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Armchair Viewing: City Slickers (1991)

Posted by Neil | Thu, 02/09/2010 - 09:59

By Neil Davey

"Get 'em up, move 'em out, wake 'em up, get 'em dressed, get 'em shaved, comb their hair, Rawhide! Tie me down, tell me lies, pull my hair, smack my thighs - with a big wet strap of Rawhide..."

What's it about?
Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal) is slap bang in the middle of a mid-life crisis. His career isn't what he expected. His homelife, while content, isn't what he expected. Life in general, in fact, isn't what he expected. On the plus side, he's not alone: best friends Ed (Bruno Kirby) and Phil (Daniel Stern) are also suffering, albeit from very different sides of that equation as Ed's beautiful young wife wants kids and he's not sure he does, while Phil's marriage is a disaster and he's just got a checkout girl pregnant. To put the real world behind them for a while, the trio sign up for two weeks of playing cowboy on a cattle drive, under the watchful, scary eye of gnarled cowhand Curly (Jack Palance).

PODCAST SPECIAL: The Last Exorcism

Posted by Stuart | Thu, 02/09/2010 - 07:38

Screenjabber's Stuart O'Connor speaks with The Last Exorcism director Daniel Stamm and producer Eli Roth about their devilish new movie – the sensational cast, and the documentary style – plus Hollywood's new-found passion for 3D and what they plan to do next.

You can listen to and download the podcast here – or subscribe to it on iTunes ... plus you can also follow us on Twitter, or join us on Facebook.

We'd love your feedback too, please. After having a listen, come back here and post your comments below (you'll have to register first).

Tonight's Terrestrial Telly Tips

Posted by Louise Bolotin | Thu, 02/09/2010 - 07:21

An hour is not nearly long enough to do justice to the glorious history of French cooking but cultural historian Andrew Hussey has a pretty good try in France on a Plate (BBC4, 10.25pm). It’s a whirlwind tour of Gaullish grub, from the political and royal hub of Versailles, where haute cuisine was invented, to the designer-led nouvelle style where the look of the dish took prominence over the taste. Hussey chats to some iconic French chefs en route and explores why food is of such national importance to our cousins across the Channel.

PRESS CONFERENCE: Tamara Drewe

Posted by Stuart | Wed, 01/09/2010 - 22:22

By Anne Wollenberg

Hot on the heels of Scott Pilgrim vs The World comes another superb comic book adaptation in the form of Tamara Drewe. Set in picturesque Dorset, where Tamara – once a country girl, now a glam newspaper columnist – returns after her mother’s death, it’s adapted from the comic strip by Posy Simmonds, which was in turn a modern reworking of the novel Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy.

Tamara is something of an anti-hero. “She’s very flawed, but that’s what makes her real,” says Gemma Arterton, who plays the title role. “She’s struggling with using her feminine wiles to be successful and it doesn’t make her happy. I think that’s a very current problem. It was refreshing to play someone written by a woman – it’s a very honest portrayal.”

Tonight's Terrestrial Telly Tips

Posted by Louise Bolotin | Wed, 01/09/2010 - 09:04

The talk on the nation's lips this morning has been, unsurprisingly, the publication of Tony Blair's memoirs. And it's not been pretty. The former PM has been vilified across the board, despite donating millions in royalties to a services charity (a gesture described as "blood money"). So, the question is how will he fare in The Tony Blair Interview with Andrew Marr (BBC2, 7pm)? Marr himself is a Labour man but everyone will still be hoping and expecting him to give Blair a decent grilling over the Iraq war and much more. Whatever, it'll be an entertaining hour - as much for what doesn't get said as what does. Don't miss it.

Tonight's Terrestrial Telly Tips

Posted by Louise Bolotin | Tue, 31/08/2010 - 07:51

On the heels of yesterday's challenging drama about modern-day slavery, Channel 4 is launching a mini-season on trafficking and sexual exploitation. The Hunt for Britain's Sex Traffickers (9pm) covers police activity in the nationwide Operation Pentameter 2, which aims to bring traffickers to justice. The cameras tracked DC Andy Leigh of the Gloucestershire Constabulary for more than a year - we see him gather evidence through covert filming, local intelligence from businesses such as estate agents and liaison with other forces before raiding brothels to free enslaved sex workers and track down the men responsible. Helen Mirren narrates, part two is tomorrow.

Armchair Viewing: Jarhead (2005)

Posted by Justin Bateman | Mon, 30/08/2010 - 21:29

By Neil Davey

"For most problems the Marine is issued a solution. If ill, go to sickbay. If wounded, call a Corpsman. If dead, report to graves registration. If losing his mind, however, no standard solution exists."

What's it about?
His father was a Marine. His grandfather was a Marine. Well-read, philosophising, navel-gazing Anthony "Swoff" Swofford (Jake Gyllenhaal) is thus under a certain amount of pressure to follow suit. He enlists at a bad time: just before Desert Storm. After barely making it through boot camp, he discovers a talent as a sniper which ensures he's front and centre (well, hidden and distant, technically, but you get my point) when the war breaks out. But is he actually a killer? Can he pull the trigger on a live target?

Tonight's Terrestrial Telly Tips

Posted by Louise Bolotin | Mon, 30/08/2010 - 09:41

Slavery is alive and thriving in modern Britain, despite having been outlawed nearly 200 years ago. It exists through the wealthy importing foreign domestic staff and then exploiting them because of legal loopholes. I Am Slave (C4, 8.30pm) is a powerful fictional drama based on true testimonies about Malia, a young Sudanese girl snatched from her village and sold on before ending up enslaved to a rich London family who have bought her knowing she is not free. Wunmi Mosaku shines as the young slave who makes a dramatic bid to escape her owners. This is harrowing viewing for a bank holiday Monday but will not fail to move you if you have the courage to watch.

Armchair Viewing: Flash Gordon (1980)

Posted by Justin Bateman | Mon, 30/08/2010 - 09:28

“Flash! Flash, I love you. But we've only got 14 hours to save the earth!"

What’s it about?
Flash Gordon (Jones) and Dale Arden (Anderson) are kidnapped by mad scientist (is there any other kind?) Hans Zarkov (Topol) and take off into outer space as Ming the Merciless (Von Sydow) attacks Earth. They reach Ming’s planet of Mongo (obviously) where Flash is sentenced to death while also facing hostility from the tree people of forest moon Arboria led by Prince Barin (Dalton) and Vultan (Blessed) and his winged Hawkmen. Meanwhile, Ming’s plan to destroy Flash’s home continues apace...

FrightFest Day 4

Posted by Stuart | Mon, 30/08/2010 - 08:39

Day 4 of FrightFest begins with a bit of a lie-in, a quick trip to the local cafe for breakfast and then back to work – watching The Loved Ones in preparation for this afternoon's interview with star Robin McLeavy. Yes, we skipped The Quiz From Hell (sorry, Andy) and the Short Film Showcase (sorry, Paul).

Post-interview with the lovely Robin (who is really, really scary and psychotic as Lola in the film) I finally managed to grab some time to sit down and interview the patron saints of FrightFest, Adam Green and Joe Lynch. I chatted to Adam about the wonderful Hatchet II, and what FrightFest means to him. The Joe and I talked about his new film, The Knights of Badassdom, which he wrapped shooting on just before jetting to London for the festival. Now that's dedication for you! FrightFest just wouldn't be the same without these two warm, funny and all-round-great guys. And the extra good news is that their series of shorts that runs throughout the festival, The Road to FrightFest, will return next year.