5 Film Sets That You Can Go Explore

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Frostie

If you love films and travel, you might want to combine the two on a pilgrimage to the sets of your favourite movies. Here are our top 5 film sets that you can go and explore.

Jurassic Park – Kualoa Ranch, Oahu

Originally set to be filmed in Costa Rica, Steven Spielberg’s 1993 mega blockbuster Jurassic Park was relocated to the craggy, prehistoric landscape of Oahu, Hawaii. Standing in for the mythical Isla Nublar, Kualoa Ranch is arguably one of the stars of the film, as it sets the mood and tone for this ‘science gone too far’ escapade. Visitors to Kualoa today can take guided ATV tours of the vast acreage, also used as a filming location for Lost and Godzilla.

Harry Potter – Warner Brother Studios, Leavesden

A perennial favourite of kids of all ages, the 8 Harry Potter films were all shot in and around London and Oxford. A specialised team of designers, visual effects experts and artists built the elaborate sets—and you can visit them to this day! Take a wand waving class, get up close to prosthetics and costumes actually used during filming, and of course – visit the unbelievable shop at the end. If you want to catch a glimpse of filming locations around the city, head to the Millennium Footbridge, King’s Cross Station (home to the iconic Platform 9 ¾) and Leadenhall Market.

The Grand Budapest Hotel- Görlitzer Warenhaus Department Store, Görlitz, Germany

Fans of Wes Anderson’s quirky alternate universe often cite The Grand Budapest Hotel as their favourite of his films. Nominated for 9 Oscars in 2014, this visually arresting movie was shot primarily in a department store, not a hotel. While the hotel’s façade was a model (a technique that Anderson often employs), the interior shots were all filmed in this handsome art nouveau department store, built in 1913 and located 60 miles from Dresden. Open daily, you can treat yourself to a bit of retail therapy while you walk through the halls of cinematic history.

Ghostbusters, Tribeca Firehouse, New York City

This 1984 classic is beloved by generations of fans who grew up watching the films, television series, cartoons and playing with Slimer action figures – and that is why so many fans flock to the Tribeca Firehouse at 14 North Moore Street in New York City. Now valued at over $16 million due to its newly trendy location, the newest reboot of the film due next year may not be able to afford to hire the space!

Friday the 13^th, NoBeBoSco campground, Blairstown, New Jersey

If you love scary slasher flicks and you want to pay homage to Jason at the fictional Camp Crystal Lake, you will have to get the permission of an organisation so wholesome that it is the antithesis of Friday the 13^th: The Boy Scouts of America! ‘Camp Crystal Lake’ is actually set on the NoBeBoSco campground in New Jersey, and during the off season they will occasionally grant permission to film buffs who want to wander through the original cabins.

These filming locations are iconic, interesting and affordable (or even free) to visit. Do you have any others you would like to see added to this list? Leave your suggestions in the comment section below!

The GŎNG At Shangri-La Hotel At The Shard Hosts Johnnie Walker Blue Label City Edition Cocktails…

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Corinne Tuddenham-Finn

JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL, the leading luxury Blended Scotch Whisky, has launched two stunning City Edition bottles, celebrating the spirit of the UK’s most iconic cities: London and Edinburgh.

The intricately-designed limited editions and their striking presentation boxes take the viewer on a journey through the streets of London and Edinburgh, featuring the unique architecture and attractions that make up the cities’ distinctive city skylines.

Only 4,000 of these exquisitely-designed bottles have been created, with each individually hand-numbered to create a must-have gift for whisky enthusiasts and collectors alike.

The Johnnie Walker Blue Label Cities Collection, which is a series of whiskies from this popular Scotch brand that has engraved on it a cityscape from different regions of the world, is back after its Dubai bottling earlier this year with two new releases. This time around appearing on the bottles are two different cities from the United Kingdom.

The first offering, the Johnnie Walker Blue Label London Edition, features a design on it which includes iconic landmarks of the UK’s capital such as Big Ben, the Gherkin, Nelson’s Column and Tower Bridge. The other new release is the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Edinburgh Edition, and it is set with a design said to pay honor to the Scottish city of the same name. It sports ‘a sweeping, spiral flow from the peak of Edinburgh Castle, including national treasures such as the Scott Monument and the Duke of Wellington alongside the city’s cobbled streets and walls’.

Limited to just 4,000 bottles, the Johnnie Walker Blue Label London and Edinburgh City Editions, noted officials from spirits giant Diageo, are now available in the United Kingdom for around £200 ($315 USD). Available from June, the City Edition bottles are the first to be released outside of travel retail where the new Cities Collection was introduced in February with a bottle depicting Dubai. The previous Skyline Collection in travel retail featured cities such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Mumbai, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Auckland.

Costing not much more than the standard Johnnie Walker Blue Label, the new City Edition bottles come in bespoke gift boxes with more illustrations of their respective cities. Edinburgh’s depicts Scotland’s national symbol, the thistle, and attractions such as The Balmoral Hotel and Arthur’s Seat, while London’s packaging shows famous icons including St Paul’s Cathedral.

To celebrate the launch of these exclusive limited editions, Johnnie Walker Blue Label has partnered with GŎNG at Shangri-La Hotel, At The Shard, London and Scotch at The Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh, two of the most iconic landmarks featured within the limited-edition designs, to create to exclusive cocktail serves.

To mark the launch of the Johnnie Walker Blue Label City Edition bottles, the ‘Eagle Eye’ and ‘Famously Edinburgh’ cocktails were created to celebrate the best of these extraordinary cities with the remarkable smoothness of Johnnie Walker Blue Label.

‘Eagle Eye’, created by Christian Maspes at GŎNG at Shangri-La Hotel, At The Shard, London explains “Known for their intently watchful, sharp and supreme sight across some of the world’s most beautiful landscapes, the eyes of an eagle are estimated to be up to eight times stronger than that of a human’s. The idea of such skill and precision – the same qualities Johnnie Walker apply when creating their rarest blend of whiskies – together with GŎNG’s unrivalled views over London were the inspiration behind the ‘Eagle Eye’, a specially created cocktail to mark the launch of Johnnie Walker Blue Label’s limited City Edition bottle, celebrating London’s iconic skyline.”

45ml Johnnie Walker Blue Label

2-3 dashes Abbott’s Bitters

15ml Barolo Chinato

Homemade strawberry and peppercorn shrub

Garnished with blue ‘Johnnie Walker Striding Man walking stick’ meringue

The ‘Eagle Eye’ is currently available, priced at £17.00, with an ‘on-the-rocks’ version also available upon request.

‘Famously Edinburgh’, created by Fraser Robson, Whisky Ambassador at Scotch, the Whisky Bar at The Balmoral Hotel commented “The inspiration behind the Famously Edinburgh cocktail came from my experience of the City and all that it is known and loved for. I thought about what was famous in the City and how that relates to local people, what they famously enjoy doing and where. Whisky and tea are ingrained in every great Scot. Johnnie Walker is the world’s most famous whisky and here, at the Balmoral, situated at Edinburgh’s most famous address, guests visit for the finest cup of tea in town. These three pillars gave me the basis of my creation. Starting with a double measure of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, I look at how I could incorporate the tea. Edinburgh locals tend to have a sweet tooth so I added a tea-infused sugar syrup as a nod to that Edinburgh tradition. I was careful to ensure that Johnnie Walker Blue Label was at the forefront of the cocktail and selected some whisky barrel-aged bitters and Fino sherry to heighten those flavours. The City and the people of Edinburgh are renowned for their elegant ways, so there was only one piece of glassware for the occasion – a Champagne coupe.”

50ml Johnnie Walker Blue Label

15ml Famous Edinburgh tea-infused sugar syrup

10ml Fino sherry

2 dashes whisky barrel-aged bitters

Orange zest to spray over the glass

The ‘Famously Edinburgh’ is available at Scotch, the whisky bar at The Balmoral Hotel priced at £42.50.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ7kWpTrtJw

About Johnnie Walker Blue Label Whisky…

JOHNNIE WALKER® BLUE LABEL™ is one of the pinnacle offerings from JOHNNIE WALKER.

Only sublime, rare whiskies at the pinnacle of perfection are used in the blending of JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL, with only 1 in 10,000 casks containing whisky of sufficient character to deliver its remarkably smooth signature taste. Each is hand selected by the JOHNNIE WALKER Master Blender himself, part of an unbroken lineage of Master Blenders stretching back over 190 years – it is an ultimate expression of whisky making today and an remarkable achievement for the modern era.

Presented in individually numbered bottles, it is reminiscent of the 19th century style of whiskies. The Master Blender uses his decades of experience to select some of the rarest casks from the JOHNNIE WALKER reserves for their quality, character and flavour to create the powerful, complex, smooth character of BLUE LABEL.

BLUE LABEL has a mellow, rounded nose, with a dry smokiness (a JOHNNIE WALKER signature flavour) mixing with raisin sweetness. It is best savoured with the palate cleansed and cooled by iced water. One sip reveals a velvety mouth-feel, then an explosion of flavour. At once you’ll discover hazelnuts, honey, rose petals, sherry and oranges. Subsequent sips reward you with more hidden secrets like kumquats, wispy aromatic smoke, sandalwood, tobacco, and dark chocolate.

DIAGEO is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits, beer and wine categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB, Buchanan’s, Windsor and Bushmills whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.

The JOHNNIE WALKER and BLUE LABEL words, the Striding Figure device and associated logos are trade marks © John Walker & Sons 2014.

About GŎNG at Shangri-La Hotel, At The Shard, London…

With a dramatic backdrop of unparalleled views, GŎNG, the hotel’s destination bar – and the highest bar in London – brings a new dimension to the city’s social scene. Perfect for sunset cocktails and late-night drinks, the bar offers three lofted areas; a cocktail bar, champagne bar and an infinity pool, for guests to relax and soak in the stunning cityscape.

Uncomplicated and seamless, the bar’s service ensures the ultimate escape from the city’s bustle. Sample one of the delicate, signature cocktails or indulge in rare, vintage champagnes available by the glass.

Please note that GŎNG operates on a walk-in policy basis, however seating is subject to availability at time of arrival. There is a £30 minimum spend policy per person and tables are allocated for two hours.

http://www.gong-shangri-la.com

About Scotch, the Whisky Bar at The Balmoral Hotel…

Presenting Edinburgh’s largest collection of whisky available to the general public, Scotch at The Balmoral Hotel is a chic bar and lounge setting. Enjoy rare vintage drams dating back as far as 1940, accompanied by delicious complementing bar snacks.

With a 400-bottle-strong cellar offered to guests, a luxury stock of blends, malts and vintages are sourced from Speyside, Islay, Campbeltown, the Highlands and the Lowlands. This supreme collection is overseen by Scotch bar’s 3 resident whisky ambassadors, who are always on-hand to advise both novices and connoisseurs.

Scotch whisky bar in Edinburgh also offers a contemporary Scottish food menu, featuring dishes from The Balmoral’s executive chef, Jeff Bland. Knowledgeably-paired nibbles are served as standard with each whisky, with offerings including wild boar salami, and dark Swiss chocolate.

Set within the 5-star Balmoral Hotel, the Scotch bar area is swathed in chocolate-brown leather, mustard velvet and heavy tartan fabrics. Edinburgh Waverley Station is just 2 minutes’ walk away.

reservations.balmoral@roccofortehotels.com

‘We Are The Future’ … A Fusion Of Artistic Talent

Posted on June 21, 2015 by Corinne Tuddenham-Finn

Based in Toulouse and with their last (movie) track featuring at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, ‘We Are The Future’ is an upcoming duo to keep an eye on.

https://soundcloud.com/we-are-the-future/we-are-the-future-legacy-bande-son

Formed in December 2013, ‘We Are The Future’ is a due featuring Alex CORTAX (DJ / songwriter / radio host specialized electronic culture music) and John COST (professional musician / keyboardist / arranger / sound engineer) using Apple Certified (Apple Certified Pro) on the Logic Pro software.

. This ground-breaking duo, with a passion for electronic music, live and work together, creating ‘We Are The Future’, which they define as a “Futuristic world, a mixture of generations, a fusion of artistic talent, pooling open to the future” featuring as resident DJs on Radio FG USA.

With a timeless and universal vibe, they work on Pioneer CDJ2000 decks using ‘Seratto’ software and Pro compositions ‘Logic’.

Alex Cortax, whose real name is Alexis Costa, is a young French composer of Electro Dance Music ( EDM), Electro and House. Passionate about music, the electronic music influences came from his mother – Alex defines himself as part of a world that is both modern and futuristic, His steps into the musical arena came at the age of 14, wring strong compositions at the age of 15.

Starting on “Asus” then drifting on “Macbook pro” Alex Cortax is relentless, writing and re-mixing tracks, being influenced by artists such as Gregori Klosman, Sidney Samson, Nicky Romero and Aviccii.

He started on software such as ‘Virtual DJ’, purchasing a controller ‘Nurmark’ with ‘Tracktor’ software, ending up on Pioneer CDJ2000 decks with ‘Serrato’.

When it comes to production, Alex works with ‘FL Studio’, ‘Logic Pro’ and ‘Ableton’.

His visual identity is a concrete example of his artistic influences. His logo reflects his personality, living in a futuristic environment with strong grey and robotic typology set against a burgundy background – colour dynamics which give a ‘sense of motion’ – watchwords in Alex Cortax’s vocabulary.

‘We Are The Future’ collaborations include:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m6xG9tosjQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50ltIM83dPg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtsnnirBErE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtsnnirBErE&authuser=0

Facebook fan page for Alex CORTAX:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alex-CORTAX/117688138334457

Facebook fan page for the group ‘We Are The Future’
https://www.facebook.com/wearethefuturemusic

Soundcloud:

https://soundcloud.com/we-are-the-future

Anna Friel Interview for The Saboteurs

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Frostie

What can you tell us about the series?

It’s following in the footsteps of the great Scandinavian television – it’s very much revered. It’s about how the Norwegians stopped Hitler from building a nuclear weapon by the production of heavy water. They sabotaged the factory that produced something called heavy water that had the potential of creating a German atomic bomb. It should be a very, very well-known story but it’s not.

You play Julie Smith, how would you describe her? What attracted you to the role?

After getting the script I flew to Norway and met with the writer. The fact that it was a Danish German British and Norwegian production was just incredible. It’s an incredibly different process to ours – it’s amazing what they do.

I play a fictional character and the only girl who’s surrounded by men, so we knew she had to have a lot of guts and strength. I really admired that it’s an alternative take on a love story too, with Leif Tronstad (played by Espen Klouman-Høiner) the fact they never get together is really heart-breaking.

The director uses music very cleverly in his work and I think it’s really emotive to the character. It showed a very gentler side to a hard exterior.

What was it like being part of such an international co-production, and with lots of different languages spoken amongst the cast?

I’ve always wanted to go to Norway, to see the Northern lights – it’s one of my dreams – and I just thought the cast was incredible. In literally a green room full of men I was the only woman, I often find myself in that situation – I must be a boyish girl at heart! But they were great, I joined in with all their banter and they were so welcoming.

Were you familiar with the story before taking on the role and did you do any research on this period in history to prepare?

I wasn’t aware of the story but I did some research, read books about the team that went on the journey and I am familiar with the time – I think this is my third job that’s set in the 1940’s.

As the series is based on an important moment in history, were you anxious about taking on the role at all?

You’re anxious when you take on any job but I knew that I was in incredibly capable hands. They got the top actors from other countries and I really love now that they’re mixing the British actors with the Danish and the American actors with the British and that we’re all becoming a bit more international. They all have very different approaches and I’ve been in the industry now since I was sixteen years old, I Iove learning from other cultures and from different actors’ approaches.

Was there training involved before filming? Did you have to do any stunts?

I didn’t really do any stunts but getting into that uniform was sort of like one! There is a scene where I use a gun and have to hit every target so there was some training for that. Weirdly enough my last few jobs have been military and my next job is also military.

What was the shoot like, did it take you to any interesting locations?

Norway and Prague doubled for Scotland, our base, and the huge factory. So I think if you added it all up I’ve spent a year and a half of my life there – Gracie (my daughter) has spent 6 months of her life in Prague so I knew it very well. Our director of photography was absolutely incredible, a real genius.

What’s your favourite memory from the set?

It’s probably when we used something called an opticopter, which is like a drone. They all had this toy for the first time and it has a little camera so it could fly up and do these big sweeping shots. I remember about 4 or 5 years ago you’d have to get a huge crane out to film scenery like that and it was very time consuming but that day everyone was so excited despite it being freezing cold!

The Saboteurs starts on Friday 19th June at 9pm on More4

Mad Max: Fury Road {Film Review}

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Owun Birkett

At one point, I was a little worried about this particular movie. Not only is it another entry of Mad Max, not only has it been 30 years since the last one but also being written, produced and directed by George Miller. If we learned anything, directors returning to movie series that put them on the map in the first place usually end up with underwhelming results (George Lucas with Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Steven Spielberg with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Ridley Scott with Prometheus). Remember how the trailers would look spectacular and too good to be true but eventually being huge letdowns? However, that trend has now been broken because George Miller has made an insane action masterpiece!

The movie is a reboot of the series, with Tom Hardy replacing Mel Gibson as our troubled hero Max Rockatansky. Rather than start from the very beginning in typical reboot fashion, it already establishes Max’s wife and child were killed and he’s been surviving this mad_max_fury_road_ver13_xlg chaotic post-apocalyptic world. He gets captured early on by the War Boys, a pale skinned gang led by Immorton Joe (played by only returning Mad Max cast member, Hugh Keays-Byrne). He is in charge of a kingdom known as the Citadel, as he controls the people and major water supply. Though Furiosa (Charlize Theron) has her own agenda; taking Joe’s five brides away and taking them to the green place. This results Joe giving chase and Max (and the audience) along with the wild ride. That’s pretty much it from there; a roller-coaster ride that barely slows down. The world of Fury Road is wildly creative with the production and costume design. It all feels Max has been transported to Dante’s Inferno, as there’s even an intense escape sequence before the main title shows up. Miller never gives any exposition to who or what is going on on-screen.

Tom Hardy is a great replacement, bringing the Max we all have grown familiar but also bringing his own interpretation that doesn’t result being an imitation. He’s almost like a wild animal, just making his way through and looking out for himself. Though even he is not so far from being insane as everyone else. He often has hallucinations of his family, mostly from a little girl. Keays-Byrne is impressively threatening as Immorton Joe. Fuelled by pursuing his belongings as if he’d lose everything (including his sanity) if they ever get far from his grasp. The inventive ventilator collar adds to his bonkers costume design, including a see-through body armour. Though the ones who steal the spot-light are the women, including Theron’s Furiosa. They are far from the damsels in distress or completely written as being illogical (I’m looking at you Anastasia Steele and Bella Swan!) It’s also saying something that most of the women in this movie are the sane ones. The brides may not be warriors but they will do the damn hardest to actually do something to prevent from anything bad happening. Everyone is aiming for something, whether it’s simply to survive, gain back something or even head somewhere better. Even Nux (Nicholas Hoult) is given a bit of an arc, something he slowly but eventually realises his full potential. The movie may be an action movie on its surface but it has a bit of humanity in its core and also heart on its sleeve.

As said before, the movie is completely bonkers but it is beautifully bat-shit insane! It’s one of those situations where I would describe something from the film and it will give you an idea what kind of ride you’ll be going on. For example; there’s one character where he wears a red onsie but is standing on a bunch of towering sound-speakers and plays an electric guitar. . . . that also acts as a flamethrower. Even character names will also give you an idea what you’re walking into, such as The People Eater and The Bullet Farmer. John Seale even came out of retirement to help shoot this movie. His experience on shooting in desert settings in The English Patient may have been useful but he brings it to a whole new level. The action sequences are easy to follow but shot in a way that’s more intense and satisfying to watch than any action movie nowadays. You actually get worried when our heroes are close to death’s door (unlike Fast & Furious series where lead characters can survive anything, even ramming to an oncoming car).

Overall: 30 years waiting for the return of Mad Max and it was worth it! George Miller finally unleashes his crazy vision and never holds back. The cast is excellent and the action is breath-taking! Easily one of the best movies of the year and going to be hard to top this from being movie of the summer. J.J. Abrams, don’t let us down with The Force Awakens!

5 out of 5!

Avengers: Age of Ultron {Film Review}

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Owun Birkett

One of the most anticipated movies of the summer has finally hit cinemas and anticipation would be an understatement. After the release of both Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy last year, both fans and general audiences were expecting this 11th entry in Marvel Cinematic Universe to top everything off.

After the events of The Winter Soldier, The Avengers (consists of Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner)) pursue the last HYDRA commander, Baron Wolfgang von Strucker (Thomas Kretschmann). However, they also come across Strucker’s experiments with the twins, Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) (changed from being mutants and Magneto’s children to experiments, due to 20th Century Fox owning rights to X-Men). Stark starts thinking about retiring from being Iron Man and starts creating, along with Banner, a new set of A.I. drones to tackle future threats (even extraterrestrial). Thus Ultron (James Spader) is born but doesn’t pan out as expected. Like a new child, he quickly takes action by having one primary goal; human extinction.

avengers_age_of_ultron_ver11_xlg The movie doesn’t waste any time setting things up (if you haven’t been following the events from previous movies, good luck) and we’re straight into our first big action set-piece. It may feel a little rushed at times but it all flows seamlessly together. The whole MCU is already established at this point, though the few scenes where it takes a break from the action is one of the highlights. The entire cast fits into their characters like a glove, fully adjusting to their roles that we’ve been following since 2008. It completely shows their camaraderie as working in a team, as what made The Avengers such a treat to watch. Their witty banter and emotional connection are probably one of the most compelling moments in this movie (especially a running gag with Rogers and the team). We’re even given more back-story to Barton and Romanoff, which fleshed out their characters in a huge way than before. Both Maximoff twins are a welcome addition, giving Avengers an extra challenge to tackle. Wanda uses her hypnosis to bring out the team’s fears, thus adding a human layer to their characterisation.There are a few additional characters put into the mix (Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaue to name one of many and antagonist for future Black Panther film) and may feel a little much to take all in but you tend to go along with the ride. Though it’s James Spader who steals the spot-light and he’s the most charismatic and intimidating villain since Loki. His introduction is undeniably gripping and quite spine-chilling with his speech towards the Avengers. He observes the world with childlike perception, slowly growing incredibly intellectual but also persistent on bringing total destruction on a global scale.

Writer/director Joss Whedon may excel on delivering wisecracks here and there but doesn’t fall short of the spectacle and there’s plenty of that on display! The creative fight combos between the heroes (mainly from Captain America and Thor) shows their ability to work as a team. The Hulkbuster vs Hulk scene was incredibly entertaining to watch, yet follows Man of Steel’s complete utter city destruction (may not be on the same scale but comes close). The design of Ultron is pretty much a Terminator pumped with steroids but given a face similar to Michael Bay’s Transformers movies. Given a lot to deliver expressions from the face with Spader also providing motion-capture performance. Although Quicksilver was the scene-stealer from X-Men: Days of Future Past, this portrayal of Quicksilver is just as creative and does convey his intense speed through-out the movie. Brian Tyler and Danny Elfman’s score gets you pumped for rooting our heroes but also delivering the right emotional notes during such scenes with our characters.

Overall; one of the best entries in the series. It somewhat surpasses the sequel on expanding the MCU series but also fleshing out our protagonist’s and making it worth investing from beginning to end. Joss Whedon makes his last outing with Marvel a bang and has given us a fantastic villain with Ultron. Next up, Ant-Man.

5 out of 5

p.s. Stay for a mid-credits scene, though you probably were ready to do that anyways.

Is Acting Training Worth It?

Posted on April 23, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

To train or not to train, that is the question. To paraphrase some little known writer, ahem. It is a debate that has raged on. The truth is, there is no easy answer. Frankly, studying at Cambridge will get you noticed but training at some random never-heard-of polytechnic won’t do you much good. In a recent Mark Strong Acting masterclass I went to Mark made the excellent point that it is not the training that is important, but the confidence it gives. Sometime people who don’t train have a chip on their shoulder, Mark said, much like people who don’t go to university think they missed out on something. It is all rubbish and in fact they did not miss anything at all, but the lack of confidence is there.

So, do you need three years worth of training? Especially with the exorbitant fees that universities now charge? The answer is yes, and no. There is still a hierarchy to acting. If you go to a school which is a brand name it will look great on your CV and open some doors. RADA is one, as is Central and LAMDA. Ditto Oxford and Cambridge. The acting industry is just as snobby as the wider world. People love brand names.

Some training is smart. Although I believe that acting is a talent you either have or don’t, but you can improve. Take classes, join improv groups, make your own work. Keeping up your skills as an actor is important but just doing three years of training for the sake of it is not. Many great actors have no formal training. You will also have the added bonus of not having any debt which will take you years to pay off.

In the end the decision is yours. Just don’t think that your acting career is over before it began just because you cannot go to a prestiges school. Not everyone has the money to do so and they only take a small number of applicants every year. Developing your skills is important but this can be done on the job, doing student films, fringe theatre, in drama classes and even in (shh) amateur dramatics. None of this has to go on your CV. Just get out there and work. The acting industry is not the closed shop it used to be. Go to the theatre, watch film and TV. Learn as much as possible. Actors who went to one of the top schools may get a head start but the good news is that the acting game is a marathon, not a sprint.

Catherine Balavage has been an actor for over ten years. Her book on acting, How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur, has gotten numerous five star reviews and has been called the ‘best advice available’ by numerous sources.

The Extra-terrestrial Film Festival: The St Albans Film Festival Returns

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

A “Secret Cinema” experience, films in the park after dark, and a swim-in cinema are planned for St Albans 3^rd Film Festival which will be out of this world

Visitors to the St Albans Film Festival will have the opportunity to take part in a ‘Secret Cinema’ experience when the Odyssey cinema holds an immersive Space film event on opening night, 1 May.

The Extra-terrestrial Film Festival The St Albans Film Festival Returns leoni

Leoni Kibbey says that the event will bring some surprise and excitement to the opening night. “I am a huge fan of the ‘Secret Cinema’ phenomenon, she says, “and wanted to bring a bit of that fun to the film festival. This is different to the usual secret events as the location and time is known beforehand, but the film itself is being kept under wraps. We may release some clues nearer to the day though, and it is definitely a film in line with our Space theme, so we are definitely inviting people to dress accordingly!”

Since 2013 the St Albans Film Festival has earned its place alongside the bigger international film festivals, gaining credibility by attracting over 1,000 entries from filmmakers from 40 countries into its short film competition, and also securing Christiane Kubrick, widow of film directing legend Stanley Kubrick, who lived and worked in the area, as its Patron.

The Extra-terrestrial Film Festival The St Albans Film Festival Returnsfightingcockspub

The Festival – which has taken Space as its theme this year, coinciding with the centenary of Einstein’s general theory of relativity (gravity), and also the current general release of The Theory of Everything; the Golden Globe winning movie about the famous scientist and space expert, Stephen Hawking, who hails from St Albans – is holding its grand launch event and closing awards ceremony at the recently restored Odyssey cinema, which first opened in 1908. This was one of the first cinemas to open in the country.

Other firsts for this year’s film festival include a pop-up cinema at the country’s oldest pub, Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, which will be screening Alien on 29^th April and Aliens on 30^th April, in the garden, with a barbecue as part of the ticket price of £12. Landlord Christo Tofalli says: “To my knowledge, this is the first time in the pub’s 1,222 year history that it has turned into a cinema!” Tickets are selling fast so visit the film festival website to buy yours.

The Extra-terrestrial Film Festival The St Albans Film Festival Returnsstage

The festival team will also be managing a central ‘hub’ based at another historic building: the St Albans Town Hall, a Georgian Grade ll listed building which has received funding from the HLF to be transformed into an exceptional new museum and gallery of national and international significance in 2017. The Town Hall will hold the official screenings of the finalists in the short film competition, and run a selected number of events about filmmaking.

Just a short drive from St Albans is Bayfordbury Observatory: the University of Hertfordshire’s astronomical and atmospheric physics remote sensing observatory, and one of the largest teaching observatories in the UK. The centre opens its doors to the film festival on Saturday for an exciting evening for ages 8+ which includes a talk on ‘Space and Astronomy in Films: the Facts and the Fiction’ and an HD planetarium show, followed by a visit to their telescopes with live observations.

Don your pointy ears and Trekkie gear in homage to the late Leonard Nimoy (Spock) as The Maltings Arts Theatre invite you to startrek across the universe with Spock, Kirk and the rest of the crew of the Starship Enterprise as they host a trilogy of the first star trek films from the ‘70s & ‘80s.

Take a trip to Westminster Lodge’s Alien Day on Saturday 1^st May as they once again open their Swim-in cinema, with family film ‘Monsters Vs Aliens’ in the day and, for ages 18+, Alien Resurrection with the famous underwater scene, in the evening.

Film & Media Students from Oaklands College on Hatfield Road host a packed weekend of events inspired by Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. All events are completely free and suitable for all ages – including workshops and a chance to try out professional film equipment, Odyssey, film quizzes, lectures, indie screenings and lots more.

One of the coolest events at the festival and not to be missed is the stunning screening of new indie feature ‘Always in the Present’ the debut feature from Writer and Director Oliver Guy-Watkins. This exclusive screening will include a live score by French band Metropolitan Parc and screens in the afternoon on the Saturday.

Warren Bacci, director of Top Talent Agency, based in St Albans, and judge for Best Actor award, says: “We really recommend visitors see at least one of the short film category screenings, as showcasing filmmaking talent is at the heart of the festival. In previous years, the festival has discovered exciting new talent in filmmaking internationally, as well as recognising acting talent such as Luke Treadaway, who won Best Actor at the festival last year.”

Some of the stars of this year’s eclectic mix of short films include: Cillian Murphy, Ricky Tomlinson, A BAFTA winner, A Disney Animator, A Gay Rugby Team and the band Enter Shikari. Audience members will get to meet the best up and coming filmmakers as each screening has a Q&A session after and this year introduces the audience vote, which count towards the final voting score and winners are announced at the closing awards ceremony at The Odyssey cinema on the Sunday evening.

Leoni Kibbey, festival director, says: “I am so excited about this year’s theme – so look out for all the added extras we are known for – see the city taken over by aliens and spacemen for one weekend. In our first three years, we have established a reputation for putting on an innovative and ambitious programme of events and this year we have taken a giant leap forward and let the local residents and businesses take more ownership of their festival by putting on more of their own events and initiatives to celebrate film.

“Edinburgh Festival started small with one person’s idea and now thousands of productions and events take place around Edinburgh. I would love to bring a slice of that kind of energy to our city, which was itself at the forefront of modern filmmaking and cinemas a hundred years ago and see the festival grow for years to come.”

Tickets to the secret cinema event are available direct from the Odyssey box office, and tickets for all other film festival events are available now from www.stalbansfilmfestival.co.uk, and from the box office, which is now open at the old court rooms in the Town Hall.

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