It's 1984. I'm a small boy in Wales playing with Star Wars toys and dressing up as Batman (something that I only do nowadays if crime levels rise to unacceptable levels in my neighbourhood). Meanwhile, in a small mining town, not too far away, an unlikely alliance is taking place. The two members of this alliance? In one corner we have a lesbian and gay activist group from London assuming the role of chalk, and in the other we have a Welsh mining community playing cheese. This unusual pairing of bullied social outcasts is the subject of Matthew Warchus (director) and Stephen Beresford's (writer) film Pride, and I'd just like to say at this point, before we go any further, that it is utterly wonderful.
I was lucky enough to attend the UK premiere and after party of the film in Camden, courtesy of Picturehouse and it was an experience that far outweighed my expectations. And that's even before taking in to consideration meeting Bill Nighy at the after party and an unexpected Jimmy Somerville gig (he was surprisingly good!). I'd heard mutterings in dark corners that Pride was a fabulous piece of film making, but I still wasn't convinced that it would batter its way in to my affections in the manner that it did. Read more
The Weekend Round-up
Despite a poor showing in the US, bawdy comedy of errors Sex Tape took the top spot this weekend with £1.4m (incl. £444k from previews last Wednesday & Thursday). Perhaps this was a case of truth helping fiction, with the recent scandal surrounding the release of intimate photos of female stars from iCloud, no doubt helping the timing of the film. Read more
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Lynn’s Majestic Cinema has jumped straight into the 21st century by launching an app for smart phones and recording regular podcasts for its customers.
Manager Tom Cundy said: “Today’s technology is something of a revolution, especially when it comes to social media platforms, that have transformed the way people and businesses work. Even dependents make the most of these inventive techniques, with the Majestic Cinema following suit with the launch of our new app. Read more
Selfridges is to open the first cinema to be operated within a department store.
The cinema will initially screen films tied to the store's Masters campaign where 12 influential fashion designers will select their favourite films which will go on to be screened, reports PA. Read more
Summer is over, just look outside for proof, but right around the corner to help combat those post-summer blues is the UK's premier film extravaganza, the 58th BFI London Film Festival. The programme was announced at Odeon Leicester Square on Wednesday and includes a huge 245 feature films and 148 shorts. To save you the time of trawling through the comprehensive brochure, I've picked out a few of the key highlights so you can be first in the queue when the tickets go on sale on 18 September.
The festival is bookended, unsurprisingly, by the opening and closing night galas and this year there's a distinctive WWII feel. Opening proceedings is The Imitation Game. Benedict Cumberbatch stars as genius mathematician, Alan Turing, who helped crack the Enigma code, which was instrumental in the allies winning the war. It's directed by Norwegian, Morten Tyldum, who if you saw 2012's Headhunters, you'll know can tell a pacy yarn with twists and turns with ease and after its premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, Cumberbatch is being talked up as a serious awards contender. Read more
Headlines this week have claimed a decline in cinema takings following a summer of lacklustre performances by many of the Hollywood blockbusters. The same is not the case in the UK argues Digital Cinema Media's head of film, Tom Linay.
With the summer having drawn to a close just a few days ago, this week has seen a number of articles in the press assessing the box office performance of films released in the summer months and how it compares to previous years. The chat has particularly focussed on the US, where the box office was down year-on-year but when we focus on the UK, it’s a slightly different story. Read more
Mini is showcasing its latest Countryman car range at cinema nationwide with a localised ad campaign targeting over 140 locations.
The ‘Mini at the Movies’ scheme was developed by media agency Vizeum in association with Digital Cinema Media (DCM), a firm which controls 80 per cent of the cinema marketplace. Read more
Gap, the iconic American clothing brand, today revealed a series of films that will air on TV, in cinema, in stores and online, created by Academy Award-nominated director David Fincher (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network, Fight Club and the much anticipated Gone Girl). The four new commercials – Kiss, Drive, Golf and Stairs – mark Gap’s return to television.
Fincher’s inspiration and cinematic touch is clearly apparent, with a creative treatment that sets them apart from Gap’s previous TV campaigns. The four films were created with Wieden+Kennedy New York as part of Gap’s new campaign, Dress Normal. Read more
It seems the trend for nomination on social media knows no ends but thankfully #cinephilephoto is now using the trend to bring some of the best scenes in cinema history to Twitter. Nominees have to choose and post one of their favourite scenes in film. Notable entrants so far have been from Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright, and Rian Johnson and our very own Tom Linay. Here are some of our favourite entries so far:
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Action film stars who made their name in the 1980s have no trouble finding roles these days, as long as they are willing to play to their ironic appeal.
None have done this better in commercials than Jean Claude Van Damme, who has swapped earnestly taking out legions of villains in movies for flexing his muscles (from Brussels) with knowing grin. Read more
The programme for the 58th BFI London Film Festival launched today. This is the 10th year DCM has partnered with Britain’s leading film event and one of the world’s oldest film festival.
This year's BFI London Film Festival kicks off on October 8 with Alan Turing drama The Imitation Game and finishes on October 19 with David Ayers' tank drama Fury. The full line-up, featuring 245 features and 148 shorts, has now been announced. Read more
