Category Archives: Genres

Posted on by

Festive favourites: three Christmas must see’s

A middle aged man, Will Ferrell, lies across two tiny beds dressed as an elf in a red jumpsuit.
A middle aged man, Will Ferrell, lies across two tiny beds dressed as an elf in a red jumpsuit.

Image via www.focusfeatures.com

It’s just over two weeks until Christmas day so it’s about time that you snuggled down with a glass of mulled wine, a mince pie and some of the best festive films. Here are a few of our choices blended with a bit of trivia that you probably didn’t know about these festive favourites.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without at least one showing of Love Actually, especially as it is ten years old this year. Essentially a holiday rom-com, Love Actually is filled with heart-warming tales alongside a star studded cast; from Martin Freeman to Keira Knightley. If you haven’t seen it (it’s on TV every Christmas, there’s no excuse) the film follows the interlinking lives of eight couples and their curious relationships, a month before Christmas in London.

Kris Marshall, (who you may recognise as the father from the BT adverts) plays Collin Frissel, actually refused his pay cheque for the scene in Love actually where three American girls undress him due to the fact that he reportedly had so much fun filming the 21 takes; he was willing to work for free.

Another cheering fact is that the lovely airport compilation of loved ones reuniting is real. A team of camera men filmed for the entirety of a week in Heathrow Airport, asking for permission from people when they captured a perfect moment.

Released in the same year, Elf is a Christmas classic. It’s an uplifting tale of a man raised as one of Santa’s elves, searching for his identity in the real world to hilarious consequence. You’d have to be a scrooge not to enjoy watching six foot three Will Ferrell prancing around in an elf suit. It was certainly distracting to drivers when Ferrell walked through Lincoln tunnel in his costume, so much so that it caused minor traffic accidents.

When Santa shows Michael his nice list, all of the names are people who worked on the movie, from Victoria Down, a key make-up artist, to Jimmy Miller the executive producer.

Finally, a timeless film, The Muppet Christmas Carol, released in 1992. We all know that this ageless picture follows the tale of a Christmas Carol but retold by the lovable Muppets cast. What you probably didn’t know is that there is a shop in the film named ‘Micklewhite’ after Michael Caine, who plays the part of Scrooge, as his real name is Maurice Micklewhite.

The film is also dedicated to the memory of Jim Henson and Richard Hunt. Jim Henson was the creator of the Muppets and the voice of Kermit and Richard Hunt was a puppeteer.

There you have it, three Christmas classics that you should definitely watch before the big day. Even if you’ve seen them many times before, they are guaranteed to get you in the Christmas spirit, and if you haven’t seen them then what are you waiting for? Go get your festive onesie on and get comfy with a spiced hot chocolate.

Posted on by

Surprising improvisation in film

A man in a hospital gown wearing smudged clown make up walks away from a hospital explostion
A man in a hospital gown wearing smudged clown make up walks away from a hospital explostion

Image via forum.blu-ray.com

Not all of our favourite moments in film were planned. In fact, many magic movie moments were
not in the script at all. Inside Film has been looking into just a few moments in film that you
probably didn’t know were improvised.

The Dark Knight: Hospital Explosion
During the filming of the second instalment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, a scene
involving blowing up a hospital should have been a failure, had it not been for the late Heath
Ledger thinking quickly on his feet.
Originally, Ledger was supposed to walk out of the Hospital only for it to explode immediately
behind him. However, the detonations were delayed and only one small explosion went off.
The building used for the scene had already been planned to be demolished and Nolan only had one chance to film the shot. Superbly, Ledger stayed fully in character, frantically poking and prodding at his detonator as the bombs exploded in random sequence behind him, allowing the scene which should have been a disaster to become one of the most iconic moments in modern film.

The Shining: “Here’s Johnny”
Considered one of director Stanley Kubrick’s best productions and one of the greatest horror/thriller movies of all time, The Shining boasts one of the most recognised moments in modern movie history.The line occurs during a scene where lead character Jack Torrance, now completely insane, is trying to murder his wife, who has locked herself in a bathroom for safety.
Originally, Kubrick, considered by some as quite the perfectionist, only wanted Jack Nicholson to break through a door with an axe, but what followed was to become most one the famous lines in film. As Nicholson breaks a hole in the door, he pokes his head through and says “Here’s Johnny”, in typical, maniac fashion. The line was taking from the late night TV show “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” and was an imitation of Announcer Ed McMahon’s introduction. Based in England at the time, Kubrick later admitted he had never heard the line before but decided to use it anyway.

Taxi Driver: “You talkin’ to me?”
The script read “Travis speaks to himself in the mirror”, but what Robert De Niro said would be
declared as the tenth greatest movie quote of all time (the winner was “Frankly, my dear, I don’t
give a damn” and become the most memorable moment in Martin Scorsese’s classic Taxi Driver.

A young De Niro, about to showcase his talent, turns to the mirror and says “You talkin’ to me?”
What followed would be carved into Pop Culture history forever. Originally, the idea was thought to be an imitation of Marlon Brando. However, actor /musician Clarence Clemons, who played for Bruce Springsteen and had a role in Scorsese’s 1977 musical “New York, New York”, revealed that De Niro got his inspiration for the scene from The Boss himself.

Posted on by

The best uses of music in modern film

Christian Bale's character Patrick Bateman stood next to a tape player, wearing a rain coat.

Every now and then a piece of music fits with a film so perfectly that it’s hard to imagine the scene without it, and you can’t hear the song without thinking of that perfect moment.

In no order, here are our top 5 perfect music-film combos:

1. American Psycho – Hip to be Square (Huey Lewis and the News)

The combination of the fantastically upbeat song and the absolutely bag-of-cats mad scene equals a winning combination. Bonus points for the lyrics matching Patrick Bateman’s ideals perfectly – he conforms to the stereotype but hates it, hence the bloodthirst. A sick kind of comedy, but it works.

2. Shaun of the Dead – Don’t Stop Me Now (Queen)

This scene reflects the idea of the film perfectly – a zombie comedy. The hectic sound of the track gives the already crazy scene even more energy, and it just makes the scene so much funnier.

3. Trainspotting – Perfect Day (Lou Reed)

Like Tarantino, Danny Boyle does a fantastic job of matching music to the perfect moments in his films. There is no better example of this than the use of this tune as the soundtrack to Renton’s overdose. At the same time it’s calming and disturbing, familiar and terrifying.

4. Fight Club – Where is my Mind (Pixies)

You could say this was the obvious choice to end this bonkers film with, but there’s no denying it – it just works. Kudos to Mr Fincher for this fantastic choice.

5. Closer – The Blower’s Daughter (Damien Rice)

This really is the ultimate song for this emotional rollercoaster. A beautiful song for a beautiful film, this Damien Rice classic completely sums the film up. “And so it is, just like you said it would be”. At the beginning you think it’s setting you up for a lovey-dovey romance, but it’s so much more. Hold on while I have a little cry.

So what do you guys think? If you’ve got any more ideas for us, stick them in the comments below!

Posted on by

Events, offers & releases 02/12/13

Elsa, a yong blonde princess sparks ice from her hand

First up, this week there are some notable film releases this Friday.

Frozen, Disney’s newest venture, is an animated musical comedy loosely based on The Snow Queen. Voiced by Kirsten Bell, Idina Menzel and Jonathan Groff, Frozen promises a charming tale, full of laughter and perfect for a family night out.

If you’re a little older, take a look at Homefront. Starring Jason Statham and James Franco, this Crime Thriller will keep you at the edge of your seat.

For something lighter, consider seeing A Long Way From Home. A romance about two couples from different generations colliding in the south of France.

If there is a Cineworld near you, why not treat yourself to two Oxford notebooks, (A4/A3 refil pads or Wiro notebooks) and get a cinema ticket for free. A4 refil pads are just £2.40 so you could go to the cinema for under £5.

Posted on by

Places to visit: Harry Potter Studios tour

Hogwarts castle model in the snow
The set of Diagon Alley at the Harry Potter Studios Tour

Diagon Alley set at The Harry Potter Studios Tour

7 books, 8 films and over £5billion at the global box office; Harry Potter is a global phenomenon. The book series have become the most successful movie franchise in history and the eight films have amassed a huge fortune as well as merchandise, a theme park and a film studios tour.

For over 10 years, Leavesden Film Studios was the home the Hogwarts, Privet Drive and the Ministry of Magic. This really is the place where the ‘magic’ took place, from creating those adrenaline-filled Quidditch matches to the action packed battle over Hogwarts.

Now fans from all around the world have the chance to step behind-the-scenes and into the ‘Warner Bros. Studios Tour London’.

From set design to costumes, props to visual effects, this tour has everything. The attraction, takes up to 5,000 visitors on a journey throughout the 10 years of filmmaking.

Sarah Roots, Vice President of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, commented: “What makes the Tour so special is that everything on show has been used in the making of the Harry Potter film series. All the sets, props and costumes are authentic and show the incredible detail and craftsmanship that goes into film production. All the films were shot at Leavesden so it’s wonderful to have given the sets a permanent home here.”

Once visitors are welcomed to the tour they are transported through the large golden doors and into The Great Hall.

Here they can walk around this iconic room, see the tables set ready for dinner, and stare in awe at Dumbledore’s cloak.

After the Great Hall, visitors are set free to explore plethora of sets and props and immerse themselves in the magical world behind the scenes.

Take your picture in front of the full-size gates of Hogwarts, step inside Dumbledore’s office and explore the Weasley’s kitchen complete with the self-knitting scarf and the saucepans that clean themselves.

Visitors are given free reign to explore the sets, there is no time limit and you can spend as long as you want to soak up all the magic.

The set of the Weasleys' kitchen used in the Harry Potter films

The set of the Weasleys’ Kitchen used in the Harry Potter films

The makers of the tour haven’t missed a thing, as you walk through the tour you are able to walk through Diagon Alley and knock on the door of No. 4 Privet Drive.

Every step along the way offers a new and exciting aspect of production. Props, costumes, sets and vehicles (of course that includes the brooms) you can take an in-depth view of how the team of artists, builders, makeup artists and costume designers created the magic.

For those who wonder how they built the wizarding world, you are able to view each and every scale model used throughout production. Have you ever thought how film crews begin with designing sets as large as the Ministry of Magic? Well now you can see how, from the first sketches all the way to the full size sets, you can see the whole production process.

There are many secrets and surprises that can be found along the way. For any Harry Potter fan this is a must-see and even for those that are simply interested in the method of producing those blockbusters. The Warner Bros. Studios Tour is one-of-a-kind and the most comprehensive attraction for any film lover.

Tickets prices start at £30 for an adult ticket, and more information about the tour visit http://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/.

The scale replica of Hogwarts castle at the Warner Bros Studios tour

Hogwarts Castle scale replica

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TM and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc

Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R.

Harry Potter characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.