Q&A with Andrzej Klimowski - Sci-Fi-London 9

Each year SCI-FI-LONDON looks at a different country and explores its contribution to the science fiction genre. This year focus is given to the Cinema of Poland and they are screening science fiction from Poland with a specific focus on Stanislaw Lem. They are also hosting a Q&A session with the graphic novelist and film poster designer, Andrzej Klimowski.

If you don't know much about Andrzej Klimowski this is your chance to get up close and in the mind of a true visual legend.

Klimowski was born of Polish parents in London in 1949, he trained at the Saint Martin's School of Art before studying at the Academy of Fine Art and working professionally in Warsaw.

His east-European legacy deeply influences Klimowski's work. From the late 1970s to the near present he has designed film and theatre posters, directed short animated films in Warsaw and designed covers and book jackets - for novels by PG Wodehouse , Simon Louvish, Lionel Shriver, Milan Kundera and Kazuo Ishiguro, following his particular 'Polish School' of design.

Polish interpretations for their local audiences have become internationally sought after by fans of both film & art. With some Polish posters surpassing the original versions they have become a cult trend. Klimowski's posters have become highly praised and sought after.

His graphic novels The Depository and The Secret have been published by Faber, as was, Horace Dorlan, in 2007. Klimowski is the Professor of Illustration at the Royal College of Art, London.

The early twentieth century photo-collagists, Surrealism, Dada and Expressionism have obviously been an influence on part of Klimowski's work, but he has developed his own personal style with a combination of fantasy, anxiety, ambiguity and eroticism which keeps his works from becoming mere pastiches.

Q&A with Andrzej Klimowski - Sci-Fi-London 9

Where
Apollo Apollo Piccadilly Circus
19 Regent Street, London, SW1Y 4LR

When
6:30pm, Thurs 29 Apr, 2010

More info at SCI-FI-LONDON or get tickets at 0871 220 6000 or directly through the Apollo Cinemas Website

Hilarious trailer for The Other Guys

The Other Guys now has a trailer and it looks like this film is going to be funny.

The Other Guys follows Detective Allen Gamble (Ferrell), a forensic accountant who's more interested in paperwork than hitting the streets, and Detective Terry Hoitz (Wahlberg), who has been stuck with Allen as his partner ever since an embarrassing public incident with his quick trigger finger.

Allen and Terry idolize the city's top cops, Danson and Manzetti (Johnson and Jackson), but when an opportunity arises for the Other Guys to step up, things don't quite go as planned.

The new trailer for the Adam McKay-directed film starring Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan, Ray Stevenson, Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson.


Hilarious trailer for The Other Guys

When
The Other Guys will be running amok on September 2, 2010 in the UK

Rec 2 Trailer & first 5 minutes

Zombie Fest! [Rec] 2 the long awaited sequel to Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza's Spanish zombie smash hit is being released at the end of May


[Rec] 2 picks up where the low budget but incredibly tense and innovative [Rec] left of and follows a medical officer and a SWAT team outfitted with video cameras sent into the sealed off apartment to control the "situation".

[REC] 2 Movie Trailer - [REC] 2 UK Trailer

It looks like [Rec] 2 has bigger budget and lost the headache inducing low quality (but authentic) camera work.

But wait there's more we dug out the first 5 minutes of [Rec] 2 from our archives. Unfortunatley it's in its original Spanish- but it does give a feeling of what to expect.

Rec 2 Trailer & first 5 minutes

When
[Rec] 2 has an expected UK release date of 28 may, 2010

Iron Man 2 Black Widow Character Sheet & Iron Man 2 Poster + Stark Website

If bringing you the new Iron Man Extremis Trailer was not enough. A new website for Stark Industries advertising the Stark Expo 2010 has just gone live over here: http://www.starkexpo2010.com/



We also present not 1 but 2 new Iron Man 2 posters:


It has been pointed out that Mickey Rourke has disappeared from the poster. In fact no villains are featured at all. I wonder if a separate Villains poster is on the way?

Behold the Black Widow / Scarlett Johansson character poster:


Iron Man 2 Black Widow Character Sheet & Iron Man 2 Poster + Stark Website

When
Iron Man 2 hits the big screens in the UK on 30 April, 2010

New Salt pics released as well as trailer date

As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt (Jolie) swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy. Salt goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture. Salt’s efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives, as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues and the question remains: “Who Is Salt?”

Tom Cruise was close to signing up to play Edwin A. Salt before dropping out at the last minute, leaving Angelina Jolie to step in. Salt is directed by Phillip Noyce and also stars; Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Andre Braugher. You can also expect a full trailer to be released this Thursday at Quicktime.





For the high res pictures head over to http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/salt/

More high budget dross? Or is Salt going to be kick ass? What do you think?


New Salt pics released

When
Salt has an expected UK release date of 20 August 2010.

More info at www.whoissalt.com

Cannes 2010 Poster unveiled

Prior to the announcment the official Selection on April 15^th, the Festival de Cannes unveils its 2010 poster. The 63^rd edition image is a photograph of Juliette Binoche by Brigitte Lacombe.

(Credit : copyright © Brigitte Lacombe – graphic design Annick Durban)

Continuing the series of heroines as representations of screen mysteries, initiated two years ago, festival organizers were charmed by this allegorical figure of the cinema who gives life to the image with a single stroke of her luminous brush.

The figure illuminates the scene with her presence; the magic of her enigmatic gaze heightened by her austere attire, the grace of her gesture is an invitation to follow.

The festival will be presided over by Jury President Tim Burton. The festival runs from the 12 May with a Gala screening of Ridley Scott's Robin Hood and closes on the 23rd May.

Cannes 2010 Poster unveiled

When
12 - 23 May, 2010

More info at Cannes 2010

Tron if done by Saul Bass Posters & Titles

More astounding fan art. By now you have seen the Hexagonall Tron titles if they were done by Saul Bass clip. Today we got an email letting us know that Hexagonall had created 8 posters to support the Saul Bass Tron titles clip. Awesome stuff.

Tron vs. Saul Bass from Hexagonall on Vimeo.

Saul Bass was an American graphic designer and Academy Award-winning filmmaker, but he is best known for his design on animated motion picture title sequences.

During his 40-year career he worked for some of Hollywood's greatest filmmakers, including most notably Alfred Hitchcock, Otto Preminger, Stanley Kubrick and Martin Scorsese. Amongst his most famous title sequences are the animated paper cut-out of a heroin addict's arm for Preminger's The Man with the Golden Arm, the text racing up and down what eventually becomes a high-angle shot of the United Nations building in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest, and the disjointed text that raced together and was pulled apart for Psycho (1960).

To see bigger versions of the posters head over to Hexagonall's blog here: http://hexagonall.com/blog/

Tron if done by Saul Bass Posters & Titles

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Teaser Trailer

Edgar Wright's epic of epic epicness Scott Pilgrim vs. the World has a teaser trailer and it's pretty damn fine. Rumour was - that the UK was going to get a peak of the trailer attached to Kick-Ass which opens today. But here it is in all is glory.

Scott Pilgrim's (Michael Cera) life is so awesome. He's 23 years old, in a rock band, "between jobs," and dating a cute high school girl. Everything's fantastic until a seriously mind-blowing, dangerously fashionable, roller blading delivery girl named Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) starts cruising through his dreams and sailing by him at parties. But the path to Ms. Flowers isn't covered in rose petals. Ramona's seven evil exes stand between Scott and true happiness. Can Scott beat the bad guys and get the girl without turning his precious little life upside-down?

The film is based on the Oni Press graphic novel Scott Pilgrim Volume 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life,



Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Teaser Trailer

When
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World has an expected UK release date of 6 August, 2010

For more info head over to www.scottpilgrimthemovie.com/

The Losers 6 New Character Posters

Joel Silver's big screen adaptation DC/Vertigo's comic is expected to hit the UK screens on the 9 April, in anticipation we bring 6 brand new character sheets.As with the trailer (see here for a frame by frame comparison) I think they do the comic justice. What do you think?


A tale of double cross and revenge, centered upon the members of an elite U.S. Special Forces unit sent into the Bolivian jungle on a search and destroy mission. The team-Clay, Jensen, Roque, Pooch and Cougar -find themselves the target of a lethal betrayal instigated from inside by a powerful enemy known only as Max. Presumed dead, the group makes plans to even the score when they're joined by the mysterious Aisha, a beautiful operative with her own agenda. Working together, they must remain deep undercover while tracking the heavily-guarded Max, a ruthless man bent on embroiling the world in a new high-tech global war.

The Losers 6 New Character Posters

When
Expected release date of 9 April, 2010

Bond 23 catchup

With the Internet typically alive with rumours in the build up to a Bond film we thought that we would take a look at some of them.



Plot
The current rumour is that the plot may be based around the Heroin trade and Afghanistan may feature. Bear in mind that this may only be a small part of the story or just the opening sequence to Bond 23.

These rumours have been kicking around fans sites fuelled by The Guardian who reported that "Speculation has arisen that at least some of the next Bond movie will take place in Helmand province in Afghanistan after a member of the Foreign Office's drug task force in the country reportedly signed on as a consultant for the franchise. " However the Guardian also says that the source of this piece of information is a fan website.

More than likely this rumour has come about as the Heroin trade was central to the plot of Devil May Care the Sebastian Faulks's novel written to commemorate Ian Fleming's centenary and chronologically picks up straight after Ian Fleming's James Bond run ended at the height of the Cold War. In it the brutal death of an Algerian drug runner on the desolate outskirts of Paris sparks the adventure that follows. Bond is tasked with shadowing the mysterious Dr. Julius Gorner, a power-crazed pharmaceutical magnate. The evil genius is out to destroy Britain by flooding England with heroin as well as more nefarious plans.

After finding a willing accomplice in the shape of a glamorous Parisian named Scarlett Papava, Bond rushes to stop a chain of events that threaten to lead to global catastrophe.

That added with the fact that in Risico one of the 5 short stories along with Quantum of Solace to be found in Ian Fleming's 1960 For Your Eyes Only compilation. Bond tackles double crossing criminal masterminds that aim to demoralize England by supplying it with cheap drugs. Make it easy for Bond aficionados to see the possibility.

All that we currently know for sure is that Peter Morgan a Bond 23 writer has said that Bond 23 will have "a shocking story."

Title
Both of Daniel Craig's Bond films have used Ian Fleming titles. So it follows that one of Ian Fleming's remaing 4 unused titles; The Hildebrand Rarity, Risico, The Property Of A Lady and 007 in New York. May be title of Bond 23. However I guess we can rule out 007 in New York.

Casting

We know that both Daniel Craig and Dame Judi Dench will be back. Jesper Christensen (Mr. White) will not be back. As for the Bond girls, by now you know that Olivia Wilde has denied any involvement in Bond 23 -

“Despite the rumors, I have no plans to do Bond, but the Internet may be confused as I am doing Cowboys & Aliens with Daniel Craig. fun!”
- 7:32 PM Mar 22nd from @Oliviawilde

And on the same day Frieda Pinto's spokesperson issued the following statement:

“I would like to confirm that as of today, Freida Pinto has not been approached to be part of the next Bond film. It is of course very flattering to even be rumoured to be part of a Bond film but she has certainly not been approached for the role of the next Bond girl opposite Daniel Craig”

Adding "as yet" at the end.

Dates
My understanding is that the current financial difficulties that MGM (who hold the film rights to James Bond) have been holding back Bond 23 production. Close to bankruptcy they have been hoping for a buy out but as yet have not been offered anywhere near there target off £1.3 billion.

However in the clip below, taken last year Daniel Craig mentions at 1:01 that the next Bond should start production "at the end of next year (2010)" So as far as we know all is still going to plan.

If you are a Bond fan there is only one place to be this April 24 & 25t, Fan Fest! The Ultimate Spy and Sci-Fi Event. Last night I was fortunate to visit the London Film Museum for a private viewing of portraits of Sir Michael Caine In Film by Paul Karslake. To celebrate the launch of Harry Brown on DVD. Full report up soon.

Whilst chatting to the London Film Museum team (@ldnfilmmuseum) it was mentioned that Little Nellie (James Bond's Gyroscope from You Only Live Twice) had arrived for Fan Fest and was in the building. No need to mention that my anticipation level for Fan Fest shot up. With the lineup they are programming Fan Fest may be the best film event this year.

Picture taken at the Imperial War Museum as part of the For Your Eyes Only E£xhibition

Bond 23 catchup

English trailer The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc Sec

Luc Besson's The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc Sec now has an English trailer. Well a trailer with English subtitles. When I was a kid I spent some time in Belgium and was exposed to European comics for the first time. Naturally European comics were more weighty than the US flavours I had been reading up to then. I tried to read the Adele Blanc series but at the time did not enjoy the renoir'esque art work and opted for the easier to digest Tintin, Lucky Luke, Blueberry and a little Dylan Dog. Actually Tintin is fairly similar in many respects to Adele Blanc and I wonder if Spielberg's upcoming adaptation of Tintin had anything to do with Besson bringing Adele Blanc to the screen.

The adventures of Adele Blanc Sec were serialised in 8 stories focused on our heroine Adele Blanc Sec. Adele Blanc-Sec is a writer based out of Paris around the time of WWI. In her adventures, she faces mad scientists, secret sects of demon worshippers, Egyptian mummies brought back to life, and a host of other creatures.


The official synopsis of Besson's Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc Sec is as follows:

"The year is 1912. Adèle Blanc-Sec, an intrepid young reporter, will go to any lengths to achieve her aims, including sailing to Egypt to tackle mummies of all shapes and sizes.

Meanwhile, in Paris, it's panic stations! A 136 million-year old pterodactyl egg on a shelf in the natural history museum has mysteriously hatched, and the bird subjects the city to a reign of terror from the skies. But nothing fazes Adèle Blanc-Sec, whose adventures reveal many more extraordinary surprises...

Set in the carefree world before World War I, Adèle Blanc-Sec's adventures see the brave young woman fearlessly battling crooks, corrupt politicians, demon worshipers and mad scientists. Legendary cartoonist Jacques Tardi's original stories perfectly recreate the intrigue, romance and excitement of one of the most tumultuous periods in history."

It looks like the film is based on the first comic "Adele And The Beast" in which a prehistoric pterodactyl egg has has somehow hatched and Paris is terrorized. The political establishment responds by passing the buck. But when a reward is offered for pictures of the beast a series of conspiracies comes to light!

English trailer for The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc Sec

Expected release date:
14 Aprial, 2010

Spectacular remixes of Tarantino posters

Ibraheem Youssef is a talented Toronto based Designer with an impressive portfolio. He has undertaken a number of awesome personal projects including a series of film posters. One of these is a spectacular Quentin Tarantino movie poster set.

The series consist of:

Pulp Fiction

pulp fiction
Originally uploaded by Ibraheem Youssef

Kill Bill Vol.2

kill bill vol.2
Originally uploaded by Ibraheem Youssef

Kill Bill Vol.1

kill bill vol.1
Originally uploaded by Ibraheem Youssef

Resevoir Dogs

Reservoir dogs
Originally uploaded by Ibraheem Youssef

Jackie Brown

Jackie Brown
Originally uploaded by Ibraheem Youssef

Inglourious Basterds

inglourious basterds
Originally uploaded by Ibraheem Youssef

Death Proof

DeathProof
Originally uploaded by Ibraheem Youssef

The Hi Res versions of each poster can be viewed by clicking each pic or by heading over to the set on Ibraheem Youssef's photostream

You can also buy the posters in Limited Edition real world format over at Ibraheem Youssef's shop here!

Spectacular remixes of Tarantino posters