

Thanks to Pinewood Studios for providing the three archive images of the Studios.

It’s gems like filmmaker Colin Clark’s memoir of his personal experience with an icon that make the best screen stories, the ones that delve deeper into the celebrity’s persona to prove, disprove or enlighten our knowledge further and make for a more honest and intimate affair. My Week With Marilyn, the name of said memoir and debut feature-film director Simon Curtis’ new film, is one such example that much like the Marilyn Monroe it portrays, is an instant heart warmer that you can’t help but be charmed by.

In the summer of 1956, Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe (played by Michelle Williams) arrived on British soil to produce and star in The Prince and the Showgirl, co-starring and directed by acting legend and British acting royalty Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh). On that same shoot was then-23-year-old Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), an Oxford graduate from a well-established family who was desperate to make it as a filmmaker, and as third assistant director on the film, found himself in the most intimate situation with the screen siren, who confided in him during one magical week.

Curtis’ quintessentially British affair captures the imagination from the word go as it’s not just the promise of someone bringing Marilyn to life, but also the stuff of dreams: We have all thought at one point, what if you found yourself in the company of your idol for one week and got to know them like no other? His film, while brazenly pining for the romance of the ‘good old days’, is also stylish, quirky and natty, like the glamorous yesteryear Pinewood productions it strives to recreate, and has an enthusiastic, cheeky and addictive energy, as well as a truly wonderful cast to deliver this.

Williams is sure to get her second Oscar nomination for her Marilyn portrayal. She summons just the right countenance, pose and effervescence of the screen idol, while giving a respectable and credible insight into the darker recesses of her tortured mind and soul. This childlike innocence and fragility is beautifully captured when Marilyn is in awe of a dolls house in one scene, that we fall that little bit more for her and her crushing vulnerability at the hands of fame. That said the Jekyll and Hyde emotions suggest a far less naïve side at the end, very much a woman in control of her own destiny and brand, and Williams subtly and expertly relays this, but still retains Marilyn’s treasured enigma to marvel at. Curtis fuels the love affair with some highly impressive renditions from multi-talented Williams who actually performs Marilyn’s songs, “When Love Goes Wrong/Heat Wave” and “That Old Black Magic”.

Another standout performance comes from Branagh as the acidic-tongued theatrical stalwart Olivier, brilliantly allowing the sarcasm at the tardy Hollywood star’s irresponsibility and drama to drip off the tongue while absolutely nailing Olivier’s clipped and polished pronunciation with thrilling results. Like a scolding mentor, Olivier is the unwilling villain of the piece, who also reveals an intriguing vulnerability at becoming yesterday’s news. It is such insecurities we can all relate to, not just actors but anyone at the height of their career.

Redmayne gives a career-defining performance as Colin, a mixture of cocky youthful arrogance and personable honesty, as much a pawn as Marilyn in the film game – hence she adopts him as her temporary friend. Redmayne commendably plays the doting and mesmerised, lovesick aide who falls for the Marilyn magic, and his moments opposite Williams are truly tender and unique as unconventional ‘love affairs’ go.

There are also some divine supporting moments to enjoy from Judi Dench as actress Dame Sybil Thorndike, the dry-witted and patient surrogate mother to the fragile on-set Marilyn; a virtually unrecognisable Zoë Wanamaker as Marilyn’s drab and domineering Method coach and shoulder-to-cry-on Paula Strasberg; and Dominic Cooper as Milton Greene, Marilyn’s estranged co-producer who fell for the Marilyn charms years earlier and has to deal with his jealousy at Colin’s closeness with the star. Julia Ormond is captivating as screen legend and Olivier’s wife, Vivien Leigh, who is also tackling the ‘has-been’ demons that come with age. Emma Watson briefly appears as costume hand and Colin’s fling, Emma, an apt transition into the adult acting arena for the Harry Potter star. There is a real sense from all involved that this was a labour of love to do the utmost justice to the memoir and provide a bigger picture of the highs and lows of that time, as well as a lot of fun in parts.

As a first feature, Curtis has made a significant mark and shown a real gift for character narration, delivering a powerhouse of individual and ensemble acting prowess that encapsulates this glamorous era of filmmaking history, even if it is guilty of being a little pious at times.

****~ (4/5)

My Week with Marilyn hits UK cinemas this Friday, 25th November and I can’t wait to chat with people about it. I was lucky enough to see a very early screening of it to interview Eddie Redmayne (which will go live either today or tomorrow) who plays Colin Clark in the movie. It’s been such a long time now and I’ve been longing for my friends to be able to go and see it because I really enjoyed it.

Today we have this brand new exclusive image courtesy of The Weinstein Company for the movie which shows two of the leads, Eddie Redmayne (Colin Clark) and Michelle Williams (Marilyn Monroe) in bed together. My Week with Marilyn is directed by Simon Curtis and also stars Toby Jones, Emma Watson​, Dominic Cooper​, Kenneth Branagh​, Julia Ormond​, Judi Dench​, Dougray Scott, Zoë Wanamaker and Derek Jacobi​.

In the early summer of 1956, 23 year-old Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), just down from Oxford and determined to make his way in the film business, worked as a lowly assistant on the set of ‘The Prince and the Showgirl’. The film that famously united Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) and Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams), who was also on honeymoon with her new husband, the playwright Aurthur Miller (Dougray Scott). Nearly 40 years on, his diary account The Prince, the Showgirl and Me was published, but one week was missing and this was published some years later as My Week with Marilyn – this is the story of that week. When Arthur Miller leaves England, the coast is clear for Colin to introduce Marilyn to some of the pleasures of British life; an idyllic week in which he escorted a Monroe desperate to get away from her retinue of Hollywood hangers-on and the pressures of work.

Click the image below to enlarge.

We’re just a few days away from finally getting to see the brilliant twice Oscar-nominated actress Michelle Williams take up the role of the iconic Marilyn Monroe, and Friday really can’t come fast enough.

Everything we’ve seen from Simon Curtis’ My Week With Marilyn (all of which you can catch up on here) has been terrific, and without wanting to jinx anything, it’s all certainly pointing towards at least another nomination for Williams in the Best Actress category at the Oscars early next year. The awards race is close to being in full swing, and all expectations are for this to be a contender.

We’ve now got another terrific clip to share with you, courtesy of Yahoo Movies, entitled ‘Can You Spell That?’, and it gives us a look at the charm that Williams emanates in the role, dazzling a roomful of British reporters throwing questions her way.

“Colin Clark met Marilyn Monroe while working as a young assistant on Laurence Olivier’s “The Prince and the Showgirl.” When Marilyn experienced emotional difficulties during shooting, the 23-year-old third assistant director came to her aid and romance developed. But one week of honesty and fun was not enough to save the doomed star from self-destruction.”

Along with Williams, My Week With Marilyn has a terrific cast that includes Kenneth Branagh, Eddie Redmayne, Emma Watson, and Dame Judi Dench. It will be out in cinemas on 25th November – this Friday – and I really can’t wait to see it. I think Williams is going to be brilliant in the role, and this clip is just a small demonstration of her wonderful acting talents. Without further ado, here it is for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy.

Here’s some lovely lovely new banners from The Avengers courtesy of those lovely (did I mention lovely) people from Marvel.

The Avengers is directed by Joss Whedon​ and after you see this trailer, you’re going to be very keen to see the completed movie when it’s released 27th April 2012.

The Avengers will see many of you favourite Marvel characters all come together to create a rather epic movie. The cast of the new movie includes Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Hemsworth​, Scarlett Johansson​, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner​, Mark Ruffalo​, Tom Hiddleston​, Jenny Agutter​, Gwyneth Paltrow​, Paul Bettany​ and Robert Downey Jr.​ with all of them getting a brand new poster for their trouble.

Man I love these! Click to enlarge!

Source: Yahoo! Movies , Moviefone

Back at the end of the summer, we saw the fantastic first poster for Simon Curtis’ directorial feature debut, My Week With Marilyn, the Marilyn Monroe biopic that stars Michelle Williams as the actress, model, and singer renowned the world over.

Earlier this month, this was then followed up with a trailer and two images, and then a few days later with some more lovely pictures from the film, treating us to a look at some of the film’s supporting cast, which includes Emma Watson, Eddie Redmayne, Dame Judi Dench, and Kenneth Branagh.

An absolutely beautiful second poster for the film has now surfaced over at IMP Awards, in stunning black and white, with just Williams’ eyes coloured in a perfectly deep shade of blue. They literally look like gemstones.

For a long time, Williams was a lesser-known actress best known for her work on Dawson’s Creek, but in recent years, she’s been making a real name for herself, and has earned herself two Oscar nominations in the past five years for Brokeback Mountain and Blue Valentine. Though it’s a little too soon to call, I think a lot of people would be surprised if she doesn’t at least earn her third nomination for My Week With Marilyn when the Academy announces the nominees early next year.

“Colin Clark met Marilyn Monroe while working as a young assistant on Laurence Olivier’s “The Prince and the Showgirl.” When Marilyn experienced emotional difficulties during shooting, the 23-year-old third assistant director came to her aid and romance developed. But one week of honesty and fun was not enough to save the doomed star from self-destruction.”

The film will be out in cinemas on 18th November here in the UK, which gives us less than a month to wait to see it on the big screen. Everything we’ve seen for it so far looks very impressive, and I can’t wait to see how it all turns out next month. Without further ado, here’s the lovely second poster; Williams’ visual transformation into Monroe is utterly convincing. As usual, click to enlarge.

By now, everyone is well aware of the next upcoming superhero film from Marvel, The Avengers, with the ridiculously awesome trailer landing earlier this month. Joss Whedon landing the directing gig was a welcome surprise to all of his many, many fans, and it’s been good to see Marvel finding slightly unlikely candidates to take the director’s chair in their recent films with excellent results.

Word now comes, courtesy of THR, that Whedon has managed to finish filming an entirely different project in complete secrecy, and it sounds absolutely awesome.

With Kenneth Branagh taking the director’s chair for this year’s Thor, it seems somewhat fitting that Whedon has just finished his own adaptation of William Shakespeare’s play, Much Ado About Nothing, which Branagh himself directed and adapted back in 1993. Albeit, it seems like an unlikely choice for Whedon to do, given all of his brilliant past credits – Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Serenity, Dollhouse (the one I still need to see), not to mention his Oscar-nominated turn as co-writer of Toy Story.

Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing has already got its own site online, teasing an image of a snorkelling Fran Kanz (Dollhouse) in black and white, holding a martini that’s in colour. And to top it all off, above the image is a list of the cast, and it’s awesome. Whedon fans, get ready for a mind explosion.

Amy Acker (Angel) and Alexis Denisof (Angel) will be leading a cast that also includes Kanz (Dollhouse), Sean Maher (Firefly), Ashley Johnson (Dollhouse), Tom Lenk (Buffy), Clark Gregg (Iron Man), and of course, the one and only, Nathan Fillion (Firefly) – who I delayed until the end not because his part will be small but for dramatic effect, because he’s so damn cool.

According to the film’s press release, which you can read in full here, Whedon’s take on Shakespeare’s play was filmed in just twelve days in Santa Monica, California, in his own home, and was self-financed through Whedon’s and his wife Kai Cole’s micro-studio, Bellwether.

“[T]he film features a stellar cast of beloved (or soon to be beloved) actors – some of them veterans of Shakespearean theater, some completely new to the form. But all dedicated to the idea that this story bears retelling, that this dialogue is as fresh and intoxicating as any being written, and that the joy of working on a passion project surrounded by dear friends, admired colleagues and an atmosphere of unabashed rapture far outweighs their hilariously miniature paychecks.”

The mention of the “hilariously miniature paychecks” is brilliant.

“Shot in glorious black and white by Jay Hunter (PAPER HEART, “Dollhouse”), the film stars Amy Acker (CABIN IN THE WOODS, “Alias”) and Alexis Denisof (“How I Met Your Mother”, “Angel”) as Beatrice and Benedick, the world’s least likely lovers headed for their inevitable tumble into love. As Joss Whedon puts it: “The text is to me a deconstruction of the idea of love, which is ironic, since the entire production is a love letter – to the text, to the cast, even to the house it’s shot in.””

If you’re a Whedon fan, then I highly recommend heading on over to EW to read their interviews with Whedon himself, with Sean Maher, and with Amy Acker about the production of the film. Each gets a page, so it’s too long to reprint here, but it’s excellent stuff. They’ve also shared three great images from the set, to go with the first image of Kanz in the water, which I’ve embedded below.

The film should be ready by the start of next year, and Whedon is planning on taking it on the festival circuit in spring,

“because it is fancy.”

Excellent! I literally can’t wait. Given that Sundance is coming to the UK next April, I will be very, very quietly optimistic – for fear that anyone should hear my hopes – that Whedon’s take on the Shakespearean play will be coming to our shores for the festival. That really would be perfect.

Without further ado, here are the new images to enjoy. As usual with the first, click to enlarge.

The Avengers is the next Marvel movie that we’re all very much looking forward to after Captain America: The First Avenger. The Avengers is directed by Joss Whedon and after you see this trailer, you’re going to be very keen to see the completed movie when it’s released 27th April 2012.

The Avengers will see many of you favourite Marvel characters all come together to create a rather epic movie. The cast of the new movie includes Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Jenny Agutter, Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Bettany and Robert Downey Jr.

If you’ve missed all our coverage from The Avengers, you can keep track of it all here.

Earlier today, we had a trailer for the trailer but now, the full version is here in all it’s glory! Without further ado, he’s the trailer for the movie for your viewing pleasure!

Two days ago we were treated to a couple of images and a trailer for Simon Curtis’ film My Week with Marilyn and two things were immediately clear.

Firstly that the period detail is spot on and secondly that Michelle Williams is certainly up to the challenge of embodying one of the most beautiful and alluring actresses cinema has ever seen.

The new images show off some of the impeccable cast with Williams looking perfect as Monroe and Kenneth Branagh as Laurence Olivier along with Eddie Redmayne as Colin Clark (Olivier’s assistant) and Emma Watson. Dominic Cooper, Julia Ormond, Toby Jones, Judi Dench, Dougray Scott, Zoë Wanamaker and Derek Jacobi round off the cast do you know there’ll be something impressive up on screen.

Here is the UK we have a release date of the 18th of October and while the casting looks spot on, and these pictures compound the belief that the film will look the business, the success of the film necessarily rests on the performance of Michelle Williams and so far it’s looking very promising.

Here’s the gallery, click to make small things big.

Moviefone had these, The Playlist showed us the way.

My week with Marilyn is one of two biopics being told about Marilyn Monroe. In this version, Michelle Williams takes up the leading role alongside a stellar cast which includes Emma Watson, Dominic Cooper, Kenneth Branagh, Julia Ormond, Toby Jones, Judi Dench, Dougray Scott, Zoë Wanamaker and Derek Jacobi. The film is directed by Simon Curtis and it’s set for release in the UK 18th November.

This new trailer comes from Yahoo and the images below from The Daily Mail. It was shot at Pinewood Studios here in London and now after watching the movie, It’s completely different to the sort of film that was expecting. Have a watch of it below and let me know what you think in the comments section.

Colin Clark met Marilyn Monroe while working as a young assistant on Laurence Olivier’s “The Prince and the Showgirl.” When Marilyn experienced emotional difficulties during shooting, the 23-year-old third assistant director came to her aid and romance developed. But one week of honesty and fun was not enough to save the doomed star from self-destruction.

Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of Marvel’s Thor was released on DVD and Blu-ray last week and it’s a surprisingly fun film which did very well at the box office despite the God O’Thunder not being a hugely well known character.

The DVD has a ton of these little featurettes which, when combined, form a decent behind the scenes documentary and I thought it would be a nice diversion this fine morning to take a wander through Asgard to see how it was all done.

Initially considered an unusual choice, Branagh looks like he’s had the time of his life with his cast and there’s a little time spent with the designers of the film.

Take a look,

The Design of the Bridge

On the Wardrobe

On the Amazing Set

On Directing the Cast

On the Makeup of Laufey

Back in July, we got the news that Kenneth Branagh wouldn’t be returning to helm Thor 2 after his fantastic direction on the first film. There wasn’t any suggestion of animosity there, simply that he would be moving on to other projects.

I think he did a great job with Thor this year, and probably exceeded a lot of people’s expectations, but given he was entirely unexpected to helm the original in the first place, it wasn’t a massive shock that he wouldn’t be doing the sequel, in spite of the fact that he did a great job first time around.

Then came the news in August that Brian Kirk, most known for his direction on TV’s Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire, was in talks to take over the job. But now it looks as though another name has been thrown into the ring in his place.

Patty Jenkins, probably best known for writing and directing Monster back in 2003, which won Charlize Theron her Oscar for Best Actress, is now in early talks to take the director’s chair for the second Thor film, Variety report. Since making Monster, Jenkins has been fairly quiet, taking a few directing jobs on TV’s Entourage and Arrested Development (that great episode where they build a mini to-scale model house outside their windows for the Japanese investors), and has just been back in the spotlight for her Emmy-nominated direction of the pilot episode of The Killing, which was itself nominated for six Primetime Emmys this year.

Jenkins’ name is somewhat unexpected, given that she doesn’t seem to have much experience in the special effects department. But then Branagh was just as unexpected, and he made a fantastic film, so I’m sure Marvel know what they’re doing. The talks are still in the early stages, so nothing concrete yet, but if the job does go to Jenkins, it could certainly put her name back on the map. The film has already been scheduled for a 26^th July, 2013 release date, which should give us a great summer blockbuster to look forward to in two years’ time, with Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, and Anthony Hopkins all set to reprise their roles from the first film. More news as we get it.

The Weinstein Company have unveiled the first official poster for My Week with Marilyn.

Directed by Simon Curtis (Cranford), My Week with Marilyn stars Michelle Williams, Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, Dominic Cooper, Emma Watson, Eddie Redmayne, Julia Ormond, Toby Jones, Derek Jacobi and Dougray Scott.

Colin Clark (Redmayne), an employee of Sir Laurence Olivier’s, documents the tense interaction between Olivier (Branagh) and Marilyn Monroe (Williams) during production of The Prince and the Showgirl.

My Week with Marilyn is scheduled for release in the U.K. on November 18.

Check out the poster below:

Source: Moviefone

Actor/director Kenneth Branagh (Hamlet) is in early talks to direct an adaptation of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society for Fox 2000.

Adapted by screenwriter Don Ross (Marley & Me), the 2008 novel centers on a thirtysomething author swarmed by letters from inhabitants of her once-German-occupied British island in the aftermath of World War II.

Fox 2000 are hoping to start production on The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society early next year.

Branagh’s last directorial effort, Thor, earned rave reviews upon its release in May and has so far grossed an estimated $448M worldwide.

Source: THR

Brian Kirk is in talks to direct Thor 2 for Walt Disney Pictures and Marvel Studios.

Kirk, best known for directing episodes of Game of Thrones Dexter, Luther and Boardwalk Empire, will take over from Kenneth Branagh, who declined the chance to return to the directors chair for the sequel.

Thor 2 is set for release on July 26, 2013, so will presumably enter production early next year.

Thor, which was released to approbation earlier this year, has so far grossed an estimated $448M at the worldwide box office.

Source: Variety

On the fifteenth of July, 2011, the highest grossing film franchise ever will finally come to an end. Spanning ten years, eight movies, four directors and a worldwide box-office gross of over six billion dollars – the Harry Potter film franchise will draw to a close with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, as Harry faces off against He Who Must Not Be Named for the very last time.

Billed as The Motion Picture Event of a Generation, we at HeyUGuys wouldn’t want anybody to miss out. As such, here’s our recap of second book in the franchise, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. So, without further ado, previously on Harry Potter…

Enemies of the heir, beware.

With a year of wizarding school under his mandrake-proof earmuffs, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is finally enjoying the spoils of his newfound fame and fortune – namely a whole bedroom to himself, the diva – when he meets with the unfortunate assistance of self-flagellating house-elf Dobby. Unable to access the Hogwarts Express via Platform 9 3/4, Harry and Ron (Rupert Grint) are left with many sane choices but instead opt to take Mr. Weasley’s flying car across country to school, accidentally crashing into the school’s whomping willow and breaking Ron’s wand in the process. With celebrated adventurer Gilderoy Lockheart (Kenneth Branagh) replacing Professor Quirrell as the school’s Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, a new mystery soon apparates into view  - what exactly is the eponymous Chamber of Secrets?

Something is stalking the corridors of Hogwarts, petrifying anyone unlucky enough to get in its way. With Hermione (Emma Watson) soon out of action and Ron’s sister Ginny (Bonnie Wright) held prisoner in the beast’s lair, Harry learns of the Chamber’s location from the resident creatures previous victim, toilet trawler Moaning Myrtle, and takes Ron and Lockheart to stop the creature before it can strike again. When Lockheart reveals himself to be a fraud and attempts to steal the glory from Harry using Ron’s broken wand, the spell backfires leaving Lockheart amnesic and Harry alone. Identifying Tom Riddle – Voldermort’s younger self, acting through an old diary – as the mastermind behind the Basilisk’s attacks, Harry slays the beast and destroys the book with one of its fangs ending the spell and saving Ginny from her deathly fate.

Columbus returns for his second – and final – take on the Potter saga, delivering another faithful and assured adaptation in the process. A year older and without the benefit of the first movie’s introductory novelty, Radcliffe, Grint and Watson’s thespian shortcomings come to the fore, exemplified in contrast to the considerable talent occupying the film’s many supporting roles. Chamber of Secret’s also heralds in some of the franchises other trademarks, beginning the series’ ongoing pursuit of darkness while also boasting a welcomingly disarming sense of humour.

Although still bloated and overlong, this first sequel successfully irons out a few of Philosopher Stone’s primary flaws. Whereas the first film’s Quiddich sequence was relatively staid and unexciting, the effects have developed to a point where the game does justice to the wizarding sport, the film’s climax also benefiting from a much needed shot of adrenaline. Moreover, Dobby – although likened by some to the Phantom Menace’s Jar Jar Binks – is a welcome addition to the series, Toby Jones’ voicework really bringing the fan favourite character to life. It is Jason Isaacs’ Lucius Malfoy who really steals the show, however, as Draco’s softly spoken but endlessly menacing father. Boasting a blonde wig and wispy tone to match, Issacs makes such an impression that his presence is ultimately missed in the following instalment.

Currently the 21st highest-grossing film ever made, and the first film to sell one million DVDs in its opening weekend in the U.K., Columbus was clearly doing something right. Having picked a name less alien to American audiences, J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets also overcomes the first film’s unfortunate identity crisis, with the cast no longer having to worry about filming some scenes twice. Foreshadowing future instalments – particularly Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – with the introduction of Aragog and the destruction of Tom Riddles diary, revisiting the Chamber of Secrets has become a truly portentous joy.

Homenum Revelio: Madam Hooch saw her lines siphoned off to Professor McGonagall when Zoë Wanamaker stepped down from the series citing dissatisfaction with the proposed salary.

Lumos: The trailer for Chamber of Secrets debuted before Scooby-Doo (2002), no doubt explaining how it earned enough money to justify a sequel of its own.

Check up with the other films so far in the Harry Potter Retrospective here.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows^TM – Part 2 is in cinemas now

Harry Potter Years 1-7: Part 1 Box Set is available on Blu-ray and DVD now

Evanna Lynch puts in an appearance as Luna Lovegood in this new clip from the final film in the Harry Potter saga, and with the World Premiere in London tomorrow night (and with the fans already camped out) this really is the end for the whirligig of Pottermania.

We’ll be covering the premiere with red carpet interviews and a live stream of events in London and you can follow our ongoing retrospective on the Potter films on the site over the next week.

This new clip sees Hogwarts in a tailspin as the army of Lord Voldermort approaches for the final showdown. Here’s hoping the last film will live up to the unpresedented hype with which it arrives.

Clipicus Followium,

Cheers Yahoo.

This week is all about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 and to celebrate, Warner Bros. have released what I believe to be the final batch of images from the movie. This week, we’ll be at the world premiere in Leicester Square along with hopefully hanging out with some of the cast so keep your eyes peeled for our review of all the events that we have coming up.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2,” is the final adventure in the Harry Potter film series. The much-anticipated motion picture event is the second of two full-length parts. In the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry Potter who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort . It all ends here.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is directed by David Yates , stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter , Jim Broadbent , Robbie Coltrane , Warwick Davis , Tom Felton , Ralph Fiennes , Michael Gambon , Ciarán Hinds, John Hurt , Jason Isaacs , Matthew Lewis, Gary Oldman , Alan Rickman , Maggie Smith , David Thewlis, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, Bonnie Wright and is released 15th July in the US and UK.

Source: CinemaBlend

More clippage from the last of the Harry Potter films, and this sees Ron and Hermione returning to an old haunt.

These clips are coming thick and fast and serve to tease fans of the series, and it’s fair to say that the next few weeks will all be about the boy wizard.

There’s not too long now until the game is up and the Battle of Hogwarts begins. Next week sees the world premiere of the film here in London and it’s sure to be the biggest Potterfest yet, we’ll be there to bring you all the interviews and footage from the event.

Here’s your clip,

Fandango had the goods.