Tag Archives: Film

The Best & Worst Date Movies

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Best & Worst Date MoviesOne third of the nation has admitted to having their first kiss with a new partner in front of a TV, during date night. Love Actually has been voted the nation’s favourite date night movie with 62 per cent agreeing that the classic British film is a winner to get partners in the romantic mood.

The lifestyle study of 2,000 daters, commissioned by TalkTalk TV, found that women wait until the 5th date to suggest a night in front of the TV with men being a little keener and offering it as a 3rd date activity. 1 in 6 people also admitted to feeling awkward and embarrassed if their partner suggests TV with lots of sex scenes or steamy romance.

Comedy was highlighted as being the winning genre with 2/3 of people agreeing a romantic comedy will lead to a successful date but unsurprisingly horror was voted the worst with 55% of people predicting The Exorcist would result in a disastrous date. Careful selection is critical with 1 in 10 people said that a lousy choice of film would be just cause to break up and over 20% of couples asked had argued over their partner’s TV choices.

The research also found that 15% of people have put on a specific film or genre to get a reaction from their partner e.g. rom coms are seen by 2/3 as a sure fire way to get partners feeling romantic.

 

Top 10 best films for a date Top 10 worst films for a date
1.    Love Actually 1. The Exorcist
2.    Notting Hill 2. Schindlers List
3.    Dirty Dancing 3. Texas Chainsaw Massacre
4.    Pretty Woman 4. Nightmare on Elm Street
5.    Bridget Jones’ Diary 5. Star Wars triology
6.    Titanic 6. The Terminator
7.    Forest Gump 7. Die Hard
8.    When Harry Met Sally 8. Spice World
9.    Groundhog Day 9. Basic Instinct
10.  There’s something about Mary 10. American Pie

 

Foreign language films and documentaries were also voted as least likely to incite passion on date night.

Actors Who Make Their Own Work

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actors who make their own work, lake bell, tina fey, kristen wiig, greta gerwig, lake bell, brit marling, vin diesel. The rumour that acting is the hardest and most brutal industry in the world is unfortunately true, I have been an actor now for over 10 years. Yikes. Along the way I have realised that the only way to have a brilliant career is to write and produce your own stuff. Which is what I did with Prose & Cons. It is currently being edited.

If you want to be inspired, here is our list of the Top Actors Who Make Their Own Work.

Brit Marling

This American producer, director, writer and actress caused a stir with Another Earth. She was only 27 at the time. Now 30 and with 13 films under her belt. She was even on the front cover of Vanity Fair’s prestigious Hollywood edition. She has written four films and directed one.

Check out these personal quotes from her IMDB page:

“I always started writing in order to act. I don’t know that I could have the discipline to sit down and write if I was going to give it away. That would be too hard. But I love to act in stories that are outside my imagination because I can only conceive of so many things from my point of view. The thing that’s intoxicating about being an actor is that you get to live in someone else’s world for a while and I hope to do more of that. But I think I’ll never stop writing now because I’m wondering why there aren’t more representatives of women that are like the women we know. Where’s the film with the women who are complicated and strong and beautiful and sexy and interesting and of all body types? You don’t get to see enough of them. So there’s something important in attempting to write them for myself and for the insanely talented women out there.”

“[on why she decided to become a screenwriter in relation to her being an actress] How terrifying to surrender your life to being chosen all the time. Having to be chosen and re-chosen. Writing so that I can act became a way of having not more control over my future but not having to wait for permission. You can choose yourself. Hmm, who should play this part? I nominate me!”

Mindy Kaling

Started out as a writer for The Office and even wrote a character for herself into the show. At the age of 34 Kaling has created her own show, The Mindy Project, and was named as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2013.

Mindy knows she is different and makes fun of it: “I’m a minority chubby woman who has my own show on a network. I don’t know how long this is going to last!” She told Jon Stewart. She has 2.3million Twitter followers and refuses to diet.

Kaling wrote in her bestselling memoir Is Everybody Hanging Out Without Me?: “I fall into that nebulous, quote-unquote, normal American woman size that legions of fashion stylists detest. For the record, I’m a size 8 — this week, anyway. Many stylists hate that size because I think to them, it shows that I lack the discipline to be an ascetic; or the confident, sassy abandon to be a total fatty hedonist.”

Emma Thompson

She wanted better roles so she wrote the screenplay for Sense and Sensibility, an adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel. The film got Thompson the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay and a nomination for leading actress. She hasn’t looked back since. The 54-year-old has 60 films as an actor under her belt and another 12 as a writer.

Nia Vardalos

She kept losing out on roles so she wrote My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The film was a roaring success. Vardalos says: ‘I run into other actresses and we talk about the lack of parts for woman. At least I can write myself a part, which is an amazing skill to possess.”

Barbra Streisand

Streisand was the first woman to win a Golden Globe for directing after co-writing, directing and starring in Yentl. She was 41 and had already broken down a lot of barriers for woman. She started off as a nightclub singer and is now one of the most famous actress, singer, producer, director, actor and writers. Has never been afraid to send herself up. She has inspired generations of woman.

In her own words: “I arrived in Hollywood without having my nose fixed, my teeth capped, or my name changed. That is very gratifying to me.”

“To have ego means to believe in your own strength. And to also be open to other people’s views. It is to be open, not closed. So, yes, my ego is big, but it’s also very small in some areas. My ego is responsible for my doing what I do – bad or good.”

Lake Bell

The 34-year-old is making waves with her film, In A World. She has 35 credits to her name but made her own film this year. After being an actor for 11 years she sat down to write a script and won the prestigious Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the Sundance Film Festival. She told Glamour Magazine: “When I first started auditioning in LA, I realised it was a clique; this guy’s got the monopoly on epics, this woman’s got the monopoly on tampon adverts. It was the perfect environment for a modern comedy.” “I wanted to make a movie’, she went on, “so I wrote a part for myself.”

“Being willing to outsource all of your creative decisions, especially to a first-timer like me, is very ballsy. I had no other choice than to make it the way I made it. And I felt very supported in that. When you write and direct your own film you basically know exactly what you want. Or you hope to. For the studio, it actually can make life a little easier, because if you have a bunch of questions they only need to call one person.”

Kristen Wiig

While Kristen had been in many films and was a regular on Saturday Night Live, she never really broke out until Bridesmaids. Kristen co-wrote and starred in Bridesmaids which was one of the biggest hits of 2011, taking $300 million at the box office and was credited for turning the tide for women in film. She has an amazing 60 credits to her name and we get the feeling the that she is just getting started.

In her own words: “If you’re creating anything at all, it’s really dangerous to care about what people think”. She also states that woman are asked their age more than men.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon

They wrote Good Will Hunting and won an Oscar. They rest is movie star history.

Vin Diesel.

He couldn’t get the roles he wanted so he wrote a short film called Multi-Facials about being bi-racial. Steven Spielberg saw it and cast him in Saving Private Ryan. He is now a movie star and has a few franchises under his belt.

Lena Dunham

She made her first film in her parents New York apartment with a Canon 7D. Tiny Furniture was critically acclaimed and lead to the huge hit and cultural game-shifter, Girls. Still only 27-years-old but was 23 when she wrote, directed and starred in Tiny Furniture.

In her own words: “I was constantly preparing for auditions in a way that was crazy… and then I’d literally get cast as, like, a bouncing ball or a fat man or a security guard.”

Tina Fey

Made her name in Saturday Night Live and also is the creator, producer, star and writer of 30 Rock. She wrote a book called Bossy Pants and had two children. She returned to work not long after giving birth saying, “NBC has me under contract; the baby and I only have a verbal agreement’. Is their no end to her talents?

Greta Gerwig

Became known thanks to her association with the mumblecore film movement. The 30-year-old is the indie IT queen of the moment. Was brilliant in Lola Versus and stars in film-of-the-moment, Frances Ha, which she co-wrote with director boyfriend Noah Baumbach. Plays strong female characters.

 

What do you think?

Check out my new book, How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur, out now.  It tells you all about how to become a successful actor.

 

 

Bat Fans Afflicted By Affleck

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Not since the decision to cast Michael Keaton as Batman in Tim Burton’s 1989 film, have so many fan boys gone batty over the decision to cast Ben Affleck as the new Batman. History is repeating itself but this time on a much grander scale. In 1989 the internet was nowhere near its commercial use and fans penned letters to Warner Bros. voicing their disdain about Keaton. Now the focus has fallen on Ben Affleck, who very recently was announced as the new face of Batman to be seen in 2015’s yet untitled Man of Steel sequel. Opinion is fiercely divided and to the extent that 84,000 people have signed a petition against Warner Bros. and their decision to cast Affleck as the new Dark Knight.

Ben_Affleck to play batman

Some might be inclined to think that Affleck is coming in second best, based on the fact that Warner initially wanted Bale to reprise the role so much so that they offered him $50 million dollars. After the Dark Knight Rises concluded Chris Nolan’s trilogy, Bale officially stated that he was through playing Batman and true to his word, despite being offered one of the fattest pay checks in the history of film, he refused to return. Many names were subsequently thrown out there – Ryan Gosling and Josh Brolin to name a few. But the biggest surprise has come with Affleck and if life has taught the human race anything, it is that history repeats itself. Keaton was initially canned and yet successful. The odds are thus in Affleck’s favour.

The biggest problem from the side of the Bat fanatics is that they seem to be weighing up the success of the franchise against one actor and this is not fair. The recent Dark Knight trilogy was immensely successful for a number of reasons and not just because Bale was so amazing.  The Dark Knight films worked because the right people all congregated under one roof and pooled their resources. This ultimately is the key to the success of any Hollywood endeavour – the right people. The recent success of Man of Steel has proven this too and it’s safe to assume that if the same creative team is behind the new film with the right script, actors, director and production values, then the Bat fans have nothing to fear by Affleck’s casting.

The general lucrative nature of the Batman franchise is sure to generate box office gold. The Batman name lends credibility as a solid franchise so much so that The Dark Knight Rises was recently made into an online slot game, with potential plans to make it into a mobile slots game too. At the end of the day, fans have little to fear by Affleck’s donning of the mask of Batman – he has the two essential qualities required for the role – the grit to be Batman and the charm to be Bruce Wayne. Plus, his recent string of films have all garnered critical and commercial success.

Changing Hands Film Review

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indexChanging Hands is a terrific new short film comedy written and directed by Sarah Gordon, and produced with backing from the National Film and Television school. Taking the form of a mockumentary, it follows director and wannabe cinematic genius Kevin Perkins (Dominic Allen), as he embarks on an ambitious new project. Venturing into ‘the most average areas of Britain’, Perkins hopes to discover how the lives of several young men and women from various social backgrounds have been shaped by their parents and upbringings, and what paths their lives have taken. This proves to be a more challenging task that he planned…

Running at a brisk running time of just under half an hour, Changing Hands wastes no time in establishing its influences and tone. The work of Christopher Guest (This Is Spinal Tap) looms large over the proceedings though there are also echos of the incredibly dry wit of Alan Bennett. Thankfully the unique brand of characters and settings do keep the proceedings very fresh. Despite the seemingly meandering tones that the faux talking head interviews take on, the pacing is incredibly brisk and light footed, with the comedic timing of both writer and performers spot on. We whisk through an array of eccentric characters from a pair of pretentious would-be musicians to a preschool teacher with yearnings for Shakespeare. There’s that unique sense of quiet desperation and disappointment underlying the interviews that I’ve always felt is quite unique to British comedy. Or at least British comedy at its finest. Some of the material is cringe comedy in the best possible sense. Each segment is pitched at just the right length; each individual character has a lasting impression yet the writing knows never to over indulge or linger too long.

I had the fortune to meet the writer and director Gordon at a screening at the BFI Southbank. Though our discussion was brief we talked about the influences that had been brought to the project as well as it’s inception. With the idea in place, crowdsourcing funding was used in order to obtain the budget. A brief ‘proposal’ video was created to get backers interest once a script and performers were lined up. It was apparently a quick and efficient process that marks an exciting and unique time for budding filmmakers, where finance and resources are now so readily available from both professional and private services. As she put it to me, ‘you can now pretty much make a film on a phone’. It certainly helped to have such a supportive and creative body as the NFT involved in the project. Changing Hands will have a wider release at upcoming national film festivals before Gordon commences production of another comedic short this winter. On the basis of this, it will be well worth checking out.

Paradise: Hope Film Review

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paradisehopeUlrich Seidel has built the reputation of something of a cinematic provocateur. The Austrian filmmakers canon has treated audiences to unflinching depictions of fundamental  human flaws and weaknesses in the likes of Dog Days and Import/Export. In describing his 1996 documentary Animal Love, Werner Herzog (a director who is known for not avoiding the metaphorical abyss) was heard to say, ‘Never have I looked so directly into hell.’ Such sombre reactions have heard his name  mentioned in the same breath as that as fellow Austrian Michael Haneke, a director also noted for his brutal, singular directorial aesthetic. His last three films, The Paradise Trilogy,  seem to fit the mould of his previous works as we are treated to unblinking depictions of three women in one family and their (often disastrous) attempts to find happiness for themselves. The previous chapters, Love and Faith, followed two adult sisters grappling with carnal desires and religious beliefs. But on the evidence of the final installment, Hope, Seidel is not solely interested in pouring punishment upon his characters. There would seem to be cautious optimism in the tale of Melanie (Melanie Lenz), a young teenager (the daughter of Love’s protagonist)  who is sent to a weight loss camp on the outskirts of Vienna over summer. Not at all concerned about an enforced health regime, Melanie spends her time at the camp longing to return home, discussing her crushes and sexuality with her fellow campers and developing an unhealthy fixation with the camp physician (Joseph Lorenz) , a man 40 years her senior.

 

Seidel’s approach to the material initially appears to be incredibly artificial and constructed. The framing and composition of his shots is meticulously crafted with everything within the frame feeling astonishingly deliberate in it’s placement. Characters seem dwarfed by their surroundings from dim, white washed corridors to shrowdy, mist covered woods filmed with incredibly deep focus. Incredibly long takes (some static, others roaming) give little to no respite from developments on screen whether they be physical exercise that borders on ritualistic humiliation, or Melanie’s increasingly uncomfortable relationship with the doctor. It’s rigorous imagery reminded me of the astonishingly dark comedy Dogtooth, which also forced audiences to look longer than feels comfortable. This rigid style is broken infrequently when the characters defy their oppressive surroundings. Games of the spin the bottle and midnight kitchen raids are shot in handheld camera movements and natural lighting, which punctuate the formalism like a breath of fresh air. The film hits its strongest moments as a clear, crisp portrait of adolescent boredom. The kids at camp are seemingly content with their body image and far are more fulfilled staying up all hours pondering boys, fashion and everything else one ponders at that age.  Dialogue driven scenes are performed in long takes that pull no punches in frank, explicit yet naive attitudes towards life, love and lust. There is a surprising amount of humour to be mined from the proceedings that one would not expect from a filmmaker with such a dark and brooding body of work. Certainly there is nothing too broad when it comes to laughs but depictions of the ridiculous exercise regimes and sharp divide between the children and their adult minders do raise the occasional giggle. The only communication Melanie has with her (separated) parents is with a set of contradictory voice messages she leaves each of them that manages to elicit some light relief. It certainly makes a contrast to some of the more deliberately uncomfortable moments.

 

As a newcomer performance Melanie Lenz is simply terrific. Working on material that encourages improvisation on the actors behalf, it is a performance that is at once both beyond her years and yet achingly vulnerable. There’s no showiness or force in her acting; only a clear, disarmingly honest presence. Joseph Lorenz certainly has one of the harder jobs in the film. Whereas most audiences would seek clarity from such confrontational material, both he and Seidel’s script paint the doctor in a hauntingly ambiguous manner. The character is certainly aware of Melanie’s infatuation but his reaction is difficult to fathom. The two seem to be engaged in a psychological tug of war with each other, testing each others limits and attitudes whilst remaining within is perceived to be a socially acceptable norms. It is in the scenes where we leave the confines of the camp for more rural settings , that the lines between the characters blur including one climactic scene that whilst remaining on the right side of taste and ambiguity, is deeply uncomfortable to watch. It really is to Lorenz’s credit that he handles such a potentially unlikeable role like an open book, free for the audience to read their own interpretation. In an age where media and social outlets treat such material with borderline hysteria, its refreshing to see a film that takes a moral yet calm view and doesn’t treat anyone like a victim.

 

Though it certainly cannot be described as an easy watch and deserves its place in Seidel’s challenging filmography, Paradise: Hope surprisingly lives up to its title. It has a brace of strong, even charming performances with a steady, skilled hand at the helm and a genuinely bittersweet tone that challenges yet never feels like empty provocation. Seidel is a tremendous new talent of European cinema and his next project will be one to watch.

Easy Money Film Review & Competition

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EASY MONEY WILL BE RELEASED IN CINEMAS NATIONWIDE 19th JULY 2013

Easy Money film

Certificate 15
Running time: 125 minutes

Director: Daniél Espinosa

Cast: Joel Kinnaman, Matias Padin Varela, Dragomir Mrsic

I saw Easy Money at The Hospital Club about a month ago and it is so good it has stayed with me. The film is presented by Martin Scorsese which may be the best stamp of approval a film can get, If anyone knows movies, it is Scorsese. But with backing like that a film really needs to live up to its promise. Easy Money does.

The film is beautifully shot. I really loved the cinematography.The characters also draw you in. Although some of them are not particularity nice people the director Daniél Espinosa shows the human side of everyone. There are no one-dimensional characters. Whether it is the hitman who is a single father or JW, who gets in with the wrong crowd to make money so he can impress a girl. Poor student by day, socialising with the Stockholm elite by night. This film shows there is no such thing as Easy Money as JW bites off more than he can chew after taking a seemingly easy job to fund his lifestyle and impress the upper class girl that he loves.

Joel Kinnaman who plays JW is a revelation. All the actors are good but Kinnaman is brilliant in the lead role and also has the face and charisma of a movie star. I predict big things.

Easy money is based on the book by Jens Lapidus for which the rights have been sold to over 20 countries. Unlike some adaptations, Easy Money is a film which manages to tell the story with both visual impact and  a great script. This cautionary tale is brilliant. Go and see it.

JW (Joel Kinnaman) is a poor student who lives a double life within the wealthy Stockholm elite. He falls in love with an upper class girl and is soon lured into a world of crime. Jorge is a fugitive on the run from the police and the Yugoslavian mafia. His plan; import a massive cargo of coke and then disappear for good. Yugoslavian hitman Mrado is trying hard to find Jorge but his criminal life takes a turn when he is forced to take care of his young daughter. While JW starts a journey into the dark world of organized crime, he brings together the fate of all to a struggle of life and death.

Frost has copies of the Easy Money book by Jens Lapidus to give away. To win just like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our newsletter then comment below saying which. Good luck!

 

Lovelace UK Trailer Released: Watch Now

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Frost brings you the trailer for Lovelace. Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Peter Sarsgaard, Juno Temple, Sharon Stone, Hank Azaria, James Franco

The life of LINDA LOVELACE (Amanda Seyfried) told through the production of ‘Deep Throat’, her abusive relationship with Chuck Traynor (Peter Sarsgaard) and eventual spearheading of the feminist anti-pornography movement.

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Linda Lovelace gets under the all-consuming influence of her abusive husband and self-declared manager, Chuck Traynor, who uses all means possible to persuade her to comply with his demands. The fragile woman becomes an infamous porn star, seems to be happy, but eventually breaks free from her husband and discloses the truth in order to prevent other women from getting similarly exploited.

UK release date: 23 August 2013

Directed by: Jeffrey Friedman, Rob Epstein

Released by: Lionsgate Films

Running time: 93 mins

Certificate: 18

Did you like the trailer? Will you go and see it?

Julien Macdonald, Tamara Ecclestone and Melissa Odabash celebrating original movie poster launch

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At the movies LOGO officialBritish fashion designer, Julien Macdonald and billionaire model Tamara Ecclestone were among the famous faces who turned up to celebrate the official launch of an original movie poster gallery in the city.

Thanks to there incredible success online At The Movies have officially opened their new gallery/shop in London’s Marylebone district. Specialising in original and vintage movie posters (not the kind of posters you can just pick up at your local shop) these posters are the cinemas-used original posters that have been sourced direct from the cinemas and movie distributors.

The launch party, which was held at their new location – 18 Thayer Street – was an enormous success with Tamara, Julien and swim wear designer Melissa Odabash amongst those who were treated to an evening of mini bottles of Moet, Persian canapés and a goodybag to take home.

Liza Tesei, At The Movies owner says all enjoyed the evening:
“It was a superb event and I’d like to personally extend my thanks to all those who turned up to help celebrate with me. I’ve been successfully trading online for a number of years and had previous gallery locations, but I’ve never more ecstatic by what we’re achieving now.”