Showing posts with label adventure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label adventure. Show all posts

20 January 2015

Blu-ray Review - The Thief of Bagdad (1940)

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Genre
Adventure, Fantasy
Distributor:
Network
Release Date:
26th January 2015
Rating: U
Director:
Michael Powell, Ludwig Berger, Tim Whelan
Cast: Conrad Veidt, Sabu, John Justin, June Duprez
Buy: Blu-ray The Thief of Bagdad

The Thief of Bagdad is one of the benchmarks of fantasy cinema. It is a remake of the earlier silent version with Douglas Fairbanks, even though both are very different. It also happens to be one of the first major films directed by Michael Powell, however like The Wizard of Oz, there were many directors: 3 credited and 3 uncredited. With that being said, the film certainly has Powell’s stamp on it.

Admad (John Justin) is imprisoned by the evil warlock Grand Vizier Jaffar (Conrad Veidt), despite being the rightful heir to the throne of Bagdad. With the help of the thief Abu (Sabu), Admad escapes, and together they go on a fantastical adventure. Admad, now blinded, tries to win back the Princess (June Deprez) and in doing so, must defeat the evil Jaffar.

The film’s greatest strengths are the special effects and cinematography. The film is the first major picture to use extensive blue-screen. Due to the primitive nature of effects at the time, it is visible, yet it is still used in breath-taking ways. The film has two centrepieces: the encounter with Djinn the genie, and even more impressive spider web sequence. The spider sequence terrified a young Terry Gilliam so much so that he would, “wake up in the middle of the night trapped in that spider web, all my bedclothes wrapped around me.” The special effects naturally won the Oscar as did the art direction and cinematography.

The cinematography is as lush and colourful as you would expect from Michael Powell. It was shot by the French cinematographer George Perinal who Powell must have enjoyed working with, as he did so again on The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. Powell would also work with him again on his later film Honeymoon, however Jack Cardiff, or his former camera operator Christopher Challis, shot many of the classic Powell and Pressburger films.

The Thief of Bagdad should be re-discovered, and hopefully thanks to the new Blu-ray release by Network it will. It has influenced directors as diverse as Terry Gilliam, Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola. The only real shame in the release is that it’s bonus features are limited to the original theatrical trailer and image galleries.

★★★★
Ian Schultz

3 December 2012

Send In The Vikings In UK trailer For Hammer Of Gods

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If your looking for a fight these bruisers the vikings will give you one and probably take your life too! Seasoned tv director(Doctor Who) Farren Blackburn's Hammer Of The Gods may do the trick. Plenty of sword fighting, blood, hairy blond people spitting out blood and plenty testosterone. It looks your typical 2am Syfy film but it has a few familiar faces such as Charlie Bewley (Twilight) leads the cast as the young Steinar, alongside James Cosmo, Clive Standen, Elliot Cowan, Glynis Barber, Michael Jibson, and Ivan Kaye.

Expect this one to appear in UK&Ireland around Spring 2013 for now check out the UK trailer below


Set in Viking Britain in 871 AD, Hammer of the Gods is a visceral, intense tale set in a world whose only language is violence. A young Viking warrior, Steinar (Charlie Bewley), is sent by his father the king on a quest to find his estranged brother, who was banished from the kingdom many years before. Steinar's epic journey across terrifyingly hostile territory gradually sees him emerge as the man his father wants him to be - the ruthless and unforgiving successor to his throne.

Source:IGN
















20 March 2010

Trailer for Luc Besson's Les aventures extraordinaires d'Adèle Blanc-Sec movie

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source SlashFilm
The first full trailer for Luc Besson's Les aventures extraordinaires d'Adèle Blanc-Sec  has been embedded below thanks to Yahoo France via Slashfilm.

We've been following the progress of this movie as best as I can and I have to say this trailer is fantastic.The impressive looking trailer is based on the Jacques Tardi comicbooks which where and still are very popular in France, Belgium and other Benleux countries, so yes even the non hollywood movie market are recreating comicbooks for the big screen.

SYNOPSIS:(Source Twitchfilm)The year is 1912. Adèle Blanc-Sec, an intrepid young reporter, will go to any lengths to achieve her aims, including sailing to Egypt to tackle mummies of all shapes and sizes.

Meanwhile, in Paris, it's panic stations! A 136 million-year old pterodactyl egg on a shelf in the natural history museum has mysteriously hatched, and the bird subjects the city to a reign of terror from the skies. But nothing fazes Adèle Blanc-Sec, whose adventures reveal many more extraordinary surprises...
Set in the carefree world before World War I, Adèle Blanc-Sec's adventures see the brave young woman fearlessly battling crooks, corrupt politicians, demon worshipers and mad scientists. Legendary cartoonist Jacques Tardi's original stories perfectly recreate the intrigue, romance and excitement of one of the most tumultuous periods in history.
Adapted and directed by Luc Besson (Arthur and the Minimoys, The Fifth Element, The Professional), Adèle's exhilarating, funny and fabulous adventures will be one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of 2010
 If this movie is given half a chance it could do very well outside France but then again theres sadly too many people lazy to read subtitles so they would have to destroy the movie with a watered down hollywood OTT poor version.


The movie is due to be released in France on APRIL 14TH but if your in Brussels, Belgium on April 9th you can ctach it at the Brussels Fantastic Film Festival

Offical Website (English)


5 February 2010

A new Teaser Trailer for Luc Besson's Les Aventures Extraordinaires d'Adèle Blanc-Sec

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source FirstShowing
Via Allocine (Screenrush'sFrench  big brother) the second teaser trailer for Luc Besson's  Les Aventures Extraordinaires d'Adèle Blanc-Sec has debuted online.
In the first teaser trailer we didnt see Adele herself but now we get our first opportunity to see her, played by the beautiful looking Louise Bourgoin. Based on the popular French comicbooks by Jacques Tardi the movie follows the adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec a young roving reporter who will go to any lengths to achieve her aims. Taking on the Egyptian mummies, the police, monsters and other distractions including a prehistoric pterodactyl which you see glimpse of in the trailer. This is big blockbuster movies French style !
Apart from the director Luc Besson , Mathieu Amalric is known to British/Irish movie fans through his time with Steven Spielberg's Munich also Qauntim of Solace and more recently Mesrine movies.
No dates of when this will come to UK and Ireland but this monster of a movie will be out in France on April 14th, hopefully we can enjoy it no long after that!