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DATELINE CANNES…
…REPORT FROM THE FRONTLINE
AMAZON TRUMPETS £1 BILLION INVESTMENT…
…UK ORIGINALS TO GROW
INDICATOR TAKES A DEEP DIVE WITH THE SWIMMER
GUESS WHO’S BACK
CAT GETS A NEW LIFE
CAMERA, ON DISC
ALTITUDE’S TASTY TREAT
AT THE MOVIES
TWEET OF THE WEEK
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
Dateline: Cannes. The great and good for the industry, and the odd freeloader, have been down in the south of France over the past week, and for the next few days too, at the market and associated festival that is Cannes, strolling up and down the Croisette or, more likely, rushing between screenings and meetings, with all the associated deals and acquisitions that come with it. There’s been a raft of announcements, with the likes of streaming services such as MUBI among the most active, well round up in full after the dust has settled in the next week or two, with reports from the most active buyers among distributors and streamers. We’ll also catch up on some of the films that were among the keenest sought after, either to pick up the UK rights or to nab a ticket to the screening or premiere there…
But in the meantime, we spoke to a few regulars who are down there to see what they thought of the event. One crew who seem to see more films than almost anyone else in attendance at the festival are the FrightFest team and this year is now different, with the directors of the event departing to Cannes for numerous screenings and meetings. FrightFest’s Paul McEvoy said: “So, another Cannes comes around..everyone is happy to be here post pandemic. The endless Zoom meetings replaced by actual, much needed human interaction. The weather has been glorious (perhaps a bit too hot, but better than the endless torrential rain of some years). The initial website crashing problems on the first day when collecting accreditation was an ominous premonition of the pretty dreadful online ticket booking system failure throughout, with even seasoned industry folk being unable to secure tickets for the main festival screenings for the first time ever. The market is down in terms of attendance because of the obvious factors - Covid, International politics and the ever changing industry landscape. Personally we had seen many of the key genre pics screening here in advance. But we have discovered some exciting gems for FrightFest in August which either weren’t on our radar or we had been tracking but not screened. So, overall I think very worthwhile.”
And while the film industry debunked en masse in Cannes, back in London there were other events taking place for press and industry types with streamers and television companies unveiling wares for the months and even years ahead. Chief among these was Amazon Prime, highlighting its forthcoming slate and the investment its made in programming, particularly the UK. Trumpeting its £1 billion investment in TV shows, films and live sport over the past years, the company’s md for Prime Video Chris Bird said: “It was important to bring people together at Prime Video Presents to not only showcase our brilliant upcoming shows and movies, but to demonstrate how committed we are to the UK in the long term. We’ve spent a long time building a service that offers customers a variety of ways to access the TV shows and movies they love–either included as part of their subscription, as an add-on channel or being able to rent or buy at a low price. We have invested more than £1 billion on TV series, movies, and live sport since 2018. But it’s just as important that we’re investing in the UK’s world-leading production and creative industries, with a growing number of UK Originals; through a £10 million commitment to training and skills schemes; and by taking a long-term lease at Shepperton Studios.”
The UK slate for Amazon highlighted on the day including the likes of tennis drama Fifteen Love, true crime series such as the forthcoming The Disappearance Of Patricia Hall and sports doc Ben Stokes: Phoenix From The Ashes. There’s another sports doc in the shape of All Or Nothing: Arsenal, narrated by Daniel Kaluuya as well as thriller The Devil’s Hour. Dan Grabiner, Head of UK Originals, Amazon Studios said: ““We have supercharged Prime Video’s UK slate with a diverse range of high-quality, distinctive programmes across documentary, drama, comedy, entertainment, and film. It’s such a thrill seeing the slate grow in partnership with some of the UK’s most talented creatives, from first-time creators to legends of British television.”
Landing in our bulging email inbox this week was the latest missive from boutique label Indicator, with parent Powerhouse announcing the latest addition to its growing catalogue of titles. As ever, its slate for August features a selection of deep cuts pulled from the archives and given the kind of love, care and attention they deserve, with pristine new remasters and extensive accompanying booklets. The titles on offer include Robin Hood At Hammer: Two Tales From Sherwood Forest, pairing two Hammer versions of the legendary tae, alloying with a raft of extras; Madigan, directed by Dirty Harry helmer Don Siegel and effectively bridging the gap between film noir and his gritty work with Clint Eastwood in the 70s and an eagerly-awaited cult title in the shape Burt Lancaster starring in The Swimmer. Comment on the titles came from Powerhouse’s Sam Dunn, who said: “The response to this week's new-release announcements has been fantastic. The Robin Hood double-bill, which boasts such fine actors as Peter Cushing, Barrie Ingham, and Oliver Reed, sees us adding two more Blu-ray premieres to our collectible range of Hammer box sets. Don Siegel's Madigan is a gritty police actioner, starring Hollywood legends Richard Widmark and Henry Fonda, which we're giving its UK Blu-ray premiere. Last, but far from least, is the Blu-ray premiere of Frank and Eleanor Perry's counter-cultural masterpiece, The Swimmer, starring the great Burt Lancaster in what many consider to be his finest role. As usual, all titles come with an extensive array of new and archival extra features, including audio commentaries, video appreciations, and rare interviews, as well as comprehensive booklets, and - in the case of The Swimmer and Robin Hood at Hammer - double-sided posters reproducing original promotional artwork."
In another big anniversary season for the Timelord, there’s been a wealth of Doctor Who activity already in 2022, as the franchise readies itself for a big 60th anniversary celebration next year. Chief among the activity has been new programmes airing featuring Jodie Whittaker and the latest outings from her adventures as the good Doctor arrive in stores on Monday May 23. The 13th series of the revived 21st century Doctor’s antics features a pairing of two storylines The Eve Of The Daleks and The Legend Of The Sea Devils and are released by BBC Studios under its new arrangement with Spirit. BBC’s Rob Crowe said: “There’s been lots of exciting news in the world of Doctor Who recently, and with anticipation mounting for next year’s 60th anniversary there couldn’t be a better time for us to release the latest two episodes starring the fantastic Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor. Including both Eve of the Daleks and Legend of the Sea Devils, this is sure to be another hugely popular release with the show’s many fans.”
There’s further releases on Monday landing in stores too, with a brace from Studiocanal, offering up two titles that show the depth and breadth of its catalogue. First up is Cat’s Eye, a classic slice of Stephen King horror given a new lease of life after being plucked from the vaults. And, as the company’s Carys Gaskin said: “Our new 4K restoration of the twisted 1985 thriller Cat’s Eye is released on DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UHD and Digital on. Monday May 23, adapted by the master of horror Stephen King from his own short stories. We are running a strong social and paid media campaign throughout and are preparing a selection press drops to go out this week to reach an array of cult film fans.
And on the same day there’s another title joining the ever-impressive and ever-growing ranks of its Vintage Classics imprint with the release of I Am A Camera. The company’s Alison Arber said: “We are very pleased to be releasing yet another fantastic addition to the Vintage Classics collection on Monday – the wonderful I AM A CAMERA. Based on both the 1945 novel, ‘The Berlin Stories’ by Christopher Isherwood and its adaptation for the stage (also called ‘I Am a Camera’). The play was subsequently developed by Fred Ebb and John Kander as the iconic musical ‘Cabaret’ which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.”
Just announced this week is a further addition to Altitude’s forthcoming home entertainment slate, with a title that will appeal keenly to home entertainment consumers given its subject matter, is Shark Bait. The title is due on DVD and digital formats on June 6 and sees a group of spring-breakers becoming lost at sea on jet skis and facing the threat of circling sharks. It’s a hugely commercial title and just the kind that should entice punters. And what’s more, Altitude has traditionally enjoyed strong success with watery tales – just look at the success of 47 Meters Down for further proof. You can see the trailer here https://youtu.be/vdtKoFi_JoI and the company’s head of home entertainment Adam Eldrett said: “It's basically SPRINGBREAKERS meets JAWS, these young adults have a terrible jet-ski accident at sea and of course there are killer sharks around! As you know we have a fantastic track record recently with these creature features and predominantly shark movies. What we really love about this movie is the clear love the filmmakers have for JAWS, the film that started it all. There are some delicious homages to the original Spielberg film and it's brought to life with some great VFK and an energetic young cast. "
AT THE MOVIES
It had to happen, for, despite Ocean’s 8 not quite setting the world on fire in the way the studio had hoped, Warner is aiming to revive the Ocean’s franchise once more, with a new film being lined up by star margo Robbie and director Jay Roach. It is believed the film will go back to the 1960s and aim to take its inspiration from the original film…
Poor comic book legend Alan Moore, who is notoriously sniffy about the way Hollywood has pilfered and adapted his graphic novel staples and, he believes, ruined them. For after a failed attempt to turn The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen, his series which blended fictional characters with real history and a dash of steampunk sci-fi, into a film franchise, Disney, which now owns Fox which held the rights, is looking at developing a new streaming offering based on the comics. Let’s hope it’s more successful than the film, which was such a disaster it essentially made Sean Connery retire…
No-one quite knows how and when its films will land on streaming services or at cinemas or whatever format, but Disney arm Pixar has unveiled a 2023 project, Elementals. It’s all very Pixar, following a world inhabited by creatures that represent the different elements, fire, earth, wind and water. Creator Peter Sohn said: “My parents emigrated from Korea in the early 1970s and built a bustling grocery store in the Bronx. We were among many families who ventured to a new land with hopes and dreams – all of us mixing into one big salad bowl of cultures, languages and beautiful little neighbourhoods. That’s what led me to Elemental. Our story is based on the classic elements—fire, water, land and air. Some elements mix with each other, and some don’t. What if these elements were alive?”
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Follow us on www.twitter.com/theraygun…
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
Due from Park Chan-wook via MUBI…
Early stuff…
The Boys and, er, the Beach Boys…
This looks out there…
Welsh language horror due from Picturehouse…
THE OBLIGATORY GDPR BIT
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