Monday 24 July 2017

Annabelle: Creation | Two Brand New Clips


From the director of Lights Out, David F. Sandberg and master of horror, James Wan, audiences will see how Annabelle was first brought to life.

In “Annabelle: Creation,” several years after the tragic death of their little girl, a dollmaker and his wife welcome a nun and several girls from a shuttered orphanage into their home, soon becoming the target of the dollmaker’s possessed creation, Annabelle.


Sunday 23 July 2017

Scarlett Johansson’s Sci-Fi Successes


Hollywood quickly gained a starlet in Scarlett Johansson after she received critical accolade from her breakthrough performance in 2003’s Lost in Translation. Johansson has since gone on to become one of the most successful actresses this generation, and in recent years, has graced our screens in a string of science-fiction blockbusters. As her latest futuristic endeavour - Ghost in the Shell - becomes available for digital download on July 24th, let’s look back at the films which have crowned Scarlett Johansson a sci-fi screen-queen!

Marvel Cinematic Universe 
For nearly the last ten years, Scarlett has been suiting up as Natasha Romanova, AKA Black Widow. Making her first on-screen appearance in 2010’s Iron Man 2, Johansson’s Black Widow has since gone on to become a much-loved member of The Avengers team and a major character in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe. Her incredible fighting abilities and exceptional intelligence certainly verifies the fierce and formidable Black Widow a celebrated hero. As Marvel continue to expand their team of cool and kick-ass characters in preparation for the highly-anticipated Infinity War, this hugely successful franchise has enabled Scarlett to stand strong at the helm.

Her
In Spike Jonze’s 2010 sci-fi/romance hybrid, Johansson ascertains that her acting abilities can transcend beyond on-screen performances. Scarlett dazzles lending her silky, husky-toned voice to a high-tech computer operating system, which leading man Joaquin Phoenix falls for. The movie went on to be nominated for string of major awards, including Best Picture and Best Song at the 2014 Academy Awards, but scooped the win within the screen-writing category.

Lucy
In this sci-fi thriller, Johansson plays the title character Lucy, who gains psychokinetic abilities after a nootropic drug is absorbed into her bloodstream. Released in the summer of 2014, the film was a box-office success, grossing over $463 million, however, critics were left disappointed by a nonsensical plot that focused on being able to gain conscious control over the entire brain. Despite this, the film was praised for Scarlett’s charm and empowering performance.

The Island
Partnering up with Ewan McGregor for this futuristic adventure, Scarlett stars in her first of many science-fiction blockbusters. Set midway through the 21st century, Michael Bay presents an alternate world where human clones are harvested to provide needed organs for their original counterpart. The clones, however, are not aware of the reality they are destined to fulfil. When the movie flopped at the box-office, producers blamed the minor status of Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson for its commercial failure.  The pair both went on to become household names and Scarlett continues to shine as a leading sci-fi action star.

Under the Skin
April 2013 saw the release of two Scarlett Johansson sci-fi movies: Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which starred Johansson’s Black Widow, and the alien flick Under the Skin. The Captain America sequel may have been far more successful at the box-office, but Scarlett still brought a haunting and highly praised performance to Under the Skin, portraying a man-hunting, other-worldly woman.

Ghost in the Shell
Based on the Japanese manga of the same name, Scarlett Johansson is the titular Major, a cyborg tasked with taking down a diabolical hacker with her squad of investigators. In probably her biggest and most elaborate sci-fi role, Scarlett was initially met with Hollywood ‘white-washing’ criticism, but the movie overall was praised for a faithful visual style, exciting action sequences and stirring musical score.

Ghost in the Shell - See It First on Digital on July 24

THOR 3: RAGNAROK Comic-Con Trailer #2 (2017) Chris Hemsworth Marvel Movie HD


Imprisoned on the other side of the universe, the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth) finds himself in a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), his former ally and fellow Avenger. Thor's quest for survival leads him in a race against time to prevent the all-powerful Hela (Cate Blanchett) from destroying his home world and the Asgardian civilization.

Saturday 22 July 2017

Manga and Anime on the Big Screen


Live adaptations of anime and manga are often a very contentious subject amongst fans, however with many Western comics making it to the ‘live-action’ big screen, why not Japan’s graphic novels? With the release of Ghost in the Shell on digital download platforms from 24th July, we’re taking a look at some of the best Manga and Anime journeys to the cinema in recent years – There's been a longer history of big-screen adaptations of Japan's graphic novels than you might think…


Ghost in the Shell
Based on the internationally acclaimed Japanese Manga, “The Ghost in the Shell,” written and illustrated by Shirow Masamune back in 1989, Ghost in the Shell has inspired a devoted worldwide following, including influential filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, James Cameron and the Wachowskis. The epic media franchise, set in a world where people are enhanced with technology, already includes two landmark anime feature-films and two television series, as well as novels, video and mobile games. Fast forward to 2017 and the live-action version of Ghost in the Shell was released, starring Scarlett Johansson as Major, a human mind inside an artificial body designed to fight a war against cyber-crime. This stylish, cyberpunk action flick takes inspiration from both the manga and the anime versions, but also throws in quite many new ideas as well, successfully broadening its appeal. And it’s absolutely stunning too!

Oldboy
2003’s Oldboy, directed by Park-Can Wook, is perhaps one of the best and most critically-acclaimed manga to be adapted into a live-action film. Successful enough that it was remade not once, but twice; first in 2006 into a Bollywood remake titled Zinda, and then in 2013 by director Spike Lee.Violent, and definitely not for the squeamish, Oldboy is a strange, powerful tale of punishment and vengeance. Based on the Japanese manga of the same name, the film follows the story of protagonist Oh Dae-Su who, after being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years without knowing his captor, is finally released, but finds himself still trapped within a web of conspiracy and violence. It’s a masterpiece of modern filmmaking, so make sure this one gets added to your watch list!

Speed Racer
Based on the 1960s ground-breaking Japanese anime and manga series of the same name, 2008 saw the release of the live-action film adaptation of Speed Racer. The American action-comedy didn’t open with great reviews, but anime fans have long debated the film and it is now considered an “underrated” film. Written and directed by The Wachowski Brothers, famed for the Matrix series and V for Vendetta, it scored a great cast. Starring Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, Matthew Fox, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon and Roger Allam, the plot revolves around an 18-year-old race-car chasing his (allegedly) deceased brother's career. Despite its problems, Speed Racer has plenty to admire, most notably the fantastic shots and editing – an IGN praised the film’s “exciting, brilliantly-conceived races, primary-colour characterizations” and “irresistible sense of fun". It appears the filmmakers played up to its origins’ manga-animated style, crafting it into a brilliantly visual live-action cartoon.

Edge of Tomorrow
Arguably the first Hollywood manga adaptation to cast big leads, Edge of Tomorrow saw Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt battle alien enemies at the helm of the 2014 action movie.  Its origins started back in 2004, with Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s novel of a future Earth-based war against an alien race called Mimics; the story follows a soldier who becomes trapped in a time-loop, dying and regenerating the following day, and so on-and-on. A manga adaptation was then written by Ryƍsuke Takeuchi and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, in between January and May 2014, and a graphic novel adaptation was released in North America in May 2014. Edge of Tomorrow, which was also marketed under its original title ‘All You Need Is Kill’, and its tagline "Live, Die, Repeat", was definitely not a straight adaptation, but it takes the concept and characters from the book and added other elements and details to create its own similar story. Compelling, gripping and funny at times, Edge of Tomorrow was praised by critics during its release. The film is a great standalone production, regardless of its history!

Ghost in the Shell - See It First on Digital on July 24

Friday 21 July 2017

Five Cinematic Worlds that’ll make you wish Time-Space Travel existed


To celebrate the release of Ghost in the Shell on digital download from July 24th, we’ve been searching for some of the most stunning science-fiction landscapes created for cinema. So feast your eyes on these beautiful, other-worldly and brilliantly constructed futuristic locations!

1. AVATAR (Pandora)
The planet of Pandora seen in 2009’s Avatar is probably one of the most visually stunning and creatively daring cinematic worlds, envisioned by director James Cameron when he was just 19, claiming “I had a dream - a literal dream - of bioluminescent forests and glowing trees.” The jungle alien landscape is just that – a lush, wild world filled with plants of varying shades of blue, purple and green; giant floating mountains, and cascading waterfalls.

2. Ghost in the Shell (Post-Cyberpunk Japan)
Ghost in the Shell takes place in a near-future Japan, a post-World War III environment which, having destroyed the power and wealth of Earth’s reigning countries, has proliferated the development and use of cyber technology. Consequently, the vast majority of humans in this retro-futurist Japan are augmented with cybernetics, and the environment also reflects this. The cityscape is amplified with lights and visuals that stream through the streets and buildings like veins, bringing this futuristic world to life.

3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (Ego the Living Planet)
When the Guardians enter the world formed by Ego, they enter into a stunning mountainous landscape rich in hues of pink, orange and blue. The visionaries behind Guardians of the Galaxy take full advantage of the intergalactic setting, layering the psychedelic imagery and intense colour of classic 70’s space graphic novels. Director James Gunn proudly claims that creating the visual representation of Ego the Living Planet was the “biggest visual effect of all time.” And with over a trillion polygons constructed for the visionary scenes, making the planet feel alive, this cosmic landscape is well and truly a stunning feat.

4. Tomorrowland
Inspired by the original futuristic themed land found at the Disney parks, this 2015 sci-fi adventure film starring George Clooney presents a stunningly imagined city. Tomorowland, as the name suggests, is a construction of an idyllic ‘city of tomorrow,’ but instead incorporates the vintage touches of 60’s sci-fi iconography (jet-packs, glistening glass skyscrapers, and aerial walkways). As homage to the 1950’s Disney Park’s original Tomorrowland, the film's production designers incorporated the designs of rides Space Mountain and Spaceship Earth as architectural features of the cinematic cityscape.

5. Thor (Asgard)
Asgard is the mythic planetary home to Norse gods Thor, Odin and the Asgardians. The city exists in another dimensional plane, with a glowing rainbow bridge - Bifrost - allowing for travel between realms. The grandeur cityscape presented in the Marvel Cinematic Universe shows Asgard as rich, golden and metallic, with towering buildings and beautiful, infinitely flowing waterways. Emmy-nominated production designer Charles Wood incorporated a range of ethnic and architectural reference points into the visual construction of Asgard: “The basis of it was Norse runic shapes, though Islamic, Chinese and Gothic Romanesque influences also came into play.”

Ghost in the Shell - See It First on Digital on July 24