SHIT JUST GOT REAL. The trailer to 'Iron Man 2' just dropped on the Apple website. Jon Favreau's first 'Iron Man' installment, with Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark/Iron Man was an above average action flick so hopes are pretty high for the sequel. Cheers to FirstShowing.net for the heads up and ThinkHero.com for the embeddable trailer below.
The trailer gives us glimpses at Mickey Rourke's Whiplash character, the main villain, Scarlett Johansson and Terence Howard's replacement, Don Cheadle, as James Rhodes. And more importantly shows us Cheadle as War Machine battling alongside Iron Man. Pretty awesome stuff.
If you're lusting for more then YouTube has cam-recorded footage from Comic Con, which shows a variety of scenes over five minutes. It's mostly similar to the newly released trailer although Samuel L Jackson's Nick Fury character has more of a prominent role.
And just in case you missed it first time around, check out the brilliant spoof trailer for the first film, embedded above. "I am Iron Man, made a pair of knickers from an old tin can".
'Iron Man 2' is released on 30 Apr 2010 (UK) and 07 May 2010 (US)
on Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The poster for Christopher Nolan's new film 'Inception' dropped the other day. A lot of people immediately noticed a comparison to 'The Dark Knight' poster. Slashfilm put them side-by-side so we could get a better look and I've nicked that.
Peter at Slashfilm wrote about the similarities between Leo Di Caprio and Christopher Nolan but I'm going to use this post to talk widely about the way the shot in the poster is framed. Two words: converging lines.
A while back I read a very interesting post on FXRant which looked at "the bold use of converging lines of perspective" in 'The Dark Knight'. The same people responsible for that (Nolan and Wally Pfister) are on board for 'Inception' so it's not all that surprising the same visual motif has carried through. I fully believe that it was their intention to make a similar poster to their previous Joker teaser poster to attract attention. Job done. Although for many film fans, 'Inception' would be one of the most anticipated releases of 2010 anyway.
Apparently a new trailer might be appearing very soon but if you missed out on the original teaser, I've embedded it above. As far as I know, plot details are rather sketchy but it sounds a bit like a psychological thriller with hints of action. "Your mind is the scene of the crime".
Peter at Slashfilm wrote about the similarities between Leo Di Caprio and Christopher Nolan but I'm going to use this post to talk widely about the way the shot in the poster is framed. Two words: converging lines.
A while back I read a very interesting post on FXRant which looked at "the bold use of converging lines of perspective" in 'The Dark Knight'. The same people responsible for that (Nolan and Wally Pfister) are on board for 'Inception' so it's not all that surprising the same visual motif has carried through. I fully believe that it was their intention to make a similar poster to their previous Joker teaser poster to attract attention. Job done. Although for many film fans, 'Inception' would be one of the most anticipated releases of 2010 anyway.
Apparently a new trailer might be appearing very soon but if you missed out on the original teaser, I've embedded it above. As far as I know, plot details are rather sketchy but it sounds a bit like a psychological thriller with hints of action. "Your mind is the scene of the crime".
on Sunday, December 13, 2009
Undoubtedly, you will have come across the current campaign to get Rage Against The Machine to get the Christmas #1 slot in the UK Singles Chart. Organised via a Facebook group, the organisers are seeking to take down Simon Cowell a peg or two and attempt to depose the inevitable X Factor Christmas chart topper.
Their weapon of choice, the rallying cry of 'Killing In The Name Of'. At the time of writing, the group has collected a rather astonishing 700,000+ members and the single itself is up to #14 in the charts already. You're probably thinking "so far, so good". I'm thinking "no, no, no, no, no, no". So that's why I'm writing this.
This is very much stream of consciousness stuff (hence the ridiculous length) but I feel it is necessary to go through some of the inherent issues related to the campaign.
1) SONY BMG
Rage Against The Machine were/are signed to Sony BMG. Guess who the parent label of the X Factor release is? Yep, Sony BMG. Clearly buying a single on Sony BMG to make a statement against Sony BMG and Simon Cowell isn't the cleverest of ideas. To put it lightly.
2) HAVE YOU ACTUALLY LISTENED TO THE SONG?
Take a minute to go over the lyrics. "FUCK YOU, I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME" Interesting that this RATM then has been forced down my throat via Twitter, a Facebook group and a Facebook event. Yeah, it's ironic. It's also pretty stupid. "And now you do what they told ya, now you're under control".
3) CAN THEY GET TO XMAS #1?
Last year's X Factor single sold a bajillion copies. Even if everyone in the Facebook group bought a copy (which they won't), I'm not convinced they'll win. Indeed, the point of this piece is to stop it from happening but is there even any point trying to be #1? Does Christmas #1 really mean anything anymore? I don't think so. Of course, now I've made this point, it probably will get to #1.
4) IT'S NOT A FESTIVE SINGLE
Lament about the Christmas #1 position all you want but how a song that was originally released with "a cover picturing Thích Quảng Đức, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, burning himself to death in Saigon in 1963 in protest of the murder of Buddhists by Prime Minister Ngô Đình Diệm's regime" is appropriate for this time of year is beyond me. And although I'm not sure exactly what the lyrics are referring to, they certainly have a wider meaning than for use in a flawed statement against Simon Cowell. This campaign is sterilising the original source material in one fell swoop.
5) "OH, IT'S JUST A BIT OF FUN"
The last line of defence for the RATM campaign is that it's "just a bit of fun". Well, isn't X Factor just a bit of fun for millions of people across the UK, if not the world? You can still have a bit of fun and endorse something worthwhile both in terms of song quality and ethos. I'll even show you how.
So what should you do instead of buying the RATM single?
- Don't buy the X Factor Christmas single
Some people may mistakenly think that I support X Factor either as a televisual, or god forbid, musical endeavour. I am most definitely in neither camp. It's an awful spectacle. The "popular" equivalent of a pub battle of the bands. The real pity is that Jedward didn't win this year to prove what a farce the whole show is. There are no real winners. Least of all, music.
- How about buying a single from an independent record label?
With the music industry almost on its knees, the people at the bottom of the ladder are suffering the most. While the big corporate companies can get by with one Lady Gaga a year, independent labels typically don't have such a luxury. And making music for a living is pretty much a non-starter at the moment for the majority of musicians. So instead of filling the coffers of Sony BMG, how about supporting an artist on an independent label or even one that has self-released a single? My First Tooth are running a tongue-in-cheek campaign to get to Christmas #2, check it out here.
- Buy a festive single?
Wouldn't it be nice to have an actual song about Christmas at number 1? I mean I don't even really celebrate Christmas (we miss out the presents but have a good Christmas lunch and sit in front of the telly for the rest of eternity) but I'd welcome an actual festive single to top the charts. Indeed, the founder of DrownedInSound.com, Sean Adams, agrees with me. He's proposing we elevate Sufjan Stevens (signed to the independent Rough Trade record label) to the heights of the UK Singles Chart, with 'Get Me Behind Me, Santa'. Details here.
- Buy a charity Christmas single?
One of the more recent developments that actually tempered the tone of this piece is that the RATM Facebook group is encouraging its supporters to donate to Shelter in addition to buying the RATM single. They've raised over £18,000, which is absolutely brilliant. But I can't help but feel like throwing money at Sony BMG at the same time is a bit counter productive. It would be a bit like buying the X Factor single and then donating money to charity. Which of course, many of those who will buy the X Factor single have done by also purchasing the popular X Factor charity single.
None of this makes much sense to me (although the Sufjan campaign is also donating to charity which complicates matters further) when there are two high profile charity singles out now that donate 100% of their received money to charity. And what's more, they're not actually bad songs. So choose Portishead's 'Chase The Tear' and/or Fucked Up's ensemble cover of 'Do They Know It's Christmas?'. The latter being both for a good cause and festive. Forget RATM, you know what to do.
It genuinely saddens me that I have to agree with Simon Cowell's comments that this whole ordeal is "stupid". With any luck, this will be the first and last time I agree with such a horrible man. Hopefully this has convinced you to not support a misguided and misinformed campaign to get Rage Against The Machine to a #1 that they, nor Sony BMG, need.
Instead, I urge you support those who need it most - both musicians and independent labels struggling at the foot of the ladder and those unfortunate enough to be struggling in life.
Their weapon of choice, the rallying cry of 'Killing In The Name Of'. At the time of writing, the group has collected a rather astonishing 700,000+ members and the single itself is up to #14 in the charts already. You're probably thinking "so far, so good". I'm thinking "no, no, no, no, no, no". So that's why I'm writing this.
This is very much stream of consciousness stuff (hence the ridiculous length) but I feel it is necessary to go through some of the inherent issues related to the campaign.
1) SONY BMG
Rage Against The Machine were/are signed to Sony BMG. Guess who the parent label of the X Factor release is? Yep, Sony BMG. Clearly buying a single on Sony BMG to make a statement against Sony BMG and Simon Cowell isn't the cleverest of ideas. To put it lightly.
2) HAVE YOU ACTUALLY LISTENED TO THE SONG?
Take a minute to go over the lyrics. "FUCK YOU, I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME" Interesting that this RATM then has been forced down my throat via Twitter, a Facebook group and a Facebook event. Yeah, it's ironic. It's also pretty stupid. "And now you do what they told ya, now you're under control".
3) CAN THEY GET TO XMAS #1?
Last year's X Factor single sold a bajillion copies. Even if everyone in the Facebook group bought a copy (which they won't), I'm not convinced they'll win. Indeed, the point of this piece is to stop it from happening but is there even any point trying to be #1? Does Christmas #1 really mean anything anymore? I don't think so. Of course, now I've made this point, it probably will get to #1.
4) IT'S NOT A FESTIVE SINGLE
Lament about the Christmas #1 position all you want but how a song that was originally released with "a cover picturing Thích Quảng Đức, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, burning himself to death in Saigon in 1963 in protest of the murder of Buddhists by Prime Minister Ngô Đình Diệm's regime" is appropriate for this time of year is beyond me. And although I'm not sure exactly what the lyrics are referring to, they certainly have a wider meaning than for use in a flawed statement against Simon Cowell. This campaign is sterilising the original source material in one fell swoop.
5) "OH, IT'S JUST A BIT OF FUN"
The last line of defence for the RATM campaign is that it's "just a bit of fun". Well, isn't X Factor just a bit of fun for millions of people across the UK, if not the world? You can still have a bit of fun and endorse something worthwhile both in terms of song quality and ethos. I'll even show you how.
So what should you do instead of buying the RATM single?
- Don't buy the X Factor Christmas single
Some people may mistakenly think that I support X Factor either as a televisual, or god forbid, musical endeavour. I am most definitely in neither camp. It's an awful spectacle. The "popular" equivalent of a pub battle of the bands. The real pity is that Jedward didn't win this year to prove what a farce the whole show is. There are no real winners. Least of all, music.
- How about buying a single from an independent record label?
With the music industry almost on its knees, the people at the bottom of the ladder are suffering the most. While the big corporate companies can get by with one Lady Gaga a year, independent labels typically don't have such a luxury. And making music for a living is pretty much a non-starter at the moment for the majority of musicians. So instead of filling the coffers of Sony BMG, how about supporting an artist on an independent label or even one that has self-released a single? My First Tooth are running a tongue-in-cheek campaign to get to Christmas #2, check it out here.
- Buy a festive single?
Wouldn't it be nice to have an actual song about Christmas at number 1? I mean I don't even really celebrate Christmas (we miss out the presents but have a good Christmas lunch and sit in front of the telly for the rest of eternity) but I'd welcome an actual festive single to top the charts. Indeed, the founder of DrownedInSound.com, Sean Adams, agrees with me. He's proposing we elevate Sufjan Stevens (signed to the independent Rough Trade record label) to the heights of the UK Singles Chart, with 'Get Me Behind Me, Santa'. Details here.
- Buy a charity Christmas single?
One of the more recent developments that actually tempered the tone of this piece is that the RATM Facebook group is encouraging its supporters to donate to Shelter in addition to buying the RATM single. They've raised over £18,000, which is absolutely brilliant. But I can't help but feel like throwing money at Sony BMG at the same time is a bit counter productive. It would be a bit like buying the X Factor single and then donating money to charity. Which of course, many of those who will buy the X Factor single have done by also purchasing the popular X Factor charity single.
None of this makes much sense to me (although the Sufjan campaign is also donating to charity which complicates matters further) when there are two high profile charity singles out now that donate 100% of their received money to charity. And what's more, they're not actually bad songs. So choose Portishead's 'Chase The Tear' and/or Fucked Up's ensemble cover of 'Do They Know It's Christmas?'. The latter being both for a good cause and festive. Forget RATM, you know what to do.
+++++
It genuinely saddens me that I have to agree with Simon Cowell's comments that this whole ordeal is "stupid". With any luck, this will be the first and last time I agree with such a horrible man. Hopefully this has convinced you to not support a misguided and misinformed campaign to get Rage Against The Machine to a #1 that they, nor Sony BMG, need.
Instead, I urge you support those who need it most - both musicians and independent labels struggling at the foot of the ladder and those unfortunate enough to be struggling in life.
on Friday, December 11, 2009
[Watch until 1:24am Saturday 12th December 2009] (UK only)
It's been Alan Bennett "season" (the term "week" seems more appropriate) on the BBC and it's been pretty interesting. Can't say I knew all that much about the author, actor, humorist and playwright but he's certainly had an interesting life. Which you can explore more by watching Bennett on Bennett and Bennett vs Mark Lawson.
You're probably familiar with 'The History Boys', the stage play that was adapted into a film a few years back, set oop North in the 80s. Plot below, film above, job done.
It's been Alan Bennett "season" (the term "week" seems more appropriate) on the BBC and it's been pretty interesting. Can't say I knew all that much about the author, actor, humorist and playwright but he's certainly had an interesting life. Which you can explore more by watching Bennett on Bennett and Bennett vs Mark Lawson.
You're probably familiar with 'The History Boys', the stage play that was adapted into a film a few years back, set oop North in the 80s. Plot below, film above, job done.
Eight school pupils studying history pursue an undergraduate place at Oxford or Cambridge. Their headmaster is determined to see them break records and enlists a new teacher to coach the boys into intellectual shape. Seduced though they are by his promises, the boys are concerned that there is more to learning than exams and grades, and become caught in a clash of education styles and loyalties.
on Wednesday, December 09, 2009
I got into a minor huff about the NME including 'Summertime' by The Drums in their 50 Best Albums of 2009, when it's most commonly identified as an EP, even by the band themselves. Apparently, UK chart rules call it an album so I lose out on a technicality. Luckily, no such issues with the punchy, 3 track Battle For Paris EP.
'With A Gun Between Your Teeth, You Speak Only In Vowels' is the debut EP from Dorset post-hardcore quintet Battle For Paris. There are two ways you could see this EP: 1) a complete mess, with each track sounding like a deranged mish-mash of about 12 different songs OR 2) an inventive, unpredictable listen, with each track sounding like a deranged mish-mash of about 12 different songs. I'm very much in the latter camp.
From the twisted intro to 'Fuck Your Deja Vu' to the thrashed onslaught that is the ending to 'I Have The Jigsaw Man's Hands', this is a savage melée of hard hitting riffs, frenzied drumming and arresting vocals. Not only that but the EP looks pretty snazzy too (see above).
'With A Gun...' is out on Dec 14th, pre-order at Tangled Talk.
MySpace // Blog
'With A Gun Between Your Teeth, You Speak Only In Vowels' is the debut EP from Dorset post-hardcore quintet Battle For Paris. There are two ways you could see this EP: 1) a complete mess, with each track sounding like a deranged mish-mash of about 12 different songs OR 2) an inventive, unpredictable listen, with each track sounding like a deranged mish-mash of about 12 different songs. I'm very much in the latter camp.
From the twisted intro to 'Fuck Your Deja Vu' to the thrashed onslaught that is the ending to 'I Have The Jigsaw Man's Hands', this is a savage melée of hard hitting riffs, frenzied drumming and arresting vocals. Not only that but the EP looks pretty snazzy too (see above).
'With A Gun...' is out on Dec 14th, pre-order at Tangled Talk.
MySpace // Blog
on Friday, December 04, 2009
Sally Potter's new film RAGE is available for streaming for free at the online cinema site The Auteurs.
Unfortunately, I don't have time to watch the full feature as I think it's coming down within the next 24 hours. So act fast. Watch here.
Using a radical narrative structure, RAGE consists of a dynamic series of interviews with characters played by Judi Dench, Jude Law, Eddie Izzard, Steve Buscemi and more, all shot as if by a schoolboy on his mobile phone. He goes behind the scenes at a New York fashion show during a week in which a catwalk accident turns into a murder investigation. Potter’s close-up take on haute couture rediscovers the deeper meanings of ‘fashion’ and ‘style’, bringing the viewer face-to-face— as all of her films do—with the ways in which we invent ourselves through art, and through each other.The cast also features the Lily Cole, John Leguizamo and the extremely promising young polymath Riz Ahmed. And the trailer above is worth checking out purely to see Jude Law portray a Russian drag queen.
Unfortunately, I don't have time to watch the full feature as I think it's coming down within the next 24 hours. So act fast. Watch here.
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