Big Gay Picture Show

Taking a look at the world of film through gay eyes - news, reviews, trailers, gay film, queer cinema and more

Taking a look at the world of film through gay eyes - news, reviews, trailers, gay film, queer cinema & more

The Casual Vacancy (DVD Review)

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Considering it’s based on a book by JK Rowling and was high profile enough for the BBC to make it in co-operation with HBO, The Casual Vacancy wasn’t given as massive a push when it aired on TV as you might expect. That’s probably because despite being based on a novel by the Harry Potter author, it’s far more low key and adult than her earlier work.

Indeed, the main complaint about both the book and three-part TV series is that not a huge amount happens, and what does happen often appears, on the surface at least, to be of only marginal consequence. There is a point to most of it, but it takes a bit of work to figure out what that is. [Read more…]

Bond 24 Is Spectre & It’s Even Got A Poster (As Well As Andrew Scott & Ben Whishaw Starring)

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spectre-posterIt’s official, Bond 24 has been announced with a major event in London and it will be called Spectre. Of course that’s the name of the evil organisation headed by Blofeld in early Bond movies (It stands for (SPecial Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion), and the name of the film signals its return.

Both Blofeld and SPECTRE disappeared from Bond after a protracted legal battle decided Thunderball screenplay co-creator Kevin McClory owned them. However a few years ago Eon Productions purchased the rights and brought them back into the official Bond fold. Every film since Casino Royale has had rumours of a SPECTRE appearance, but it’s only now it will actually happen.

The announcement also confirms that alongside returnees Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw and Rory Kinnear, newbies Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux, Dave Bautista, Monica Bellucci and Andrew Scott will star. Although there’s no confirmation, the presumption is that Waltz will be Blofeld.

Here’s the official press release (and take a look at some pics from the launch event below): ‘007 Soundstage, Pinewood Studios, London. James Bond Producers, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli today released the title of the 24th James Bond adventure, SPECTRE. The film, from Albert R. Broccoli’s EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment, is directed by Sam Mendes and stars Daniel Craig, who returns for his fourth film as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007. SPECTRE begins principal photography on Monday, December 8, and is set for global release on November 6, 2015.

‘Along with Daniel Craig, Mendes presented the returning cast, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw and Rory Kinnear as well as introducing Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux, Dave Bautista, Monica Bellucci and Andrew Scott. Mendes also revealed Bond’s sleek new Aston Martin, the DB10, created exclusively for SPECTRE.

‘A cryptic message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organisation. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.

‘The 007 production will be based at Pinewood Studios, and on location in London, Mexico City, Rome and Tangier and Erfoud, in Morocco. Bond will return to the snow once again, this time in Sölden, along with other Austrian locations, Obertilliach, and Lake Altaussee.

‘Commenting on the announcement, Wilson and Broccoli said, “We’re excited to announce Daniel’s fourth installment in the series and thrilled that Sam has taken on the challenge of following on the success of SKYFALL with SPECTRE.”.

‘Written by John Logan and Neal Purvis & Robert Wade, Director of Photography is Hoyte van Hoytema and Editor is Lee Smith. Production Designer, Dennis Gassner returns along with Costume Designer, Jany Temime and Composer, Thomas Newman. Action Specialist, Alexander Witt is the 2nd Unit Director. Stunt Coordinator is Gary Powell, SFX Supervisor is Chris Corbould, and Visual Effects Supervisor is Steve Begg.

‘Skyfall, the 23rd James Bond film, was a worldwide box office phenomenon, opening #1 in 70 territories around the world, taking over $1.1 billion worldwide and setting a new all-time box office record in the UK by becoming the first film to take over £100 million.

‘The launch of SPECTRE was streamed live on 007.com and Facebook.com/JamesBond007, and the video is now available on demand at both sites.’

Take a look at some pics from the launch below. [Read more…]

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The Imitation Game (Cinema Review)

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Rule one of cinema? Show, don’t tell. This seems to have been totally ignored by Norwegian director Morten Tyldum, who chooses to take one of the most extraordinary British stories of the 20th century and make it in such a dull, flat way it stretches patience to snapping point.

The story itself has been the subject of a West End play in Breaking the Code, and a film already, Enigma, although the central character was fictionalized. Here we get the true story of Alan Turing, the mathematical and linguistic genius who cracks codes for fun. However during WWII the Nazis invent a machine so complex it codes vital messages with 19,000,000,000,000,000,000 possible answers. It’s impossible to crack, right? But with U-boats sinking ships in the Atlantic and the Luftwaffe creating havoc in the skies it’s vital that someone crack the code. [Read more…]

The Imitation Game Trailers – Benedict Cumberbatch takes on Alan Turing in the BFI London Film Festival opener

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imitation-game-slideIt’s been a case of co-ordination today, as the moment the BFI announced that The Imitation Game is set to open the 58th BFI London Film Festival, Studiocanal released the UK trailer and in the US The Weinstein Company unveiled theirs.

The movie will open the LFF with a gala screening on Wednesday 8th October at the Odeon Leicester Square, with a live cinecast from the red carpet and simultaneous screenings taking place at cinemas across the UK.

You can take a look at the trailers below.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘THE IMITATION GAME is a nail-biting race against time following Alan Turing (pioneer of modern-day computing and credited with cracking the German Enigma code) and his brilliant team at Britain’s top-secret code-breaking centre, Bletchley Park, during the darkest days of World War II. Turing, whose contributions and genius significantly shortened the war, saving thousands of lives, was the eventual victim of an unenlightened British establishment, but his work and legacy live on.

‘THE IMITATION GAME stars Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek Into Darkness, TV’s Sherlock) as Alan Turing and Keira Knightley (Atonement) as close friend and fellow code-breaker Joan Clarke, alongside a top notch cast including Matthew Goode (A Single Man), Mark Strong (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Rory Kinnear (Skyfall), Charles Dance (Gosford Park, TV’s Game of Thrones), Allen Leech (In Fear, TV’s Downton Abbey) and Matthew Beard (An Education).’

Director Morten Tyldum comments on the LFF announcement, “I am thrilled to be returning to London to share The Imitation Game with the audience of the BFI London Film Festival. The experience of directing this film has been so tremendously rewarding, and I am humbled to share Alan’s Turing’s incredible story on Opening Night.”

Of course Turing was gay, and to be honest the trailers are unlikely to assuage those worried the film will whitewash his sexuality. Although the US trailer does make oblique reference to it, you could still easily believe Keira Knightley is going to be the film’s ‘love interest’. Many will be keeping a close eye on The Imitation Game, as the importance of Turing’s story isn’t just in cracking German codes during World War II and the fact his work helped lead to modern computers, but that after the war he was prosecuted for his sexuality, shunned and made to chemically castrate himself, which eventually led to his suicide.

To sideline that is to do a disservice to a man who may have made many more breakthroughs if he didn’t live in a society that was happy to use him to help save the country, but then destroyed him after because of their narrow view of human love.

Hopefully the trailers are the ones sidelining the issue and not the movie. We’ll have to wait and see. (Many other mainstream films with gay content ignore that aspect in trailers that cater to the masses, with the logic that you won’t turn off gay-friendly people by not including it, but you could turn off others if you do).

The movie opens across the UK on November 15th. [Read more…]

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Broken (Blu-ray)

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Broken won Best Film at the British Independent Film Awards and got much praise on its cinema release. However I couldn’t help feeling it’s one of those movies where grittiness and being a bit of a downer is taken for it being ‘real’ and worthy. It’s certainly dramatic and very, very well-acted, but it’s still pretty contrived and looked at objectively, the events are fairly soap opera-ish. [Read more…]

The Hollow Crown (DVD)

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One of the by-products of this year’s Cultural Olympiad and the Summer Of Shakespeare was the BBC’s ambitious plan to bring the Bard’s Henriad tetralogy (sorry, it’s Shakespeare and therefore long words are compulsory) to the screen. Under the title The Hollow Crown we get Richard II, Henry IV Part I, Henry IV Part 2 and Henry V, which cover one period of British history from the rise of Henry IV and the usurpation (another good long word there) of Richard II, through the reign of Henry’s son, Henry V.

While the three Henrys tell one interlinked story with many recurring characters, Richard II is a bit of a play on its own, even though it deals with some of the same people. It’s also probably the least known of the plays, often regarded as one of Shakespeare’s more difficult texts, but as Rupert Goold’s two-hour take on the tale proves, it’s also one of the richest. [Read more…]