New Poster for A Good Day to Die Hard

Man of Steel

Zack Snyder's reinvention of the Superman story under the production guidance of Christopher Nolan is still a few months away but already looks set to bask in Summer glory.

The more mature and serious interpretation has been carefully planned with the trailers revealing a little at a time and a viral marketing campaign which has Kryptonian transmissions being decoded under the Deep Space Radio Wave Project.

Watch this space for more updates in 2013, but meanwhile here's the latest official trailer.

Die Hard 25th Anniversary Box Set

One of the most popular Christmas action films of all time is nearly 25 years old. 

Yes, it’s been that long since John McClane came home for Christmas and saved Nakatomi Plaza from a bunch of terrorists who were just high-tech robbers. Twenty five years since “Yippee-kai-yay” entered our vocabulary and Hans Gruber was immortalized by Alan Rickman creating a definitive villain that has yet to be rivaled. And of course it’s been twenty five years of Bruce Willis having jumped with machine gun firing from Moonlighting to the big screen entertaining us in a franchise which sees its fifth film explode onto the screen on Valentine’s Day 2013. 

Twentieth Century Fox is celebrating by bringing the Die Hard 25th Anniversary Collection to bluray in a special 5-disc set with new features that look back at the franchise, the fights, the explosions, the bad guys and of course the creation and legacy of everyone’s favourite anti-hero.

The fifth disc called Decoding Die Hard, contains 7 new features as follows:


• “Modern-Day Hero” — Casting, evolution and legacy of John McClane
• “Along For The Ride” — Sidekicks who have teamed up with McClane
• “Bad To The Bone” — McClane’s foes
• “Punishing Blows” — Action sequences, fistfights and stunts
• “Explosive Effects” — Role of visual and special effects
• “Reinventing The Action Genre” — Development of the franchise
• “The Right Hero For The Right Time” — The Influence of Die Hard


Released two weeks before A Good Day to Die Hard hits the big screen, this box set is a great way to relive high-octane-McClane’s adventures so far in saving a whole bunch of hostages and beating the odds to do it every time. 

The Die Hard 25th Anniversary Collection is available from January 28, 2013.

Only God Forgives

Nicholas Winding Refn has had a terrific year with Drive getting re-discovered on home media, Pusher having a new incarnation on the big screen and now buzz surrounding Only God Forgives heating up before the promo debuts later this year.

Reunited with Ryan Gosling, Refn directs him as a manager of a boxing club in Bangkok who's living in exile after killing a cop. The boxing club is a front for a drugs cartel and Gosling gets drawn into trouble when his brother is murdered. Kristin Scott Thomas plays the boys' mother who travels to Bangkok instructing Gosling to raise hell in revenge for her son's murder. Expect violence, blood, violence and more violence.

What did you expect after Drive?

Skyfall Rises to Break UK Box Office Record

Skyfall has become not only the highest grossing Bond film but also the biggest film in UK box office history. No 3D, no blue aliens but a healthy dose of realism have ensured that this James Bond film has made over £94 million in just 40 days stealing James Cameron’s Avatar’s crown which previously held the record for its accomplishment in 11 months.

What was hoped to be a year of jubilation for James Bond with the character celebrating 50 years, has exceeded even the producers expectations and the uncertainty that clouded the franchise given the mixed response to Quantum of Solace and stalled starts for Skyfall, is a distant memory of the past. Skyfall had a lot riding on it as the last Bond film was released four years ago and did not receive the enthusiastic roar of approval that Casino Royale secured. The Olympics helped officially remind everyone of a British institution flying the flag proud but never afraid to use his license to kill. Daniel Craig’s appearance as part of the Olympic opening ceremony – one that celebrated British culture and pride – saw him serving both the Queen and country very literally to a rapturous response that helped kickstart enthusiasm for a new Bond film. For those unaware of what the film’s title was, they only had to describe what Craig was doing in the ceremony to get the hint: Skyfall.

As teasers for the 23^rd film emerged and trade publications congratulated the longest running and most successful film series in history, DVD and bluray box sets were released containing every Bond film to date with a slot free for the new movie. Television tributes to the character and a book by Sir Roger Moore on his experience with James Bond all contributed to keeping the tradition and value of Bond in the public eye, but nobody knew what to expect of Skyfall.

When it was announced the title song would be performed by Adele and the media dissected the various brand endorsements that had become part and parcel of getting the film made, screenings confirmed that something very special had happened with Skyfall: Bond had got his swagger back.

Straying slightly from the formulaic Bond which has girls, gadgets, wisecracks and impossible threats, Skyfall forced the character to crash and burn becoming the underdog who was fighting to prove himself to MI6 as well as the world. Characterisation went a level further with themes exploring the human element of being an agent, Bond’s background and upbringing, M’s maternal role to the agents who work for her and how retiring from the field is usually not voluntary and doesn’t come without repercussions. Skyfall returned to Bond’s roots, paid homage to where the series started and reintroduced two throwbacks that were iconic in their initial incarnations (Moneypenny and the original Aston Martin). The film also perfected a maniacally-layered villain who sought to avenge his own death and abandonment by targeting the person he held responsible, M (Judi Dench). Ironically the killed and resurrected but-not-deemed-fit-for-duty Daniel Craig’s James Bond is the only one who can defeat agent-gone-bad Raoul Silva (chillingly portrayed by Javier Bardem). The Bond girl this time reflects a façade of glamour with Berenice Marlohe delivering a killer performance as Severina – a woman who Silva saved from the Macau sex trade only to be left with even less free will and required to be a slave to his master plan. We don't witness his treatment of her except in the scene where he discards her but her eyes shiver with fear when she begs Bond to free her from captivity and what is not said conjures up a fearful story.

The writing team of Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan have worked to ensure characterization, themes, subtext and narrative devices used to pull together the world of Skyfall are more complex than any previous Bond has been, and director Sam Mendes together with Roger Deakins weave the tapestry with pure visual delight. Couple this with extremely strong performances by Craig, Bardem, Marlohe, Dench, Ralph Fiennes and Naomie Harris and you have a very strong James Bond film coming together. The icing that has also helped make repeat viewings a joy is veteran editor Stuart Baird’s ways of keeping the film fast-paced and a pleasure to sit through and experience. Not an action film from start to finish, Stuart and Kate Baird’s meticulous editing ensures the suspenseful spy thriller heavy on action and drama in equal doses resonates with the magic that movies are made of.

Pre-orders for the bluray release of Skyfall have already shown strong figures despite the film still performing well at the UK box office. With the talent of the film now receiving financial rewards for the success of the film and more promised depending on how it fares during award season, the very big gamble that began on shaky ground has more than paid off allowing all associated with the film to breathe a huge sigh of relief. A statement from producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said they were “overwhelmed with gratitude to the cinema-going audiences in the UK who have made Skyfall the highest grossing film of all time”. Here’s to another 50 years and many more stories that break new ground and entertain from the world of 007.

Skyfall is released on DVD and Bluray in the UK in 2013.

Continuing Our Countdown to A Good Day to Die Hard

Close to nine weeks left until A Good Day to Die Hard when John McClane returns with his son in tow in an impossible situation that'll have him fighting to the end with guns blazing, tanks roaring and dealing very closely with broken glass (again).

Australian actor Jai Courtney joins the franchise as Jack McClane who is more than a chip off the old block and revels in the thrill of bad luck McClane Senior has found himself in previously. Continuing our countdown to February 14th and the release of A Good Day to Die Hard, here's a glimpse behind the scenes and an introduction to the new action man on the scene fighting hard with Bruce Willis: Jai Courtney.

Bad 25

Spike Lee’s reflection on one of Michael Jackson’s most iconic and celebrated albums opens and ends with the singer speaking at an interview in Brooklyn. Those who know Spike realise he’s probably taken great pride in having excerpts from an interview that took place in the filmmaker’s adopted hometown, and one that just happens to be one of the more insightful interviews Michael did during the release of Bad.

Twenty-five years later, the documentary film aptly titled Bad 25 is a true celebration not just of the album but of Michael Jackson, the artiste whose visionary work has inspired and entertained millions above and beyond the majority of his short-lived life. Without delving too deeply into Jackson’s background, the documentary begins stating the burden of success that Thriller brought with it to Jackson and the industry. He had little left to prove yet worked day and night to create an album that would be a worthy successor to 1984’s Thriller, hoping to sell 100,000,000 copies.

Having grown from child star to teen idol, Michael Jackson tasted fame as a young black singer who achieved significant crossover success as a solo artiste paving the way for others through air-and-video play that was not based on marketing dollars but public demand. Thriller became a behemoth that could not be topped and kickstarted an era which saw the rise of two prominent artistes of colour who would transcend genres and boundaries and be discussed in one of Spike Lee’s own cult films – Michael Jackson and Prince.

As Lee’s film delves deep into the genesis of the Bad album, the playful nature in which a duet between Prince and Michael Jackson was suggested is touched on with much humour. The two stalwarts were destined for different paths of success yet their lives and careers constantly intertwined from the time of the heights of their fame to Michael’s final years. No collaboration resulted despite many attempts and the early story of how Bad was taken to Prince for a duet which would be a showdown between the two was dead in the water from the offset.

Journeying through each track on the album, Spike’s film intercuts never before seen footage with revelations of the detail Michael put into his work, painstakingly crafting songs that shine even to this day. From the way he harnessed and controlled his talent to handpicking directors he wanted to help translate his music onto celluloid, Michael was determined to perfect the experience of those consuming his output.

Bad 25 delights Jackson fans with information that has never been uncovered before and provides a unique insight into the creative mind of a visionary genius. It also provides anyone with a passing interest in the intricate process of artistic creation with an extremely enjoyable and informative view into the journey that begins with conception, nurturing and shaping an idea, leading it through to a fully formed song and music video.

The striking imagery, narrative and editing that impressed in Michael’s short films are given the respect and dissection that only another filmmaker could provide. Spike Lee treats each song on the Bad album and accompanying video with an inquisitive pursuit that traces through interviews with directors, cinematographers and choreographers discussing the vision that Michael Jackson had when wanting to present his concept to the world.

The genius of Leave Me Alone includes that it reflected a highly personal response to his media crucifixion with an avant-garde video complete with barking dogs in suits nailing him down to restrain his freedom of expression, while also keeping the viewers' foot tapping and voice humming with a hypnotic and thumping drum. The result is infectious and mesmerizing, which is one of the reasons it’s cited as many a fan’s favourite song and video, and thanks to Bad 25 we understand more why it is it has this effect on us. The same treatment is given to the album’s title track with Martin Scorsese watching footage from the original shoot and reminiscing about incidents on set. The Way You Make Me Feel and Smooth Criminal also deserve noteworthy mention due to the interesting stories associated with the background of these songs and short films (we even finally discover the identity of Annie and whether or not she’ll ever really be ok). The filming of the Liberian Girl video including Michael Jackson’s one take on-screen appearance as well as video footage that Michael himself took of a demo of Man in the Mirror are among other highlights of the documentary. Spike Lee is on the ball when presenting the Bad album 25 years later in a way that generates the same excitement that accompanied its arrival.

Michael’s tributes to dancers he grew up watching and passion for entertainment and performing as well as creating and crafting his own musical legacy is all presented with a respectful and thorough investigation.

The highlight of the documentary film is not a single moment but an array of complete experiences united by a man who refused to deliver anything less than his best. Many of the subjects interviewed will not have met each other, yet all contributed to an era that is celebrated today and united for one project.

Lee ensures that Bad 25 is more than an experience that enhances the vision Michael Jackson delivered to the world, it also celebrates his creativity and talent and provides a complete ‘making of’ that is unrivalled by any similar claim of music channels today. He also shows with sensitivity and wise judgment how Michael’s passing has affected each of the interviewees through capturing their responses to where they were when they heard the news that changed the entertainment world forever.

A fascinating watch from start to finish, Bad 25 celebrates the music industry’s most visionary icon and presents the genesis, revelation and exodus of an album that took the world by storm with a trans-media approach ahead of its time. Adding to his already accomplished narrative film work and documentary filmmaking which moved with ‘If God is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise’ and ‘When the Leeves Broke’, Spike Lee excels in capturing an era in a 123 minute film which leaves you smiling and remembering one of the entertainment industry’s greatest artistes and feeling that he really has gone too soon.

Spike Lee’s BAD 25 will be released on DVD and Bluray in February 2013. A heavily edited version screened on ABC on Thanksgiving and the full version on BBC 2 in the UK on December 1^st.