Rev Stan's film blog

The Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows trailer - prematurely worried?

You see I get all excited when I hear there is a new trailer. But then I watch it and I get nervous. Nervous because I spot things that don't quite tally with the book. OK so I know they have to cut stuff out and change stuff and sometimes it can be better but I'm still scarred by what film makers did to the astronomy tower scene in Half Blood Prince. It nearly ruined the whole thing for me and I certainly didn't leave the cinema with the usual post-Potter smile of enjoyment.

It doesn't give me confidence in how they will handle key scenes in the final book.

In this Deathly Hallows trailer Voldemort seems to be a bit too present. Part of the Voldemort fear factor, for me, is that he is this all-powerful presence that you rarely see but you feel through his army of loyal followers. He uses others to do his bidding, doesn't get involved in the day-to-day of being evil. If he does make an appearance, it's poo-pants time.

Two films coming out next weekend I want to see

Firstly Heartbreaker because it looks silly and charming and a good glass of wine film:

And secondly, as a complete contrast Leaving starring Kristen Scott Thomas because it looks really moving and I haven't seen a good tear-jerker for a while. Oh and Kristen Scott Thomas is a fantastic actress. It looks a bit like a French version of I Am Love, only better (sorry Tilda).

Wild Grass - like trying to digest a big chunk of steak

OK so some critics have been raving about this one if the posters and adverts are to be believed. And I have sort of broken my rule and read a review. Sort of, because I read it after I'd seen the film but before I'd written down my own thoughts.

My reason for this is because I wanted to see if I was missing something.

You have two characters Marguerite and Georges who, quite separately, live ordinary, run of the mill lives. Then one day Marguerite has her handbag snatched. Her purse is later found by George having been dumped by his car in the car park of a shopping centre.

He starts to obsess about Marguerite, imaging what type of women she is based on the photos and pilots license in her purse.  He has imaginary conversations with her over the telephone and seems take a ridiculously long time deliberating over what to do about the purse. Eventually he hands it in to the police who return it to Marguerite.

She phones Georges to thank him and thus begins her own obsession with what Georges is like. It culminates in a bizarre cycle of stalking and rejection.

There are hints that Georges has some sort of sinister past which hangs like a threat over the whole relationship but doesn't quite manifest itself into anything more dramatic than his slashing her car tyres. Marguerite a seemingly sensible, level-headed women is prone to fits of day-dreaming and fantasy which result in her own irrational behaviour.

Heartless behind the scenes pics

Just came across the Heartless page on Facebook. There are loads of great behind the scenes pictures.

Particularly like this one of Jim Sturgess on a break between filming...

This is what I wrote about the film.

Please Give (me a film that is better than Greenberg)

Please Give was like a breath of fresh air after Greenberg last weekend. There are some superb characters each flawed in there own way but it has heart,  humour and a tenderness which in some small dose might have made the Noah Baumbach film more bearable.

But back to Please Give. First there is Kate played by Catherine Keener who, with her husband Alex (Oliver Platt) buys furniture from the relatives of dead people and sells it at vastly marked up prices from her chic and trendy vintage shop. Her charitable acts, namely giving large sums to beggars, much to her teenage daughters embarrassment, are partially motivated by the guilt she feels in how she earns a living.

Then there is the elderly neighbour Andra (Ann Morgan Guilbert). Kate and Alex, have bought her apartment and are waiting for her to die so they can knock through. Andra is a rude, cantankerous, ungrateful and straight-talking old lady. Her granddaughter Rebecca (Rebecca Hall)  is quiet and thoughtful while her sister Mary (Amanda Peet) is self-centred, flirty and doesn't hide how she feels about her burdensome grandmother, rarely visiting and letting her sister do the lion-share of the caring.

Film news Harry Potter heads to World War I | TotalFilm.com

User Comments (2)

via www.totalfilm.com

Was won over by Radcliffe when I saw him tread the boards in Equus so I'm quite excited to see him in his first post Potter screen role.

Robert Pattinson talks Breaking Dawn

I like the fact that he hasn't read the book yet. I think he might be surprised. He knows Bella gets pregnant though and I agree, I'm very curious as to how the film makers are going to deal with the whole honeymoon/pregnancy/birth storyline.

I predict that Bella's labour pains will sound exactly like her glass in leg, starting to turn into Vampire pains from the Twilight film

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

George Clooney: The American trailer

Mmm not sure about this one. It looks like the sort of predictable 'last job of the assassin' but it's got a buff-looking George Clooney in it, so I might give it a go...

Greenberg: Greenbleugh

When I came out of the cinema I didn't know how I felt about this film. I met up with Poly and told her I didn't love it and a I didn't hate it and I needed to think about it a bit more to decide.

It is about Roger Greenberg (Ben Stiller) who is recovering from some so sort of break down and is asked to house sit for his brother and his family in LA while they are on holiday. It is a return home after 10 years living in New York. He catches up with some old friends, old girlfriends and has a relationship of sorts with his brothers PA, the awkwardly charming Florence (Greta Gerwing).

Roger has no redeeming features. He is self obsessed, rude and insensitive but not in a funny way, well maybe very occasionally. He is quite horrid to Florence and to his oldest friend who for some inexplicable reason has stayed loyal to him.

Twilight Eclipse filmmakers talk through their favourite scenes*

Another great little video from the MakingOf team. Three of the Twilight Eclipse crew talk through their favourite scenes. Look out for some insight into Robert Pattinson's reservations about one crucial Bella/Edward scene.

*I've taken the video off as it starts playing automatically which can be a bit annoying so here's a link for it instead