Movie Releases - This week I recommend..

My main recommendation this week? See if you can guess...



Yep...none other than...



V for Vendetta (starring Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, John Hurt, Stephen Fry, Tim Pigott-Smith, Sinead Cusack) - Based on the acclaimed graphic novel "V For Vendetta" by Alan Moore ("The Watchmen," "From Hell") and illustrator David Lloyd, V for Vendetta is set against the futuristic landscape of totalitarian Britain. The film tells the story of a mild-mannered young woman named Evey (Natalie Portman) who is rescued from a life-and-death situation by a masked vigilante (Hugo Weaving) known only as "V"! Someone who is charismatic and ferociously skilled in the art of combat and deception, "V" ignites a revolution when he detonates two London landmarks.....and takes over the government-controlled airwaves, urging his fellow citizens to rise up against tyranny and oppression! As Evey uncovers the truth about V's mysterious background, she also discovers the truth about herself -- and emerges as his unlikely ally in the culmination of his plot to bring freedom and justice back to a society fraught with cruelty and corruption. As a Londoner I'm very much looking forward to this film. Bit of action and explosions...much missed recently.

For the arty/independent folk out there, the only film that stood out is..



Tsotsi - Winner of the 'Best Foreign Language Film of the Year' category at this year's Academy Awards..Tsotsi is set in a Johannesburg township of Soweto...where survival is the primary objective! The film traces six days in the life of a ruthless young gang leader who ends up caring for a baby accidentally kidnapped during a car-jacking. A gritty and moving portrait of an angry young man living in a state of extreme urban deprivation, and filled with the energy of "Kwaito music" - the modern beat of the ghetto that reflects his troubled state of mind. Compelled to confront his own brutal nature and face the consequences of his actions, Tsotsi puts a human face on both the victims and the perpetrators of violent crime and is ultimately a story of hope and a triumph of love over rage. So what does 'Tsotsi' mean? Well...bit of trivia for you! It literally means "thug" or "gangster" in the street language of South Africa's townships and ghettos...and "Kwaito" is South Africa's answer to American Hip Hop!

Bit of a difference between the two...but check them both out!

Casino Royale (News: 16/03/06)

Well...it's been absolutely manic on the James Bond front!

And yes...yet moooorre pics for you to look over.

First ones...courtesy of the Eva Green website...have a look here for pictures of her and Daniel Craig getting hot under the sea ;)

For some official publicity shots, have a peek below (Daniel Craig, Eva Green & Caterina Murino)...




Oh and apologies for not posting a cinema recommendations last week. Fear not...this week's will go on shortly.

Plus...on a more personal note...a bit of a catch up about ME!! Including:

• How I got on in a 'Self-Defence' class;
• a job offer at work;
• and...a personal article on the subject of 'Cheating in relationships - why do people do it?'

That's all to come soon...

Stay peeled :)

Casino Royale (News: 10/03/2006)

Hello all :)

I'm back briefly for a quick update to the site. Those who are on OUT would have seen my snippets of the on-set clips and interview with producer Barbara Broccoli and Bond himself...Daniel Craig. But as promised..I will be including pics on here that i haven't placed on OUT ..

Have a peek at them...below. You can really see Daniel Craig moulding into the role now..

The seductive Vesper Lynd (Eva Green)



Bond girl & the villain's girl..Solonge (Caterina Murino)



Bond 'lady' and the big cheese to Bond.. 'M' (Dame Judi Dench)



'M' giving Bond a dressing down? (Daniel Craig & Dame Judi Dench)



What did you say to him, 'M'? (Daniel Craig)



The next lot are of Daniel Craig, clearly getting to grips with the role of James Bond.




Well...that all from Bond at the moment..apart from...***MAJOR SPOILER ALERT***











"Casino Royale" will feature the first ever black and white sequence in a James Bond film during the pre-titles sequence!!

"First of all, the traditional pre-credits action sequence will show how Bond got his 00-rating, showing the (required) two kills that he carries out. We’d heard that – but the news that it is in black and white is new, as is the news that the change to colour will come at a crucial point. That whole sequence, however, is backstory, aimed at giving the film a back to basics feel. There will be no Q and no gadgets, and since it’s the first book, Bond makes mistakes and develops into the character we all know."

More Bond gossip coming soon.....

Movie Releases - This week I recommend..

Well..it's that time again..the time for a bunch of new films to be unleashed on a cinema near you!

This week only few really stood out for me. The Matador (which i reviewed not so long ago)...and rest are as follows..



MirrorMask - live action mingled with animation!

"MirrorMask" focusses around Helena, a 15 year old girl in a family of circus entertainers. Helena often wishes she could just run off and join real life. However, after a fight with her parents about her future plans, her mother falls quite ill and Helena blames herself for this. On the eve of her mother's major surgery, she dreams that she is in a strange world with two opposing queens, bizarre creatures, and masked inhabitants. Fantasy begins to mirror real-life as all is not well in this new world - the white queen has fallen ill and can only be restored by the MirrorMask! It's now up to Helena to find it...but as her adventures continue, she begins to wonder whether it's a dream, or something far more sinister. The film has already been compared to a modern-day 'Labyrinth'...and is worth checking out. It's only got a limited release, so I hope you can catch it at your local cinema!

Syriana - nominated for 2 Oscars, (including Best Supporting Actor - George Clooney) writer/director Stephen Gaghan, (winner of the Best Screenplay Academy Award for "Traffic") brings "Syriana" to the foreground. It's political thriller that unfolds against the intrigue of the global oil industry. From the players brokering back-room deals in Washington to the men toiling in the oil fields of the Persian Gulf, the film's multiple storylines weave together to illuminate the human consequences of the fierce pursuit of wealth and power. As a career CIA operative (George Clooney) begins to uncover the disturbing truth about the work he has devoted his life to, an up-and-coming oil broker (Matt Damon) faces an unimaginable family tragedy and finds redemption in his partnership with an idealistic Gulf prince (Alexander Siddig). A corporate lawyer (Jeffrey Wright) faces a moral dilemma as he finesses the questionable merger of two powerful U.S. oil companies, while across the globe, a disenfranchised Pakistani teenager (Mazhar Munir) falls prey to the recruiting efforts of a charismatic cleric. Each plays their small part in the vast and complex system that powers the industry, unaware of the explosive impact their lives will have upon the world.

Enjoy people...and don't forget to catch The Matador!!