Welcome to our new regular section in which members of the HeyUGuys family discuss a variety of topics concerning all things cinema.

We’ll pick a topic inspired by what’s happening in the world of film and invite our writers to voice their opinions, an invitation we extend to you. If you want to submit your own answer, or respond to an answer from one of our writers, then please do so.

This month sees the return of Kate Beckinsale as the gun-toting vampire warrior Selene in Underworld: Awakening. It’s a series which has managed to last for almost a decade now, despite a middling critical and audience response for each film (the domestic gross for previous instalment Underworld: Rise of the Lycans was the lowest out of the trilogy), yet that battle between those two warring tribes is back once more (it’s perhaps no surprise that the addition of 3D had been factored in this time around).

With this in mind, we asked our writers if there were any franchises out there which have more than outstayed their welcome, or alternatively, were there any films yet to be greenlighted for a sequel which could benefit from a continuation in the story.

Kelly Alyse

As much as they are ridiculous, predictable and far-fetched, I still find the Final Destination series very entertaining. The audience watching the films aren’t expecting ground-breaking performances, or storyline that will baffle them for hours after they leave the cinema – they are looking for something light-hearted, silly and fun. The film’s writers do a great job coming up with the different scenarios the teens can get themselves into, and each one comes packed with a gruesomely awesome punch.

One I believe should be put to rest is the Saw franchise. The first film was brilliantly thought out and truly intense to watch, but the films have slowly declined into a world of sadistic torture that’s pretty unbearable. Coming up with scenes that rip a person’s chest open or pull eyeballs out just isn’t entertaining.

I realise you could say the same about someone being burnt to death in a sun bed, but the difference between the two franchises is the fact that Final Destination is made to be laughed at. Saw is made to terrify and cause trauma. I know which one I’d rather watch…

Ones I’d watch time and time again are the Transformers, Paranormal Activity, X-Men and Iron Man franchises, even though I do class these films as guilty pleasures.

Tracy Ladd

Please, no more Transformers! I really hope this franchise has reached the end but with rumours about a 4th twirling about, I don’t think it’s dead yet. As cheesy and over-the-top as i

t was, I adored the first one. I just rewatched it recently and it still holds up pretty well. I did a complete 180 on the second one and had nothing but loathing for it. I went to see the third one to see if it was any better. While it was better than the second, it doesn’t compare to the first. Transformers needs to be put out to pasture.

Speak ill if you must, but I really dug The A-Team. Sure, it planted its foot firmly beyond the borders of ridiculous, but I didn’t care. I loved the action and thought the cast did a great job working off each other. I liked how the movie ended and wished that they continued on with at least a second one just to see where it went. Sadly, that won’t happen.

As much as I adored Pierce Brosnan in the Bond role in Goldeneye, his others were severely lacking and just seemed to get worse. Then Daniel Craig took over and Bond got dirty. The fact that the series went gritty is what drew me back in and even though Quantum of Solace wasn’t quite what Casino Royale was I’m still glad that this franchise is still kicking.

Kenji Lloyd

If I could pick one film to get a sequel it would be Guy Ritchie’s RocknRolla, hands down. The original is one of my all-time favourites, starring the likes of Gerard Butler, Mark Strong, Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, Jeremy Piven, Tom Wilkinson, Thandie Newton, and of course, Toby Kebbell as the brilliant rocknrolla himself. At the end of the film, Ritchie threw in a genius nod announcing he’d be returning with a sequel, but sadly, it is yet to materialise.

After RocknRolla he directed Sherlock Holmes, (which exploded for him and Warner Bros.) and followed that with last year’s awesome Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, and the third film has already been announced, which is great news. But as a lover of RocknRolla, I’m really hoping that Johnny, Archy, and the Wild Bunch will be back in The Real RocknRolla after that, because I can’t wait for Ritchie and his cast and crew to return to that world. Ritchie’s said he’s written a script, and that Joel Silver will pay for him to do it, so it’s just a matter of figuring out when. Whenever that is, it’s going to be amazing.

Adam Lowes

In all honesty, I think Bond should have been retired many years ago. No matter how many do-overs and reinvigorations, it’s a series which always follows that same ridged narrative path, with little in the way of surprises or any interesting deviations. As solid an actor as Pierce Brosnan was in the part, I wasn’t a fan of any of the films from the series he appeared in, and each successive adventure seemed to promise much, but in reality, the series grew increasingly preposterous and tiring.

The makers managed to bring something interesting to the table for Casino Royale (it’s obvious ole’ Jason Bourne was somewhat of an influence), but ‘Quantum’ was a serious step backwards, and returned the franchise to that simplistic structure which Craig’s first outing deliberately tried to avoid. Even the idea of Bond extricating himself from the secret service and making it a personal vendetta was the basis for Licence to Kill nearly twenty years previous, highlighting the lack of originality after a promising return for the character.

No doubt Sam Mendes will be hoping to bring something fresh and exciting to the world of 007 once more, but even with the heavyweight cast he’s assembled (the addition of Javier Bardem alone is a very exciting prospect) he has his work cut out.

Click below for Indiana Jones, more Pooh and an intriguing idea concerning Inception…

We’re big fans of Bond, James Bond here at HeyUGuys and the announcement at CES2012 this evening from MGM and 20th Century Fox is a welcome one indeed. The entire collection of Bond films are heading to Blu-ray with a special Bond50 collection.

All twenty-two films are being given a HD polish, with nine films making their debut in high-definition and we are being promised some exclusive bonus content yet to be detailed. All you need is Alan Partridge doing the commentary tracks and it’ll be the ultimate collection.

Click here to pre-order your copy before it arrives October 1st 2012.

Here’s the launch trailer, crank it up all the way to 1080p and enjoy.

And don’t go anywhere without watching the animated packshot!

Here’s the box set picture which can be clicked to make it enormous.

Right, then, first things first, Try to Remain Calm! We’ve got something exciting this Saturday evening as we’ve just sent us over some rather nice casting news along with a rather fabulous first poster and synopsis for a new movie, UFO.

The film comes from the came team behind How to Stop Being a Loser (trailer here) and Airborne (trailer here) which is currently in post production and stars Mark Hamill (All our coverage here). UFO is currently shooting in Derbyshire in the UK and we’re told that it’s a mix between Independence Day and Monsters told from the point of view of Signs! Sounds intriguing!

The film’s principle lead is American actress, Bianca Bree and this will be her first major movie. From what we’ve heard she’s one to watch out for as we have it on good authority that she’s going to be rather a big star in the making. She’ll be joined by Sean Brosnan who has a rather famous dad in the form of Pierce Brosnan, Simon Phillips who we’ve previously seen in the ‘Jack’ series of movies, Andrew Shim who you’ll know from This is England and more recently Airborne, Jazz Lintott (Airborne/The new recruit on The Real Hustle), Peter Barratt (Jack Falls/Airborne), Forbes KB (Jack Falls/Airborne) and another newcomer Maya Grant who won her role after an extensive casting call. Last and by no means least we have a cameo from the legendary Jean Claude Van Damme!

This is the casting for now. We’re told that there are more names to be announced but this should get you excited. We’ll obviously bring you any more developments as we hear them.

The script comes from Dominic Burns (How to Stop Being a Loser, Airborne,) who is also directing UFO. Andy Thompson, Tim Major, Dominic Burns and Alain Wildberger act as Producers. Scroll down to have a read of the synopsis and scroll down even further to see the brand new and exclusive poster from the movie which we’re very excited about! We hope to see the movie on screen in 2012.

Synopsis: Five friends wake on a seemingly normal morning to find the power’s out, there’s no mobile phone reception and the radio can tune nothing but static… None of the neighbours know anything about what could have caused these occurrences and news soon arrives that it may in fact spread across half of the UK, maybe further. But with no way of discovering any information and no advice on what to do, the atmosphere quickly turns edgy.

Two nights later they are awoken in the dead of night by what seems like a violent earthquake, strange lights are spotted shining down from high above outside, something is flying over the house, not just the house, the entire neighbourhood, something huge. A city size UFO, finally settles, hovering in the distance above the nearest city.

What now? Are they going to attack? Have they already attacked? Are the power cuts an accidental side effect the UFO isn’t aware of? How quickly will society deteriorate and turn into survival of the fittest? What would you do to survive, to ensure the survival of those you love?

Whatever happens… Try to remain calm.

Click the poster below to enlarge.

‘We haven’t inherited this world from our parents; we’ve borrowed it from our children…’

Dr. Jane Goodall, celebrated primatologist and ethnographer, is an extraordinary woman. Having ambitioned at the age of just ten to one day move to Africa and live with the animals, a young Jane Goodall set off from her England home with obliging mother in tow. Sponsored by one Louis Leakey, who believed a woman not yet biased by further education would make the best observer, Goodall went on to revolutionise the field of primatology with the discovery of tool-use in chimpanzee culture. While in the field, Goodall also redefining preconceived beliefs surrounding the chimpanzee diet and the species’ capability of experiencing emotion.

While Jane’s Journey might flirt with Goodall’s contribution to anthropology, splicing in archive footage and paying lip service to her troglodyte muse David Greybeard, this is by no means an in depth study of the woman’s many scientific accomplishments. Knee deep in chimpanzees and crouched in a picturesque clearing, her back turned to a truly arresting jungle scene, Goodall speaks not of her discoveries or achievements, but of her two marriages and the often turbulent relationship she has with her son, Grub. Having lost two husbands – one to jealousy and the other to cancer – Goodall’s nomadic lifestyle has clearly taken its toll on her personal life, her convictions inevitably coming into conflict with her son’s early business venture in the exportation of lobsters.

Jane’s Journey serves a purpose beyond mere biography, however, with the film’s humanitarian cause becoming increasingly prominent as the documentary progresses. Now 75, Goodall shows no sign of giving up her adventurous and wandering lifestyle. Travelling three hundred days a year, and with initiatives set up in over 120 countries, the Jane Goodall Institute and its Roots and Shoots projects endeavour to bring hope to children and inspire the next generation to remodel their worldview and reconsider their priorities. Determined that there is still time to make a difference, Jane’s Journey is a great platform for reaching out to audiences unfamiliar with Goodall’s esteemed work: both scientific and ecological.

Recruiting endorsements from the likes of Kofi Annan, Angelina Jolie and Pierce Brosnan, Jane’s Journey paints the picture of a likeable and anecdotal, yet ruthlessly determined Goodall; a veritable force of nature whose enterprise and activism is wonderfully undermined by a dutiful cuddly toy that never leaves her side. As she journeys from country to country, lecture to lecture, school to school, it is unequivocally clear that although grey-haired and frail looking, Dr. Jane Goodall’s work isn’t anywhere near over.

While the anthropologist in me was dispirited by Jane’s Journey’s oversimplified approach to Goodalls’ many scientific advancements, the message of hope is expounded with such unwavering enthusiasm and urgency that the film at least succeeds in conveying the budding humanitarian’s optimistic, but realistic, stratagem for improvement. Although it could have made better use of its generous running-time, and struck a more effective balance between the paying of tribute and propaganda, Lorenz Knauer’s documentary is an engaging introduction to a truly inspirational – as one awards presenter puts it – “environmental superstar”. Just don’t confuse her with Dian Fossey of Gorillas in the Mist.

***½~ (3.5/5)

The Weinstein Company have released the theatrical trailer for I Don’t Know How She Does It, the feature film adaptation of Allison Pearson’s acclaimed comedy novel.

Directed by Douglas McGrath (Infamous), I Don’t Know How She Does It stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Pierce Brosnan, Kelsey Grammer, Olivia Munn, Greg Kinnear, Seth Meyers, Christina Hendricks and Jessica Szohr.

Hedge-fund manager, wife, and mother of two, Kate Reddy manages to juggle nine currencies in five time zones and keep in step with the Teletubbies. But when she finds herself awake at 1:37 a.m. in a panic over the need to produce a homemade pie for her daughter’s school, she has to admit her life has become unrecognisable.

I Don’t Know How She Does It is scheduled to hit UK & US cinemas on September 16.

Watch the trailer below:

IFC Films & Mandalay Vision have released the first trailer for their new movie, Salvation Boulevard which is directed by George Ratliff and stars Pierce Brosnan, Ed Harris, Jim Gaffigan, Marisa Tomei and Jennifer Connelly.

Synopsis: Pastor Dan Day is a charismatic evangelical preacher who has captivated a small western American town with his charm — and the promise of a sweet real estate development. Carl is a former follower — not of Christ, but of the Grateful Dead — who has since become “found” in Dan’s Evangelical community, serving as one of the preacher’s great examples of spiritual and moral transformation. But Carl’s new belief system is turned upside down when he witnesses a sinful act that Pastor Dan’s doughy henchman aims to cover up.

Salvation Boulevard hits US cinemas 15th July. No UK release date as yet.

Source: Yahoo

The last Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear two-hander (comedy drama The Matador) didn’t exactly set box office tills a-ringin’, but they’re back again for another dark comedic outing, Salvation Boulevard, the poster of which (courtesy of IMP Awards) , you can see below.

Here the IMDb blurb:

“Set in the world of mega-churches in which a former Deadhead-turned-born again-Christian finds himself on the run from fundamentalist members of his mega-church who will do anything to protect their larger-than-life pastor.”

Sure hope this unimaginative poster isn’t a reflection on the film (it looks like a really bad 90’s DTV feature), and with solid support in the form of Jennifer Connelly, Marisa Tomei, Ed Harris and that evil little ‘Orphan’ Isabelle Fuhrman, maybe there’s the possibility of be a fun experience to be had here, no matter if the film’s marketing department are trying to suggest otherwise.

Last night HeyUGuys had the pleasure of attending the 31^st London Critics’ Circle Film Awards.  Hosted at the BFI Southbank, it was a great evening, featuring talented names aplenty all supping from complimentary miniature bottles of Moët served up classily with bendy straws.

It might not have the same profile as this weekend’s BAFTA ceremony, but with its awards voted for by more than 120 members of the London Circle – including critics, broadcasters and writers – it’s certainly not an event to be ignored. And with this article, accompanied by our own personal photographs from the occasion (click any image to enlarge), you can feel like you were there.

First to arrive on the red carpet were Lesley Manville, who would pick up British Actress of the Year for her performance in Mike Leigh’s Another Year, and actor Thomas Turgoose, nominated for Young British Performer of the Year for his part in The Scouting Book For Boys. Though it turned out that Turgoose was to miss out on this occasion (the award going to Conor McCarron for his role in NEDs), he was more than happy to discuss his upcoming work with us.

Known for his collaborations with director Shane Meadows, we inquired as to whether Thomas had any news on the latest This Is England sequel, this time set in 1988. “It’s like a Christmas special,” the actor revealed, giving a nice hint at when we can expect to see it on air, “But I’m not allowed to say what happens in it! Literally only about seven people have the script at the moment, but I think you can expect some surprises. In fact, you should definitely expect some pretty major surprises. It’s going to do well, I think.” What a tease!

But with all Turgoose’s projects to date being set in familiar English territory, would the actor ever consider the move across the pond? “No, definitely not. Well, to be fair, I guess I’d consider it if it was a good offer, but I still live in Grimsby at the moment – I’ve never been to America. I won an award at Tribeca once, Robert De Niro’s festival, but I had to do my maths exam!”

Shortly after Thomas left us, a wave of excitement rippled through the autograph hunters on the other side of the carpet. “Danny!”, the shouts came, “Danny who?”, we wondered, flicking through our list of attendees. Turning around, it soon became apparent than one certain Mr Danny Boyle (nominated for British Director of the Year for 127 Hours) had apparently sneaked into the ceremony unannounced, using a back entrance and avoiding the pomp of the red carpet. Dressed casually in jeans and a zip-up jumper, he posed for some publicity shots with a bottle of Moët before making his way back inside.

Next to come our way was Gareth Unwin, co-producer of The King’s Speech.  Speaking about the film, he had nothing but praise for how his colleagues approached the screenplay. “We always knew the script had humour,” Unwin explained, “but it wasn’t until Colin and Geoffrey started vibing off each other on set that we realised we had this kind of comedy bromance in the making.  If you watch the film, I think there’s this wonderful ebb and flow between high drama and real humour, which Tom Hooper manages wonderfully.”

The film’s screenwriter David Seidler followed soon after and expressed how grateful he’d been to hear about those audience’s that burst into spontaneous applause at the end of their screenings. “When it started happening in America, at the film festivals, I was really blown away by it,” he shared. “And when we were at Toronto and two thousand people stood as one and applauded, I completely lost it. I disgraced myself – tears rolling down my face – and then they put a spotlight on me!” Clearly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of praise the film has been drawing, Seidler added; “I keep on looking over my shoulder waiting to see the guy who really wrote it! I’m waiting for the alarm clock to go off and to realise that it’s all been a dream.”

When asked about the current situation regarding the film’s American certificate battle, the writer responded that “the film would have to be re-cut anyway eventually for aeroplane use and for television, so that was always going to happen.” Speaking honestly, Seidler added that he thought that “the possible error of judgement was to talk about it before the Oscars, amongst the general public. Harvey Weinstein’s a very bright man, he loves film and he’s a great marketer, but I think announcing it this early was not one of his best ideas.”

With Colin Firth being whisked past before we got a chance to lunge in with any questions about the upcoming Gambit remake, the only thing we did manage to overhear at this point was the Sunday Mirror attempting to grab an exclusive scoop of Colin’s favourite party trick. “I don’t have any party tricks, I’m afraid. I’ll have to get back to you on that one!” Drat. Though after winning his award, the star did later reveal to the News of the World that he’d been having a little jam on his guitar just the day before. Asked whether he’d ever like to set up his own band, Firth grinned as he replied; “Who says I haven’t?” King George VI rocking a six string? You heard it here first! And there’ll be more from Mr Firth later on.

Incidentally, Mrs Firth – better known as Livia Giuggioli – dazzled many of the press with an eye-cathing Henrietta Ludgate structured dress and multicoloured heels. For pictures, see the gallery at the end of this article.

With Aaron Sorkin also slipping through our fingers on the red carpet (don’t worry, we got a hold of him later on), it was time to head inside to the Winner’s Room, where we were visited by the successful gong collectors after they had received their awards.

Among the first to join us was Olivia Williams, picking up the award for British Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in The Ghost. Williams had no trouble relating what had first drawn her to the project. “Well, there’s the obvious attraction of being married to Pierce Brosnan and shagging Ewan McGregor,” the actress quipped, much to the delighted agreement of the female attendees, “but there’s also the attraction of getting to work with the greatest living auteur, possibly the greatest ever auteur, Roman Polanski. I’m still looking for the down side.”

Sharing her experience of Polanski’s directorial style, Williams suggested that the director was frank, but fair. “He tells you what he wants you to do and if you don’t do it right then you go back and do it again. But he’s always right, so if you don’t do what he tells you, you’re a fool. He’s the master of suspense and it was an honour to work with him.”

Speaking to us after receiving her award for British Actress of the Year for her part in Mike Leigh’s Another Year, Lesley Manville paid tribute to to the other actresses in the film, including Ruth Sheen who she was nominated against. ”There have been some great parts for women this year,” Manville told us, “and especially women over 40, which I think is a good move.”

Relating her fondness for Leigh, whom the actress has worked with on six occasions, Manville said; “he’s great director. The work you do with him so collaborative. You really do get asked to work with him and create the characters from scratch. With Another Year, I think he’s made a great film about the human condition and how difficult it is for all of us to try and form those relationships that can last throughout a lifetime.”

Next came the return of the man of the moment, Colin Firth, fresh from receiving his prize for Actor of the Year.  It is the second year in a row that Firth has won the award having won last year for his role in A Single Man. Speaking in a similar vein to screenwriter David Seidler, Firth suggested the response to the film had been humbling, explaining that “to hear that people are actually standing up or clapping or expressing a personal response is probably as good as it gets.”

Going on to praise the validity not only of the Critics’ Circle, but every audience, Firth commented that “films like this depend entirely on what people say about them. They don’t depend on the money because there wasn’t much, they don’t depend on a big studio machine or a big financial apparatus.” Asked about reports that the Queen has both watched and enjoyed the film, he said that “it means a very great deal to me if that is the case.”

But despite the success of The King’s Speech, it was The Social Network that came out on top, winning Film of the Year. Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin was on hand to claim all four of the film’s awards – including his own for Screenwriter of the Year. “Andrew [Garfield] won tonight, David Fincher won tonight,” Sorkin summarised, “but of course the one we’re most proud of is the one we all won together.”

The key to the film’s success, Sorkin suggested, is the number of ways it can be interpreted. “I think if you line up ten people and ask them what they just saw after seeing The Social Network, you’re going to get ten different answers,” he said, “One of those answers is going to be that old media was sticking it to new media. Now, that certainly wasn’t my intention, but I don’t think it’s any less valid to take away than any of the other nine.”

When we asked him if he ever felt weary during the writing process as to how audience’s would take to a project about the founding of Facebook, Sorkin gave us an insight into his process. “I try to write what I like, what my friends would like and what I think my father would like. After that you keep your fingers crossed,” he explained. “I think if you try to write for what you think everybody’s going to like, that’s a good recipe for a bad movie.” Not wishing to take all the credit, however, Sorkin suggested that there were still “about a hundred different ways to make this movie badly. David [Fincher] managed to avoid every cliché.”

But before Mr Sorkin left, we seized the opportunity to try and wangle any exclusive news we could about his upcoming HBO series, which is set to portray the goings on of a cable news network.  ”It’s coming along well,” he shared, “I’ve written the pilot and we’re at the beginning of casting now.” The title? “More As The Story Develops.” And until we find out more, it seems very apt.

So, there you have it – the London Critics’ Circle Film Awards – done and dusted for another year! Click here to read a full list of the night’s nominees/winners and please feel free to look at the remainder of the night’s photos in the gallery below, including appearances by Will Poulter, Dexter Fletcher and winner of the Outstanding Contribution to Film award, Kristin Scott Thomas.

See you next year!

Tonight saw the fall of the 31st Critics’ Circle Film Awards, which was held for the first time at London’s BFI Southbank. Our full report will be online later today with all the red carpet gossip and winner’s reactions. Want to see Danny Boyle advertising Moët, hear about Aaron Sorkin’s upcoming HBO series, or find out whether Colin Firth has a favourite party trick? Then don’t miss out!

To whet your appetite in the meantime, though, we can now give you a full list of all the night’s winners. It was The Social Network and The King’s Speech which came out on top, grabbing four and three awards respectively, with Another Year, NEDs and Monsters also scooping rewards for their British talents.

The list below shows winners in red whilst blue text indicates the “Runners Up” as ruled by the critics board, so you can know who came close.

BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH FILM-MAKER

• Banksy- Exit Through the Gift Shop
• Clio Barnard – The Arbor **Runner Up**
• J Blakeson – The Disappearance of Alice Creed
• Gareth Edwards – Monsters **Winner**
• Chris Morris – Four Lions

YOUNG BRITISH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR

• Jessica Barden – Tamara Drewe **Runner Up**
• Conor McCarron – NEDs **Winner**
• Will Poulter – The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
• Saoirse Ronan – The Way Back
• Thomas Turgoose – The Scouting Book For Boys

BRITISH ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

• Helena Bonham Carter – Alice in Wonderland
• Christine Bottomley – The Arbor
• Minnie Driver – Barney’s Version
• Rosamund Pike – Made in Dagenham **Runner Up**
• Olivia Williams – The Ghost **Winner**

BRITISH ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

• David Bradley – Another Year **Runner Up**
• Pierce Brosnan – The Ghost
• Andrew Garfield – The Social Network **Winner**
• Tom Hardy – Inception
• Peter Wight – Another Year

BRITISH ACTRESS OF THE YEAR

• Helena Bonham Carter – The King’s Speech
• Lesley Manville – Another Year **Winner**
• Rosamund Pike – Barney’s Version
• Ruth Sheen – Another Year
• Tilda Swinton – I Am Love **Runner Up**

BRITISH ACTOR OF THE YEAR

• Riz Ahmed – Four Lions
• Christian Bale – The Fighter **Winner**
• Jim Broadbent – Another Year **Runner Up**
• Colin Firth – The King’s Speech
• Andrew Garfield – Never Let Me Go

ACTRESS OF THE YEAR

• Annette Bening – The Kids Are All Right **Winner**
• Jennifer Lawrence – Winter’s Bone
• Natalie Portman – Black Swan **Runner Up**
• Noomi Rapace – The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
• Hailee Steinfeld – True Grit

ACTOR OF THE YEAR

• Jeff Bridges – True Grit
• Jesse Eisenberg – The Social Network
• Colin Firth – The King’s Speech **Winner**
• Ryan Gosling – Blue Valentine
• Edgar Ramirez – Carlos **Runner Up**

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR

• Dogtooth
• I Am Love **Runner Up**
• Of Gods and Men **Winner**
• The Secret in Their Eyes
• Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives

SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR

• Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg – The Kids Are All Right
• Joel Coen & Ethan Coen – True Grit
• Chris Morris, Sam Bain, Simon Blackwell & Jesse Armstrong – Four Lions
• David Seidler – The King’s Speech **Runner Up**
• Aaron Sorkin – The Social Network **Winner**

BRITISH DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

• Clio Barnard – The Arbor
• Danny Boyle – 127 Hours
• Tom Hooper – The King’s Speech **Winner**
• Mike Leigh – Another Year **Runner Up**
• Christopher Nolan – Inception

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

• Darren Aronofsky – Black Swan **Runner Up*
• Joel Coen & Ethan Coen – True Grit
• David Fincher – The Social Network **Winner**
• Christopher Nolan – Inception
• Apichatpong Weerasethakul – Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives

BRITISH FILM OF THE YEAR (THE ATTENBOROUGH AWARD)

• 127 Hours
• The Arbor
• Another Year **Runner Up**
• The King’s Speech **Winner**
• Monsters

FILM OF THE YEAR

• Black Swan
• The Kids Are All Right
• The King’s Speech **Runner Up**
• The Social Network **Winner**
• Toy Story 3

And finally, the Critics’ Circle named their TOP 10 FILMS OF 2010 as follows:

1. The Social Network
2. The King’s Speech
3. Black Swan
4. Toy Story 3
5. The Kids Are All Right
6. Another Year
7. True Grit
8. Inception
9. I Am Love
10. Winter’s Bone

And that just about wraps it up for the night’s accolades. Let us know what you think of the winners and don’t forget to check back later on for our full report of the evening’s event, complete with pictures and words from the guests themselves.

MI6.com (with a tip of the cap to ComingSoon for the heads up) have unveiled the news that Dame Judi Dench will be back in Bond 23 (with the possible title, Red Sky at Night), reprising her role as  MI6 boss, ‘M’ that she’s now played in six previous bond movies both alongside Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig. Craig is confirmed to be appearing in the 23rd move which is to be directed by Sam Mendes.

“Of course, I’m looking forward hugely to working with Daniel [Craig] again and with Sam [Mendes] who I’ve only ever worked with in the theatre. So that’ll be all good fun to do! I’m so glad it’s coming back, it’s wonderful.”

Great to see the cast developing ever further. More as we get it.

With MGM firmly back on track and the next instalment of their most revered and financially viable property picking up pace, it’s inevitable that the rumour mill kicks into action over the Bond 23. We’ve already heard whispers of Rachel Weisz coming on board and now rumoured titles for the film are beginning to crop up.

The Sun is claiming the film is “tipped” to be called Red Sky at Night. Does Bond opt for a career change, and become a sailor mid-film? Bleeding Cool have done a little digging and unearthed this from a message board:

“I’m close friends with an art director in the film industry, I wont mention his name but he has worked closely with production designer Michael Carlin and is about to start work in Canada on Kal-El, the next Superman movie. He was busy in 2010 on Bond 23 before it went into hiatus. He told me that the movie for a while had the code name Red Shadow, but when official documentation and the script arrived it contained the title Red Sky At Night and as such was referred to as this by Sam Mendes, Michael Carlin and the producers and the studio etc.”

ajb007 also goes on to add:

“He (the art director) also said that filming would have been done in Ontario, Canada and there was a large stunt involving the Ontario Tower as well as a huge hockey game and skiing/winter sports sequences.”

Discounting Die Another Day, 007 on skis is always a welcome treat, although Inception already did a Bond-on-ice homage last year. As for the title (if indeed this is the one which they’ve settled on), it doesn’t immediately stand out as particularly memorable, but it sounds a damn sight better than the likes of annoyingly tenuous titles like Tomorrow Never Dies and the aforementioned last adventure  for Pierce Bronsnan.

What do you think?

Mad Men star, Christina Hendricks has signed up to the new Weinstein Company movie, I Don’t Know How She Does It. Other TV stars, Olivia Munn and Seth Meyers also join the cast which already includes Sarah Jessica Parker, Pierce Brosnan and Kelsey Grammer in the romantic comedy.

SJP plays a high-powered business woman with two kids who has to try and balance her home life with that of work. According to the LA Times who broke the casting news, Hendricks will play a friend to Parker’s character while Munn will play a colleague while Meyer’s role is as yet unknown.

More as we get it and thanks to the LA Times for sharing this news with the world.

The BBC Archive has given us an early Christmas present and ransacked its digital corridors and come up with a wonderful retrospective of the iconic secret agent James Bond at the BBC.

Available from today this fascinating collection of programmes and pictures charts the emergence of a classic literary and cinematic figure, from discussions with Ian Fleming, programmes focusing on the various Bond paraphernalia (guns, cars and the various trappings of a jet setting lifestyle), profiles of Bond directors, Bond and the English identity – there’s so much to enjoy.

This is something only the BBC can do, and it’s great to see it done so well. With access to Barry Norman’s On Location with Moonraker for Film 1979 and a Woman’s Hour conversation with Lois Maxwell this is an embarrassment of riches. Heartily recommended – so click here to get started.

As a suitable, though no less marvelous, addendum to this story is a recent story from the ever excellent Clothes on Film where Matt Spaiser looks back at the iconic figure of Sean Connery’s Bond in Dr. No. It’s a brilliant read, and you really should also check out Matt’s blog The Suits of James Bond, which has my favourite article title ever – Lazenby’s Blazer.

To end with here’s a picture from the BBC Archives showing Roger Moore in a BBC Radio London interview in 1976. The man even dresses up for a radio gig – class.

UPDATE: We were contacted by Roger George Clark, the broadcaster, writer and photographer, who took the photo of Roger Moore below and he confirmed that Roger had stepped off the giant tanker set for the interview. Roger George Clark has an amazing collection of photographs and stores from his career, and I can do no better than point you in the direction of his website, which is a fascinating place to spend some time. Find more of his work at RogerGeorgeClark.com

Roger Moore in a BBC Radio London interview in 1976

]]> http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2010/12/16/james-bond-at-the-bbc/feed/ 0 http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2010/09/20/the-ghost-dvd-review/ http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2010/09/20/the-ghost-dvd-review/#comments Mon, 20 Sep 2010 14:30:00 +0000 Jon Lyus http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/?p=44255

Craig reviewed the latest Roman Polanski film here upon its release in the cinemas, and irritatingly mirrored a lot of my opinions on the film and wrote them up in a far more eloquent way than I could, so I’d head on over for Craig’s review and I’ll give my impressions on The Ghost below.

Ewan McGregor is hired to ghostwrite the memoirs of a disgraced former UK Prime Minister days after the previous incumbent is found washed up on the dirty grey shoreline of the US compound where the ex-PM is holed up. Needless to say there’s a deeper mystery here, and Polanski’s considerable skill brings a fresh spin on an old tale.

Divorcing the film’s themes of exile, legacy and corrupt political collusion from their real world counterparts leaves us with a taut thriller thrown against a political backdrop which falls away quickly to become one man’s reluctant descent into a pit of conspiracy. While it isn’t hard to see where the film is leading us every step of the journey is well chosen and though I would have liked to have seen the political fallout of Brosnan’s PM play a wider part in the unfolding events there’s still a lot to enjoy.

There are some masterful moves here from Polanski, one in particular involving a piece of paper, and while it doesn’t keep on surprising you it is a very tightly plotted thriller, with some exceptional performances. McGregor doesn’t look like he’s about to turn to the camera and wink, something he’s often accused of being on the verge of in other films, and I found Brosnan’s portrayal of the frustrated, bumptious ex-Prime Minister compelling, with only shades of Blair present, but it is Olivia Williams who steals this film as Brosnan’s wife.

I took issue with the very end of the film, which appears to confuse the points made by Polanski as opposed to adding one final spin, but the sheer relief in seeing a well written and tense political thriller was palpable.

The DVD, out today, is recommended.

DVD Special Features:

• Interviews
• Making Of
• Trailers
• TV Spots
• Music Video

HeyUGuys are giving you the chance to win a Blu-ray copy of Roman Polanski’s latest thriller, The Ghost.

Starring Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Olivia Williams and Kim Cattrall, The Ghost garnered excellent reviews on its release earlier in the year and now the film is out to own on DVD and Blu-ray on the 20th of September.

Roman Polanski’s critically acclaimed political thriller tracks the tale of a British Ghost writer (McGregor) who is commissioned to re-write the memoirs of former British Prime Minister, Adam Lang (Brosnan), after his predecessor mysteriously dies. The closely guarded memoirs are kept under lock and key at Lang’s family retreat in America by his protective assistant and mistress (Cattrall), surrounded by a desolate and barren landscape, across which the ghost re-traces his predecessors steps and uncovers startling truths.

The plot thickens further as Lang is accused of war crimes, and the Ghost finds himself trapped in the confines of the estate as a huge political storm breaks. As he researches his subject, The Ghost begins to uncover clues that suggest his predecessor stumbled upon a dark secret surrounding Lang’s time in office. Suddenly, he begins to wonder if the last Ghost Writer’s death was such an accident after all…

To be in the chance of winning this film on Blu-ray all you have to do is answer the following question.

What was the film’s slightly altered, International, Title?

Competition now closed.

The small print:

• This competition is only open to the UK.
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close Friday 24th September at 23.59 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received.

The usual T&Cs can be found here.

I was having a discussion with a friend of mine recently about actors and how some of them have the greatest voices ever.  Certain actors could probably stop traffic with their booming baritones or instantly silence crying babies with their soothing speech.  It’s a true superhero power.

This then led to discussion on how I wish I could have certain actors read to me.  Yes, you read that right.  Like when you were a kid and your parents would read you a story before bed.  I have certain actors that I could just sit there and listen all day as they read me various stories.  So there we were comparing notes and this is what I came up with.

James Earl Jones

Qualities:
JEJ would definitely fall into the booming baritone category.  I have visions of my Dad storming down the hallway scolding me.  His voice, JEJ, not my dad, is distinctive and one is able to pick up on it the minute you hear it.  He will go down in history as having one of the most recognized voices ever.

Reading Material:
I would have JEJ read me the entire Harry Potter series.  His voice can be soft or commanding but mainly I would just want to hear him exclaim “Avada Kedavra!” in his deepest voice.  I would be spellbound to hear him say any of those spells as a matter of fact.

Hugo Weaving

Qualities:
Hugo has a knack for speech.  His cadence of speech as Agent Smith in the Matrix, Elrond in The Lord of the Rings trilogy or as V in V for Vendetta are similar yet…not.  It’s almost hypnotic.  His monologue in V for Vendetta is pure brilliance.  It would only make sense then to have him read…

Reading Material:
Dr. Suess.  His pattern of speech would lend itself quite nicely to There’s a Wocket in my Pocket or Fox in Sox or even Oh, The Places You’ll Go.  Doesn’t matter really.  Hugo Weaving + Dr. Suess = WIN

Sean Connery

Qualities:
Musht include Shir Sean Connery here.  The Scot who played a Brit…and a Russian…with that Shcottish accent.  His voice is another you just can’t miss. Sean Connery is one actor that never tried to alter his accent.  At least not that I know of.  It was never an issue either.  I would have special duties for Sean Connery.

Reading Material:
Owner’s manuals or assembly instructions.  This duty actually belonged to my friend Amy.  The one who I was having this very conversation with.  Any time I got a new piece of electronic equipment I’d crack open the box, toss her the book and she would read it then tell me all the bells and whistles as I was hooking it up.  Sir Sean would have that duty.  The only instructions he would not be helpful with would be anything from Ikea.  In which case he could help assemble.

Willem Dafoe

Qualities:
Willem Dafoe is a bit of a smooth criminal.  He’s got that quiet before the storm type of voice.  If you listen to long he might put you in a trance so you best watch out.  It’s smooth, yet with a hint of danger.  It’s like a bottle of top shelf booze.  Smooth and seemingly innocuous until you find the bottle is gone and you’re in trouble the next morning.  His voice sneaks up on you.

Reading Material:
My fellow HeyUGuys writer Emily and I had a discussion about Willem one day after she showed me a series of commercials where he voices a stuffed animal.  I think it’s a teddy bear.  I made the comment that it was a bit creepy yet, not.  Very strange.  Emily said that she would like him to read the Grimm fairy tales and I would have to agree.  He’s got that menacing tone, but it’s understated.  I think he would do the Brothers Grimm justice.

Ian McKellan

Qualities:
I love Ian McKellan.  His voice is like his eyes.  Sharp one minute, soothing and gentle the next.  Depending on his tone, he sounds like he could cut you down one minute, then wrap you in a warm wordy blanket the next.

Reading Material:
Actually Ian would be more of a narrator.  I would like him to narrate my life.  Just follow me around and comments on what I’m doing.  “As she sped down the street she gave the incompetent driver who cut her off a generous helping of the finger.” Yes….I could go for that.

My friend Amy was the one I was having this discussion with and she actually emailed me her choices.  She pretty much nailed those on the head because all of them I can hear in my head.

I’d like Morgan Freeman to read me fairy tales (Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Amy …), Pierce Bronson and Ewan McGregor to read me romance novels (they can take turns), Stanley Tucci can read me cookbooks and food blogs (I like the way he says things like “delectable” and “savory”), and Kevin Kline has a great voice for witty stories and sly humor.  I’m listing only men, but there are women who have great voices too.  Diane Lane and Julianne Moore come to mind.  I think either would do a great job with strong female-lead stories, smart sexy detectives or vampire huntresses.

If I could find someone who could do really excellent impressions I would have made some audio clips, but alas, I can’t do them and I don’t know anyone personally who can.

So there you have it folks.  Do you have a certain actor whose voice you could stand to hear read a story to you or narrate your life?  Let us know!

E1 Entertainment have been kind enough to give us an exclusive clip from the DVD release of Remember Me, the movie which, as well as Robert Pattinson stars Pierce Brosnan, Chris Cooper and Emilie de Ravin.

This clip comes from the ‘Making Of’ Featurette on the Remember Me DVD which is released in the UK on DVD & Blu-ray 26th July 2010.

You can read our review from Remember Me here.

Somewhere in between Twilight: New Moon and Twilight: Eclipse, Robert Pattinson managed to find time to make another movie for E1 Entertainment called Remember Me. The cast is pretty strong and includes Pierce Brosnan, Emilie de Ravin, Ruby Jerins and the awesome Chris Cooper with Allen Coulter directing.

Synopsis: Remember Me features a talented and critically acclaimed cast including Robert Pattinson in his first major role outside The Twilight Saga, alongside Australian actress Emilie de Ravin, best known for her role in award-winning ABC series Lost. Taking on parental responsibilities are Golden Globe nominee Pierce Brosnan (currently starring in The Ghost), Academy Award® winner Chris Cooper (Adaption) and Academy Award® nominee Lena Olin (Chocolat). The film also stars Tate Ellington (The Shape of Things) and introduces Ruby Jerins in a delightful debut performance.

It’s hard to review a film like this when I am most definitely not the target audience for it. I’m not the greatest Pattinson fan but any movie with featuring Chris Cooper, in my opinion is always worth a look. The movie deals with very difficult subject matters which include losing family members (sometimes in the harshest of circumstances), bullying and friendship.

The casting in Remember Me was a strange one as they’ve cast an Englishman and an Australian in the lead roles and I kept struggling to believe they’re heritage but I think this might come from watching too much Lost and listening to de Ravin’s strong Aussie accent coming through. Neither lead put in a bad performance although watching Robert Pattinson look at the floor, laugh and then put his hand through his hair is always a chore! Maybe that move should be called ‘The Pattinson’ from now on?!

The surprise performance came from newcomer, Ruby Jerins who put in a fabulous effort amidst a very difficult storyline. She performs like she’s being acting for years and I think she’ll be one to watch in future movies.

If you’re not a fan of Pattinson’s work, you probably want to give this one a miss as it’s more of the same, but if you’re a big fan of all things Pattinson, Remember Me won’t disappoint. The acting performances are pretty good if you can get past the accents, and the movie has ending that will you never see coming!

Released is released on DVD & Blu-ray on 26th July.

Every young adult fantasy series, be it in the form of a book or film, will have a fight on its hands to be recognised. With Twilight and the Harry Potter phenomenons petering out the hunt is on for the next big thing and the movie adaptation of Percy Jackson tries very hard to emulate the success of its forebears.

Sadly Chris Columbus and his creative team fly a little too close to the Sun of Potter and Narnia and come out with their wings burnt by the comparison, but for younger fans with minds unclouded by thoughts of Tumnus and Hagrid Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief may prove enjoyable.

Dave put up his comprehensive review here, and I’ll add my take on the film in this review of the Blu-ray, but both Dave and I agree that Percy Jackson will appeal to fans of the fantasy genre, but that it will, like almost all young adult literary adaptations it will prove divisive for fans of the source material.

I’ve not read the books and so came to the film with a basic grasp of Greek mythology and a slightly prejudiced feeling that this one was too hanging on to the coattails of a certain Mr. Potter and any fantasy film with an eye on the young audience will have to carve out a strong identity to make an impression and PJATLT is almost in a sea of similar fare.

The CG is impressive, and on a visual level the film is treat, but I fear Percy and his pals arrived a little too late for this party and the script seems rushed, both in the sophistication and its execution. Several of the name stars do great work and the central trio are likeable if a little too eager to jump into the limelight.

What I love about these Blu-ray releases is that they bundle in a ton of featurettes and interviews with those behind the scenes as well as serve up the standard deleted scenes. You can see a list of these below, and while Percy Jackson won’t win any awards for originality it offers up a visual feast peppered with some fun moments but doesn’t have enough respect for its source material or its audience to sway the hearts of those already lost to other young adult fantasy franchises.

Percy Jackson & The Lighning Thief is out on Multi-pack, Blu-ray and DVD today.

DVD Special Features
Digital Copy

Blu-Ray Special Features
Deleted scenes
Secrets of the Gods featurette
Discover Your Powers quiz
Inside Camp Half-Blood featurette (which you can see here)
On Set with Brandon T. Jackson featurette
Meet the Demigods featurette
Composing for the Gods: A Conversation with Christophe Beck
BD Live extras

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is scheduled for release in the UK next Monday, 5th July and since we know how much readers of HeyUGuys like it, we’ve managed to get 3 copies of the DVD to give away from our friends at Twentieth Century Fox.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is based on the book by Rick Riordan and also stars Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Abel, Sean Bean, Kevin McKidd, Pierce Brosnan, Steve Coogan and Rosario Dawson. If you missed the exclusive clip from the DVD extras that we posted last week, you can watch it here. In fact, you’ll need to use that post to answer the question which to win the prize.

To be in with a chance of winning one of three copies of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, you need to become a fan of the HeyUGuys Facebook Page and the Official UK Percy Jackson Facebook Page and then answer the following question using the form below:

Which one of these Greek gods is related to Percy Jackson?

The small print:

• This competition is open to the UK only
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close Tuesday 6th July at 23.59 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received

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

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED