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Changeling: DVD Review

It’s 1928, and single mother Christine (Jolie) works hard to support herself and her young son Walter (Gattlin Griffith) Although life is though, the pair enjoy a close bond and are happy, Christine’s life is turned upside down when Walter goes missing, and a terrible situation turns into one of horror when the LAPD make a great show of finding her son – only to return the wrong boy. As Christine’s assertions that she has been given the wrong child fall on deaf ears, so a shocking chain of events begin to unravel.

Unbelievably, this heartbreaking drama is based on a true story, and all involved have made every effort to ensure its devastating authenticity. From the screenplay by J Michael Straczynski to the direction by Clint Eastwood to the stellar central performance by Angelina Jolie, Changeling simmers with emotion, tension and that sense of wide-eyed incredulity that comes with such an unbelievable true story. And it’s beautiful to look at too, with an attention to detail that is indicative of Eastwood’s directorial perfectionism that has resulted in a recent run of cinematic hits.

But this is Jolie’s film, and although she missed out on the Oscar her portrayal of a mother desperate to find her child is one of the best of her career, and she carries Changeling's heavy emotional load with poise and grace. Both she and Eastwood keep a film hand on the film’s rudder, steering it away from melodrama and heading it straight for masterpiece territory. 5 stars

Extra Features
The DVD release contains two featurettes, one on the working relationship between Clint Eastwood and Angelina Jolie and the other on Jolie’s characterisation of Christine Collins. The Blu-ray also contains U-control features on Picture-in-Picture, Los Angeles Then and Now and Archives.

Roll Credits...
Stars Angelina Jolie, Gattlin Griffith, John Malkovich
Director Clint Eastwood
Certificate 15
Distributor Universal Pictures Video
Format DVD and Blu-Ray
Released March 30th

Lakeview Terrace: DVD Review

When husband and wife Chris (Wilson) and Jill (Washington) move into Lakeview Terrace they think they’ve found their dream job. But that’s before they’ve met their new neighbour, cop Abel Turner (Jackson) - a single father whose strict moral code has veered into dangerous obsession following the death of his wife three years previously. Abel makes it clear he does not approve of Chris and Jill’s inter-racial relationship, and the couple are soon engaged in a battle of wills that quickly, and violently, gets out of hand.

As LaBute plays out this explosive tale of race relations against the backdrop of rampaging Californian wildfires, it’s obvious he’s trying to make a point about the continuing problem of racism – from whatever angle – in modern American society, and particularly in the hotbed of LA. Unfortunately, however, it’s difficult to take the issue seriously when it’s personified by Jackson’s maniacal, pantomime villain, whose increasingly outlandish attempts to oust Chris and Jill descend into the farcical. And the louder Lakeview Terrace shouts about racial tension, the less seriously one can take it.

The film shouldn’t be written off completely, though. As a straightforward thriller it’s not all that bad, with Jackson clearly relishing the off-the-wall intensity of his character as well as giving us glimpses of the loneliness and vulnerability that fuels his passionate rage. Despite his performance, however, the film buckles under the weight of its lofty themes. 3 stars

Extra Features
Both the DVD and Blu-Ray contain an enthusiastic director and cast commentary, and there’s also deleted scenes plus three behind the scenes featurette. 3 stars

ROLL CREDITS...
Stars Samuel L Jackson, Patrick Wilson, Kerry Washington
Director Neil LaBute
Certificate 15
Distributor Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Format DVD and Blu-Ray
Released March 30th

The Children: DVD Review

It’s a typical British Christmas scene. An extended family descends upon one another to spend the festive season in a whirlwind of food, drink and celebration. But in Shankland’s (WAZ) film, something goes badly, bloodily wrong. An unexplained event silently changes the children, turning them into cold-blooded, calculating killers who systematically dispatch the adults in a variety of gruesome ways.

There’s something about using children in horror movies that quadruples the fear factor, and Shankland has embraced that collision of wide-eyed young innocence and psychopathic murderers with gusto. And the fact that these kids are not just terrorising strangers but are turning on their own parents with no hint of remorse adds a chilling edge to proceedings; how can a parent possibly turn on their own offspring, even if the littler darling is advancing with a kitchen knife? That the source of the children’s murderous impulses is never explained is also a clever, unsettling twist.

There are problems, though. The film takes too long to get going, the natural tensions that exist within the family unit are never properly exploited and there’s an unresolved, sub-plot involving the potentially inappropriate relationship between a teen girl and her uncle that seems to play no part in the rest of the story. Some of the characters also make irritatingly bad decisions – but, then again, who could really believe that your angelic children were capable of ripping you to shreds until they were up to their elbows in you small intestines?

Made on a small budget and with a largely familiar cast, The Children won’t have you sleeping with the lights on but it’s a clever, neatly made British thriller that may well have you reaching for the Durex. 3 stars

Extras Features
There’s an impressive list of bonus material, including a making of, a look at the locations, featurettes on set design and special effects, plus deleted scenes. 4 stars

ROLL CREDITS...
Stars Eva Birthistle, Stephen Campbell Moore, Jeremy Sheffield
Director Tom Shankland
Certificate 18
Distributor Contender Home Entertainment
Format DVD and Blu-ray
Released March 30th

Afghan Star (2008)

For most Westerners, the collective image of the Middle East, fuelled by decades of news broadcasts and front-page headlines, is a war-torn land of dusty ruins. But, for the ordinary people who live in the region, their lives are full of colour and passion despite the troubles that surround them. Film-maker Havana Marking’s enthralling documentary not only highlights Middle Eastern culture, but also those people who are determined to live life to the full despite the difficulties they face on a daily basis.

Having suffered for three decades under Taliban rule, Afghanistan is a country revelling in relative independence. Television was banned for five years and so the medium is once again in its infancy, and forward thinking production companies like Tolo are embracing the opportunity to use it for change. They have created Afghan Star, a Pop Idol-style talent show in which Afghans compete to win the top prize of $5,000 – three times the average annual wage. Viewers vote for their favourites by mobile phone, and the fact that this is many Afghans’ first experience of democracy underscores its genuine importance. As the doc follows the last five contestants – including two women - on their journey to the final, tensions between traditional morality and modern pop culture begin to mount.

It’s absolutely fascinating to see such a familiar talent show format – complete with sharp-tongued judges and starry-eyed wannabees – in such a vastly different setting. This is a country where women still wear Burqas, where the threat of violence hangs in the air and the Taliban still casts a shadow of everyday life. But Marking’s film looks forward rather than back, focusing on those who are trying to change their country for the better. ‘We want to move people from the gun to the music’ says one of Afghan Star’s producers, summing up the far-reaching ambitions behind the programmes. In the West, these talent shows are a vehicle for fame and fortune, whereas in Afghanistan they represent a new democracy and freedom for all.

But these new ideas don’t always come easily. When one of the female contestants dares to dance and uncover her hair on stage, there is absolute uproar and death threats are issued against her and her family. Indeed, by the end of the film we are told that the religious Ullema Council has persuaded the government to ban dancing on television, and they are not the only group who believe Western morals will do more damage than even the Taliban. So, it seems, that change will not come easily in Afghanistan but that certainly won’t stop a new generation from trying to move the country in a different direction. Afghan Star is a timely, upbeat celebration of their efforts.


4 stars



ROLL CREDITS...
Director Havana Marking
Distributor Roast Beef Productions
Running Time 1hr 27mins
Opening Date March 27th, at London's ICA (http://www.ica.org.uk/)

The 2009 London International Documentary Festival

The John Sampson Retrospective at the LIDF

The fourth London International Documentary Festival takes place in the capital from March 28th to April 4th, and promises a programme of exceptional docs from a wealth of talented film-makers.

This year is the festival's strongest line-up to date, featuring films from over 100 countries, forums and symposiums in venues including the Curzon Soho, the Renoir, the British Musem, the Barbican Centre and the Roxy Bar and Screen. For a full line-up, check the festival's official website http://www.lidf.co.uk/ - and keep your eye on Roll Credits for some of the highlights as the festival unfolds...

John Samson Retrospective

One of the real gems of the 2009 LIDF has to be the John Samson Retrospective - The Complete Films, to screen at The Horse Hospital on Sunday March 29th.

Samson was born in 1946, in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, and later moved to Glasgow. Leaving school at 16, he became an apprentice in the Clyde shipyards and became a spokesperson in the first apprentice's strike. This brought him into contact with Stuart Christie, and the pair became involved in the anarchist movement Scots Against the War.

After he met his future wife Linda, however, Samson gave up his apprenticeship and began working on the Easterhouse project, set up to help disaffected youth who roamed the vast cultureless estates thrown up in the 50s on the East side of Glasgow.

In the early 70s Samson decided to make a film, with the help of David Thompson and other friends. The result was Charlie, a film about a local busker, which he entered into a BBC short film competition — and won second prize. One of the judges was Joseph Losey who recommended that John talk to Colin Young, the director of the newly opened National Film School (NFS) in Beaconsfield, and he gained a place to study film at the NFS in 1973. He went on to make many well received documentaries.

Mike Wallington worked as a producer on Samson's major projects; Tattoo, Dressing for Pleasure, Britannia and Arrows, as well as making his own films including Champions and Arcade Attack. Roll Credits caught up with Mike before the Samson retrospective, to discuss their collaboration and the unique films they made together.

Mike, how did you meet John Samson?

I first met John Samson at the NFS [National Film School, now the National Film & Television School] in 1973, when we both applied as students for the second year’s intake. John brought along to his Maryhill photo portfolio and a homemade no-budget film about a Glasgow street musician, Charlie Williamson [Charlie]. I brought along some borrowed East African natural history footage shot on a wind-up Bolex camera and some Joseph Cornell styled ‘boxes’ I’d made using the craniums of monkeys.

John got a place, I got turned down! But Colin Young (director of the NFS) did phone me up the next day and said he wanted me 'on board'. So I didn’t become a student and my first pay-check at the NFS was as its part-time Research Librarian.

Were there many documentaries made at NFS?

Documentaries are cheaper to make than drama and the students made hundreds of them. There were three groups. The NFS made historic interventions : Steve Morrison’s ground-breaking open-ended film ‘documents’ with the aim to get Catholics and Protestants to engage a dialogue on camera [for example]. In the best sense, these were all political documentaries – they said something’s wrong here and it needs putting right.

A second group of documentary filmmakers was led by Colin Young, who promoted an aesthetic of non-intervention. Colin had run the USC [University of Southern California] film department in Los Angeles as Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas were coming through. We learnt a lot about anthropological film-making from Colin, and there wasn’t a student enrolled who couldn’t thread the argument of a story together without commentary. In fact, I’d be more provocative and say that these years in the mid-70s were the golden age of the documentary without commentary.

Then there was another smaller group of documentary film-makers at the NFS whose work was neither overtly political nor ethnographic. These students were immersed in popular culture, they had fairly acute narrative sensibility and they liked to experiment with form and content. I guess I “belonged” to this group. And John Samson was its primary exponent.

How do you remember John?

John was a determined defender of the creative possibilities of the working class : he knew about dry stone walling, about pie-making, about Warhol and he boasted of an aunt who was an unreconstructed Stalinist. Unlike some of his fellow students, he had lived a bit, too. He was a social worker in Easterhouse (razor-gang capital and one of the few police no-go areas in Glasgow at the time), and a leading figure in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. After a few beers he could quote extensively from the poetry of Robbie Burns, and, after a few beers more, from Bakunin or any number of anarchists.

What would you say made yours and John’s films unique?

The aesthetic perhaps. This aesthetic that John and some of these other fellow students developed at the NFS wasn’t entirely new, but it borrowed wisely. It was pioneering, in the sense that it was slap bang in the middle of the debate we started at the NFS [and later continued on Channel Four] about the authoritarian nature of voice-over commentary.

All the films I made with John intentionally avoided voice-over. They breathe easily, they’re natural in exposition and development. Anyone who’s been working in TV recently – let’s say the last decade – will know of the enormous pressure to conform and they will have seen the creative role of documentary film-makers diminish because of it. They treat the audience as if it were stupid.

John and me used to talk about the cat and the cream. The cat is your audience, the cream is in a bowl in front of it. The cream is your film’s subject. What happens when you point at the bowl? Anyone who owns a cat will tell you, it stares at your finger. The commentary is the pointed finger. It just gets in the way, it’s counter-productive and manipulative. And it keeps the cat from the cream. But most programme commissioners today are too stupid to know this.

Another reason why they are pioneering is because they achieve full resonance and they reflect deeper meanings because each has a central metaphoric device at its core. Tattoo is about the body as canvas, a hugely popular notion today but one that was barely indulged and certainly never celebrated 35 years ago. Dressing For Pleasure is about fashion as sexual gratification, not a wild idea today but one that could hardly be talked about in the 70s.

Interview by Kamila Kuc
Content Developer and Website Editor, London International Documentary Festival
Film reviewer for Screenonline, Sight & Sound, ArtsEditor

Where the Wild Things Are: Pics & Trailer!

It's had it's fair share of production problems, with reshoots severely delaying release, but it seems that the wait has been worth it. The new trailer for Spike Jonze's (Being John Malkovich) adaptation of Maurice Sendak's beloved children's book Where the Wild Things Are debuted online today, and it's pretty damn fantastic. Check it out here.


Young Max (Max Records) with Carol (voiced by James Gandolfini); Man and KW (Lauren Ambrose)

The fantastical story sees disobedient young Max sent to bed without any supper, where he creates his own world - a dark forest inhabited by wild and wonderful creatures, who crown Max as their king.


Max and Connie (Catherine Keener); Director Spike Jonze chills out with his young star

Featuring a stonking voice cast, including Forest Whitaker, Catherine Keener, Paul Dano and James Gandolfini, Where the Wild Things Are is set for release in late 2009. And doesn't it look glorious?

Seth Rogen Introduces Observe and Report!

April 24th, 2009 sees the release of new Warner Bros comedy Observe and Report, which stars comedy man of the moment Seth Rogen (Knocked Up, Pineapple Express) as Ronnie Barnhardt, head of security at Forest Ridge Mall.

As he targets skateboarders, shoplifters and over-excited shoppers, Ronnie dreams of becoming a real cop - and his dream is put to the ultimate test when the mall is terrorised by a flasher. Ronnie makes it his duty to find the frisky perpetrator, hoping his expert handling of the case will bag him a place at Police Academy and win the heart of hot make-up counter girl Brandi (The House Bunny's Anna Faris).

But when local lawman Detective Harrison (the mighty Ray Liotta, Goodfellas) gets involved in the case, Ronnie realises that the cop may steal his thunder and makes it his mission to be the first to catch the perp.


As you can see from these fantastic new images, Observe and Report looks set to be another hit for Rogen, and Roll Credits has been given this video introduction to Ronnie and his crew. Enjoy!

The Life Before Her Eyes Trailer

Opening in cinemas this Friday March 27th is The Life Before Her Eyes, starring Uma Thurman (Kill Bill) as Diana, a seemingly normal wife and mother. On the 15th anniversary of the high school shooting that killed her best friend, however, Diana's life begins to unravel.

As Diana remembers more hidden secrets about that fateful day, so the story is told in flashback with Evan Rachel Wood (Thirteen) playing the young Diana. With memories of her past getting ever more disturbing, Diana's idyllic present is put under threat.

The Life Before Her Eyes is directed by Vadim Perelman (House of Sand and Fog), who has recently taken the brave decision to sign on to helm the upcoming remake of Poltergeist. Check out the trailer for his latest below...

Zack and Miri Make a Porno: DVD Review

Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) are best friends; they have known each other since high school and now share a flat. But friendship doesn’t pay the bills, and they are soon struggling to make ends meet. When Zack hits upon the idea of making a low budget porn movie to pull in some cash, Miri thinks it’s a great idea; until they realise they are going to have to take starring roles. Both are worried that their hot n’ heavy love scene may have an impact on their friendship, but neither are prepared for the feelings it ignites.

Kevin Smith’s most accessible film is arguably his most toothless, being as it is a rather sweet romantic comedy despite the porn element. But that’s not to say it’s no fun; Rogen and Banks put in spirited lead performances and there’s genuine chemistry between them, making them a couple you want to root for. And they are supported by a sparky cast, including an almost unrecognizable Jason Mewes (Clerks), porn star Traci Lords and the dry-witted Craig Robinson (The Office: An American Workplace). Not to mention Superman himself, Brandon Routh, who turns up alongside Justin Long in a memorable cameo.

All in all, although the adult content gives this an 18-certificate, Zack and Miri Make a Porno is Smith’s least offensive work, and is likely to win the director a wider audience. 4 stars

Extra Features
Pretty standard fare, including Making Of, Bloopers and Deleted Scenes.


ROLL CREDITS...

Stars Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Traci Lords
Director Kevin Smith
Distributor Entertainment in Video
Format DVD & Blu-Ray
Released March 23

Quantum of Solace DVD Review plus Explore Bond Locations!

Following on from his stonking turn in 2006’s Casino Royale, in which he reinvented James Bond for a whole new generation, Daniel Craig is back in 007 in this equally as action-packed sequel.

Picking up where Royale left off, we see Bond fuelled by grief for his lost love Vesper (Eva Green), determined to find out the truth behind her death. His investigation leads him to industrial environmentalist Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), who is not the humanitarian he appears. Along the way, Bond is joined by Camille (Olga Kurylenko) a desperate, determined woman out for her own personal revenge…

New director Marc Forster (The Kite Runner) concentrates on Bond’s action hero credentials, with rooftop chases, jaw-dropping aeroplane stunts and speedboat shenanigans a-plenty. Craig’s Bond is dripping with fury, aggressive in his actions and teetering on a psychological edge that leaves M (Dench) questioning his agent status.

The only real issue is that Quantum feels like the middle of a story, never really reaching a satisfying conclusion despite its explosive climax. But that’s the point; Bond is being further shaped into the character we’ve always known, and will most definitely be back to fight another day. 4 stars

Extra Features
Both the two-disc Special Edition and Blu-Ray releases contain a 24-minute documentary Bond on Location, as well as five featurettes looking at the Start of Shooting, Location, The Boat Chase, Marc Forster and The Music. There’s also crew files, trailers and the music video for theme song Another Way to Die.

ROLL CREDITS...

Stars Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Judi Dench
Director Marc Forster
Distributor 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Format DVD & Blu-Ray
Released March 23

- - - - - - - - - - -

To celebrate the release of Quantum of Solace on DVD, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has teamed with Google Maps to create a new application which allows you to view the most spectacular locations that have been explored by James Bond!

Learn more about your favourite secret hideaways and interesting landmarks from all 22 Bond films, with the chance to pinpoint the location using Google Earth and refresh your memory by watching clips directly from the films. Just click on the link below to begin!

http://earth.jamesbondondvd.com/GB

Mall Movies!

Paul Blart: Mall Cop, the new film from Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison production company, starring US TV funnyman Kevin James, hit UK screens on Friday.

To celebrate its release, and with Hollywood having a big history of films taking place in malls, Roll Credits looks at the top Mall Films ever made!

Paul Blart: Mall Cop

In Columbia Pictures' comedy Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Kevin James stars as the title character, a single, suburban dad, trying to make ends meet as a security officer at a New Jersey mall. Though no one else takes his job seriously, Paul considers himself on the front lines of safety. When a heist shuts down the megaplex, Jersey's most formidable mall cop will have to become a real cop to save the day.

Mallrats

Brodie Bruce, a Sega and comic book obsessed college student, and his best friend, TS Quint, are both dumped by their girlfriends on the same day, and to deal with their loss, they both go to the local mall. Along the way, they meet up with some friends, including Willam, a guy who stares at Magic Eye pictures, desperately trying to see the hidden image; Gwen, one of TS's ex-girlfriends; and Jay & Silent Bob, of Clerks fame. Eventually, they decide to try and win back their significant others, and take care of their respective nemeses; TS's girlfriend's father, and a store clerk who hates the two for not having any shopping agenda.

Dawn of the Dead

In George A. Romero’s 1970s zombie classic, tensions are running high in the United States. The recently deceased are returning to life as shambling, flesh-eating ghouls, and political dissidents are threatening social stability. When the zombies rule the earth, there's only one place to hide - the local shopping mall. But can this retail sanctuary keep out the living dead...?


Mean Girls

Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) has just returned to the United States with her parents after growing up in Africa. Her first day in class as the new girl will be her first encounter with the public school system. As the new girl, where will she fit in? To keep them as friends she must do things she has never done before, such as being deceitful, scheming, and finally untrustworthy. She discovers who her real friends are in the end.

Chopping Mall

Park Plaza Mall has just installed a state-of-the-art security system, which includes three high-tech security robots. Four young couples decide to have the wildest all-night party of their lives. They all stay after hours at the mall, drinking, partying, and having sex. It just so happens though that this is the night the security system malfunctions, due to several lightning strikes to the security computer. The robots turn into killbots, rampaging through the mall and killing its employees. By way of comic relief, the robots are heard to say "Have a nice day" after each killing.


Scenes From A Mall

Woody Allen's character, Nick, is married to author Deborah, played by Midler. On their 16th anniversary, during a shopping stroll, the lawyer Nick Fifer (Allen) confesses his wife Deborah (Midler) some affairs. She goes wild and insists on a divorce. After they agreed to the dividing up of their belongings, Deborah confesses having an affair, too. Now Nick gets very upset and wants the divorce for his part, but the last word is not spoken yet.

Bad Santa

Two conmen, disguised as Santa (Billy Bob Thornton) and an Elf (Tony Cox), have been traveling across the country for the last seven years during the Christmas season getting jobs at shopping malls, and then robbing them on Christmas Eve. They use the trusting nature of people during this happy time just to rob them blind. Billy Bob meets an 8-year old boy, (Brett Kelly) who has this trusting nature, and who shows Billy Bob the meaning of Christmas.

Feature supplied by Sony Pictures

Bottle Shock: Review

Stars Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman, Chris Pine, Freddy Rodriguez
Director Randall Miller
Certificate 12A
Distributor Paramount
Running Time 1hr 48mins
Opens March 20th

The world of wine is a complicated one. Although many of us stick to what’s on 3-for-2 at the local supermarket, scratch the surface and there’s a whole universe populated by winophiles, who discuss things like vintages, terroir and malactic fermentation. It’s these people who populate Miller’s intriguing film, although the story is bubbly enough that you don’t have to know your Shiraz from your Chardonnay to enjoy it.

It’s 1976, and uber-connoisseur Steven Spurrier (Rickman) takes a superior pride in his Parisian wine shop, but although he believes French wines are the best in the world his lake of customers suggests otherwise. Steven’s been hearing rumours that Californian vineyards are producing exceptional wines and, seeing a marketing opportunity, travels to the Napa Valley to select some of the New World’s best for a blind taste test against his beloved Gallic vino. Although Steven is initially resolute that no-one could beat the French at their own game, he is soon won over by the dedication of the Californian winemakers, including Jim (Pullman) and Gustavo (Rodriguez), and the tipple they produce.

Based as it is on the true story of the ‘Judgement of Paris’ wine tasting, Bottle Shock contains – despite its title – very few surprises. But the fact that we know where it ends doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of the journey, particularly as it’s so engaging. That’s thanks to some beautiful cinematography from DOP Mike Ozier, whose contrasts of the rainy greys of Parish with the vivid, lush Californian countryside not only highlight the geographical difference between the Old and New Worlds, but also the gulf of thinking and approach to the art and enjoyment of wine that lies between them.


The performances too are solid, with Rickman being – as ever- deliciously droll as Spurrier, both celebrating and sending up his intense passion for the grape. And watch out for the new Captain Kirk Chris Pine as Jim’s slacker son, who must learn some hard lessons if he’s going to make anything of his life.

True, anyone who has absolutely no interest in the world of wine may find the whole thing rather bemusing. But it’s a film that acknowledges the passion, dedication and commitment of those owner/growers who keep our wine cellars, cupboards and fridges stocked and, to that end, it’s worth a tipple.

4 stars

Bottle Shock is out in cinemas today, and here's the trailer...

I Love You, Man Trailer

Paramount has sent over the brand spanking new trailer for their new comedy I Love You, Man which opens on April 27, 2009.

The film stars Paul Rudd (Knocked Up, Role Models) as Peter, who has recently got engaged to Zoey (Rashida Jones) the woman of his dreams. Realising he has no male friend close enough to be his Best Man, Peter decides to try to find one and embarks on a series of awkward man-dates before meeting Sydney (Forgetting Sarah Marshall's Jason Segel). Peter instantly bonds with Sydney but as their friendship deepens, Peter's relationship with Zoey begins to suffer.

Both Rudd and Segel are two of the hottest comedy men of the moment, and I Love You, Man is shaping up to be one of this year's brightest laugh-fests. Check out the trailer below for an early giggle...

The Damned United: Clip & Premiere Pics

It's the film football fans across the country have been waiting for. Adapted from the critically acclaimed novel by David Pearce, The Damned United stars Michael Sheen as the legendary, opinionated football manager Brian Clough...





Set in 1960s and '70s England, the film tells the eventful story of Clough's doomed 44-day reign as manager of the reigning champions of English football, Leeds United. Directed by Tom Hooper (TV's John Adams) with a screenplay by Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon),the movie also stars John Savage, Jim Broadbent and Timothy Spall.

The stars were out in force in London's Leicester Square last night for the film's trailer, and Roll Credits has managed to nab some photos from the glitzy red carpet.














Stars Michael Sheen and Timothy Spall; Sheen meets his fans

The Damned United opens on March 27th, and below you'll find a clip and trailer.

Natasha Richardson 1963 - 2009

We're waking up to some very sad news this morning. Actress Natasha Richardson has passed away after suffering a head injury during a fall while skiing with her two young sons in Canada on Monday. She was flown to a New York hospital on Tuesday night where she was surrounded by family, including actor husband Liam Neeson, but died in the early hours of this morning (GMT).

A member of a celebrated theatrical family - both her mother Vanessa and sister Joley are award-winning actresses, and her father is the late director Tony Richardson - Natasha was known for both her stage and screen work.

She made her feature film debut playing Mary Shelley in Ken Russell's 1986 movie Gothic, and on the strength of this performance was cast by Paul Schrader in the title role of 1988's Paty Hearst. Her film career since then has been varied, including movies The Favour, the Watch and the Very Big Fish (1991), Nell (1994) - on the set of which she met Neeson - and The Parent Trap (1998)

But it was her stage work that garnered Richardson the most acclaim. Trained at London's Central School of Speech and Drama, she starred in both A Midsummer Night's Dream and Hamlet at the Young Vic before winning the 1986 London Drama Critics' Most Promising Newcomer Award for her performance in The Seagull alongside her mother Vanessa.

Natasha also played the title role in Anna Christie, first in London where she won the London Drama Critics' Best Actress Award, then on Broadway where her performance won her many nominations. For her role as Sally Bowles in Sam Mendes' production of Cabaret, Richardson achieved a raft of awards including the Tony, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League and Drama Desk gongs for Best Actress in a Musical.

Also a prolific television actress, with projects including the BBC's Ghosts, HBO's Hostages and the CBS mini-series Haven, Richardson will be missed not just for her talent but also for her charitable works. She was on the board of, and an active spokesperson for, the US charity amfAR, The Foundation for Aids Research. A spokeswoman for the charity said, "This is a catastrophic loss for the family and it is a terrible loss for amfAR and the fight against Aids."

Image: Brian Zak/Sipa Press

Paul Blart: Mall Cop Review

Stars Kevin James, Jayma Mays, Keir O’Donnell, Rani Rodriguez
Director Steve Carr
Screenplay Nick Bakay & Kevin James
Certificate PG
Distributor Columbia Pictures
Running Time 1hr 31mins
Opens March 20

To name a film after its central character promises certain things and raises certain expectations. It suggests that the protagonist will be perfectly defined, strong enough to single-handedly carry the film and entertaining enough to hold the attention. These rules apply whether the title pertains specifically to the name – such as Rocky or Hellboy – or occupation – think The Godfather, Wrestler or Hustler. So does Paul Blart: Mall Cop live up to the honour of having both his moniker and his line of work name checked in the title? Well, he’s definitely no Taxi Driver but, within the bubble of Carr’s movie, he’s most certainly a star.

Blart (James) dreams of becoming a New Jersey cop but, with his portly figure and fear of actual criminals, he’s far better suited to his job as a security guard at the local mall. It’s a role he takes very seriously, patrolling the mall on his Segway Personal Transporter and ensuring peaceful shopping for all. When a gang of robbers (lead by a deliciously droll O’Donnell) overrun the place and take both his daughter (Rodriguez) and object of his affection, shop owner Amy (Mays), hostage, Paul realises he’s the only one who can save the day.

Set almost entirely within the boundaries of the mall, the film’s narrative scope is as limited and one-dimensional as its setting. But it’s not meant to be deep – it’s intended as an easy-going laugh-fest and on that front it succeeds thanks exclusively to Kevin James’s energetic performance. He takes every opportunity to play on Paul’s physical and social failings – indeed, 90 percent of the laughs come from him throwing himself across the floor, doing acrobatic manoeuvres on his Segway, embarrassing himself in front of Amy and, in one memorable scene, getting hideously, hilariously drunk. Anyone who’s seen James in TV show King of Queens or movies like Hitch know he’s very good at poking fun at himself and pulling off the pratfall. He’s reminiscent of Adam Sandler in that respect – and, indeed, Paul Blart is produced by Sandler’s Happy Madison imprint.

But like any underdog story there has to be a happy ending and it’s here that sentimental, clichéd cracks begin to appear. As Paul finds the inner strength to take on the bad guys and win the girl – and it’s testament to the movies dot-to-dot predictability that this is not a spoiler – so the film lumbers to a pat, obvious and lazy conclusion which doesn’t seem worthy of James’s enthusiastic performance. For this is definitely his film and, although he won’t set the cinematic world alight, as Paul Blart: Mall Cop he’ll certainly raise a smile or two.

3 stars

Paul Blart: Mall Cop Clips & Interview

King of Queens star Kevin James is Paul Blart, Mall Cop in the gut-busting new comedy that opens this Friday, March 20th. To warm up your funny bone, here's a couple of clips from the film, and an interview with Mr James himself!







And make sure to check back later for my review of the movie...

Fifty Dead Men Walking Trailer & Pics!

Based on the shocking true story of Martin McGartland, Fifty Dead Men Walking has been stunning critics on the festival circuit and should do the same to audiences when it opens in cinemas on April 10, 2009.

McGartland (played by 21 star Jim Sturgess, below) was just 22 when he was recruited by the British police to infiltrate and spy on the IRA in West Belfast. It was in the 1980s, when the Irish conflict was at its peak, and - despite the huge threat it posed - McGartland went undercover because he knew his information would save many lives.

Keeping his double a life a secret from his friends and family, as well as girlfriend Laura (Natalie Press), McGartland began to enjoy his new position of power. All went well until the unthinkable happened and he was discovered. Captured and brutally tortured by the IRA, McGartland was able to escape but - knowing he has put his family in the firing line - was forced to make a difficult decision...


Fifty Dead Men Walking also stars Ben Kingsley, Rose McGowan, Kevin Zegers and Tom Collins, and is directed by Kari Skogland (The Stone Angel). You'll find the trailer below.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: New Photos!

Warner Bros has sent over a couple of new images from Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, featuring Daniel Radcliffe looking broody as the not-so-young-anymore wizard.

The sixth film in the stupendously successful franchise based on the novels by JK Rowling, Half Blood Prince is helmed by David Yates, who also directed 2007's Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and has started work on the final two films The Deathly Hallows Parts I and II.

Half Blood Prince is to delve further into the darker realms of Harry's world, as he and his friends Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) return to Hogwarts for their sixth year and uncover a mysterious book that holds the key to Lord Voldemort's horrid past. The film opens on July 17, 2009.

Diminished Capacity: New Trailer!

Paramount have sent over the new trailer for their upcoming comedy Diminished Capacity, starring Matthew Broderick as a newspaper editor whose career is on the slide thanks to a debilitating concussion. He decides to take a break and travel to his Missouri hometown, where his relationships with his senile Uncle Rollie (Alan Alda) and high school sweetheart (Virginia Madsen) make him realise that happiness can be found in the most unlikely of places.

Directed by stage and screen actor Terry Kinney, Diminished Capacity opens in cinemas on March 20th. And here's an early glimpse...

Eagle Eye and W. DVD Reviews!

Eagle Eye

Stars Shia Labeouf, Michelle Monaghan
Director DJ Caruso
Distributor Paramount Home Entertainment
Format DVD & Blu-ray
Released March 16th

Slacker Jerry (LaBeouf) struggles to live life in the shadow of his beloved older solider brother. A disappointment to his parents, he holds down a dead end job and poky apartment, When his brother is killed in action, Jerry is devastated – but his grief soon turns to fear when he realises he is being by a shadowy organisation. Through a variety of life-threatening blackmail techniques Jerry – along with single mum Rachel (Monaghan) who has been persuaded to help by a threat to her son’s life - finds himself carrying out a bizarre series of tasks that soon catch the attention of FBI.

OK, so as plots go it’s up there with the most ludicrous. Jerry and Rachel’s journey is peppered with massive potholes in logic and crazy flights of fancy but, to be honest, it’s so much fun that the fact that it barely keeps a toe in reality doesn’t really matter. Although it may claim to make a statement about modern life – particularly the fact that anyone can have their most personal details used against them by a faceless, nefarious big brother, Eagle Eye is nothing so deep. Instead, with the endlessly likeable LaBeouf and Monaghan putting in spirited, gung-ho performances and director DJ Caruso (Disturbia) keeping up the frenetic pace throughout, it’s a rip-roaring, thrilling, instantly forgettable peace of fluff. And there’s nowt wrong with that. 4 stars

Extras The DVD release contains four deleted scenes, alternate ending and gag reel, while the Blu-Ray also has featurettes on the making of the film, the location and the technology.


W.

Stars Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Banks
Director Oliver Stone
Distributor Lionsgate Home Ent.
Format DVD & Blu-ray
Released March 16th

Oliver Stone has long held a reputation as something of a confrontational film-maker, so his latest, W., may come as a surprise. Indeed, anyone expecting a brash, no-holds-barred cinematic attack of the much-derided politics of ex-US President George W. Buse will be disappointed, as the film – released while Bush Jr was still clinging on to the White House – is instead a gentle, somewhat sympathetic look at just what turned Bush into the cartoon character ‘Dubya’

Josh Brolin is pitch-perfect as the man himself, capturing the essence of George’s locker room mentality and obviously relishing the opportunity to deliver many of Bush’s most famous gaffs. But there’s also a vulnerability to his portrayal, and so we see a man so desperate to win the approval of his father, George Bush Sr (James Cromwell), that he will go to any lengths to prove himself worthy of the family name. Indeed, as both a hard-drinking, loutish college student and as leader of the free world, Bush is shown to be a character fundamentally unchanged by any of his experiences and still determined to carry out his single-minded right-wing agenda no matter whether the result is a bar-room brawl or all-out warfare.

Ultimately this portrayal of Bush as a bumbling buffoon is lacking any real satirical teeth, particularly as it’s all played out like a straightforward biopic – most likely because Stone, in spire of his directorial bravado, was acutely aware that the president he was profiling was still at the figurehead of the country as his cameras rolled. And although it certainly doesn’t paint Bush in a favourable light, showing him to be desperately unqualified to lead a nation and floundering under the pressure of international politics, some may feel it does not go far enough in pointing the finger at a President, and an administration at large, that took only eight short years to cause bloody havoc on the world stage. 3 stars

Extras Oliver Stone provides a solid commentary, in which he delves further into his own thoughts about Bush and talks about the preparation he undertook before shooting the movie and the artistic license he used for several scenes and characters. Stone also comments on the handful of deleted scenes, while his son Sean directs the uninspiring Dangerous Dynasty: The Bush Presidency – basically a series of talking heads casting negative and obvious judgements against the Bush administration. There’s also a look at the making of the film. 3 stars

Also Released Today...

The Duchess (Pathe, DVD & Blu-Ray)
Keira Knightley puts in a luminous performance as Georgiana Spencer, Duchess of Devonshire


Smother (Optimum Home Ent., DVD)
It's straight to DVD for this comedy, which stars Diane Keaton as an overbearing mother threatening to ruin her son (Dax Shepherd's) love life.

The Devil’s Whore (Lionsgate Home Ent., DVD)
An excellent cast, including The Wire's Dominic West and 300's Michael Fassbender, bring Civil War England to life in this drama about aristocrat Angelica Fanshawe

The Women (Entertainment, DVD & Blu-Ray)
An all-star cast including Meg Ryan and Annette Bening tell the trials and tribulations of a group of gal pals, in this remake of the 1939 original

88 Minutes (Warner Home Video, DVD)
Al Pacino is being targeted by a serial killer, and he has exactly 1 hour and 28 minutes to save his own life.