Mind games
It's 1954, and on an isolated island off the coast of Boston lies the notorious Ashecliffe psychiatric hospital. Housing some of the century's most dangerous criminals, it is normally completely off-limits to outsiders but, when one of the patients mysteriously vanishes, Detective Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his new partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) arrive to solve the disappearance. Coming up against a secretive and tight-lipped staff, headed by Dr Cawley (Ben Kingsley), Teddy finds his investigation hampered at every turn. When he finally discovers what's been happening in the heavily-guarded lighthouse, Teddy thinks he's well on the way to cracking the case. But, as he begins having powerful dreams about his time spent liberating German concentration camps during WWII, and vivid hallucinations of his dead wife (Michelle Williams), can Teddy leave Shutter Island before it claims his sanity?
Long day's journey...
The works of novelist Cormac McCarthy are proving to be something of a gold-mine for modern filmmakers. Back in 2000, actor-turned-director Billy Bob Thornton took on McCarthy's Western All the Pretty Horses, and in 2007 the Coen Brothers found Oscar glory with their take on his thriller No Country For Old Men. Following in their footsteps is Australian director John Hillcoat, who breathes cinematic life into McCarthy's unique Armageddon fable, The Road.
The camera never lies...
Ten years ago, a low-budget horror film came out of nowhere, caused a huge sensation and went nuclear at the box office – partly thanks to a (then) ground-breaking use of internet marketing techniques. The film was, of course,The Blair Witch Project, which revolutionised the genre by using supposedly real hand-held camera footage of horrifying events happening to normal people in the backwoods of Maryland. A decade on and Paranormal Activity is following in its footsteps, and while it may be riding a huge wave of hype that has seen it do stellar business at the US box office, it packs no less of a terrifying punch, particularly because it moves that ultra-real horror into a domestic setting.
It's the end of the world as we know it...
When the Earth’s crust begins to rotate around its molten core causing worldwide devastation, Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) bundles up his fractured family and attempts to follow the privileged and powerful to safety.
Popular high school cheerleader Jennifer (Megan Fox) and geeky kid Anita, aka Needy (Anna Seyfried), are unlikely friends who have been inseparable since childhood. But when Jennifer heads off with a visiting band one night and comes back radically changed, Needy starts to realise that her friend’s newly acquired cannibalistic tendencies might just put a damper on their friendship.
There are few things in life that make your heart soar and change your perspective on the world as much as Michael Jackson did. I first met Michael in October 1978 while I was working as a photographer for the Los Angeles Film Exposition and was assigned to cover the gala West Coast premiere of The Wiz. Michael attended the premiere and opening night party of the movie at the Plitt’s Century Plaza Theater in Century City (Los Angeles) with the Jackson family and Diana Ross among others. He was a sweet, gentle spirit -- friendly, soft-spoken, and a consummate professional. Even then, Michael had an undeniable power and presence that only grew as he matured as a solo artist.
Dead funny
Horror and comedy are two of the most difficult genres to get right on the big screen; it takes a filmmaking team of great skill to illicit terror or laughter from a wide audience. It all rests on the timing; from the dialogue to the performances, the shooting style to the cuts made in the edit suite, everything must be perfectly packaged to provoke a base emotional reaction – and, all too often, one or all of these elements falls short and the whole point of the film is lost. Not so with Zombieland. In fact, this balls-out, gun-totin’, action-packed, laugh-out-loud horror comedy is about the most fun you could have in a cinema without getting arrested.
