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TV NEWS – Press Release

tvnews — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 10:36:55 +0000

TV NEWS PRESS RELEASE

TV NEWS would like to thank everyone who watched the show during the past year but we have now closed down production on the programme.

The video games segment Platform32 will continue to run on their website and we urge to you support their show.

All recent competitions will continue to run and winners will be notified.

From everyone at TV NEWS we wish to thank you for your support.

Arthur by Producer Tom-Paul

tvnews — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:17:57 +0000

Growing up I liked the original Arthur (1981) with Dudley Moore a lot. The first time I saw it was when I was 13 and I could relate to the character in many ways; he was a little silly, he was a bit lonely, he had no motivation… and he was sexist.

The premise of Arthur is like a New York fairytale about a drunken prince (Arthur) who is given a choice: marry the wicked witch and remain a child forever, or relinquish the throne and find true love instead.

Arthur’s an embarrassment to the family corporation, he’s an embarrassment to his mother and family, and he’s squandering his considerable wealth and intelligence on a life of drunken debauchery. Arthur, therefore, is a bit like Paris Hilton… but with charm… no sex tapes… or felony convictions. The film meanders its way through to the inevitably conclusion and moral lesson but with a lot less laughs.

Unfortunately I think this is a film really just for Brand fans. Arthur struggles with an inconsistent tone with penis jokes on one side and alcoholism, death, and neglect on the other. To its credit, the original Arthur never tried too hard to be much more than an irreverent comedy. Maybe the ghost of that original comedy hovers over this remake like a drunk’s sour breath, never letting it flourish on its own merits. Or maybe it’s just shit.

Also, with unemployment still hovering around 10 percent I do oppose a drunkard who throws unearned money around with reckless abandon. Well maybe not oppose… envy.

Source Code by Giles Hankins

tvnews — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:59:07 +0000

Following his debut feature, Moon, director Duncan Jones brings us another slice of identity-crisis sci-fi. This time however, the budget is bigger and his target audience clearly more mainstream. Thankfully, with a smart script and a plot that marries elements of Quantum Leap with Groundhog Day, the results are no less enjoyable.

Jake Gyllenhaal plays a US soldier who wakes to find himself inhabiting the body of a stranger on a busy commuter train. Eight minutes of panic and confusion are brought to an abrupt end when the train explodes killing everyone on board.

Repeatedly leaping between a strange capsule and the final minutes of the doomed train journey, Gyllenhaal is tasked by mysterious military figures with finding the location of the bomb and the identity of the bomber.

Source Code could so easily have been a disaster. Fortunately, Duncan Jones manages to strike just the right tone throughout; making a film that is both smarter and more entertaining than your average blockbuster.

The ticking-clock narrative is used to good effect, providing suspense and frustration in equal measure, and each rerun of the mission has enough variation to keep the audience engaged.

Gyllenhaal delivers a strong performance as the reluctant hero driven to increasingly desperate and extreme measures with each failed attempt, and he is supported ably by Michelle Monaghan and Vera Farmiga.

It is by no means a masterpiece, and it’s probably best not to scrutinise the science behind the ‘source code’ too closely. But it’s fast, it’s exciting, and you’re guaranteed an explosion every eight minutes. In other words, perfect Friday night fun.

The Eagle by Giles Hankins

tvnews — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 13:09:15 +0000

Sword and sandal epics have experienced something of a resurgence following the release of Gladiator back in 2000. Over recent years the likes of Troy, 300, Alexander, Centurion, and Clash of the Titans have fought for our attention at the box office. To that company we can now add The Eagle.

Based on Rosemary Sutcliff’s novel, The Eagle of the Ninth, the film tells an epic tale of loyalty and betrayal, friendship and hatred, honour and reputation. With a fair amount of action to boot.

In second-century Britain, Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum) is honourably discharged from the Roman army having sustained injury bravely defending his fort. Partnered with an indebted slave, Esca (Jamie Bell), Marcus heads north, having heard rumours that the Eagle of the Ninth, a golden emblem which disappeared along with his father’s legion 20 years ago, has been seen.

Crossing Hadrian’s Wall into the wild and uncharted north, the master and slave relationship begins to shift and an unlikely friendship tested, as the two tackle an unforgiving terrain and the savage tribes that dwell there.

Working in a fairly crowded genre, director Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland, State of Play) ticks most of the boxes and delivers an enjoyable, if unremarkable film.

The action scenes are expertly handled, particularly the opening battle, pandering to neither the gore-hounds nor the ratings board. Commendably, Macdonald manages to inject energy and genuine tension into set-pieces that will be familiar to even the most casual fans of the genre. By no means an easy feat.

Likewise, Tatum and Bell handle the physical demands of the film well, taking to the fight choreography with the grace and ease you would expect from stars with experience in dance films.

Unfortunately, it is in the quieter moments that they seem to falter. With accents that occasionally wander without warning, and a script that does them no favours, our investment in character and story is sadly undermined.

As the film meanders towards a predictable conclusion, it’s hard not to feel that we’ve been here many times before. Ultimately though, with a film such as this, it’s the journey not the destination that counts, and for fans of the genre, this is a trip worth considering.

The Resident by Executive Producer Kim Cushing

tvnews — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 13:24:51 +0000

If you like your thrillers then you must check out The Resident which is in cinemas from 11th March 2011. Hilary Swank stars as a young doctor who moves into what seems to be the perfect apartment, she can’t believe her luck, however, like most too good to be true scenarios, things soon start turning awry, when she suspects that she may not be alone in her new Brooklyn flat. Is she going mad?

Well, without giving too much away she may be right… but who or what is watching her? Maybe it’s her landlord Max, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who is perhaps a little too clingy, or could it be August, played by Christopher Lee, the old man who lives next door to her and often watches her or maybe it’s her ex-boyfriend Jack, who just can’t seem to leave her alone.

You’ll be on the edge of your seat during this film and slightly disturbed by some of the scenarios, it’s frightening to think that this situation could actually happen in real life… it’s definitely worth the watch, so go see it.

The Rite by Giles Hankins

tvnews — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:57:24 +0000

The Rite is a supernatural thriller starring Colin O’Donoghue as a sceptical seminary student who travels to Italy to study at an exorcism school. It is there he meets an unorthodox exorcist (played by Anthony Hopkins), who is performing the ritual on a supposedly possessed girl. Will our protagonist’s faith in God be restored? Is the girl genuinely possessed by the devil? Haven’t we seen this one before?

Whilst all films featuring possession will inevitably invite comparisons to The Exorcist, The Rite perhaps shares more similarities than most.

The old priest / young priest paring, the untimely loss of a parent, and the possession of a young girl (complete with demonic voices and body contortions) are all present and correct. In fact, the only interesting addition to this well-worn story is the introduction of an exorcism school, but sadly this is sidelined early on in favour of more familiar fair.

Starring in his first feature film, O’Donoghue has the difficult task of having the most screen time and the least interesting character. His performance isn’t bad per se, it’s just overshadowed. Similarly, Alice Braga has little opportunity to engage as the reporter looking for a story, as she is brought in and out of the film with such jarring irregularity one suspects the majority of her scenes can be found on the cutting room floor.

That’s not to say that there isn’t fun to be has with The Rite. Hopkins is on scene-stealing form as the eccentric exorcist, and director Mikael Håfström throws in some half-decent jumps and scares along the way. Ultimately though, it’s all just a bit too derivative and unoriginal to be filed alongside the true classics of the genre.

Drive Angry 3D by Executive Producer Kim Cushing

tvnews — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:10:41 +0000

Action- adventure movie Drive Angry is certainly one for the boys… it stars Nicolas Cage as Milton, a criminal who has broken out of hell for one last chance at redemption. His one aim is to stop a vicious cult who firstly murdered his daughter, but they now want to sacrifice her baby beneath a full moon…. Oh and he’s only got 3 days to do it!

Cage is joined by actress Amber Heard who plays a ballsy young waitress who’s ready to escape her mundane life in order for action and adventure. Amber teams up with Cage on his pursuit to save his grandchild, but it’s not just the Cult who Cage has to fight against, it’s also actor William Fichtner who plays The Accountant who has been sent by the Devil himself to retrieve Milton and drag him back to the fiery depths of Hell.

The movie is in 3D which to be honest doesn’t really add anything to the production of the film and the storyline is very predictable so don’t expect too many surprises. There was a lot of laughter and cheering in the movie theatre, however, even though there were a few funny bits or perhaps unbelievable bits, the movie, in my opinion isn’t one of Nicolas Cage’s best! I know Nicolas Cage has to work to pay back his £8 million tax bill, but he needs to draw the line somewhere as his reputation, like his character Milton is in danger of being dragged to the deepest darkest depths of the earth!

Saying that if you like Nicolas Cage, car chases, blood, girl’s kicking butt and unbelievable action scenes then you’ll probably enjoy Drive Angry.

BAFTA Film Awards 2011

tvnews — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 11:32:39 +0000

The King’s Speech ruled at the Baftas, winning seven awards including best film and best actor for Colin Firth. Here is a complete list of the winners for the BAFTA Film awards 2011:

Best film

The King’s Speech

Black Swan

True Grit

Inception

The Social Network

Best director

David Fincher – The Social Network

Darren Aronofsky – Black Swan

Tom Hooper – The King’s Speech

Christopher Nolan – Inception

Danny Boyle – 127 Hours

Best actor

Colin Firth – The King’s Speech

Jesse Eisenberg – The Social Network

James Franco – 127 Hours

Javier Bardem – Biutiful

Jeff Bridges – True Grit

Best actress

Natalie Portman – Black Swan

Annette Bening – The Kids Are All Right

Julianne Moore – The Kids Are All Right

Noomi Rapace – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Hailee Steinfeld – True Grit

Best supporting actor

Geoffrey Rush – The King’s Speech

Christian Bale – The Fighter

Pete Postlethwaite – The Town

Andrew Garfield – The Social Network

Mark Ruffalo – The Kids Are All Right

Best supporting actress

Helena Bonham Carter – The King’s Speech

Amy Adams – The Fighter

Barbara Hershey – Black Swan

Lesley Manville – Another Year

Miranda Richardson – Made in Dagenham

Outstanding British film

The King’s Speech

127 Hours

Another Year

Four Lions

Made in Dagenham

Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer

Four Lions – Chris Morris (director/writer)

The Arbor – Clio Bernard (director), Tracy O’Riordan (producer)

Exit Through The Gift Shop – Banksy (director), Jaimie D’Cruz (producer)

Monster – Gareth Edwards (director/writer)

Skeletons – Nick Whitfield (director/Writer)

Best foreign language film

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Sweden

Biutiful – Mexico/Spain

The Secret in Their Eyes – Argentina

I Am Love – Italy

Of Gods and Men – France

Best animated feature film

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part I

The King’s Speech

Made in Dagenham

Short animation

The Eagleman Stag

Matter Fisher

Thursday

Short film

Until The River Runs Red

Connect

Lin

Rite

Turning

Rising Star Award (voted for by the public)

Tom Hardy

Gemma Arterton

Andrew Garfield

Aaron Johnson

Emma Stone

Paul by Producer Tom-Paul

tvnews — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:50:31 +0000

Paul is roughly ET meets Superbad. As a pair of comic-book nerds, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, stumble across afriendly computer-generated alien (voiced, somehow inevitably, by Seth Rogen) while on a tour of paranormal sites across the US, they fall back on your typical homo-joshing banter (not offensive, but maybe a little tedious after a while) and persuade a bevy of Hollywood actor chums (Jason Bateman, Jane Lynch, etc…).

Paul is one of the funnier comedies to hit cinemas in a while, there are some great performances and some surprisingly great FX work. Time will tell if the Pegg/Frost double act has the mileage to become one of the great screen double acts though.

Gnomeo & Juliet by Executive Producer Kim Cushing

tvnews — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 12:29:44 +0000

Shakespeare’s most famous love story has been told over and over again, but never has the classic been retold as a battle between the ceramic lawn ornamentation of feuding neighbours Mr. Capulet and Miss Montague who live on… where else but, Verona Drive!

There hasn’t been that much hype about this film, which is odd as I must say that it’s definitely up there with the likes of Disney and Pixar, it’s a pheGNOMEnal feat for Executive Producer Elton John and his partner David Furnish.

Creatively, Romeo and Juliet have been replaced with garden gnomes, hence Gnomeo & Juliet. After a chance meeting, Gnomeo, who lives with his mother and the other blue gnomes, falls ceramic head over terracotta feet for Juliet, who subsequently lives on the other side of the fence along with her father and his clan of red topped gnomes. There’s plenty of pottery smashing moments, cracking jokes and sticky situations that the lovers must face in pursuit of true love.

With voices lent by James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Michael Cane, Jason Statham and Dolly Parton, to name but a few, it’s definitely a GNOME-ANTIC film that the whole family will enjoy.