Warning: this Inside No. 9 review contains spoilers.
A stranded pedalo! Glorious. It’s taken almost 40 episodes, but Inside No. 9 has finally landed on the purest distillation of its ‘contained space’ concept. They will never better a pedalo. A pedalo is a punchline before you’ve even written a word, which is what makes it a divine backdrop for a script about grief, loss, regrets and the messiness of once-close friendships that have – literally here – drifted. Set this same story in a cabin or a car and it’s just bleakness and tension that takes a bittersweet turn. Set it on a pedalo and it’s all that plus the absurdity of a pedalo, which makes it very Inside No. 9.
‘Merrily, Merrily’ is very Inside No. 9 in its weird sandwich of paint-can shits, Judge Rinder gags and a vision of the afterlife as taken from Greek myth.
A stranded pedalo! Glorious. It’s taken almost 40 episodes, but Inside No. 9 has finally landed on the purest distillation of its ‘contained space’ concept. They will never better a pedalo. A pedalo is a punchline before you’ve even written a word, which is what makes it a divine backdrop for a script about grief, loss, regrets and the messiness of once-close friendships that have – literally here – drifted. Set this same story in a cabin or a car and it’s just bleakness and tension that takes a bittersweet turn. Set it on a pedalo and it’s all that plus the absurdity of a pedalo, which makes it very Inside No. 9.
‘Merrily, Merrily’ is very Inside No. 9 in its weird sandwich of paint-can shits, Judge Rinder gags and a vision of the afterlife as taken from Greek myth.
- 4/20/2022
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Warning: contains spoilers for Inside No. 9 series six.
In series six, Inside No. 9 pulled off a diamond heist, explored obsessive geek fandom, framed a cuckold in an international conspiracy, let a grotesque true crime bleed from reality to fiction and back again, made a deal with the devil, and killed Jesus. Where, one might well ask, next?
Anywhere it wants, is the answer to that question. The BBC Two anthology series can float from location to location, story to story, unhampered by the need to put down roots in any one place. Series seven brings half a dozen brand new films to screen, scored by composer Christian Henson, and each one as different as the last.
The official synopsis describes the new episodes as taking us “from the Welsh valleys to an abandoned house, from kidnappers to detectives, and from a day trip out in a pedalo to a public information film.
In series six, Inside No. 9 pulled off a diamond heist, explored obsessive geek fandom, framed a cuckold in an international conspiracy, let a grotesque true crime bleed from reality to fiction and back again, made a deal with the devil, and killed Jesus. Where, one might well ask, next?
Anywhere it wants, is the answer to that question. The BBC Two anthology series can float from location to location, story to story, unhampered by the need to put down roots in any one place. Series seven brings half a dozen brand new films to screen, scored by composer Christian Henson, and each one as different as the last.
The official synopsis describes the new episodes as taking us “from the Welsh valleys to an abandoned house, from kidnappers to detectives, and from a day trip out in a pedalo to a public information film.
- 4/14/2022
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Una Stubbs, the English actress who played Mrs. Hudson in Sherlock to cap a half-century career in TV, theater and film, died today following an illness, her agent confirmed to Deadline. She was 84.
“Mum passed away quietly today with her family around her, in Edinburgh. We ask for privacy and understanding at this most difficult and sad of times,” a statement from the family read.
Stubbs was a stalwart of British TV and stage for six decades, breaking through in the 1960s with the film Summer Holiday, which starred Cliff Richard, before she landed the role of Rita Rawlings in the long-running sitcom Till Death Do Us Part; she also starred in the 1968 film of the same name. Stubbs also appeared with Richard and the Shadows in 1964’s Swingers’ Paradise.
Stubbs would go on to appear in Worzel Gummidge, The Worst Witch, Call The Midwife and many more series before portraying Mrs.
“Mum passed away quietly today with her family around her, in Edinburgh. We ask for privacy and understanding at this most difficult and sad of times,” a statement from the family read.
Stubbs was a stalwart of British TV and stage for six decades, breaking through in the 1960s with the film Summer Holiday, which starred Cliff Richard, before she landed the role of Rita Rawlings in the long-running sitcom Till Death Do Us Part; she also starred in the 1968 film of the same name. Stubbs also appeared with Richard and the Shadows in 1964’s Swingers’ Paradise.
Stubbs would go on to appear in Worzel Gummidge, The Worst Witch, Call The Midwife and many more series before portraying Mrs.
- 8/12/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Una Stubbs, known for her roles in BBC’s Sherlock, EastEnders and the 1960s sitcom Till Death Do Us Part, has died. She was 84.
Stubbs’ sons Joe and Christian Henson and Jason Gilmore announced that the British star had died in a statement to the BBC. “Mum passed away quietly today with her family around her, in Edinburgh. We ask for privacy and understanding at this most difficult and sad of times.”
The British theater and screen star broke out in Cliff Richard’s 1963 film Summer Holiday before notably appearing in the 1966 sitcom Till Death Us Do Part as ...
Stubbs’ sons Joe and Christian Henson and Jason Gilmore announced that the British star had died in a statement to the BBC. “Mum passed away quietly today with her family around her, in Edinburgh. We ask for privacy and understanding at this most difficult and sad of times.”
The British theater and screen star broke out in Cliff Richard’s 1963 film Summer Holiday before notably appearing in the 1966 sitcom Till Death Us Do Part as ...
- 8/12/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Actress Una Stubbs, known for her roles in BBC’s Sherlock, EastEnders and the 1960s sitcom Till Death Do Us Part, has died at the age of 84.
Stubbs’ sons Joe and Christian Henson and Jason Gilmore announced that the British star had died in a statement to the BBC. “Mum passed away quietly today with her family around her, in Edinburgh. We ask for privacy and understanding at this most difficult and sad of times.”
The British theater and screen star broke out in Cliff Richard’s 1963 film Summer Holiday before notably appearing in the 1966 sitcom Till Death Us ...
Stubbs’ sons Joe and Christian Henson and Jason Gilmore announced that the British star had died in a statement to the BBC. “Mum passed away quietly today with her family around her, in Edinburgh. We ask for privacy and understanding at this most difficult and sad of times.”
The British theater and screen star broke out in Cliff Richard’s 1963 film Summer Holiday before notably appearing in the 1966 sitcom Till Death Us ...
- 8/12/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Warning: this Inside No. 9 review contains spoilers.
Having met his servants in ‘The Trial of Elizabeth Gadge’ and ‘The Harrowing’, it was only a matter of time before Old Scratch turned up on Inside No. 9. This series has always had one cloven hoof dipped in the fantasy-horror genre, so it’s ripe for a visit from the devil himself.
‘How Do You Plead?’ was a choice vehicle, both for the character, and for Sir Derek Jacobi, whose guest performance was perhaps the best this show has had.. Here, Jacobi played Mr Webster, a dying barrister whose term was about to expire on the Faustian contract he’d signed in 1972. Reece Shearsmith played his kindly nurse with the unusual name of Urban Bedford, whose soul Webster attempted to sacrifice in his stead.
Speaking of names, though the full title of Jacobi’s character was never spoken, his initial ‘D’ must have stood for Daniel,...
Having met his servants in ‘The Trial of Elizabeth Gadge’ and ‘The Harrowing’, it was only a matter of time before Old Scratch turned up on Inside No. 9. This series has always had one cloven hoof dipped in the fantasy-horror genre, so it’s ripe for a visit from the devil himself.
‘How Do You Plead?’ was a choice vehicle, both for the character, and for Sir Derek Jacobi, whose guest performance was perhaps the best this show has had.. Here, Jacobi played Mr Webster, a dying barrister whose term was about to expire on the Faustian contract he’d signed in 1972. Reece Shearsmith played his kindly nurse with the unusual name of Urban Bedford, whose soul Webster attempted to sacrifice in his stead.
Speaking of names, though the full title of Jacobi’s character was never spoken, his initial ‘D’ must have stood for Daniel,...
- 6/7/2021
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Warning: contains spoilers for Inside No. 9 series 6 episode 2 ‘Simon Says’.
From exsanguination to decapitation, Inside No. 9 episodes have never shied away from grisly murder, and so far, series six is no different. Opener ‘Wuthering Heist’ was a bloodbath, while follow-up ‘Simon Says’ gave us a total of four deaths – two faked and two real.
One of the real ‘Simon Says’ deaths was made to feel all the more authentic for filming choices made by director Guillem Morales. After Simon (Reece Shearsmith), the scheming fan of a fantasy TV series, blackmails its writer Spencer (Steve Pemberton) into remaking the show’s unpopular finale, a misunderstanding leads to Spencer smothering Simon to death.
Speaking on the weekly BBC Sounds ‘Inside Inside No. 9’ podcast, which also includes great insights from the show’s musical composer Christian Henson, the co-creators describe Morales’ intention with the smothering scene. To contrast with the heightened, lavishly scored fake murder that precedes it,...
From exsanguination to decapitation, Inside No. 9 episodes have never shied away from grisly murder, and so far, series six is no different. Opener ‘Wuthering Heist’ was a bloodbath, while follow-up ‘Simon Says’ gave us a total of four deaths – two faked and two real.
One of the real ‘Simon Says’ deaths was made to feel all the more authentic for filming choices made by director Guillem Morales. After Simon (Reece Shearsmith), the scheming fan of a fantasy TV series, blackmails its writer Spencer (Steve Pemberton) into remaking the show’s unpopular finale, a misunderstanding leads to Spencer smothering Simon to death.
Speaking on the weekly BBC Sounds ‘Inside Inside No. 9’ podcast, which also includes great insights from the show’s musical composer Christian Henson, the co-creators describe Morales’ intention with the smothering scene. To contrast with the heightened, lavishly scored fake murder that precedes it,...
- 5/18/2021
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Warning: contains spoilers for Inside No. 9 series 6 episode 2.
The online petition to ‘Remake Game of Thrones Season 8 with competent writers’ currently has over 1.8 million signatures. Despite the series having ended two years ago and HBO politely declining the opportunity to bin its $100m first attempt and have another go, people continue to add their names. Call it love or call it entitlement, some fans can’t move on.
That’s the context for ‘Simon Says’, a dark story about the writer of a fictional fantasy TV epic with a famously unpopular ending. When fans Simon and Gavin (Reece Shearsmith and Nick Mohammed) blackmail Spencer Maguire (Steve Pemberton) into remaking the season seven finale of The Ninth Circle, they unexpectedly end up starring in finales of their own. After their scheme goes badly wrong, Maguire murders one, and then kills the other to cover his tracks.
With its heightened tone, scheming power-grabs,...
The online petition to ‘Remake Game of Thrones Season 8 with competent writers’ currently has over 1.8 million signatures. Despite the series having ended two years ago and HBO politely declining the opportunity to bin its $100m first attempt and have another go, people continue to add their names. Call it love or call it entitlement, some fans can’t move on.
That’s the context for ‘Simon Says’, a dark story about the writer of a fictional fantasy TV epic with a famously unpopular ending. When fans Simon and Gavin (Reece Shearsmith and Nick Mohammed) blackmail Spencer Maguire (Steve Pemberton) into remaking the season seven finale of The Ninth Circle, they unexpectedly end up starring in finales of their own. After their scheme goes badly wrong, Maguire murders one, and then kills the other to cover his tracks.
With its heightened tone, scheming power-grabs,...
- 5/17/2021
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
This Inside No. 9 review contains spoilers.
Inside No. 9 Series 5 Episode 6 Review: The Stakeout
There are limits. Whatever Time Lord technology Inside No. 9 uses to pack its 30-minute episodes fuller than a foie gras goose, there isn’t always room for everything.
Take ‘The Stakeout’. It managed to cram police procedural, car chase, meta-commentary, comedy, poignancy and a supernatural rug-pull into the precise amount of time it used to take Mad Men’s Don Draper to light and smoke a single cigarette, but that left no space to explain why and how the application and training process to become a volunteer Special Constable might be undertaken by… a vampire.
(Even if not specifically referenced on the Met’s ‘precluded occupations’ list, would vampirism not at least present a hurdle come, say, the medical?)
An explanation for the how is imaginable. Perhaps Special Constable Varney (as he identified himself on the Oscar...
Inside No. 9 Series 5 Episode 6 Review: The Stakeout
There are limits. Whatever Time Lord technology Inside No. 9 uses to pack its 30-minute episodes fuller than a foie gras goose, there isn’t always room for everything.
Take ‘The Stakeout’. It managed to cram police procedural, car chase, meta-commentary, comedy, poignancy and a supernatural rug-pull into the precise amount of time it used to take Mad Men’s Don Draper to light and smoke a single cigarette, but that left no space to explain why and how the application and training process to become a volunteer Special Constable might be undertaken by… a vampire.
(Even if not specifically referenced on the Met’s ‘precluded occupations’ list, would vampirism not at least present a hurdle come, say, the medical?)
An explanation for the how is imaginable. Perhaps Special Constable Varney (as he identified himself on the Oscar...
- 3/9/2020
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Louisa Mellor Jan 23, 2018
A wedding photographer’s tired marriage comes under the microscope in yet another tremendous Inside No. 9 episode. Spoilers ahead...
This review contains spoilers.
See related Mission: Impossible 6 casting latest
4.4 To Have And To Hold
Until now, it was the the dehydrated peas – the way they inflate and bob around in that jellified slick of floating miscellany. After To Have And To Hold, there’s a new reason to sicken at the thought of a Pot Noodle.
We should have seen it coming. After all, this unsettling story announced its game two minutes in. “The picture on the box bears no resemblance to the actual jigsaw,” explained Adrian, a middle-aged man seated at his kitchen table, snapping little cardboard pieces into place. The clue was there: what you see is very much not what you get. Not with Adrian, and not with this episode.
What we saw, until...
A wedding photographer’s tired marriage comes under the microscope in yet another tremendous Inside No. 9 episode. Spoilers ahead...
This review contains spoilers.
See related Mission: Impossible 6 casting latest
4.4 To Have And To Hold
Until now, it was the the dehydrated peas – the way they inflate and bob around in that jellified slick of floating miscellany. After To Have And To Hold, there’s a new reason to sicken at the thought of a Pot Noodle.
We should have seen it coming. After all, this unsettling story announced its game two minutes in. “The picture on the box bears no resemblance to the actual jigsaw,” explained Adrian, a middle-aged man seated at his kitchen table, snapping little cardboard pieces into place. The clue was there: what you see is very much not what you get. Not with Adrian, and not with this episode.
What we saw, until...
- 1/23/2018
- Den of Geek
Louisa Mellor Jan 16, 2018
Inside No. 9 winds back the clock in a cleverly structured episode that keeps the audience guessing. Spoilers ahead…
This review contains spoilers.
See related Britannia: a mad trip through British history and myth 28 British TV dramas to watch in 2018
4.3 Once Removed
The best Inside No. 9 episodes are the ones that, as soon as the end credits arrive, make you want to rewind and watch again from the start. (The very best—last week’s included—are so poignant you need a bit of time to walk the dog to the Spar, buy a Twix and feel your feelings before that’s even an option.)
Once Removed does that job for us. The episode starts at the end, rewinds ten minutes, rewinds another ten minutes, then another, then a final time, until we finish at the beginning of the story: a motorbike pulls up to a well-appointed rural house on a hill.
Inside No. 9 winds back the clock in a cleverly structured episode that keeps the audience guessing. Spoilers ahead…
This review contains spoilers.
See related Britannia: a mad trip through British history and myth 28 British TV dramas to watch in 2018
4.3 Once Removed
The best Inside No. 9 episodes are the ones that, as soon as the end credits arrive, make you want to rewind and watch again from the start. (The very best—last week’s included—are so poignant you need a bit of time to walk the dog to the Spar, buy a Twix and feel your feelings before that’s even an option.)
Once Removed does that job for us. The episode starts at the end, rewinds ten minutes, rewinds another ten minutes, then another, then a final time, until we finish at the beginning of the story: a motorbike pulls up to a well-appointed rural house on a hill.
- 1/16/2018
- Den of Geek
Louisa Mellor Jan 2, 2018
This comedy farce written in verse shows that custom cannot stale Inside No. 9’s infinite variety. Spoilers…
This review contains spoilers.
See related Vikings season 5 episode 6 review: The Messenger Vikings season 5 episode 5 review: The Prisoner Vikings season 5 episode 4 review: The Plan
4.1 Zanzibar
In series one’s The Understudy, Inside No. 9 gave us an updated take on Macbeth. Here, Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton put their own twist on Shakespearean comedy with an episode set entirely in a hotel corridor and written entirely in iambic pentameter, the clever sods. Regular brilliance clearly wasn’t presenting these two enough of a challenge.
It’s a challenge they pull off with relish. The writing’s smart and self-aware (“Like this iambic foot, I’m stressed, you’re not”) while the gags are a bawdy delight. Shakespeare never rhymed ‘bum’ with ‘Magnus Magnusson’, but you know he would have done,...
This comedy farce written in verse shows that custom cannot stale Inside No. 9’s infinite variety. Spoilers…
This review contains spoilers.
See related Vikings season 5 episode 6 review: The Messenger Vikings season 5 episode 5 review: The Prisoner Vikings season 5 episode 4 review: The Plan
4.1 Zanzibar
In series one’s The Understudy, Inside No. 9 gave us an updated take on Macbeth. Here, Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton put their own twist on Shakespearean comedy with an episode set entirely in a hotel corridor and written entirely in iambic pentameter, the clever sods. Regular brilliance clearly wasn’t presenting these two enough of a challenge.
It’s a challenge they pull off with relish. The writing’s smart and self-aware (“Like this iambic foot, I’m stressed, you’re not”) while the gags are a bawdy delight. Shakespeare never rhymed ‘bum’ with ‘Magnus Magnusson’, but you know he would have done,...
- 1/2/2018
- Den of Geek
Happy Black Friday, everyone, and welcome back for Day 2 of Daily Dead’s fourth annual Holiday Gift Guide! Once again, our goal is to help you navigate your way through the horrors of the shopping season with our tips on unique gift ideas, and we’ll hopefully help you save a few bucks over the next few weeks, too.
This year’s Holiday Gift Guide is being sponsored by several amazing companies, including Mondo, Anchor Bay Entertainment, DC Entertainment, and Magnolia Home Entertainment, who have all donated an assortment of goodies to help you get into the spirit of the season. Daily Dead also recently teamed up with Texas-based artist Dustin Pace of Duddy in Motion to create an amazing Stranger Things print (see below) that all of our giveaway winners will receive with our amazing prize packs that feature a collection of items, including movies, graphic novels, the Duddy in Motion Stranger Things print,...
This year’s Holiday Gift Guide is being sponsored by several amazing companies, including Mondo, Anchor Bay Entertainment, DC Entertainment, and Magnolia Home Entertainment, who have all donated an assortment of goodies to help you get into the spirit of the season. Daily Dead also recently teamed up with Texas-based artist Dustin Pace of Duddy in Motion to create an amazing Stranger Things print (see below) that all of our giveaway winners will receive with our amazing prize packs that feature a collection of items, including movies, graphic novels, the Duddy in Motion Stranger Things print,...
- 11/26/2016
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Epic Pictures Group has a special season treat for horror fans this fall: a four-disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray / DVD release of their Tales of Halloween anthology film.
Scheduled for a September 13th release, the Tales of Halloween Blu-ray / DVD is brimming with ghoulish goodies, including a CD of the movie’s soundtrack, video diaries, exclusive short films from Neil Marshall and Lucky Mckee, and much more:
Press Release (via Rama’s Screen): Los Angeles, CA – August 10, 2016 – Epic Pictures Group announced today that they will release a limited edition Blu-Ray and DVD collector’s set of Tales of Halloween on September 13, 2016. “Certified Fresh” by Rotten Tomatoes, the horror anthology film which brings together an all-star lineup of horror heavyweight directors and actors, premiered to strong critical acclaim at the 2015 Fantasia International Film Festival. Epic Pictures Releasing, the Us distribution division of Epic Pictures Group, released the film in theaters...
Scheduled for a September 13th release, the Tales of Halloween Blu-ray / DVD is brimming with ghoulish goodies, including a CD of the movie’s soundtrack, video diaries, exclusive short films from Neil Marshall and Lucky Mckee, and much more:
Press Release (via Rama’s Screen): Los Angeles, CA – August 10, 2016 – Epic Pictures Group announced today that they will release a limited edition Blu-Ray and DVD collector’s set of Tales of Halloween on September 13, 2016. “Certified Fresh” by Rotten Tomatoes, the horror anthology film which brings together an all-star lineup of horror heavyweight directors and actors, premiered to strong critical acclaim at the 2015 Fantasia International Film Festival. Epic Pictures Releasing, the Us distribution division of Epic Pictures Group, released the film in theaters...
- 8/11/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Aleph Records will release the Tales Of Halloween – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack exclusively on iTunes on October 23, 2015.
The film is a horror anthology featuring original music by Joseph Bishara (The Conjuring), Michael Sean Colin (Killjoy Goes To Hell), Christopher Drake (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns video games), Christian Henson (The Devil’S Double), Bobby Johnston (Wristcutters: A Love Story), Jimmy Psycho (The Jimmy Psycho Experiment), Sean Spillane (Jug Face), Edwin Wendler (Unnatural), and Austin Wintory (Dark Summer).
The film features main titles by legendary composer Lalo Schifrin (The Amityville Horror), whose son Ryan Schifrin directed one of the segments.
“This film is our love letter to the holiday of Halloween. And to have a main title from the man that wrote the Academy Award nominated score for The Amityville Horror is setting the bar even higher,” said Ryan. “What makes Tales Of Halloween really special is that you have one...
The film is a horror anthology featuring original music by Joseph Bishara (The Conjuring), Michael Sean Colin (Killjoy Goes To Hell), Christopher Drake (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns video games), Christian Henson (The Devil’S Double), Bobby Johnston (Wristcutters: A Love Story), Jimmy Psycho (The Jimmy Psycho Experiment), Sean Spillane (Jug Face), Edwin Wendler (Unnatural), and Austin Wintory (Dark Summer).
The film features main titles by legendary composer Lalo Schifrin (The Amityville Horror), whose son Ryan Schifrin directed one of the segments.
“This film is our love letter to the holiday of Halloween. And to have a main title from the man that wrote the Academy Award nominated score for The Amityville Horror is setting the bar even higher,” said Ryan. “What makes Tales Of Halloween really special is that you have one...
- 10/15/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The jukebox soundtrack to Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is a healthy mix of old pop standards (The Beach Boys – Wouldn’t It Be Nice), ‘80s hits (Wang Chung – Dancehall Days) and modern alternative rock (Frank Black – In The Time Of My Ruin). Not much else needs to be said except that this collection of songs gives an easygoing but occasionally melancholy feel which, given the film’s title, I would imagine is rather appropriate.
Ronen Landa’s score for The Pact is an understated, moody affair, full of sinister thrums and oddly reminiscent of Alien in its penchant for creeping tension, though it never seems to fully reach a satisfying crescendo. The 9-minute Apparitions, however, is a welcome exception to this rule and sets the hairs on the back of your neck going without attempting to overpower any narrative (I haven’t seen the flick...
Ronen Landa’s score for The Pact is an understated, moody affair, full of sinister thrums and oddly reminiscent of Alien in its penchant for creeping tension, though it never seems to fully reach a satisfying crescendo. The 9-minute Apparitions, however, is a welcome exception to this rule and sets the hairs on the back of your neck going without attempting to overpower any narrative (I haven’t seen the flick...
- 6/18/2012
- by Mark Allen
- Nerdly
This is a reprint of our review from the BFI London Film Festival last year. "Wild Bill" opens in the U.K. today.
For whatever reason, directorial debuts by British character actors tend to lean towards the gritty kitchen-sink drama; Tim Roth, Gary Oldman and, more recently, Paddy Considine have all broken their filmmaking cherry with uncompromisingly tough, bleak subject matter. Considering that it involves abandonment, council estates and the risk of being taken into care, one might be forgiven for expecting the same from Dexter Fletcher's first film, "Wild Bill." But then, Fletcher's best known for being one of the central quartet, alongside Jason Statham, Jason Flemyng and Nick Moran, in Guy Ritchie's debut "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels," and for appearing frequently in 's pictures, so could Fletcher have turned out some kind of guns and geezers movie instead?
But of course, Fletcher has had a long diverse career,...
For whatever reason, directorial debuts by British character actors tend to lean towards the gritty kitchen-sink drama; Tim Roth, Gary Oldman and, more recently, Paddy Considine have all broken their filmmaking cherry with uncompromisingly tough, bleak subject matter. Considering that it involves abandonment, council estates and the risk of being taken into care, one might be forgiven for expecting the same from Dexter Fletcher's first film, "Wild Bill." But then, Fletcher's best known for being one of the central quartet, alongside Jason Statham, Jason Flemyng and Nick Moran, in Guy Ritchie's debut "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels," and for appearing frequently in 's pictures, so could Fletcher have turned out some kind of guns and geezers movie instead?
But of course, Fletcher has had a long diverse career,...
- 3/23/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
Directed by Axelle Carolyn, The Last Post is an emotional ghost story confidently told across eleven minutes. Opening with shots of an elderly lady, Colette (Jean Marsh), struggling to move about her sparse nursing home room, the film then rarely leaves this one room, the contained story unfolding slowly around this central character.
A wise choice perhaps as it is good to see a short film embracing the constraints of the format and telling a relatively simple story. The story is more of a romantic themed piece than one may expect from the kind of shorts usually seen in FrightFest’s short film showcase and it is a welcome break from the more showy, gory and often a little empty shorts that often dominate horror festival short film line ups.
Early in the film Colette begins to see a ghostly figure, seen first in a blur in the background, but...
A wise choice perhaps as it is good to see a short film embracing the constraints of the format and telling a relatively simple story. The story is more of a romantic themed piece than one may expect from the kind of shorts usually seen in FrightFest’s short film showcase and it is a welcome break from the more showy, gory and often a little empty shorts that often dominate horror festival short film line ups.
Early in the film Colette begins to see a ghostly figure, seen first in a blur in the background, but...
- 9/5/2011
- by Craig Skinner
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Gast Waltzing has recently scored the British romantic comedy Hysteria. The movie directed by Tanya Wexler stars Hugh Dancy, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jonathan Pryce, Rupert Everett and Felicity Jones. Christian Henson (the Devil’s Double, Black Death) has written additional music for the film. Sarah Curtis (Her Majesty Mrs. Brown), Judy Cairo (Crazy Heart) and Tracey Becker are producing the comedy, which centers on the invention of the vibrator in Victorian London. The story follows a young doctor treating cases of Hysteria who struggled to establish himself while confronting the gutsy daughter of his boss. The project is arguably Waltzing’s highest profile scoring assignment to date. The composer previously scored the 2008 comedy drama Jcvd starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. Hysteria will premiere at this year’s Toronto Film Festival. No domestic release date has been set yet.
- 8/17/2011
- by filmmusicreporter
- Film Music Reporter
Three new movies are opening wide this weekend:
Opening in most theaters is the sci-fi western Cowboys & Aliens directed by Jon Favreau, produced by Steven Spielberg and starring Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, Harrison Ford, Paul Dano and Sam Rockwell. The film’s music is composed by Harry Gregson-Williams. A soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score is now available to download on iTunes and will be released on CD on August 16. To check out the details of the album, visit our soundtrack announcement.
Also opening wide is the romantic comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love. directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, written by Dan Fogelman and starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Kevin Bacon and Marisa Tomei. Christophe Beck and Nick Urata composed the movie’s score. A soundtrack album featuring twelve songs from the film has been released on Watertower Music. To listen to audio clips and learn more about the soundtrack,...
Opening in most theaters is the sci-fi western Cowboys & Aliens directed by Jon Favreau, produced by Steven Spielberg and starring Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, Harrison Ford, Paul Dano and Sam Rockwell. The film’s music is composed by Harry Gregson-Williams. A soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score is now available to download on iTunes and will be released on CD on August 16. To check out the details of the album, visit our soundtrack announcement.
Also opening wide is the romantic comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love. directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, written by Dan Fogelman and starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Kevin Bacon and Marisa Tomei. Christophe Beck and Nick Urata composed the movie’s score. A soundtrack album featuring twelve songs from the film has been released on Watertower Music. To listen to audio clips and learn more about the soundtrack,...
- 7/30/2011
- by filmmusicreporter
- Film Music Reporter
What would it be like to be the son of Saddam Hussein? Even more troubling, what would it be like to be that son’s look-a-like? The Devil’S Double takes this idea to extreme levels with Dominic Cooper taking on the challenge of playing both Hussein’s actual son, Uday Hussein, and his doppelganger, Latif Yahia. Composer Christian Henson (Sanctified) takes up the task of creating the score for a world in which the stakes are always high and there are no rules. Henson unquestionably rises to the challenge, composing a score that is interesting, upsetting, and immersive.
Read more on Soundtrack Review: The Devil’S Double...
Read more on Soundtrack Review: The Devil’S Double...
- 7/21/2011
- by Allison Loring
- GordonandtheWhale
Lakeshore Records has revealed the details for the soundtrack release for the drama The Devil’s Double. The album includes the film’s score composed by Christian Henson. The soundtrack will be released on July 26, 2011 and is available for pre-order on Amazon. Check out audio clips from all track on the album below. The Devil’s Double is directed by Lee Tamahori and stars Dominic Cooper as an Iraqi who is forced to act as a body double for Uday Hussein (also played by Cooper), the son of Iraqi dictator Sadam Hussein. Lionsgate is releasing the film on July 29. For more information about the project, visit the official movie website.
Amazon.com WidgetsHere’s the album track list:
1. The Veteran
2. Fiday
3. Uday’s Compound
4. Metamorphosis
5. Torture Video
6. Punishment
7. Saddam
8. Middle East Conference
9. Liberation
10. Sarrab Looks On
11. Stalking Schoolgirls
12. Party at Uday’s
13. A Boot Full Of Body
14. Allied Invasion
15. Sarrab...
Amazon.com WidgetsHere’s the album track list:
1. The Veteran
2. Fiday
3. Uday’s Compound
4. Metamorphosis
5. Torture Video
6. Punishment
7. Saddam
8. Middle East Conference
9. Liberation
10. Sarrab Looks On
11. Stalking Schoolgirls
12. Party at Uday’s
13. A Boot Full Of Body
14. Allied Invasion
15. Sarrab...
- 7/6/2011
- by filmmusicreporter
- Film Music Reporter
Lakeshore Records has announced two new soundtrack albums to be released later this summer. Coming up in July is the soundtrack for the drama The Devil’s Double. The film’s score is composed by Christian Henson (Severance, Black Death, Chasing Liberty). No word yet on the album’s contents, but details should be announced within the next couple of weeks. The Devil’s Double stars Dominic Cooper as an Iraqi who is forced to act as a body double for Uday Hussein (also played by Cooper), the son of Iraqi dictator Sadam Hussein. Ludivine Sagnier and Philip Quast are co-starring. The film is directed by Lee Tamahori who has previously worked with a number of top film composers including Jerry Goldsmith (The Edge, Along Came a Spider), David Arnold (Die Another Day), Marco Beltrami (xXx: State of the Union), Mark Isham (Next) and Dave Grusin (Mulholland Falls). The Devil...
- 6/16/2011
- by filmmusicreporter
- Film Music Reporter
Black Death, the medieval plague and witchcraft film that premiered at Screamfest, has found a distributor in Magnet Releasing. Director Chris Smith, actor Sean Bean, cinematographer Sebastian Edschmid, and composer Christian Henson all picked up awards at the annual horror festival in Los Angeles. "Black Death simmers with a kind of terror that's all the more haunting cause it's real," said Magnet Svp Tom Quinn in a press release. "It's another great example of why Chris Smith is one of the most versatile directors working today." After the jump, check out the trailer and full synopsis. Bean stars as Ulric, a grim emissary from the Church, who leads a young monk (Eddie Redmayne) and...
- 11/18/2010
- FEARnet
Yann Gozlan's Caged Featuring Zoé Félix, Eric Savin, and Arié Elmaleh, Yann Gozlan's Captifs / Caged won Best Picture honors on Sunday, Oct. 17, at the 2010 edition of ScreamFest La Horror Film Festival. Co-written by Gozlan and Guillaume Lemans, Caged tells the story three humanitarian aid workers kidnapped for mysterious reasons somewhere in Eastern Europe. As per the 2010 ScreamFest La website, "held captive, cared for and kept alive in an oppressive and sinister setting, the three prisoners soon discover with horror what their kidnappers truly have in store for them…" Set in Medieval England during the plague and revolving around the exploits of a daring knight and a beautiful satan worshiper, Chris Smith's Black Death won four awards: Best Director, Best Actor (Sean Bean), Best Cinematography (Sebastian Edschmid), and Best Musical Score (Christian Henson). Also in the cast: Eddie Redmayne and Carice van Houten. Full list of 2010 ScreamFest La...
- 10/21/2010
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Magnet Releasing continues its quest to purchase rights to fairly obscure movies, and they have just obtained the rights to the Christopher Smith film 'Black Death'. The film is part historical thriller and part horror (term used loosely). Read the details below and check out the trailer at the bottom of the page as well.
From the Press Release:
The Wagner/Cuban Company's Magnet Releasing, genre arm of Magnolia Pictures announced today that it has acquired Us rights from HanWay Film to Christopher Smith’s Black Death. Starring Sean Bean (The Lord of the Rings), Black Death is a creepy, pitch perfect medieval period film that expertly channels such UK classics as The Wicker Man and Witchfinder General. Christopher Smith’s cult hit Severence was distributed by Magnolia in 2007.
Black Death made its Us debut last week at La’s Screamfest, where it took home several major awards:...
From the Press Release:
The Wagner/Cuban Company's Magnet Releasing, genre arm of Magnolia Pictures announced today that it has acquired Us rights from HanWay Film to Christopher Smith’s Black Death. Starring Sean Bean (The Lord of the Rings), Black Death is a creepy, pitch perfect medieval period film that expertly channels such UK classics as The Wicker Man and Witchfinder General. Christopher Smith’s cult hit Severence was distributed by Magnolia in 2007.
Black Death made its Us debut last week at La’s Screamfest, where it took home several major awards:...
- 10/21/2010
- by admin
- MoreHorror
Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, has picked up Us rights to Christopher Smith’s "Black Death." The film stars Sean Bean (The Lord of the Rings), and is a creepy, pitch perfect medieval period film that which harks back to UK classics like The Wicker Man and Witchfinder General. "Black Death" debuted in the U.S. last week at La's Screamfest and took home Best Director (Chris Smith), Best Actor (Sean Bean), Best Cinematography (Sebastian Edschmid) and Best Musical Score (Christian Henson). Bean stars as Ulric, a grim emissary from the Church, who leads a young monk (Eddie Redmayne) and a band of violent vigilantes and war veterans through the English countryside. Armed with blood-chilling torture devices, their mission is to stamp out suspected paganism in a village that remains untouched by the black plague, even as the rest of Europe grimly succumbs to the pestilence.
- 10/21/2010
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, announced today that it has acquired U.S. rights from HanWay Film to Christopher Smith’s Black Death. The medieval chiller made its U.S. debut last week at La’s Screamfest, where it took home several major awards: Best Director (Smith), Best Actor (Sean Bean), Best Cinematography (Sebastian Edschmid) and Best Musical Score (Christian Henson).
- 10/20/2010
- by gingold@starloggroup.com (Allan Dart)
- Fangoria
The Wagner/Cuban Company's Magnet Releasing, genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, announced today that it has acquired U.S. rights from HanWay Film to Christopher Smith's Black Death . Starring Sean Bean ("The Lord of the Rings"), Black Death is a creepy medieval period film that channels such U.K. classics as The Wicker Man and Witchfinder General . Christopher Smith's cult hit Severence was distributed by Magnolia in 2007. Black Death made its U.S. debut last week at La's Screamfest, where it took home several major awards: Best Director (Chris Smith), Best Actor (Sean Bean), Best Cinematography (Sebastian Edschmid) and Best Musical Score (Christian Henson). Bean stars as Ulric, a grim emissary from the Church, who leads a young monk (Eddie Redmayne) and a band...
- 10/20/2010
- Comingsoon.net
Los Angeles' Screamfest wrapped its 10th annual genre film festival on Sunday. Christopher Smith's Black Death took home four awards in the Best Director, Best Actor (Sean Bean), Best Cinematography (Sebastian Edschmid) and Best Score (Christian Henson) categories. The French film Caged won Best Picture and Zoe Felix scored a Best Actress award. Best Horror Short category went to Jerome Sable's The Legend of Beaver Dam and The Pack scored Best Editing and Best Special FX. Meanwhile, Best Makeup was awarded to Needle . Finally, Controlled , by Craig Cambria, took home a Best Screenplay award in Screamfest's screenplay competition. Unlike previous years, an "audience choice" award was not granted this year.
- 10/19/2010
- shocktillyoudrop.com
On Sunday, October 17th, this writer hosted – along with the lovely Jonna Jackson - the tenth annual Screamfest Horror Film Festival Awards. Held at an intimate location in the mountains above Burbank, CA, the stormy evening celebrated the ten days of original horror programming which had preceded it, most notably director Chris Smith’s apocalyptic Black Death and Yann Gozlan’s French-shocker Caged (Captifs), two features which proved to be festival-judge favorites.
Screamfest, which is spearheaded by founder and director Rachel Belofsky, has built a reputation over the last decade as having its finger on the pulse of the horror genre. Recent films programmed at Screamfest that have garnered a lot of attention include Let the Right One In, Trick r Treat, Splinter, Martyrs, The Signal, and Paranormal Activity.
Below is a full list of the evening's winners.
Best Film: Caged (Captifs), director Yann Gozlan Best Short: The Legend Of Beaver Dam,...
Screamfest, which is spearheaded by founder and director Rachel Belofsky, has built a reputation over the last decade as having its finger on the pulse of the horror genre. Recent films programmed at Screamfest that have garnered a lot of attention include Let the Right One In, Trick r Treat, Splinter, Martyrs, The Signal, and Paranormal Activity.
Below is a full list of the evening's winners.
Best Film: Caged (Captifs), director Yann Gozlan Best Short: The Legend Of Beaver Dam,...
- 10/19/2010
- by SeanD.
- DreadCentral.com
MovieScore Media has just announced that the label will release its second score by UK composer Christian Henson, whose music for the British fantasy adventure The Secret of Moonacre was released earlier this year. The new album features the original score Henson wrote for Christopher Smith’s new horror film, Triangle, which stars and . The score is orchestral with an emphasis on low sonorities (instrumentation focuses on basses and celli) ...
- 9/28/2009
- by moviescore
- MovieScore Magazine
Christian Henson, who recently wrote the score for The Secret of Moonacre (available on MovieScore Media), is doing the music for Malice in Wonderland, a modern take on the classic Lewis Carroll novel taking place in the North East of England. Maggie Grace, Nathaniel Parker and Danny Dyer stars in the film which is directed by Simon Fellows (Until Death, Second in Command). Henson is also in the final stages of scoring a horror film called Triangle, directed Christopher Smith who made th 2006 cult hit Severance, also scored by Henson. Starring Melissa George, the film is set on the Atlantic Ocean where passengers on a ship experience great havoc on the open seas.
- 3/12/2009
- by noreply@blogger.com (Mikael Carlsson)
- MovieScore Magazine
Upcoming Film Scores lists the ten most exciting, promising and anticipated film scores of 2009, according to its editor Mikael Carlsson who can't wait to hear what will come out musically of these projects:
1. Avatar (James Horner)
Director James Cameron and composer James Horner are of course best known for the multi-zillion-whatever-megahit Titanic, but they also gave us Aliens in 1986 which stands out as one of the most exciting nailbiter scores in sci-fi history. On that film, Cameron gave Horner a pretty hard time as judging from the composer interview on the special edition DVD, and basically what you hear in the film is the result of a composer writing under enormous pressure. On Avatar, the situation is the complete opposite. A luxury in film scoring today, the total time given to the scoring process on this film will probably exceed one year! Horner is currently working exclusively on this film,...
1. Avatar (James Horner)
Director James Cameron and composer James Horner are of course best known for the multi-zillion-whatever-megahit Titanic, but they also gave us Aliens in 1986 which stands out as one of the most exciting nailbiter scores in sci-fi history. On that film, Cameron gave Horner a pretty hard time as judging from the composer interview on the special edition DVD, and basically what you hear in the film is the result of a composer writing under enormous pressure. On Avatar, the situation is the complete opposite. A luxury in film scoring today, the total time given to the scoring process on this film will probably exceed one year! Horner is currently working exclusively on this film,...
- 1/3/2009
- by noreply@blogger.com (Mikael Carlsson)
- MovieScore Magazine
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