I am proud to present my 2010 Golden Globes red carpet stunners and shockers for you to peruse and judge yourselves. I take full responsibility for every opinion expressed here, however scathing, and you may find that I am heavily biased… but hey! This is my red carpet wrap after all!

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Glamour of the Globes

81st Academy Awards Red Carpet

Golden Globe Nominations and Academy Awards Announcements

Cut Print Review wins a Lammy!

Crazy Heart (Review)

To refresh your memories, the classic tale follows one Ebenezer Scrooge (Carrey), a grouchy and rich old man who is devoid of any Christmas spirit and detests anyone partial to the festive season. To cure this, he is visited on Christmas Eve by the ghost of his former business partner (Gary Oldman), then the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, (all Carrey) who take him on a whirlwind journey through many memories and possibilities.

A Christmas Carol was my induction into the world of 3D movies outside of theme parks, and after a slight hiccup with the projector, the movie launched onto – and off of – the screen. Partnered with the rich colours and textures expected of Disney animation, the entire film is a visual treat. Carol has been created using motion capture animation, which seems to be growing more realistic, and illustrates a marked improvement since Zemeckis’ last attempt in The Polar Express. Human characters reflect their actors – the likenesses of Jim Carrey and Colin Firth were evident in Scrooge and his nephew – but older characters look far more lifelike than younger, showing there is still a way to go with this technology.

This is the same classic Dickens tale you’ve read/heard/seen countless times before, however Zemeckis’ interpretation has its quirks. The Christmas ghosts are interestingly represented: ‘Past’ is a burning candle, shedding light on what had been; ‘Present’ is a merry giant showing the joy and decadence of Christmas; and ‘Yet to come’ is a silent and shadowy reaper-like creature. The sequences following the passage of Scrooge and the ghosts are very enjoyable, almost like a theme park ride, but the chase by ‘Future’ and his Lord of the Rings-style black steeds felt unnecessary. The movie, for the most part, is quite gloomy, but this is mainly due to Dickens’ story and not the adaptation. There are some light-hearted moments throughout, dotted in the memories and visions, but it isn’t until the very end that the usual Disney joy is truly felt. Don’t make the mistake of thinking this film is suitable for young children; not only is it frightening,  much of the dialogue has been adapted straight from the original text and may be hard for kids to follow.

Verdict:

An enjoyable adaptation of a classic story for the festive season, but definitely not one for the youngsters.

WIN tickets to a preview of A CHRISTMAS CAROL 3D! (Adelaide)

Lights, Camera, Christmas!!

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (Review)

Mars Needs Moms (Review)

White Christmas: The Unrealistic View for Australians

The opening scene tries to get all of the audience involved, as the girls think, ‘Ooh, look at Matthew McConaughey’, and the guys think, ‘I’m liking those girls in lingerie’. We are introduced to Connor Mead (McConaughey), the sought-after photographer with a reputation for womanising, going about his daily duties (including the womanising part!) before driving down to his younger brother Paul’s (Breckin Meyer) wedding. It doesn’t take long for Connor’s nature to show, realising he has previously slept with three of the four bridesmaids, and giving a large speech at the wedding rehearsal dinner about how he doesn’t believe in love. His hero is his late Uncle Wayne (Michael Douglas), who was quite the player in his time and taught Connor everything he knows. It is immediately obvious, upon his greeting to maid of honour Jenny Perotti (Jennifer Garner), that there is some unresolved tension there, further endorsed by a few heated little exchanges. Connor tries very hard to block out whatever happened between them and continue with his womanising ways at the party the night before the wedding. But after a few too many scotches, he visits the men’s room to see the ghost of Uncle Wayne standing before him, telling him that he will be visited by the ghosts of girlfriends past, present and future that night. Much to Connor’s digust, Wayne tells him that he doesn’t want to end up alone and unloved like he did, and the ghosts will help to find where he went wrong. This is the start of a very entertaining set of events, as we are transported through time with an astonished Connor and his ghosts, to highlights and lowlights of his love life. The ghosts are trying to help him feel something again, but it may all be in vain as Connor has managed to throw the whole wedding into turmoil and further isolate the girl of his dreams in the process.

The film turned out to be much more enjoyable than I expected it to be. Of course, when you see a poster for a romantic comedy with two very attractive leads, you can pretty much pick how the story will end. In many ways, it did follow the regular recipe for a rom-com: the introduction to the characters, the unresolved tension, the conflict and the eventual resolution. However, ‘Ghosts of Girlfriends Past’ managed to make the ride very amusing, with lots of laughs and light-hearted moments along the way. There are a few ‘awwww!’ moments that the girls will appreciate, including the scenes on the swings and Connor’s last-ditch effort to save the wedding. Michael Douglas turns in a great performance as the Hugh Hefner-esque Uncle Wayne, Jennifer Garner is lovely as usual and Matthew McConaughey suits the role as the rich, womanising, sleazy photographer. Also, the bride-turned-bridezilla Sandra (Lacey Chabert) and her father, war-obsessed ex-Marine Sargeant Volkom (Robert Forster), provide two very entertaining characters. As much as this is quite the chick flick, guys need not worry if they are dragged along to this one: even if you don’t care about the story, there’s plenty of attractive girls to look at! And there’s a nice, happy ending to make us all feel warm and fuzzy inside!!

Verdict:

Predictable but entertaining; Ghosts of Girlfriends Past has just enough laughter and love to fill the requirements of the rom-com genre.

[rating: 3/5]

A Christmas Carol 3D (Review)

Cinema Releases May 7th, 2009 – Star Trek, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

Arthur [2011] (Review)

The Eclipse (Review)

WIN tickets to a preview of A CHRISTMAS CAROL 3D! (Adelaide)

Gallipoli (1981) – the quintessential movie for Anzac Day, as the film tells the story of a group of Australian men sent into battle at Gallipoli and the horrors they had to endure.

Schindler’s List (1993) – based on a true story, Oskar Schindler is a greedy German businessman who witnesses the horrors of the Holocaust, and uses his factory to save over 1000 Jews from certain death at Auschwitz.

Saving Private Ryan (1998) – Spielberg’s other WWII  epic sees a squad of soldiers journey through Nazi-occupied territory to find and save Private James Ryan after his three brothers were killed.

Black Hawk Down (2001) – based on the best-selling book about the mission of 100 American Army rangers to bring down Somali warlords, which became catastrophic when two Black Hawk helicopters crashed.

Apocalypse Now (1979) – set in the Vietnam War, it follows an American captain’s treacherous mission to bring down a rogue colonel who is controlling his own army within the Cambodian jungle.

Platoon (1986) – A young American volunteers to fight in Vietnam but amidst their struggle for survival and conflict with the enemy, he also has to deal with battles within his own men.

Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) – Told entirely from the perspective of Japanese soldiers, the film follows the harsh and bloody battle between the Americans and Japanese for Iwo Jima, an island of Japan.

Paths of Glory (1957) – a tale of a power-hungry French general on the Western Front in 1916, who sends his men on a suicidal mission and attempts to discipline those who rebelled to hide his own unforgivable actions.

As you enjoy these war films, take some time to reflect on those that have fought and died for our freedom in conflicts around the world. Here, on Anzac Day, we remember all Australians that have served for our country, beginning with those that fought at Gallipoli 94 years ago. Lest we forget.

Cinema Releases – January 22, 2009

Cinema Releases – January 15, 2009

Cinema Releases July 2nd, 2009 – Ice Age 3, Last Ride

Cinema Releases July 9, 2009 – Bruno, Fox and the Child

Cinema Releases: April 30, 2009 – Wolverine, Defiance

As previously mentioned on this website, I am quite the Harry Potter nut. So how do you think I coped when Ms Rowling decides to start needlessly killing characters from book/movie 4 to the end of the series?! Not very well, to say the least. I still can’t believe none of the ink ran from my book pages. In the movies, I know what’s coming, so I start getting teary a good half hour before the death!

Another incident that has always stuck with me, since I love The Matrix, was the totally unnecessary death of Trinity in Matrix Revolutions. Just when you think they are going to go into battle, win and make everything alright again, Trinity gets killed. Just like that. And once Neo defeats all the baddies and enters the ‘new’ world, he has to do it without her. Oh, cruel fate! And the list goes on. There are movies that to this day I refuse to watch, such as The Notebook, because everyone else has told me how emotional it is and how much they cried. I don’t even know if anyone does die in that… anyway, you hopeless romantics get the picture: spare yourself the water works, or prepare well and stock up on tissues. If only all movies could have that Disney touch, right?

Actually, come to think of it, Disney has done it to us as well! Anyone remember a little film called The Lion King?! That stampede, and Mufasa, and Simba crying out for his dad… shame on you, Disney! Sure, the ending was happy enough, but you put us emotional types through the ringer before getting there.

So who’s with me?! Let’s demand justice from those big wigs in Hollywood. Stop killing our characters and give us happy endings! * We want to feel good, not sad; elated, not mad. Every movie should end with ‘And they all lived happily ever after’, and we’d skip out of the cinema on our merry way. Good should win, love should triumph, and everyone should live to see a new day. The end.

Where we all will live happily ever after, of course.

__________

*Note: This piece was written with my tongue firmly in cheek. Although I do dislike when characters I like die in films (and do cry on occasion… or quite often!), cinema would become a very boring medium if every story had a ‘happily ever after’ ending. Films, like real life, aren’t always going to be cheerful all the time. You do have to have some drama, some suspense, some sadness, and a good film will make us feel a range of emotions, not just make us happy!

Interview: Frank Lotito & George Kapiniaris of BIG MAMMA’S BOY

The Princess and the Frog (Review)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Review)

Interview: Kevin Tancharoen talks ‘Fame’

Adam (Review)

10 Best Dressed…

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10 Worst Dressed…

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Glamour of the Globes

Golden Globes 2010 Red Carpet Wrap

Golden Globe Nominations and Academy Awards Announcements

Competition: Win tickets to see THE STORM WARRIORS

Australian Box Office Report: 14-17 Oct 2010

From the outside, Sunshine Hills seems like a perfect, picturesque suburb, but the residents live in fear. Stories of teenage girls being abducted and murdered plague the neighbourhood, and adding to their paranoia is the derelict house at number 46 and its strange occupants. Daniel, played by the brilliant Sebastian Gregory, is a quiet 14-year-old that loves taking photos, especially of his next-door neighbour Suzy (Tahyna Tozzi). A 16-year-old seductress, Suzy uses her looks and Daniel’s crush on her to get him to sneak around the suburb, taking photos and trying to unravel the mystery of the missing girls. Suzy is masterfully manipulative and knows how to control her younger counterpart, whilst Daniel’s starry eyes prevent him from seeing the danger his crush is getting him into. Daniel discovers the ghost-like woman living in number 46 that stares out the window all day and the seemingly violent man that comes home to her every night, and Suzy pressures him to find more. At the same time, secrets from Daniel’s past are begging to be discovered, but are kept under wraps by his policeman father (Aaron Jeffery). Many other little side stories also help to add to the suspense and hold the audience’s attention. Once Suzy goes missing from her house and Daniel receives the distress call, he goes searching for her at number 46, with disastrous and unexpected consequences. I won’t spoil the ending, but I will tell you that it’s the only time in recent years that I have heard an audience gasp so much at the end of a film! It left me absolutely stunned, and the ending was still sinking in well after I left the cinema.

After the introduction gets you involved in the story of the missing girls, the spectacular cinematography is alone almost enough to make this film worth watching. The first scene showing Suzy sunbaking in the rain is quite a spectacle (as well as showing how much of an attention-seeker she is!). Throughout the movie, shots of the environment, the suburban landscape and the photos taken by Daniel, among others, are so rich in colour and so captivating that they truly fulfil the film’s name. The Australian cast all perform well, especially the young Sebastian Gregory, who really brings out the shyness and insecurities in his character. From the outset the main story doesn’t seem incredibly original, but there are many twists and turns, secrets and surprises that were not expected at the start of the film. And I will mention that ending again, because it should leave an impact on everyone.

Verdict:

Australian cinema has never looked so good, literally! This was a film that was beautifully shot, but had a story and ending that was far from beautiful. Rather, it showed the dreadful and dangerous side of suburbia, and what can happen when you start delving into the secrets of others. Striking yet terrible, a good yet horrible story, Beautiful is a film that will keep you in suspense throughout. And then deliver the most brutal of knockout punches at the end!

[Rating: 4/5]

Beautiful screens apart of the 2009 Bigpond Adelaide Film Festival.

Tickets are still available for a second screening on the 27th Feb at 7:00 PM. For more information, visit the BAFF website here.

For more reviews and features from the Bigpond Adelaide Film Festival, visit the page devoted to our coverage  here.

Let the Right One In [Låt den rätte komma in] (Review)

JCVD (Review)

Home (Review)

Man of Cinema: Pierre Rissient (Review)

Three Monkeys [Üç maymun] (Review)

As with most short films, they are created to push the boundaries of what we would class as ‘normal’ cinema, and Schadenfreude certainly did that! The cinematography was excellent, interweaving black and white shots with those full of colour; memories with real life. The music was an important part of the film, since the only word spoken by all the characters was ‘shoe’. The costuming was also very well done, bringing to life the circus/carnival feel of the whole thing. Adding to this was the bar, which had been filmed in one of the old sets from Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge. Altogether, Schadenfreude was a very unique piece that the audience certainly found to be out of the ordinary!

Short Film Festival Guide

Beautiful (Review)

Home (Review)

Three Monkeys [Üç maymun] (Review)

2011 Alliance Francaise French Film Festival Opening Night

But the peace and quiet cannot last. The construction workers march in, camera shots only showing their feet as though they were an invading army, and bring with them the enormous, noisy trucks with their flashing lights. One is made to feel that these things are evil, the ‘bad guys’, bringing a revolting contrast to the beauty and peace and a sense of impending doom. Michel (Olivier Gourmet), the father, tries in vain to deny any development will go ahead. Julien (Kacey Mottet Klein), the young son, walks around the trucks and workers as though they are an alien life-form. The morning brings with it the first of many, many cars and a feeling of paradise lost. A radio gives constant updates about how wonderful this new development is and how much easier the lives of the commuters will be, but the audience is already connected to the family and you only feel for them. This was a strange feeling for myself, generally being all for new development if it helps society in general.

The traffic gets worse and worse. The noise is unbearable, day and night. There is no escape. Numerous shots show family members just watching the never-ending stream of traffic, almost in disbelief. The family try to adjust their lifestyle and adapt to the chaos, but all end up going mad in their own way. Marthe can’t sleep, daughter Marion (Madeleine Budd) becomes obsessed with pollution and scares Julien, and eldest daughter Judith (Adelaide Leroux) runs away. Michel buys insulation and concrete bricks and imprisons them in their own home during the summer, amplifying the heat, boredom and the smallest sound. It seemed as though their lives were ebbing away, as if death was imminent, especially when Judith returned to find no way into the house. The final scene is very moving, when Marthe grabs a sledgehammer and breaks through their prison walls. The camera shot from a passing car shows all the family walking out of the house into the world again, as though awakening from their diminished state of consciousness and accepting what faces them outside. This is no longer their ideal life, but is what they have to live with.

Each character was able to develop throughout the film, showing their unique personalities and how they were affected individually and as a family unit. An interesting point to me was how much more liberal the French lifestyle is to ours, and also French cinema. There were plenty of charming moments, like when the family were sitting outside watching TV together, but also many confronting moments, including the scene where Michel was trying to get the family to leave by force. The serenity of the countryside was often contrasted with the harsh highway sights and sounds to show how terrible the situation had become. I couldn’t help but feel quite fearful towards the end of the film that the family were all going to die inside those walls, making that final scene one of joy but also relief.

Verdict:

Home presents a very interesting view of how quickly and easily life can change and how hard it can be to adapt, and how development always has a downside. These points were accentuated and amplified throughout the film to capture the audience and gain their empathy.  I certainly became engrossed in what was a fascinating, touching, confronting and enjoyable film.

Home screens apart of the 2009 Bigpond Adelaide Film Festival.

Tickets are still available for a second and third screening on the 23rd Feb at 3:15pm and 28th Feb at 7:45 pm at Palace cinemas, Adelaide city. For more information, visit the BAFF website here.

For more reviews and features from the Bigpond Adelaide Film Festival, visit the page devoted to our coverage  here.

JCVD (Review)

2011 Alliance Francaise French Film Festival Opening Night

Stella (Review)

Beautiful (Review)

Three Monkeys [Üç maymun] (Review)

The first star to have the spotlight put upon them is none other than one of our favourite Aussie sons, Hugh Jackman. As we are less than a week away from the Oscars, all eyes are beginning to turn towards those involved in Hollywood’s night of nights, including Hugh, this year’s host. I certainly wish him luck as he steps out into that spotlight next week, but for now, we’ll keep him in ours!

A bit of Bio:

Hugh Michael Jackman was born on October 15, 1968 in Sydney, Australia. From a young age he became interested in acting, performing in school productions and later studying at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, graduating in 1994. Over the next five years Jackman performed within Australia in stage productions such as Beauty and the Beast, TV shows such as Correlli, and movies such as Paperback Hero. Hugh was married to wife Deborra-Lee Furness in 1996, whom he met on the set of Correlli, and now have two adopted children; Oscar, 8, and Ava, 3. In 1998 his international status began to build with a critically acclaimed role in a stage production of Oklahoma! in London’s West End, and his popularity grew enormously after his performance as Wolverine in X-Men (2000). From then on, Hugh has starred in many movies, including the X-Men sequels and Baz Luhrmann’s Australia, a number of stage shows including The Boy From Oz, and has hosted the Tony Awards three times (2003-2005). Jackman is the host of this year’s Academy Awards, being held on February 22 at the Kodak Theatre, and will be seen on screen again soon for another turn as Wolverine in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Five fast facts about Hugh:

1. He will receive his very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009.

2. He runs a production company, Seed Productions, with wife Deborra-Lee Furness and John Palermo.

3. He was school captain and attended the same school as Hugo Weaving.

4. He is incredibly near-sighted and wears contact lenses most of the time.

5. He stands at 6′ 2”, almost a foot taller than the character of Wolverine (5′ 3”) in the X-Men comics.

Filmography:

o Paperback Hero (1999)
o Erskineville Kings (1999)
o X-Men (2000)
o Someone Like You (2001)
o Swordfish (2001)
o Kate and Leopold (2001)
o X2 (2003)
o Standing Room Only (2004)
o Van Helsing (2004)
o Stories of Lost Souls (2006)
o X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
o Scoop (2006)
o The Fountain (2006)
o The Prestige (2006)
o Flushed Away (voice) (2006)
o Happy Feet (voice) (2006)
o Uncle Jonny (2008)
o Deception (2008)
o Australia (2008)
o X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) – coming soon

Final Word:

How can you not love Hugh Jackman? He’s a good looking, down to earth Aussie bloke with a heart of gold and a gorgeous smile to go with it! He has the ability to make females of every age swoon (including myself): think the scene from Australia when he turns up clean shaven and in a crisp suit.  Hugh has done a fantastic job flying the flag for Australia and is one of the biggest names in the business at the moment. His career is going from strength to strength and hopefully this will continue for many years to come.

Poll Results – Hugh Jackman at the Oscars; Yay or ney?

Golden Globe Nominations and Academy Awards Announcements

X-men Origins: Wolverine (Review)

‘Australia’ gets a happy ending

Cinema Releases: April 30, 2009 – Wolverine, Defiance

The War of the Roses, adapted by Tom Wright and Benedict Andrews and performed by the Sydney Theatre Company, is a culmination of eight plays from the historical works of master playwright William Shakespeare. The overall production is split into two parts, each with two acts, and these are performed as either an afternoon/evening double or on consecutive nights. One can be seen without the other and due to time restrictions, I only saw Part 2. As a bit of background, Part 1 starts with the story of King Richard II  and his demise, followed by the rise to power of King Henry IV and the conflict throughout Wales and Scotland. After reconciliation between Henry IV and his wayward son, Henry V, Henry IV dies and King Henry V takes the crown. He invades France and after his triumph, courts the daughter of the King of France. The troubles of the past seem to be fading until Henry V dies young, leaving his young son the crown and a brewing conflict that will become a violent and bloody battle for power.

Act 1 of Part 2 begins with supporters declaring their loyalty to one of the two opposing sides of the royal family. Those supporting the young King Henry VI, the Lancastrians, picked red roses, whilst the Yorkists, supporters of the Duke of York, picked white roses. Margaret of Anjou, a French princess, is captured by the Earl of Suffolk to marry the immature King, but soon betrays him by conspiring with the Yorkists. First, the King’s protector is killed, then Suffolk, even though he was working with her. York attempts to claim the throne, but the conflict between the two sides explodes into a civil war. Henry VI is captured by York and offers to make York his heir, but this arrangement falls through and the battle worsens. York’s youngest son Rutland is killed, York himself is caught and killed, and Clifford, a Lancastrian fighting for Margaret, is killed also. Chaos erupts when York’s eldest son Edward names himself King, meaning England has two Kings at once. Margaret’s forces are defeated and her son is killed, followed by Henry VI, and Margaret herself is banished. The Yorkists seem to have won as Edward IV and his queen Elizabeth take control, but he knows not of his brother Richard’s plan to overthrow him.

Act 2 soon reveals Richard’s plan, and as he descends into power-hungry madness he arranges the murder of his brother Clarence. Richard courts Anne, the widow of Henry’s son, whilst Margaret returns with wild prophecies about the ‘coming darkness’ but is ignored. Edward IV dies and Richard becomes the Protector of his young sons and heirs to the kingdom. The boys are kept hidden and Richard claims the throne after his cousin Buckingham spreads rumours that the Princes are illegitimate. Richard wants the Princes killed, but Buckingham refuses and flees in fear. Anne is driven to kill herself through fear and hatred of her tyrannical husband. Richard tries in vain to marry his niece while the kingdom falls into disarray, Buckingham is finally killed and the Earl of Richmond invades, ready to fight Richard. After a visit from the ghosts of those that have died, Richard is killed by Richmond, who is from the Lancastrian line. The houses of Lancaster and York are united when Richmond, now King Henry VII, marries the daughter of Edward IV, ending the long battle for supremacy.

It was clear right from the start that this was not going to be your ordinary Shakespeare play. Part 2 opens with a simply set stage: a large square bordered by fluorescent lights, hundreds of scattered roses inside the square, one chair and no backdrops. A couple of bags filled with flour sit curiously alongside bottles containing red liquid, at various positions in the square, whilst an electronic sign hanging above tells the audience the name of the scene in its bright red writing. The actors enter the square in plain, modern-day clothing, and I immediately drew connections to Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet: the modern twist on a timeless classic. The square became the on-stage area, as actors who were not part of the scene or waiting to enter stood around the edges. The roses were used to full effect, being picked up symbolically in scenes such as when the sides were chosen, or kicked around in anger or joy, or piled on top of those that had died. We learned very abruptly what the bottles and flour bags were to be used for: when someone was killed, the character that killed them drank the liquid and spat it over the dying character, or poured it over them, then threw flour at them. This was shocking at first but looked very realistic and created a great spectacle in the scenes where characters died. The electronic sign informed us when this was to occur, with scene after scene at the end of the first act called ‘The Killing of (character)’, and this was increasingly greeted by laughter as the audience prepared to see someone else suffer a very gory death.

The second act revealed a complete change in set: the sign and square were gone, replaced by playground equipment, including a slide,merry-go-round, swing set and monkey bars. Very fine grey particles floated down from the ceiling looking like snowflakes but gathering on the ground to look like ashes or dust. Perfect and almost cliched symbolism when at the start of the act, Richard spoke the famous line, ‘Now is the winter of our discontent’. The various pieces of playground equipment were used for meeting places, hiding places, vantage points for that scene or even for characters to hang themselves from, as the terrified Anne does. The blood is not used in this act, however the grey dust artfully covers the dead as they are left to lie on the ground. The pieces of equipment are covered one by one with purple cloths as Richard’s reign begins to end and his kingdom is slowly taken away. Throughout the two acts and in between the dialogue, bursts of sharp, almost harsh, modern electronic and techno music are played. It is loud and brash, startling the audience and defying the type of music one would expect to hear in a Shakespeare play, but at the same time it complements the events of the play and the general emotions of anger, fear, hatred and revenge.

The acting in the play was superb, with the actors from the Sydney Theatre Company bringing to life and putting a different spin on this classic story. The lines of beautiful Shakespearean language were delivered perfectly and with so much feeling, and small movements around the stage or on the playground equipment were fluid and meaningful. The standout performances for me were Pamela Rabe as Richard, spectacularly displaying the madness and tyrannical nature of her character; Eden Falk, who really showed the childish and immature disposition of Henry VI; and Marta Dusseldorp as the beautiful and power-hungry Margaret. The highlight, though, was seeing the stunning Cate Blanchett as Anne. She has such enormous presence on the stage, commanding attention with her heartfelt portrayal of her character. The audience gave her their full attention whenever she appeared, seeming to gasp when she entered the stage. It was an honour to see Cate in person on the stage, and so easy to see why she has excelled as an actor.

Overall, I loved every second of the almost four hour duration of The War of the Roses, Part 2. The story is one of history’s all-time classics and was portrayed so impressively with brilliant acting and wonderfully modern sets, costumes and music. If you aren’t one of the lucky ones that were able to see this play, I hope this piece has at least helped you to envision it! For more information, pictures and behind-the-scenes action, visit the official website here.

The Time Traveler’s Wife (Review)

Robin Hood [2010] (Review 2)

Me and Orson Welles (Review)

Elise’s plea: “Stop Killing Our Characters!”

Abbie Cornish joins Vera Farmiga for Madonna’s royal scandal biopic ‘W.E’

The Stunners…

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The Shockers…

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My tips for the red carpet…

• Solid colours are hot right now, bright or pale. Steer clear of patterns.
• Timeless black is back! Well, did it ever really go away?!
• Fitted, simple designs with delicate detail are very popular.
• Never wear shorter style dresses on the red carpet. Ever.
• Soft, classic up-dos add a touch of class.
• Don’t overdo the jewellery: choose elegant earrings or a nice necklace, and a small bracelet or a few bangles. Too much jewellery detracts from the dress.
• For the guys, sweep back the hair and add some volume, wear skinny ties and put on some cool sunnies to finish the look.

81st Academy Awards Red Carpet

Golden Globes 2010 Red Carpet Wrap

Golden Globe Nominations and Academy Awards Announcements

Competition: Win tickets to see THE STORM WARRIORS

Competition: Win KICK-ASS merchandise + tickets!

The latter half of January and February will yield the highly anticipated releases of the remaining awards season contenders. The Wrestler, a captivating story of an ageing champion, and Doubt, a drama concerning religion and morality, both open on January 15. These will be followed by Revolutionary Road (Jan 22), about the problems faced by a 1950′s family, and Milk (Jan 29), about California’s first openly gay elected official. Two of Hollywood’s leading ladies feature in February’s releases: Angelina Jolie in Changeling (Feb 5) and Kate Winslet in The Reader (Feb 19). Last Chance Harvey (Feb 26), essentially a love story, is the last release of the main awards season features.

The battle between animation giants Disney-Pixar and Dreamworks is set to get even bigger as the films from each studio are to be released in 3D. Dreamworks will get in first, with Monsters vs Aliens to be released on April 2, followed by Disney-Pixar’s Up, which is set for a June release. For the young and young-at-heart, a third chapter in the Ice Age franchise is likely to be released for the winter holidays. The tweens have the Hannah Montana movie (April 9) and Jonas Brothers 3D (June 4) to look forward to.

Hollywood continues its love affair with prequels and sequels next year. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (April 30) will take us back 20 years before X-Men to show how the young soldier Logan becomes Wolverine. The Star Trek franchise will receive another prequel in Star Trek XI (May 7), but expect some changes and a bit of a revamp. Angels and Demons, the sequel to The Da Vinci Code, will open May 14 with Tom Hanks reprising his role as Robert Langdon. Terminator: Salvation is set for release on June 4, but this time Arnie won’t be back. June 25 will bring the next film in the Transformers series, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. And after a longer than expected wait for fans, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth instalment in the phenomenally successful series will be released on July 16 (being a huge fan myself, I can’t wait!!!). Let’s just hope for more prequels/sequels in the vein of The Dark Knight and less like The Mummy’s latest sequel!

For those who loved Sex and the City (yes, I mean the movie!), two book-to-movie adaptations will prove very appealing. He’s Just Not That Into You will be released on February 12 (guys, just in time for Valentine’s Day), adapted from the self-help book about miscommunication in relationships. Confessions of a Shopaholic, the story of an aspiring journalist and fashionista, will open a month later on March 12. Films for the girls, but as SATC proved this year, the chick flicks can rake in the dollars!

Two interesting and much anticipated releases for the year will be Watchmen and Avatar. Watchmen (March 5) is based on a graphic novel about a group of superheroes investigating the murder of one of their own. Avatar, slated for a December release, tells the story of the discovery of a living planet and the ensuing battle for its treasures and for survival. Both could be very good films if they are done well.

That’s just a small selection of what is to come in 2009. At any rate, we can expect a rollercoaster ride of brilliant blockbusters, flops, prequels and sequels, critical successes, crowd favourites and surprise hits.

Happy New Year and happy film-watching from the team at Cut, Print, Review!!

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All film release dates correct as of 30/12/2008. For dates and further information, visit Greater Union’s Coming Soon page here.

Poll Results: Most anticipated upcoming blockbuster

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Review)

Why Harry Potter is pop culture’s “chosen one”

Golden Globe Nominations and Academy Awards Announcements

Australian Box Office 2-5 Dec 2010: Harry Potter still on top

- Update 2: The nominations for the 81st Academy Awards are also in! Full list here.

The awards season in Hollywood is just around the corner, with the Golden Globe nominations being announced last Thursday.

This year’s big contenders are ‘Frost/Nixon’, ‘Doubt’ and ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’, each receiving five nominations. The films vying for the title of best picture (drama) are ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’, ‘Frost/Nixon’, ‘The Reader’, ‘Revolutionary Road’ and ‘Slumdog Millionaire’.

Yet to see any of these films listed?  That’s probably because they haven’t even hit Australian cinemas yet. However, over the coming weeks expect to  see such Oscar bait luring patrons into cinemas across the nation.

Among the nominees for best actor (drama) are Sean Penn (Milk) and Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), whilst for the leading ladies, Meryl Streep claimed best actress nominations for Doubt (drama) and Mamma Mia! (musical/comedy).

Kate Winslet also scored two nominations, for best actress (drama) in Revolutionary Road and best supporting actress in The Reader. In the category of best supporting actor the standout is the late Heath Ledger for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight.

Another standout is Wall-E, another of Disney-Pixar’s triumphs nominated for best animated feature film. Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon) is one of the contenders for best director, with Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight) a notable omission from this category.There were some other surprise snubs at the nomination announcement, such as a best picture nomination for ‘Milk‘. Although a good indicator for the Academy Awards, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, who vote for the Globes, do tend to vote a little differently than the Academy so a few changes in the categories can be expected by the time Oscar comes to town.

One thing that Hollywood can definitely agree on is their hopes for a good show this year, after the 2008 Golden Globe ceremony was cancelled. Actors boycotted the ceremony in support of the writers’ strike and the winners were announced at a press conference. It will be great to see the glitz, glamour and fun return for this year’s ceremony.

A full list of nominees can be viewed at IMDB here.

In news from the Academy, Australian favourite Hugh Jackman has been chosen as host of the 2009 Oscars ceremony. In recent times, American comedians and personalities have been the choice for the top job, and so many were surprised when Jackman was announced as host. It shows that the Academy Awards, now in their 81st year, may be taking a new direction in the future after falls in ratings. Hugh, gaining acclaim for his role in Baz Luhrmann’s under performing ‘Australia’, is not new to hosting awards ceremonies, after hosting the Tony Awards for Broadway three times in the past. I think Hugh will be a sensational host, as he is not only a seasoned professional but an all-around nice guy and great Australian! The Academy Awards will be held on February 22, 2009, with nominations expected towards the end of January.

Stay tuned to Cut, Print, Review for more awards season news!!

SAG Nominations: ‘Benjamin Button’ the ‘Slumdog’ ‘Wrestler’ casts ‘Doubt’ over spilt ‘Milk’

81st Academy Award Winners: ‘Slumdog’ sweeps the board

Oscar Lead Up Gets A Little Darker

BAFTA Film Awards 2009 – Winners

Poll Results – Hugh Jackman at the Oscars; Yay or ney?

The Santa Clause (1994)

Directed by John Pasquin, this film puts a different spin on the classic story of Father Christmas. When Scott Calvin (played by Tim Allen) unintentionally causes Santa to fall to his death on Christmas Eve, Calvin must step into Santa’s shoes. He is taken to the North Pole where the elves try to convince him he is the new Santa Claus, and after an amusing series of events and magical transformations, Calvin eventually accepts his role. A nice, heart-warming movie that is one of my Christmas favourites (but forget about the sequels!!).

A Christmas Carol

There have been many film adaptations of the classic story by Charles Dickens, about the selfish, Christmas-loathing Ebenezer Scrooge and his visits from the three ghosts of Christmas who try to change his ways. One of the most popular versions is the 1951 film titled ‘Scrooge’, directed by Brian Hurst and starring Alastair Sim. Brian Henson directed the very entertaining ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’ (1992) starring Michael Caine and all of your favourite Muppets. A Disney remake, directed by Robert Zemeckis, is currently in post-production and is scheduled for release in late 2009.

Miracle on 34th Street

Another Christmas story that has had a number of film adaptations, the most well-known versions of this movie are the classic 1947 version and the more recent 1994 version, starring Richard Attenborough as Kris Kringle and Mara Wilson as Susan Walker. Susan is a six-year-old who does not believe in Santa Claus, until she meets Kris Kringle, a department store Santa, who tells her that he is the real Santa. She begins to believe him, as all those who meet Kris can sense something special about him. A great conflict follows the release of this news, eventuating in a court case to determine whether Santa Claus even exists. This is a lovely Christmas story that spreads a message of love and hope throughout a society where commercialism is rampant.

Love Actually (2003)

Love Actually is an uplifting romantic comedy, directed by Richard Curtis, that explores the many facets of love against the backdrop of the Christmas season. With an all-star British cast including Hugh Grant and Keira Knightley, the film is actually many smaller love stories between pairs or small groups of the main characters. As Christmas gets closer, each story is developed and some of the stories intertwine, concluding in an epilogue showing how each story ends. Every story explores a slightly different side of love, with moments that will make you smile, sigh, laugh and cry (if you’re a hopeless romantic!). Love Actually is witty and touching film that will certainly warm your heart.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

A cult classic directed by the masterful Tim Burton, this film uses stop-motion animation techniques to tell the story of Jack Skellington, one of the kooky residents of Halloween Town. After growing tired of running the Halloween celebrations every year, Jack accidently finds himself in Christmas Town and becomes so enamoured with Christmas he decides to take it over. The ensuing events are sure to make you smile, with delightful songs and creepily cute characters to fall in love with! A unique and delightful film that all ages will adore and I guarantee you will want to watch again!

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)

A Christmas movie that I watch with my family every year, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation follows the Griswold family and their Christmas from hell. Chevy Chase, as Clark Griswold, is trying to create the perfect Christmas for his wife, children and all of the relatives coming to stay. However, as Murphy’s Law states, everything that can go wrong will go wrong, from the lights not working to the Christmas tree burning down to the cat meeting an untimely end. Slapstick? Yes. Corny? Yes. Over the top? Yes. But you will certainly get a good laugh and the movie might make you think that your relatives and Christmas ‘disasters’ aren’t so bad after all!

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

Based on the popular Dr Seuss story and often simply referred to as ‘The Grinch’, this 2000 movie starring Jim Carrey as the Grinch is one for the youngsters, but will also be enjoyed by the young at heart. The Grinch lives alone in a mountain cave, despising the citizens of the town of Whoville at the base of the mountain and their love of Christmas. Cindy Lou is a young Who girl that thinks the town is forgetting the true meaning of Christmas. She tries to reach out to the Grinch, but things do not quite go according to plan. This is a great story for children to show that Christmas is not all about presents and is altogether a sweet and pleasant film.

The Polar Express (2004)

Directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks, The Polar Express was one of the first movies to be filmed using 3D motion capture techniques. The film tells the story of a young boy who is starting to have doubts about whether Santa is real, and is lying awake on Christmas Eve to wait for Santa. Instead, he hears the roar of a train outside, and is invited by the conductor to come on a journey to the North Pole. A magical adventure follows, not without its obstacles, but eventuating at the North Pole and encouraging the boy to believe again. As well as being a beautiful tale, this was a breakthrough film in terms of the techniques used.

Elf (2003)

One of the more recent releases, Elf is a fabulously quirky story directed by Jon Favreau and starring Will Ferrell. Buddy (Ferrell) had been raised as an elf at Santa’s Workshop, until he grew to be twice the size of the other elves, accidentally causing chaos throughout the North Pole. On Santa’s advice, he sets out to find his father in the United States, and at the same time, tries to bring back the Christmas spirit to the American people. Although slightly corny in parts, this is a movie to be watched for its fun and charm.

I hope that gives you a guide to some joy-filled movies to watch this Christmas season. Remember, the point of these movies is to entertain, to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside and to instil that festive spirit within you! So grab some fruit mince tarts, Christmas cake and a few good friends, and enjoy!

A Christmas Carol 3D (Review)

WIN tickets to a preview of A CHRISTMAS CAROL 3D! (Adelaide)

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (Review)

White Christmas: The Unrealistic View for Australians

Arthur Christmas (Review)