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

Ever since Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, Pi, Requiem for a Dream) jumped ship from The Wolverine, we have wondered which beach he would finally wash up on. Needless to say, the critical acclaim (and now apparently hefty BO receipts) enjoyed by Black Swan gave Aronofsky some breadth of choice and accordingly, we hear he may team up with George Clooney for a sci-fi project by the name of Human Nature.

The last film we saw with that name featured an exceedingly hirsuite Rhys Ifans, with Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman giving us their typically skewed look at humanity. We find ourselves in very different territory this time around, however.

Human Nature is an original sci-fi script by Jeff Welch, which has apparently been knocking around for more than a decade. Welch hasn’t much else at all to his name, but then at one point neither did Tarantino or Kaufman, so let’s not pass judgement too prematurely. The script finds Clooney being cryogenically frozen and waking up to a future where humans are kept as pets. Part Planet of the Apes, part Forever Young, part Austin Powers, part Demolition Man?

In all seriousness, it seems safe to assume that this will be a sincere, prestige piece, hopefully continuing recent examples of serious, ideas-based sci-fi (Moon, Source Code, Monsters), rather than the bombastic spectacle of Transformers, Skyline and its like. Akiva Goldsman is believed to be on producer duties at Warner Bros and is said to be looking at the budget, but if all is well, we might see Aronofsky and Clooney back in this genre for the first time since The Fountain and Solaris.

Source: Vulture.

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.

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.

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.

There is just over a week to go until the Austin faithful get to witness the premiere of Duncan Jones’ follow up to the wonderful Moon, when Source Code hits SXSW.

We’ve seen a recent slew of trailers, clips and the occasional poster for this film, which sees Jake Gyllenhaal as part of a covert government project where he inhabits another person’s body, a passenger on a train which explodes killing everyone on board, for eight minutes in which he has to find the bomber.

It’s a great premise with a strong script and with Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright and Michelle Monaghan on board Jones should have another winner on his hands.

The epic website Man Made Movies pointed us to a short video going behind the scenes of the film and it’s the perfect primer for Source Code, a film which we get to see here in the UK on the 1st of April.

One of the things we loved about Duncan Jones’ debut Moon was how flipping great it was. It thrust Jones into the spotlight and while we wait for his Blade Runneresque future shock Mute we are in the fortunate position of nearing the release of his follow up film Source Code.

Jake Gyllenhaal leads the cast of Jeffrey Wright, Michelle Monaghan and Vera Farmiga on an adventure in the near future using classified technology to uncover the identity of a train bomber before he strikes again. Gyllenhaal has to relive the last eight minutes of a man who died on the train using this time bending body swapping tech, eight minutes over and over until he finds the bomber. It’s a great premise and the trailers have sold it pretty well to me already – where Jones is involved I’ll be there.

Lovefilm have an exclusive clip which they’ve soldered to their webpage so we can’t embed it here – instead click here to watch.

UK people will be able to catch the whole thing on the 1st of April.

Summit Entertainment have posted the second official US trailer for sci-fi thriller Source Code.

Directed by BAFTA award-winner Duncan Jones (Moon), Source Code stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Vera Farmiga, Michelle Monaghan, Jeffrey Wright, Russell Peters, Cas Anvar and Michael Arden.

Source Code will be released in the UK on April 1.

Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes with a jolt to find himself on a commuter train heading into Chicago. Although the other passengers all seem to know him, he has absolutely no idea where – or even who – he is. The last thing Colter remembers is flying a helicopter mission in Iraq, but here he is in someone else’s life going through someone else’s morning commute. Before he can do anything an express train zooms by on the opposite track and a bomb explodes, seemingly killing Colter and all the other passengers. Colter comes to in an isolation chamber, strapped to a seat, and wearing his military flight suit. He still has no idea what’s happening, except that he’s being spoken to by mission controller Carol Goodwin (Vera Farmiga), who calmly recites a series of memory questions to which Colter is shocked to realize he knows the answers.

He learns he’s part of an operation called “Beleaguered Castle,” but before he can progress any further, Goodwin starts up the machinery and suddenly Colter is back on the train, at exactly the same time he first appeared there, once again speeding through Chicago with the same group of commuters. Colter figures he’s in some kind of simulation exercise, with his task being to find the bomber on board the train before it goes off again. Living the explosion over and over, Colter must uncover the identity of the bomber, while also figuring out what the alternative universe of “Beleaguered Castle” is. Adding to the puzzle, Colter uses the second chance opportunities to make peace with his father, and to find romance with a fellow passenger on the train.

Watch the trailer below:

Our friends over at Wet Dark and Wild, (a shrine to all things Jake Gyllenhall) have some scanned image from the latest issue of Empire Magazine which show some new shots from Moon director, Duncan Jones’ latest movie, Source Code.

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.

Source Code also stars Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright, Russell Peters and is released in the UK 1st April so not too long to wait!

Check out the images below which you can click to enlarge.

Summit Entertainment, via Yahoo, have released the first official poster for sci-fi adventure film Source Code.

Directed by Duncan Jones (Moon), Source Code stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Vera Farmiga, Michelle Monaghan, Jeffrey Wright, Russell Peters, Michael Arden and Cas Anvar.

When decorated soldier Captain Colter Stevens (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 “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.

Source Code will be released in the UK on April 22, 2011.

A promo poster and synopsis for Wuthering Heights have appeared online, courtesy of ThePlaylist.

Directed by Andrea Arnold as her follow-up to the widely acclaimed Fish Tank, Wuthering Heights is an adaptation of Emily Brontë‘s classic novel.

Wuthering Heights currently stars Kaya Scodelario (Moon) and Nichola Burley (Donkey Punch). Arnold is actively seeking a male actor to portray Heathcliff.

I’ve embedded the poster and official synopsis below:

What would you do if you were denied your soulmate?

The passionate tale of Heathcliff and Cathy (Scodelario), two teenagers whose elemental love for each other creates a storm of vengeance.

From director Andrea Arnold (Fish Tank, Red Road), comes a new take on the classic, a startling vision of desire and obsession.

All eyes are on Duncan Jones as he follows up his sublime trip to the Moon with an Earthbound thriller which has elements of Quantum Leap and Groundhog Day spun into the mix.

Jake Gyllenhaal plays our hero caught in a time loop of sorts, on a train which explodes and he finds himself reliving the same seventeen minutes over and over until he can discover the terrorist. As well as completing his mission he also has to discover who he is completing the mission for, and that’s about as much as we knew before this synopsis hit the internets today.

If you’re curious about the premise then I’d advise reading the first paragraph and about half of the second.  The last line of the synopsis presented here pretty much gives away most of the emotional beats Jones has in store and, frankly, makes it sounds far less interesting than it actually is.

There’s a lot of expectation for this film, many people can’t wait to see Jones step behind the camera again. I’m one of them.

Here’s the full synopsis for Source Code,

Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes with a jolt to find himself on a commuter train heading into Chicago. Although the other passengers all seem to know him, he has absolutely no idea where—or even who—he is.  The last thing Colter remembers is flying a helicopter mission in Iraq, but here he is in someone else’s life going through someone else’s morning commute.  Before he can do anything an express train zooms by on the opposite track and a bomb explodes, seemingly killing Colter and all the other passengers.

Colter comes to in an isolation chamber, strapped to a seat, and wearing his military flight suit. He still has no idea what’s happening, except that he’s being spoken to by mission controller Carol Goodwin (Vera Farmiga), who calmly recites a series of memory questions to which Colter is shocked to realize he knows the answers. He learns he’s part of an operation called “Beleaguered Castle,” but before he can progress any further, Goodwin starts up the machinery and suddenly…Colter is back on the train, at exactly the same time he first appeared there, once again speeding through Chicago with the same group of commuters. Colter figures he’s in some kind of simulation exercise, with his task being to find the bomber onboard the train before it goes off again. Living the explosion over and over, Colter must uncover the identity of the bomber, while also figuring out what the alternative universe of “Beleaguered Castle” is. Adding to the puzzle, Colter uses the second chance opportunities to make peace with his father, and to find romance with a fellow passenger on the train.

Collider had this originally.

There’s currently a conference going on in the US called American Film Market (AFM) where many studios are showing previews of movies and showcasing new marketing material. Well, ComingSoon are there and snapped this brand new image of Jake Gyllenhaal in the Duncan Jones directed movie, Source Code.

Everyone’s getting excited about Jake’s new movie with Anne Hathaway and Oliver Platt called Love and Other Drugs but all of the guys here at HeyUGuys Towers are excited about this movie more!Why? Because Duncan Jones did such a bloody fantastic job with Moon last year, we want more from him!

Plot: A sci-fi story centered on a soldier who wakes up in the body of a commuter who witnesses a train explosion.

Source Code also stars Vera Famiga, Michelle Monaghan, Jeffrey Wright, Russell Peters and is expected 2011.

Some great news tonight concerning one of our most anticipated films of next year, as Twitter has provided an update on Duncan Jones’ follow up to the BAFTA award winning Moon, the time warping sci-fi Source Code.

It’s not entirely unexpected but the sheer enthusiasm with which director Duncan Jones tweeted the following sums up the feelings of us all.

Here’s what Man Made Moon tweeted earlier this evening,

Mansell’s score to Jones’s debut film was stunning and gave the film’s sparse beauty enormous power, to hear that Mansell is going to be scoring Source Code is, as Jones says, bloody fantastic.

As well as teaming with Jones on Moon Mansell is best known for his work with Darren Aronofsky, and his score to Black Swan is one we are particularly looking forward to. The more Mansell the better.

Source Code will be released on the 15th of April 2011 and stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Jeffrey Wright, Michelle Monaghan and Vera Farmiga.

The first official image from Duncan Jones’ Source Code has turned up online, via WetDarkandWild.

Jones’ follow-up to 2009′s critically-acclaimed Moon centers on a soldier (Jake Gyllenhaal) who wakes up in the body of a commuter who witnesses a train explosion. Again, it’s a sci-fi/drama.

The film boasts a very impressive supporting cast, including Michelle Monaghan (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air), Jeffrey Wright (Casino Royale) and Michael Arden (Bride Wars).

Empire, in their latest issue, have confirmed that Source Code will be released in the UK on March 11, 2011.

Check below for the first image:

One of my regular stops on the internet is the wonderful ManMadeMovies, which is the best place to go for all those Lunartics who were caught up in the orbit of Duncan Jones after the release of his sublime Moon.

Now with his recent BAFTA in his pocket Duncan Jones is onto bigger things, namely Source Code with Jake Gyllenhaal and Vera Farmiga and ManMadeMovies had the chance to talk with Jones to discuss his past, present and future.

It’s a great interview and I’m sure that if you follow Jones on Twitter you’ll know that he is a very generous guy, keen to embrace the internet and in the candid interview he gives updates on Source Code and tells the story of his dalliance with the new Judge Dredd movie,

I would have loved to do the Judge Dredd movie that is underway. I was in fact sent the script to look at. Its a great script, and I hope I will not rue the decision of passing on it.

Thing was, I had such a strong idea of what I wanted to do with a Dredd movie, I could not bring myself to take it on and not do it my way! … and its not like I could do it as a sequel either; my Dredd would have been really weird, and dark and funny, but not your traditional introduction to a hero character. I dont even know if I could have made my version of the film pitch-able. It was maybe too off the wall.

Man – that would have been something to see…

Head on over to ManMadeMovies (and follow him on Twitter here) for the full interview – it’s well worth your time.