Sam Rockwell, MOON, Great Performance, Oscar? I'm just saying. Spread the word.

A case study in making things happen. many believe that Sam Rockwell's performance in sleeper hit MOON deserves an Oscar nod. Below Duncan Jones director of the Moon takes this belief one step further and chats with LAGenX.

Something that Duncan Jones doesn't mention that is if you
want to see more great inventive film making like MOON.
These guys need our support. Spread the word!

More info & deets on getting involved can be found on Duncan Jones' blog here!

A Christmas Carol Comes To London

Bah! Humbug!

Disney's A Christmas Carol World Premiere and London's Christmas Light Switch-Ons

London will celebrate the launch of a traditional festive season with one of the capital's biggest-ever Christmas events on 3 November. This year, the Christmas Lights across the West End and in the City of London will be switched on simultaneously.

There'll also be a fantastic Christmas concert, and a unique light show at St Paul's Cathedral.

All this will be followed by the world premiere of Disney's A Christmas Carol, attended by the major stars of the movie.

Where & When
Christmas Lights Switch-on and Street Concert

London's Christmas lights will be switched on alongside street concerts between 5pm and 6.30pm on 3 November. Three locations across the city will come together to create London's first ever co-ordinated street concerts and Christmas light switch-on.

• Oxford Circus – live concert with major performing artists from 5pm, switch-on of Disney's A Christmas Carol lights by Jim Carrey – finishes at 6.30pm
• Regent Street – live concert with major performing artists from 5pm, switch-on of Disney's A Christmas Carol lights by Colin Firth and Robin Wright Penn – finishes at 6.30pm
• St Paul's Cathedral – live concert with major performing artists from 5pm, light show on St Paul's Cathedral switched on by Bob Hoskins

All events are free to the public – get there early to grab a good viewing spot.

Sing Your Way into the Record Books
Following the Christmas lights switch-on, the three stages will be linked for Londoners to join together to break the Guinness World Record for the largest number of people carol singing at one time! The singing will be led by the St Paul's Cathedral Choir.

The World Premiere of Disney's A Christmas Carol: Leicester Square 7.30pm
After the Christmas lights switch-on, the focus will shift to Leicester Square for the world premiere of Disney's A Christmas Carol.

The film's world premiere will be one of the most glittering and star-studded premieres that London has ever seen, attended by all the major stars including Jim Carrey and director Robert Zemeckis.

The film will be screened in three of London's leading cinemas – the Odeon Leicester Square, the Empire Leicester Square and the Odeon West End, all in cutting-edge Disney Digital 3D – creating the biggest-ever 3D screening.

For more info click here!

The Times BFI 53rd London Film Festival: Clive Owen Talk

Held in the highest regard by everyone he's worked with, Coventry's favourite son comes to the BFI for a discussion about his career.



Straight out of drama school, Clive Owen landed a starring role in his first feature Vroom (LFF 1988) and within two years he was starring in TV crime drama Chancer. Concerned that he would be stereotyped into television roles, he chose to take a controversial role in Stephen Poliakoff's Close My Eyes which fed his desire to explore a more interesting career path in both film and theatre. Since then, Owen has taken particular care to work with scripts that he feels passionate about, and has the highest regard for the actors and directors that he works with. This strong work ethic has seen repeat collaborations with director Mike Hodges on Croupier and I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, and he has enjoyed working more than once with Julia Roberts and Paul Giamatti. The hard work was rewarded with both a BAFTA and a Golden Globe for his performance in Closer, and Owen went on to impress as anti-hero Dwight McCarthy in Sin City. His work on Children of Men was also highly acclaimed, and writer-director Alfonso Cuaron has personally credited Owen with contributing to the script. The Boys Are Back sees Owen in a very different acting role (as well as Executive Producer), and working once again with a wonderful script. We are very pleased to welcome such a dedicated actor to take part in the BFI Screen Talks series. Timothy Smith







Where
BFI NFT1

When
18:30 Thu 22 October

Play: Kurt & Sid at Trafalgar Studios

Kurt & Sid, starring Danny Dyer and Shaun Evans. From 9 September - 03 October 2009 at the Trafalgar Studios, London.

Roy Smiles witty and beautifully poignant new play explores exactly what it means to dice with death when being alive proves to be all too painful and peace seems elusive…

April 1994. A man sits alone in an attic extension on the cusp of becoming a Seattle suicide statistic. This man is no ‘number and name’ to be reported in a local newspaper. He is an icon, albeit a reluctant one. The frontman of Nirvana. is about to pull the trigger of the gun in his hand and join the leagues of rock star deaths down the ages. Without invitation, Kurt has the curious company of a man purporting to be the Sex Pistol’s Sid Vicious, Kurt’s hero.

Whether he is a ghost, a figment of Kurt’s imagination, an hallucination, a dream, or a Punk impersonator remains to be seen as the two musicians, trade quips and quotes about the emptiness of fame, a mutual understanding of drug addiction and self-destruction.

Where
Trafalgar Studios
Whitehall, London, SW1A 2DY

When
Weds 9 September - Saturday 3 October

The Times BFI 53rd London Film Festival: Julianne Moore Talk

One of the most daring and talented actors of her generation comes to the BFI to discuss her diverse slate of work.



When she first appeared in feature films, Julianne Moore garnered much attention for her talent and her presence on screen, with roles in films such as Short Cuts (LFF 1993) and [Safe] (LFF 1995). A number of Oscar nominations and a slew of other awards followed, for her roles in Boogie Nights (LFF 1997), The End of the Affair, Far from Heaven (LFF 2002) and The Hours. By cleverly positioning her career across both the mainstream studio system and independent film, Moore has been able to use her status at the box office to help independent directors find funding for projects that otherwise may not have been made. Although she always brings individuality and originality to the diverse range of roles that she chooses, Moore has a rare skill of being able to play characters in a natural and believable way that audiences often relate to, whilst at the same time highlighting the complexities of a character (few other actors could play a porn-star cokehead with such tenderness and sensitivity). The range and diversity in her talent are especially evident in her portrayal of a wife and mother in Atom Agoyan's Chloe and almost the antithesis of that in Tom Ford's A Single Man. Timothy Smith







Where
BFI NFT1

When
18:30 Fri 23 October

Play: Speaking in tongues, Duke of York's Theatre

In the highly charged thriller SPEAKING IN TONGUES, the basis for the film Lantana, the seemingly random confessions of a group of strangers are pieced together by a detective investigating the disappearance of a leading psychiatrist. A powerful study of infidelity and interwoven lives, the play stars John Simm (Life on Mars, State of Play), returning to the stage to lead an exciting cast including Ian Hart (The Virgin Queen, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone), Lucy Cohu (The Queen's Sister, Torchwood) and Kerry Fox (An Angel at my Table, Shallow Grave).

SPEAKING IN TONGUES will have its West End premiere at the Duke of York's Theatre. Writer Andrew Bovell's previous work includes Baz Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom, When The Rain Stops Falling at the Almeida Theatre and his own adaptation of SPEAKING IN TONGUES into the internationally acclaimed film Lantana.



Where
Duke of York's Theatre
St. Martin’s Lane, London WC2N 4BG

When
From 18 September to 12 December.

www.speakingintonguestheplay.com

Preview of Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee and Q&A

Preview of Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee and Q&A with Shane Meadows, Paddy Considine and Mark Herbert.

Rock roadie, Le Donk, has lived, loved and learned. Along the way, he's lost a classy girlfriend but gained a sidekick, Scorz-Ayz-Ee. He sets out to make Scorz a star with a little help from the Artic Monkeys.

 A freewheeling, no-budget experiment by one of the UK’s most prominent and successful producer/director teams, LE DONK was born out of Shane Meadows’ and Mark Herbert’s frustration at the sheer expense of time and money required to get a new project off the ground. Why not just get together an enthusiastic team (including the actor often cited as the De Niro to Meadows’ “Scorsese of the Midlands”, Paddy Considine), cobble together a skeleton script, and simply play for a few days? So, Considine broke out an earlier comic creation of his, an endearing/repellent rock’n’roll roadie known as Donk; an Arctic Monkeys gig provided the backdrop; and Meadows played himself, as a documentary-maker seeking to capture the secrets of a life lived just beyond the reach of the bright lights. Irrepressible fun.

When:
Curzon Soho
99 Shaftesbury Avenue, London ,W1D 5DY
Where:
Sunday 11 October, 4:00pm

Movie-Con II 2009: Video Highlights

BFI & Empire's Movie Con 2 : Day 2

The full schedule for Movie Con 2 can be found over here on Empire's website. Below are my highlights from day 2:

Day 2 started with a flash of fury, explosions and red metal, that's right! Some seriously awesome clips from Iron Man 2 were on display introduced by Robert (I'm in town to shoot some additional scenes for Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes) Downey Jr. Unfortunately I was late and missed what was a highlight of day 2.


The legendary Kim Newman ran his now infamous Movie Quiz with the precision of a T800 which was loads of fun. One of the prizes was for a winner's name to be used in Mr. Newman's next novel.

Next up was a clip from the super tense Hurt Locker and Q&A with Director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal. Loosely based on Boal's experiences in Baghdad. Hurt Locker is refreshingly direct and will keep you on the edge of your seat. It could be seen as a natural progression to Point Break.

Optimum rolled out a hilarious and heartwarming presentation for Bunny And The Bull. Hosted by Director Paul King and Star Simon Farnaby. If you are looking for something that lands somewhere between a holiday, run by The Mighty Boosh filmed by Michel Gondry.

"Bunny & the Bull is a road movie set entirely in a flat. Stephen Turnbull hasn't been outside in months. Living with a painfully restrictive routine, he refuses to interact with the world or think about the past. When a sudden infestation of mice forces him to change his ways, he finds his mind hurtling back to the disastrous trek around Europe he undertook with his friend Bunny, a womanising, gambling-addicted booze-hound. Unable to stem the flood of memories, Stephen’s flat becomes the springboard for an extraordinary odyssey through landscapes made up of snapshots and souvenirs, from the industrial wastelands of Silesia to the bull fields of Andalusia. A story of love, disillusionment, stuffed bears and globalised seafood, Bunny & the Bull is an offbeat and heartfelt journey to the end of the room."

Next Director/Writer Stuart Hazeldine introduced Exam.


"Eight talented candidates have reached the final stage of selection to join the ranks of a mysterious and powerful corporation. Entering a windowless room, an Invigilator gives them eighty minutes to answer one simple question. He outlines three rules they must obey or be disqualified: don't talk to him or the armed guard by the door, don't spoil their papers and don't leave the room. He starts the clock and leaves. The candidates turn over their question papers, only to find they're completely blank. After the initial confusion has subsided, one frustrated candidate writes 'I believe you should hire me because...,' and is promptly ejected for spoiling. The remaining candidates soon figure out they're permitted to talk to each other, and they agree to cooperate in order to figure out the question: then they can compete to answer it. At first they suspect the question may be hidden in their papers like a security marker in a credit card, and they figure out ways to change their environment to expose the hidden words. But light, liquids and other plans all come to naught. Soon enough, the candidates begin to uncover each other's background, prejudices and hidden agendas. Tensions rise as the clock steadily descends towards zero, and each candidate must decide how far they are willing to go to secure the ultimate job." Tense stuff.

The end of the day closed with a 3D spectacular! You should know that I love 3D! Even the crappiest film in the world can become wonderful by either showing it in IMAX or 3D format. I have never seen a bad 3D film at the IMAX. Even the big screen 3D trailers are Worth the entry alone. So what if this new push towards 3D was engineered by Hollywood marketeers to revitalise the industry and shaft Movie piracy. I love it. The final hour and a half of of Movie Con was spectacular. In order:

Disney presented; The trailer & loads of footage from the mind boggling A Christmas Carol, the trailer for Toy Story 3, and footage from the much talked about Up.

Welcome back Flynn!
Then we were shown the 3D trailer/footage from Tron Legacy ! This was the same bootleg footage that haunted the net after Comic Con last year and was recently released onto the net in high def. Except that this was in 3D on a BIG screen! Tron Legacy looks like it will be worth the 27 year wait.



Finally we were treated to footage from Jim Cameron's 4 years in the making AVATAR. Stolen from Empire's blog:

"James Cameron recorded a short introduction, just for Movie-Con II, to two scenes of footage from Avatar, due out in December. We wouldn’t be exaggerating too far if we say that jaws hit the floor. The first, short scene gave a flavour to the threat in the film: Stephen Lang’s Colonel Quaritch explaining to newcomers just how dangerous the world of Pandora is, and telling them frankly that they won’t all make it out alive. Then we saw Jake Sully’s (Sam Worthington) Avatar alive and working in the jungles of the planet. Having faced off one rhino*/hammerhead shark added by me:)*-looking beastie, he’s surprised by the much more dangerous spider-lynx looking monster, and a spectacular chase scene occurs. We also get a glimpse there of Sigourney Weaver’s Grace in action: check the next issue of Empire for more on that.

Naturally, we had to see that again, so we rewound and went for a second go." The team also let us know that there would be more & different footage shown on AVATAR day this Friday. Info here!

All that is left for me to say is thank you Empire & BFI. I had a wonderful time. Next year please bring some display cases and props with you. I'm just saying.

VIP screening of A Perfect Getaway

To celebrate the release of this summer's hottest thriller, A Perfect Getaway , in cinemas August 12th. We would like to invite you to a VIP advanced screening of the film – with special guest, Milla Jovovich!

Cliff (Steve Zahn) and Cydney (Milla Jovovich) are an adventurous young couple celebrating their honeymoon by backpacking to one of the most beautiful, and remote, beaches in Hawaii. Hiking the wild, secluded trails, they believe they've found paradise. But when the pair comes across a group of frightened hikers discussing the horrifying murder of another newlywed couple on the islands, they begin to question whether they should turn back.. Paradise becomes hell on earth as a brutal battle for survival begins.

A Perfect Getaway - Trailer
by dreadcentral

VIP screening of A Perfect Getaway

Friday August 7, 2009 at 7:30pm

Charlotte Street Hotel Screening rooms
15-17 Charlotte Street
London, England W1T 1RJ

Preview of Home and appearance of Isabelle Huppert & director Ursula Meier

We wanted you to be the first to know that Isabelle Huppert will be joining director Ursula Meier for a preview screening of Home on Tuesday.



Ursula Meier's debut feature is a darkly funny story of an oddball family living happily in an isolated house at the edge of an unfinished motorway. Isabelle Huppert and Olivier Gourmet star as the parents going to great lengths to protect their family from the infernal noise and dangers that are presented when the road is finally, and abruptly, opened to traffic. Their grumpy eldest daughter continues to don her bikini and languish in a deckchair despite the cars whizzing close by; the middle daughter studies the effect of the noxious fumes; and the youngest child sees it all initially as an adventure. As time goes by, the tone of the film shifts, becoming less comic as Meier introduces elements of melodrama and horror. This adds to the mystery of the story, which gives only vague hints as to what drives the family so determinedly to stay put in the face of such adversity.

Preview of Home and appearance of Isabelle Huppert & director Ursula Meier
Tuesday August 4, 2009 at 6:20pm
BFI Southbank
Belvedere Road
London, England SE1 8XT

UK Premiere Of Inglourious Basterds

Warner Brothers is pleased to invite you to the UK Premiere of Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds".

"In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis.

The Basterds soon cross paths with a French-Jewish teenage girl who runs a cinema in Paris which is targeted by the soldiers."

No names have been confirmed to attend, but we are hoping that attending will be: Pitt, maybe his equally famous lady love Angeline Jolie, and the movie’s other stars including Roth, Kruger, 300’s Michael Fassbender and Mike Myers (yes, he of the Austin Powers and Shrek movies).

UK Premiere Of Inglourious Basterds
Thursday July 23, 2009 at 6:00pm
Odeon Leicester Sq.
24-26 Leicester Square,
London, England WC2H 7JY

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen UK Premiere

We were fortunate to crack the nod for the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

"It is with great pleasure Paramount Pictures invite you to the UK Premiere of Transformers Revenge of the Fallen.

In aid of Starlight in association with Sky Movies HD on 15th June 2009 at the Odeon Leicester Square, London.

In the highly-anticipated Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) again joins with the Autobots against their sworn enemies, the Decepticons. Michael Bay directs from a screenplay by Ehren Kruger & Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman.

In attendance will be director Michael Bay plus the stars Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Tyrese Gibson and Josh Duhamel. This epic event will take place on the evening of Monday 15Th June in London's Leicester Square."

Being a little over the expected age limit for Transformers and not being a fan at all. I was completely blown away by the first Transformers film (incidentally this was Michael Bay's finest film to date). 3 Other Blockbuster releases this year were really good i.e. Terminator Salvation, Star Trek & Watchmen. So I was really quite keen to see the TROTF. Plus the Leicester Square Odeon has the best cinematic sound in the UK combined with the special effects this was going to be a pretty good evening.

The evening was a spectacular star studded event. With appearances by; Shia LaBouef, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Jasmine Guiness, Danielle Lloyd, Tyrese Gibson, John Turterro,VV Brown,Michael Bay,Matthew Marsden, Ramon Rodriguez, Sam Branson, Bianca Gascoigne, Kate Walsh, Aston Merrygold, Ortise Williams, JLS, Sarah Cawood, Danny O'Donoghue, Ozwald Boateng, Dizzee Rascal, Beverley Knight, Tiny Iron, Jamie O Hara, Lemar, Phillip Taylor and Bumblebee


In the video you can see the backs of Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson and if you place your eyes as close to your computer screen as possible and squint Megan Fox at the far end of the Blue Carpet.

I really wanted to enjoy the film. But ultimately it is aimed at a younger audience and more in line with the Transformers toys target market. For many of the wrong reasons I did feel like I had just watched a George Lucas film.

But it is big, loud, has lots of big robots fighting loudly and is quite the big screen spectacle. It is really a great Saturday matinee kids popcorn flick. The special effects will not disappoint.

European Premiere Of Public Enemies

Universal Pictures is honoured to invite you to the European Premiere of Public Enemies.



On Monday 29 June, the stars of Universal Pictures’ PUBLIC ENEMIES, Johnny Depp and Marion Cotillard, and acclaimed film director Michael Mann, will be bring some ‘30s gangster glamour to the West End, when they attend the European Premiere at London’s Empire, Leicester Square.

European Premiere Of Public Enemies

Monday June 29, 2009 at 6:00pm

Empire Cinema, Leicester Square
5-6 Leicester Square London
London, England WC2H 7NA

Preview screening of The Disappeared & Q&A with the Director & Stars

Debut director Johnny Kevorkian's superior London-set chiller
has rising star Harry Treadaway as Matthew, a teenager literally haunted by the disappearance of his young brother. A series of uncanny occurrences convince Matthew that something beyond everyday urban blight lurks at the heart of the mystery. And guess what? He's right. Kevorkian creates a dark mythology to transform familiar surroundings into something worthy of your nightmares.
There will be a Q&A with the filmmakers after the screenings on 17 & 22 June.
Dir Johnny Kevorkian, UK 2008, 96 mins, Cert tbc

Preview screening of The Disappeared & Q&A with the Director & Stars

Wednesday June 17, 2009 at 8:45pm

ICA Institute Of Contemporary Art
12 Carlton House Terrace
London, England SW1Y 5AH

Raindance Live!Ammunition! pitch session

Have you got a great idea for a movie?

This is it! Your chance to pitch your movie idea directly to a panel of top British film executives. These are the people who matter. They are the people who buy scripts - they are the people who decide what will be made and what won't.

To pitch, just drop a fiver in the hat, and the floor is yours. You have two minutes to convince the panellist to read your script or make your film. They can and will gong you off if you are boring.

›› Don't read from cards. It destroys eye contact
›› Sell the sizzle, not the steak
›› Be brief, don't be boring
›› Be entertaining

Improve your pitching skills and get instant feedback. Some pitches have gone into production these include Meet The Parents (1994), 51st State (1995), Siamese Cop (1996) and White Bhaji (2001).

Confirmed panelists:
Producer - Cat Villiers
Actor - Ben Miller
Producer - Allan Niblo
Actor - Dexter Fletcher

Live!Ammunition! 
Wednesday March 25, 2009 from 7:00pm - 9:00pm
UCL - Christopher Ingold Chemistry Lecture Theatre
20 Gordon St London
London, England WC1H 0AJ

Tickets here!

Screening: Marty & Ernest Borgnine in Conversation

The BFI are thrilled to welcome Ernest Borgnine to BFI Southbank to discuss his long and distinguished career. Having made his mark as a heavy in From Here to Eternity, Johnny Guitar and Bad Day at Black Rock, he then won an Oscar and several other Best Actor awards (Cannes included) for Marty, a part which proved that he was considerably more than just a 'baddie'.


Over the years he's worked with many distinguished directors, but he's perhaps best known as a favourite actor of Robert Aldrich and Sam Peckinpah. He'd be remarkable for his longevity alone (a career that is still thriving at the age of 91), had he not also given us so many memorable characters.

Following the on-stage interview he'll be signing copies of his autobiography in the Filmstore.

Screening: Marty & Ernest Borgnine in Conversation
Wednesday April 22, 2009 at 8:00pm
BFI Southbank
Belvedere Road
London, England SE1 8XT

Screening: Cool Hand Luke & George Kennedy in Conversation

Known for playing tough, no-nonsense characters who were either crooked or possessed hearts of gold, George Kennedy started out in TV westerns in the late 1950s and early 1960s, before going on to appear in films such as The Dirty Dozen and score an Oscar win as Best Supporting Actor opposite Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke.



The 1970s were kind to Kennedy too, and his talents were in demand for Airport, as a grizzled cop in Earthquake and Michael Cimino's buddy/road film Thunderbolt and Lightfoot as vicious bank robber Red Leary. Kennedy continued to entertain audiences throughout the 80s and 90s with a recurring role in the TV series Dallas, and alongside Leslie Neilson's Frank Drebin in the hugely successful Naked Gun movies.
The BFI are delighted to welcome him to BFI Southbank to discuss his long and illustrious career.

Screening: Cool Hand Luke & George Kennedy in Conversation
Tuesday April 21, 2009 at 6:00pm
BFI London IMAX
1 Charlie Chaplin Walk
London, England SE1 8XR

Special preview: Good & Q&A with Viggo Mortensen

Based on the acclaimed play by CP Taylor, Good stars Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises) in an extraordinary change-of-pace role as John Halder; a decent individual with family problems. A German literature professor in the 1930s, Halder explores his personal circumstances by writing a novel advocating compassionate euthanasia. When the book is unexpectedly enlisted by powerful political figures in support of government propaganda, Halder finds his career rising in an optimistic current of nationalism and prosperity. Yet with Halder’s change in fortune, his seemingly inconsequential decisions potentially jeopardize the people in his life with devastating effects.

Special preview: Good & Q&A with Viggo Mortensen

Monday March 30, 2009 at 6:30pm

Curzon Soho

99 Shaftesbury Avenue

London, England W1D 5DY Get Directions

Future Cinema Presents : THE WATCHMEN

PARAMOUNT PICTURES UK in partnership with FUTURE CINEMA, bring you a groundbreaking cinematic EXCLUSIVE event - the first chance to see the much-anticipated WATCHMEN ahead of its UK release.


FUTURE CINEMA is famed for taking audiences on a multi-sensory ride and creates ground-breaking cinematic experiences, fusing feature film with music, theatre and live performance.

Under the archways in London's cavernous SeOne Club FUTURE CINEMA will transport the audience into an alternative New York, where WATCHMEN characters such as Dr Manhattan, The Comedian and Rorschach will come to life.

The FUTURE CINEMA team of performers, installation artists and set designers will capture the true spirit of both the original graphic novel and the new blockbuster film, creating a truly interactive experience. The event also boasts a very exciting surprise performance from one of the UK's hottest bands.

Future Cinema Presents : THE WATCHMEN
Thursday March 5, 2009 at 7:00pm
SeOne
Weston Street
London, England SE1 3QX