New to DVD

Some great releases for you to catch on DVD this week -

First with some animation comedy for all the family with Wall-E. Disney and Pixar team up again to bring out another film, light-years ahead of it's time. Wall-E is a robot cleaner left behind on planet Earth to tidy the mess left by humans, now living in a spacecraft. Life is simple for Wall-E and his cockroach friend until one day when he finds a robot friend...

8/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/WALL-E-Disc-Special-Ben-Burtt/dp/B001DR9TNS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1227640766&sr=1-2


Next we have another family film, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, which follows on from the prequel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and once again follows the tale of four siblings as they travel to the mystical land of Narnia to battle against the conquering Telmarine army alongside Prince Caspian.

7/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001BMVP2S/ref=br_nf_0_2?pf_rd_p=463518813&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=573412&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=123MGBFBYBPJ8K1NXR79


Finally this week we have Mamma Mia! the adaption of the play of the same name. A mother (Meryl Streep) attempts to discover the identity of her daughter's (Amanda Seyfried) father in time for her daughter's wedding day. Unknown to her the prospective fathers (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard) all arrive simultaneously. Musical comedy with some excellent one-liners and tongue-in-cheek comedy, definitely worth a watch.

6/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001BYMKRO/ref=br_nf_1_1?pf_rd_p=463518813&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=573412&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=123MGBFBYBPJ8K1NXR79

First: an apology, Second: some advice

So my apology: this post isn't movie-related.



Secondly, the advice. I've been following a band for roughly 18 months now and they're rapidly becoming my favourite band ever (ok, maybe a little over exaggeration), not just because of their musical talent but because of their genuine politeness and accommodation of unruly fans. That band is Blood Red Shoes. Made up of Steven Ansell and Laura-Mary Carter, they are a birthchild of the new-indie band rise but they are so much more than that. Their first album, Box of Secrets (GO AND BUY!) is almost post-punk but they've promised a different angle for their second album (due out approximately June 2009).







Now you may be thinking why I am promoting a band. The thing is I really do like them and I want them to make it big because of their genuine good will and determination they've shown to come so far.



For any more information please visit http://www.bloodredshoes.co.uk/.



Thanks.

James Bond: Quantum of Solace

Daniel Craig's second Bond adventure follows the story on from Casino Royale, and for me it's more of the same. Although I fully understand that Craig's Bond character is yet to pass training to become 007 and therefore he is still an unpolished character he still didn't show the arrogance and playboy-type qualities required to be the smoothest of super spies.

Although now he has finished his initiation and thus the movies from now on will allow more creativity on both the writers' and Craigs' parts, I believe that these two films have missed an opportunity to play on the characters naivity and natural swagger.

However for an action film, this movie has it all, gunfights, car chases, boat chases, aeroplane crashes and big explosions all set against expensive, exotic backdrops.

This, though, has not got the cutting edge that is required to turn a simple action movie into a 'Bond' movie. It's lacking that polish, that certain element. Maybe it's not been shaken or stirred...

6/10

http://www.007.com - Official site

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=59fvri1rfAA - Full length trailer

Through the Lens Part Deux

Part two of Through the Lens brings you details on two of my personal most anticipated movies of 2009.

Firstly we have The Watchmen, due out in March. Another superhero comic convert, this has early critics reaching for their gold stars. Rated already as probably the greatest superhero movie of all time by some (including The Dark Knight), it's directed by Zack Snyder of 300 and Dawn of the Dead fame. The story follows a cold war like situation with a group of superheroes (The Watchmen) constantly keeping the peace. However the general public slowly turn against this group and they struggle to keep the peace and keep the people happy. Meanwhile a mysterious clock counts down to war...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=E4blSrZvPhU - The Watchmen trailer

Finally we have the prequel to The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons. Although it wasn't as good as the book I thoroughly enjoyed The Da Vinci Code and Tom Hanks was superb as lecturer/historical genius, Robert Langdon and since Angels and Demons is my favourite Dan Brown book I can see this being a stunning thriller set against the just-as-stunning backdrop of Rome. Superb casting by the film-makers mean that Ewan McGregor and Stellan Skarsgaard also enter the movie as major characters.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nSyWqCdqCZ0 - Angels and Demons teaser trailer

Through the Lens

Through the lens is where we preview the most exciting looking movies coming out in the future.

First this week we have Nottingham due for release in late 2009. Ridley Scott teams up with Russell Crowe again in this surreally-set Robin Hood flick. With Crowe playing the parts of both the Sherriff of Nottingham and Robin Hood who are both entangled in a love triangle plot with Sienna Miller's Maid Marion.

Although sounding very surreal at present I cannot wait to go and see this to see how Scott has managed to piece it together.


Finally in through the lens we have Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes, also due for release in late 2009. With Robert Downey Jr. playing the role of Holmes and Jude Law as sidekick Dr. Watson, this movie delivers huge potential. However it has yet to be seen if Guy Ritchie can deliver a film not revolving around mobsters. On the other hand Ritchie seems to gain a lot of influence from London and I have a feeling that the city is going to play a large role in Sherlock Holmes.

Hunger

Debuting at Cannes film festival, the story of IRA volunteer, Bobby Sands' imprisonment, Hunger is certainly not for those faint of heart. Opening in an eerie fashion, with very little dialogue for the first hour of the film, Hunger follows the mass hunger strike in Maze prison in Northern Ireland in 1981 and portrays the determination of the human race in a grim manner.

Steve McQueen, debutant director of the film, received both criticism and acclaim following the showing in the Un Certain Regard class for young, up-and-coming directors at Cannes. The level of dedication to film-making becomes clear upon hearing that young Irish actor Michael Fassbender, portraying Sands, lost 16kg weight in order to portray the role in the most realistic way possible. 'I'd be lying if I said it wasn't tough,' he later said.





However, the bleakly set prison environment and lack of dialogue do not make this film special. That is left to the provocation of thought that it leaves you with. Dedication. Determinism. Death. Just three of the many themes this film portrays.

This is a special debut film for McQueen and developing actor Fassbender and fully deserves the standing ovation it received at Cannes film festival.

9/10

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=dmVPCX0LxN8 - Hunger trailer