Category Archives: Film

Stefan Reviews; Nightmare on Elm Street.

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From the Eighties to the early Noughties the horror genre has been dominated by two names; Jason Vorhees and probably the little more known….Freddy Kruger.
With nine films, a TV series and a smorgasbord of (sometimes parody) guest appearances in TV under his belt, Freddy has certainly made his quadruple bladed glove mark in the world of celluloid.
What started out as a very scary character played horrifically menacingly by Robert Englund, Kruger sadly became one of mischief and comedy rather than a to-scared-to-turn-the-lights-out-after-watching monster that he once was. This however was rumoured to all change when Freddy was taken on by Jackie Earl Haley.
Best known for his sinister portrayal of Rorschach in last years Watchmen, Haley was an eagerly awaited choice for the role by the majority of Kruger fans wanting to see the darker side of an already pretty pitch character.
The before the title opening scene gives a nice quick introduction to the main players in the film and ends in a way that seems to promise as much blood as you would expect from the old franchise and a lot more scares. Unfortunately it doesn’t deliver, there are a couple of gallons of blood and a few actual scary moments that make squeals and screams erupt from a jumping audience (I cant remember the last time a new horror film did that) but they are few and far between so fail to keep viewers on the edge of their seats, although this could not be said for the girl sitting behind me who I think must have lost most of her popcorn!
The mostly unknown in movies cast (mainly American TV an small film roles) are good at keeping out the horror shlock thus once again making this an altogether different route for Nightmare, but only Rooney Mara stands out from the rest (strange considering it also co-starred Clancy Brown). Her portrayal of troubled heroine Nancy Thompson is believable and pulls in the sympathy and could easily be carried over into sequels if they choose to remake the rest of the Nightmare stories (I’m hoping they don’t for fear they would go the same way as the 80’s/90’s lot and end up with a rapping Haley arsing about with a prop guitar). Joy turns to disappointment with Jackie Earle Haley, as promised, he is a lot more menacing and frightening than Englund ever was, but for some odd unexplainable reason during the finale fight he starts spouting rubbish one liner quips. Threatening with the promise of violence and abuse throughout the entire film, resorting to crappy puns very nearly ruins the re-imagining of the character.
A film that promised much and delivered a bit Nightmare on Elm Street has too few scares and fails to build suspense, and if you can ignore the image of Freddy wearing Rorschach’s mask (it seems Haley has adopted that voice to express malevolence and inspire fear) I suggest you wait for the DVD.

Nightmare on Elm Street is still playing at most cinemas and is rated 18.

Actor Interviews: Leoni Kibbey

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Frost: How did you get into acting?

Leoni: I was blessed with creative, ambitious, intelligent parents and three siblings. As a family we loved to play games (card games/board games/puzzles/outdoor games/rounders). I guess acting is just an extension of my love of ‘playing’. My Mum is a jazz singer.  We lived for a while in the Lake District and used to watch her at Sunday lunchtime jazz shows, I was in awe. I was a bit of  a shy introverted child, Mum was a bit concerned until she came to see me sing in school and said I came alive. My first taste of theatre was in a local production of The Sound of Music at the age of 7 – playing Gretl, my audition was the speech at the end of Michael Jackson’s thriller “darkness falls across the land etc..” think they thought it was weird but cute. I adored the process then, the buzz of being backstage and being given the responsibility of learning lines. I wasn’t a ‘starlet’, even at a young age I took my work seriously as well as of course having a massive load of fun behind the scenes (Nothing changed there). I was always involved in local theatre groups growing up and after A-levels went to Mountview Theatre School. That was 12 years ago now. Tempus Fugit.

Frost: How do you manage to juggle a successful acting career with being a successful casting director?

Leoni: Let’s just say life is intense.  I work a LOT.. I like to be busy and I think my careers compliment each other and give me a good insight into the industry. I am a creative person as well as a business woman. In terms of how I mentally and physically manage it. The pressure can get to me, especially whilst trying to be the best Mum to my daughters. I do sometimes feel like I am working three full time jobs and have to keep a check on my physical and mental health and listen to when my body needs to rest. I try to squeeze in some exercise into my schedule and I take time out doing things I love & seeing people I love. Some people say there may come a point that I will have to choose between my careers but in the words of my Mother “Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something” .. and right now both careers are working for me. The casting helps me provide a good life for me and my girls and any acting roles I take are a total bonus.

Frost: What do you love about your job?

Leoni: I am my own boss and can be in control of my own career and time. I get to be creative. I meet loads of lovely people. Every day is different. One of the directors I work with always brings a huge bag of Skittles to meetings…

Frost: Do you have any advice for actors?

Leoni: Never get bitter, particularly about your agent. Be proactive, be positive. Work very very very hard. Get a showreel. If you stop enjoying it then don’t do it.  Do email me but as I get hundreds of emails a week from actors I can’t usually reply but I do look at all emails.  Sounds cheesy but be true to yourself. Networking is great but don’t force things – best to be friendly than to seem desperate. You get out what you put back in. Always go with your gut instinct. Don’t get cosmetic surgery. Floss. Use Sunscreen.

Frost: Who is your inspiration?

Leoni: My Daughters, Mum, Sisters, Brother, Dad, Edith Piaf, Annie Lennox, Kathy Burke, Judi Dench, Lady Gaga (random selection of cool people) and all my closest friends and colleagues.

Frost: What’s next?

Leoni: I’m constantly asking myself that. I’ve been offered a nice acting role in the feature Jack The Ripper, Whitechapel 1888 playing Mrs Swanson, the lead detectives wife.  I’ve co-written a short film which I am trying to pull some funding together for. I’ve just booked myself a session to record a new voice reel, and I am casting commercials, a Channel4 shoot and several feature films at various stages of development . The most recent film  I have taken on is a feature adaptation of an award winning novel and I’m tying up casting for Sure Fire Hit, the British Action Movie with Chris Noth (Mr Big from Sex & The City). However I’ve just realised I’m taking my daughters on a much needed holiday to Disneyland Paris during the premiere of SATC2 so won’t be attending that!

Frost:Is it harder for women?

Leoni: YES. Mainly due to statistics of there being more women acting. But I don’t think about it because you can make up a thousand excuses for why your career isn’t going the way you want it to go.

Frost: What does your average day consist of?

Leoni: Wake up, give kids my full attention, get them ready for school, school run, pop to a morning exercise class, back to the office at home – calls, emails. Sending out offers, chasing agents. A client may call with a new breakdown for a commercial or stills shoot, or perhaps to discuss a new feature.  Send out the breakdown, Stick a load of washing in the machine, cuppa, snack, tidy myself up and dash into London for meetings, reading a script/answering emails on the blackberry while on the way to London,  meetings..  maybe a quick commercial casting as an actress, sometimes I’m back in time to collect the kids at 4pm and then take my business calls/send emails while making their tea..homework and then kids bath and bed – stories.. my favourite time of day when we relax and I get to read their favourite books like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, back to the computer to review suggestions for my breakdown the calls to the US to chase offers on feature films, update my acting CV,  watch Glee, print off my short film script and make some edits, have a chat to some friends online/phone. (Or often I stay in London for showcases, screenings or networking events) .. plan the next day, play a bit of the latest Professor Layton on the DS or read a bit of my book and then crash.

Frost: Did having children affect your career in any way?

Leoni: Yes. In a very positive way. They gave me back my focus.

Film; Streetfighter Legacy – Short Trailer

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Indulge in some nostalgia for three minutes while watching this “fan made” short. But if you think it’s going to be as bad as the two feature length films made under the Streetfighter name then think again. This three minutes is better, more accurate and more entertaining. Make sure you click on full screen HD and plug in your surround sound speakers.

Legacy (officially endorsed by Capcom) was the brainchild of actor Joey Ansah (Bourne Ultimatum); who says on the films facebook page:
“As an actor, film maker and a fan, I have been repeatedly disappointed by the many diluted, un faithful and outright butchered movie adaptations of fighting video games. It was clear to me, that given the way the movie industry worked, we would never see a super faithful, darker toned and more adult themed (or just plain good!) incarnation of Street fighter unless a die-hard fan director or film-making team with the game canon knowledge, film making know how and connections stepped up to the plate to helm such a project.”
“My Team and I have strived to make a beautiful lil’ film that hopefully non fans will really appreciate, but ultimately this is a love letter to the Fans and the brilliance of the game. As a result I’ve gone to every length to be as faithful as possible down to the smallest details of the costume, the choreography, the narrative, the original music themes and of course the special moves!”

I hope they find someone to fund a full length version. With lots of pretty effects, interesting eyebrows, special moves and combos please!!

Joey Ansah’s Website

Stefan's Top Five's; Zombie Flicks

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Zombie Films (in no particular order)

Zombieland
A new release that after one viewing went straight into my top five, this romp through a zombie infested America is fun for the whole family.
The story centres around four survivors who remain nameless, preferring to take the name of places they have travelled from as their chosen monikers to keep from getting attached to each other (Columbus, Wichita, Little Rock and Tallahassee). Heavily armoured with comedy rather than scares Zombieland delivers a much needed rest bite from all the psychological horror and rubbish gore porn (Eli Roth, I’m looking at you) of late, and Woody Harrelson is one of the most bad-ass zombie killers ever. Even if you don’t dig on zombies I still recommend this film (if only for the brilliant cameo by Bi….actually, I’ll leave it till you see it)!

Dawn of the Dead
Ahhh George A Romero, the Granddaddy of the Undead, the Godfather of Zombiedon and one of the true masters of the genre.
It was very hard deciding which of his films to include, but I came to the conclusion of Dawn of the Dead, is it a zombie film? Is it a siege film? Is it a look into the consumer mindset of America? Is it all three and more? Whichever it is it remains one of the best. With more parodies/homage’s than there are zombies in the film, Dawn is the tale of two SWAT Team members and two News Broadcasters as they try to live out the zombie apocalypse inside a mall. With everything they could possible need under one roof they should be smiling, but there’s no time to smile when you’re constantly on the lookout for the re-animated beasties or fighting for survival against a nomadic band of bikers. One of the first and one of the best, this is a must for anyone looking to survive a zombie attack.

Night of the Living Dead (1990 remake)
The 1968 original of Night was a complete George A Romero affair, in the remake however he just re-wrote the screenplay and left the directing to Tom Savini, and Tom did a brilliant job. Starting off quite light hearted with two siblings squabbling about their dislike for the (now dead) mother, Night takes a swift dive into the realm of horror after they are attacked in a graveyard by two zombies, forcing the sister Barbara to take refuge in an old farmhouse with other survivors, with no knowledge of what is causing the carnage outside they are forced to overcome their distrust and help each other. One of the reasons I put this film in is for one scene that perfectly shows zombies, Barbara walks through a zombie infested field, instead of running she calmly walks, holding a pistol to the heads of each zombie she passes and eventually sobbingly begs an undead woman to leave her alone while pushing her away only for her to stumble back an try to take a bite. Possibly the only one of this list to go into my top 10 best films list (watch this space for that one) Night of the Living Dead is the perfect zombie film.

Brain Dead
I mentioned Gore Porn earlier in this article. I’m not a big fan of movies that contain gore for gores sake but before showing us the wonders of Middle Earth, peter Jackson gave us gore as it should be, with full ladle helpings of tongue in cheek humour. In essence, Brain Dead is a rather sweet tale of a young man trying to impress the girl he’s fallen desperately in love with, unfortunately his attempts to woo her are hampered by his over bearing mother who, after being bitten by a Sumatran Rat-Monkey and zombiefied, he has to keep locked in the basement along with all the other people her bite has transformed. Blood, guts, puss and limbs fly as Jackson uses excellent puppetry and even better dialogue (‘Your mother ate my dog’ ‘…not all of it’). After seeing Brain Dead you’ll never look at your lawn-mower the same way again.

28 Days Later
This was a tough movie to include, you see, there’s mindless people attacking the rest of us, but their not dead and their not eating flesh for sustenance. It’s the most annoying zombie film because it doesn’t have any zombies…just a hell of a lot of ‘Infected’ who have been contaminated with a Rage Virus, of course you can argue that actual cases of zombification haven’t included death and re-animation but that’s an entirely different world from movies so I’m ignoring it.
It’s absolutely safe to say that 28 Days is the scariest film in this list, from the eerie wide angle shots of an absolutely empty London (anyone who grew up here will understand) to the claustrophobic intensity of not being able to escape an ‘infected’ filled house until you can fill yourself with the same rage that has infected most of the country (deep much?), although there are some genuinely heart warming moments of burgeoning friendship and the heart breaking ending of a family unit. 28 Days Later is a film about friendship, loss and above all trust in a world where it’s every man, woman and child for themselves. And in fear of sounding to grown up at the end of this article let me remind you if you’ve seen it and warn you if you haven’t….thumbs + eyes = wince factor 11.

10 random things you pick up on set as an actor.

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Catherine and Genevieve on the weirdness of their careers….

howtobeasuccessful_actor_book_cover

I had the idea for this article when an old friend asked me what I had been up to. The answer was: lots of stuff that seems very weird if you’re not an actor. I called Genevieve and she agreed. We have to let people know how bloody weird our lives get. As an actor you always have those moments when you’re dressed like someone else, on a set that is made to look somewhere else, saying lines that a writer wrote. It is utterly surreal and you realise that this is my life. So, here is our top ten in no particular order…
1. Don’t drink the props…
I once watched an actress drink half a bottle of neat blackcurrant cordial as the production person in charge of getting grape juice couldn’t find any on time. Of course she felt incredibly sick. You never know what’s going to be in your glass or cup, it’s like drink roulette, it could be sparkling apple or it could be ginger beer. It might be cold coffee, or it just might not have sugar in it. It might be one take, or it might be twenty. It’s just not worth the risk.
[Genevieve]
2. How to pickpocket.
Filming can be boring. Incredibly so.  It was while sitting on a Pokerstar commercial ( a shoot that was actually fun. Mostly due to the amazing cast and crew. ) that I learned a rather old school trick that should help if the acting work ever dries up. How to pickpocket. Basically, you ‘bump’ into someone. Then you apologize. When you bump into them you swiftly grab their wallet  out of their pocket. They are so distracted that they don’t notice. Also they do not feel it as you hit them somewhere else. Genius!
Note: I take no responsibility for anyone actions or legal issues that come from trying this.
[Catherine]
3. How to dance like a drunken youth…
…In freezing subzero conditions, in a mini skirt in the dead of night no less. There I was literally contracting hypothermia on the set of The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus, I was vaguely aware of the Director; Terry Gilliam; telling us to be more lively and act more drunkenly…in the same way I was vaguely aware of my toes. Before I knew it, I was being used in a drunken dance demonstration; being swung about by a be-hatted Terry who was doing a brilliant impression of a raucous drunkard.
[Genevieve]
4. How to stamp on the original Eighth Dr Who’s head without hurting him.
At the beginning of the year I was cast as a 17 year old thug. I complete stretch if you know me. I got a part in the up coming TV series ‘Luther.’ I had to stamp on Paul McGann’s head. Because Paul is such a big star I had to first meet up with the stunt coordinator so I didn’t actually smack him in the face. Or worse. Kill him.
So at a brewery in East London I met up with the stunt coordinator. Who promptly hits me in the face. It hurts. I get the irony but I laugh it off. So, on set – kep out of the way of the stunt coordinator’s elbows.
[Catherine]
5. No matter how good your work is, nothing is sacred.
I spent a good hour in a Holby City make-up chair while various injuries were applied to me. My unfortunate character; Shazia Khan; was supposed to have been in a car crash and as a result had a horrible head and leg injury. The leg injury was pretty spectacular and grossed everybody out. I get on set and was so disappointed when they decided to give me a blanket and the wound got covered up.
[Genevieve]
6. How not to embarrass yourself in front of Dustin Hoffman.
The title is actually a lie. I did not manage this, I have met Dustin Hoffman a few times now and he is quite lovely. On the set of Last Chance Harvey I saw Dustin waving and smiling. I smiled and waved back. Only to realise that he was waving at the person behind me….Mortified to this day. He was nice about it though.
[Catherine]
7. How to survive a zombie apocalypse…
In an apocalypse, the only thing you need is well trained zombies and a fight coordinator!! Especially when fighting zombie hoards with nothing but your bare fists and a toy banjo. In all seriousness, the last thing you want to do is damage yourself/other actors/a grade II listed building. Some inexperienced actors can get carried away and not realise that what they’re doing could be dangerous. So always listen to the person in charge.
[Genevieve]
8. How to motivate an actor to push you down the stairs.
On the set of ‘Zombie Apocalypse’ I not only decapitated a zombie ( lots of fun, done with special effects and precise spade movements ) I had to throw a zombie down the stairs. This is obviously not a real zombie. it’s a person and I don’t want to kill him. After two takes he is not feeling it. So, he says to me ‘If you hurt me I will buy you a drink.’ The next take the director gets his shot and the zombie comes up to me limping and says: ‘I owe you a drink.’ Oh well. All is fair in love and film-making.
[Catherine]
9. How to work with imaginary characters and scenery…
…in front of a green screen, when the other actors can’t be bothered to sit in as they assume they’re not in the shot, working with fictional monsters, people materialising a meter in front of you. You may or may not be provided with a tennis ball on a stick. You’ll look and feel ridiculous but remember…it’ll look amazing in the end.
[Genevieve]
10. Brian Moloko will show you how to put a drip in your hand.
At Three Mills Studio in East London, with make up that makes me look like a junkie, I met a childhood hero. Brian Moloko and he showed me the correct way to put a drip in my hand. Doubt I will use this skill but if a career in nursing ever beckons….
[Catherine]

For more on acting and how to be a successful actor, check out my book: How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur.

Coming Soon: Four Lions

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Once in a while a film is set to be released an my lil movie buff heart gets all a flutter only for it to be dashed on the cutting room floor amoungst all the celluloid off cuts. It happened with Lord of the Rings, a movie that promised epic battles, fantastical magics and a quest to end all quests and yes it delivered these but it bought with it boredom and a special extended edition you need a week put aside to watch. I also got all excited about ‘The Scariest Film in 10 years’ Paranormal Activity. Finally, I foolishly thought, a film that I can compare to The Shining (scariest film ever) but it wasn’t to be. That film makes me angry just thinking about it, its just bad.
Then I heard about a small film called Four Lions


The reason it piqued my interest was for the inclusion of one name….Chris Morris. Morris is the brilliant mind that bought us The Day Today and Brass Eye along with other great comedy shows and many appearances in TV comedy. Known as a ‘Media Terrorist’ and always happy to viciously satirise current events, Morris, who has teamed up with writers Jesse Armstrong (Peep Show, The Thick of It), Sam Bain (Peep Show, Smack The Pony) and with additional writing by Simon Blackwell (The Armstrong and Miller Show, The Thick of It) hasn’t eased up at all with his new movie Four Lions, a comical (and occasionally farcical) look at jihadism. Most would shy away from turning such a hot political potato as the threat of ongoing terrorism into a film we can laugh at, but pushing the boundaries is what Morris is good at, and a story about four bumbling, confused but enthusiastic Islamic fundamentalist wannabe terrorists is well within his grasp. The film follows four men, Omar (Riz Ahmed), Waj (Kayvan Novak), Faisal (Adeel Akhtar) and Barry (Nigel Lindsay) through jihad training camps in Pakistan and fooling bulk retailers of bleach by hiding their beards behind their hands as they plan and hope for glory in Northern England with a wit that only these writers can deliver.
A film that promises to dig up as many angry letter writers as it does full on belly laughs, Four Lions is one to look out for and to go see with friends who can see the funny side of anything.

Four Lions is showing in cinemas in the UK from the 7th May.

Frost Film Review: Cemetery Junction

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Frost Rating ****

A group of 20 something’s living in the early 70’s in the isolated Cemetary Junction, a sleepy suburb near Reading. Their days consist of mundane jobs, chasing girls, drinking and drawing bits and bobs on billboards.

So far it doesn’t sound like a premise for a hilarious Gervais-Merchant film but underneath the gushy-feel-good-coming-of-age premise is an observant and clever comedy.

I don’t want to give too much away but the story follows three friends living in sleepy Cemetary Junction; Freddie (Christian Cooke), Bruce (Tom Hughes), and Snork (Jack Doolan); who’s lives are transformed by the reappearance of Freddie’s childhood sweetheart Julie (Felicity Jones).
Gervais and Merchant manage to get away with some incredibly politically incorect jokes but it’s set in the 70’s so the audience forgives them. What really makes this film keep you laughing is the brilliant script.

So my advice, if you want to be entertained by a warm, funny, easy on the brain-film…definately go watch it!!!
15 cert (94 mins)

Cemetery Junction Official Site – Sony Pictures

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYDeHIszUqA