Movie Preview Guide Podcast

Movie Preview Guide May Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:48:03 +0100

May podcast The moviepreviewguide podcast is your invaluable guide to the movies coming your way in the weeks ahead, covering releases hitting local cinema screens throughout the month of May. This includes a wide variety of movies, from Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest comedy The Dictator, to blockbuster sequel Men In Black 3 - in 3D - as well as a 3D reissue of Disney’s beguiling Beauty & The Beast. Family audiences are also served by the vividly animated French film Tales of The Night. Johnny Depp is reunited with director Tim Burton for Dark Shadows; Zac Efron stars in the tearjerker The Lucky One; and there’s trouble and strife in the British comedy-drama All In Good Time. American Pie: Reunion revisits the heroes of the raucous comedy franchise, while Jeff Who Lives At Home stars Jason Segel as a slacker who belatedly finds a meaning to his life. There is suspense in Clone and chills in Silent House; action is on offer in Safe and tension is the order of the day in Piggy, while Charlie Casanova is a drama takes an edgy twist. Piranha 3DD arrives just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water. We have the documentary Two Years At Sea, and reissued classics The Life & Death of Colonel Blimp and Le Quai des Brumes. World cinema is represented by Takashi Miike’s Hari Kiri, Bollywood adventure Jannat 2, Russian fable Faust and the Romanian drama If I Want To Whistle, I Whistle. Welshman Gareth Evans directs action packed tale The Raid, while from Cuba we cover Juan of the Dead. We discuss Bolivian drama Even The Rain, while French-Canadian tale Monsieur Lazhar tackles social issues, Free Men is a French tale of wartime heroism with the Gallic romances Goodbye First Love and Café de Flore rounding out the rich selection of movies coming to local cinema during the month of May.

Movie Preview Guide April Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:56:09 +0000

April podcast The moviepreviewguide podcast is your invaluable guide to the movies coming your way in the weeks ahead, covering releases hitting local cinema screens throughout the month of April. In this edition we cover a broad range of films, from the family fairytale Mirror, Mirror to the uplifting Joyful Noise and Easter story The Gospel of Us. We include action thriller The Cold Light Of Day, character drama Albert Nobbs, feminist college story Damsels In Distress and plucky British film Outside Bet. The re-release of James Cameron’s Oscar winner Titanic – now in 3D – and the excellent A Night To Remember marks the centenary of the demise of a ship considered unsinkable. There are chills in Grave Encounters, thrills in The Divide and a terrifying race against time in Gone. Muscular action comes in the form of Battleship, the fantastical sci-fi Nazi adventure Iron Sky and the space prison thriller Lockout. Perhaps most eagerly awaited is Marvel Avengers Assemble, featuring a roster of popular heroes battling a deadly foe. International cinema is represented by Bollywood tales Housefull 2 and Vicky Donor, French films Delicacy, Elles, Le Havre and A Cat In Paris. There’s period quality from The Monk, tense drama in the Austrian film Breathing, revenge is the order of the day in Hari Kiri and a classic from 1937 is re-released with La Grande Illusion. Gripping Norwegian film Headhunters is also released in April. In addition we cover a diverse array of documentaries including Town Of Runners, Buck, African Cats, Being Elmo and Marley – the story of reggae legend Bob Marley. In short, something for everyone.

Cinema Previews Podcast March 2012

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 17:44:29 +0000

March podcast The Cinema Previews podcast is your invaluable guide to the movies coming your way in the weeks ahead, covering releases hitting local cinema screens throughout the month of March. As spring dawns and the days get a little longer there is plenty of choice at the multiplex and independent art house. Family audiences will enjoy The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists, the 3D sci-fi adventure John Carter and the similarly eye-popping epic sequel Wrath of the Titans. We cover Matt Damon’s family tale We Bought A Zoo, the 70s musical school drama Hunky Dory, mid-life crisis comedy Wanderlust and catch up with feuding spies in This Means War. Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill go back to school in 21 Jump Street; Robert Pattinson romances his way through 19th century Paris in Bel Ami; while Riz Ahmed and Freida Pinto star in Trishna, inspired by a Thomas Hardy classic. Sean Bean is tracking terrorists in Cleanskin, Mark Wahlberg is smuggling Contraband while real life Navy SEALs are put through their paces in Act of Valor. There’s a literary murderer at large in The Raven, an exorcism in store in The Devil Inside, gangster business in Hard Boiled Sweets and dangerous temptations in Payback Season. In addition we discuss the acclaimed British crime drama Wild Bill, the Twilight spoof Breaking Wind and raucous teen party comedy Project X. International cinema on offer in March includes The Emperor and the White Snake, Carancho, London, Paris, New York, If Not Us, Who?, Michael, In Darkness, The Kid With A Bike, Babycall, Agent Vinod and Corpo Celeste. And documentaries include Bill Cunningham, New York, The Island President and Into The Abyss: A Tale Of Death, A Tale Of Life - something, as they say, to suit every taste.

Cinema Previews Podcast January 2012

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:33:36 +0000

The Cinema Previews podcast is your invaluable guide to the movie highlights coming your way, and this first bumper edition of 2012 - hosted by Alex Zane - tells you all you need to know about the big films onto the big screen this year. We begin with the ones that are already there, major contenders in awards season such as The Artist, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, My Week With Marilyn, The Iron Lady, War Horse, The Help and Hugo. We cover February half term with family tales such as Big Miracle, a re-release Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace as well as an all new adventure for The Muppets. Romance is in the air this Valentine’s Day with a 70th anniversary re-release of Casablanca and a tearjerking tale starring Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams entitled The Vow. Other films for February and March include Carnage, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Man On A Ledge, Young Adult, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Woman In Black, John Carter in 3D, The Raven, We Bought A Zoo, Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists and Mirror, Mirror. Easter sees the release of The Gospel of Us, Eddie Murphy’s latest A Thousand Words, a re-release of James Cameron’s Titanic in 3D and another 3D epic, The Avengers. May can boast Ill Manors, The Three Stooges, The Dictator and Men In Black 3 in 3D. Summer sees the release of Prometheus (3D), Snow White & The Huntsman, Jack The Giant Killer, Ice Age: Continental Drift in 3D, Dr Seuss’ The Lorax in 3D, The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises. The summer of cinema continues with Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - in 3D - G.I. Joe Retaliation, Total Recall, The Bourne Legacy as well as family fare Diary of A Wimpy Kid: Dog Days and Step Up 4 in 3D. In September we have Anna Karenina, Gambit, and The Sweeney. October half term brings us Frankenweenie, Hotel Transylvania, Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted and the altogether more grown up thrills of Taken 2. James Bond is back at the end of the month in his 23rd adventure, Skyfall. And as Christmas draws near we can look forward to Rise of the Guardians, in 3D, Nativity 2: the Second Coming and The Twilight Saga - Breaking Dawn Part 2 as well as Wreck It Ralph, Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained, Ang Li’s Life of Pi and Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit. Something, in short, to suit every taste.

Movie Preview Guide November Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:38:40 +0100

November Podcast The moviepreviewguide podcast is your invaluable guide to the movies coming your way in the weeks ahead, covering releases hitting local cinema screens throughout the month of November. And there’s a huge range on offer, including the eagerly awaited Twilight adventure Breaking Dawn Part 1, the 3D festive animation from Aardman Arthur Christmas and the comedy caper tale Tower Heist. Tear stained drama comes with Snow Flower And The Secret Fan, while edge-of-seat thrills are promised by the sci-fi story In Time. The Awakening is a creepy ghost story, while Resistance poses a fascinating alternative history of World War Two. We cover epic 3D battles in Immortals and nightmarish discoveries in Dream House, as well as the tense Australian crime story Snowtown. Nicolas Cage plays a man taking the law into his own hands in Justice, and in Straw Dogs a young couple are terrorised by resident of a small community in America’s south. Take Shelter is an acclaimed tale of a man’s vision of apocalypse, and The Rum Diary features Johnny Depp as Hunter S. Thompson’s dissolute reporter hero. Eddie Marsan stars in the British drama Junkhearts, director Andrea Arnold offers her own singular take on Wuthering Heights, and Brad Pitt plays an ambitious baseball coach in Moneyball. Terence Rattigan’s play The Deep Blue Sea gets the big screen treatment, while My Week With Marilyn takes a look behind the scenes of the Rattigan scripted movie The Prince & The Showgirl, featuring the legendary Marilyn Monroe. We discuss documentaries including Yves Saint Laurent: L’Amour Fou; The British Guide To Showing Off; the story of a 1970s cause célèbre in Tabloid; a celebration of democracy in An African Election; and a crazy journey in Magic Trip. Add to that international films such as Oslo, August 31st and the Bollywood hits Rockstar and Desi Boyz and you have something for everyone.

Movie Preview Guide October Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 11:42:01 +0100

Movie Preview Guide October Podcast The moviepreviewguide podcast is your invaluable guide to the movies coming your way in the weeks ahead, covering releases hitting local cinema screens through the month of October. And what a selection it is, something to suit every taste. Families will be delighted to hear about Steven Spielberg’s Tin Tin: Secret of the Unicorn which is screening in 3D, as is Disney’s The Lion King, re-released onto big screens for a limited period. There is fun in the sun in Monte Carlo, seaborne adventure in Dolphin Tale, and a cinematic outing for a literary favourite in Judy Moody and The Not Bummer Summer. Old heroes return with Johnny English Reborn, as well as the swashbuckling adventures of The Three Musketeers (in 3D) and a re-imagined, toe tapping tale in Footloose. Hugh Jackman manages a fighting robot and a long estranged son in Real Steel, and Woody Allen returns to comedic form with Midnight In Paris. There are chills in Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark as well as Paranormal Activity 3 and Texas Killing Fields. Sleeping Beauty is no fairy tale, while Tyrannosaur proves to be a powerful British drama starring Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman. The quirky Restless will warm your heart, just as Sket will put you on the edge of your seat, and We Need To Talk About Kevin will get you, well, talking. George Clooney directs political thriller The Ides of March, Roland Emmerich questions Shakespeare’s authorship credentials in Anonymous while a deadly virus spreads across the globe in Contagion. The Help weaves an uplifting drama out of racial segregation in 1960s Mississippi. We cover documentaries such as The Greatest Movie Ever Sold from Morgan Spurlock; the high cost of making those calls in Blood In The Mobile; the troubling Four Days In Guantanamo; and the revolutionary sounds of Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975. Films from further afield include Bollywood tales Khushian, Rascals and Ra. One along with Mexican thriller Miss Bala, German mystery The Silence and perennial French favourite Amelie. On top of that we highlight the release on big screens for a limited time to mark its 25th anniversary, The Phantom Of The Opera.

Movie Preview Guide Second Summer Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Wed, 6 Jul 2011 09:43:27 +0100

Second summer podcast The moviepreviewguide podcast is your invaluable guide to the movies that are coming your way in the weeks ahead, and this new bumper summer edition is no exception, covering releases hitting local cinema screens through July, August and the first week in September. One of the most eagerly awaited is Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, screening in 3D, which completes the adventure for Harry and his friends. We catch up with petrolhead stars of Cars 2; and discuss the first big screen - and 3D - adventure for The Smurfs. There’s more family fun in Zookeeper, and comedy favourite Jim Carrey has animal issues of his own in Mr Popper’s Penguins. Arrietty is an animated take on The Borrowers story, while Monte Carlo is the ultimate teen girl wish fulfilment fantasy; Spy Kids 4: All The Time In The World meanwhile breathes new life into a favourite family franchise. There’s romance and comedy to be found in Crazy, Stupid, Love; and a certain heartbreaking poignancy to the adaptation of David Nicholls’ bestseller One Day. Black comedy is served up in Horrible Bosses, while cosy domesticity versus free spirited bachelordom is explored in body swap comedy The Change-Up. Friends With Benefits is a rom-com with Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, whereas the Italian tale The Salt of Life deals with a romantic crisis at the other end of the generation gap. The summer also sees the release of The Inbetweeners movie, and hedonism on the Med is the starting point for the rave drama Weekender. There’s action and adventure in The Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and edge-of-seat thrills from Captain America: The First Avenger. Cowboys & Aliens blends two contrasting genres, while The Devil’s Double is rooted firmly in the grim reality of Saddam Hussein’s regime. Cell 211 is an acclaimed Spanish suspense tale, and Hobo With A Shotgun sees Rutger Hauer wreak bloody havoc amongst wrongdoers. Fright Night is a gore soaked vampire tale, and there are similar chills delivered by The Violent Kind, Final Destination 5 and Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark. Steven Spielberg produces the creepy Super 8; while dark reality informs the pop music drama Powder. There is more moving drama to be found in Sarah’s Key, an unusual twist in a father-son relationship in Beginners and the latest from Pedro Almodovar The Skin I Live In. In addition there are powerful new big screen documentaries such as Project Nim, The Interrupters, Bobby Fischer Against The World, The Referees and Knuckle. All part of a packed summer of cinema, with something out there to suit every taste.

Movie Preview Guide Summer Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Thu, 5 May 2011 11:21:03 +0100

Summer Podcast
The moviepreviewguide podcast is your invaluable guide to the films coming to a screen near you in the weeks ahead. The bumper summer edition – hosted by Alex Zane – covers the films released in late May and June right the way through to July 1st. The choice is truly enormous, with family favourites such as Prom; the return of Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules, Kung Fu Panda 2 in eye popping 3D and Jim Carrey in full manic flow in Mr Popper’s Penguins. Dance fans will need no further encouragement to seek out Honey 2 and the Pina Bausch documentary Dancing Dreams. There is stirring 3D action from Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Jack Sparrow’s back in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. X Men: First Class is a thrilling origin story while Green Lantern introduces a comic book superhero to the screen for the first time. There’s gritty, true life action in Age of Heroes, as well as tales of sporting heroism in the documentary Senna and the story West Indies cricket legends of Fire In Babylon. Comedies out in this packed summer season include Bad Teacher with Cameron Diaz; The Hangover Part II, matrimonial strife in Jumping The Broom, and madcap fun with Bridesmaids. Win Win blends comedy and drama expertly in a tale of hope amid despair, while the French satire Potiche raises a smile out of 70s mores. Tom Hanks’ latest directorial effort Larry Crowne co-stars Julia Roberts; and Mel Gibson returns in a redemptive story The Beaver. There is life affirming drama in The First Grader and a real life rags-to-riches story with Vidal Sassoon: The Movie. Countdown To Zero is a potent plea for nuclear disarmament, and The Messenger takes a poignant look at the price of war. International films include Always Kabhi Kabhi and Zindagi Na Milegi; the Congolese crime drama Viva Riva! and French drama The Big Picture. There’s the Spanish horror tale Julia’s Eyes; Italian crime drama Angels of Evil; the Iranian relationship drama A Separation; apocalyptic vampire story Stake Land; murder and mayhem in Mother’s Day; Gregg Araki’s quirky college tale Kaboom and the modern Australian western Red Hill. Re-releases on the big screen for a limited period include Cutter’s Way and Apocalypse Now, and Robert Redford’s returns to the director’s hotseat with The Conspirator. In short, something for everyone in a packed summer of cinema.

Movie Preview Guide April Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 12:46:28 +0100

April Podcast The moviepreviewguide podcast is your invaluable guide to the cinema releases in the month ahead. The April edition is packed with a huge variety of films - family entertainment including the Easter Bunny tale Hop, the exotic adventures of a colourful macaw in Rio and the spacebound Mars Needs Moms, the last two screening in 3D. Younger viewers will be delighted to discover that Winnie The Pooh returns. There’s a chilling makeover for the old fairy story Red Riding Hood; we discover human drama in Island, and a deadly game of chase in Blooded, while The Silent House is a terrifying drama from Uruguay. Wes Craven is back with Scream 4, there’s a British take on a horror favourite in Zombie Undead as well as a visceral serial killer tale from South Korea, I Saw The Devil. There’s a creeping unease in The Roommate, and a grim cover-up suggested by Apollo 18. Meanwhile Meek’s Cutoff is a 19th century drama set on the American frontier. There is musical nostalgia, and a hint of what if, in Killing Bono, and the irreverent humour of Your Highness. Cedar Rapids is a hilarious rite of passage for a middle aged man, while Arthur pits Russell Brand into a reinvention of an old favourite. Vin Diesel returns with Fast & Furious Five, but Jake Gyllenhaal doesn’t know whether he’s coming or going in the time travelling thriller Source Code. Sucker Punch is an exotic adventure that plays out in realms of imagination, and Tomorrow, When The War Began is a tough tale of resistance in the face of a dangerous invading army. There are further spectacular battles in the legendary adventures of Thor. Vincent Gallo is a Taliban on the run in Essential Killing, while The Veteran sees a returning British soldier uncover a drug dealing ring closer to home. Oranges & Sunshine details a social scandal dating back decades, and there is a human story at the heart of Christian Carion’s poignant Cold War drama Farewell. April also sees the release of Luc Besson’s pacey adventure Adele Blanc-Sec, the Hindi films Game, Dum Maaro Dum and Chab Dilli. Documentaries out this month include Sweetgrass, Armadillo and A Small Act. Peter Bogdanovich’s The Last Picture Show is on local screens for a limited period, and dance fans will enjoy Wim Wenders’ 3D evocation of a great choreographer’s work in Pina. In short, something for everyone.

Movie Preview Guide March Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:26:08 +0000

Movie Preview Guide Podcast The movie preview guide podcast is an indispensible asset in helping you decide which films to see at your local cinema in the month ahead. The March edition includes a look ahead to the computer animation Rango, and A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy Adventures which is screening in 3D. There is adventure from Age of the Dragons; reality twisting drama in The Adjustment Bureau; action in the sci-fi film Battle: Los Angeles; the chase movie Faster and the thriller Legacy: Black Ops. Liam Neeson is an amnesiac caught in a deadly race against time in Unknown, while Bradley Cooper unleashes his full potential - with alarming consequences - in Limitless. Hilary Swank, meanwhile, is terrorised in her own home in The Resident. There is suspense in The Lincoln Lawyer, a quest for identity in Patagonia and a battle for justice in the true story Fair Game, which is also the driving force behind Ken Loach’s new film Route Irish. There is music and romance in Country Strong, while historical epics are represented by the medieval Ironclad and Roman saga The Eagle. Comedy is on offer from Hall Pass, All American Orgy and Woody Allen’s latest You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger. Coming of age tales out this month include the comedic Anuvahood, the sweet Chalet Girl and the winning Submarine. There are fine documentaries out too with the thought provoking Client 9 and beguiling Babies, as well as Julie Taymor’s refreshing take on Shakespeare’s The Tempest. There’s the Japanese drama Norwegian Wood while - back in cinemas for a limited period - there are the classics Man of Aran and The African Queen. Something, in short, for everyone.

Movie Preview Guide February Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 09:46:40 +0000

Movie Preview Guide Podcast The February movie preview guide podcast is an indispensible asset in helping you decide which films to see at your local cinema in the weeks ahead. During half term families have plenty of choice on offer, from the antics of Yogi Bear to the romantic tribulations of Gnomeo & Juliet and the magical Eleanor’s Secret. Romance is in the air thanks to Just Go With It, and there are relationship issues at the heart of No Strings Attached too. More dramatic tales include A Little Bit of Heaven, Never Let Me Go and Rabbit Hole. Edgy thrills are provided by Animal Kingdom, the high octane Faster, the tense I Am Number 4 and a remake of a British classic, Brighton Rock. James Cameron’s Sanctum opens a new frontier in 3D entertainment, while the Coen Brothers return triumphantly with the western True Grit. In addition Mark Wahlberg plays The Fighter; Liam Neeson faces an identity crisis in Unknown; Anthony Hopkins lends weight to The Rite; and Simon Pegg experiences a close encounter of a curious extra kind in Paul. February also boasts the comedy sequel Big Mommas: Like Father Like Son; Beat poetry drama Howl; the elegiac New York, I Love You; and haunting Iraq drama Son of Babylon. We also welcome the belated sequel to a British favourite, West Is West. As well as all that there are the insightful documentaries Inside Job, Nenette and Waste Land, plus a pop heartthrob in all his 3D glory with Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.

Movie Preview Guide January Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 15:07:31 +0000

Movie Preview Guide Podcast The January movie preview guide podcast is an indispensible asset in helping you decide which films to see at your local cinema in the weeks ahead. This month we cover the latest Disney 3D animation, Tangled, as well as the hotly tipped award candidate The King’s Speech - with leading man Colin Firth already the recipient of the Richard Attenborough Award for Best Actor. We feature Danny Boyle’s tense new film 127 Hours, offer a taste of Michel Gondry’s action adventure The Green Hornet as well as the quirky comedy It’s Kind Of A Funny Story starring Zach Galifianakis. There are romantic tribulations in How Do You Know while bonds of friendship are tested in The Dilemma. Morning Glory is a hilarious account of a young producer’s work at an ailing breakfast television show, and Barney’s Version stars Paul Giamatti as a tv executive with a complicated personal life. Elsewhere Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan is a dark tale set around a production of Swan Lake. Honeymooner recounts the experience of a man dumped weeks before his wedding, and Blue Valentine offers a heart rending account of a marriage breakdown. The true life drama Conviction depicts the extent of a woman’s love for her wrongfully imprisoned brother. Peter Mullan directs the powerful rite-of-passage tale NEDS, and Clint Eastwood returns with the spiritual tale Hereafter. There are more chilling goings on in John Carpenter’s The Ward, as well as the creepy Cabin In The Woods and the latest Nicolas Cage action romp Season Of The Witch. We cover documentaries such as Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould, Gasland and How Much Does Your Building Weigh Mr Foster? while fans of films from further afield can hear about the Spanish movie Biutiful, Turkish film Men On The Bridge and the latest Hindi cinema release Yamla Pagla Deewana.

Movie Preview Guide December Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Fri, 29 Nov 2010 15:13:25 +0100

Movie Preview Guide Podcast The December movie preview guide podcast is an indispensible asset in helping you decide which films to see at your local cinema in the coming weeks. There’s a bumper crop in December, with family films including the raucous 3D animated tales Megamind and Animals United. We cover the latest Chronicles of Narnia adventure, Voyage of the Dawn Treader and a brand new 3D re-imagining of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. Also included is Tron: Legacy, a follow up to a Disney hit from almost 30 years ago in which Jeff Bridges reprises his original role. If you fancy a deliciously dark take on the festive theme you could try the Finnish film Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale. Things take an even more grisly turn in the medieval legend Bathory, while the highly controversial modern horror story A Serbian Film is sure to grab headlines. British drama is represented by The Be All And End All, Cuckoo, Chatroom and In Our Name. Julian Schnabel directs Miral, set against the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; while Of Gods And Men deals with faith and fate in a besieged Christian monastery. Sofia Coppola’s award winning Somewhere is featured, as is the entertaining Johnny Depp-Angelina Jolie thriller The Tourist, and the romance Love & Other Drugs starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway. Action fans will enjoy The Warrior’s Way, as well as Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen, while followers of Hindi cinema will want to know about No Problem and Toonpur Ka Superhero. There are documentaries on offer, including Freakonomics, the Cambodian killing fields exposé Enemies Of The People; the cautionary social networking tale Catfish; and Michel Gondry’s view of his family, The Thorn In The Heart. Audiences will be stirred by the true life tale of equine sporting greatness Secretariat, just as they will cheer on the rise of a talented young singer in Burlesque. The French film On Tour deals with a disastrous American tour of a mismatched burlesque troupe, and lovers of classic French movies will enjoy the return of Renoir’s 1932 classic Boudu Saved From Drowning. Australian director Peter Weir recounts a true story of heroism in The Way Back, while Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller revisit their ongoing familial rivalry in the eagerly awaited comedy Meet The Parents: Little Fockers. In short, something for everyone.

Movie Preview Guide November Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:13:25 +0100

Movie Preview Guide Podcast The November movie preview guide podcast is an indispensible asset in helping you decide which films to see at your local cinema in the month ahead. We open proceedings with the eagerly awaited Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 1, which sends Harry into battle against the dark forces of Lord Voldemort, and contrast this with the knockabout comedy of You Again which sees former school rivals on course to becoming competitive in-laws. There are more laughs on offer in Due Date, the latest from the folks who brought us last year's sleeper hit The Hangover. Mike Leigh is back with the bittersweet Another Year; Ray Winstone copes with his daughter growing up into a woman with dubious friends in Fathers of Girls; and Colin Farrell is an ex-con falling for actress employer Keira Knightley in London Boulevard. Let Me In is the American remake of the cult Swedish vampire flick Let The Right One In, while The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest is the final instalment of Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy, soon to be remade itself by Hollywood. There is grisly horror from a family of cannibals in the Mexican film We Are What We Are, and vengeance is the order of the day in the action packed Machete with further thrills and chills coming from the British horror tale The Scar Crow. For an earlier vintage of murderous exploits Peeping Tom, directed by Michael Powell in 1960, is re-released this month. There is family drama in Adrift; an Australian tale of humanity and fear in Broken Sun; the Hindi film Golmaal 3; and the Chinese earthquake story Aftershock. Lukas Moodysson tracks a seemingly perfect family falling apart in Mammoth and there are thought provoking documentaries dealing with issues of nuclear waste in Into Eternity and the straitened American education system in Waiting For Superman. This month we witness more outrageous stunts in Jackass 3D; experience the sci-fi invasion terrors of Skyline and see George Clooney play an assassin looking to put his career behind him in The American. And if none of that whets your appetite there's always Denzel Washington in Unstoppable, struggling to halt a runaway train laden with toxic waste. So there's something, in short, for everyone.

Movie Preview Guide October Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:32:57 +0100

Movie preview guide podcast The movie preview guide podcast is an indispensable asset in helping you decide which films to see at your local cinema in the month ahead. October sees a rich variety of titles, from the home grown comedy-drama offered by Made In Dagenham, to the larger than life adventures of drug dealer Howard Marks in Mr Nice. There's plenty of action in the heist movie Takers, as well as the uncompromising reaction of retired secret agents under threat from their former employers in RED. We cover everything from friendship across the miles in the warm hearted Mary & Max, to a family in crisis depicted in Lisa Cholodenko's The Kids Are All Right, as well as a young man's painful journey of loss and discovery of new love in The Death & Life of Charlie St Cloud. Younger audiences are catered for this half term with the 3D computer animation Despicable Me, Irish quest tale The Secret of Kells, and the domestic adventure Ramona & Beezus. There are more 3D thrills in Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, and the epic journey undertaken by a resourceful group of children to visit the 2010 World Cup in Africa United. There's original animation in A Town Called Panic, as well as more conventional comedy in the satirical Vampires Suck. The origins of Facebook are explored in The Social Network, and there's a new twist on the Scarlet Letter theme in the high school comedy Easy A. Dark humour underlines the tale of infamous Edinburgh grave robbers Burke & Hare, and there's an account of an infamous terrorist detailed in Carlos. Elsewhere Paranormal Activity 2 revisits the horror hit of 2009. An anti hero from an earlier generation returns as Michael Douglas plays Gordon Gekko once more in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, with other classic films coming to selected screens including Forbidden, It Happened One Night, Peeping Tom and Back To The Future. A verite tone pervades British drama The Arbor, and there are true life stories told in documentaries Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow, the apocalyptic Collapse and Afghanistan set Restrepo. International hits include Police, Adjective and The Hunter, as well as American made films Life As We Know It and New York, I Love You.

Movie Preview Guide September Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:32:57 +0100

Movie preview guide podcast The movie preview guide podcast is an indispensible asset in helping you decide which films to see at your local cinema in the month ahead. In September we feature romances that have the odds stacked against them, such as Going The Distance with Drew Barrymore and Justin Long, and Just Wright starring Queen Latifah. Gemma Arterton is country girl made good Tamara Drewe, while John C. Reilly finds the challenge of winning the woman of his dreams hampered by her possessive son Cyrus. Edge of the seat drama is on offer in the M. Night Shyamalan scripted Devil, the video game inspired Resident Evil: Afterlife, the demonic western Jonah Hex, documentary style horror tale The Last Exorcism and the realism of a battle against the elements in Frozen. Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning team up to play budding rock stars in The Runaways, while the British film Soulboy explores a coming-of-age against a soundtrack of Northern Soul music in the 1970s. Julia Roberts goes on a journey of discovery in Eat, Pray, Love while Juliette Binoche deals with relationship issues in Certified Copy. Winter’s Bone tackles a resourceful daughter’s efforts to keep her family intact, Ben Affleck returns to the director’s chair with the gripping crime drama The Town and Bonded By Blood is a British gangster flick based on a notorious gangland slaying. There are 3D adventures on offer in The Hole, and a more visceral suburban nightmare depicted in Cherry Tree Lane. The Horde sees teachers terrorised by rampaging students, while The Kid follows a young man’s journey away from a life of abuse and violence. Comedy this month comes from Will Ferrell in The Other Guys and Steve Carell in Dinner For Schmucks, with Robin Williams excelling in the darkly humorous The World’s Greatest Dad. There are films from further afield including the Hindi tales Anjaana Anjaani, Dabaang and Peepli Live, and documentaries No Impact Man and Budrus. On top of all that two classics are re-released this month, From Here To Eternity and - in a singalong version - the evergreen musical Grease.

Movie Preview Guide August Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 10:16:41 +0100

Movie preview guide podcast The movie preview guide podcast is an indispensible asset in helping you decide which films to see at your local cinema in the month ahead. The August edition offers a particularly broad selection, with family favourites including Disney’s live action adventure The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, the hit sequel Cats & Dogs: the Revenge of Kitty Galore, boisterous canine antics from Marmaduke as well as Tinker Bell & The Great Fairy Rescue. We cover the cautionary Diary of a Wimpy Kid as well as the fantastical 3D tale The Last Airbender; we enjoy the terpsichorean pleasures of Step Up (also in 3D) and share in a comic love story across the miles in Going The Distance. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, meanwhile, details an trickier romantic proposition. Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz head the cast of the action drama with a comedic twist Knight & Day, and Angelina Jolie is at her explosive best in the espionage tale Salt. This moth also sees the release of the second of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy, The Girl Who Played With Fire, as well as the Argentine suspense tale - winner of the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar - The Secret In Their Eyes. We learn about the South Korean thriller Mother, the French drama Le Refuge, a true life tale of artistry and passion in Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky and the quirky Chilean drama The Maid. An unpublished script by Jacques Tati forms the basis of The Illusionist, and a couple of independent British films will have audiences on the edge of - or hiding behind - their seats; the apocalyptic drama The Last Seven and horror tale The Scar Crow. And, just in time for the annual beach holiday, Piranha washes up on these shores. The selection continues with the reform school story Dog Pound, Bob Rafelson directing Jack Nicholson in the classic Five Easy Pieces, Adam Sandler’s reflective comedy Grown Ups, the blaxploitation spoof Black Dynamite and the 1970s coming of age tale SoulBoy. And if, after all that, you’re still hungry for larger than life, big screen adventure August also sees a limited re-release of the special edition of James Cameron’s history making Avatar.

Movie Preview Guide July Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 11:16:08 +0100

The movie preview guide podcast tells you all you need to know about the films that are coming to a cinema near you in the weeks ahead. The July edition features another dazzling array of big screen entertainment, from family friendly 3D blockbusters Toy Story 3 and Shrek Forever After to eye opening documentaries When You’re Strange, Separado and South of the Border. We hear from Jaden Smith, star of The Karate Kid, and learn about the all new version of 80s tv favourite The A-Team. Leonardo DiCaprio heads the cast of Christopher Nolan’s Inception, while the ongoing war between the vampires and werewolves comes to a head in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. One of the stars of the film, Peter Facinelli, talks to us about that. There are deadly games afoot in Predators and over-the-top horror in Mega Piranha. You can find sci-fi chills in Splice, gritty drama in Down Terrace and a desperate race against time in the British action thriller The Tournament. By complete contrast Catherine Zeta Jones is a single mother looking for love in The Rebound, while younger viewers will delight at the antics of Jasper, Penguin Explorer. Quirky black comedy is the order of the day in Skeletons and there’s a vivid romance played out in the Bollywood tale Milenge Milenge. From France we have the smash hit rom-com with a twist Heartbreaker as well as the African set drama White Material. Elsewhere Kristin Scott Thomas plays a wife and mother who falls for a younger man in Leaving. British actress Rachel Ward makes her directorial debut with the poignant Australian drama Beautiful Kate, and Cinema Paradiso director Giuseppe Tornatore returns with a multi layered tale of his home town of Baaria. As well as all these we have gentle comedy in The Concert, the offbeat Ivul and suspenseful kidnap drama Rapt. You can also hear about Japanese action flick Goemon, Iranian story Frontier Blues and Bollywood adventure Khatta Meetha, before we sit back and play out to the sound of France’s most outrageous music star whose life story is depicted in Gainsbourg.

Movie Preview Guide June Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Thu, 27 May 2010 10:28:08 +0100

The movie preview guide podcast tells you all you need to know about the films coming to a screen near you in the weeks ahead. The June edition covers Whatever Works, the latest from Woody Allen, the romantic Letters To Juliet, the rom-com When In Rome and the outrageous Get Him To The Greek. There are more romantic tribulations in She’s Out of My League, and a bona fide French classic in Godard’s Breathless as well as Noel Clarke’s new heist tale 4.3.2.1. Michael Winterbottom speaks to us about bringing a Jim Thompson classic to the screen with The Killer Inside Me, while by contrast we hear about the sweet eccentricities of The Brothers Bloom. There are dark and terrifying stories on offer with The Collector, Bear and Black Death as well as mordant tales of the American Dream gone awry in Please Give and Greenberg. There’s comedy in the British hitman caper Wild Target, and more laughs still in MacGruber, Our Family Wedding and Death At A Funeral. If your taste is for exotic drama you can catch Tetro, Hierro and Girl on the Train and some eye opening real life stories in the documentaries Videocracy, H2Oil and Good Hair. In short, something for everyone.

Movie Preview Guide May Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 17:05:10 +0100

The movie preview guide podcast tells you all you need to know about the films coming to a screen near you in the coming weeks. The May edition covers major releases including the horror tale A Nightmare On Elm Street, the action epic Robin Hood, romantic adventure Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and the slightly naughty Sex And The City 2 this time heading to the exotic city of Abu Dhabi. Family entertainment includes the intergalactic animation Space Chimps 2, in 3D, it sees the animals fighting back in Furry Vengeance and Dwayne Johnson playing a bruising ice hockey star getting his come uppance in Tooth Fairy. More grown up comedy sees Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan paired in Cop Out, and a group of friends travel to the 1980s in Hot Tub Time Machine. A comedian who rose to prominence in that decade is profiled in the documentary American: The Bill Hicks Story. British satirist Chris Morris is on fine form with the edgy but brilliant Four Lions. Laughter and tears are on offer in Our Family Wedding, while Jennifer Lopez experiences family planning nightmares in The Back-Up Plan just as she meets the man of her dreams. Romance from an earlier generation is on display in the re-released 1951 classic Pandora & The Flying Dutchman. Real life stories include the environmental story Petropolis, as well as faux documentaries Pimp and Just For The Record. Audiences can also look forward to the acclaimed drama Lebanon; the Italian account of Mussolini’s first love Vincere; Romanian tale The Happiest Girl in the World; the creepy Spanish spine chiller Rec 2; and the Hindi romantic drama Kites. Along with the British made, medieval drama Black Death and the high octane revenge thriller The Losers, there really is something for everyone out there this month. Details of all these films and more can be found at www.moviepreviewguide.com

Focus April Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:20:15 +0000

The movie preview guide podcast tells you all you need to know about the films coming to a screen near you in the coming weeks. The April edition covers a wide range of titles, from eagerly awaited blockbusters such as Clash of the Titans and Iron Man 2, to restored and re-issued classics including Psycho, The Manchurian Candidate and The Railway Children. We have the edgy rom-com Date Night and the poignant romantic drama Remember Me; Ricky Gervais’s Reading rite-of-passage tale Cemetery Junction and the David Baddiel scripted The Infidel; political thriller The Ghost and social satire The Joneses; comic book adaptation The Losers and Roman era action flick Centurion. The variety is huge, offering something for everyone with other titles covered included the Bruce Willis action comedy Cop Out, Wild Target with Bill Nighy, the suspenseful Shelter and tear stained relationship drama Dear John. There’s also the futuristic – and frightening -- Repo Men, Gurinder Chadha’s latest, It’s A Wonderful Afterlife, and Miley Cyrus in her new film The Last Song. Details of all these films and more can be found at www.moviepreviewguide.com

Focus January Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:35:43 +0000

The FOCUS podcast is a monthly round up of new cinema releases in the UK, punctuated by clips and the occasional interview. Check www.focusonmovies.co.uk for further details. The January 2010 instalment heralds the return of Woody and Buzz in a remastered 3D release of Toy Story 2, and welcomes the impending arrival of Disney’s latest animated film The Princess & The Frog. Elsewhere feisty folk story heroine Red Riding Hood returns in Hoodwinked Too! Hood Vs Evil. Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker play a married couple experiencing crisis in Did You Hear About The Morgans?, while It’s Complicated tells of the far from straightforward relations between divorced characters portrayed by Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin. Familial bonds are also tested in the emotional drama The Boys Are Back, starring Clive Owen. We talk about Sandra Bullock’s latest romantic comedy All About Steve, and the coming of age comedy Post Grad, as well as Ashton Kutcher’s LA set gigolo tale Spread. Andy Serkis turns in a stunning performance as Ian Dury is Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll, and Viggo Mortensen reveals some of the background to his work in post apocalyptic tale The Road. This dystopian view is also reflected in the Denzel Washington actioner The Book of Eli, while a daring heist gone wrong occupies the thoughts of the characters in Armored. A selection of Golden Globe nominated films are released in January, among them the George Clooney hit Up In The Air directed by Jason Reitman; we hear from leading lady Vera Farmiga about the experience of working with him. The acclaimed American drama Precious: A Novel by Sapphire is featured too, as is The Lovely Bones directed by Peter Jackson who also talks to us about his approach to filming Alice Sebold’s novel. There really is a huge selection of films out there, from the high quality Mel Gibson thriller Edge of Darkness, to the visceral action of Ninja Assassin; from Bollywood drama Mitti to British serial killer saga Tony; from South Korean film Treeless Mountain to the Mexican drama I’m Gonna Explode. And if that’s not enough January sees the release of the acclaimed documentary Crude, and the award winning French prison drama A Prophet directed by Jacques Audiard – who also speaks to us – which features a star making performance from Tahar Rahim.

Focus December Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:30:08 +0000

The FOCUS podcast is a monthly round up of new cinema releases in the UK, punctuated by clips and the occasional interview. Check www.focusonmovies.co.uk for further details. The December edition covers the usual wide range of new movies, from Sam Taylor-Wood’s excellent biopic of John Lennon’s early years Nowhere Boy, to Michael Keaton’s directorial debut, the thoughtful festive drama The Merry Gentleman. St Trinian’s 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold sees more mayhem spilling over from the hockey fields of England, with tension the order of the day in Cracks which depicts fluctuating loyalties at a 1930s girls’ boarding school. Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly is back with The Box, a terrifying tale of fate and consequence, while The Stepfather is a chilling remake of an 80s favourite. We also highlight The Descent: Part 2 which returns with relish to the venue of Neil Marshall’s 2005 original. Talking of original, James Cameron’s Avatar promises to be the film event of the season and may yet change the way movies are made and marketed, and is an epic adventure set on a faraway world. More family friendly fantasy is on offer in Where The Wild Things Are, a screen version of Maurice Sendak’s much loved book. Younger audiences will love Alvin & The Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel; and Planet 51, an animated fable set in an alien land. December also sees a digitally remastered re-release of the Powell-Pressburger classic The Red Shoes and a limited re-issue of another 1948 film, The Queen of Spades. Steven Soderbergh tackles an edgy relationship drama in The Girlfriend Experience, Daniel Day-Lewis plays a film director with female problems in the musical Nine, and the London set Unmade Beds also details the difficulties between men and women. Indie favourite Jim Jarmusch is back with Limits of Control, and we also cover the Hindi tales Paa and 3 Idiots along with the poignant Israeli drama My Father, My Lord. If you still can’t decide the cinema year wraps up with Guy Ritchie’s singular take on Sherlock Holmes, with Robert Downey Jr. tackling a troubling case as the fabled detective and Jude Law as his faithful sidekick Dr Watson.

Focus November Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:21:12 +0100

The FOCUS podcast is a monthly round up of new cinema releases in the UK, punctuated by clips and the occasional interview. Check www.focusonmovies.co.uk for further details. In the November edition we hear music from Ang Lee’s nostalgic tale Taking Woodstock, we learn about the tragic romance of John Keats in Bright Star, and discover a director tormented by tangled romance in the musical Nine. British director Stephen Poliakoff returns with the wartime drama Glorious 39, and Steven Soderbergh offers a wry take on corporate double dealing in the true-ish The Informant!. Another stranger than fiction tale released this month is The Men Who Stare At Goats, starring George Clooney and Ewan McGregor. We cover environmental apocalypse in 2012, existential angst in Cold Souls, more soul searching still in The Merry Gentleman and a thrilling mystery in Law Abiding Citizen. This month also sees the return of The Twilight Saga: New Moon, and the Coen Brothers with A Serious Man. Horror lovers are well catered for with Jennifer’s Body starring Megan Fox, and action fans can savour the adventures of Ninja Assassin. There are documentaries too, with Eric Bana’s motor racing fantasies fulfilled in Love The Beast and the social experiment We Live In Public. The foreign language films released in November are of high quality, and include Henri-George Clouzot’s Inferno, Michael Haneke’s The White Ribbon, Séraphine and The First Day of the Rest of Your Life. And of course, topically enough, there is the eagerly anticipated 3D release of Robert Zemeckis’s A Christmas Carol, featuring a cast headed by Jim Carrey and including Gary Oldman, Robin Wright Penn and Colin Firth. God bless them, every one.

Focus October Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:41:52 +0100

The FOCUS podcast is a monthly round up of new cinema releases in the UK, punctuated by clips and the occasional interview. Check www.focusonmovies.co.uk for further details. We open with the evocative sound of You’ve Got A Friend, the theme from Toy Story, heralding a new era in Pixar movies, with the re-release - in glorious 3D - of the first two Toy Story films, in anticipation of the third coming out next year. We also discuss Pixar’s newest hit, Up, which is screening in 3D at selected sites around the country. A new animated version of Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr Fox hits UK cinema screens in October, as does Ricky Gervais’s directorial debut The Invention of Lying. Another Reading native embarking on a big screen adventure is Peter Strickland, whose film Katalin Varga is a powerful revenge drama. Lighter pleasures can be found in the comedy Couples Retreat, in which a group of friends experience marriage guidance in an idyllic setting, while Jennifer Aniston looks for lasting romance with Aaron Eckhart in the sweet comedy Love Happens. There’s a grisly taste of Halloween to be found in the grimly amusing Zombieland and Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant, with Korean auteur Chan-wook Park offering his own twist on the theme with Thirst. Action fans can enjoy more bruising fight sequences in Ong: Bak The Beginning, or witness the free running talents on offer in District 13: Ultimatum, while Dead Man Running is a British thriller featuring Tamer Hassan and Danny Dyer racing to get the cash to repay a menacing gangster - played by rapper 50 Cent. October also features the British film An Education, written by Nick Hornby and directed by Lone Scherfig, featuring a superb lead performance from Carey Mulligan. Along with the documentary film Vanishing of the Bees and the poignant performance in Michael Jackson’s This Is It, it proves there is something for everyone in the cinema during the month ahead.

Focus September Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:54:02 +0100

The FOCUS podcast is a monthly round up of new cinema releases in the UK, punctuated by clips and the occasional interview. Check www.focusonmovies.co.uk for further details. September gets underway with a wonderful variety of new movies, from the vibrant Fame to the romantic (500) Days of Summer, the edgy drama Fish Tank to the nostalgic comedy Adventureland. Nick Love is back with a drama about football violence and male bonding in The Firm, while more deadly associations undercut the terrifying Sorority Row. There’s also a brand new version of Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray to see, starring Ben Barnes as the man with that painting in his attic. British directors active in Hollywood include Sam Mendes whose film is the heartwarming Away We Go, and Joe Wright who brings us The Soloist, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx. There is exciting sci-fi action on offer in Gamer, the Bruce Willis thriller Surrogates and the deep space suspense story Pandorum. Alien contact is given a fresh twist in the South African made District 9 while – just to prove that not every extra terrestrial phenomenon is to be feared – Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs plays in 3D on selected screens. There are true life tales told in the documentaries Bustin’ Down The Door, Morning Light, Big River Man, The Crimson Wing and fact based dramas such as the Charles Darwin story Creation, and the cathartic cookery saga Julie and Julia. And if that’s not enough for you key cinemas are also hosting re-runs of the classic Mafia movie The Godfather.

Focus August Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:25:42 +0100

The FOCUS podcast is a monthly round up of new cinema releases in the UK, with film clips and star interviews. Check www.focusonmovies.co.uk for further details. The films we cover in the August edition are Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker, and a succession of family favourites including Aliens in the Attic, Shorts. and G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra. We also hear from Eddie Murphy who tells us about his latest, Imagine That. There’s romance on offer in Adam, The Ugly Truth and I Love You, Beth Cooper and a degree of tear stained laughter from Funny People. Humour without such nuance can be found in the Wayans family’s Dance Flick. Bandslam is a movie that combines rock and romance, while Quentin Tarantino fans will be counting the days until the release of his latest, wartime drama Inglourious Basterds. If you fancy something stronger still 3D horror flick The Final Destination and the suspenseful Orphan provide it. As well as the documentaries Three Miles North of Molkom and The Yes Men Fix The World Spanish auteur Pedro Almodovar returns with Broken Embraces, and French star Vincent Cassel delivers a riveting performance in the two part crime drama Mesrine: Killer Instinct and Mesrine: Public Enemy No. 1. He speaks to us about the experience of embodying France’s most notorious gangster.

Focus July Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:35:18 +0100

In July we highlight the return of Sacha Baron Cohen as Brüno, and contrast this character’s impact on the world of fashion with Coco Before Chanel, which stars Audrey Tautou. We have romantic comedy with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in The Proposal – check the FOCUS website for your chance to receive free tickets – and a beautifully judged drama, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. A tale of young Irish runaways is told in Kisses, and there’s unexpected romance in Adam which shares a certain astronomical theme with the vividly realised Moon. Johnny Depp is sure to thrill his many fans with Public Enemies, while The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 marks the reunion of director Tony Scott and star Denzel Washington, who plays a train dispatcher under pressure from John Travolta’s criminal mastermind. There’s sure to be a buzz surrounding the eagerly awaited release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and of course younger viewers are well served by Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Land of the Lost, Imagine That and fantasy adventure G-Force. In short, there really is something for everyone this month.

Focus June Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Fri, 29 May 2009 16:29:30 +0100

The June podcast features the return of John Connor (Christian Bale), fighting for the survival of mankind in Terminator Salvation, and finding himself troubled by a mysterious stranger Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington). Dustin Hoffman is back too as Last Chance Harvey, a failed musician whose luck turns on a disastrous trip to his daughter’s wedding in London when he meets and forms an unlikely bond with the similarly lonely Kate (Emma Thompson). Hollywood great Jean Simmons features this month too, in the British drama Shadows In The Sun, and also in a re-issue of the classic adventure Spartacus. Another classic hitting our cinema screens soon is This Sporting Life, a bruising tale of a rising rugby league star that propelled Richard Harris to international stardom. Ken Loach turns to football in Looking For Eric, telling of a postman on the verge of a nervous breakdown who finds unlikely inspiration in Eric Cantona, with the Old Trafford legend prompting a dramatic turnaround in his fortunes. Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna play feuding half brothers who dream of footballing glory in Rudo Y Cursi; in Anything For Her a husband battles the odds to free his imprisoned wife; and Andrzej Wajda’s heartbreaking epic Katyn examines a wartime atrocity committed by the Nazis against the Polish army. On a considerably lighter note we learn about a pair of hopeless hunter-gatherers - Jack Black and Michael Cena - in Year One, who set out to fend for themselves away from the safety of their tribe. We also hear about a disastrous stag weekend in The Hangover that leaves a group of friends in hilarious disarray. And we end with a bang with the eagerly awaited summer blockbuster Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen which sees battle rejoined between Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) and the Decepticon forces once again.

Focus May Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:49:15 +0100

The May podcast covers Miley Cyrus’s big screen adventures in Hannah Montana The Movie, as well as the eagerly awaited sci-fi blockbuster Star Trek, featuring Simon Pegg who shares his thoughts about joining the epic franchise. We also hear from Sir Michael Caine about his role in Is Anybody There?, learn about Tom Hanks’ return in Angels & Demons and catch a few words with Michelle Pfeiffer whose new film is Cheri. Other highlights include French romantic drama The Girl Cut In Two, the Swedish tale Everlasting Moments and family films Coraline and Night At The Museum 2. And to finish off we can hear the four winners of our exclusive FOCUS competition to voice the Summer of Cinema trailer.

Focus April Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:43:52 +0000

The April podcast covers Richard Curtis’s latest film The Boat The Rocked, and features an interview with Bill Nighy. We talk to Reese Witherspoon about Monsters Vs. Aliens, and Jason Isaacs tells us about his new film Good. Other movies covered are sci-fi adventure Race To Witch Mountain, Swedish horror flick Let The Right One In, comedy I Love You, Man, political satire In The Loop, Bond classic From Russia With Love, British drama Shifty and X Men Origins: Wolverine.

Focus March Podcast

anwar.brett@btinternet.com — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:33:52 +0000

Watchmen, Zack Snyder, Brian Clough, The Young Victoria, Rupert Friend, Emily Blunt and Slumdog Millionaire, together in one place at last. That's some dinner party.