Daytrip to LV-223 (Out this week - 01/06/12)

I have probably said this before (many many times before) but I have a complex relationship with blockbuster movies. On the one hand I do like to see the odd crowd-pleaser - last year I saw Thor, Pirates and Twilight at cinemas - I'm always more of a sucker for dramas. So the background of those blockbuster, female friendly franchises and one directed by a known Shakespearean is telling. More often I don't watch them and when I do it's only half heartedly, you have to go back to The Hunger Games in mid March before I last choose a top grossing movie as my pick of the week (and note I stayed at home that weekend). This weekend though I'm going to change my usual tack and sail into the wind of box office champions. There are two hugely anticipated cinematic treats over the Jubilee both looking for very different audiences, but my clear favourite (the sci-fi geek within me is jumping for joy), the RLAG film of the week, is Ridley Scott's Prometheus.



MIB3 did indeed squeeze it's way to the top of the UK box office last weekend, but it's performance was notably bad, falling well short of expectations partly due to the scathing reviews but also because of the lovely weather. Naturally it won't stay at the top as the Alien prequel of sorts battles it out with Snow White version 2 so which of the newbies will take the crown. On the one hand Prometheus has more screens, however we're at the beginning of half term, Jubilee weekend and Snow White skews younger with a much more marketable cast. I'm biased though so I'm plumping for Prometheus as the box office champion next weekend.

Prometheus

Well, here we are. Nearly 35 years after Ridley Scott kicked off the Alien franchise he is finally returning to the sci-fi cash cow that both made his name and changed the way we look at outer space. It's been high on the list if anticipated titles for 2012 so audiences will be flocking to see whether Scott can once again produce the intensity and naturalism in extraordinary circumstances that he was able to achieve before.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○

Read on for whisky tasting, manga inspired fantasies and a wicked, wicked queen as well as all of this weeks trailers.





No doubt you've seen nearly all of the trailers released so far, but if you haven't I wouldn't recommend starting now as the sense of incoming spoilerish is overpowering.

Angels' Share



Ken Loach has just received the Jury prize from Cannes from his eleventh appearance competing for the Palme D'Or, known for his realist portrayal of working class Britain this time he reunites with Sweet Sixteen writer Paul Laverty for another look at young Glaswegians teetering on the edge of society. Although the rare whisky plot brings some much needed humanity to the proceedings.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○

Himizu



Shion Sono's latest feature made a big splash at Venice last year partly because of the films backstory. When the making of this Manga adaptation was interrupted by the tsunami instead of putting production on hold Sono decided to use the devastated landscapes to underscore the protagonists drift towards psychosis. Worth making the journey to catch it.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○

Snow White and the Huntsman



Charlize Theron is simply having a ball at Rowena the wicked queen at the poisonous core of this latest fairy tale adaptation. With nods to 21st century concerns of body image and chaste love triangles I expect audiences will flock to see Kristen Stewart trying out a new franchise started and with the dwarves including Bob Hoskins, Nick Frost and Ray Winstone there's pretty much something for everyone.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○

Turin Horse



Billed as Bela Tarr's final movie (I'm not completely sure why given the Hungarian auteur is only 57) this deeply philosophical apocalyptic piece inspired by Nietsche's mental breakdown astounded and confounded audiences at last years Berlin film festival. I did want to give it a better blob rating but it's best surprisingly under-reviewed and will only be shown at one cinema.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○

Mallu Singh



Bollywood fans have three options this weekend, although two of them (including this effort) have extremely limited releases so won't build up huge returns. The plot involves two friends from the same village the first of whom needs to persuade the other to return.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○

On the Sly



For a long time I thought this French movie starred everyone's favourite shoplifting tomboyish actress. But it turns out it's Wynona Ringer, the daughter of the films director, who plays a young girl who runs away and builds her own life in the woods. Visually interesting I wonder if there's enough plot to keep the adults entertained?

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○

Rowdy Rathore



Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar headlines this action comedy - complete with ridiculous moustache - about a small town con-man, the girl he falls for, a mafia boss who's out to kill him and a strange child convinced Akshay's her father. Akshay has his fans so it could pick up an audience.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○

22 Female Kottayam



Strange looking Mayamalan feature which starts off looking like a low key romance, but then's then a fight in a urinal and the visuals veer into something close to Funny Games lite. What do you think?

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○

LOL



Why do I feel Miley Cyrus is older than she actually is? At 20 she certainly isn't too old to play a high-schooler churning through boyfriends in this family friendly pic. Whether she can command an audience here in the UK remains to be seen.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○

Top Cat - The Movie



I used to love Top Cat as a kid and no doubt I wasn't alone, especially in Mexico where it was such a huge hit Warners lent the property rights to Anima Estudios to make a big screen version. It's taken an amazing $8m there but remains to be seen if it will travel, especially with a slightly convoluted plot and over stretched jokes we see in this trailer.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○