I'm Off To See The Wizard ... The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz

No i'm not losing my mind don't worry, tomorrow is a cinema trip and I've chosen to see the lastest film in the Wizard of Oz world. The backstory to the 1939 classic staring Julie Garland, Oz The Great and Powerful stars Michelle Williams, Rachel Wiesz and James Franco.

We finally get to know who the real wizard of Oz was and how he came to the world of Oz!!!


So look out a blog post in the near future....

St Trinians - A classic revamped for a new generation

They Do As They Damn Well Please!!!

St Trianians is well loved by millions  all over the world, with a school that is more chaotic than mine was with girls that terrorise and make grown men weep!!!

In 2007 the old films were revamped to maximum effect and grossed over £12million in UK cinema box office and was the first film to actually come out of Ealing Studios in a long time and all UK produced, Financed and distributed .


When I watched this film I wished I went to that school not because I was a naughty kid but just because it looked amazing and also I would be a girl who would be just causing a riot on school grounds anyway enough said.

Miss Fritton - Rupert Everett 

The film is a modern day twist of the old 1950's films staring Alastair Simm as the notorious Headmistress ... replaced this time with Rupert Everett.

Normal Rupert!

Mr Darcy and Miss Fritton! 

What I love about Rupert Everett is the way he plays Miss Fritton , he is so femine but still has a masculine charm to the character which I love. Everytime I watch the film almost all the scenes i'm laughing at are his , especially his scenes with Collin Firth who again plays a bumbling idiot aptly named Mr Darcey ( But it isn't the same Mr Darcey from Bridget Jones's Dairy although he plays him the same way!) . They are in real life best friends so the comedy naturally flows between them as the chemistry is perfect.

There are huge references to Pride and Prejudice throughout this film.




With big names such as:

What a Difference a Film Makes! 

Lovely Fluffy Teacher!

Lena Headly - known now as MAMA in Dredd is Miss Dickinson the long suffering English Teacher who is pure , but faces a massive test when she enters the world of St Trianians as the girls are not what she expected!!!! But she convinces them to take part in a TV Quiz Show which is good for her and not to her knowledge good to the long suffering and almost bankrupt school.

OH MATRON!!! 

Clelia Imerie as the Matron of the school a raging Alcoholic with issues, bless her ... making up a cocktail named after her latest husband. And I quote:
"Drink? It's my new concoction The Gerald, Cheap, Bitter and Completely Alcoholic!" 
That line makes me laugh like a teenage girl, everytime I hear it.

Russel Brand

Russel Brand in his first film appearance I think playing Flash, His role was a Cheeky London Boy who fences stolen gear.... who actually teaches the girls how to steal and cheat. Great Role Model for a bunch of School Girls!!!  In the Picture (Right) He's making them think about the 7 perfect Crimes to get "Half  a Bar... That £100,000 to you lovely ladies.".


The film is rated 12, which is no surprise with light swearing from time to time and the use of slapstick violence. I love this film to death , I know it word for word... and it's no surprise that I wanted to be a St Trinian when I was still in school cos lets face it, School isn't really all that fun.
St Trinian's revived the old classic British Cinema of old, we are the Kings and Queens of Comedy and do it pretty well with actors, actresses, writers, producers and film makers in general making cracking comedy but we haven't really seen it transcribe to the big screen in a long time especially using Ealing Studios. With the rise of Film 4 and BBC Film it has helped to get the UK back on the film map but we still have a long way to go.

Brit Season - THE BOAT THE ROCKED!!!

This happens to be in my favourite film collection, i love this film as it's amazing. the 1960's was the era  for popular music to dominate the charts with bands such as The Beatles, The Kinks and The Who being blasted around the UK in teenagers bedrooms.
Unfortunately as the film describes the BBC only played an hour of popular music a day and so The PIRATES of the radio world took over the medium wave band frequency and took to the seas to bring what the masses wanted.
24 hours of Popular Music every single day of the year!

With a all star Brit Cast (excluding Philip Seymour Hoffman who is of course American) The Boat That Rocked is a Cracking British Film.

Young Carl 

So what is it all about apart from the obvious being radio.. well it's a comedy (something again us brits do fantastically!) about a boy (Carl) who gets sent onto the boat by his mother to well sort him out. That must be the biggest mistake in the world, with Sex, Drugs and Rock n Roll on board Young Carl is going to be corrupted. But there may be another reason why Carl has been sent onto the ship and this is to find his father.

Plotting against the Pop Culture Enemy! 

Amongst all this the British Government are plotting to shut the station down, determined to find any means necessary. With Sir Kenneth Branagh being the lead Torrie Baddy!!! His seemingly uptight and upper class attitude towards popular culture is funny in it's own right. It just proves what a world class actor he is! If you are in Manchester for the festival you can see him tred the boards in Macbeth!!!


So we've met the Main Character and the Baddies but what about the crew of Radio ROCK!

Stag Night - Simple Simon is getting Married!!

Poor Simon I'd Marry Him!!

Uh Oh I'm in trouble he heard me saying i'd give him my book!

Bob (Ralph Brown), no one on the actual boat knows who Bob is which is worrying, the slot before the breakfast show... bad few hours for radio. Second we have the sexiest man on radio Midnight Mark (Tom Wisdom) to say he's the sexiest man on radio he doesn't really speak much which is odd for a radio presenter.. I might give him a copy of my Essential Radio Skills book to read. Third we have Big Dave (Nick Frost) who is a cheeky character with a appetite for women. Fourth the lovely Simple Simon (Chris O'Dowd) the fool that falls in love with a women who doesn't love him, a loveable character and personally my favourite! Fifth the only American on board the mighty Rock Radio The Count (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) who uses his American charm to win over listeners and says the F word five times on air ... again a copy of my radio book will be shipped to him!

Sixth the most riskiest and controversial radio broadcaster that ever lived, Gavin Cavendish(Rhys Ifans   returned to Radio Rock to save it from sinking.  

Thats Right Lick the Microphone!

CRAZY RADIO BROADCASTING!

 Next to him and going to the right we have Angus 'The Nut' Nutsford (Rhys Darby) yes the title gives you a sense of what his personality is like.... he's nutty and also from New Zealand. Thick Kevin (Tom Brooke) who is REALLY REALLY THICK!!!!!! And last but by no means least John( Will Adamsale) the tormented News Reader who gets bullied by Gavin with a poster of a topless women and the sign your mum next to it whilst he reading the news bless him!

The Master of this lot is Quentin the long suffering station manager... who well runs his ship like a pirate captain should (Jack Sparrow would be Proud!) has to keep the station and also the ship afloat with using any means possible, even resorting to get Gavin back from the USA and putting Young Carl up well as his godson he kind of has to... also he fancies Young Carls mother!

Now for the person that keeps everyone alive the cook, now women are not allowed on ships right? Well it doesn't count if you are gay which in the 1960's was groovy ! Lovely Facility suffers sexual innuendo's and torment off the lads ... tip from me if they continue stop feeding them although her cooking doesn't look that appetising.


Whatever you may think of this film I love it ... I absolutely love that it is about radio!!! And that in the end everyone lives slighty Happily Ever After !!!

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.