Not A Number

P a t r i c k  Mc G o o h a n :   a   l i f e
b y   R u p e r t   B o o t h

• The only up-to-date biography of Patrick McGoohan that gets behind the
real moivaions of a character whose refusal to play by the rules of his
profession earned him a worldwide following

• Including exclusive interviews with leading directors, actors and industry
insiders from hit TV series The Prisoner and Danger Man as well as commentary
from family and friends

• Launched in conjuncion with various Prisoner fanclubs and websites
including The Unmutual website

• Essential resource for film students, fans of McGoohan and building on the
success of The Prisoner remake in 2009 starring Ian McKellan and Jim Caviezel,
introducing many new fans to the original series


Descr ipt ion
When Patrick McGoohan first hit UK screens starring in Danger Man in 1960 audiences were
struck by his fiery persona and on-screen charisma. By the ime he took on the role of ‘Number
6’ in cult show The Prisoner his fanbase was global, Hollywood beckoned and many of the actors
and directors that he worked with regarded him as enigmaic genius.

But who was this man who had worked variously as a truck driver, chicken farmer and bank
clerk before filling in for a colleague at the Sheffield Repertory Theatre and launching a hugely
successful acing career simply by chance?

In Not a Number Rupert Booth reveals the true character of a man known for his peculiar off-
screen behaviourasmuch for hisacing, direcingandwriingabiliies.Whywas heso puritanical?
Why was he so incensed by the prospect of fame? A imely exploraion of the man whose
declaraion ‘I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, de-briefed or numbered’
coninues to resonate with audiences decades ater it was first utered with such conviction.

Includes interviews and b/w photographs throughout.

Advance reviews

‘Many people have tried to reach a conclusion about the sort of person that Patrick
McGoohan really was. For the first ime, Rupert Booth may well have found the
answer.’ Rick Davy, The Unmutual Prisoner website

‘...at last an in-depth exploraion of a controversial character who can teach us all
to say “no” at a ime when we need to...’ Dazed & Confused

Author biog

Rupert Booth is an actor and writer living in London. He co-owns the producion company
Wildeyes TV and is currently working on several books in his spare time.

In 2004 he co-wrote, with Jon Blum, the first of Powys Media's series of Prisoner spin-off
novels which was received to criical acclaim and he has been a fan of Patrick McGoohan since
he first saw the series.

INDIAN CINEMA REACHES A NEW HIGH WITH ‘DUM MAARO DUM’

Grab the edge of your seat and prepare for a high speed tour of Goa’s Underworld from 22^nd April 2011

Indian cinema takes audiences on a high octane trip through the underbelly of Goa’s beach paradise when ‘Dum Maaro Dum’ opens in cinemas across the UK and worldwide on 22^nd April 2011, releasing through Twentieth Century Fox.

‘Dum Maaro Dum’ is set in the exotic Indian beach resort of Goa, and tells the story of six characters whose lives change forever when they become embroiled in the shady and perilous world of the region’s drugs mafia. An edgy, stylised thriller which races through the by-lanes, beach shacks and wild raves of Goa, ‘Dum Maaro Dum’ is a compelling tale of sex, drugs and scandal set against the stunning backdrop of one of the world’s most famous tourist hotspots.

Directed by Rohan Sippy (Bluffmaster, Kuch Naa Kaho) and produced by Ramesh Sippy, who brought audiences one of the greatest classics in the history of Indian cinema, Sholay, ‘Dum Maaro Dum’ features a stand-out soundtrack that moves from haunting Konkanisongs to pulsating dance music by maverick composer, Pritam.

‘Dum Maaro Dum’s’ cast combines Bollywood’s most established and best loved film actors with India’s brightest rising stars. Acclaimed beauty and leading lady, Bipasha Basu, plays ‘Zoe’ – a bright and beautiful young woman who falls foul of Goa’s sinister underbelly. Joining her on screen is the Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan portraying ‘ACP Vishnu Kamath’, a cop on a relentless mission to bring Goa’s drugs barons to justice. Rising star of Indian cinema, Prateik Babbar, plays ‘Lorry’ – a student with huge potential, whose fall from grace is marked by an encounter with a hustler from the wrong side of the tracks. Acclaimed star of the Telegu film industry, Rana Daggubati makes a memorable Bollywood debut as ‘DJ Joki’, a local musician who becomes the film’s unlikely hero.

Starlet Deepika Padukone features in the film’s title track which is already creating waves in the Indian music scene. Bold and explosive, the song is a contemporary remix version of the iconic classic track (originally performed by the daring Zeenat Aman in pioneering 70’s film,Hare Rama Hare Krishna) and is choreographed by famed duo, Bosco and Cesar.

Get ready for a cinematic high when ‘Dum Maaro Dum’ releases through Twentieth Century Fox on 22^nd April 2011, a film which will take audiences on a trip that will have them on the edge of their seats from the title sequence to the end credits.

For Colored Girls on DVD

An incredible all star cast unite for Tyler Perry’s adaptation of a landmark 1970’s “choreopoem” and award-winning Broadway smash hit. FOR COLORED GIRLS stars THANDIE NEWTON, JANET JACKSON, WHOOPI GOLDBERG, MACY GRAY, KERRY WASHINGTON, KIMBERLEY ELISE and PHYLICIA RASHAD and will be available to own on DVD along with extra special features, from 4^thApril 2011 (RRP £15.99). 

Ntozake Shange’s celebrated choreopoem ‘For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf’ became a Tony Award-winning hit on Broadway in the 1970’s. This complex piece draws 20 different but complimentary stories together all on the theme of being a woman of colour in today’s world. 

FOR COLORED GIRLS is a powerful story, weaving together the lives and issues of many different women as they move in and out of each other’s existences. Some are known to each other, some are strangers but heartbreak, crisis, crime and love will ultimately bring them together.   

DVD Special Features:

• Span of the Rainbow
• Prism of Poems
• Transformation: Movie Magic
• Music for Colored Girls
• Marketing Archive 

FOR COLORED GIRLS TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Release Date:   4^th April 2011
Price:    £15.99 RRP
Cert:    18 

Pathfinders: In The Company Of Strangers, on DVD

‘Pathfinders: In The Company Of Strangers’ is an inspirational story of courage, daring and selfless devotion to duty during one of the most widely unrecognised missions of the Second World War.

There is something very special about a small group of men who are willing to lay down their lives to secure freedom for millions of others and this film is based on the actual events that took place and the bravery and heroism of these men.

Starring Michael Conner Humphreys (‘Forest Gump’) and Christopher Serrone (‘Goodfellas’), ‘Pathfinders: In The Company Of Strangers’ is released by High Fliers on retail DVD on May 9^th and already looks set to replicate the huge success of High Fliers’ DVD blockbuster ‘Passchendaele’ which tells another great untold story of World War II.

The Pathfinders are a small elite group of American paratroopers who drop behind enemy lines and land right in the lap of the German Infantry. They are outnumbered, unsupported, and racing against the clock.

Their sole purpose is to stay alive long enough to find a strategic location and set up the top secret navigation equipment needed to guide in the main airborne assault on D-Day.  Failure would cost the lives of thousands of Allied troops.

 This group of paratroopers is a mix of renegades from different military units. They are strangers to one another, thrown together at the last minute, with no time to prepare and with two different Commanding Officers.  

It is also a recipe for disaster and a violation of all the rules of warfare. Only a miracle is going to make the mission work.
  

‘Pathfinders – In The Company Of Strangers’ has a run time of 90 minutes, a 15 (tbc) certificate and a recommended retail price of £12.99. 

Abandoned DVD

‘Abandoned’ stars Hollywood A-lister Brittany Murphy in the last ever film she made before her untimely death just over a year ago. She co-stars with Dean Cain, Mimi Rogers and Peter Bogdanovich in this mesmerising psychological thriller which is released on retail DVD by Scanbox Entertainment on June 13.


High-powered senior bank manager Mary Walsh (Brittany Murphy) takes her new boyfriend Kevin Peterson (Dean Cain) to hospital for routine outpatient surgery.
When she returns later to take him home, he's mysteriously vanished and a hospital administrator (Mimi Rogers) can find no record of him ever being admitted.


A police search turns up nothing and her friends who have never met him don’t believe her.


No one believes Mary’s story at the hospital either, particularly when she drops what turn out to be a packet of anti-depressant pills on the floor.


She is taken to see one of the hospital’s psychiatric consultants Dr. Markus Bensley (Peter Bogdanovich) for evaluation and he pronounces her unstable and delusional so now she is faced with not only finding her missing boyfriend but proving her own sanity as well.


When a stranger tells her he knows where Kevin is and demands a 10 million dollar ransom, she has one hour to comply... while, so she thinks, her boyfriend's life hangs in the balance.


Forced to embezzle the money from the bank where she works, Mary then discovers the shocking truth behind his disappearance … the stranger and Kevin are conspirators and she is the victim of a cruel and elaborate hoax.


Time is now running out and she must take matters into her own hands to save herself.

‘Abandoned’ has a run time of 84 minutes, a 12 certificate and a recommended retail price of £ 12.99. 

The Open Road on DVD

Justin Timberlake (The Social Network) and Oscar-winner Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart, True Grit) head up an all-star cast in a new, heart-warming comedy drama THE OPEN ROAD, out to own on DVD from 25^th April (RRP £12.99). Directed by Michael Meredith, this heart-warming and comedic road movie about a father and son on a journey also stars Kate Mara (127 Hours, Ironclad), Harry Dean Stanton (Alien, The Green Mile) and Mary Steenburgen (The Proposal, Back to the Future Part III). 

When his mother is taken seriously ill, young Carlton Garrett (Timberlake) is faced with the challenge of fulfilling her wish to bring his estranged father (Bridges) to the hospital. Carlton and his friend Lucy (Mara) set off to Ohio to find his legendary professional athlete father, Kyle Garrett. 

After much convincing, chasing and plenty of mischievous behaviour, the awkward threesome head for Houston in a rented car. As they drive South, both father and son are obliged to re-examine past misdeeds and maybe find a future together. THE OPEN ROAD is a charming road movie with fantastic performances from the two leads.  

THE OPEN ROAD Cast & Crew

• Jeff Bridges (The Big Lebowski, Crazy Heart, Iron Man, True Grit)
• Justin Timberlake (The Social Network, Alpha Dog, Black Snake Moan )
• Kate Mara (127 Hours, Ironclad)
• Harry Dean Stanton (Alien, The Green Mile)
• Mary Steenburgen (The Proposal, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Back to the Future Part III)
• Directed by Michael Meredith

THE OPEN ROAD Technical Information

• Number of discs:  1
• RRP:   £12.99
• Retail Release Date: 25^th April 2011
• Certificate:  UK & Eire: 15
• Copyright line:   (c) Lions Gate Home Entertainment UK Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
• Running time:  87 Minutes Approx.

JOIN THE PARTY AT THE PRODUCTION FIESTA

At The Production Show, 15-17 February, digital media training provider, Academy Class, will be announcing the launch of its first Production Fiesta.

The Production Fiesta is to be held on 5-6 May and will provide production professionals with an overview of new and alternative production tools available to them.

Production Fiesta attendees will be able to choose from a rich series of seminars provided by Academy Class experts during the two day event.   Special guest speaker, Angie Taylor, will present her Las Vegas NAB Show address including From Storyboard to Final Delivery in Adobe Production Premium. Angie Taylor is an art director, animator, illustrator and motion graphic designer.  She also works in the software industry as a product evangelist, tours with companies like Adobe and Apple and is a successfully published author.

Mark Young, director at Academy Class said:  “We are thrilled that Angie Taylor will be presenting at Production Fiesta.  With so much experience and success in the production industry, we can’t think of anyone who would be better placed to talk about the latest developments in the industry.”

Production Fiesta will take place at Academy Class’ Waterloo training facility. The mini sessions will give a flavour of courses on offer at Academy Class.  Tickets will cost £177 for 2 day pass and £127 for one day pass. For further information, please visit www.academyclass.com

WARNER BROS. LAUNCHES APP EDITIONS

WARNER BROS. DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION LAUNCHES GROUNDBREAKING “APP EDITIONS” OF FEATURE FILMS

“THE DARK KNIGHT” AND “INCEPTION”

- AVAILABLE FOR iPHONE, iPOD TOUCH AND iPAD 

Studio Leads the Way with Fully-Loaded, Connected Viewing Experience Offering Downloading, Streaming, Bonus Content, Music, Games, Soundboard and Seamless Social Media Integration  

Warner Bros. Digital Distribution (WBDD), a market leader in video-on-demand and electronic sell-through, today announced the groundbreaking launch of the “App Editions” of feature films “Inception” and “The Dark Knight,” giving consumers around the world an entirely new way to own special edition movies with the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.  The “Inception: App Edition” and “The Dark Knight: App Edition” are now available on the App Store. 

App Editions provide a fully-loaded, connected viewing experience that gives consumers the first five minutes of a feature film and a portion of bonus content that can include games, trivia, soundtracks and soundboards.  The entire feature film can be unlocked via an in-app purchase, which enables downloading and unlimited streaming, as well as access to the entire array of bonus content available within the App. 

The “Inception” and “The Dark Knight” App Editions are available in over 30 territories, including some which previously did not have access to films through iTunes including China, Brazil and the Netherlands.  They contain fully customised menus in 16 languages including Japanese, Greek and Russian and also provide consumers movie subtitles in 34 languages ranging from Arabic to Ukrainian (streamed via WiFi). While watching the film, fans can also connect with friends by sharing their favorite movie quotes through Facebook and Twitter and watch a feed of social networking chatter directly related to the movie in real-time.

“Warner Bros. is bringing more than 100 million Apple device owners a highly innovative new way to experience their favorite films,” said Thomas Gewecke, President of Warner Bros. Digital Distribution. “For many, watching a movie is a social activity and App Editions are the first mobile product to deliver this capability on a global scale. They offer a fully connected experience, allowing viewers to engage with others around the world in real-time through Facebook and Twitter.  In 2011, Warner Bros. will release a full slate of App Editions including new release and catalog films.”

“Inception: App Edition”

Nominated for eight Academy Awards® including Best Picture, Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “Inception” stars Leonardo DiCapiro as “Dom Cobb,” who’s a skilled thief in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible-inception.

Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, “Inception” stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Dileep Rao, and Michael Caine.  Nolan also produced the film with Emma Thomas. 

“Inception: App Edition” will not only allow fans to download or stream the blockbuster film, they can also enjoy exclusive bonus materials including three never-before-released tracks from the Academy Award® nominated score composed by Hans Zimmer that can be streamed via Airplay.  The App also includes concept art, productions stills, movie poster artwork, bonus video showing a behind-the-scenes look at how Christopher Nolan’s unique vision was brought to life, and copies of “The PASIV Device Instruction Manual” and “The Cobol Job” comic. 

  

The “Inception: App Edition” is available for free through the App Store on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad or at http://store.apple.com/uk/  

“The Dark Knight: App Edition”

The follow-up to “Batman Begins,” Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Dark Knight” reunites director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale, who reprises the role of “Batman/Bruce Wayne” in his continuing war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to destroy organised crime in Gotham for good. The triumvirate proves effective, but soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as The Joker, who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces Batman closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante. 

The film also stars Michael Caine as “Alfred”; Heath Ledger as “The Joker”; Gary Oldman as “Jim Gordon”; Aaron Eckhart as “Harvey Dent”; Maggie Gyllenhaal as “Rachel Dawes”; and Morgan Freeman as “Lucius Fox.”  Nolan directed the film from a screenplay written by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer.  The producers are Charles Roven, Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan.  

“The Dark Knight: App Edition,” protected by Widevine, allows consumers to download a permanent copy of the film to their iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, or stream it through the App.  They can watch over three hours of bonus clips; explore a rich gallery of photos and trailers; test their film knowledge with interactive video trivia; listen to memorable one-liners and export them as ringtones; post Twitter and Facebook updates; and monitor relevant movie buzz in real time.

“The Dark Knight: App Edition” is available for free from the App Store on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, or at http://store.apple.com/uk/

So why do bad guys wear sunglasses?

Study reveals the appeal of shades in western popular culture

They are an enduring and ever-present image in fashion, films, music and advertising – but now we may finally have some answers as to why the use of sunglasses is so widespread in visual culture. The popular eyewear is not just a fashion accessory, but is linked to being ultra-modern and a metaphor for being able to withstand the rapid pace of both cultural and technological change, according to new research at Nottingham Trent University.

The study, carried out by an expert in design and visual culture in the university’s School of Art and Design, involved investigating the history of sunglasses and their use in western popular culture, and analysing this in relation to various theories of ‘coolness’ to see why they are so appealing.

A key finding was that sunglasses are often used in visual culture to suggest a superior level of adaptation to the cultural challenges of modern society – the eyes are deemed so significant to social rules and behaviour that covering them up conveys a strong social power, suggesting superiority and glamour. They are used to convey detachment from the mainstream and the idea of playing by the rules, based on the notion that appropriate eye contact is considered respectful and a fundamental rule of social interaction.

This idea of rebellion may suggest why shades were such a key prop for the characters of gangster movie Reservoir Dogs, or Jean Reno’s assassin Leon. Even the villainous Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies, had his eyes hidden behind a reflective mask – and this was only removed at the very end upon his redemption. 

Sunglasses are also often associated with being able to withstand technological advancements and challenges, the research found. This could be because their use shields people from exposed emotions, suggesting they are ‘composed’ in every situation, and the high-tech associations of hard man-made materials worn so close to the body imply a close and confident relationship with modern technologies.

In some cases this has developed into shades being used in visual culture to represent the notion of superhuman physical and emotional strength – think Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator or the characters Neo and Morpheus in The Matrix.

Tinted goggles worn in the earliest days of sunglasses for driving, cycling and rail travel, and adopted by fighter pilots could be responsible for the explosion of speed and technology-related examples in visual culture. This association with a fast-paced life and advanced and exclusive forms of travel and leisure – and needing money to participate – might also be why they have become so popular in celebrity culture. Rappers such as P Diddy and Kanye West, whose lifestyles are often epitomised in this way, are rarely seen without their shades, for instance.

Dr Vanessa Brown, an expert in design and visual culture in the university’s School of Art and Design, carried out the research.

Dr Brown said: “DVD covers, music videos, endless fashion images and adverts; there are thousands of examples of sunglasses being used in visual culture as a key prop. Increasingly images of shaded eyes are used to sell products by suggesting power and prestige; even if that is outside of the usual ‘mainstream’ images of success. They are perfect visual copy, suggesting mystique and self-possession as well as the glamour of being immersed in light.

“My research showed how sunglasses are capable of conveying a truly impressive array of potential meanings, with the capacity to suggest overwhelmingly desirable and admirable qualities, which, in the modern world are sometimes those associated with daring to break the rules. By shading the eyes, we can appear detached from the chaos, either frankly unbothered by, or utterly on top of, the frantic pace of technology and fashion. This relates directly to the wider struggle for a coherent identity in a life of proliferating options and constant change. Sunglasses may seem like a detail but they are as popular as they are because what they can convey strikes at the heart of our deepest concerns.”

BARBIE - A Fairy Secret

Get ready for Barbie™ A Fairy Secret, an amazing adventure with Barbie™ where she discovers there are fairies living secretly all around us! When Ken™ is suddenly whisked away by a group of fairies, Barbie’s two fashion stylist friends reveal they are actually fairies and that Ken™ has been taken to a magical secret fairy world not far away! 

Barbie™ and her rival Raquelle take off with the fairy friends on an action-packed journey to bring him back. Along the way they must stick together and learn that the real magic lies not just in the fairy world itself, but in the power of friendship.

A Fairy Secret is out on Universal DVD right now.

1st Video named best iPhone App by Sinbad

San Francisco, CA

Whatʼs the best app on the iPhone App Store? If you ask Mac-obsessed comedian and
actor Sinbad, the answer is obvious: Itʼs 1st Video by VeriCorder Technology.

1st Video was the first video editing application on the iPhone, and remains the only
pro-quality video editor on any mobile device.

Sinbad may be the best-known Mac afficionado in the world ... other than Steve Jobs
himself. The popular comedian has been coming to MacWorld as a speaker since 1991,
and gave the keynote address this year.

When someone asked what his favourite app is on the iOS platform, Sinbad said
without a blink, “1st Video”. He also said he likes the other apps from VeriCorder
Technology, the Canadian company known for its mobile media editing software. They
also make a professional multitrack audio editor called VC Audio Pro, and a simple
slideshow editor called ShowCase.

But Sinbad does admit, the iPhone isnʼt perfect. When a fan in the audience asked what
he hopes to see as the next big feature on the iPhone, Sinbad replied, “Reception.” With
the current iPhone 4, he said, “I can shoot movies, solve science problems, but I canʼt
call my Momma!”

That editing power is now starting to see converts switching to the iPhone as a
professional editing tool for news, podcasting, citizen journalism, corporate training, and
a variety of other uses. Sinbad says 1st Video shows how powerful the iPhone and iPad
platforms are, enabling people to make real movies, and post them easily to the web for
mass consumption.

Background: 1st Video is the only video editing application with multitrack audio editing,
and professional quality video editing, on an iPhone and iPod Touch. The new iPad
version has multitrack video, transitions, and titling. It allows users to fade two tracks of
video over each other, and is ideal for creating news stories, music videos, or podcasts.

VeriCorder Technology Inc. was founded in 2008 by veteran journalist and broadcaster
Gary Symons, formerly of CBC News. He decided to form the company after falling off a
steep bank in a forest fire while carrying 60 pounds of gear, and then setting his pants
on fire. After that painful and expensive tumble, Symons and his team developed audio
and video editors for the iOS platform.

The companyʼs main business is creating fully integrated systems for media companies,
universities, journalism schools, online podcast networks, and any other company that
needs to quickly record, edit, and post video to the web.

VeriCorder uses 1st Video as part of a system for Hyper Local Media Networks, which
was launched late last year. “Basically,” says Symons, “we can build you an entire TV
network for twenty thousand bucks .... but youʼll need an iPhone.”

Massacre at My Lai Four

This brutal and hard hitting Vietnam war movie about the infamous massacre in March 1968 at the village of My Lai is released on retail DVD by Scanbox Entertainment on April 4th. 

Freely adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Seymour Hersh, it is the true story of Charlie Company, a platoon of American soldiers led by Lieutenant Wm. Calley. 

The platoon comes under enemy fire which results in two young soldiers being killed and a third having to be put out of his misery because he’s so badly injured. 

The ambush has a profound psychological effect on Calley and his men and when they arrive in a remote fishing village they embark on an orgy of revenge and gratuitous killing.

They then join a larger group of soldiers who have taken over My Lai. Believing it to be a Vietcong hiding place, senior officers order a house-to-house search but Calley, who by now has become completely deranged, tells his men to massacre everyone they find even though there are only old women and children left in the village.


The atrocity is seen from the air by the crew of a small reconnaissance helicopter, pilot Chief Warrant Officer Thompson, co-pilot Andreotta and door-gunner Colburn.


Deeply upset by what they see, the three young airmen land their helicopter and overpower their compatriots in an armed confrontation which stops the massacre and results in several villagers’ lives being saved.


Lieutenant Calley and his men massacred 503 innocent people and this is their story.

‘Massacre at My Lai Four’ has a run time of 101 minutes, a 15 (TBC) certificate and a recommended retail price of £ 12.99. 

The DVD also has over 20 minutes of Bonus Material comprising:

• Interview with massacre survivor Truong Thi Le (9 mins)
• The making of the soundtrack with Enrico Sabena (10 mins)
• Stills montage (3 mins)

THE STORY OF MY LAI IN FILM & TV

In 2007 Oliver Stone was due to make a film about the massacre starring Bruce Willis and Woody Harrelson but the Writers Guild strike put paid to it. It was to be called PINKVILLE. Stone’s film PLATOON (1986) had already covered the incident but not directly by name.
In 1989 Yorkshire TV produced a famous award winning TV documentary for ITV called FOUR HOURS IN MY LAI.

Kings Speech 200/1 to win 12 Academy Awards

British movie The King’s Speech leads the way with 12 Oscar nominations and Boylesports.com is offering 200/1 that the Tom Hooper directed blockbuster comes away with a clean sweep of awards.

Twelve Oscar wins would see the film break the record of eleven awards in a year, currently held by 1959 film Ben-Hur, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and the mega-money hit, Titanic.

The film is 2/1 to win the Best Picture award whilst Colin Firth, who received glowing reviews for his role in the film, is considered a near certainty to win Best Actor at 1/20.

Hooper is at 8/1 to win the Best Director award, with Geoffrey Rush at 11/2 to win Best Supporting Actor and Helena Bonham Carter at 9/2 to win Best Supporting Actress.

A five-award combination of Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress for The King’s Speech is available at 100/1, with a clean sweep of 12 Academy Awards at 200/1.

But despite the nominations, Boylesports.com is betting on some strong competition for the film from The Social Network, which is the 1/4 odds-on favourite to win the Best Picture award and the man behind the film, David Fincher, is 1/14 to pick up the award for Best Director.

“The King’s Speech has taken the early headlines with 12 nominations but we think that the record is a massive ask,” said Boylesports.com Public Relations Executive, Nicola McGeady.

“With some stiff competition from the likes of The Social Network, The Fighter and Black Swan, those sought-after golden statuettes could be spread out amongst quite a few films this year.”

‘The King’s Speech’ Specials:

Best Picture: 2/1
Best Actor: 1/20
Best Director: 8/1
Best Supporting Actor: 11/2
Best Supporting Actress: 9/2
To win all five: 100/1
To win 12 Oscars: 200/1

Battlestar Galactica Online combat game to launch exclusively on Syfy.com for a 30-day period

Bigpoint (www.bigpoint.com) – the global market leader in browser-based massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) – today released the first official gameplay trailer for the upcoming tactical space combat MMOG Battlestar Galactica Online (http://battlestar-galactica.bigpoint.com/), one of the most ambitious browser-games ever developed. The trailer (ftp://ftp-anonymous-pub.bigpoint.net/Battlestar%20Galactica%20Online/) showcases the game’s stunning graphics and fast-paced action, and features Bear McCreary’s original score from the series.

Featuring never-before-seen in-game footage of Battlestar Galactica, Cylon Basestars, Raiders, Vipers, and fleet formations, the gameplay trailer highlights space combat. Built with the Unity development platform, Battlestar Galactica Online aims to set new technical and artistic benchmarks for 3D browser games. When the game launches in the United States, it will be available exclusively on Syfy.com for a 30-day period.

Currently in private beta for select players in Europe and North America, Bigpoint is planning to launch the open beta in Q1. Bigpoint released the game’s cinematic trailer last year. Battlestar Galactica Online is licensed through Universal Partnerships & Licensing on behalf of NBC Universal Television Consumer Products Group.

Battlestar Galactica Online is based on the acclaimed Emmy and Peabody Award-winning television series “Battlestar Galactica,” which aired for four seasons on Syfy. In the game, humans and Cylons are in a constant struggle to control the universe. A blend of tactical space combat, exploration, and mission-based gameplay will provide a diverse experience. Assets from the television production have been integrated into the game to deliver an authentic experience. With beautiful graphics and innovative gameplay, Battlestar Galactica Onlinewill set a new standard for browser-based MMOGs. The game is being developed by Artplant (http://artplant.no), a Norwegian studio that specializes in MMOGs.

King's Speech Set To Cost Bookies Record Multi-Million Pound Payout!

Colin Firth is 1/20 to win the Best Actor Oscar with William Hill and the King's Speech is 7/4 to win Best Film.

"British punters are showing the bias by piling in on the King's Speech and if it sweeps the boards then we will be taken to the cleaners," said Hill's spokesman Rupert Adams.

William Hill Bet

Best Film Oscar: 1/3 Social Network, 7/4 The King's Speech, 20/1 True Grit, 20/1 The Fighter, 40/1 Black Swann, 40/1 Inception, 40/1 Winter's Bone, 50/1 The Kids Are All Right, 66/1 Toy Story 3, 80/1 127 Hours 

Best Actor Oscar: 1/20 Colin Firth (The King's Speech), 12/1 James Franco (127 Hours), 12/1 Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), 25/1 Jeff Bridges (True Grit),  25/1 Javier Bardem (Biutiful)

Best Actress: 1/9 Natalie Portman (Black Swan), 5/1 Annette Benning (The Kids Are All Right), 20/1 Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone), 25/1 Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole), 33/1 Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine),

Best Director: 1/16 David Fincher (The Social Network), 8/1 Tom Hooper (The King's Speech), 20/1 Ceon Brothers (True Grit), 20/1 David O Russell (The Fighter), 25/1 Darren Afonofsky (Black Swann)

Best Supporting Actress: 8/15 Melissa Leo (The Fighter), 7/2 Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit), 9/2 Helena Bonham Carter (The King's Speech), 12/1 Amy Adams (The Fighter), 12/1 Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)

Best Supporting Actor: 1/16 Christian Bale (The Fighter), 5/1 Geoffrey Rush (The King's Speech),  33/1 Jeremy Renner (The Town), 40/1 Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right), 40/1 John Hawkes (Winter's Bone)

Globe Education and the British Film Institute celebrate Sven Gade’s Hamlet

Screening with live music at BFI Southbank, Thursday 27 January

  

Globe Education’s season of events for Spring 2011 opens on Thursday 27 January with a rare screening of a 1920 silent film version ofHamlet directed by Sven Gade. Held in partnership with the BFI (British Film Institute) and supported by the German Embassy, the screening will be the London premiere of a new print of the film, and will feature a live, improvised piano accompaniment.

The film stars Asta Nielsen in the title role as a hero who was born a girl but raised as a boy as part of a dynasty determined to retain the crown in the aftermath of war. Nielsen was one of the greatest stars of the silent era and a role model for Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich. Sven Gade’s startling reinvention of the play provides a remarkable exploration of the European psyche in the wake of the First World War.

Describing the film, Patrick Spottiswoode, Director, Globe Education, commented, “Shakespeare without words may seem a contradiction in terms but this London premiere will present one of the finest ever Hamlets on screen - all the more remarkable is that it dates back to 1920 and stars the great actress Asta Nielsen in the title role.”

The film will be played with a live piano accompaniment performed by Neil Brand. A renowned accompanist of silent films, Brand performs regularly at the BFI and has composed the scores for many television, film and theatre productions over the last 25 years.

Commenting on the forthcoming performance, Neil Brand said: “It's always worth remembering that silent film is a time capsule - in this case a glimpse of a theatricality and a cinema stardom which could only be Europe in the 1920s. It is always a privilege to accompany these films, as each time the performance is unique and the audience takes away something different. But when the music prepares the stage for a diva of the quality of Asta Neilsen, the atmosphere in the auditorium becomes electric.”

Describing his preparation for the event, Brand continues, “I've known the film for nearly twenty years and, being aware particularly of the audience's expectations, I will try to make the music walk a very narrow line between the majesty of filmed Shakespeare and the sultry, theatrical Weimar quality of this adaptation and the time it was made.”

The screening is taking place as part of Globe Education’s ‘Shakespeare, Hamlet and Wittenberg’ season, which sees events running throughout the Spring. Other highlights of the programme include a series of lectures in which Professor Ewan Fernie and Dr Adrian Streete will explore the relationship between Shakespeare’s Theatre and the Protestant Reformation. Frank Günther will discuss the art and politics of translating Shakespeare’s plays into German with particular reference to Hamlet. Globe Education’s Read Not Dead series will feature a staged reading of David Davalos’ acclaimed 2008 play Wittenberg which wittily imagines conversations between Luther, Doctor Faustus and Hamlet at the university.

Screening: Sven Gade’s Hamlet (1920)

6.45pm, Thursday 27 January 2011 at BFI Southbank, NFT1

The new print of Sven Gade’s film with live piano accompaniment.

Tickets: BFI Members £7.60 (£5.25 concs); Non-members £9 (£6.65 concs); under 16s £5

Booking: BFI box office 020 7928 3232 (11.30 – 20.30 daily) or www.bfi.org.uk 

Betting on the Razzie Awards

Razzie Awards: You Bet The Last Airbender Is Worst Film 2010 But Will City Girls Get Panning!

 William Hill make the Last Airbender their 6/4 favourite to pick up the dubious honour of worst film of 2010 but it is the Sex In The City quartet who are offered at 1/1 to jointly pick up the worst Actress of the year.

 "There were many different opinions in the office to what was the worst film of 2010 but we had unanimous support for the Sex In The City Girls to pick up worst Actress awards," said Hill's spokesman Rupert Adams.

 William Hill Razzie Awards 2010:

Worst Film: 6/4 The Last Airbender, 2/1 Sex And The City 2, 3/1 Eclipse, 5/1 Bounty Hunter, 10/1 Vampires Suck

Worst Actress: 1/1 The Four Girl (Sex In The City 2), 5/2 Jennifer Aniston (The Bounty Hunter), 7/2 Kristen Stewart (Eclipse), 6/1 Miley Cyrus (The Last Song), 10/1 Megan Fox (Jonah Hex)

Worst Actor: 7/4 Ashton Kutcher (Killers), 2/1 Gerard Butler (The Bounty Hunter), 3/1 Taylor Lautner (Eclipse), 6/1 Robert Pattinson (Eclipse), 10/1 Jack Black (Gulliver's Travels)

Shop assistants in need of assistance

 Staff in some of the UK’s biggest electrical stores lack basic knowledge of the products they’re selling, reveals an undercover investigation by Which?.

The consumer champion visited branches of Comet, Currys, John Lewis and Richer Sounds, plus independent shops, to assess the advice given by staff. The experts found staff regularly gave bad advice, including confusing HD Ready with Full HD TVs.

Only eight of the 154 stores visited were rated as excellent for knowledge of TVs and personal video recorders (PVRs) - none of these were Currys or Comet stores.  Several staff also used “hard sell” tactics when promoting LED TVs over LCD models, although LED is generally more expensive and not always better. 

Peter Vicary-Smith, Which? chief executive, says: 

“Electrical stores have to up their game and train their staff properly.  We trust them to know about the products they’re selling. 

“Unfortunately, big retailers are letting their customers down, offering wrong or misleading advice that could leave people shelling out more money for features or products they just don’t need.”

To see examples of poor advice filmed during follow up visits to the worst performers, visit www.which.co.uk/shopfloor; and to share your experiences, visit the Which? Conversation

The Last Kung Fu Monk

Martial arts continues to be a hugely popular movie genre which is just one reason why ‘The Last Kung Fu Monk’, released on rental and retail DVD and retail Blu-ray by Scanbox Entertainment on 21 March will be another massive hit with martial arts fans. 

Directed by and starring Peng Zhang Li (Tooth Fairy and Shaolin Temple), this thrilling, high-kicking adventure delivers on everything the core audience wants … spectacular martial arts action and extravagant, dangerous villains!

Chinese Shaolin Fighting Monk Li Bao Xin has to emigrate to New York City to look after his dead brother’s son. Struggling to make a new life Li Bao faces challenges that test his character and emotional strength rather than his physical prowess.
While setting up a kung fu school he becomes embroiled with the Mafia and must defeat a barrage of deadly fighters to save the day.

Through it all his mind remains filled with the heroic stories of the Shaolin Temple, a great tradition that defines him but which also makes his acceptance of Western culture more difficult.

While in China he was a revered Master but in America he is nobody. To make a life for himself and his brother’s son. he must come to terms with a modern society where his great fighting skills and heroic lineage mean nothing.

Eventually he has to decide what is more important … his dreams or his family.

‘The Last Kung Fu Monk’ has a run time of 90 minutes, a 15 certificate and a recommended retail price of £ 12.99.

Cuckoo on DVD

‘Cuckoo’, a creepy thriller starring Richard E. Grant, Laura Fraser (‘Lip Service’, ‘A Knight’s Tale’), Tamsin Greig (‘Episodes’, ‘Tamara Drewe’, ‘Love Soup’ and ‘Green Wing’) and award winning jungle/drum & bass artist Adam Fenton (Adam F) will be available on DVD and on Blu-Ray from 28^th February.

In one of his darkest roles, Richard E. Grant plays an ageing professor obsessed with his star student, Polly (Fraser). Polly is trapped in a dead-end job working for intrusive Professor Julius Greengrass (Grant).  Her relationship with boyfriend Chapman (Adam Fenton) is falling apart, and jealous sister Jimi (Antonia Bernath) rarely leaves her side. When Polly has the chance to escape, her nearest and dearest have other ideas.

Alone in her flat, Polly struggles to keep her grip on reality. Mysterious sounds surround her, voices in the darkness, whispers of deceit. Polly knows she’s not cuckoo, but why won’t the noises go away? She turns to the one person she can trust – her boss. But Julius has a dark secret of his own. He wants Polly, and he’ll do anything to get her.

Using oppressive cinematography and a haunting soundtrack from BAFTA nominee Andrew Hewitt, writer/director Richard Bracewell, whose first film was the acclaimed low-budget comedy ‘The Gigolos’, carefully builds Polly’s world, echoing her stressed and anxious state.  Expertly played by Fraser, we feel Polly’s sense of isolation as events unfold around her in this darkly atmospheric and compelling story of deception and intrigue.  

‘Cuckoo’ teases and provokes as it heads towards its dramatic and shocking climax, asking as many questions as it answers.

”Masterly and thrilling” said Clive James at the Cambridge Film Festival premiere.