Tag Archives: Movies

Damsels In Distress – Get Violet’s Vintage-Inspired Look + Win The DVD

Posted on by

Greta Gerwig stars in Whit Stillman’s charming and witty comedy DAMSELS IN DISTRESS, a quirky film following leader Violet and her group of beautiful, female college students and their mission to cure depressed classmates through good hygiene and musical dance numbers. It follows the girls as they become romantically involved with different types of men, who threaten both their friendships and sanity. Gerwig plays the group’s outspoken leader Violet, epitomising the film’s wonderful individual and nostalgic style.

To celebrate its release on Blu-ray and DVD, we’re showing you Violet’s fashion rules and how to re-create her vintage themed look!

Violet’s style is definitely retro inspired, it’s feminine yet edgy and easy to wear day-to-day.

Hair and Make-Up:

Violet keeps her hair and make-up simple, to let the clothes do the talking!

Natural Waves – whether you have a similar short sassy bob or longer locks, the key to this look is simple and natural waves. Start by blow-drying your hair upside-down to boost volume, brush through and use light tongs or straighteners to curl the ends. Leave the roots straightener and product-free.

Neutral Palette – keep make-up looking natural too, with a light foundation or tinted moisturiser such as Benefit’s You Rebel SPF 15 Tinted Moisturiser. Add a rose blusher to the apples of your cheeks and a dusting of light brown eyeshadow over lids. A coat of volumising black-brown mascara will give a soft and fuller look for lashes, and finish off with pinky-tone lipstick or gloss, oh so pretty!

The Wardrobe:

Violet follows some timeless fashion rules to maximise her outfit potential. It’s all about quirky print dresses, coloured cardigans and vintage-inspired accessories.

Define your waist, sit on the knee – following the classic style of the 1950s/60s, a cinched waist and full skirt make the most of your curves. Wearing skirts that sit on the knee keeps the outfit classy and shows off shapely pins. Topshop do some great retro style dresses such as the Pastel Pinafore Dress, £48, or the Block Colour Dress by Wal G at £35.

Prints and colour – Use bright-coloured cardigans, cool prints or colour pop dresses to lift your mood. Cardigans make chic cover-ups and can be found in no end of designs, just make sure you keep them plain a la Violet if you’re teaming with a print dress. Or try a cute printed shirt and team with this season’s midi skirt.

Vintage Accessories – To complete Violet’s vintage-style look pick up some classic accessories from a vintage store or online. Peekaboo Vintage has an amazing range of silk scarves that will make your outfit, such as this one for £30.

They also stock some gorgeous leather satchels, to hold all of your day-to-day essentials, and fit in perfectly with your outfit! All that’s left is a spritz of your favourite classic scent and you’re officially Violet-worthy, a true Damsel style-icon!

For your chance to win a copy of Damsels In Distress on DVD, just answer the following question….

In the film, one of Violet’s love interests, Charlie a.k.a Fred is played by

1. Adam Brody
2. Channing Tatum
3. Liam Hemsworth

Follow @Frostmag and tweet us your answer, or comment below.

Damsels in Distress is out on DVD from Monday 20th August.

Film Producer Chris Morgan goes to war with Cabo Films and Wefund

Posted on by

UK film producer and screenwriter Chris Morgan has teamed up with Cabo Films and Wefund, to develop, produce and release a uniquely placed motion picture called ‘Coup’, and in doing so, is participating in the largest UK crowd funding exercise to date.

The feature has already begun development, and raised an amazing £750K on Wefund, the UK’s largest crowd-funding site. It is well on its way to becoming the largest film funded success on a crowd-funding site globally.

As Wefund gathers momentum in the UK, film has become an ever important segment and industry suited for crowd funding. Wefund hopes to set a precedent for the future funding of independent films, and change the way traditional films are made, enabled by this exploding new form of funding.

Chris said, “I am extremely excited by both this project and the opportunity presented by Wefund.com. I will lay bare the film-making process from pre-production through to post-production (editing) and invite the crowd to join me on that journey”.

Mike said, “We’re delighted to have this fantastic and ambitious project on Wefund. By choosing to crowd fund this film, Chris and Cabo Films are recognising that the old way of doing things can be improved upon significantly by involving the public in the film making process. The audience will be centre stage. We’re excited to see what happens.”

Speaking on the announcement, Martin Warner said, “Cabo Films looks to identify with stories that connect with the world in real terms today, and done right, cross different cultures and geographies, and can be understood and watched by all ages – we believe Coup is an important feature for the UK market, and a film with world-wide appeal.”

To be a part of the crowd, and help fund ‘Coup’, or, simply to join us on the journey, please visit http://wefund.com/project/coup-film/p30307/

Win Signed Dexter Fletcher Poster!

Posted on by

Win a signed Dexter Fletcher Poster with Frost Magazine!  Dexter Fletcher has made his directorial debut, Wild Bill,  and we have a signed poster to give away. To enter just follow @Frostmag on Twitter and send us a Tweet or subscribe to our e-edition.

RELEASED ON BLU-RAY, DVD

AND DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

“BRILLIANT GANGSTER DRAMA… OUTSTANDING” – Sunday Express

“A HUGELY ENJOYABLE AND IMPRESSIVE DEBUT” – Total Film

“ONE OF THE BEST BRITISH PICTURES IN YEARS” – The Word

Get down and dirty with this gritty yet heart-warming British drama, as DEXTER FLETCHER’S directorial debut, WILD
BILL arrives on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download on 23 July 2012, from Universal Pictures (UK).

Out on parole after 8 years inside, Bill Hayward (CHARLIE CREED-MILES – Harry Brown, You & I) returns home to his

East London home to find it now set in the midst of the Olympics building site. To his horror, he discovers his now 11

and 15-year old sons have been abandoned by their mother and are fending for themselves. Unwilling to play dad, an

uncaring Bill is determined to move on. However, although Bill’s eldest son Dean (WILL POULTER – Son Of Rambow,

The Chronicles Of Narnia: Voyage Of The Dawn Treader) has found a job and is doing his best to be a father to his

younger brother Jimmy, the arrival of Bill has brought them to the attention of social services.

Forced into becoming a dad for the purposes of fooling social services, Bill nevertheless settles into the role for the first

time, discovering he has a place in the world with his family. But darker times loom as Jimmy gets involved with Bill’s

treacherous old drug-dealing cohorts, leaving Bill with the dilemma of breaching the terms of his parole or losing his

Written and directed by DEXTER FLETCHER (Kick Ass, Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels), WILD BILL is one of the

freshest, funniest and most charming British directorial debuts in recent years. With a fantastic British cast that also

includes JASON FLEMYNG, ANDY SERKIS, JAIME WINSTONE and OLIVIA WILLIAMS, WILD BILL will really help to kick of

a summer of British brilliance in the best possible way

Monday 23rd July.

Steven Spielberg’s Jaws returns to UK cinemas from today – unseen footage

Posted on by

Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster Jaws returns to the UK big screen today as part of Universal’s 100th Anniversary celebrations and look what we found on the cutting room floor – new and previously unseen hilarious footage of the classic featuring one of the nation’s favourite actors

Love the video? Will never watch Jaws in the same way? If you want to make a stand for equal rights by signing Monkey’s petition www.woollyactorsguild.com. You can also help spread the word on Twitter by tweeting Monkey @AlistMonkey.

Film Characters To Put Into Your Low Budget Film.

Posted on by

The key to low-budget film-making is to have as few locations as possible. Locations and travel cost money.


Anna Paquin who is in the vampire TV show True Blood

Now, onto characters. You can’t afford to have a baseball player in your film if you want to see him in action. The key is having characters who can look authentic without renting expensive stadiums.

CIA agents are always popular in films. All you need is an actor in a suit, and, possibly, a fake gun. (If you are filming outside with a fake gun you must alert the authorities and tell them you will be filming in the area. Least you get shot by armed police thinking you are some kind of homicidal killer).

FBI agents: Ditto.

Waitress. Make a gritty, real life drama. It is relatively easy to talk a cafe owner into filming in their establishment for free. They will probably say yes for some publicity and a thank you in the credits.

People in love; everyone loves a good love story, and a happy ending. The purpose of film is to tell a story visually. Is there possibly an easier story to tell than a story about love and relationships. Something we all understand and go through?

Gangsters. a suit, a fake cockney accent and a fake gun. Brevity is the soul of low-budget film-making. Be careful when doing a gangster film though. They are heard to do well as Martin Scorsese has put the bar so high. You could make a good short if you have a good, original take on it.

Zombies; It’s easy to find a trainee make up artist who wants to add to their portfolio so your zombies will be authentic. It’s another popular genre.

Vampires; They are huge right now thanks to Twilight and True Blood. How hard is it to find some black clothes and fake blood? Bloody easy in fact.

More important than the genre and characters for a film is the script. An original film, well acted, and with a good script can beat any big budget blockbuster. Money is no longer a problem for independent filmmakers. You can make a film on a shoestring budget.

Photo credit: DarkChacal

100 Films That Have Stood The Test of Time.

Posted on by

Films stand the test of time for a reason. Most of the films that do have a brilliant script and superb acting. So get some popcorn, here is my top 100 films. Disagree? Let us know what films you would choose.

girl-interrupted

1. Citizen Kane (1941) (Obvious but brilliant)
2. All About Eve (1950)
3. The Godfather (1972)
4. The Godfather II (1974)
5. Shawshank Redemption (1994)
6. 12 Angry Men (1957)
7. Ben Hur (1959)
8. The Lion King (1994)
9. Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs. (1937)
10. The Breakfast Club (1985)
11. Jaws (1975)
12. Die Hard (1988)
13. Casablanca (1952)
14. The Jungle Book. (1967)
15. Dr Strangelove, Or How I learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb. (1964)
16. Caddyshack (1980)
17. Lawrence Of Arabia. (1962) This is Steven Spielberg’s favourite film, and for good reason.
18. The Life of Brian (1979)
19. Flight of The Phoenix (1965)
20. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
21. The Searchers. (1958)
22. Wizard of Oz (1939)
23. West Side Story (1961)
24. Girl Interrupted (1999)
25. On The Waterfront (1954)
26. Toy Story. (1995)
27. Dirty Dancing (1987)
28. Cleo From 5 to 7. (1962)
29. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
30. The Elephant Man (1980)
31. Cinema Paradiso (1988)
32. Annie Hall (1977)
33. Top Gun (1986)
34. The Big Sleep (1946)
35. Grease (1978)
36. Stand By Me (1986)
37. Rocky (1976)
38. Psycho (1960)
39. Goodfellas (1990)
40. The Omen (1976)
41. Raider’s of the Lost Ark. (1981)
42. Don’t Look Now (1973)
43. E.T. (1982)
44. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
45. To Kill a Mocking Bird. (1962)
46. Star Wars (1977)
47. American Beauty. (1999)
48. A Gentleman’s Agreement (1947)
49. Rear Window (1954)
50. High Society (1956)
51. North By Northwest (1959)
52. Oliver (1968)
53. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
54. Mary Poppins (1964)
55. True Grit (1969)
56. The Sound of Music (1965)
57. A Bridge Over the River Kwai. (1957)
58. Alien (1979)
59. The Longest Day. (1962)
60. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. (1958)
61. Brief Encounter (1945)
62. Pretty Women (1990)
63. Some Like It Hot. (1959)
64. The Great Escape (1963)
65. Rebecca (1940)
66. Gone With The Wind (1939)
67. Sullivan’s Travels. (1941)
68. The Apartment. (1960)
69. The Philadelphia Story. (1940)
70. Home Alone (1990)
71. The African Queen. (1951)
72. To Catch a Thief (1955)
73. Double Indemnity (1944)
74. Badlands (1973)
75. A Room with a View (1985)
76. Back to the Future (1985)
77. Karate Kid. (1984)
78. Reservoir Dogs(1992)
79. East of Eden (1955)
80. Mystic River (2003)
81. Pulp Fiction (1994)
82. Saving Private Ryan (1994)
83. Ghostbusters (1984)
84. When Harry Met Sally (1989)
85. Sleepless In Seattle (1993)
86. The Goonies (1985)
87. One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest (1975)
88. Halloween (1978)
89. Blade Runner (1982)
90. Thelma and Louise (1991)
91. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
92. Schindler’s List (1993)
93. La Dolce Vita (1961)
94. Leon (1994)
95. His Girl Friday (1940)
96. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
97. My Fair Lady (1964)
98. The Unforgiven (1992) “It’s a hell of a thing to kill a man, you take everything he’s got, and everything he’ll ever have.”
99. Shenandoah (1965)
100. Apocalypse Now (1979) “I wanted a mission, and for my sins, they gave me one.”

 

 

Everything’s Coming Up Roses

Posted on by

Time of Our Lives Music Theatre in association with All Star Productions presents When Movies Were Movies at Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre, Walthamstow.

The opening song set the tone for this mesmerising evening’s entertainment, as we were taken through the history of cinema from silent movies up to 1969 via the mediums of song, dance and comedy. Flo (Dympna Messenger), an usherette in the fictional Trocadero, is interviewed by Charlie (Raymond-Kym Suttle) about the cinema’s history as it faces its imminent demise (conversion to a bingo hall).

Dympna Messenger gave a very strong performance as Flo, and was a very effective anchor for the show. She also sang very well and had some great comedic moments: her imitation of Carmen Miranda springs to mind as combining both. The vocal standard throughout the show was extremely high, with some of the high points for me being Lullaby of Broadway (full cast), You Ought to Be in Pictures (Nerine Skinner and Robert Wilkes), Secret Love (Jessica Poole) and the Beatles medley delivered by the whole cast.

The musical numbers were interspersed with highly amusing comedy sketches, covering themes as varied as Frankenstein and James Bond, with my personal favourite being the “terribly” sketch (you’ll have to see the show to find out what I mean by that!) Other comedy highlights included the show’s take on silent movies – with Flo speaking the words while the rest of the cast mimed the actions, “My Brother Makes the Noises for the Talkies,” with Raymond-Kym Suttle and Robert Wilkes as the two brothers, and the scene with Flo and the cleaner, played by Nerine Skinner.

Raymond-Kym Suttle’s choreography was inspired, and his own dancing was marvellous – particularly during the Top Hat sequence – I would like to have seen more of his tapping! The musical direction (and playing) by Aaron Clingham was flawless, adding to the overall power of the performance. The costumes were fabulous, with very many quick changes which I’m sure must have required their own choreography!

I could go on, but I don’t want to spoil too many of the surprises. Suffice it to say that this is old-fashioned variety at its best with something for all the family to enjoy. Ably directed (and written) by Keith Myers, this captivating show is robust enough for a much larger space. Give yourself a night of nostalgia and catch it at Ye Olde Rose and Crown before it closes on 4 May.

When Movies were Movies is playing at Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre, 53 Hoe Street, Walthamstow Tuesday – Saturday at 7.30pm until 4 May, with matinees at 3.30 on Saturday and Sunday. For more information visit http://www.roseandcrowntheatrepub.webeden.co.uk/

The Hunger Games Review

Posted on by

Some have dismissed ‘The Hunger Games’ as another film for the teen masses. But this no ‘Twilight Saga’, nor is it a cheap copy of ‘Battle Royale’ as some have claimed. The film is fantastic and original. Its message is important. It is an absolute must watch for all (although I was a little surprised at the lowly 12A rating).

Set in the future, every year the Capitol randomly selects a boy and girl  from the surrounding twelve districts to fight to the death on live television in a tournament known as ‘The Hunger Games’. The games are a reminder of a rebellion the districts took part in against the Capitol 75 years earlier.

When I first read the summary I was worried the plot would be a little far fetched. I always want films to be believable. I shouldn’t have worried. The film takes itself seriously. At no point does it feel overly fantastical or unrealistic, in fact it does a very good job of feeling real. We should not forget that it is not so long ago in our history that these sorts of events existed, and people did fight each other to the death for others entertainment.

Unlike ‘Battle Royale’ there is a long build up to the actual tournament itself, and it is this which makes the film work so well.

The focus is on the horrific perversity of the whole event. Competitors are taken from the starving poverty of their districts to a world of opulence. As an extra dynamic to the contest the competitors are forced to try and gain sponsors in the lead up to the event by going on chat shows and doing well in test events. Sponsors help during the event will be vital if they want to have any chance of winning. The whole process is brilliantly sickening.

Unlike ‘Battle Royale’ most of the focus is on a single lead character ‘Katniss Everdeen’ who is played superbly by the brilliant Jennifer Lawrence. She is ably supported by a very strong cast.

All in all a superb film. Probably the film of the year and a must see. 9/10