Get yourself a ticket for the biggest party the unfashionable end of the galaxy has ever seen and join best-selling author Eoin Colfer – creator of criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl – and actor Simon Jones, the original Arthur Dent, in a celebration of 30 years of the late, great Douglas Adams’ classic British comedy. This’ll be your first chance to see, hear and buy the sixth instalment, And Another Thing... by Eoin Colfer.
With other out-of-this-world entertainment throughout the day – including special free screenings of the Hitchhiker’s series in The Clore Ballroom – this is one event no self-respecting lover of classic British comedy will want to miss.
One of the best dystopian sci-fi movies to come out of the 70s, Rollerball focuses on an ultra-violent sport used to keep an overpopulated planet under control and probes its links to politics, the media and big conglomerates. When a star player refuses to obey the owners of his team, the stage is set for a Gladiator-like confrontation between a rebellious individual and the corporate power that seeks to crush him.
Events include: Photo Call Start the day at a photocall of the largest number of Hitchhiker's fans ever.
Session 1: The Douglas Adams Chat Show A full panel of Hitchhiker’s experts and friends of Douglas Adams discusses the great man and his work.
Booksigning: Mega-signing of the fantastic new edition of the first five Hitchhiker's novels.
Sessions 2 & 3 (And Another Thing... & Hitchhikers Live On Stage!) The sixth book in the series, special guests and a live gig – Sessions 2 & 3 of our day-long celebration of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Booksigning: Eoin Colfer Buy the new sixth book in the series a day before everyone else and get it signed by Eoin Colfer.
Where The Southbank Centre Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX
Coinciding with the 75th Birthday of Brigitte Bardot on 28th September 2009, James Hyman Gallery presents an exhibition of 75 vintage photographs by some of the most famous paparazzi photographers.
Presented at the same time as London Fashion Week (18-22 September) Brigitte Bardot and the Original Paparazzi focuses on one of the greatest fashion icons of the twentieth century.
Brigitte Bardot . In her day she was quite something, as this exhibition of vintage photos shows. She had a very different relationship to the paparazzi than today; no peeping nips here, she oozed coquettish sophistication.
The word paparazzo in fact is derived from a character in Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, and in this context it’s redolent of a time when the paps mixed with the likes of Sinatra and Bardot on the Côte d’Azur. Come see some marvellous photos of Brigitte in her prime and also some amazing candid shots from films such as Le Mépris – one of the top ten movies ever – in which cinematic glamour went hand in hand with art-house cool. Runs until 3 October.
Raindance is the UK’s leading independent film festival and each year more and more films achieve success after Raindance screenings. Recent triumphs include IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS (Independent Spirit Award-winner, 2009), TOYLAND (Oscar-winner, Best Short 2009) and ONCE (Oscar-winner, Best Song, 2008).The 2009 Festival line-up can be found here! Short Films will be announced on the 4th of September.
Over the years, the festival has hosted such guests and filmmakers as Christopher Nolan, Shane Meadows, Ken Loach, Marky Ramone, Iggy Pop, Anton Corbijn, Mick Jones, Andrea Arnold, Adam Yauch, Quentin Tarantino, Faye Dunaway and Lou Reed.
But we’re here for the little guys too. Our big-name successes ensure that attention is on the whole programme. Everyone’s looking for the next big indie hit. Our audience of film fans, journalists, acquisition executives, actors, producers and directors know that a screening at the Raindance Film Festival is a sign of quality.
CEPT presents A Frozen Explosion Opening Private View September 3rd 2009 4 September - 25 September Thu - Sat 1:30 - 6:00pm
Apparatus: Painting, Video, Audio
Method: Site specific constellation of paintings. Wall painting, recycled film and audio overload
Result: A glimpse into the world of an alter ego's work in progress. Process paid
Conclusion: You'll be witness to what I have discovered, may you be the jury. But your verdict will be one of self-conviction. I know what I have witnessed; now it is your turn, prepare yourself for a journey into a world where each new step may give you a better understanding of your own reality. Discover a circle that forever repeats itself. The end of the beginning, the beginning of the end. Forget the world around you and the people around you
Consider time as officially ended, we work on the other side of time Your story is history My story is mystery
CEPT presents A Frozen Explosion The Writers Bench Open Thursday to Friday 1:30 to 6:00
26 Argyle Square X Argyle Walk London, Kings Cross WC1H 8AP United Kingdom
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.
Today the much anticipated Movie Con 2 kicked off. I'm still reeling from the mind blowing Film goodness of day 1.
The BFI & Empire Magazine have pulled off another collaborative coup for film lovers. The second Movie Convention is heading to all time greatness.
Movie Con is a annual collaborative effort between the BFI & Empire Magazine. It takes place just after after Comic Con (San Diego) at the BFI on the Southbank in London. This means that the organisers can cherry pick the best of Comic Con as well add some good stuff. It's held for film fans and the core content covers forth coming features in the Super Hero, Horror, Fantasy, Sci Fi, blood and Cult genres.
Empire have a much better run down of today's schedule over here. But today's events have roused me from my Blog laziness of late and mention must be made of some of the key events:
Trailers & footage from Astroboy. Over the last 18 months I have been hearing the buzz about the animated Astroboy feature but had no real interest in this remake of a 60s Japanese TV show. After today's clips I'll be seeing this gem. It will enthrall kids & older kids alike. It had the audience oohing, aahing & laughing in all the right places.
Harry Brown Presentation. Harry Brown is a new film from British filmmaker Daniel Barber and stars Sir Michael Caine. The film is about an elderly veteran that due to circumstances decides to do something about his neighbourhood that has been over run by young yobs.
Coming across as a modern day version of Michael Winner's Death Wish with big boots, genuinely threatening yobs, knuckledusters and big guns. The clip we saw made it clear this was a quality production with outstanding performances Sir Michael and the blinding Sean Harris as a very, very scary low life (think Drexel nastier brother, the love child of Travis Bickle & Myra Hindley on crack). I recently saw Tonto Woman the brilliant short that Daniel Barber adapted from an Elmore Leonard story. He received an Oscar nomination for it. I'm looking forward to seeing Harry Brown in full as well as anything else Daniel Barber serves up. Think Peckinpah with a social conscience.
Next up the indomitable genius "Still not a Sir" Terry Gilliam showed us some mind melting clips from The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus. Seems to be a true return to form for Mr Gilliam whose tribulations of getting his film made rival anything you have seen on screen. Doctor Parnassus recaptures the magic of Time Bandits and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen with a dash of sensibility from The Fisher King. * When re-watching the classic Spies Like Us keep an eye out for Terry Gilliam as Dr. Imhaus.
Kick Ass Presentation. Put together by the Stardust team & Brad Pitt, independently financed, directed by Matthew Vaughn, written by Jane Goldman (Mrs Johnathan Ross but a super talent in her own right) & Mark Millar. Kick Ass promises to turn the Super Hero genre upside down. Referencing the both comic & film super heroes, eastern sensibilities and the slacker/Clerks space. The Kick Ass clips shown deliver in the holy Triumvirate of modern super hero genre: high action, humour & blood stakes.
I was surprised thaty neither Jane Goldman or Matthew Vaughn did not pitch up but enjoyed Editor Jon Harris' presentation and chat with Christopher Mintz-Plasse (yes that's right McLovin) and Jason Flemyng. I'm slightly annoyed I didn't get a chance to quiz Flemyng about Clash of the Titans & Solomon Kane both of which I am eagerly waiting for.
The super secret screening I guessed that this year's secret screening was going to be District 9 - D9. I have been curious about D9 for awhile Weta and Peter Jackson's name should have made this a dead cert but South African films tend to do emotional small films well and haven't really shone in the high action or sci fi genre as yet. D9 changes that - whilst being true to it's African setting it shines at being a high adventure sci fi romp that has it's roots firmly planted in complex social issues. Google "District 6" & "Africa xenophobia" for sight of the bigger picture.
Originally Jackson and Director Neil Blomkamp were to make HALO: Combat Evolved when that fell through they decided to remake an earlier Blomkamp short film "Alive in Joburg".
< * Sharlto Copley whio plays D9 lead Wikus Van De Merwe is not a trained actor and was a producer on Alive in Joburg.
Next up was Warner Bros screening of the Jonah Hex trailer. I've been waiting for this film for about 20 years.
Jonah Hex is a scarred Mad Max by way of Dirty Harry in the West that was on the wrong side during the Civil war. This makes fior an intresting character seeking redemption.
The trailer looked good but it could still go either way the newly added occult plot devices are a bit of a concern. I'm holding off on judgment for now.
Finally and "saving best for last" Robert Downey Junior & Guy Ritchie made an appearance to introduce an extended trailer for Sherlock Holmes. They were in good spirits and played off each other like a comedic duo rather than Star and Director. And well they should be in high spirits the Sherlock Holmes footage was everything it needed to be. My only query would be that it seemed fairly light and didn't really show any darkness that usually haunts Victorian era pea soap London. Possibly emulating the very successful Iron Man's formula? I'm holding thumbs.
FILM4 FRIGHTFEST is the UK's premiere fantasy and horror film festival. Now in its tenth year, each August thousands of genre fans gather together in the heart of London's West End at the prodigious Empire Cinema for five packed days of premieres, previews, personal appearances, signings and surprises.
The Film4 FrightFest 2009 celebrates ten years of chills, thrills and kills by moving to the Empire Cinema, Leicester Sq, to serve up its distinctive and controversial mix of must-see and yet-to-be discovered genre movies from around the world. From Thurs 27 August to Monday 31 August the UK’s top event for horror fans will unveil thirty five new films in two screens. Empire 1 will house the main event while ‘FrightFest Discovery’ will play in Empire 4.
This year twelve countries are represented across four continents and there are a record eleven world premieres and fifteen UK premieres. British horror scores heavily with the world premiere of Christopher Smith’s shocker TRIANGLE opening the festival and the world premiere of the much anticipated THE DESCENT: PART TWO as the closing night finale. There is also the world premiere of Philip Ridley’s unique horror fantasy HEARTLESS and the UK premiere of CLIVE BARKER’S DREAD.
Internationally, the festival strikes gold with the UK premiere of MILLENIUM: THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, based on the best selling novel by Swedish journalist Stieg Larsson. Then there’s Dario Argento’s latest thriller GIALLO, HIERRO, from the producers of PAN’S LABYRINTH, the eagerly awaited slasher tribute THE HILLS RUN RED, Christian Alvart’s powerfully disturbing CASE 39, Ti West’s occult masterpiece THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL and from the producers of WOLF CREEK, an Aussie gripper – COFFIN ROCK. Monsters loom large in this year’s line-up with zombies particularly in good form. There’s DEAD SNOW (Nazi zombies), COLIN (low-budget zombies) THE HORDE (angry zombies) and ZOMBIE WOMEN OF SATAN (burlesque zombies). Monster mayhem and murder take centre-stage with a sinister collection of night-creatures in the riveting horror anthology TRICK R TREAT and an army of big bad bugs in INFESTATION. Then there is the aptly named VAMPIRE GIRL VS. FRANKENSTEIN GIRL and perhaps the most controversial film at this year’s event – THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE.
Fans of AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON will get the chance to meet John Landis, who is attending the festival, alongside the cast, to present a fully restored version of the classic, as well as a never-seen-before documentary feature. Other directors currently confirmed to attend include:, Adam Gierasch (NIGHT OF THE DEMONS), Ti West (THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL) Dave Parker (THE HILLS RUN RED), Lee Demabre (SMASH CUT), Christopher Smith (TRIANGLE), Philip Ridley (HEARTLESS) and Federico Zampaglione (SHADOW). Other special guests include directors Adam Green, & Joe Lynch and actors Jim Sturgess and David Hess.
FrightFest Discovery makes its debut this year in Empire 4, where nine new films will be screening including the world premieres of EVIL THINGS, directed by Dominic Perez and FRAGMENT, directed by Andrew Miles – both films using the device of camera footage to chilling effect. Also showing are Cannes headline grabber COLIN, reputedly made for £45, the critically-acclaimed PONTYPOOL and the grisly remake of Larry Cohen’s cult classic IT’S ALIVE. Also this year there is a horror writing competition (details to be announced), a ‘100 Best Deaths’ event, hosted by DEAD SET actor Andy Nyman, plus the usual special guest appearances, Q & A’s, sneak previews, a short film strand, signings, competition prizes and give-aways – all of which goes to make up the unique experience that fans across the world have come and made their own.
Film4FrightFest 2009
Thursday August 27, 2009 - Monday August 31, 2009 from 5:00pm - 12:00am
It is with great pleasure that we invite you to an advance screening of Frozen River.
Frozen River is a 2008 American drama film written and directed by Courtney Hunt. The screenplay focuses on two working class women who smuggle illegal immigrants in the trunk of a car from Canada to the United States in order to make ends meet.
Advance screening of Frozen River
Wednesday July 15, 2009 at 6:00pm
Apollo Cinema, West End 19 Regent St London, EnglandSW1Y 4LR
Earlier this Month we were invited to the 5 Gum "Creating Sense5" launch party held in London. 5 Gum is new flavourful gum from Wrigleys. The general consensus is that 5 Gum really is a taste explosion in a chewing gum kind of way.
The launch was conducted by Vice Magazine who ran a a competition in the lead up to the event. They sent out an open call to creatives to create something that like the gum intrigues and exhilarates the senses. And when I say something, the entries could have been anything one felt would represent the gum. Award winning band Hot Chip would then select the winning talent and curate the gig. From The Vice website:
"Thursday, June 4th certainly turned out to be an unforgettable night at The Arches, London Bridge. Hot Chip's two live DJ sets - one featuring Kano - were supported by unique performances from The Penny Serenade, Raf Daddy, Planning To Rock and Noze.
Five winners of the CreatingSense5 competition, whose entries, like the 5 gum, represented and stimulated the senses. Their interactive installations including the "touch wall" and "edible forest" proved to be a huge success - with people finding more than one different use for them!"
Stand out moments for me were discovering Portuguese Sangeres beer (a almost honey tinged malty beer), hearing Planning To Rock for the first time, Hot Chip's awesome live set as well as hearing the sublime combination of Hot Chip & Kano together. Pics & videos to follow in the meantime you can see more pics from the event here!
Black Rat is delighted to announce a solo exhibition by award winning painter Matthew Small. Matts latest body of work Youngstarrs is an exploration on the themes of youth and hope.
Matt Small is an artist whose painting is best understood as an extension of his beliefs and world view. Matt is a passionate believer in social inclusion and that, given the opportunities to be heard and respected, all individuals have something of value to contribute to society. The subject matter of Matts portraits tends to be the marginalized and voiceless in society, those who are socially excluded and often viewed as statistics or pawns in a wider political game as opposed to individuals with the latent potential to contribute and enrich society if only given the opportunity to be heard. By painting portraits of individuals on the outskirts of society. Matt encourages us to spend time with people who we may chose to overlook in our daily lives and in doing so forces us to challenge our prejudices and recognize our shared humanity
Youngstarrs previews on March 26th from 6.30pm to 9.30pm. The exhibition continues until April 17th.
The Black Rat Press: Matthew Small Youngstarrs Exhibition Thursday March 26, 2009 - Friday April 17, 2009 from 6:30pm - 9:30pm black rat press ltd 83 Rivington Street London, England EC2A 3AY
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
Urban Art Sale 26 February 2009, 18:30 at Selfridges
The Urban Art collection contains works by the leading national and international street artists of today, such as, Banksy, Nick Walker, Adam Neate, Faile, Antony Micallef, Guy Denning, Bast, Seen, Matt Small, D*Face, Doze Green, alongside several artists who will be creating work primarily for the sale, such as Goldie, Ame 72, CBloxx, Inkie, Dan, Mau Mau, Eelus, K-Guy, Rowdy, Flx, Silent Hobo, David Walker, Pinky, Ryca, Jim Starr, SPQR, Kev Munday and joined by auction virgins, Chu, Pam Glew, Faith 47, Klit, TRXTR, Byroglyphics and Grafter.
Sale Date: Thursday 26th February 2009 at 6.30pm
View days: The Urban Art collection will be on view and auctioned at Selfridges’ Ultralounge in London as follows:
Fri 20th – Wed 25th Feb: Public viewing (open as per store opening hours) Thurs 26th Feb: Auction only (open from 3pm, auction at 6pm)
Limited edition print: In addition to the works being auctioned, there will be a limited edition 'Let Them Hang Valentine' print available to purchase exclusively from Selfridges (£150 – print run 100).
In celebration of the release of the Watchmen motion picture, Orbital Comics is proud to announce a unique opportunity for you to see a momentous piece of original art from the classic 1980s award winning comic book series the film was based upon. Starting from Thursday 19th February 2009 and for one month only, Watchmen issue 1 page 1 Original Artwork and Colour Guide will be displayed at: Orbital Comics 8 Great Newport Street London WC2H 7JA [opening times: Mon-Sat: 10:30am - 7pm , Sun: 11.30am - 5pm ] The page features an extract from Rorschach's journal, acting as a voice-over for the criminal investigation of the apparent-suicide of his acquaintance, fellow super-hero The Comedian. Not only a rare chance to see an actual page of original art by Dave Gibbons, but also to experience a piece of comic book history!
Orbital Comics 8 Great Newport Street London WC2H 7JA Opening times: Mon-Sat: 10:30am - 7pm , Sun: 11.30am - 5pm
The Black Rat Print show The Black Rat Print show opens this Saturday at 4pm with our widest variety of printing techniques to date on view. The exhibition has works by artists including Matt Small, D*face, Sweettoof, Brian Adam Douglas, Gaia, Lucas Price, Nick Walker, Blek Le Rat and Slinkachu. Each artist has created something specifically for the show and it is an opportunity to see a wide spectrum of print techniques including etchings, stone lithographs, woodcuts, linocuts and screenprints. As well as a number of new editions being released many of the artists have produced either very small editions of hand coloured prints or unique works.
The show opens from 4pm with live printing demonstrations taking place from 4.30. For anyone interested in printmaking this show provides an excellent opportunity to gain an insight into how Black Rat editions are created.
The Black Rat Print show Saturday February 21, 2009 at 8:00pm black rat press ltd 83 Rivington Street London, England EC2A 3AY
The Black Rat Press will be holding our first exhibition of 2009 later this month.
The annual print show dedicated to the art of printmaking opens on Saturday 21st February and will include new editions, one off trial proofs, our largest and most complex print to date, hand coloured prints, prints by artists new to the Black Rat Press and live printmaking demonstrations amongst other things we have not thought of yet. 2008 was a great year for publishing with prints published by Black Rat finding their way into both the Tate and V and A collections and we are currently working on projects which we hope will make 2009 prove even better.
Artists involved in the show include Matt Small, D*face, Sweettoof, Brian Adam Douglas, Gaia, Lucas Price, Nick Walker, Blek Le Rat and Slinkachu. Last years show was one of our favourite events of the year (apart from Matt Small being hospitalized) and its a great opportunity to see printmaking in action as well as to ask the printers any questions you might have.
Invitations to the show will be sent out via email in the next few weeks.
"You are cordially invited to the Sony VIP exclusive BRAVIA ‘World’s First’ launch event."
As I made my way through the freezing January evening to the secret location of the launch in the heart of Shoreditch. I was filled with anticipation as the Sony BRAVIA Worlds First launch was promising to be a good night. Sony Bravia LCD TV installation showing Tal Rosner's short film World First - London, Shoreditch uploaded by Craig Grobler
"Guests will be treated to the awe-inspiring unveiling of these TV’s (the World’s thinnest (ZX1), the World’s fastest (Z4500), The World’s first wireless technology/picture frame TV (EX1) and the World’s first OLED technology TV (XEL-1), with the help of a mind-blowing, interactive and unique light installation featuring a one-off short film, while celebrity DJ Henry Holland and ‘Filthy Dukes’ spin the decks."
Music, Technology, the Arts, Film and a Party! All key words close to my core. Does it get any better? The large warehouse was filled with colour, lights, music and people keen to have a good time. There must have been more well know faces in the crowd than regular Joes it was quite phenomenal.
On entering the large warehouse area I immediately noticed 3 colour beams projected across the warehouse turned out that this was part of artist Paul Cocksedge's specially commissioned installation. The concept created by Paul Cocksedge, titled 'R.G.B' shined a red, a green and a blue light separately from one side of the venue. All three lights meet at a white dot upon which the four new BRAVIA LCD televisions will hang above. The light concept is based on R.G.B lights within televisions.
Paul Cocksedge's R.G.B installation - London, Shoreditch uploaded by Craig Grobler
Above the white dot - hanging from the ceiling was the reason we were here:
Paul Cocksedge's R.G.B installation - London, Shoreditch uploaded by Craig Grobler
The ZX1 - the World’s thinnest TV, seriously no wider than your finger (if your finger is under 9mm wide).
The Z4500 (with Motionflow) - the World’s fastest TV. This cranks out 200Hz and means that the screen refreshes the pixel rate faster than any previous TV ensuring a smoother picture. Although the benefits of this beast were not immediately clear I suspect that watching a Blu -Ray action film of Sky HD sports the difference would be appreciated.
[Giles Deacon & Henry Holland DJ at the Sony Bravia TV Launch - London, Shoreditch uploaded by Craig Grobler]
The EX1- the World’s first wireless technology/picture frame. After some discussion I discovered that this meant that hi def images (& sound) could be sent from a “media” box plugged into your source to the TV. No more HDMI cabling :)
The XEL-1 - the World’s first OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) technology TV. OLED technology uses materials that emit light on their own and don’t require a backlight. Currently this ultra thin TV (3mm) is only 15 inches big but packs a noticeable higher picture quality (also more eco friendly). Hope the picture quality stays when they rollout the larger screen sizes. OLED is expected to be the next level in the evolution of TVs.
[Chloe Madeley & Julia at the Sony Bravia TV Launch - Uploaded by Craig Grobler]
The TVs were showingBafta-winning film-maker Tal Rosner's short film “World First”, featuring historical moments captured on television including footage of the first man in space and the first Miss Universe contest.
The evening was set to the ambient soundtrack that Giles Deacon & Henry Holland were outputting from decks for most of the night. Their play list seamlessly transitioning from cutting edge remixes through to experimental trance.
[Henry Holland rocking out at the Sony Bravia TV Launch - Uploaded by Craig Grobler]
6pm Tuesday 13th Jan 2009 sees the public opening of the “London Art Fair” where Nick Walker will be releasing his screen print "The Empire’s State" through The Black Rat Press (the gallery who represents him). The phone hasn’t stopped ringing with international interest from people trying to reserve a print even from as far as Colombia and Korea. But the 175 prints which are to be on sale at £475.00 each are only being sold to people who are queuing at the London Art Fair. The Black Rat Press have had to draft in extra security in anticipation of the crowds which are expected to start queuing well in advance again, of the doors opening.
In 2008 the demand for Nick Walker's work was so high that in April when the doors opened for his solo show “V for Vandalism” people had been queuing for over 36hrs to buy the print alone, and the show sold out within minutes of the doors opening.
Nick received positive press in 2008. To name a few he a appeared on the cover on the Independent magazine with the title “move over Banksy” in Feb 2008, and has most recently featured in The Observers round up of the year’s biggest events 2008”.
He has had sell out shows in LA and London and an eagerly awaited show coming later in 2009 is rumored to be taking place in New York.
London Art Fair Business Design Centre 52 Upper Streets London N1 9PP
The Black Rat Press will be handing out a limited number of tickets to people in the queue for immediate purchase within the fair.
Special screening of The Merchant of Venice and discussion with Andrea Pallad
To coincide with the Royal Academy of Arts’ new exhibition ‘Andrea Palladi: His Life and Legacy’, Curzon will be presenting Michael Radford’s The Merchant of Venice, followed by a discussion.
The Merchant of Venice Directors: Michael Radford| Starring: Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, Joseph Fiennes
Set in 16th Century Venice, William Shakespeare’s enduring comedy/drama follows the fate and fortunes of a group of young Christian noblemen and their interactions with the Jewish moneylender Shylock (Al Pacino). The film is described as a “fresh, lucid and unpretentious screen revival of The Merchant of Venice” – Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian.
Sunday February 15, 2009 at 2:30pm Curzon Mayfair 38 Curzon Street London, England W1J 7TY
Your chance to spend quality time in the "ditch" and see where the "magic" happens.
Attractions include....
- A tour of the factory - Exclusive new prints and art from most of our top talent - Live printing in a tent out the front - Live print signing sessions - Pain the neighbours walls (BYO stencils) - Mulled wine, brand, coffee, music and coloured flags - Their is also a lottery with the chance of winning fresh prints from Banksy and Antony Micallef thrown in! just take part in the state of the art lottery system, involving a hat and several pieces of paper.
It takes place Saturday 5th and Sunday 7th December from 11am to 7pm
*** Thanks to everyone who made the open day such a partial success. Sightsavers banked £24,406.61 from lottery ticket sales, so many of you were very generous. POW: Inaugural POW - Open Day
Saturday December 6, 2008 - Sunday December 7, 2008 from 11:00am - 7:00pm
Taking over London's Earls Court Exhibition Centre for three days in July 2007, Star Wars Celebration Europe will be filled with live entertainment, celebrities from all six movies, special film and video presentations, an exhibit of movie props and costumes, exclusive merchandise, pop culture tributes, interactive events, a costume contest, and much, much more.
