A Death of a British Stage and Screen Legend

I was saddened to hear that Richard Briers had died yesterday from lung problems.
He is a well loved British actor who was well known and loved for his role as Tom Good in the TV Comedy Series 'The Good Life'.
His passion for acting and in particular Shakespeare has seen him on the stage and the big screens with big names staring along side him .
RIP Richard you will be missed.

Richard Briers
1934 - 2013

British Season.

I have kind of started this season already with the posts on Christopher Nolan and the BAFTA's earlier on. 

Basically what is coming up in this season: 

Along with the BAFTA's and Christopher Nolan I am going to write up some reviews on some British Films from well known ones to little Indie ones such as Bunny and the Bull which was the brain child of Noel Fielding from the Mighty Boosh. 

Along side this there will be some features looking into some of the most important Directors and Actors to come from these shores and have made it big in the USA and Hollywood. 

This means Directors such as:

Danny Boyle- the Bury born lad that took the world by storm and looking in particular at Slum Dog Millionaire which earned itself an Oscar as well as many BAFTA's, and of course Trainspotting. 

Guy Riche- the versatile  director, he doesn't just do Crime/ Gang Films... he can even do Family Friendly entertainment and bring a  Famous British Character to life in the form of Robert Downy Jr. 

Actors: 

Simon Pegg- The man who made a zombie Rom Com before Warm Bodies hit the screen and the loveable rough in Star Trek. The man is a Genius!!!! 

Daniel Criag- He may be Bond but there is more to him than meets the eye. With his recent appearances as 007 to his gritty role in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. 

Lena Headly - She may be Mama in Dredd, but there is a lighter side to her. 

Films: 

St Trinians 

Shaun of the Dead

Attack of The Block 

Four Lions 

East is East

The Infidel 

So thats the Brit season sorted through to March 2013.. look out for Spotlight returning in March with The Pennine Film Festival in the limelight. 

Coming Up

Look out for some new posts in the future.
They may include some reviews and general ramblings about The Oscars.

Hope you enjoyed the BAFTA Post.


Also will be some write up on some British Films... like St Trinians and 4 Lions Ect....

The BAFTA's Winner's, Losers and Gossip!

The BAFTA's is one of the most exciting events in the Award season calendar for us Brits!
The excitement of having all those Hollywood A-Listers walking down a red carpet to sit down and await there fate and have all the attention on British Films and Film Makers.

2013 was no exception with some twist and turns and some unexpected surprises!

Stephan sporting a beard! 

Hugh Jackman 

There was only one man for the job of hosting the BAFTA's, he's a British institution in his own right and a brilliant actor, comedian and quiz master! It can only be of course Stephan Fry!!!
In true style Stephan had a laugh and giggle with the special guests in the audience right from the beginning. With calling the amazing Hugh Jackman by the name of 'Hug Jackman' which earn't a laugh from the man himself.
Other jokes where around the success of the Olympic's, in particular the Opening Ceremony with the now iconic image of James Bond (Daniel Craig and Her Majesty jumping out of a helicopter) and thanking Danny Boyle for the great effort and entertainment he gave us planning and pulling off a spectacular show!

Mr Brad Pitt 

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence was also in the audience and presented an award, but she got a special mention, being asked by Stephan to carry on the BATFA tradition of blowing a kiss to the camera and to the lovely viewers at home, this tradition was first started by the somewhat gorgeous guy by the name of Brad Pitt in 2012!   

Down to the main event the awards. Being the BAFTA's the first award had to be for The Outstanding British Film. The award nominations where the big boys of british films, with big films such as Skyfall, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Les Miserable being up for the award. 

The Winner was the correct one Skyfall! The recent addition to the James Bond Legacy of films it was no surprise that when it was announced everyone just nodded. Skyfall marks the 50th year of Bond with special thanks given to Ian Flemming (the writer and creator of 007) and to Daniel Craig the leading man himself. 

Skyfall is Daniel's third Bond film, after reviling that he had signed on for two more bond films earlier on this year, and the film due to be released on the 18th of this month, it was no surprise that BAFTA choose this film. 

The second award of the evening was the Best Original ScreenPlay, enter the heavyweight of Hollywood Mr Quinten Tarantino who was on the nominations list for his recent film Django Unchained starring the lush Leonardo De Caprio!! 

Other nominations  included the thriller Zero Dark Thirty, The Master and the only French film to be nominated Amour! 

Of Course Django won with another award for Best Supporting Actor which was presented to Christoph Waltz. see right for Christoph laughing with Tarantino. 

The shockers of the night came over and over again with Argo becoming the popular favourite beating off competition from the likes of Life of Pi, Les Mis and Zero Dark Thirty in the Best Film Category. 

All the attention was on the director/producer/actor Ben Affleck in his first role in the world of Directing and up against Tarantino for the most important and influential award of the evening, BEST DIRECTOR!  He thanked his lovely wife for all the support she had given, who was also in the audience, making an aw resound from the room. Argo was also produced by the incredibly sexy George Clooney(known for his role in ER all those years ago) and is worth a watch! 

Ben Affleck with his two shiny BAFTA Awards! 

Other awards came with some obvious winners with Daniel Day Lewis winning Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress went to the beautiful Anne Hathaway with her role in Les Miserable earning her a BAFTA. Life of Pi won Best Special Effects and Juno Temple winning The EE Rising Star Award (used to be the Orange Rising Star Award before it changed to EE). Silver Linings Playbook won Best Adapted Screenplay. 

But the hype in all the papers the next day was on Dame Helen Mirren who was sporting a lovely short pink hairstyle for the awards, with everyone talking about it. Conversations were all around whether or not she should of done it. My opinion I loved it !!!! GO HELEN!!! 

The BAFTA's Love Them as always. 

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Valentines Day - Rom Com Day!

It's February, and it's coming up to the biggest day in the year for Love.
This is when we all go out and buy chocolates, Flowers, Teddybears and whatever else we can throw at our halves or romantic interests to get them in the mood.


The problem arises what film should you go and see at the cinema or sit down with a bottle of wine and in my case cry over the fact I haven't got a boyfriend (boo hoo to me) and stick a dvd in.

Now for some, the option is of course the Rom Com... whilst men want something with high action and loads of explosions the girls always win on the day! So here goes... ladies and gentlemen the recommendations for the films that you can watch and maybe have a laugh to ... or fall asleep.

First in the cinemas:

Is that Patrick Jane in the Poster?? 

Yes from the creator of all the classic Romantic Comedy Films , I Give It A Year is all about Newlywed's surviving  their first year of marriage. So with any typical Rom Com there is Love and Laughter throughout.

Hey it's Mike From Friends!!!

 Yes released in the UK on the big day itself, This is 40 kinda says what the narrative is in the actual title. Following a married couple through the trails and tribulations of being 40 and also the sort of follow up to Knocked Up... so for the blokes they may enjoy it!

The Ladies in the audience with of course know Paul Rudd as Mike from Friends, so fellas if you hear:
"OMG HE'S CHEATING ON PHOEBE!!!!"

Take no notice of it.





Now for all us single ladies .... and maybe men... we all have a Richard Curtis films in our DVD collection which we bring out with a tub of Ben and Jerry's, a bottle of Wine (Red,White or Rose) and a blanket and snuggle up on the sofa and turn these films on so my pick of the Richard Curtis Pops:

Yes I can hear the Male groans already!
 But say what you want about Bridget Jones's Dairy it never fails to make me and mum smile!!!!

Yes this seemly great love triangle story follows one girl in London Town trying to date the perfect man!

Now Hugh Grant (In every Richard Curtis FILM!!!) is Daniel Cleever the bad guy of the film and he is up against the boring and bumbling idiot that is Mr Darcey (aka Collin Firth) but in the grand scheme of this he is the safer option. With Bridget in the middle with her best friends, vodka and cigarettes and her massive collection of books about what Men really want. This film is for all girls to sit down to in our Onsies and watch Bridget go through what every girl goes through in a more comical light.

Four Weddings and a Funeral is again a film that tells you what the plot line is before you've ever sat down to watch it.

Released in 1994 (I was 2 at the time!) the film follows five different lives with Hugh's character realises he might have fallen in love.

Also the soundtrack is more famous than the film and was taken the mickey out of in Love Actually.

Search Wet Wet Wet, Love is all around me in youtube!


Yep Notting Hill, again with Hugh Grant in the film... told you, you can't avoid him!!!! A Film about a famous film star who falls in love with an ordinary Book Shop Owner in Notting Hill so so simple!

The Only film that won't make this list is of course is Love Actually as you dig it out at Christmas!!!!! 

What ever you decide to watch I hope it is a good one.... also there are other films available not just the ones above! 

Bridget Jones 3 the film

Rumour has it that the film is to be released in december this year according to The Huffington Post and other sources the book will be available in November this year :)

Christopher Nolan- The Creator of Some Of The Most Confusing Films In History!

Christopher Nolan In Action

Christopher Nolan is now a well known Director with films such as Momento, Inception and the Batman Trilogy to his name.

Born on the 30th July 1970, Christopher's passion for film started at an early age with him making his own short films on his dad's 8mm Camera. It wouldn't be too long until he picked up his first 16mm camera to make his first independent films for UCL's(University College London) film society whilst studying a degree in English Literature.

Christopher's first film

His first film The Following (1998) was made on a budget of just over £3819.95 ($6,000) and earned récognition at a number of international film festivals.
The Black Noir Thriller was written and directed by Christopher himself.

Brilliant Film but utterly confusing

It wasn't until 2000 when his second and rather confusing film Momento hit the screens that Christopher began to be a well known name in Hollywood. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best ScreenPlay- Motion Picture as well as two Oscars.

Heath Ledger's best role. 

It wasn't until the Batman Trilogy that Christopher Nolan became a household name, with it's epic conclusion finishing last year with The Dark Night Rises. Taking on a well known and much loved franchise of film making would be tough, but unlike the original cartoon like films of the old, Christopher decided to make the films darker, with The Dark Knight being one of the Darkest in the series. With this came more publictiy for all the wrong reasons as sadly Heath Ledger (The Joker) died not long after the film was released. The film earned the Dark Knight an Oscar with Heath receiving  Best Actor.




The Batman films were a great success although the final film also hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons with a screening ending in death as a gunman opened fire on a packed cinema but this        hasn't stopped the  popularity surrounding the films.

David Bowie, I was never able to spot him!!!!

One of my favourite films that Christopher has ever directed is The Prestige, starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Scarlet Johansson and a mini appearance by Mr David Bowie (Glam Rock Legend!) the film is two magicians that have the greatest of rivalries to out do each other. This leads to one performing the ultimate illusion.  
This film made me really look at Christopher's writing and directing in a different light as the film was amazing!!!!
It wasn't until 2010 that Christopher decided to completely blew our minds with Inception a film that I have watch several times and still do not get the ending! Honestly... I have no idea whether Leonardo Di Caprio is in a dream or reality at the end.
Inception was a film that blew everyone's mind and even got a mention in a song (J-Lo's On The Floor Pitbull mentions it at the start in his little rap) but this clever film and concept had everybody wondering whether or not they actually got it. Like Momento it takes it's time to get your head around. But I loved the film. I actually want to watch it tonight or The Prestige actually!!!


It is great to see a British born director doing so well and writing as well as directing amazing and thought provoking films that entertain and make you think without using extreme violence and gangster culture to sell films like Guy Ritchie or even making Ewan McGregor coming out of a toilet covered in Poo like Danny Boyle. Whatever Christopher's Nolan is doing it is working and it is amazing to see such talent come out of this little island that I call home as well.

The Dark Knight Rises Trailer

update :)

Decided i'm going to do a write up on a amazing British Director by the name of Christopher Nolan as i've just watched Batman The Dark Knight and now The Dark Knight Rises.