Some body count (Out this week - 21/09/12)

At first I was going to write about the sudden dramatic change in tone between the generally upbeat lite-comedy of last weekend and the thumping visceral action heavy output of this weekend.  But then I stopped to think whether that was really true and of course it's not.  It's just the films that appeal to me have changed.  It's a quirk of the scheduling that meant last weekend we have Meryl Streep and Woody Allen and now it's Brad Pitt and Oliver Stone.  So with a zero body count from 7 days ago I'm about to head to cinemas with the sure knowledge that will be crushed.  I'm thinking over 30 corpses between the two top films.  With the Runs like a Gay film of the week Killing Them Softly

There are lies, damned lies and statistics.  So said Mark Twain in his autobiography.  So bearing that in mind I'm calling last weekend's box office prediction a success.  What?  But RLAG said it would be ParaNorman yet any idiot with a Guardian can see it's The Sweeney claiming the crown.  Yes, true, but Nick Love's gritty crime flick (you see there were some last week) only squeezes into pole if you take into account two days of previews, an advantage the zombie tackling stop-motion didn't have, take that out and Laika studios are the clear winners.  Take that Regan and Carter, hooray for the misunderstood kid.  There are two action flicks competing this weekend, both with similar screen counts, but I think the shorter running time and generally better reviews will enable Killing Them Softly to edge ahead, making it the first time in ages the film of the week is also predicted as box office champ.

Killing Them Softly

It is generally agreed that Andrew Dominik's last movie, the intense balletic Jesse James film, is a modern masterpiece.  So all eyes were on his follow up at Cannes earlier in the year.  It comes as no surprise that the adaptation of George V. Higgins' pulp 70's novel hasn't quite reached the standards of his previous film, but it seems punchy and didactic and should still be an exciting and unmissable film event.

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Read on for drug cartels out of control, a special tool for ladies, more buildings you shouldn't go into and every trailer for films released this weekend.



There's a hint of Dominik's assured work behind the camera and this could be another knock out performance from Brad Pitt.  Honestly how could you resist?

Savages

Never a film maker renowned for his subtlety it looks like Oliver Stone has temporarily dropped the champagne socialism for a balls to the wall drug cartel action flick, featuring every Hispanic actor you know and a few up and coming white stars as the heroes this does seem to promise suitable amounts of mayhem and violence.

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Hysteria

Prepare for everything you though you knew about the sex life of Victorians to be wrong as you enter into the strange beginnings of the vibrators.  First produced and marketed as a medical aid to calm hysterical woman this fun period drama (more like Carry on Merchant Ivory) sees the patriarchal doctors, led by Jonathan Pryce telling the women what's best for their ailments whilst Maggie Gyllenhaal's proto-feminist is keen to tell him it's only about pleasure.

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Heroine


It's a Bollywood movie about Bollywood, centering around a star trying to stay at the top of her game.  I'm not sure whether casting massive star Kareena Kapoor in the leading role will help, but it's warts and all look inside the Inidan movie business is bound to gets bums on seats so we can expect this to slip into the fringes of the top ten this weekend.

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House at the end of the Street

I can't claim to have learnt that much advice for living from trips to the multiplex.  Sure I've picked up some stuff about history, but for every moral there's another film that subverts it.  Except in the case of horror where it is the perceived wisdom that if a serial killing once took place in a house then it's best to just get the fuck out of there.  I don't think Elisabeth Shue and Jennifer Lawrence are quite as cine-literate as I am.

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Inbred

Yorkshire based horror which sees a bunch of delinquents from London off on a field trip with their right-on carers only to find it'a particularly grim up north when the locals fancy a bit of torture the newbies.  A friend of mine from Yorkshire pointed the trailer out to me months ago and got all flustered about the regional stereotyping.  It gets an extra blob just for that.

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Now is Good

It's Love Story meets The Bucket List as Dakota Fanning goes all Cancer won't defeat me in this young adult weepie.  I hear it hits all the marks for the teenage target audience and the solid presence of Paddy Considine and Olivia Williams will have the adults in tears too.

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Tower Block

The vagaries of production times and release dates means we get the second James Moran script in a few weeks and whilst this doesn't have the enjoyable tone of Cockneys vs Zombies there's still a notable tension in this mysterious sniper in the council estate thriller.  Nice cast of TV names too.

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Untouchable

It's broken box office records in it's native France and proved to be an enormous crowd pleasing success across Europe and America, so it'll be interesting to see how this dramedy about a quadriplegic millionaire Francois Cluzet and the former thug he hires to care for him Omar Sy does in the UK.  If you ask me the tone is a little difficult to pin down, with it's nauseating "we all have disabilities" theme.  Maybe I'm just too cynical.

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You are God

Polish flick with a a tiny release window.  Telling the true story of Eastern European rap outfit Paktofonika and their tragic fron man Magik.  I imagine this is a movie playing very much to it's core audience, but if you're interested in the history of rap and how it's been taken up across the globe this should be worth catching.

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How to Make Love to a Woman

If you do want to see this instructional comedy, in the vein of a marginally less bawdy American Pie, then you've already missed your chance as it hung around in a limited number of cinemas during week nights only.  Still it won't be long before it appears in a bargain bin near you.

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The Prophet

I wanted to give this odd documentary more blobs but I honestly couldn't justify it, however the almost performance reading aspects - Thandie Newton voice overs extracts from Kahil Gibran's cult guide to living - whilst Gary Tarn finds some notable and exquisitely related things to film.  This is more art than art-house and almost certainly deserves checking out if you're able to do so.

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Worse than your parents (Out this week - 14/09/12)

I am now 35 years old, half my life has passed since I lost my cherry, and I rather hope I will still be able (and willing) to enjoy a casual 69 when I've doubled that number again, however there is strange disconnect between ourselves and our elders. When my Mother was my age I walked in on her and my Step-Father indulging in carnal activities in front of the fireplace. I was shocked, partly because they'd thrown the dog off his normal stretching place into the cold hallway whilst at it, and appalled that they did that sort of thing. I have passed that strange semi-Oedipal jealousy, in fact I'm rather glad sex is still a part of their life. That said finding out that Meryl Streep still wants to get it on may just turn me into a prude again. All of which is a roundabout way of saying the Runs Like a Gay film of the week is Hope Springs



I rather overestimated the draw of Tom Hardy last week, possibly because I spend most of my time in the company of other gay actors and we obsessively fawn over the brawny talent and lose touch with reality. Not that his bee-stung lips didn't entice some viewers into the multiplexes for Lawless (even as Summer drew it's last breath) however more were interested in seeing Judge Dredd done properly. Interestingly enough Dredd is the first 18 rated movie to get to the top of the UK charts since Saw 3D in October 2010. This weekend could see a real slug fest between the major contenders with Streep pulling in the older crowd and Ray Winstone appealing to action fans however I'm guessing that the four weeks since Brave came out means kids are anxious for a new animation and ParaNorman could sneak it's way to the top of the charts.

Hope Springs

I'm not as much of a Streepaholic as many film bloggers out there but it's hard to deny the consistent quality of her performances, even when playing the less dramatic roles. So if this romcom about revitalising a lifelong marriage to Tommy Lee Jones seems like fluff, I am sure it will have a sweet, satisfying centre.

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Read on for Italian farce from a American auteur, ghosts goings on, a race through the streets of New York and every trailer for films released this weekend.





It's a likeable unstretching trailer that tells it like it is - it's about 60 something's having sex and that's OK.

To Rome With Love



It's difficult to know what you're getting into these days when you see a Woody Allen movie. Last year we had the enjoyable romp Midnight in Paris which almost cleared away the bad memories of the appalling Whatever Works. Hopefully this latest stop on his European tour, which sounds like a series of short stories cobbled together, will be pleasing and diverting, that's all I ask.

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About Elly



After the phenomenal success of Asghar Farhadi's Oscar winning A Separation it's no surprise his recent back catalogue is also making it to British cinemas. Still set among the Iranian middle classes this film explores cultural attitudes to women after a single teacher, Elly of the title, goes missing on a trip to the seaside.

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ParaNorman



Laika entertainment have proven that stop motion animation and scaring kids is a perfect blend before with Coraline and the button eyed other mother. Whilst this anarchic pastiche may not be as startling original look out for more than a few chuckles from the trailer alone, a knock cast that includes Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick and Casey Affleck, and what might be a key moment in equality.

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Premium Rush



For a while this looked like the most disappointing wide release of 2012, box office wise, (that is until The Words bombed out this weekend) which is a big surprise as there's some style to this courier thriller and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a rising star having a fantastic year with Batman and the forthcoming Looper. Maybe you just can't sexy up pushbikes no matter how hard you try. Michael Shannon co-stars.

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Snows of Kilamanjaro



Inspired by a Victor Hugo poem this French drama exposes the lengths of vengeance and obsession that we might all sometimes find ourselves at the mercy of, when an ageing couple are robbed by an acquaintance they get the taste of revenge and push for more and more punishment for their assailant.

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Barfi



Unconventional 1970's love triangle that nobly posit's that Love is blind and what you might perceive as challenges are irrelevant if you love the person deep down. Of course Ranbir Kapoor may be hearing and speech impaired but he's quite a charmer in this trailer so I can't argue with the theme.

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Keyhole



Guy Maddin's latest cinematic outing is certainly not for the faint hearted as Jason Patric, Isabella Rosselini and Udo Keir compete in an overacting competition of scene stealing in this expressionistic noir. Expect long shadows and unexplained dreams.

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Run Baby Run



It's true Inidan movies tend to come in three's these days. You get the Hindi film that will be a hit, see above, the Tamil film that doesn't bother to try, see below, and the Malayalam movie that apes Western cinematic tropes. Like this news room set thriller, which looks like a pilot for a new NBC serial.

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The Sweeney



Oddly the Orange advert which featured Ray "Regan" Winstone and Ben "Carter" Drew was far more satisfying than this over dubbed trailer which highlights all the problems of trying to bring back a half-forgotten TV franchise with 21st century levels of drugs and salacious violence.

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When the Lights Went Out



British horror that, allegedly, is based on writer/director Pat Holden's cousins and the Poltergeist that freaked them out in mid 1970's Yorkshire. Although in interviews he had candidly admitted the family were more stoical and the ghosts intent more mischievous than malevolent but where's the drama in that?

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Sundarapandinian



The trailer's not selling it I'm afraid, and that coupled with no IMDb page and no plot synopsis really halts any building enthusiasm for this Tamil action comedy starring Sasikumar.

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Twenty8K



British gangster pic that opened on Monday in a select handful of cinemas. Whether it intends to make any interesting comment on the growth of street gangs and turf wars in London remains to be seen, but it is nice to see a British film with Asian characters front and centre.

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Choosing the best medium (Out this week - 07/09/12)

I am acutely aware I am late posting, I simply got caught up with other stuff yesterday and didn't have the opportunity to look through this week's releases, which is a shame as from the outside it looks likes a vital and exciting week with fascinating costume dramas from the 20th and 19th centuries as well as a independent comic book feature and a semi-return to form from a much maligned comedian. Not that my choice of film of the week can come as a surprise to anyone, it looks utterly gorgeous, features incredible artistic choices and comes from one of the most exciting British directors working today. The RLAG film of the week is Anna Karenina.



Last weekend Total Recall did indeed smash it's way to the top with the additional 5 days of previews for The Watch proving utterly fruitless when it arrived DOA. This weekend is a bit of a dilemma. Amazingly Anna Karenina has the largest opening with 419 cinemas, and there's certinaly plenty of fanboy hype for Dredd but I think Lawless with it's rising star cast and effective and ubiquitous marketing presence will take the top spot.

Anna Karenina

Joe Wright apparently decided to film Tolstoy's epic love story(s) in a theatre for budgetary reasons however just watching the trailer and reading the reviews proves this was a profound and vital choice underlining the themes of society as show and the formality of the rules of Russian etiquette.

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That has to be one of the most gorgeously presented trailers of the year, making the film a must-see experience.

Lawless



John Hillcoat directs from Nick Cave's screenplay in a return to the partnership that created the superb Aussie Western The Proposition and if this country gangster pic doesn't quite hit those dizzy heights there's no shame in that. Tom Hardy and Shia Labeouf are the stars likely to bring in the punters, ably supported by eyebrow-challenged Guy Pearce, Jessica Chastain and Gary Oldman.

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That's My Boy



OK, I accept in theory the injustice of a Adam Sandler movie getting 4 blobs, effectively meaning it could have been film of the week on at least one occasion. Furthermore the trailer in no way makes me want to see this movie. However the reviews on this side of the pond has talked about how the loser father plot is closer to the on the knuckle Sandler movies of his early career and less like the crap he's recently been making and that should be applauded. Plus Susan Sarandon and James Caan have minor roles and they're always worth watching.

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Debbe: Mir cin Vakasi



Turkish found footage horror movie with some arresting images, and suitably wide eyed acting, but lets be honest it looks like a rip of hundreds of other found footage horrors. Did anyone else think of Paranormal Activity watching this trailer?

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Dredd



The ultra-violent comic book finally gets the adaptation it deserves with Karl Urban wearing on the iconic mask (and not taking it off) and Lena Headley as the "slow-mo" drug pushing big bad. It's a shame the plot device of taking out a tower block seems so similar to the martial arts classic The Raid but them's the breaks.

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Love



Poetic looking sci-fi indie in the vein of 2001 or Solaris that probably deserves a much bigger audience than it's going to get. Gunner Wright is the astronaut isolated on Space Station Mir slowly questioning his sanity in William Eubank's debut film, marking him as a talent to watch.

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Night in the Woods



Talking about found footage horror knockoffs does this British flick, starring rising star Scoot McNairy and a couple of other disposable 20 somethings as they frolic adulterously around Dartmoor before a mysterious hunter comes after them resemble a certain Blair witch to you?

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Raaz 3: The Third Dimension



The third installement in this popular Hindi horror franchise which uses the odd connection of possessed women to link the films. It doesn't have a massive opening but it should do please the faithful.

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Tabu



Portuguese movie that sits firmly within the arthouse bracket with two seemingly unconnected storylines about a devout woman in modern Lisbon and a pop band covering the Everly Brothers in 1960's Mozambique. It won the FIPRESCI prize at the 2012 Berlin Film Festival for it's imaginative and unique contribution to cinematic art.

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When Pigs have Wings



Random comedy about a struggling fisherman who's life takes a turn for the bizarre when he finds a live pig in his net. With gross-out humour played against real-world religious and political strife this looks like a fascinating project.

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Ajj de Ranjhe



Punjabi film that supposedly satirises the relationship between the police and the youth of modern cities. Still it's a pretty cast and probably involves a few nice tunes.

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St. Georges Day



I'm not sure I completely understand the marketing strategy that sees this date specific London gangster flick opening 5 months off from the feats day it's named after but given it's unimaginative plot revolves around football hooliganism, one last heist and strip joints I'm guessing they were happy to see the inside of a cinema.

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Not everything it seems (Out this week - 24/08/12)

As you probably have noticed I don't normally mention documentaries, for one to get a namecheck is is quite rare. For the record it's not that I'm anti-documentary, I regularly watch them at home on TV, I just don't get why you'd trek to the cinema for one. However every now and then a doc that's so celebrated, so significant comes along and I simply cannot ignore it, Senna and Exit through the Gift Shop being two recent examples. This week Burt Layton award winning doc about the Frederic Bourdin case is getting a significant UK opening, and in a weak week it's easily the best reviewed release and I felt I could relax my self-imposed rules and name the runs like a gay film of the week The Imposter.



Brave hit the bullseye this weekend, unsurprisingly beating back the latest Bourne and Sly and his mates. If the total gross, including 4 days of previews, wasn't on par with previous Pixar releases that is in part explained away by coming after the critical flop Cars 2 and by the unfortunate box office drop that is often seen when there's a female lead. This week was going to be a fight between two underperforming US comedies - but one of them chickened out - yes, I'm looking at you Ben Stiller - not because the Three Stooges is likely to crush all competition. Instead the completely non-reviewed Keith Lemon: The Film with it's TV character familiarity is likely to find itself with the lion's share of receipts.

The Imposter

It's one of the most unusual missing person cases in the 20th century, a 13 year old Texan boy who disappears on the way home from a Basketball game. Three years later he turns up in a Spanish orphanage, his eyes and hair having changed colour. In retrospect it's easy to mock the family for believing Bourdain, the French-Algerian impersonating the boy, but the documentary brings up the concept of wanting to believe the lies and the subjectivity of truth.

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Read on for an insight into the Troubles, experimenting students, lessons in slapstick and all of this week's trailers and releases.





Cut almost like a thriller, you can see why this doc has really box office potential.

Shadow Dancer



Tom Bradby, the ITN News politics correspondent, here adapts his first novel with James "Man on Wire" Marsh taking directing duties. It's a gritty spy story set in the mid 1990's with Andrea Riseborough's low-level IRA member getting coerced into working for MI5's Clive Owen in an attempt to second guess the high command as they enter into the Peace talks. It's the type of high-brow intelligent cinema that calls to mind last years Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and should find an audience.

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Circumstance



Whilst set in Iran, and directed by Iranian film-maker Maryam Keshavarz, it's filmed in Lebanon and it's central conceit of teenage rebellion, even against the liberal families portrayed would probably raise eyebrows. That said reviews indicate this is a loving portrait of the left-leaning middle classes living under the regime.

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Gesher



Continuing the semi-season of Iranian cinema, albeit with just couple of showings in London, is this 2010 homegrown movie about three working men crossing the Country in search of better things only to find low salaries and high living costs force them to make their home in a disused pipeline.

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Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi



Hindi comedy about a middle age romance, and that I picked up from the poster, unlikely to crack the top ten like last weekends Ek Tha Tiger.

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Tango with Me



One of the few Nigerian films to make a significant UK release, even if I would have a 300 mile round trip to the nearest showing, it's a relationship drama with strong moral messages. Possibly a little ripe in the telling, but this could be marking the beginning of a new wave of central African film-making.

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Tanner Hall



Odd little release for this American independent, obvious meant to capitalise on the growing fame of it's star Rooney Mara (note it was made 3 years ago, before either of her collaborations with David Fincher). Following four teenage girls as they experience the highs and lows of growing up in their elite but fading boarding school.

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The Three Stooges



Whilst the reviews have been mixed, I do quite like the concept of the Farelly brothers' latest cinematic foray. After all well done slapstick will always raise a snort, no matter how much we pretend to be above it, and the supporting cast that includes Jane Lynch, Jennifer Hudson and Larry David as Nuns sounds brilliant.

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Keith Lemon: The Film



I don't particularly understand why people find Leigh Francis' character funny, but lots of people do hence his transfer to the big screen. Coming out in a similar slot to The Inbetweeners last year this is probably aiming for a similar crowd, of course it won't do anything like that sort of business, but should still do reasonable business.

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Dancing to it's own tune (Out this week - 18/08/12)

I don't give out many really high scores on the Runs Like a Gay Excitometer, I generally like to keep it quite low, after all there have been over 300 releases so far this year and choices have to be make, so the median average score for this year is currently 3, with only one in nine releases getting over 5, and so far only four getting a coveted 9 blobs. They were Oscar candidates The Descendants and Carnage and comic book behemoth The Dark Knight Rises all arriving with plenty of fanfare and international expectation. This week sees a very different film hitting that similar highpoint, indeed it's rather snuck up on me too. With a bevvy of high quality reviews and a strong cast breaking from their comfort zone it hard to not get excited and Canadian actress cum director Sarah Polley second feature, following the devastating Away from Her, simply has to be seen, gaining the runs like a gay film of the week approval it's Take this Waltz.



I think Seth MacFarlane probably really dislikes me, for two weeks in a row I have highly underestimated the box office potential of Ted and it second week drop was indeed less steep than The Dark Knight Rises leaving Mark Wahlberg and his belching toy still on the top of the charts. Sorry Seth, won't happen again. Meanwhile dance movie Step Up: Miami Heat was the highest new entry at 3, but it's performance was spectacularly bad, 60% less tickets than the previous entry in the body popping franchise, stand by for straight of DVD follow-ups. This week sees 2, potentially 3, US chart toppers battling it out in UK cinemas. I imagine Expendables 2 will end in clear third, mainly because of the certificate and the cheating previews of Brave and Bourne Legacy both of whom opened Monday. I suspect Pixar, will ultimately take the crown with it's savvy holiday opening strategy, but this could be an exciting weekend to follow.

Take this Waltz

Michelle Williams stars in this low-key modern tale of temptation and fidelity, whether she leaves her loving but staid husband (Seth Rogen in a piece of genius casting) for hunky rickshaw driver Luke Kirby is the central plot but if Polley brings half of the resonance of her last film then it will be about so much more. Unmissable indie drama.

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Admittedly it has indie written all over it, but I do wonder how it all ends which is a great start for this type of movie.


Brave



As ever with Pixar the animation looks sumptious and genre changing, with Merida's hair in particular bouncing out of the screen in the feminist fairy tale. Although the first tendrils of Disney involvement, there's more than a touch of Mulan in the plot and Pixar first female protagonist could definitely sit in the feminist end of Disney Princesses. The fine Brit cast includes Kelly MacDonald in the lead, Billy Connelly, Emma Thompson and Julie Walters.

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The Bourne Legacy



I've already caught up with the latest Bourne movie, hopefully I'll get the review out in the next few days, and you pretty much get what everyone was expecting. An average action adventure with Jeremy Renner and Tony Gilroy merely keeping the seats warm for Damon and Greengrass. The trailers seem to have worked though, it shot straight to the top last weekend in the US.

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The Bird



It's time for a bit of French existentialism in Yves Caumon's Venice hit. A secretive kitchen worker learns to open up her life to the possibility of romance and friendship after finding a pigeon trapped in her apartment.

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Expendables 2



Sylvester Stallone assembles an even batshit crazier band of 80's rejects for the follow-up to his 2010 hit. Jean Claude Van Damme shows up as villain Vilain and chuck Norris is on fine form to save a few asses. That said it still looks utterly forgettable pulp and the jokes drop like lead balloons over the trailer.

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The Wedding Video



Pretty much relying on the Peep Show audience to turn up in droves this nice looking Brit comedy will probably fall between the cracks before a decent run on DVD sales. Robert Webb is the groom, Lucy Punch the Bride and Rufus Hound the best man employing a professional film crew to follow the wedding preparations.

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The Devil's Business



Reviews of Sean Hogan's low budget horror have rated it reasonably highly, even if it owes a massive debt to last years Kill List. Two hitmen are despatched to dispose a particular thorn in a local crime bosses plan, only when they find a Satanist alter in his garage the job turns out to be more complex than was originally conceived.

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Ek The Tiger



Globe-trotting Bollywood espionage actioner with significant funding from the US, should do well across the international markets thanks to it cross-appeal trailer and stars Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif. Tiger is Khan's undercover codename.

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Coming Full Circle (Out this week - 10/08/12)

Just as no major releases saw their debut at the same time as the Olympic opening ceremony a couple of weeks ago now the games at coming to a close there is again a slight pause in the proceedings. There are two major releases coming out on Monday, the latest from Pixar and a twist on the Bourne franchise, so afraid are they of losing a few punters on Sunday evening. There are a dozen foreign language efforts and mid-level independent releases competing for audiences with Stephen Daldry's closing night on Sunday. Most of them are forgettable and frankly look awful, but there are a couple that are worth a look. The Runs like a Gay film of the week may not be one of those but it's got a great cast so Fernando Meirelles sneaks into the lead with 360



Last weekend my scepticism about Seth MacFarlane's cinematic debut led to me underestimating it's chances predicting it to miss out on the lead in the charts. Instead it soundly defeated the third weekend take from The Dark Knight Rises proving the cult audience of "Family Guy" and "American Dad" would follow their hero to multiplexes. As I mentioned earlier there's only one big release this weekend - the latest dance drama Step Up 4: Miami Heat - which will certainly find an audience but will it surpass Ted of the Batman? My guess is The Dark Knight Rises will climb back to number 1.

360

Loosely based on Alfred Schnitzler play La Ronde, with a terrible on the nose title referring to the structure of following sexual and emotional couplings across class and geographical barriers, this international co-production brings together a huge number of stars from all continents - keen on the foreign market sales. It premièred at Toronto last September - reviews may explain why we've waited so long to see it.

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Read on for Albanian blood feuds, Scandinavian pools and Chinese thrillers and all of this weeks new releases and trailers.





In an Empire interview last week director Fernando Meirelles stated the Austrian trailer and poster best exhibited the film. What can I say, I don't speak German so you have the English version.

Forgiveness of Blood



I have a thing about Blood feud plots. No really, ten years ago I loved Behind the Sun which tackled a similar plotline in South America. So when I heard Joshua Marston - the genius behind Maria, Full of Grace - was travelling to Albania to film a similar stand-off between neighbouring families and tying in the themes of technological progress against cultural stand-still I knew I had to see it. It's a shame it's only on in London or Cambridge.

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Jackpot



The second Jo Nesbo novel to get apated this year comes with less fanfare than the critically acclaimed Headhunters but should do equally well in terms of box office thanks to it's pitch black comedy elements. How could a former criminal who wins the pools with three mates and then wakes up, some hours later, squashed under a dead chubby hooker fail to make you laugh?

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Harold's Going Stiff



It's difficult to try to work out what this well received independent British horror is aiming for, with it's mix of social realism and zombies. I expect it's a metaphor. With the question of whether Harold really is infected holding the entire plot together.

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Let the Bullets Fly



A couple of cinema chains are holding an exclusive this weekend, with Reel cinemas the only place to find this immensely popular Chinese film which took over $100m in it's home country back in early 2011. Chow You-Fat is the name over the title even though this looks like a shared lead movie. If the film is half as fun as the trailer then it's worth travelling for.

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Shpion



It's already been and gone on it's limited one day release but this Russian spy thriller set during the Second World War looks like it has the right balance of action and romance, including a delicious tango, seen intercut in the trailer. Probably worth digging out the DVD in next weeks bargain bin.

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Barbie: The Princess and the Popstar



Make it stop. Please just make it stop. Luckily I don't have to watch this sort of garbage but the trailer was bad enough. Anyway this badly animated 90 minute advert is exclusively showing at Cineworlds nation wide this weekend. They shouldn't bother.

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Dinosaur Project



It's the Blair Witch meets Jurassic Park in this fairly predictable adventure romp that sees a sextet of young athletic 'explorers' crash land into Conan Doyle territory and live just about long enough to regret it. Much like paying to see it at cinemas.

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I Against I



It's taken a very long time for this tale of London gangsters to make it to the big screen, but the patience the producers have shown in the 2 years since filming was completed has paid off, for at least 9 cinemas. It's a shame the same amount of effort wasn't put into an original and insightful script.

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In the Dark Half



I'm probably coming across as really harsh, bashing all these low budget British films, after all I'd probably kill to get into one of them and to have even a couple of cinemas showing my work. Some nice shots of stampeding deer is fine but it's not enough to make me want to see this over-worked plot.

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Offender



Taking the starting off point of last summer's riots this ultra-violent youth picture follows our hero Joe Cole as he infiltrates a young offenders institution in order to take brutal revenge for his girlfriend being attacked. I think I'm too old and middle class to appreciate the warfare on the streets message.

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Step Up 4: Miami Heat



Thankfully not all the bad looking movies this week are British, as the likely biggest selling bad movie will be American. I want to like to concept of flash mob dancers forming an alliance with small businesses against the corporate sharks aiming to buy up whole neighbourhoods, but there's still probably nothing new in either the romance plot or the choreography so why should I bother buying a ticket?

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The Dark Night Sets (Out this week - 03/08/12)

After last weeks appallingly uninspiring cinematic choices it's good to be back to double figures of releases, with a fair mix of genre's styles and nationality I think we can probably guarantee something for everyone. And if not I believe The Dark Knight Rises is still out in multiplexes. At the top end of the table there are four films with generally positive reviews to choose from, but giving the timing of the release I have to say one of these has the edge. All the Batman fans out there take note that there's an alternative Christian Bale performance to catch up with, starring as a drifting mortician caught up in the Rape of Nanking, and one of the first of a new wave of US/Chinese collaborations the Runs like a Gay Film of the Week is Flowers of War.



Last weekend The Dark Knight Rises fell a predictable 49% in revenue yet was still taking more than every other release in the top ten combined. The Lorax may not have performed as well as producers would have liked, but it still took second place in the charts, although that's third when adjusted for previews. All this means there's plenty of scope for a new film to out-perform expectations. Now with it's limited art-house release strategy Bale has no chance of knocking himself off the top of the box office so the best contender is probably Seth McFarlane's Ted. Defying the odds in America earlier this year it opened very well and is the highest grossing R-rated comedy of the year and "Family Guy" is surprisingly popular on this side of the Atlantic. It's going to be a very close race, but I think The Dark Knight Rises dropped further than expected last weekend because of the Olympics opening ceremony and this week we'll see a much more sedate decline with Ted taking a comfortable Silver.

Flowers of War

Yimou Zhang visionary action films Hero and The House of the Flying Daggers introduced him to the world as a meticulous, operatic director with a gorgeous eye - every frame from those two hits could be displayed as a example of screen craft at it's best - but this film about the rape of Nanking marks a new stage in his career, both in terms of the gritty modern content and the eye to the international market with Christian Bale in the lead. Serendipitous release date for Yimou, who directed the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony that they said could never be topped.

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Read on for aging maids, talking teddies and a cult with one foot in the future. As well as all of this weeks trailers.





One thing we know from this trailer, Yimou Zhang hasn't lost his touch for finding beauty in conflict.

A Simple Life



At the other end of the scale for Chinese cinema, the clue being in the title, is this low-key examination of selfless acts showing the shifting relationship between a successful film-maker - Andy Lau - and his elderly Amah and former nanny - Deannie Yip. Exploring contemporary attitudes to the elderly and the debt we owe our forebears it deserves a much bigger audience than it's art-house release will generate.

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Ted



As a boy Mark Wahlberg has all his wishes come true when his Teddy comes spectacularly to life. Thirty years later the full consequences become clear as foul-mouthed, womanising Ted holds back Mark in his relationship with Mila Kunis, his job and his life generally. Essentially 90 plus minutes of watching a child's toy drink, swear and have sex it's clearly not looking for an Oscar, but there's plenty of chuckles to be had in the trailer and MacFarlane's fans will eat it up.

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Sound of my Voice



The ascendancy of Brit Marling continues with this strange haunting American indie about a couple investigating a bizarre cult, led by a woman claiming to have time travelled back to the present. I hear great things about the movie, especially it's open ended conclusion and simple believable script.

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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days



The last two wimpy kid movies have been popular thanks to the established kids books with their dedicated fans. That said the cast are clearly not getting younger so you have to wonder if the younger potential audience will still identify with the leads.

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Jism 2



Take your mind out of the gutter, jism is the Hindi word for body. That said Sunny Leone's debut lead performance is hitting plenty of headlines thanks to her past as a porn actress and the films themes which hint at woman being masters of their own sexuality, something many traditional Bollywood audiences shy away from. It'll be interesting to see if this is the third Indian movie to hit the top ten in as may weeks.

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Leave it on the Floor



I feel like I should want to be more excited by this trailer, a gloriously camp concoction of the African American New York scene, dance competitions and stunning bodies, but honestly the cliches just keep coming so I'm not sure it's for me. I do hope it finds an audience though, it's cotton-candy design and fierce cast deserve that.

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Mirattal



Multi-genre Tamil release without an IMDb page - honestly it's like they don't want anyone to see it - but the inclusion of scenes filmed in my home city of Bath do make me a little homesick and act as something close to a recommendation.

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The Reverend



There are two British horror movies taking in a select few cinemas before their inevitable trip to DVD bargain bins this weekend. Of the two this has the most notable cast with Rutger Hauer showing up to remind us he'll do anything for money in this Vampiric updating of Job. The production values like quite good too.

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Truth or Dare



But The Reverend looks like Shakespeare compared to this tosh about five friends going to a party only to find it's been set up by a psychopath interested in finding out what happened to his brother and torturing a few screamy teens on the way. Yawn.

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First Round Knockout (Out this week - 27/07/12)

The British pre-occupation with sports we won't win has struck again with Danny Boyle's bonkers Olympic Ceremony becoming the unmissable cultural event and, when combined with the second weekend of DKR there's virtually nothing new in cinemas this weekend. Oddly there are 3 Bollywood movies versus 1 from the US and 1 from the UK (there are also a couple of well-regarded remasters and a highly successful documentary or two). That said I have my rules, and in a week of quite dull releases I'm surprisingly selecting the homegrown fare as the top choice. The Runs like a Gay film of the week is The Man Inside.



It goes without saying that The Dark Knight Rises annihilated all competition last weekend with £14.4m (doubling the opening of Nolan's previous Batman movie). To put it into context that's over 6 times the take of second place movie Ice Age: Continental Drift and 374 people saw it for every one who saw the tenth place release Katy Perry: Part of You. I expect it will hang on to the top this weekend too, but Dr Seuss' The Lorax will almost certainly make a brave attempt at knocking it off the top yet is doomed to failure.

The Man Inside

British boxing drama, starring Ashley 'Bashy' Thomas as the boxing prodigy trying to juggle his rise against the gang violence and drug culture at his roots. Unoriginal maybe, but strong supporting performances from Peter Mulland and Michelle Ryan make this option stand out.

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Almost cliched, but there are a few nicely constructed shots in there so you never know.

Carry on Jatta



Even watching the trailer I'm not completely sure how the plot of this Bollywood romance works out, but it's clearly playing it for laughs and who knew that love leads to marriage which leads to confusion?

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Dr Seuss' The Lorax



You would've thought that the critical drubbings that previous Dr Seuss adaptations have received might make the studios nervous about continuing, and yet the incredible popularity of his books does make the idea more palatable. The Lorax took over £200m in the States so clearly it's a gamble worth playing. The environmental message makes it a tougher sell, but the voice cast includes Zac Efron and Danny Devito, the later of whom has been plugging it like mad.

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Kaya Super Kool Hain Hum



Indian comedy about two friends on the road to Goa who both fall in love and into more and more slapstick schemes to prove their worth. Of the three Bollywood releases this has the largest opening, however it probably won't be enough to make that much of an impact nationally.

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Ustad Hotel



Drama about a three generations of hoteliers in India and the Middle East, exploring how expectations can affect our children's choices and how ambition can be small or big but always utterly compelling to those who have them.

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To what end? (Out this week - 20/07/12)

As I type this I find that words are impossible to describe the collective shock and outrage felt by cinema-goers in the wake of Thursdays horrific incidents in Aurora, Colorado. We obviously don't know James Holmes' motives or influences at this point but hopefully with his arrest a full investigation can be made and we hope to understand, if never able to forgive or forget, his actions. Ultimately to ensure this tragic, meaningless slaughter will never happen again. My thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives and the other patrons, injured or otherwise, who survived this horrific ordeal.

The runs like a gay film of the week is, unsurprisingly, The Dark Knight Rises.



July seems to be the easiest month of 2012 in terms of predicting box office performance, so last weekend Ice Age: Continental Drift reasserted itself at the top of the chart with Amazing Spider-Man and Magic Mike (the highest new entry) following close behind. This weekend Bruce and his dark alter ego should smash records and easily dominate the multiplexes.

The Dark Knight Rises

I have already seen Christopher Nolan's third and final instalment in the Batman franchise, and it's surprisingly difficult to maintain the levels of anticipation that I had earlier in the year. Even so the excitometer level is fixed and done well before seeing the picture, so 9 out of 10 is the joint highest for the year. Christian Bale would almost certainly growl at me if I tried to change it retrospectively.

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Read on for Stockholm syndrome, sex games and fisher price musical instruments as well as all of this weeks trailers.





This certainly has all the hallmarks of epic film-making, even in the comic book sphere. Tune in later this week for my review (hopefully).

In Your Hands



Kristen Scott Thomas is such a fantastic performer most of us would pay to see her read the Parisien phonebook. In this French movie from sophomore director Lola Doillon Scott Thomas stars as a gynaecologist kidnapped by a former patient (or relative of lets not try to pretend this is that weird a film) and focusing on the shifting relationship between kidnapper and nappee.

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Lola Versus



Greta Gerwig gets dumped, has sex with a friend as a coping mechanism then does it again, whilst at least one of her conquests feels down as a result of being used. Famously the producer had a big strop following it's US release, blaming white middle class male critics for it's poor reception and attendance, failing to note that female reviewers were equally unimpressed. Debra Winger co-stars.

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Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Rest



Wibbly American movie which takes a really promising sketch concept and somehow stretches it out over 90 minutes with a couple of singer song-writers putting together the bizarre combo of lead guitar and childrens toy musical instruments, which somehow breaks out with unexpected success. Ryan O'Nal and Michael Weston are the "brothers" and Melissa Leo takes a minor role.

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Thattathin Marayathu



Brave Bollywood release trying desperately to find a foothold in a crowded market, although this romance between a hindu and a muslim (can you see the Romeo and Juliet comparisons) is only showing in one Birmingham cinema.

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Interview with a Hitman



Luke Goss, formerly of Bros. has a really odd shaped head. I couldn't help but notice that when watching the trailer for this almost straight to DVD thriller. Goss is the titular assassin trying to eliminate his past, whilst chatting to a reporter about his job. Just look at the trailer and tell me he doesn't have an odd shaped head.

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Stripper Joe (Out this week - 13/07/12)

There are no superheroes hitting the streets this weekend, although there is still plenty of Spider-man to go round if you haven't caught him yet, so while the world collectively draws it breath ready for the Bane onslaught in a few days we get a collection of foreign language pics (France, India, Spain and Belgium are all in play) as well as a couple of high profile American releases that have waited for their international roll-out. There are a couple of films that I personally want to see, both American (so apologies to the international readership) but neither score particularly high on the anticipation rating, partly because I have had limited expectations in the run-up and partly because I'm almost ashamed of my anticipation. Yes, I'm a dirty mac wearing Channing Tatum fan and the Runs like a Gay Film of the Week is Magic Mike.



To the surprise of absolutely no-one The Amazing Spider-Man was victorious in last weekend's box office statistics, jumping straight in as the 13 biggest seller of the year so far, outperforming the entire run of Battleship or Wrath of the Titans in just a few days. That said I expect it's more front loaded than Avengers Assemble so will likely drop off the top over the next few days as Ice Age 4: Continental Drift finally roles out to all of the UK. Given the animated sequel was at the top of the charts based on just 15% of Uk screens it should easily destroy all opposition. Of the real new entries I expect Magic Mike will probably have the upper hand, seeing it's event night status that served it so well in the States repeated here.

Magic Mike

Loosely based on Channing Tatum's male revue background - he stripped for a few months to make ends meet early in his career - the fact that Steven Soderbergh was interested in directing changes our perspective on the project from titillation to more considered curiousity. Indeed reviews indicate this is a film about strippers but not about stripping - even if there are a lot of abs on display.

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Read on for supply teachers, wayward teens and Armageddon gone wrong, as well as all of trailers fit to watch.





I personally think this trailer tries a little too hard to appeal across the board, and either more flesh or less funny might have worked better.

Detachment



It's good to see American History X director back from the wilderness after the oft-repeated locked out of the edit story and his last two features still locked up in lawsuits and post production troubles. Here Adrien Brody is the substitute in the starriest high-school in America, complete with some serious screwed up kids and teachers.

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Giants



Feted at Cannes 2011 for it's refreshing take on adolescents Bouli Lanners's film follow three teenagers, two of whom are abandoned brothers, on a lugubrious summer of adventures, long slow afternoons and petty crime.

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Little Nicholas



Kids fable, which does make you wonder with this and The Giants out whether there's a plan to lure all the schoolkids just released from term into Arthouse cinemas, about a young boy whose cosy life is turned upside down when his Mum gets pregnant. I'm sure it's a topic a lot of us can relate to.

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Seeking a Friend for the End of the World



If the idea of spending the last few hours before Armageddon in the company of Keira Knightly and Steve Carell sends you into a suicidal funk then it's unlikely that I can say anything to change your mind, but the reviews for this end of days road movie/rom com have been far better than you'd imagine and Melinda Dillon pops up among the comedy cameos.

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Soul of Flies



I do quite like the idea of magical realism, even though I've only seen the fringes with Biutiful and Undertow, so I think I'd probably like the chance to see this Spanish film directed, edited, lensed, written, produced and starring the not so Spanish sounding Jonathan Burley about two brothers meeting each other for the first time at their father's funeral.

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Billa 2



Been there done that Bollywood release about a boy from the slums rising to become a criminal mastermind. I don't know what the state of organised crime is in India, but if all the movies are to be believed I am never going to go there.

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Cocktail



Far more likely to inspire me is that romance, part financed here in the UK, with it's massively over-complicated love rectangle that shames even A Midsummers Night Dream. Although frankly if Bryan Brown doesn't appear in a dodgy shirt I'm going to ask for my money back.

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Electrik Children



Fascinating American indie about a sheltered Mormon girl hearing rock music for the first time (Blondie as it happens) and believing it to be the cause of her unexpected pregnancy. Billy Zane plays her Bible thumping father.

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Prey


Morality tale for ex-cons here, with a bank-robber becoming best buddies with his cell mate, only to find out far too late that he's a serial killer who now knows an awful lot about your family and you must break-out in order to stop him. So the heroes a bank-robber. Glad I've straightened that up.

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Spirit



Reading online synopses for Bollywood movies can be utterly confusing. For instance this is a serious drama about the dangers of alcoholism and one man's struggle to tunr his life around. Now watch the trailer... No, I didn't get it either.

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Tortoise in Love



Somewhat of a curiosity - even if the results are surprisingly good. The residents of sleepy Oxfordshire village Kingston Bagpuize have got together and decided to make a rom-com using the residents and local companies as much as possibly. And it's got a small but significant opening. Could be the future of cinema - the community model. Keep an eye on it's long-term impact as a concept more than the film itself.

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Absentia



American horror that crept out for one day to avoid a direct to DVD tag. I'm sure the central conceit, that people declared dead in absentia have in fact been abducted by a weird monster, will probably fall apart on closer inspection but the production values look fine.

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Comes a Bright Day



Quite nice trailer for a nice looking British indie which indicates the jewel heist plot is merely hiding a nice romance between Craig Roberts and Imogen Poots. All rather too nice for me thank you.

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More films for your buck (Out this week - 06/07/12)

Portmanteau fans are salivating at their screens this week as not just one but two examples of short film collections hit screens, although frankly if you're not in London your options are less open. The anthology format used to be the preserve of certain kinds of horror movie with Peter Cushing coaxing terrified guests in his haunted mansion to spill their ghosts stories before revealing himself to be the demon about to devour their souls - or something like that. I definitely remember Bernard Cribbins and a man-eating bush in one of Hammer's earlier incarnations. However, in the noughties a trend for serious directors to put together themed shorts - notably 11'09'01 and Paris, Je t'aime - with the aim to experiment in style and promote the short film form. Perhaps I may be backing the wrong horse, the reviews for both have been decidedly mixed, but I'm plumping for relentless infidelity over a sojourn to Cuba so the Runs Like a Gay film of the week is Players.



The UK's box office champion last weekend wasn't included in my run-down of new releases seven days ago. This is because it hasn't actually opened yet. Why, then, is it the top of the chart I hear you ask... Because it has opened. Ice Age: Continental Drift isn't just an unwanted sequel to a fairly forgettable animated franchise, it's also the Schrodinger's Cat of cinema. It is both in cinemas and not in cinemas - and I suppose the animal cast are therefore both alive and not alive at the same time, which may well be a boom to the career of John Leguizamo. Last weekend saw it's release in the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Northern Ireland where the schools have already broken up for their summer holidays. In England and Wales (including the RLAG headquarters in Manchester) it has shown in previews but won't be formerly out until July 13th - which basically means we can see it weekends but not week days. This whole extended opening is a fraudulent way of boosting opening weekend figures if you ask me, but then that's probably a discussion best left for another time. So in effect the scottish pre-teens have propelled Scrat and co to the top of the charts with no help from the rest of us, good for them eh? Setting the fossil-record challenged critters
to one side the biggest new entry was Friends with Kids, so at least I got that right. Meanwhile MIB3 slipped back below Prometheus, the weeks best holdover. No plaudits for guessing this weekend biggest challenger, my spidey sense is telling me the all-new Peter Parker, the amazing Andrew Garfield will swing into the lead, covering the opposition of layers of sticky clue to feast on later. Undoubtedly the people will choose The Amazing Spider-Man.


Players

I've yet to see The Artist (I know, I know) but even so the extraordinary success of a black and white silent French movie is the guiding force that propels me towards this comedy about affairs that sees the direct and star reunite. Based on an idea by Oscar winning actor Jean Dujardin - although to be fair the gallic film is based on the comedic value of sex outside of marriage - the contributions come from Michel Hazanavicius and Frad Cavaye (Pour Elle) among others.

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Read on for arachnid transformations, tasmanian tigers and an illicit trip to the Caribbean as well as all of this weeks releases and trailers.





Too much cutting in a subtitled film can be a dangerous thing, and yet I'm still intrigued. Will have to wait for DVD though - I am not travelling to London for it.

The Amazing Spider-Man



The first trailer was a bit underwhelming, hence the surprisingly low score here, although I confess the marketing got better later on. Of course the real question is not whether it is necessary to reboot a successful series of films less than 10 years after the first run started, but whether this is indicative of Hollywood's laziness and the constant plundering of comic books. Although when original sci-fi properties are as creatively bankrupt as Battleship and John Carter you con't really blame the studios. Andrew Garfield is the eponymous web-slinger, Rhys Ifans his scaly nemesis, Emma Stone provides the love interest and Martin Sheen/Sally Field up the acting quotient in the first of this proposed spider trilogy.

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God Bless America



Comedian and Police Academy alumni Bobcat Goldthwaite continues his run of subversive satires that play with the notions of Americana and the cult of anti-hero's with Joel Murray (brother to Bill) driven to homicidal fury by society's failings, defending his central belief of kindness by gunning down reality TV contestants, talk-show DJs and in-cinema texters. I expect viewers from all sides of the political spectrum will react with outrage and smug satisfaction as the carnage reigns.

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The Hunter



Willem Dafoe spend the majority of this movie's running time stalking the last remaining Tasmanian Tiger, who may even be extinct. Not that you'd know that from the trailer which seems to play up the thriller aspects of the plot. Dafoe's performance, where he stalks through the undergrowth and uncovers all sorts of conspiracies whilst considering the empty recesses of his soul, and the delicious Australia geography virtually worshipped by Robert Humphreys' cinematography should bring in a significant art-house crowd.

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7 Days in Havana



Our second portmanteau is, in many ways, the more curious of the two options with Gasper Noe and - in his directorial debut - Benicio Del Toro amongst the contributers. But the structure of an American student (Josh Hutcherson) smuggling himself to Cuba and absorbing the culture seems slightly contrived - although looking at the trailer I wonder if my plot information is even vaguely correct.

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The Women on the 6th Floor



It's taken a long-time for this French hit comedy (it took $19m in France last February, just outgrossing Thor) to reach the UK. It looks jolly, focussing on the effect of Spanish maids on a stuffy middle class Parisien and his redemption. Carmen Maura is probably the best known of the ensemble.

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Bol Bachchan



There's no doubting the sincerity of this Bollywood comedy, or the title which gets constantly repeated during the trailer. That said there aren't many laughs to be found so I'm not expecting very impressive box office returns.

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Diamond Necklace



The soundtrack to the trailer's more shopping channel than Malayalam action flick so maybe this quietly released Dubai set flick with it's cautionary tale of monetary excess and true love might be worth seeking out.

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Exit Humanity



Sneaking out into cinemas for one day before getting a DVD release is this civil war era zombie film, obviously influenced by the idea, if not the execution, of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. That said I have no idea how they managed to rope Brian Cox in to narrate.

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Strawberry Fields



British Indie which I suspect deserves more than I've given it here but I can't in all honestly get enthused by the trailer and premise of two sisters running away from their past, but not quite escaping from each other.

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And finally, as if dragged in from another dimension, it's

Ice Age: Continental Drift



Being confused about whether to put it in last week or next week I'm splitting the difference. Not that it makes much difference there's no way this animated cash-cow would get my film of the week endorsement. The gang's all here from the last film - literally even side character and minor addition comes back for a line or too for the pay-cheque (hello Simon Pegg) and we also get a love interest for Denis Leary's Diego in the form of sexy sabre-tooth Jennifer Lopez. Not that we should expect too much subtly in this oddly popular franchise, just colourful characters and well crafted back-drops. Ray Romano, John Lequizamo and Queen Latifah also star.

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