Vote for The A-Team!

Those clever people over at the marketing department for the upcoming movie version of The A-Team have come up with a cunning plan worthy of Hannibal himself: they've mocked up a series of UK election-style posters featuring everyone's favourite soldiers of fortune canvassing for your vote.

It's a nice idea, my favourite being Murdock's raving looney version, which will make perfect sense to any fans of the original 1980s programme but probably very little to anyone brought up on repeats of Friends or 27 series of Big Brother. I pity the fools.

Just don't pause for too long thinking about the sense behind these posters, as the whole point of the series/film is that The A-Team are trying to stay out of the limelight and having their faces plastered over billboards might not be the smartest move.

They're also based in the Los Angeles underground, making canvassing visits to UK constituencies rather tricky and whether they'd legally be able to stand for election here is debatable...

A new viral video has also appeared online which is worth a watch.

The A-Team is released in the UK on 30 July.

Getting into deep water with Back to the Future

Over the last few months I’ve sneaked into these pages a few not-so-veiled references to one of my favourite films, Back to the Future, each one vaguely justifiable at the time.

This week, as a new book is released which celebrates the 25th anniversary of the time travel classic, I can finally devote a full column to one of the most entertaining movies ever committed to celluloid.

For those of us who remember being taken to the cinema to see Back to the Future on its original release – it arrived on UK shores on 4 December 1985 and I was nine-years-old at the time – the film was a thing of wonder.

Backed by a PR campaign which employed Huey Lewis and the News to provide the radio-friendly title song, the film was funny, exciting and had a cool car in the shape of the DeLorean, at a time when KITT from Knight Rider was still the best thing on four wheels.

The new BFI Film Classics book, simply titled Back to the Future, is clearly written by fans of the film, but as well as recalling moments such as the DeLorean hitting 88mph and the Enchantment Under the Sea dance, it also touches on some of the political issues addressed in the script, particularly attitudes to teen culture of the 1950s and 1980s and its representation of science, atomic power and time travel.

It also reveals that in 2007, Back to the Future was chosen by the United States Library of Congress to be preserved for all time in the National Film Registry thanks to it being ‘culturally, historically or aesthetically’ significant.

Bizarrely (or perhaps not given the anniversary I mentioned earlier), a new time travel film is about to be released in the UK which references Back to the Future, at least in some respects.

John Cusack, a man who will be forever linked to the 1980s, leads the cast of Hot Tub Time Machine (out 7 May), in which four friends travel back to that decade from the present and are forced to try and preserve the past, though perhaps not in quite the same way as Marty and Doc Brown.

It sounds like a fitting tribute to a movie which shaped many people’s view of science fiction, making it accessible to a mass audience and paving the way for two ingenious sequels.

DVD Round-up, 19 April 2010

It’s a sad fact that sleaze and scandal are something of a mainstay of modern British life. Gone are the days of hushed-up goings-on in nightclubs by politicians and minor celebrities which at one time would only have bothered their consciousnesses – these days they’re likely to be splashed across the front of a tabloid rag and in the next issue of a celebrity magazine.

Of course, not everything makes it as far as the papers, with extortionate fees paid to publicists such as Max Clifford to hush up the seediest stories while others are given a new spin which makes them more palatable to a sleaze-hungry public.

The how’s and why’s of cover-ups and expose’s are at the heart of Chris Atkins' scathing new documentary, Starsuckers (Network), which fearlessly looks behind the lies and half-truths while creating a few of its own for the purposes of the film.

At breakneck speed we’re dragged through the gutter and beyond as Clifford is shown proudly discussing his work while new light is shed upon celeb-led good causes such as Live 8, the truth behind them worthy of a documentary of their own.

Quite what can be done to halt the rot setting in any further is debatable, but it’s important that as many of us watch Starsuckers before that next issue of Celebrity Fakes-R-Us Weekly hits the shops.

Extras include deleted scenes, a making-of and commentary.

Steven Soderbergh is a director with a varied back catalogue of films: the man who brought us the fun Ocean’s 13 is also responsible for the darker Che and the cult The Limey. Now he changes direction again for The Informant! (Warner Home Video), a picture which almost defies categorisation as it introduces us to a world of industrial espionage and personal intrigue in 1990s America.

Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon) is a successful vice president of an agri-business who does the unthinkable and admits to FBI agent Brian Shepard (Scott Bakula) that his company has been involved in price-fixing.

Going undercover as informer for the FBI, Whitacre becomes involved in ever-more dangerous situations as he tries to expose his bosses, the plot getting further twisted when it turns out he in turn is playing games with the FBI.

The Informant! is never a straightforward watch, with jaunty incidental music at odds with the drama and Whitacre’s mental state often difficult to understand. What’s obvious is that Damon is a skilled comic actor, his confident grasp of the material ensuring that repeated viewings will allow the viewer to better gain an insight into the mind of his character.

The Blu-ray-only director’s commentary is worth checking out, Soderbergh’s yack tracks renowned for their frankness and honesty.

Espionage of a different kind can be found in the new release of 1960s thriller Maroc 7 (Network), featuring US actor Gene Barry as wannabe-Bond Simon Grant making his way from swinging London to dusty Morocco in search of a deadly fashion photographer, played by the less-than-killer Leslie Phillips.

Maroc 7 is fascinating for its kitsch value and the sight of Phillips (who also produced the film) doing more than simply ogling the fairer sex, though it’s safe to say that Barry was never going to beat Connery at his own game as the rather bland Grant. Cyd Charisse adds glamour to the piece and the score is above par.

Extras include three image galleries and a PDF publicity booklet.

Cult movie fans who revere the work of Japanese actor, director and sometime gameshow host “Beat” Takeshi Kitano should look out for the mind-boggling Takeshis’ (Artificial Eye), his new film which looks at the world of a celebrity in an entirely new way.

Whilst Beat Takeshi (Takeshi) is a much-loved film star, convenience store worker Kitano (also Takeshi) is a lookalike actor who is searching for his own way into the industry.

Fate lends a hand by crossing the paths of the pair, both the film’s characters and its viewers pulled into a world of confusion as a result.

Takeshis’ is a film which needs time devoted to it, a wild ride which never takes itself seriously but refuses to turn itself into a joke. Takeshi fans won’t need told twice that it’s a must-see, while newbies might need more convincing and should probably start with one of the actors previous works, such as Zatoichi, before embarking on this.

Finally, step back to Camelot for Eureka’s lavish release on DVD and Blu-ray of 1954’s Sunday television favourite, Prince Valiant, starring Robert Wagner, James Mason and Janet Leigh.

Prince Valiant (Robert Wagner) travels to Camelot to become Sir Gawain’s (Sterling Hayden) squire only to discover treachery in King Arthur’s court – all in glorious Cinemascope!

Though it’s little more than a romp, Henry Hathaway’s film looks and sounds epic, while the sight of James Mason in knightly garb is almost worth the price of the film alone

Rediscovering Laxdale Hall

Local Hero, Gregory's Girl and Trainspotting are probably near the top of most people's lists of best Scottish films, but even the most devout movie buff will struggle to offer up 1953's ultra-rare Laxdale Hall (Panamint) as one of their favourites.

It's the story of a group of Highlanders at odds with the British Government, following disputes surrounding the road which leads from their village to the rest of Scotland. When the men from the ministry arrive in Laxdale, determined to move the villagers out of their remote homes and into a newly built town, the locals decide to fight back.

Thought only to survive in a damaged print not suitable for home video, the recent discovery of a near-pristine copy by a West Lothian film distributor meant that a DVD could be released to an unsuspecting world.

While it may not have the cheeky charm and infinite rewatchability of Whisky Galore or the whimsical magic of Local Hero, Laxdale Hall is still a hugely enjoyable yarn, its success lying in the fact that Scotland looks so good and in its impressive cast list.

Made on location at Applecross in the Highlands and featuring many exterior shots of the area, not only does the film feature appearances from Fawlty Towers star Prunella Scales in her first film part, but Local Hero star Fulton Mackay pops up as a young love interest and the late, great Rikki Fulton stars as a Glasgow poacher.

My favourite performance comes from ex-Vital Spark star Roddy McMillan as Willie John Watt, a man who's wife keeps having baby-after-baby while he has visions of his dead father. It's a lovely turn which complements the work of character actors such as Jameson Clark and Ronald Squire, bringing the witty script to life.

Having never heard of Laxdale Hall until a few weeks ago, I'd urge all film fans to search out a copy and keep their fingers crossed for more archive gems turning up sometime soon.

Another film worth looking out for is Edinburgh-set Crying with Laughter, in cinemas from today. It's a drama set in the world of stand-up comedy and features Stephen McCole as a man coming to terms with a past he's tried hard to forget. Though it's not always an easy watch, McCole is a strong lead and the script will make you think long after it ends.

The Expendables meet The A-Team

As I mentioned in today's Evening News, this is the summer that the 80s action heroes, from cinema and TV, return in the shape of Arnie, Sly and Bruce in The Expendables and Hannibal, BA, Faceman and Murdock in The A-Team.

While I can't vouch for the quality (they're not out for a few months yet) they do look like a whole lot of fun...



and...



Anyone else looking forward to these as much as I am?

DVD Round-up, 29 March 2010

Mighty Boosh fans rejoice! The director and stars of the cult comedy have finally banded together to make a movie in the shape of Bunny and the Bull (Optimum). And, while Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt may not be the leads of this particular adventure, it still has enough Booshisms to make a decent substitute until the real thing comes along.

Set in the living room of Stephen Turnbull (Ed Hogg), who hasn't left his house for months, a series of events causes him to recall a round-Europe trip he took with his flatmate, Bunny (Simon Farnaby).

However, because of Stephen's refusal to leave the front room, his flat becomes a recreation of his original trip, his sofa a gateway to another world and the dinner table a series of railway tracks, motorways and other locations too distant to go to physically.

As Stephen and Bunny move onwards on their journey, encountering odd characters (including Fielding and Barratt) and a love interest in the shape of Veronica Echegui, Bunny becomes more annoying and the reason for their trip less clear, the viewer wondering just who their loyalties should lie with.

Stunning visuals accompany them throughout, the backdrops getting more elaborate as they progress. With the story losing its grip at times, it's the film's look which is perhaps the most interesting, though a bittersweet ending does go some way to putting the rest of the piece into perspective. A frustrating watch.

A commentary, making-of documentary and other material help give some context to the film.

Controversial in its native South Korea, Breathless (Terracotta Distribution) comes to DVD in a features-packed 2 disc edition which attempts to get beneath the surface of this violent, yet rewarding, film which is written by, directed and stars Yang Ik-une.

Sang-hoon (Yang Ik-june) is a debt collector with a violent temper, one who likes to fight first and ask questions...never. Thanks to a brutal upbringing involving domestic violence, Sang-hoon's view of the world is fuelled by the need to exact pain on anyone he feels he can, until he meets a schoolgirl with a similar story.

Though its budget may be tiny, the fact that Breathless takes place mainly on the backstreets and interiors of offices and houses means that it's never meant to be glossy, Yang Ik-june never glorifying the violence at its centre.

With a gradual build up of tension and impressive interaction between characters, this is an absorbing and often difficult watch that rewards the persistent viewer.

Also out today is 1957's The Man in the Sky (Optimum), an Ealing Studio film starring Jack Hawkins as pilot John Mitchell who is living a less than fulfilled suburban lifestyle with his wife (Elizabeth Sellars) and their two children.

While taking a new plane on a test flight one day, his passengers including Donald Pleasance and Lionel Jeffries in minor roles, Mitchell realises something is wrong with the engines and orders his crew to parachute to safety. Remaining on board and unable to land, Mitchell must decide the best course of action while the town below, including his wife, watches.

Directed by Ealing regular Charles Crichton and featuring a strong performance from Hawkins, this is still a sub-par Ealing film, even if it does entertain for its short run time. Mitchell's reasons for wanting to remain on board may be admirable but there's not enough character there to make the audience sympathetic with him, the film falling rather flat when he does return to terra firma.

Still, as a lesser-known entry to the Ealing canon this is an important release, a good chance to see the recently-deceased Jeffries in a small part.

DVD Round-up, 22 March 2010

Forget remakes of 1970s slasher films, big budgets and star names: 2009's Paranormal Activity (Paramount) cost only $10,000 to make but has already grossed over $100 million in its native America, features a couple of unknown actors and has enough chills to make you think twice about any noises you hear in the night.

The plot is simple: when a young couple, Micah (Micah Sloat) and Katie (Katie Featherston), move into their new home they are soon bothered by strange sounds around the house as they try to sleep.

When Katie admits she's felt haunted all her life, Micah decides to take control by buying video recording equipment and filming their days in the house, setting it up in their bedroom to try and capture footage of what's happening around them.

Soon the pair are being tormented by something they can only hear but which is determined to cause them both pain, mental and physical.

While the all-American couple of Micah and Katie can be irritating at times, the actors do well to at least make them realistic, director Oren Peli adding layers of tension to each night's happenings.

Watched at home with the lights out it's a seasoned horror fan who won't feel at least a few hairs raising on the back of the neck during the film, though it perhaps loses some of the thrills that might be felt during a visit to the cinema.

A UK-exclusive director's commentary and making of documentary add to the package on the DVD and Blu-ray.

Another recent horror release is the latest in George A Romero's series of zombie allegories which began way back in 1968 with the now-classic Night of the Living Dead.

Now, in Survival of the Dead (Optimum), Romero maintains the low budget but moves location to a small US island inhabited, for no apparent reason, by two Irish families brought into contact with the undead as well as a rogue military unit intent on destroying every zombie in sight.

Though the plot makes little sense, the actors, led by Kenneth Walsh as Patrick O'Flynn and Seamus Fitzpatrick as Seamus Muldoon, at least seem to be having some fun, hamming it up throughout. With zombies taken out by single bullets, there's little actual horror here, the only real enjoyment to be had from the ridiculous plot and dialogue.

From modern horror we turn the clock back a few decades, Odeon Entertainment bringing us two gems in the shape of 1965's Dr Terror's House of Horrors and 1971's Blood on Satan's Claw.

Starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee and directed by horror veteran Freddie Francis, Dr Terror opens in the carriage of an old fashioned train where five men are joined by Doctor Shreck (Peter Cushing) as he starts to tell them their destinies using a deck of Tarot cards.

Each man's fate, involving werewolf legends, killer plants and voodoo curses, is described in detail by the Doctor as each one tries to work out how to avoid their fate.

Actors such as Donald Sutherland, Roy Castle and Bernard Lee pop up to add some class to proceedings, while Christopher Lee is brilliantly OTT as the art critic with a terrible temper who is having none of it. Original, creepy and blessed with a killer twist ending, Dr Terror's House of Horrors is must-see.

Blood on Satan's Claw is an odd beast, the tale of a 17th century English village which is slowly possessed by by the Devil.

When a skull is found in a field by a local farmworker, a Judge (Patrick Wymark) is brought to see it, only to discover it has vanished.

As strange goings-on occur over the next few days, including fur growing on areas of people's bodies and a change in temperament for many of the young, the suspicions of the elders grow.

Starring a number of familiar faces, from Upstairs Downstairs' Simon Williams and Doctor Who's Wendy Padbury, and backed by a terrific musical score, the film has plenty to offer the jaded horror fan who might despair at modern day offerings.

Away from the world of blood and curses, 1950's The Clouded Yellow (Eureka) is an overlooked British thriller which deserves some reappraisal, especially as it stars two great actors in Trevor Howard and Jean Simmons.

Ex-spy David Somers (Howard) decides to take a break from the world of espionage by retreating to the English countryside to catalogue butterflies for a rich family.

Attracted to his employers troubled young niece, Sophie (Simmons), Somers is embroiled in a murder mystery which will see the pair go on the run from the authorities across the UK.

Taking its cue from John Buchan's The 39 Steps in its man-on-the-run plot, the film makes up for its slightly pedestrian nature with fine performances from its two leads and a fun cameo from Kenneth More as Somers' always-eating ex-colleague.

Winning the P'alme D'Or at Cannes in 1987, Sous le soleil de Satan (Under the Sun of Satan) (Eureka) is a story of religion and murder starring Gerard Depardieu as priest caught up in events which may or may not involve the Devil.

Set in 1926 rural France, the film follows young priest, Donissan (Depardieu) who meets a young woman who has had many affairs and carried out an act of murder. On his way to meet her, Donissan encounters visions of the Devil which tempt and taunt him.

This is a dark tale which is hugely rewarding thanks to Depardieu's stunning performance as a man warring with himself and his God, a bleak story which says some interesting things about religion and humanity.