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Edinburgh International Film Festival Announces Special Presentation Of The Talented Mr Ripley

Recently I received a heads up that this years Edinburgh International Film Festival, the world’s oldest continually running film festival is putting on a special screening of one of my favourite films - The Talented Mr. Ripley, well it's more than a film it's part of Patricia Highsmith's legacy of intricate and compelling crime works, part of a long running thread of work interpreted by incredibly talented artists, Anthony Minghella's version is a tour de force of talent, set dressing, locations and story telling and has become quiet inseparable from the nostalgia of the time I first saw it. I can't believe how young the cast look in the trailer. Minghella's Ripley is not the only outstanding piece being presented and there are a number of interesting special events and screenings this year.

The EIFF's 2026 programme running from Thursday 13 to Wednesday 19 August will include talks from acclaimed documentary maker Ken Burns, actors Bruce Dern, Ewan McGregor, Sir Kenneth Branagh and Producer Christine Vachon.

As well as include a number of premieres such as; Paul Wright's Mission reuniting him with the George MacKay, Simon Ryninks's Out There with Alice Lowe, Aneurin Barnard, Iwan Rheon and Michael Sheen, Lindsey Ryan's Capsized with Lily Rabe, Rhys Ifans and Sarah Catherine Hook, Carlos Conceição's Bodyhackers, Chee Keong Cheung's Bad Day at the Office with John Hannah, Radha Mitchell and Tamer Hassan, Louis Paxton's The Incomer with Domhnall Gleeson, Gayle Rankin and John Hannah. Lance Hammer's Queen at Sea with Juliette Binoche Jake Kuhn, Noah Stratton-Twine's The Peril At Pincer Point and Nicolas Winding Refn's Her Private Hell with Sophie Thatcher and Dougray Scott.

Classic screenings will include the aforementioned The Talented Mr. Ripley, Jonathan Glazer's absolutely outstanding heist masterpiece Sexy Beast with Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley, Amanda Redman, Julianne White, Ian McShane and James Fox. The unofficial 6th film in Daniel Craig's James Bond series Michael Bay's The Rock starring Sir Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, Ed Harris, David Morse, William Forsythe and Michael Biehn. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting there will be both a regular and Special Live Event screening of Trainspotting. The Special Live Event will have cast and crew sharing their commentary on the making of Trainspotting live and will be followed by a club night with DJ sets from author Irvine Welsh and DJ Darren Emerson (Underworld).

Anthony Minghella's son Max will introduce the screening. Which hopefully means he is in the UK working on the next season of Industry.

French Film Festival UK 2022 starts next week across the UK

The 30th-anniversary edition of the pioneering French Film Festival UK launches next week from 2 November to 15 December in 40 venues UK-wide and at home in partnership with Curzon. With 62 films screening from Edinburgh to London, this is the only French and francophone film festival in the UK.

With a strong focus on female filmmakers special guests include: Charlotte Gainsbourg and Blandine Lenoir. Veteran director Patrice Leconte will also be attending.

It looks like there are some terrific mix of new and classic films on show at the festival including: Full Time / À Plein Temps, The Passengers of the Night, The Best Years of a Life / Les Plus Belles Années d'une Vie, Maigret, Jane by Charlotte, Rodeo, Madame Bovary, Paris 13th District / Les Olympiades, Paris 13e, Between Two Worlds / Ouistreham, Everything Went Fine / Tout s'est bien passé, Both Sides of the Blade / Avec amour et acharnement.

Maigret - Gérard Depardieu is Jules Maigret

As well as some fantastic talent being represented like: Laure Calamy, Jean Louis Trintignant, Claude Lelouche, Finnegan Oldfield, Romain Duris, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jane Birkin, Lola Quivoron, Claude Chabrol, Isabelle Huppert, Jacques Audiard, Juliette Binoche, François Ozon, Sophie Marceau, Claire Denis, Vincent Lindon,Gérard Depardieu, Tahar Rahim.

Walter Hill's classic THE DRIVER is coming to cinemas and Home Release in 4K

Whoa! StudioCanal has restored and remastered Walter Hill's 70s neo-noir crime classic THE DRIVER in 4K and before its home release in December, it will be screened in cinemas from 11 November.

Getting to see The Driver in 4K on big screen is very good news as I am a huge fan of Walter Hill’s body of work and the man himself. His films certainly contributed to my love of the medium. Some of his films are favourites of mine and timeless greats like; The Streetfighter (1975), The Driver (1978), The Warriors (1979), Streets of Fire (1984), Red Heat (1988), Johnny Handsome (1989) and the first episode of Deadwood (2004).

Hill’s reputation for making hard-edged gritty action films starring tough guys seems to have overshadowed his remarkable storytelling proficiency. He made his bones starting out as an oil roustabout during school and later construction work before shifting gear into film. It’s exactly that kind of real-world experience that informs grounded characters and plots that are engaging.

Working as second direction allowed him to learn the craft of film-making while he honed his writing skills, selling his first screenplay Lloyd Williams and His Brother in 1969 it never made it to screen (in its entirety). In the early years, he worked with Golden Era pioneering greats like Sam Peckinpah and John Huston which helped form his narrative voice. He has pointed out that he can write in many styles but has a preference for his own unique brand of storytelling.

He has written 12 of the 21 feature films he had made across multiple genres including westerns, military, crime, science fiction, music(als), buddy films, comedy and science fiction. He also created a TV series, Produced TV Series as well as made many, many TV films. Hill was instrumental in getting Ridley Scott’s Alien made, when his production company picked it up ensuring Fox's involvement and was indeed involved in writing and producing some of the earlier films of the franchise.

The man is a living legend and should be celebrated now.

Mat Whitecross' The Sound of 007 music Documentary is released on 5 October 2022

As I referenced in my previous post, in this latter part of 2022 we continue with the 60 Anniversary celebration of James Bond’s breakout onto the silver screen and EON is putting on some fantastic events to mark the year.

Along with the re-release of all the Bond films back onto the big screen, the 60 Years of Bond Live Score series at The Royal Albert Hall, the BFI's James Bond at 60 Weekend - the 60th Anniversary of James Bond is being celebrated with a distinct focus on the music of Bond and why not? The sound of 007 is as important part of the heritage of Bond as any of the other principal elements.

Upcoming events include:

- The Royal Albert Hall to host The Sound of 007 in Concert, an official charity event to celebrate 007’s 60th anniversary to benefit music charities Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy and the BRIT Trust

- Following the concert, Prime Video will globally stream an exclusive recording - The Sound of 007: LIVE from the Royal Albert Hall - as part of the streamer’s 60th celebration of James Bond

- The Sound of 007 - the documentary directed by Mat Whitecross and produced by John Battsek for Ventureland - will be available exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide from 5 October, following a preview at the ‘James Bond at 60’ weekend at the BFI Southbank on 1 October

- The Christie’s Sixty Years of James Bond two-part official charity sale will include multiple music lots including a No Time To Die song sheet with lyrics signed by Billie Eilish

- ‘Bond 25’, an album performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will also be released by DECCA on 23 September

Ever since hearing about the then untitled forthcoming documentary focused on the music of James Bond, now known as The Sound of 007, I have been quietly looking forward to it. If you read my post about “James Bond songs you may not have heard” you would know that I am keenly interested in the music, as well as the history of the music of Bond.

Visiting the Highlander New York Library at The National Liberal Club London - FILM LOCATION

I am a huge fan of Russell Mulcahy’s body of work with a particular focus on his visual styling exemplified in his second feature the genre-bending 1986 sword & sorcery film Highlander. Like many of my favourite films, Highlander feels fresh and original whilst seeming intuitively familiar.

Regrettably, I have not posted nearly enough about the stuff I enjoy and with Studiocanal’s forthcoming 4K UHD remaster release of Highlander it seems a good time to pick up the mantle and continue.

The Sound of 007 in Concert at The Royal Albert Hall

Continuing the 60 Anniversary celebration of James Bond’s breakout onto the silver screen EON is putting on some fantastic events to mark the year. Along with: the re-release of all the Bond films back onto the big screen, the 60 Years of Bond Live Score series at The Royal Albert Hall, the BFI's James Bond at 60 Weekend - the 60th Anniversary of James Bond is being celebrated with a distinct focus on the music of Bond and why not? The sound of 007 is as an important part of the heritage of Bond as any of the other principal elements.

Upcoming events include:

- The Royal Albert Hall to host The Sound of 007 in Concert, an official charity event to celebrate 007’s 60th anniversary to benefit music charities Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy and the BRIT Trust

- Following the concert, Prime Video will globally stream an exclusive recording - The Sound of 007: LIVE from the Royal Albert Hall - as part of the streamer’s 60th celebration of James Bond

- The Sound of 007 - the documentary directed by Mat Whitecross and produced by John Battsek for Ventureland - will be available exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide from 5 October, following a preview at the ‘James Bond at 60’ weekend at the BFI Southbank on 1 October

- The Christie’s Sixty Years of James Bond two-part official charity sale will include multiple music lots including a No Time To Die song sheet with lyrics signed by Billie Eilish

- ‘Bond 25’, an album performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will also be released by DECCA on 23 September

The first and possibly the crown jewel in the celebration of the 60th Anniversary of Bond events coming up that I am highlighting is the Sound of 007 in Concert which will take place on the 4th of October to mark the day Dr No premiered at the London Pavilion on October 5th, 1962.

THE SOUND OF 007 IN CONCERT might well be my most anticipated event of the year and I rank it up there along with the awe-inspiring Bond premieres held at the Royal Albert Hall. It is certainly a must-do for any Bond aficionado. Who knows when we will get the opportunity to experience a compliment of talent all together in one place like the evening of THE SOUND OF 007 IN CONCERT?

However, if you can’t attend the event you may be happy to know that The Sound of 007: LIVE from the Royal Albert Hall will be available to stream on Prime Video afterwards.

The THE SOUND OF 007 IN CONCERT is master-minded by one of my favourite Bond composers David Arnold and he is bringing a lineup that includes legends like a national treasure & the voice of Bond Dame Shirley Bassey (Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, Moonraker).

The legendary Chrissie Hynde (The Living Daylights). This is a great turn of events as the last (and only) time I have heard Mz. Hynde perform was bittersweet - as I was listening to author Anthony Horowitz read from his 2015 Bond novel Trigger Mortis whilst Mz. Hynde was one floor down performing a set. My attempt to get both hemispheres of my brain to work independently so as to enjoy both sadly failed and Mr Horowitz won the night.

The always energetic Lulu will hopefully bring the smelting fire that makes her Bond theme The Man With The Golden Gun the most kinetic of them all.

American indie-rockers Garbage will also be making an appearance (The World is not Enough).

Arnold will also be bringing a compliment of young talent to give their interpretations of the Sound of 007 including; the uber talented Becky Hill who already has an epic version of Billie Eilish’s No Time To Die in the bag. I am looking forward to hearing her performance with the full force of the Royal Albert Hall's acoustic technology behind her and I am hoping that she blends more Bond Melody in as alluded to in her No Time To Die.

I visited The Jurassic World - Waterloo Takeover Velociraptor Installation

This is one from the archive. Last week to celebrate the release of Jurassic World Dominion I had the opportunity to visit the Dinosaur Tracking Base installation, part of the Jurassic World Dominion Experience in Trafalgar Square. I got to see some Jurassic World paraphernalia, some of the props used in the film as well as via ground breaking VFX & film technology come face to face with one of the largest predators to ever walk the earth and the star of the upcoming Jurassic World Dominion - a Giganotosaurus.

Too be honest I only discovered that Giganotosaurus were real at the event, up until then I had thought they were a fictional creature invented for the film. Nope turns out they roamed the earth 97 million years ago. What next? We have secretly been mining Unobtainium for years!!?

Anyway, as Jurassic World Dominion will bring to an end the Jurassic era I got thinking about the other Jurassic World films and where it all started - back in 2015 I went along to a Jurassic World - Waterloo Takeover installation celebrating the release of Jurassic World.

Book Release - Filmmakers on Film: How They Create, Craft & Communicate by David Jenkins

When I received a heads up about a new book called Filmmakers on Film: How They Create, Craft & Communicate by David Jenkins a little while ago my interest was piqued as I am always devouring as much as I can about the craft of film-making, especially anecdotally from people who take their vision from idea to screen (or sometimes don’t) also if the truth be told I have quite grown to appreciate how a well stocked library can serve as a reference for technique and insight into special interests.

Additionally, I was drawn in by the book's synopsis focussing on women directors - in particular Agnès Varda whose works I don’t really know - I know Varda is feted and has had a huge influence on film but not much more than that. So this seems like the ideal opportunity to gain some insight into the personalities and approach of film-makers I am not au fait with and broaden my knowledge.

David Jenkins is the long-running editor of one of London’s favourite film magazines Little White Lies, as well as having written for just about every film publication there is he has co-edited a book called What I Love About Movies, and written pieces for Blu-ray releases including John Ford’s My Darling Clementine and Robert Altman’s 3 Women so he knows his stuff. David Jenkins’ Filmmakers on Film: How They Create, Craft and Communicate was published on 5 May by Laurence King Publishing and is available now. I’ll have a review up as soon as I have had a chance to peruse the book properly.

Return of the Outsider: The Films of Mike Hodges Retrospective at The BFI & Special Screening of All at Sea

I have a particular fascination with the films of Mike Hodges. Below I discuss my relationship with some of his films - in no great depth as I fully intend to re-watch his film and hopefully do deep dives on them here including the ones I don't mention.

I first saw his 1971 Get Carter in the late 80s and really didn’t like its stifling, dark and subversive tone or its eerily haunting soundtrack. Get Carter is based on a novel by British author Ted Lewis called Jack's Return Home and if you are a fan you may be interested in the two follow up novels Lewis wrote featuring Jack Carter - Jack Carter's Law and Jack Carter and the Mafia Pigeon.

I did however like his 1980 Flash Gordon which I managed to catch on the big screen at a Grindhouse repertory cinema. Initially lured in by Richard Amsel’s phenomenal poster art (which eventually ended up in my collection), and despite some dodgy special FX (state of the art for the time) I was swept away by it’s boldness, Queen’s loud thumping soundtrack and the thrilling science fantasy adventure as it rolled out, all while not taking its self too seriously.

Furthermore I could also appreciate Flash Gordon and the references to its comic & serial film history and how the film bridged its origins in a post Star Wars world. It was the “Marvel Superhero” film of it’s day and Flash Gordon’s vast output, still in regular print inspired many of the popular tropes we see in Science fiction and film today.

Sci-Fi-London Film Festival announces its 22nd Annual Programme - 19th May – 22nd May

It's that time of year were there is a buzz in the air and all the good stuff starts happening like Mondays's announcement from SCI-FI-LONDON about its upcoming 2022 programme which kicks off in less than 2 weeks and includes a classic and favourite of mine - the one and only SOYLENT GREEN as well as 3 World Premieres, 3 UK Premieres, 14 World Short Film Premieres and 13 UK Short Film Premieres.

That will be a jam-packed 4 days of Science fiction goodness running from Thursday 19th May until Sunday 22nd May 2022.

Some highlights are listed below but there is always a lot more on their full schedule.

Jurassic World Dominion installation in London’s Trafalgar Square

This June the 10th June, the final Jurassic Park film, Jurassic World Dominion, concludes the Jurassic era with a bang as two generations unite for the first time. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are joined by Oscar®-winner Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill in Jurassic World Dominion, a bold, timely and breathtaking new adventure that spans the globe.

To celebrate the arrival of Jurassic World Dominion fans are invited via film technology to get up close to a life-size GIGANOTOSAURUS (the biggest carnivore the world has ever seen). Why do they always go bigger? When Jurassic World Dominion descends on Trafalgar Square, London from Wednesday 25th May to Sunday 29th May.

James Bond Films return to cinemas in 4K for 007 Retrospective #60yearsofBond

At the end of Cary Joji Fukunaga's shocking No Time to Die, as in 22 of the 25 canon Bond films, starting with From Russia With Love (1963) including all of Daniel Craig's missions as Bond - we were teased with the classic signature that "James Bond will return" - but I suspect that many of us did not think it would be this soon.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of Ian Fleming's James Bond being committed to the big screen in the shape of a panther-like Sean Connery in Terence Young's 1962 Dr. No, an adaptation of Ian Fleming's sixth James Bond novel of the same name.

For the 60th Anniversary of the beloved British franchise, all 25 Bond films will return to the big screen in the ultimate BOND retrospective which kicked off on Friday 14 April with Dr. No. The BOND retrospective will continue screening chronologically from April – October 2022, culminating in World Bond Day 5th October.

Matthew Vaughn tells Mark Kermode about Tom Cruise saving Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels

Sometime back in February 2015 Mark Kermode interviewed various film industry luminaries about the risky business of film for BBC Radio 4, in an insightful 3 part mini-series called The Business Of Film With Mark Kermode.

In the first episode - Development Hell, Kermode chats with Director/ Producer Matthew Vaughn who had some interesting points about the state of the British film industry.

During the discussion, Vaughn tells a wonderful anecdote about how his second foray in film, producing his friend Guy Ritchie’s 1998 Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was almost his last and how Tom Cruise saved the day.

This story has stuck with me since I first heard it, it came up again the other day whilst posting about Top Gun: Maverick and thought I would share it.

Tom Cruise discusses how TOP GUN: MAVERICK came about

Tom Cruise discusses how the Top Gun sequel TOP GUN: MAVERICK came about

36 years ago Tony Scott came in hot and took our breath away as he swept us on a ride into the Danger Zone with his high octane action film - Top Gun and the world was never the same again.

We all felt the need, the need for speed, heavy metal in the shape of motorbikes, jets and large ships, just anything powerful, fast and metal really became a thing, the formula for releasing blockbusters internationally was created, American soft rock was finally accepted world-wide as a genre of music ("Take My Breath Away" won an Oscar for Giorgio Moroder & Tom Whitlock and Harold Faltermeyer & Steve Stevens won a Grammy for the "Top Gun Anthem"), the rules of cool, love, friendship, rivalry, relationships, flying in a tight formation to confuse the enemies radar and redemption were defined for a generation, bar staff everywhere had to smile politely as they heard renditions of The Righteous Brothers' songs replace "what's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?", ultra confidence & a smile was enough to get you by any situation - if not invert, Tom Cruise became a household name & megastar and the skies were forever colourfully tinged with graduated Neutral Density Filters all more than enough to get me to visit the cinema multiple times to take the thrill ride.

Since then the world has moved on, seemingly Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell hasn't and finally - if the astounding trailers are anything to go by, we are going to experience what looks like another breathtaking thrill ride as Maverick flies into a new adventure having to navigate the new world as well as new threats. I have to say that there is nothing about the trailer that I don't love and I have been eargerly, albeit quietly anticipating Top Gun: Maverick. Hopefully, it won't be the final chapter in the Top Gun saga.

Yesterday the Global Premiere for Top Gun: Maverick took place in San Diego with the talent from Top Gun: Maverick attending that included: Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Bashir Salahuddin, Monica Barbaro, Jay Ellis, Greg Tarzan Davis, Jack Schumacher, Jake Picking, Manny Jacinto, Lyliana Way, Jerry Bruckheimer, Christopher McQuarrie and Joseph Kosinski.

In the video below Producer and Lead Tom Cruise arrived by helicopter before chatting with the press on the USS Midway and discussed what finally made the time right for the return of Maverick on the big screen.

Top Gun: Maverick will be exclusively in cinemas, 4DX and IMAX from May 25, 2022

Downton Abbey: A New Era Review

Over the lockdown, I became a big Downton Abbey fan. I was swept away by the good-natured charm of the characters and it really was a delight to watch each episode and continually be surprised by people just doing good things for one another despite some tough turns. So after six seasons and a 2019 big-screen film I was eagerly awaiting a return to Downton for the continuing escapades of the Crawley's and their familiars.

Last night (date night) we went along to a screening of Downton Abbey: A New Era and were not disappointed quite the contrary. What a corker of an evening.

The Patate opens two restaurants in Clerkenwell and Seven-Dials

Everyone knows I relish a good burger (and even some bad ones). Once I even embarked on a foolhardy expedition of London burger spots seeking the best burger in London.

This mission, although never completed satisfactorily did leave me with a list that over time became an ongoing project of my favourite burger spots. As consistency is the holy grail of delivering a tasty snack, by rotating through the list I give my taste buds an optimal chance of success.

Hence I am always on the lookout for new spots to add to my list so when I received the heads up on The Patate delivering a fusion of Classing French Cuisine and Modern Street Food from 2 new bricks and mortar spots, my interest was certainly piqued and a visit will be necessary.

The Patate delivers an exquisite looking burger

The Descent Screening and Q&A with Neil Marshall and David Julyan at Battersea Power Station

The Descent Screening and Q&A with Neil Marshall and David Julyan, Battersea Power Station

I am stoked that a special screening of Neil Marshall’s The Descent and QA is coming to my local cinema to celebrate the vinyl release of David Julyan's score for the film. More, please!

If you missed The Descent on the big screen or a person of good taste wishing to re-watch this tense thriller, this is a great opportunity to see it in an intimate and plush setting and hear from Director Neil Marshall and Composer David Julyan about their respective efforts in making this outstanding film.

The Descent is an outstanding horror film that belies its seemingly simple premise - a diverse group of 6 female friends played by Shauna Macdonald as Sarah, Natalie Mendoza as Juno, Alex Reid as Beth, Saskia Mulder as Rebecca, MyAnna Buring as Sam and Nora-Jane Noone as Holly go into an Appalachian cave and bad things happen. Whoever put this cast together deserves a nod.

First Look at Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer for Christopher Nolan's OPPENHEIMER

Today 23 February sees production on Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer kick off in California.

Adapted from Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin's 2006 American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer is a biopic of J. Robert Oppenheimer the man "mainly" credited with inventing the most devastating weapon of the time - the atomic bomb.

Oppenheimer seems to be a companion piece to Christopher Nolan's 2017 Dunkirk which was an on the ground account of events that saw Britain become involved in the Second World War, whilst Oppenheimer follows J. Robert Oppenheimer's life and seems to look at events that lead to the end of World War II.

How to unlock the Vanguard Katana in Warzone without Vanguard Multiplayer or Zombies

This blog post was originally the dialogue for a video tutorial but it made sense to also tweak it and throw it up here. As the title says it is all about grinding to unlock the Katana in Warzone, as opposed to Vanguard Multiplayer or Zombies. You can read this post or if you are short on time just watch the video embedded further below which is self-explanatory.

If you would like to dispatch your opponents with a level of aplomb befitting someone who grinded / ground? to acquire a tamahagane or steel blade possibly forged by the great Masamune or Hanzō and folded over two hundred times this is how you do it.

Snake's Back! John Carpenter's Escape from L.A. Arrives On 4K Ultra HD For The First Time February 21

It's no secret that I am a fan of John Carpenter. He writes, he takes photographs, he directs, he edits, he produces, he makes music - he's like a modern Renaissance man.

I have a deep fondness for a number of his earlier masterpieces particularly: Assault on Precinct 13, Escape from New York and The Thing. The understated significance of his first feature film made while a student - the wacky, Dark Star cannot be ignored. Without it, the landscape of Science Fiction on screen would be very different and we may never have heard of Dan O'Bannon which in turn means this timeline would never have had: Alien, Total Recall, ~~Jodorowsky's Dune~~ (oh! scratch that one) or Blue Thunder. Yea! I know it's very niche but it's an underrated masterpiece.

A couple of years ago when John Carpenter Classics got their 4K Restorations I was fortunate to see Escape From New York on the big screen again and was blown away all over again by Carpenter's dark vision of a world gone wrong and Kurt Russell's living embodiment of Snake Plisskin a man or rather shark thrown back into the water.

I am not the biggest fan of the sequel to Escape From New York - John Carpenter's 1996 Escape From L.A. it always seemed like a bit of a wasted opportunity to explore the dystopian world created in Escape From New York as well as further the adventures of one of cinemas greatest anti-heroes Colonel Robert (call him, Snake) Plissken. In a bit of a rarity, to keep things fresh with Escape From L.A. Carpenter doesn't tread the same path as Snake's first outing and goes in a very different direction, the execution is however very typical of Hollywood 80s excess. But some Snake is better than no Snake, it also has a ton of over the top action scenes and a catalogue of cult favourite cameos but most notably it has become eerily prophetic.

The events portrayed in Escape from L.A. may have taken place almost a decade ago but John Carpenter's Escape from L.A. submarines onto 4K Ultra HD™ For The First Time this February 21.

Downton Abbey: A New Era All the updates

Ding dong! It's happening! We are 73 days away from seeing the continuing saga of the Crawley family (and their residence) on the big screen, in Simon Curtis' Downton Abbey: A New Era and it's 29th of April UK cinema release date cannot come quick enough.

The timing of Downton Abbey: A New Era's UK cinema release is however timeous for us as - we succumbed to the charm of Downton Abbey relatively late, despite the cultural impact of the show we only started watching the series during the lockdown and sadly only have two more seasons to go before the end but we also have Michael Engler's 2019 Downton Abbey bookmarked for viewing after the show has ended.

Even though I am trying to avoid spoilers, as I still have much to catch up on, the marketing for Downton Abbey: A New Era is ramping up and the first trailer for the film has just dropped (I am relieved to see many of my favourite characters are still in the frame as well as some new friends). Henceforth I'll try to update this page with Downton Abbey: A New Era media as it is released.

From award-winning creator Julian Fellowes comes the motion picture event DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA.

The much-anticipated cinematic return of the global phenomenon reunites the beloved cast as they go on a grand journey to the South of France to uncover the mystery of the Dowager Countess’ newly inherited villa.

We visit the No Time To Die James Bond Villa Location in Port Antonio, Jamaica

The first law for a secret agent is to get his geography right...
– Ian Fleming - The Man with the Golden Gun, 1965

This week marks the 60th anniversary of the start of Principal shooting on Dr No at Palisades Airport in Kingston, Jamaica, on 16 January 1962.

After my plans for an epic 2020 European related Bond adventure were delayed, I was stoked that some of my late 2021 plans were able to go ahead and I shot into Jamaica, the spiritual home of James Bond and more pointedly the home-away-from-home for Bond creator Ian Fleming. Jamaica is after all where Fleming wrote all of his published James Bond thrillers as well as presumably his originally unpublished Bond TV series treatments; some of which were reworked into his For Your Eyes Only collection of short stories, another 2 have subsequently made their way into Anthony Horowitz's Bond novels and apparently another 3 exist.

Jamaica is referenced across Fleming’s Bond book series and five Bond stories had events taking place in Jamaica. The film versions of Dr No (1962) and Live and Let Die (1973) featured Bond in Jamaica as well as of course most recently Cary Fukunaga’s No Time To Die (2021).

He had arrived at Royale-les-Eaux in time for luncheon two days before. There had been no attempt to contact him and there had been no flicker of curiosity when he had signed the register 'James Bond, Port Maria, Jamaica'.

M had expressed no interest in his cover.

'Once you start to make a set at Le Chiffre at the tables, you'll have had it,' he said. 'But wear a cover that will stick with the general public.'

Bond knew Jamaica well, so he asked to be controlled from there and to pass as a Jamaican plantocrat whose father had made his pile in tobacco and sugar and whose son chose to play it away on the stock markets and in casinos.
– Ian Fleming Casino Royale, 1953

With this preamble and some time to kill, I managed to visit some Jamaican locations with connections to Ian Fleming and Bond. These places included the “secret” location of James Bond's retirement home as featured in No Time To Die sometimes referred to as – the James Bond Villa.

Cineworld IMAX Dune Screening and Live QA with director Denis Villeneuve

I really enjoyed Denis Villeneuve’s cinematic adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune. It doesn’t quite reach the heights of his outstanding 2016 Arrival, which as far as I am concerned is a high-water mark for recent Science Fiction film, but Dune is a very entertaining high adventure film that creates a world that needs to be explored further.

Denis Villeneuve will be in London this November and make an appearance at a Cineworld screening of Dune to discuss the making of the Dune.

Ridley Scott's The Last Duel arrives on Home Release this December

In a highly unusual move, we as yet have not had the opportunity to view Sir Ridley Scott's historical drama The Last Duel, but I cannot wait until December as The Last Duel Arrives on Digital and Disney+ on December 1 and on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ and DVD December 6.

I have a particular fascination with Scott's debut feature film The Duellists and that period of British filmmaking that it was born from, so I was very excited to hear that Scott would be returning to France (especially Dordogne) to a similar world as The Duellists in adapting Eric Jager's The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France into a feature film that stars Jodie Comer and Matt Damon & Ben Affleck both of who produced and helped screenplay the film.

Jodie Comer set to make her West End Debut in Prima Facie

She broke our hearts in Rillington Place, won us over in The White Princess, she infuriated us in Doctor Foster, surprised us in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, she absolutely blew us away in Killing Eve and I'm hoping she impresses in Sir Ridley Scott's The Last Duel and Kitbag.

But next year Jodie Comer is set to take to the stage with her West End Debut in the UK premiere of Suzie Miller’s award-winning play Prima Facie.

Jodie will play Tessa in this gripping, one-person play which takes us to the heart of where emotion and experience collide with the rules of the game.

Jodie Comer, the Emmy and Bafta Award-winning star of BBC’s Killing Eve and 20th Century Studios Free Guy and The Last Duel, is to make her stage debut in the UK premiere of Suzie Miller’s award-winning play, Prima Facie.

Prima Facie, directed by Justin Martin, will begin performances at the Harold Pinter Theatre on Friday 15 April (Press Night: Wednesday 27 April at 7:00pm) and play a strictly limited 9-week season, with tickets available at ‘Pay What You Can’ for each and every performance.

Tessa is a thoroughbred. A young, brilliant barrister who loves to win. She has worked her way up from working class origins to be at the top of her game; prosecuting; cross examining and lighting up the shadows of doubt in any case. An unexpected event forces her to confront the lines where the patriarchal power of the law, burden of proof and morals diverge.

Visit Le Sans Blague Café at the Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch Exhibition

This flew in a little under the radar. If you have been anticipating the return of Wes Anderson with his 10th film The French Dispatch, the wait is almost over as it will be in cinemas from this Friday, 22 October. It is sure to be gorgeous, charming, quirky, very entertaining and everything that cinema seemingly no longer wants to be.

If you are in or near London, much like the 2018 Isle of Dogs pop up exhibition, you can visit sets and much more from the film at the WES ANDERSON: THE FRENCH DISPATCH Exhibition right now at 180 The Strand.

The Shark is Broken

There are few comedians like Dave Chappelle, even calling him a "comedian" seems to be an understatment. There has been an air of mystery surrounding his as yet untitled documentary film made during the pandemic.

The story goes that because of the pandemic he couldn't tour, so whilst in Ohio and surrounded by the stark reality of what was happening around him he started helping people any way he could, part of that was putting on shows for the neighbourhood in a field. His 'Untitled' documentary was filmed during this period.

What it is about is unknow, but it is sure to be a Dave Chappelle experience of note and he has brought the love to London for the 'Untitled' European Premiere at Cineworld, Leicester Square Sunday 17th October 2021.

We’ve come to expect big things from Liam Gallagher, but today he reveals even bigger plans for 2022, that are biblical even by his colossal standards - adding a second Knebworth Park date on Friday 3rd June..

He is set to release his new album ‘C’MON YOU KNOW’ on May 27th as he looks to score a fourth consecutive #1 UK record. He also celebrates the 25th anniversary of Oasis’ era-defining gigs at Knebworth Park with the news that he’ll return there to play the biggest shows of his solo career to date on June 3rd & 4th.

Liam Gallagher Knebworth Park June 2022

Operation Mincemeat gets a New Trailer and Poster

Any Bond fan worth his weight in sawdust soaked in nitro and coated with graphite will have some knowledge of Operation Mincemeat and some inkling of how James Bond author Ian Fleming was involved in this fantastical World War II operation.

Going into too much detail will ruin the tale and presumably the film in advance, but if you are unaware of Operation Mincemeat and its place in history, not only as one of the many bizarre military efforts planned in Room 39 or 13 during wartime Britain but the surprising outcome and strategic advantage Suggestion 28 of the Trout Memo gave Britain.

Join Bond screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade for a QA at a screening of No Time To Die

Bond fans have been expecting him and last night No Time To Die the 25th canon Bond film and Daniel Craig’s fifth and final mission as Ian Fleming’s James Bond premiered at the Royal Albert Hall and is in cinemas right now. A great opportunity has come up to join in a discussion with screenwriters Robert Wade and Neal Purvis, as a team they have been involved in seven James Bond films, 2 Pierce Brosnan outings - The World Is Not Enough (1999), Die Another Day (2002) and all of Daniel Craig’s Bond films - Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015) and No Time to Die (2021) as well as one James Bond console game – Quantum of Solace (2008).

Throughout Saturday night 18th September, in honour of Batman Day 2021, the iconic Bat-Signal lit up the skies in London, Liverpool and Glasgow to celebrate The Dark Knight on Batman Day 2021.

The iconic Bat-Signal shone a light on imposing buildings across the UK on Saturday. The participating cities - London, Liverpool, and Glasgow - had been revealed in advance, but the exact locations were shrouded in mystery. The exact locations were teased on Instagram and Facebook by DC GB Facebook and DCUKComics on the 18th to give Bat-Signal seekers a head start.

Saturday 18th September, 8 - 8.30pm - Batman Day 2021 Bat-Signal on Odeon Luxe Leicester, London:

Batman Day 2021 Bat-Signal Odeon Luxe Leicester, London

To my shame I must confess I only got around to seeing Sergio Corbucci’s The Great Silence back when it was mentioned as an influence on Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight and I am glad I did. It's well worth a watch for any aficionado of the Western genre, anyone who appreciates good cinema or anyone who appreciates incredible sound and composition. Did I mention the score is by Il Maestro himself - Ennio Morricone

Il Grande Silenzio harks to a time when you had a variety of films to choose for your entertainment. Not the same story slightly altered

With the upcoming joint Sky and Canal+ production of a new television series version of Sergio Corbucci's Django starring our favourites Matthias Schoenaerts and Noomi Rapace, let's hope Matthias Schoenaerts Django doesn't die in the first episode with Noomi Rapace's character having to reluctantly pick up his guns to dispense justice for the remainder of the series (transporting the coffin would be a mission all of it's own) Sergio Corbucci came back on to my radar as did Eureka Entertainment's restoration and release of his classic of the genre The Great Silence this November.

One of the best and most influential Westerns ever made

Eureka Entertainment is to release Sergio Corbucci’s Western masterpiece, THE GREAT SILENCE, presented on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK from a 2K restoration in a Limited Edition Set as part of The Masters of Cinema Series from 22 November 2021.

Sergio Corbucci’s The Great Silence Blu-ray

NO TIME TO DIE - LONDON WORLD PREMIERE

It is 11 days until the No Time To Die Gala Premiere at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 28th September. This year proved to be the most difficult year to get tickets for what surely must be a once in a lifetime event, saying goodbye to Daniel Craig's run as James Bond.

In a stunning move, the producers have set the bar high and made it possible for health care workers to share in this incredible event by including them in premiere events around the UK as well as fittingly, proceeds from the premiere will benefit current and former members of the services protecting the United Kingdom.

Fortunately, No Time To Die will be going general release in the UK and Ireland 2 days later from 30th September 2021.

If all goes to plan we are less than half a year away from seeing Matt Reeves interpretation of The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson on screens. Fortunately we have a stop gap in the form of Batman Day this Saturday 18th September.

Similar to the event that took place 2 years ago (and hopefully will take place annually) the iconic Bat Signal will be shone into the night sky, or at least 5 buildings at secret locations in London, Liverpool and Glasgow to alert Batman that his presence is required. As well as signal an Easter Egg hunt with Batman related prizes.

The secret locations have been chosen for their Batman connections. Notably, Glasgow, Liverpool and London have all been used as prominent filming locations for much anticipated The Batman, which will be released in 2022. Glasgow was used as a filming location for The Flash - also set for a 2022 release - which sees Michael Keaton reprise his role as the Defender of Gotham.

Introducing the new Agents of ‘No Time To Die’ Featurette

We are 17 days away from seeing Daniel Craig's last outing as James Bond in No Time To Die. Fans hopes and expectations have been sent awry due to Covid delays, but we are, as they say, in the end, game now for what surely should be an explosive climax to Craig's finale as Bond.

On the heels of the final, final trailer released last week, earlier today we received a heads up on a featurette introducing Bond’s new allies agents Nomi (Lashana Lynch) and Paloma played by Ana de Armas.

In the 2004 horror-comedy Shaun of the Dead a group of Londoners battled zombies in a London pub. The result was a box office hit that, almost two decades on, claims an ever-expanding fan base. How did a low-budget British movie become a beloved global pop culture phenomenon? Entertainment Weekly’s senior writer Clark Collis’s authoritative new book You’ve Got Red on You: How Shaun of the Dead Was Brought to Life reveals the previously untold story behind the making of the film.

‘Being James Bond’ Daniel Craig’s 007 adventure to stream for free

Bond fans Can Stream the Special Film as a Free Rental on the Apple TV App Only from September 7 through October 7 Ahead of the Theatrical Release of ‘No Time To Die’

Detroit-style pizza has landed in the UK and has quickly become one of the hottest food trends in London. After gaining a huge following across the pond where “Detroit-style is the fastest-growing trend in pizza”*, Party Store Pizza has single-handedly proved that it’s here to stay with the launch of their new restaurant. The Party Store Pizza team have been behind some of the most exciting pizza pop-ups in London and off the back of this success, Party Store Pizza is now opening its first ever bricks-and-mortar site on Maltby Street in Bermondsey. The doors officially open on Wednesday 1st September after a month long soft launch and walk-ins are now being welcomed with open arms and mouth-watering fresh pizza.

So what is Detroit-style pizza?

Legendary British band Duran Duran were meant to celebrate their 40th Anniversary together by closing the British Summer Time Hyde Park 2020 festival, however the show was postponed until July 11, 2021 where instead they would be headlining BST Hyde Park 2022. Sadly a global pandemic had other ideas - I sadly as Simon Le Bon had explained that it means something for Duran Duran to play in an iconic London stage like Hyde Park as all the greats have including The Rolling Stones.

It has been confirmed that Duran Duran will play next year's BST Hyde Park 2022on Sunday 10th July 2022 at 2pm and will be joined by Nile Rodgers & CHIC. Hopefully Grace Jones will make it and we'll get an ultimate rendition of A View to a Kill.

July next year seems a long, long way off - so it's good news that:

DURAN DURAN ANNOUNCE EXCLUSIVE, INTIMATE SHOWS AT O2 INSTITUTE BIRMINGHAM THIS SEPTEMBER

The iconic multi-platinum and award-winning British band, Duran Duran, announce two intimate performances in their hometown of Birmingham, at the O2 Institute. Duran Duran will play on 14th and 15th September 2021 ahead of the release of their highly anticipated album ‘FUTURE PAST’, due 22nd October. Tickets go on sale for their September performances at 9am Friday 27th August at LiveNation.co.uk

Duran Duran Future Love Album Cover

Experience Ridley Scott’s multi-Academy Award-nominated cult classic, Blade Runner (2007 Final Cut), on a vast HD screen accompanied by The Avex Ensemble performing Greek composer Vangelis’ original synthesiser led score in sync with the film.

On 26 September, Todd Phillips’ ground-breaking, award-winning film Joker will be screened with the accompaniment of a live orchestra playing composer Hildur Guðnadóttir’s award-winning score for the first time ever at London’s Eventim Apollo, followed by a UK & Ireland Tour.

Joker - Live In Concert

Eureka Entertainment to release FULL ALERT, the raw, intense & gritty psychological crime thriller from Ringo Lam, presented on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK as part of the Eureka Classics range from 18 October 2021. The first print run of 2000 copies will feature a Limited-Edition O-card Slipcase and Collector’s Booklet.

Ringo Lam's Full Alert Blu-Ray Packshot

A late career highlight from Ringo Lam, an action-packed tale of cops and robbers presented in the director’s inimitable style.

Perfectionist, workaholic Inspector Pao (Lau Ching-wan, Running Out of Time) finds himself up against Mak Kwan (Francis Ng, The Mission), a seasoned criminal intending to use his explosive skills to pull off a huge heist. Pao must use his own resources to stop Mak and prevent heavy civilian casualties.

With heart-stopping car chases on the streets of Hong Kong and brilliant performances by the two leads, Full Alert is an intelligent, high velocity action movie considered to be one of director Ringo Lam's finest works.

Born on 20 January 1920, this month marks the centenary of Italian director Federico Fellini, one of the most original creative minds of the twentieth century. To celebrate this landmark, the director’s incredible body of work is being appraised across the United Kingdom with a series of events and theatrical releases of his greatest works.

On this 100-year anniversary, CultFilms is proud to present two new Blu-ray releases, giving audiences the opportunity to revisit and rediscover his most influential films in sparkling restorations.

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