In which Gerry Hayes wishes he was drunk… Hannibal Rising, 2007. Directed by Peter Webber. Starring Gaspard Ulliel, Li Gong, Rhys Ifans. Screenplay by Thomas Harris based on a novel by Thomas Harris. I almost don’t want to include Hannibal Rising in this column because it is one of those films that has waded so […]

Trevor Hogg profiles the career of legendary British filmmaker Carol Reed in the first of a two-part feature… Following in the footsteps of his father Sir Herbert Beerholm Tree, who founded the Royal School of Dramatic Arts, Carol Reed decided to pursue a career in the theatre. “I wasn’t a very good actor,” reflected the […]

In which Gerry Hayes tries to insert a USB cable into the base of his skull to avoid having to type this stuff… The Matrix Revolutions, 2003. Directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski. Starring Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne, Hugo Weaving. Written by Andy and Larry Wachowski. Matrix III. Now don’t get me wrong […]

Tom Conran with his thoughts on an early screening in Sheffield and Q&A with Shane Meadows, Paddy Considine and Mark Herbert… Le Donk and Scor-Zay-Zee (2009). Directed by Shane Meadows. Starring Paddy Considine, Dean Palinczuk and Olivia Coleman. Shane Meadows and Paddy Considine reunite for the first time since Dead Man’s Shoes (2004) in this […]

Trevor Hogg profiles the career of director Peter Jackson in the second of a two-part feature… read the first part here. Peter Jackson decided to pursue his dream of producing a fantasy film as his follow-up project. Lacking major studio support to remake King Kong, the director chose to adapt a literary masterpiece. J.R.R. Tolkien’s […]

In which Gerry Hayes keeps looking around to see if John Cleese is going to pop up in a white coat, offering a titanium codpiece with a built in iPod and lemon-zester. Quantum Of Solace, 2008. Directed by Marc Forster. Starring Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Giancarlo Giannini. Written by Paul Haggis, […]

Trevor Hogg profiles the career of director Peter Jackson in the first of a two-part feature… “I grew up in a little town in New Zealand at the bottom of the North Island called Pukerua Bay,” revealed Peter Jackson when reflecting upon the coastal community of his youth. “There’s stone caves inside the mountains. There’s […]

In which Gerry Hayes just can’t stop humming that tune… Mission: Impossible II, 2000. Directed by John Woo. Starring Tom Cruise, Thandie Newton, Dougray Scott. Screenplay by Robert Towne. Oh, god, who has the energy? It’s another Mission Impossible. That means insanely implausible and monstrously complicated and convoluted story-lines. It means The Cruiser running about […]

Gary Collinson selects his Five Essential Films directed by Clint Eastwood… Despite a mantlepiece that boasts four Oscar statuettes (Best Director and Best Picture for both Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby) and an Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood remains synonymous with his on-screen persona while his talents as a filmmaker are […]

Trevor Hogg profiles the career of director Jason Reitman… Trading the doctor’s stethoscope for the director’s chair, Jason Reitman found his accomplishments being weighed against those of a famous Hollywood filmmaker. “Recently, I’ve been thinking about how my work and my father’s work compared,” reflected Jason about Ivan Reitman, the man responsible for the comic […]