Prometheus - Premiere Live

"And we're live, from London!"

Prometheus is landing tonight, in the UK at least, and right this very minute the premiere is taking place in London! The event is being streamed live online now so follow the link below to see the action.

30 years since Scott's first science fiction, 33 years since Alien - the anticipation could not be greater and tonight sci-fi fans across the nation will find out if Prometheus is all it's cracked up to be: don't let us down Ridley...



There will most likely be a full post on all the actors from the carpet outside the theatre when more photos have surfaced, until then, you've got to make do with the charming Mr Fassbender.


Les Miserables - Trailer

Just a quick one for today... The new official trailer for Les Mis was released today and it's looking fairly epic! Hugh Jackman, Eddie Redmayne and Anne Hathaway star in the classic musical to name but a few! Let us know what you think of the first trailer in the comments below!

Favourite Soundtracks - Part I

A huge part of the film experience is the music that goes with it and Amateur Reviews wanted to start a new series of posts sharing favourite soundtracks with all our readers. Feel free to comment any major ones that have been missed out and it may well make Part II!

1. KICK ASS - The OST for this superhero movie was quite frankly kickass, amongst amazing tracks from Primal Scream and a fair few from The Prodigy the one that defines Kick Ass for most is Stand Up.



2. SUCKER PUNCH - If you read the Amateur Reviews post of this movie you'll know that one of the reasons this film was liked was due to the amazing soundtrack. Emily Browning even sings on a few of the tracks. Here's Army of Me by Bjork.


3. INCEPTION - Hans Zimmer turned his hand to another score for this Christopher Nolan masterpeice. It's hard to pick just one as they are all beautiful, but the one that defines the epicness of Inception is most definitely Time.


4. HANNA - The Chemical Brothers are responsible for this incredible soundtrack and the one picked for this post is The Devils In The Beat. After watching Hanna it's impossible not to whistle this for the next week!


5. WARRIOR - The National feature heavily on this soundtrack and really make the film what it is. If there's one in particular that results in tears is the song About Today which accompanied the climax of the movie.


6. CONTROL - This biopic of the life of Ian Curtis and Joy Division had an absolutely brilliant soundtrack but the film's closer Atmosphere really epitomises the entire movie.


7. THE BEACH - Danny Boyle is a favourite in terms of soundtracks. This is the first of two entries for his movies. Very hard to say whether All Saints Pure Shores or Moby Porcelain was better. But that scene where Richard first sets eyes on the beach is one of the film's highlights so Moby it was!


8. SUNSHINE - And the second Danny Boyle film on the list! A very powerful soundtrack but the one that closes the movie is so atmospheric and makes the final scene as powerful as it is.



9. THE HANGOVER - Again, very hard to pick just one because there are so many, but in the end it could only be the song that accompanies the wolf pack when they enter their hotel room after arriving in Las Vegas!


10. LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE - The Winner Is from this soundtrack is the one that made the cut. It's hard to decide whether this song is sad of positive but it does evoke a fantastic movie, so it's good either way.



That rounds off the first top 10! Feel free to comment, and on a side note: all films listed are definitely worth a watch regardless of the excellent soundtrack. Happy listening!

Modern Classics - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

2011


15


Directed by Tomas Alfredson


Starring Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and John Hurt

In the bleak days of the Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet agent within MI6.


The second review in our modern classics series was released in September last year and was fortunately, a box office success. It was refreshing to see a theatre absolutely rammed on opening night and for once, this turn out wasn’t for a massive Hollywood superhero sequel. It was for a quiet British spy movie without a single explosion.

Based on the best selling novel by John LeCarre, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is about a group of spies who discover that there is a double agent hidden right at the top of the ranks. What follows is what happens when the spies spy on themselves. It’s incredibly tense and requires concentration.



Swedish director Tomas Alfredson seems like an unlikely choice of director for a film of this ilk. But what he creates is a film that’s classy, silent and subtle. The film flits across the globe and there’s a distinct European feel to the way the movie is shot. This coolness is enhanced by the 70s setting: the costume and soundtrack is spot on.



You’d have to go far to find a better cast than this. The actors range from new talent to old veterans but they are all incredibly accomplished and really seem to flesh out the characters with great care. Gary Oldman’s George Smiley maintains some of Alec Guinness’ portrayal but adds an edge we haven’t seen before. We get the impression Smiley is one step ahead of everyone in the room, but unlike James Bond, he’s an unassuming retired man so it’s easy to empathise with him. Colin Firth takes on the eccentric Bill Haydon and is a delight to watch. It seems John Hurt’s role of Control is painfully under written, but nonetheless impressive. The young boys rounding off the cast feature Tom Hardy who thankfully neglected to try the Australian accent as Ricki Tarr and Benedict Cumberbatch who was remarkable as Peter Guillam.



There was a lot of talk when this film was released that it was boring and hard to follow. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Although you may come into the film at an advantage having read the book, but that is not a necessity, you just need to accept this is not the type of film where you can nod off for 10 minutes and still expect to know what’s going on! Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is an example of British film making at its best so if you haven’t already, get the DVD because this masterpiece has more than earned its position in our modern classics series.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tinker-Tailor-Soldier-John-Carre/dp/0340739614 - Here's a link to where you can buy the novel from.

http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?sku=423936 - You can also purchase the DVD from HMV.

Cannes 2012 - The Red Carpet

Along with our previous post about some of the notable films from the Festival, we thought we'd also post on some of the notable stars who turned out on the Red Carpet! Now this is a long post but we didn't want to leave anyone out...


Camila Alves in Marchesa



Jessica Chastain in Armani


Berenice Bejo in Prada


The cast of Mud


Tom Hardy, looking dapper! Even with the beard...


Stars of Lawless


Full cast shot of Lawless


Dane DeHaan at the Lawless showing


Bruce Willis, Ed Norton and Bill Murray


Diane Kruger looking stunning in Nina Ricci


Slightly obsessed with Diane Kruger, loved her in this Versus number


Doutzen Kroes in Versace at the amfAR's Gala


Garrett Hedlund, a true movie star!


We did try to find one of her smiling... The Reem Acra gown is lovely though!


Kristen Stewart, sporting the nearest thing to a smile we could find...


Marion Cotillard looking chic in peach


Natasha Poly looking smoking in the Roberto Cavalli dress


We think the Ralph Lauren gown looks amazing on Nicole Kidman


Vigo Mortensen and Kristen Stewart who both star in On The Road

Favourite outfit of the festival, Diane in Vivienne Westwood

Jean DuJardin and Alexandra Lamy


Zac Efron

Props if you've managed to get through all the Hollywood dazzle and made it to the bottom of the post! Who were you most excited to see?


Cannes Film Festival 2012


Oh how we wished we could be in Cannes for the film festival this week, and I’m sure we’re not alone! So we decided to give you all the heads up on the big films selected this year.

Moonrise Kingdom was Wes Anderson’s opening film. The American film stars Bruce Willis and Bill Murray in an ensemble cast and is about a pair of young lovers who run away in the 60s and a local search party is sent out to catch them.



Rust and Bone is an incredible French film directed by Jacques Audiard and starring the beautiful Marion Cotillard. The movie is based on Craig Davidson’s story of the same name.



Lawless formerly The Wettest County is a western drama about bootlegging in the American South. The film stars a stunning cast consisting of Shia Labeouf, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Jessica Chastain and Dane DeHaan. John Hillcoat’s offering is definitely one we’re looking forward to seeing at the cinema.



The Paperboy has been getting mixed reviews, but with a cast including Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman, it seems like it could be worth a watch. The story follows two brothers as the investigate the events surrounding a murder to exonerate a man on death row.



The winner of the Palme d’Or was French-language film Amour directed by Michael Haneke and starring Isabelle Huppert. The narrative is about an elderly couple who are retired music teachers and the film deals with how the couple cope when Anne suffers stroke which paralyses one side of her body.



And the one we are most excited to see is On The Road. The film is an adaptation of classic novel by Jack Kerouac of the same name. The story is based on the years Jack spent travelling the US in the 40s with several figures who would go on to become Beat Generation poets including Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs. This particular adaptation stars Sam Riley, Garett Hedlund and Kristen Stewart. It seems film makers are enamoured by the stories of these poets as we have already seen James Franco’s portrayal of Allen Ginsberg in Howl, and are eagerly awaiting Kill Your Darlings later next year!



Out Now on DVD - Chronicle


Things got a bit exciting over at Amateur Reviews when Chronicle was released on DVD today! Josh Trank’s directorial debut starred Dane DeHaan amongst copious other young talent and was seriously amazing. The movie saw general release in February this year and we reviewed it right away, however Chronicle was definitely ear marked as the type of movie that belonged in a DVD collection!

Here’s the link to our review of the movie and scroll down for images, the theatrical trailer and links to purchase the film!

http://amateurreviews25.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/chronicle.html If you never saw this beauty of a film in theatres, have a read of our review to get a feel of the plot and style.






Men In Black 3 - Review

MEN IN BLACK 3

2012

PG

Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld

Starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin



Today felt like time to check out another of the family block busters which will be gracing the screen throughout the summer. So Amateur Reviews went along to watch Men in Black 3 along with fellow blogger and friend from http://moos-ramblings.blogspot.co.uk/.

Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones return as Agent K and J in this years sequel. The film follows Agent J as he travels back to the late 1960s to prevent Boris “The Animal” from killing his partner Agent K and changing history as we know it.

The best part about this film is also what makes it disappointing. Men In Black 3 is a family friendly action/comedy/Sci-Fi hybrid that is certain to entertain. The trouble is, this has been done time and time again so is nothing new or ground breaking and sadly MIB:3 falls into the unmemorable sequel category. But I suppose as this film is marketed for the family audience, kids will definitely love it as there are plenty of laughs to be had! And to be honest, there’s enough solid acting from our talented leading men and witty references to the previous films to keep adults entertained too.

This is a recommendation if you are looking for a fun family film that everyone will enjoy, and let’s be honest Men In Black films are always going to be classic block busters.

Rating: 5




And just for old times, have a listen to this classic bit of soundtrack - you're welcome...


The Great Gatsby - First Trailer

Feeling a little over whelmed with excitement right now at Amateur Reviews! The first trailer for The Great Gatsby has been released and it looks immense! We're loving the cast, Leonardo DiCaprio, Joel Edgerton and Toby Macguire are all looking dapper. If F. Scott Fitzgerald could have seen this trailer we wonder if he'd have approved, but quite frankly Baz Luhrmann looks to have re invented everything. Also, the music at the start of the trailer is phenominal! Check it out if you haven't already!

The Hunger Games - Catching Fire

Casting Suggestions

After having a conversation with some Hunger Games fans today on dream casting for the next movie, this post came to light. Now don't get excited, this is sheer speculation, but here's the start of a new series of posts on dream Catching Fire casting! Starting with the victor from District 4 in the 65th annual Hunger Games - Finnick Odair. Here's our top suggestions, but feel free to link us anyone you think would better suit the character.


Our first choice would be Armie Hammer - no surprise there then, given he's an Amateur Reviews favourite, but he just screams Finnick to us!


Next up is Chris Hemsworth, although given the fact that Liam plays Gale this seems extremely unlikely - not least because they look quite similar, but here's a gratuitous picture anyway...

Tom Hiddleston may well be a curve ball suggestion, but we think he possesses the necessary charm.


Garrett Hedlund, also not a bad shout!


And the final suggestion, Freddie Stroma!


Have your say: anyone major we have missed? Comment below and if we agree, your Finnick suggestion may just make its way on to the post! Get thinking Hunger Games Fans!!

Prometheus - Hype

Prometheus
'The search for our beginning could lead to our end...'

Fan boys and girls, Amateur Reviews would like to issue a serious apology for being AWOL the past few weeks. There has been a lot going on, however fear not – we are back with vengeance and promising to keep you all on your toes!

Prometheus is the subject of this long-time-coming post. Landing on UK shores a whole 7 days before US release is exciting for us Brits in itself but to be honest, the whole thing looks incredible. The film bares no bones about being a Sci-Fi Horror and has earned itself a certificate of 15. Not that that’s a bad thing, but we cant help but noticing the amount of people who are grouping Ridley Scott’s long awaited block-buster in the same category as this summers Avengers, Batman and Spiderman. Judging by Scott’s previous films (Alien!), Prometheus is not best placed in the young superhero category.

With that said, the hype for this movie has been expertly crafted with an immense internet campaign… The plot focuses on a platoon of explorers who discover the origins of our place on earth and they end up in some pretty dark places in a massive battle to save the future of our planet. The title comes from the Titan Prometheus, he stole fire from Zeus and gave it to us mortals, he was then punished him for his crime, because despite the fact fire has brought good it has also brought bad. The cast looks superb, including Noomi Rapace, Logan Marshall-Green and Michael Fassbender to name but a few.

Have a little look at some of these videos and links if you’ve got a few minutes, we can guarantee that if you didn’t want to see Prometheus before: you will now!

The launch trailer: The sound track is enough to evoke some serious tension, but to say the trailer looks epic would be an understatement of epic proportion!


Check out this mock up TED talk with Peter Weyland! Scary how they've managed to make it look like something official from 2023 - definitely does not seem inpossible....


Introducing David 8! Having an own personal David wouldn't be too bad... Now this robot thing is rather scary, but Fassbender, he's a true chameleon...



Talk about attention to detail, this Weyland industries website is freakishly official looking! Prometheus are definitely going for a more interactive experience before we even enter the cinema, and this excellent viral campaign has worked wonders for the hype surrounding this film: 'fever pitch' springs to mind.





Avengers Assemble - Review

Avengers Assemble



12A

Directed by Joss Whedon

Starring: (basically everyone) Robert Downey-Jr, Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson



Unite fan boys and girls, Avengers Assemble has landed on our shores and will excite anyone who has shown even the smallest interest in a comic book. When the Asgardian villian Loki threatens earth with his army, it's up to Nick Fury and his Avengers to join together and use their super skills to fight back. We're working with the elites in this film and at first it's slightly surreal seeing these characters in the same film. But Whedon brings them together with ease and the massive personalities (who are used to their headlining films) gel and bounce of each other without fighting to be the main man.

However, if there was a main man, you're looking at Tony Stark. Downey Jr. is at his charming best and his comedic timing is en pointe. He is the heart of this Marvel Universe that has been interwoven into one massive movie brimming with action, laughs and emotion.

Chris Evans' Captain America is the traditional superhero in a world which he doesn't quite understand - which lends to some pretty funny jokes. Chris Hemsworth and his hammer have a fair share of the air time sorting out his sibling issues while Mark Ruffalo plays the complete opposite to his rage filled Hulk. It's nice seeing how improved computer graphics have made the green menace even more menacing. Jeremy Renner gets a taste of both sides of the battle field, and Hawkeye is joining the realms of hot men with a bow and arrow (alongside Legolas, of course.) Scarlett Johansson is the token female, but in our opinion Black Widow didn't have much to work with - where was her shield, bow or hammer!?

The villain of the peice is Loki, played by newcomer Tom Hiddleston. Any man who manages to look cool in that get-up and hair-do goes a long way in our books! Looks aside, his portrayal is refreshing as we all know the derranged and crazy baddies are the most fun. Agent (first name) Phil Coulson is incredible and is one of the coolest people. And that's saying something, because the whole film is cool. 

If you've been awaiting Avengers Assemble, you will not be disappointed! It's probably worth mentioning, you don't need to have be familiar with comic books, or even the previous films to enjoy this movie - there are a lot of references for the fans which may account for some of the enjoyment. But really, it's a solid action blockbuster regardless! A clever blend of heroes, jokes and sheer unadulterated action.

Rating: 8

Meet the Avengers:


Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye

Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow

Tom Hiddleston as Loki

Robert Downey-Jr as Iron Man

Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk

Chris Hemsworth as Thor

Chris Evans as Captain America


If you're still not convinced - how does the trailer look?




The Dark Knight Rises - New Trailer

BATMAN 3: Trailer #3

Batman fans of the world unite: summer is nearly upon us and anticipation for the return of the Dark Knight is literally reaching fever pitch! A fire is about to rise on the 20th of June and the thrid trailer in the teaser campaign has been the best yet. For all those naysayers complaining about not being able to hear Bane, are you happy now!? Tom Hardy is sounding and looking like a whole new level of menacing. A down-trodden Bruce Wayne has a younger, stronger villain to contend with who is terrorising Gotham City in any number of ways. 

After watching this bad boy in excess of a dozen times, it's safe to say this looks EPIC. So, does Spiderman fancy bringing out a trailer any time soon!?