Questions for Ant Timpson, head honcho of Incredibly Strange

Questions for Ant Timpson, head honcho of Incredibly Strange

The New Zealand International Film Festival is upon us - and it's time to put curator of the Incredibly Strange, Ant Timpson under the spotlight.

Another year, another incredibly strange festival – what were the pickings like out there this time?
The pickings are always plentiful but that doesn't necessarily translate into snagging all the films I want to screen. Even with my godlike powers I am still humbled by foreign distribution plans and the like. Pretty happy with the line-up that I ended up with though.

What’s the one film that’s an absolute must from your programme?
You know I hate playing this game, Darren, and every year you ask me this same question. Well listen here, I won't be bullied by this line of questioning into make some snap decision that I'l regret for years later. Don't you know the power of the internet? Whatever I say now will end up like some epitaph on my tombstone. Don't you realize the pressure such a question puts on a film fanatic like myself?  Have you no shame? In saying that, I'd highly recommend both Cheap Thrills and You’re Next because they're crowd-pleasers in the best sense that come alive with a packed amped audience.

Another Ben Wheatley film – what can you tell us about the delicious sounding A Field in England?
You make it sound like a chore. "Another Ben Wheatley".. Let me rephrase that for you boyo… HOLY
GUACAMOLE! YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER BEN WHEATLEY FILM!!" - Why yes Darren, we're extremely lucky to have his psychedelicalicious period piece. The less you know about the film the better. I can tell you it's in B&W and if that scares you off, then what the hell are you doing at the Film Festival in the first place?

Cheap Thrills appears to have the potential to shock – what’s been the audience reaction to this one?
Potential? Ahem - it will shock some. And it will definitely arouse the most jaded film fans to sit up and take notice. It's got a very wicked streak of black humoor running throughout it's outrageous set-up. I saw it at SXSW earlier this year and the audience went gaga over it. It reminds me of the early work of Paul Bartel (Eating Raoul, Private Parts) in that he liked playing with traditional dramatic set-ups - and then twisting them until they become hilariously deranged. This will be the one people will talk about to friends the next day for sure.

And a chance to see Arrested Development’s Michael Cera play quite dark – tell us more about Magic, Magic?
Well it's a Chilean psychological thriller film that premiered at Sundance this year. It's part of a two film collaboration between the Chilean director and Michael Cera and it recently wowed the folks at Cannes. Simply put it's the story of young woman, (Juno Temple) who is travelling in Chile with her cousin (Emily Browning), her cousin's boyfriend, his sister, and their friend (Michael Cera). As she starts suffering from insomnia, she begins to lose her grip on what is real and what isn’t. It's hard to classify as it's a real hybrid, part psychological thriller part horror movie, heavy on atmosphere and performance.

Elijah Wood as a killer in Maniac, a reboot of what’s believed to be one of the most suspenseful films ever - sounds enticing?
Well I've never heard the 1980 Maniac, referred as suspenseful - I've heard disgusting, misogynistic and repellent. It's a classic 80s nasty that wallows in its deviancy and you have to admire the chutzpah of the film to never waver from its commitment. The remake matches the commitment but surrounds the film in this intoxicating veneer of grindhouse chic - where there's incredibly thoughtful execution in the film-making but the subject matter is still as grotesque and unhinged as the original. Elijah is only seen in reflections because the entire film is stunning shot via POV - and I think it’s that distancing that really allowed Elijah to embrace the role of the titular Maniac and really go to town. This is not a date movie unless your date has multiple piercings and numerous demon tattoos on their chest.

V/H/S was popular last year and now the sequel’s here – you’ve been a producer of an anthology series (The ABCs of Death), how do you rate the creativity of this latest?
Well V/H/S 2 lifted the game a lot and I was very impressed with the calibre of the shorts. I wasn't knocked out by all the shorts in Part 1 but this time around they're all good and one of them is a 20m descent into hell that is just elfin unbelievable. This is a lot of fun, the mean-spiritedness of the original has gone and this is all about making the audience scream and laugh. This and You’re Next are the two bright spots on the horror calendar for 2013. You'd be foolish to miss them on the big screen.

Outside of the IS, what other films are you looking forward to seeing and why?
That's a good question. I haven't even had time to go through the programme properly to see what I want to see. These days, I kinda like just jumping in blind to films at the festival. It's such a rare feeling to have today - there's so much pre-discussion and picking apart films before they get a chance to breathe. It's rather sad. The fest is one opportunity for me to literally just see a title and take a chance. That's where the real surprises come and the films that knock you for six. You have to be willing to just be swallowed up by cinema sometimes, otherwise it's like fighting a rip. You're gonna drown unless you just go with the flow.

Describe your perfect film festival day...
Good films. Good projection. Good audience. Good night.

The World's End: Movie Review

The World's End: Movie Review

Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan, Rosamund Pike
Director: Edgar Wright

They say all good things come to an end.

So it is with the Cornetto trilogy, aka The Blood and Ice Cream trilogy, which began back in 2004 with Shaun of the Dead and grew to a phenomenon with 2007's Hot Fuzz.

Simon Pegg re-teams with on screen buddy Nick Frost and behind the camera whiz Edgar Wright for this latest, which sees Pegg playing initially a little darker than he has done before.

Simon Pegg is Gary King, a black coated, black haired and distinctly Gothic lizard of a man who believes the best year of his life was when he attempted a pub crawl (aka The Golden Mile) in his home town of Newton Haven.

Determined to finish what he started for reasons initially unclear (though hinted at with some kind of family tragedy), King attempts to pull back together the other four players in this epic challenge of alcoholic proportions and put the band back together for one last boozy night out.

However, in his unswerving dedication to the amber nectar, he's ignorant to the fact most of the gang have moved on - and one is still harbouring a grudge over treatment from all those years ago.

Paddy Considine's Steven now works in housing, Martin Freeman's O-Man is an estate agent with a blue- tooth permanently wired to his ear and Eddie Marsan's Pete is a respectable man with a family of two kids in suburbia. The final link is Nick Frost's Andy, a partner in a firm and the one who feels most betrayed by King's behaviour and lies.

But, against all the odds, King manages to pull them together and they all pile into his car from the 80s (which he still owns) and head back home to try and complete the legendary pub crawl, no matter what.

However, when the quintet hit the Haven, it appears not all is what it seems and soon, Gary and the gang are facing a fight for their lives, and potentially the planet's future.

The World's End is an epic, exciting and giddy end to the Three Colours Cornetto series.

It's still Pegg and Frost as you know them, but this time, the world's been created on a larger scale - both in budget and characters.

So, it means all the main players have had to severely up their (already high) game and the end results are truly beneficial for the audience. Pegg's brought a complexity to his Gary King which marks some of his best work. Initially distinctly unlikable, Gary is a bit of a hard ask when it comes to eliciting sympathy. But it's as if Pegg knows that and has imbued his Gothic quest leader with an infectious energy, even if he does seem to harbour several personality disorders.

And Frost is utterly incredible in this - confined to the (relatively) oafish roles in the first two films, here his Andy is the straight man for a change and is completely watchable for it. Many of the crowd pleasing moments are elicited by Andy's behaviour and to say more on that front, would spoil the pleasure I felt when those moments came to the fore. The core dynamic is still there at work and still the bonds of friendship ring true, regardless of how initially fractious they may be.

By widening the ensemble cast, Pegg, Frost and Wright have ensured there's more of a dynamic at play without ever losing the tight plotting, jeopardising the story and providing smart and silly pay-offs. And that's the thing about The World's End, it is remarkably silly in places, but it's the kind of goofy fun which leaves a wide grin on your face. The sci-fi elements are brought to the fore in this story as the likes of The Stepford Wives, The Village of the Damned, The Invasion of the Bodysnatchers and The Thing are all referenced.

But, by choosing to lace the script with these moments rather than hang it on them, the story is all inclusive and universal - it's about growing up, losing and rediscovering friendships and staying true to your youthful dreams, despite life trying to force you into maturing.

Considine brings stoic solid support as Steve, Martin Freeman adds a deadpan edge as O-Man but it's Eddie Marsan who is the best of the ensemble. There's a tragic pathos to his turn as the put upon Pete and his underplaying is much to the advantage as the story unfolds.

Wright also needs to be commended as well for adding in a new layer of action to his directing cannon. Early scenes may be slower, concentrating on the relationships and interplay, but once the action begins, the wonderfully choreographed moments unspool with such frenetic yet careful ease.

However, Wright doesn't lose the personality of his characters as the action plays out. One bravura sequence sees Pegg channelling some of the best silent comics as he tries to administer a beat-down while not spilling a drop of his pint. It's impressive stuff and certainly adds a level that could make Wright someone to watch when Ant-Man comes out in a few years.

With an impressive OST recalling some of the best of Britpop and a sense of emotional darkness, The World's End is a gritty yet silly end to the trilogy; it's one which suggests all the players are ready to move on, but are celebrating one last blast before calling time, gentlemen.

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Great Expectations: Blu Ray Review

Great Expectations: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Entertainment

An adaptation of Charles Dickens' 13th novel, and the umpteenth film version of it, Great Expectations is, of course, the story of Pip and Estella. War Horse's Jeremy Irvine plays Pip, the apprentice of a blacksmith (played with considerable charm by Jason Flemyng) whose life is changed by his introduction to Miss Havisham (Helena Bonham Carter) and her daughter Estella (a porcelain doll like Holliday Grainger).

Pip comes from a more humble background and after falling for the distant and aloof Estella, decides he wants to be a gentleman to woo her. Fortunately for him, without warning, he's told by Jaggers (Robbie Coltrane) that he's come into a considerable fortune and will be trained as a gentleman.

But Pip's journey to thaw the cold heart of Estella is a long and arduous one, fraught with troubles and conflict.

Great Expectations is a solid, if unspectacular telling of the Dickens' story. It's perfectly serviceable, relatively watchable and yet utterly unoriginal as it spools out over 2 hours.

The leads are okay; perfunctory in many cases and Estella's coldness and brutal approach seems at odds to someone who's supposed to be a romantic lead. Irvine is equally fine as Pip, but there's never a real sense of engagement or connection with them or their respective plights. The supporting cast are solid and committed to their roles, from the formulaic film from within the BBC films mould - and out of all of them , it's perhaps Flemyng who impresses the most as Joe, Pip's friend and adopter. He brings a warmth and heart to the role that borders on heartbreaking when Pip turns his back on him. Likewise Bonham Carter is good as the initially eccentric and ultimately sad Miss Havisham and Fiennes adds an edgy energy to his Abel Magwitch.

Despite being sumptuously costumed, and making the most of the English countryside for sweeping establishing shots, I'm afraid to say Newell adds little to this film, rendering more a kind of film likely to be loved by fans of the book but feeling to others like yet another adaptation to sit through as part of an English class.

Great Expectations promises high expectations given the talent involved - and while it's relatively straight forward as a period drama and adaptation, it's unfortunately nothing new and original. Though, I suspect those longing for a good solid period drama will be enthralled by it.

Extras:

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Jurassic Park 3D: Blu Ray Review

Jurassic Park 3D: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Entertainment

The dinosaurs are back - and this time, they're in 3D. It's the 20th anniversary of Jurassic Park and to celebrate, it's been shined up, given the 3D makeover and thrust out, once again, into the world.

In case you don't know the story of Jurassic Park (and believe me, apparently there are some), it's the tale of John Hammond, a billionaire and dreamer, who uses his science connections to build a theme park which has been populated with dinosaurs.

But when Hammond brings in dinosaur experts, Dr Ellie Sattler and Dr Alan Grant (Dern and Neill) along with Dr Ian Malcolm (Goldblum) it appears that everything that can go wrong on the island, does so.

Soon, the group's fighting for their lives as the dinos break out...There's no denying thatJurassic Park is a classic movie which proffers up a wonderful experience of awe inducing excitement. It's one of the superlative releases ever made, with Spielberg crafting together a piece which satirizes corporate greed and lawyers, wallows in the hubris of science and shows the strength of a family bond and children.

But Jurassic Park is really about a little bit more than that - and it's the dinosaurs.

20 years ago, the work done by Stan Winston on the creature department was outstanding - they were so life-like that it was almost as if the dinos had been caught by a documentary crew in action. And to be perfectly frank, some 20 years later, they still look incredible.

Likewise, the soundtrack still soars as much as it did back then - I can't deny the initial burst of the theme gave me goosebumps all over again.

But the main reason for this release is the 3D - does it work and enhance the film?

Well, the answer is yes - for the majority of parts. There are moments when it works really well - and those are predominantly the set pieces - such as the field shot with Alan Grant as the dinos flock and run round them; it's here the 3D gives perspective to the fields and hills and breathes some life into the animation. Likewise the scene where the glass of water vibrates as the T Rex first stomps about is more eye catching now than ever. And the sequences with the T-Rex chase and the Velociraptors attack are guaranteed to have you on the edge of your seat as it plays out. Just as it did some 20 years ago.

For the rest of the film though, the 3D adds little if nothing to what was already a spectacular watch. Despite some cheesy dialogue, some awful acting and a gratuitous shot of Jeff Goldblum semi shirtless, there's little depth that the 3D can bring - and in parts, the dark of the glasses actually detracts from what's on the screen.

Ultimately though, Jurassic Park remains worth a rewatch - a nostalgic family action blockbuster that really changed the landscape for these kinds of films (plus it's a chance to marvel at chunky computer screens and marvel at how exciting touch screen technology was back then. How far we've come....) With Jurassic Park 4 hitting screens very soon, it's time to go back to Jurassic Park and marvel at it all over again.

Extras: Bonus feature and a featurette on Jurassic Park 3

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I Give It A Year: DVD Review

I Give It A Year: DVD Review

Rating: R16
Released by Universal Home Entertainment

From the producers of Love Actually, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones' Diary, comes a new Brit rom com aimed at stepping up where Hugh Grant has gone AWOL. Rose Byrne and Rafe Spall are Nat and Josh, a mismatched couple who, after a whirlwind courtship, get married - and are just trying to get through the first year. That's despite their best friends thinking it won't last that long.

Things get tough for Nat, when a sexy client Guy (The Mentalist's Simon Baker) comes in to her life. Worried about the potential of losing the account, she slips off the wedding ring and starts a flirtation...

And it's not much easier for Josh, whose ex (Anna Faris) is still in the picture - and who is clearly meant for Josh...

I Give It A Year deserves some praise for playing with some of the traditional rom-com tropes. But it also deserves a degree of indifference for giving us two leads who we're never exactly rooting for. Byrne and Spall can barely stand each other on screen, so it makes it difficult to really care whether their marriage should work or not. In fairness, though, this is not their fault - merely the writing which doesn't endear the pair to an audience right away. Baker oozes charm as the temptation (and is actually a well written, well rounded nice guy as opposed to a sleaze) and Faris seems a bit too drippy as a hippy ex from Josh's past to really give the romantic sizzle it needs.

Throw in the usual British collection of oddballs and misfits, who only seem to surface in crowd-pleasing rom coms and you've got the lot. Want an inappropriate best friend/ best man? Step forward, Stephen Merchant to roll out yet another slight take on his character he's been perfecting for years. Want an angry counsellor, who's clearly in need of psychiatric help? Roll out Peep Show's Olivia Coleman to fulfill those requirements.

Wisely though, Ali G's Mazer has some idea of what works and keeps the whole thing moving briskly along and with a degree of directorial panache.

In fact, while I Give It A Year has some good solid moments of laugh out loud mirth as degrees of farce are churned into the mix, it's nowhere near as clever as it wants and aspires to be; funny one liners here and there, and situations which are recognisable rather than cliched and repugnant, the UK rom-com crowd pleasing fans will lap it up. Others may find parts of it a little tiresome and unoriginal.

Extras: Bloopers, outtakes, deleted scenes

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Rise of The Guardians: Blu Ray Review

Rise of The Guardians: Blu Ray Review

Rating: PG
Released by Universal Home Entertainment

Starring Star Trek's Chris Pine as Jack Frost, Rise of The Guardians is the tale of a threat to the world from the evil Pitch (played by Jude Law).

When the collective group known as the Guardians - Santa (Baldwin), the Easter Bunny, (Jackman) The Sandman (doesn't speak throughout) and the Tooth Fairy (Fisher) - find children are stopping believing in them, they realise they're facing a danger bigger than they could have imagined. It turns out that threat is Pitch, a nightmarish character / Boogeyman (played by Jude Law) who is sick of lurking in the shadows and being ignored. So, The Guardians decide to recruit Jack Frost, the lone boy whom no-one sees to help them save the day.

Rise of the Guardians is a curious beast.

On one hand, the story is a relatively novel one, a kind of Avengers of the imaginary world unite.

But on the other, there's not quite enough to keep it going or enough knowing story subtext to engage the adult audience.

Visually, it looks - in places - stunning, painting in FX that are lush, subtle and gorgeous to behold. But then, it's almost as if the animators get carried away by how clever they feel they are and end up swamping the screen with so much unnecessary animation or, worse than that, throw in FX shots for no real reason other than because they can.

Also, it's a strange mix of story as well - these aren't the traditional characters as you'd come to expect. This Santa is a Russian accented, tattooed heavy who employs Yetis rather than the traditional elves; the Bunny is a gruff on-the-edge Aussie, and the lack of real recognition may mean some are put off in this slightly skewed tale.

But there are themes of belonging and belief melting through the Avengers recruitment feel of the film - and while it's not a bad mix overall, it's just neither fish nor fowl unfortunately. It's a film that's a little lacking in story, a little too ready to show off its animation and a little too dark to appeal to a mass audience of kids.

Extras: Behind the scenes pieces and commentary

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Side Effects: Blu Ray Review

Side Effects: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Home Entertainment

Steven Soderbergh brings you an unnerving thriller in this latest release.

It's the story of Emily Taylor (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo's Rooney Mara) who apparently had it all - including a loving husband (Channing Tatum) who was sent to jail for insider trading. After 4 years alone, Emily's become depressed and is seeking the help of a psychiatrist, played by Jude Law. When he prescribes her some drugs, she suffers from some horrific side effects including murder...

Side Effects is a taut thriller, which while a little slow initially to unwind, has a way of ensnaring you in its web. Thanks to a powerful performance from Mara and a story which is a little twisty and needs some attention paying to it, its all too plausible premise plays out with horrific consequences and recalls some of Hitchcock's noirish intentions as it unspools.

Interesting ideas mix with some very realistic situations and soon you're no closer to knowing what's what and who's who until the final reveals are made.

Overall, Side Effects is a terrifically effective thriller and a film which will leave you agog in parts - mainly due to the fact that it appears it really could transpire.

Extras: None

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