Ben Wheatley is happy that these are small-budget movies made on his own terms. After finishing High-Rise with Tom Hiddleston and Luke Evans, he turned to Free Fire. The idea came from reading transcripts of real police shootouts that are far messier than the movies ever portray them. "That was the beginning point for me," Wheatley says. "I thought maybe there's something in this, a procedural thing about people in a gun battle in real time. I'm not saying that Free Fire is a documentary or massively realistic, but it relies on some of that realism."

Ben Wheatley at the 2017 Empire Awards

Set in 1970s Boston, the film was shot in a warehouse in Brighton, England, over six weeks with an eclectic ensemble of actors led by Brie Larson, who arrived straight from filming her wrenching Oscar-winning role in Room.

Continue reading: Ben Wheatley Threw His Cast Into Free Fire

Free Fire Trailer

It's 1978 Boston and an unlikely gang made up of Justine (Brie Larson), Stevo (Sam Riley), Chris (Cillian Murphy), Bernie (Enzo Cilenti) and Frank (Michael Smiley) - meet up with a criminal insider named, Ord (Armie Hammer) who has contact with someone from whom they can buy a set of guns. They all meet up in an abandoned warehouse, and the gang soon realise that these arms traders are not messing around. Led by the volatile Vernon (Sharlto Copley), things take a violent turn when the traders try to sell the gang the wrong set of weapons. A comedic shoot-out ensues, with everybody turning on each other while trying to stay alive and escape with their money and merchandise. But they find themselves having to work together when an mysterious sniper shows up trying to shoot them all.

Continue: Free Fire Trailer

The Hollars Trailer

Don and Sally Hollars' family are all grown up and they live alone. They have two sons and John lives in New York at works as an artist attempting to make a name for himself. Their other son, Ron lives closer to home and up until recently lived with his wife and their young family but now his marriage has fallen to pieces and he's alone.

When Sally falls ill, the family reunites and John leaves his heavily pregnant girlfriend, Rebecca, in the city whilst he pays a visit to the family home. Once back in the small town he grew up in, it seems the family matriarch is much more ill than they all first presumed.

Spending time in hospital, John is quickly submerged into his old family and all the issues that comes with them - not only that but he must deal with his ex-girlfriends new partner who's also his mother's nurse.

Continue: The Hollars Trailer

Sickening Or Stunning? 'Hardcore Henry' Is The Latest Cinematic Venture To Divide Critics

By Holly Williams in Movies / TV / Theatre on 08 April 2016

Sharlto Copley

There's no doubt it's different, but is that a good thing?

'Hardcore Henry' may have seemed an intriguing prospect with the arrival of the trailer, but it has left critics scratching their heads even after watching it - and feeling a little sick. Starring Sharlto Copley, it's uniquely shot with Go-Pro in the style of a first-person shooter video game.

Hardcore Henry poster Hardcore Henry hits theaters today

If it sounds like a contrivance, many viewers of the movie will probably agree that it is. According to Entertainment Weekly, 'Hardcore Henry' is 'more like a cool gimmick than a movie - and that gimmick gets old pretty fast.' Watching it on the big screen might sound like a thrilling prospect even so, but the twists and turns and non-stop violence turns it into a 'nausea-inducing endurance test'.

Continue reading: Sickening Or Stunning? 'Hardcore Henry' Is The Latest Cinematic Venture To Divide Critics

Maleficent - Featurette

'Maleficent' stars Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning talk about the upcoming fairytale movie alongside screenwriter Linda Woolverton and director Robert Stromberg in a short featurette.

Continue: Maleficent - Featurette

Once Upon A Dream: The Cast Of Disney's 'Maleficent'

By Sophie Miskiw in Movies / TV / Theatre on 26 March 2014

Angelina Jolie Elle Fanning Sharlto Copley Brenton Thwaites Juno Temple

We all know Angelina Jolie will play Maleficent, but who else will be starring in the film?

Unless you’ve already guessed, we’re a little bit excited for Maleficent to come out on May 30th. We can't help but let out a little shriek each time a new trailer is released or we hear some more information about the plot. Fortunately, we do already know the cast of Maleficent, so in the meantime we thought we’d check them out and question how right they are for their roles.

elle fanning maleficent 15 year old Elle Fanning has been cast as Princess Aurora

Princess Aurora: Elle Fanning

Continue reading: Once Upon A Dream: The Cast Of Disney's 'Maleficent'

Maleficent - Full-Length Trailer

Maleficent is a cruel sorceress who will stop at nothing to destroy those who have stolen her wings and ruined her world. As a child, she lived happily in the forest kingdom with a powerful force inside her that she was mostly unaware of. However, it wasn't long before it spun out of control at the arrival of the human kingdom's brutal army, who were intent on taking over. She fought bravely as the guardian of her land, but her valour soon turned to viciousness when she is callously deceived. A new person now filled with a dark desire for vengeance, she takes it upon herself to curse the daughter of her betrayer's successor, forcing her to die when she reaches her sixteenth birthday. Can Princess Aurora persuade Maleficent to turn her curse around, or is the wicked fairy truly a lost cause?

Adapted from the 1959 animated Disney movie 'Sleeping Beauty', 'Maleficent' is the untold story of the film's embittered villain. It marks the directorial debut of double Oscar winning visual effects designer Robert Stromberg with a screenplay by Linda Woolverton ('Beauty and the Beast', 'The Lion King'), Paul Dini ('Superman' animated TV series) and John Lee Hancock ('The Blind Side', 'Snow White and the Huntsman'). It is due to hit the UK on May 30th 2014.

Click here read - Maleficent movie review

Oldboy Review

By Rich Cline

Good

Moviegoers who know nothing about the iconic 2003 Korean thriller will perhaps enjoy this half-hearted remake. It lacks the subtlety and irony of Park Chan-wook's deranged masterpiece, but Spike Lee brings a certain technical sleekness that holds our interest. Especially as the complex plot begins to twist and turn, gleefully pulling the rug out from under us.

It centres on Joe (Brolin), a drunken loser who blows his last chance at his job by coming on to a client's wife. The next morning he wakes up in a sleazy hotel room that turns out to be a locked cell where he'll be held for the next 20 years. He's shown news updates on how he's the prime suspect in his wife's violent murder, and he watches his daughter grow up in an adoptive family's home. Suddenly focussed on revenge, he plots his escape and then is caught off guard when he's inexplicably released. With the help of his old friend Chucky (Imperioli) and helpful nurse Marie (Olsen), Joe tracks down his flamboyant jailer (Jackson) and then the creepy man (Copley) who paid the bills and now demands that Joe understands why he did it.

Yes, the plot is a big puzzle, and watching the various pieces fall into place keeps us riveted to the screen, even if nothing is particularly involving. Lee's mistake is to play everything dead straight, with only the odd hint of black humour or underlying madness. Instead, we get bigger action fight scenes (cool but choreographed) and a variety of surprises and revelations that often make us gasp. And all of this is played with razor-sharp intensity by Brolin, who gives us just enough emotion to keep us engaged with his journey.

Continue reading: Oldboy Review

Maleficent - Teaser Trailer

Maleficent is a merciless sorceress who dubs herself the 'Mistress of All Evil'. But she hasn't always had a heart of stone. As a beautiful young girl she was happy and contented with her life in the forested kingdom, but deep down she held within her a powerful strength; a strength that would surface when she became the guardian of the entire land as a brutal army take siege. However, through all her great feats of bravery, she is faced with a callous deception that transforms her completely. In a fit of rage she places a curse on baby Princess Aurora; the daughter of the usurping King's successor; that would see her prick her finger on a spindle and die on her sixteenth birthday. However, on meeting a much older Aurora, Maleficent starts to wonder if she could actually help to bring happiness back to the land, and to Maleficent herself.

Continue: Maleficent - Teaser Trailer

Oldboy - Clip

The latest clip from 'Oldboy' featuring a very unstable and mentally damaged Joe Doucett on his release from his 20 years imprisonment is now available to watch online. When Joe finds himself trapped in a cell with no window and barely more than a bed, a TV and a bible, it's only the beginning of a nightmare that would potentially be endless. He discovers that he is wanted as the prime suspect in the brutal murder of his ex-wife who leaves behind a daughter. All he can do is work out, grieve over her death and ponder the whereabouts of his beloved little girl. Eventually, 2 decades later, he is released with a wad of cash in his jacket though it seems he is not free from the taunts of his captor who forces him to wonder just why he was released.

'Oldboy' is a twisted thriller based on the original 2003 South Korean movie of the same name which was written by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi. This adaptation has been directed by the Oscar nominated Spike Lee ('Malcom X', 'Do The Right Thing') and written by Mark Protosevich ('I Am Legend', 'The Cell'). It is due to be released on November 27th 2013.

Oldboy - Featurette

'Oldboy' is an intense mystery thriller about a man who is locked up for 20 years before being suddenly released with a pocket full of cash and no explanation. Main star Josh Brolin, his co-star Michael Imperioli, director Spike Lee and screenwriter Mark Protosevich among others talk about the flick in a short featurette.

Continue: Oldboy - Featurette

Elysium Review

By Rich Cline

Excellent

As he did with District 9, South African filmmaker Blomkamp grounds this sci-fi thriller in present-day society, telling a story that resonates with a strong political kick. He also again uses effects in a off-handed way that never steals focus from the actors. On the other hand,he fails to build much of an emotional impact, even though the script continually tries to ramp up the personal drama. But the actors are all very watchable, and the film's urgent vibe keeps us gripped.

It's set in 2154 Los Angeles, a sprawling shantytown where people struggle to survive without adequate resources or health care. In orbit above the earth, Elysium is an idyllic refuge for the very wealthy. Protected by the fierce Secretary Rhodes (Foster), Elysium's only threat is illegal immigration from the surface. And that's what factory worker Max (Damon) wants to attempt after severe radiation poisoning. Even having a nurse (Braga) for a friend doesn't help him get proper care: he needs the high tech medicine on Elysium to survive. He turns to black-marketeer Spider (Moura) for help, and Spider fits Max with a devise that gives him physical strength plus technology to steal vital information from an Elysium contractor (Fichtner). So Rhodes unleashes sleeper agent Kruger (Copley) to stop Max.

Yes, the plot is somewhat convoluted, but the chaos makes it feel much more realistic than the more simplistic thrillers we usually see. It also helps that the digital effects feel so seamlessly integrated into the shaky-cam mayhem of the favelas, while even the more grandly photographed Elysium leaves the effects in the background. This allows Blomkamp to keep the focus on the characters, even if the splintering plot never draws us in emotionally. Braga's plotline is clearly designed to tug at the heart-strings, but her tentative romance with Max never goes anywhere. Max's friendship with Julio (Luna) is much more interesting.

Continue reading: Elysium Review

Neill Blomkamp Wastes No Time - After 'Elysium' Comes 'Chappie'

By Jack de Aguilar in Movies / TV / Theatre on 14 August 2013

Neill Blomkamp Sharlto Copley

Chappie will follow a Robocop-like story.

Neill Blomkamp is already working on his next sci-fi epic, Chappie. Elysium isn’t out until August 21st worldwide, but Blomkamp isn’t wasting any time, especially considering his latest film, starring Matt Damon, was met with luke warm reviews.

Sharlto Copley, Neill Blomkamp and Matt Damon at the Elysium photocall

Chappie will see Blomkamp reunite with Sony Pictures Entertainment and MRC, which means the team behind the burgeoning director’s breakthrough movie, District 9, are back in action. Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel and South African rap duo Ninja and Yolandi Visser will star.

Continue reading: Neill Blomkamp Wastes No Time - After 'Elysium' Comes 'Chappie'

Elysium Leads Four New Movies To Top US Weekend Box Office

By Elinor Cosgrave in Movies / TV / Theatre on 12 August 2013

Matt Damon Jodie Foster Sharlto Copley

'Elysium' reaches No.1 in the US Weekend Box Office chart, leading four new films gaining the top places.

Elysium, the science fiction action movie which stars Matt Damon, has headed straight for no.1 in the US Weekend Box Office. The film, released on Friday 9th, gained over $30 million in its opening weekend.

Matt Damon at the premiere of Elysium in Westwood, California.

Matt Damon stars in Elysium as Max: a man living on post-apocalyptic earth, who wants to achieve equal rights with those living on Elysium, a space station without disease or hunger. Jodie Foster features as the secretary of Elysium who decides, to protect their luxurious way of life, illegal immigrants should be killed and hires a mercenary to do the job (Sharlto Copley).

Continue reading: Elysium Leads Four New Movies To Top US Weekend Box Office

'Elysium' Review Round-Up: Can Neill Blomkamp's Latest Movie Compete With 'District 9'?

By Elinor Cosgrave in Movies / TV / Theatre on 08 August 2013

Matt Damon Sharlto Copley Jodie Foster

'Elysium' reviews have left speculators pondering if the sci-fi film will be successful following its release later this month. Matt Damon's performance has been criticised and the movie said to be rather typical.

Elysium reviews have been mixed. The sci-fi movie has been compared to director Neill Blomkamp's earlier work and Matt Damon's performance criticised and described as weighty.

Matt Damon at the Elysium photo call, held at Weatherly Gardens Four Seasons Hotel in L.A.

Elysium has been, rather unfairly it could be argued, to director Neil Blomkamp's 2009 science fiction hit District 9. Critics approved, largely unanimously, that the film was "intriguing, inventive and energetic" (Film 4). Generally that was was a fresh look at a sci-fi dystopia.

Continue reading: 'Elysium' Review Round-Up: Can Neill Blomkamp's Latest Movie Compete With 'District 9'?

'Elysium' Reviews - Has Neill Blomkamp Done It Again?

By Jack de Aguilar in Movies / TV / Theatre on 07 August 2013

Matt Damon Neill Blomkamp Sharlto Copley

District 9 is a touch act to follow

Having directed possibly the finest sci-fi movie of last decade, the pressure on Neill Blomkamp to perform in this follow up, Elysium, starring Matt Damon, is dangerously high. Unfortunately, an early look at the reviews suggests this isn’t another District 9.

Sharlto Copley, Neill Blomkamp and Matt Damon - the men behind Elysium

The film tells the story of an epic class battle in the future. The rich live on Elysium – a high-tech craft floating just above Earth. It has no crime, war or poverty; people can be cured of cancer by stepping into, ironically, what looks like a sun bed.

Continue reading: 'Elysium' Reviews - Has Neill Blomkamp Done It Again?

Europa Report Review

By Rich Cline

Excellent

A bracingly original approach to both science-fiction and the found-footage genres makes this eerily realistic thriller well worth a look. Director Cordero may indulge in a variety of gimmicky and manipulative tricks, but he keeps everything grounded, as it were, and his expert cast makes sure that we are drawn into the story as it progresses. Which makes the conclusion startlingly intense.

After six months in space, the feed from the Europa One mission suddenly went blank, leaving Earth to wonder what was happening in humanity's first deep-space voyage. Unknown to the mission commander (Davidtz) in Houston, the six-person crew has continued on course to Jupiter's moon Europa, where they plan to explore whether there are conditions that could support life. When they arrive, their landing doesn't go quite as planned, and their experiments reveal things they couldn't possibly have expected. They also finally get a chance to send their video footage back to mission control.

What we're watching is an assembly of this footage, taken both inside and outside the ship as they travel, intercut with the commander's comments. Cordero directs all of this exactly like scenes we've seen from Space Shuttle missions, so it looks all too real, complete with a crew of complex experts. Marinca is terrific as the soulful pilot, with the charismatic Camargo and the curious Wydra as scientists, and the cheeky Copely and the intriguingly shaded Nyqvist as mechanics. This cast of acclaimed actors really raises the bar, adding layers of interest without ever seeming to act at all.

Continue reading: Europa Report Review

Hammer-Wielding Josh Brolin Wants Revenge In Spike Lee's 'Oldboy' [Trailer]

By Michael West in Movies / TV / Theatre on 11 July 2013

Josh Brolin Spike Lee Steven Spielberg Will Smith Mark Protosevich Samuel L Jackson Elizabeth Olsen Sharlto Copley

Spike Lee's 'Oldboy' appears to retain the horror of the original.

The first red-band trailer for Spike Lee's remake of Park Chan-wook's classic and disturbing movie Oldboy has rolled out online, featuring all the hammer-centric bloody revenge of the original. Josh Brolin plays a man abducted and held in captivity for 20 years before being mysteriously set free by his captor.

Oldboy The Poster for the American remake of Oldboy, starring Josh Brolin

Though many fans of the original remain wary of Lee's remake, the movie - written by I Am Legend scribe Mark Protosevich - is one of the most anticipated releases of the year. Park's cult film - which makes up part of the director's Vengeance Trilogy - features one particularly unsettling scene, though it's unclear whether Spike Lee has retained it. Bloggers who saw an early screening in April said the remake maintains the shocking key plot twist, according to The Guardian.

Continue reading: Hammer-Wielding Josh Brolin Wants Revenge In Spike Lee's 'Oldboy' [Trailer]

Elysium Trailer

It's the year 2154 and Max Da Costa is living in the densely populated, crime and war ravaged wasteland that is the planet Earth. Meanwhile, the rich and the privileged live on an orbital settlement in space called Elysium which boasts perfect landscapes, no poverty and medical advancements that can eliminate illnesses such as cancer in half a second. Despite Earth being a disease-stricken planet with little resources to go around, Secretary Rhodes is vehemently strict with her immigration laws disallowing anyone of a lower class to be allowed into their utopia even in the case of the most serious of illnesses. An ailing Max is determined to survive, however, even if it means embarking on a highly dangerous mission to break into the highly guarded space habitat and retrieve medical resources that could save him and the rest of the suffering population.

Continue: Elysium Trailer

District 9 Review

By Rich Cline

Extraordinary

With a relentless pace and seamless effects, this offbeat alien invasion thriller combines non-stop action with real emotion and provocative political themes. So not only is it thunderously entertaining, but it also makes us think.

In the mid-1980s, a giant spaceship stalled in the sky over Johannesburg, leaving its crustacean-like crew members, nicknamed "prawns", at the mercy of the South African government. Moved them into the city's 9th district, they live in squalor for 20 years. Now the city wants them out, hiring a mega-corporation to relocate all 1.8 million of them. The job goes to Wikus (Copley), son-in-law of the company boss (Minnaar), but just as he begins his work, an accident changes everything. And he turns to a prawn named Christopher Johnson (Cope) for help.

Continue reading: District 9 Review

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Sharlto Copley