Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging

OUT: NOW

For a change, it’s not the lack of any original tween stories that has driven Louise Rennison’s book to the screen- it’s necessity. A quick-witted amalgamation of Bridget Jones and Adrian Mole via Byker Grove on brain pills, 14-year-old literary heroine Georgia Nicholson is an inspired comic creation that every young person should get to know and learn from, let alone the female of the species. Bend It Like Beckham’s self-righteous klutz of a director Gurinder Chadha is in the chair bringing the noisy, bitchy world of Angus, Thongs… to your ears and eyes.  

Mamma Mia!

OUT: 10th JULY

The musical based on the music of Swedish supergroup ABBA gets its movie makeover after huge international success on the stage. And it’s no prosaic Ben Elton dirge either, the story of a young bride-to-be’s mission to finally meet her estranged father at her wedding is cleverly crafted around well-known pop numbers like Gimme Gimme Gimme Gimme Gimme, I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do and other such repetitive titles. The first ten minutes is our introduction to the obscure world of Mamma Mia!, the uneasy opening of a can of worms the likes of which has never been seen… 

Kung Fu Panda

OUT: 4th July

Still looking for a bona-fide animation classic since the dawn of Shrek, Dreamworks fill the voice boxes of a bunch of cuddly (yet deadly) fighting machines with some premier league talent. Jack Black stretches his vocal elasticity to the limit as the unlikely panda chasing dreams of ass-kicking glory, limbering up to face a foe of pure evil… an English one, of course.

Wanted

OUT: NOW

Firstly, sincerest apologies for the lack of reviews posted recently. It’s almost as if we’ve seen nothing worth reviewing lately… which isn’t entirely true, although the thought of bringing myself to write anything about Mongol threw me into a typing-hand paralysis of blandness. Anyhow, the Summer film season is brightening up and as a crafty companion piece to Indiana’s alien nonsense, childish Russian director Timur Bekmambetov takes on Mark Millar’s graphic novel with style, control and as much depth as Jodie Marsh. 

Joy Division

OUT: NOW

The low-key, downbeat account of the pioneering post-punk group Joy Division, Control dramatised lead singer Ian Curtis’ descent into oblivion with touching brutality. Here Grant Gee fills in some of the gaps in documentary form, feeding off frank interviews with the rest of the band and a treasure trove of rare archive footage. 

3 And Out

OUT: Friday 25th

It’s fair to say the British film industry has a rather patchy reputation, and for every Trainspotting there will be a Mean Machine. Despite a formidable cast, this black comedy fails to raise anything more than a few wry smiles- and certainly a little distaste. 

Leatherheads

OUT: 11th April

Rapidly making a name for himself as both an actor and director of true class and skill, George Clooney diverts his attention from any political convictions for his new 20’s-lite comedy Leatherheads. And who can blame him for wanting to cavort about for a while and have some harmless fun? ME!

Red Carpet Schizzle

Don’t forget to have a peek at our new page, in which the glamour of the Hollwood scene is gloriously shat upon by our humble reporters-in-the-field. The first entry comes from our good friend Keiran Hardcastle, the local boy made good in Shane Meadow’s Bafta-winning Brit success This Is England. Read his first-hand report on the Empire Film Awards on our new page now…