The Showreel | 4 [Feat. Jurassic World and Much More]
Our weekly look at the latest news and trailers from the world of film, featuring a madding crowd, the most democratic Top 10 list of the year and 5 films you can watch in the comfort of your own onesie! It’s The Showreel!
Film News
Zoolander 2? Finally?
So rumours have been on the go about a sequel to the really, really, ridiculously good looking Zoolander (which is basically comedy genius) since the first film finished. But in the last year or two things seem, finally, to have ramped up a bit and it looks like Penelope Cruz has now joined the cast, with Ben Stiller reprising his role as the titular Zoolander and also as director. Owen Wilson and Will Ferrell are set to renew their roles as Hansel and Mugatu so hopefully the long awaited sequel will start shooting soon. No doubt there will be a vast array of stars and cameos to appear in the film, and let’s hope it’s not a one trick gag that gets repeated over and over (I’m looking at you Dumb and Dumber To)!
The Stand Has Its Flagg
Matthew McConaughey has reportedly signed up to play the villain of the four part adaptation of Stephen King’s magnificent 1978 book The Stand, which tells the story of the forces of good and evil battling their way through a world decimated by an apocalyptic virus. The four films are being regarded as an American Lord of the Rings, however substitute Peter Jackson for Josh Boone, the director of teen weep-fest The Fault in Our Stars. McConaughey will play Randall Flagg, a nefarious and supernatural cowboy whose evil empire is growing in the ruins of Las Vegas. The book is superb and adaptations have been tried previously, including a 1992 mini-series adaptation starring Gary Sinise and Rob Lowe, which won a few Emmy’s but never sparked the quality that is inherent in the book. Shooting might start as soon as Spring 2015.
What Are Your Top 10 Films of 2014?
Here at HeadStuff we are running a poll to see what you think are the best films of 2014. Being a progressive, forward thinking and democratically minded website, we have made a list from which you can pick, and you can only pick from them, and you can’t change your mind, and we see everything you vote for! Ah no, only joking, well, only the last part! Anyways, vote for your Top 10 and we’ll use our majestic mathematical skills to find the best films of the year. Check it out here!
Trailer Watch
Jurassic World (2015) Dir. Colin Trevorrow
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This may be the first trailer to actually be a trailer for another trailer but hey, who cares…it’s Jurassic World. The first official trailer is out on Thursday and hopefully will be longer than 20 seconds. I have to say I am a bit more excited about this than I ever thought I would be, those marketing the film are clearly “clever girls” (ah thank you)! The official blurb says, “Twenty-two years after the events of Jurassic Park, Isla Nublar now features a fully functioning dinosaur theme park, Jurassic World, as originally envisioned by John Hammond.” When I read this first I was all, like…”wow…22 years after the first film…so it’s gonna be in the future…cool!” and then I realised that Jurassic Park is 22 years old and then that was depressing.
Then Chris Pratt rocking a leather waistcoat made me happy again. He totally nailed it in Guardians of the Galaxy and looks every part the leading man in his brief appearance in this trailer’s trailer. Coming from the writer/director of the pleasant Safety Not Guaranteed, however, is not super inspiring but I guess we’ll see on Thursday night! The film is due for release in June 2015.
Far From The Madding Crowd (2015) Dir. Thomas Vinterberg
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I didn’t study this book at school like some of you may have, so I don’t know too much about it…apart from the title and the author. What I do know is that Thomas Vinterberg is a fantastic director. His film The Hunt was nominated for an Oscar last year, on top of that he created the Dogme 95 style of filmmaking along with Lars Von Trier back in the 90s and his resulting film Festen (The Celebration) is worth the watch, albeit a tough watch. The cast is very impressive with Carey Mulligan, Juno Temple, Michael Sheen, and Tom Sturridge doing their thing, but it should be Vinterberg’s skill and ability behind the camera that will hopefully make this stand out amongst the literary adaptations that often promise much but deliver little. Out in May 2015.
So What Films Are On TV This Week:
Chariots of Fire (1981) – Film Four – Tuesday 25th 4.40pm
“Two British track athletes, one a determined Jew and the other a devout Christian, compete in the 1924 Olympics.”
Multi-Oscar winning drama for your Tuesday afternoon, but totally worth ditching the last hour or two or work for. It won Best Picture, Best Screenplay and a Best Original Score for Vangelis who is a fantastic composer.
The Killing Fields (1984) – BBC4 – Wednesday 26th 9.00pm
“A photographer is trapped in Cambodia during tyrant Pol Pot’s bloody “Year Zero” cleansing campaign, which claimed the lives of two million “undesirable” civilians.”
Another Oscar winner but not for the faint of heart and probably did more for highlighting what happened in Cambodia during the 70s than many governments were willing to do. Roland Joffe’s powerful film doesn’t hold back in detailing how unbelievably barbaric the country’s leaders were. It is also a great story of friendship and, ultimately, hope.
The Matrix (1999) – ITV4 – Thursday 27th 9.00pm
“A computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war against its controllers.”
It’s been 15 years since The Matrix came out…FIFTEEN years! The film that inspired a million more and made every kid swing their arms around like some sort of kung fu magician, and it’s still great. The sequels went a bit loco but the original film is sci-fi genius, with brilliant set pieces and unbelievable action.
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) – Film Four – Friday 28th 4.40pm
“An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would have been like if he never existed.”
IT’S CHRISTMASSSSSSS! Although technically I don’t believe this film should be watched unless it is Christmas Morning, I have made an exception due to the fact that Sky Movies are hovering up all the film rights for the greatest Christmas films (Elf anyone?), so maybe catch it while it’s hot/snowy!
The Perfect Storm (2000) – ITV2 – Saturday 29th 4.40pm
“An unusually intense storm pattern catches some commercial fishermen unaware and puts them in mortal danger.”
Goerge Clooney, John C. Reilly, Marky Mark, Wolfgang Petersen together sound like the perfect circumstances for the perfect film. It’s good and watchable but not quite perfect, with many of the visuals looking dated and if you have seen Interstellar then you should know what a massive wave looks like! It is rousing though and good performances all round mean it’s a grand way to pass a Saturday late afternoon/early evening.
