ScreenCrave.com » pirate radio

New DVD Releases: Pirate Radio, Tenderness, Apollo 13

Andrew Payne — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 17:48:40 +0000

The DVD dry spell continues this week, as we only have one feature film hitting shelves (well, two if you count a super-small Russell Crowe indie) as Pirate Radio docks on disc.

It’s pretty dry beyond the features as well, as just a few old TV series give us some late-season collections and Apollo 13 gets the Blu-Ray treatment.

Check it out Below…

FEATURE FILMS

Pirate Radio

This movie was something of a milestone. Not because of its use of rock music, sixties style or anything along those lines – because it was the first time that Phillip Seymour Hoffman wasn’t brilliant.

This ended an unbelievable run of consecutive masterful performances that I would say started with his great work in Twister – where he actually managed to steal scenes from tornadoes!

This continued on through small roles The Big Lebowski and Boogie Nights, carrying over to leading roles in films like Flawless and The Savages. He picked up one Oscar (for Capote) and two other nominations (Doubt and Charlie Wilson’s War) in the midst of this remarkable streak, and should have landed a few more (how he wasn’t nominated for Almost Famous is nearly criminal).

But the most remarkable thing about this streak – Along Came Polly. Remember that one? That ridiculous Ben Stiller/Jeniffer Aniston stinker that you wished you’d never seen. Well, there was one good portion of it – and that was the manic work of Phillip Seymour Hoffman who managed to get laughs out of nearly ever line when the rest of the movie missed the rest of the way. That is a remarkable way to keep a streak alive.

But now the streak is over. At 28. His merely very good performance leaves him to start anew.

So when you check out Pirate Radio on DVD, remember that this is only a great performance from Hoffman, rather than his usual perfection.

Also:

Tenderness – Buy Now

TV ON DVD

Yep, just a couple of crusty old TV Series that were past their primes already hitting DVD. Oh Joy!

Also:

“Dallas”: Season 13 – Buy Now
“Emergency!”: Season 6 – Buy Now

SPECIAL EDITION OF THE WEEK

Apollo 13: 15th Anniversary Edition – Blu-Ray

This is becoming a regularity – rather than bothering to release special editions on plain old DVD anymore, the big companies are eschewing them in favor Blu-Ray Hi-Def releases.

So that may mean no more super special editions for those of use who’ve yet to upgrade. But plenty of Hi-Def goodies for the Blu-Ray set. Including this 15th anniversary set.

Bonus Features Include:

Lost Moon: The Triumph Of Apollo 13 – The Making of Apollo 13
Conquering Space: The Moon and Beyond
A Recap of half a century in space
Lucky 13: The Astronauts’ Story
Recounting the events of the mission
Feature Commentaries with Director Ron Howard and Jim and Marilyn Lovell
D-Box Motion Enabled

What DVD will you be picking up this week?

Movie Releases: 2012, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Pirate Radio…

Kara Stanford-Jones — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:36:19 +0000

We have quite the coverage this week. We literally have interviews and reviews for every movie coming out from Roland Emmerich’s 2012 to Women in Trouble. Then there is the more family friendly, but still fun for the adults, Fantastic Mr. Fox by Wes Anderson. Pirate Radio is the a comedy with an all-star cast about the radio stations in the 60′s that set up shop off the British coast. There are quite a couple of indie movies coming out this week, but they’re definitely worth checking to see if they are playing near you.

Check out all the movies hitting theaters this week with reviews and interviews…

2012 | ScreenCrave Review | Press Conference | Reviews | Tickets and Showtimes
Fantastic Mr. Fox [Limited] | ScreenCrave Review | Reviews | Tickets an Showtimes
Pirate Radio | ScreenCrave Review | Nick Frost Interview | Talulah Riley Interview | Tom Sturridge Interview | Reviews | Tickets and Showtimes
The Messenger [Limited] | ScreenCrave Review | Oren Moverman Interview | Ben Foster Interview | Reviews | Tickets and Showtimes
Dare [Limited] | Adam Salky and David Brind Interview | ScreenCrave Review | Reviews | Tickets and Showtimes
Women in Trouble [Limited] | ScreenCrave Review| Reviews | Tickets and Showtimes

Watch the trailers below…

2012

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Pirate Radio

The Messenger

Dare

Women in Trouble

Pirate Radio: Movie Review

Andrew Payne — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:00:21 +0000

Rock ‘N’ Roll hits the high seas this week as Pirate Radio debuts in theaters from Love Actually and Four Weddings & A Funeral creator Richard Curtis. His latest film will storm the airwaves and movie screens with its unique blend of comedy, history, and some of the best music ever made. This could have been one the most entertaining musical/radio infused films produced, if it wasn’t for its muddled delivery. Find out what went right and what went wrong when we boarded Pirate Radio.

Check out our review…

The Players:

Director: Richard Curtis
Producer: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellnar, Hilary Bevan Jones, and Richard Curtis
Written By: Richard Curtis
Starring: Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost and Kenneth Branagh

The Plot:

In 1966, the BBC banned the playing of rock and pop music on the radio. In order to combat this, several stations began broadcasting on ship-to-shore radio bands from boats anchored several miles off the coast. This film details the impetuous goings-on aboard one such ship and the officials in the government who seek to bring them down.

The Good:

The Music: Obviously the main character in any such rock film is always the soundtrack, which does not disappoint here. From the opening riffs of The Kinks‘ “All Day and All of the Night” to the haunting organ of Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale”, the soundtrack never misses a note. Literally.
The Look: Curtis captures the sixties in all of its technicolor glory with fashions that seem ready to hang from a mid-century film’s wardrobe closet and the camera style to match. Combined with the music, Curtis transports the viewer directly into the best time of Rock ‘N’ Roll.
Kenneth Branagh: There’s a lot of acting firepower adrift on the high seas in this film, but the show is stolen by one its few landlubbers. Branagh crafts the character of Pirate Radio-loathing Minister Dormandy with an uptight precision that leads to the film’s funniest moments. He is a perfect comedic villain, instantly loathsome, completely powerful, yet totally vulnerable at the same time.

The Bad:

The Story, or Lack Thereof: The main problem with this film lies within the central plot. Rather than telling a story about a Pirate Radio ship, Curtis attempts to tell a series of loosely related tales, causing the focus to move from one character to the next with no apparent reason or goal. Instead of concentrating on a central story, the movie tries to tell three (plus dozens of additional sub-plots) and doesn’t tell either of them very well.
Too Many Characters: With so many good actors in this film, you don’t need a lot of dead weight hogging the screen. New characters flow in and out without an apparent purpose, often serving as nothing more than a MacGuffin to either reveal something about another character or simply set up a joke. The constant interruption disrupts the already tenuous main story and can often make the movie seem like it’s simply adrift.

Overall:

Pirate Radio is indeed a lot of fun. There’s plenty of good humor, memorable characters and excellent tunes that allow the movie to overcome its many structural failings. While it would have been nice to see a tighter story, the one it has never becomes anything approaching dull. Go for the music, go for the yucks, go for the style, but don’t go expecting to see a rattling good tale, because you will be disappointed.

Rating: 6.5/10

Pirate Radio opens in wide release on November 13, 2009

Further Reading:

Photo Gallery

Trailer:

Interview: Nick Frost for Pirate Radio

Mali Elfman — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:08:24 +0000

A short while ago in London, I had the privilege of sitting down, one on one with possibly one of the nicest and more accessible actors you’ll ever meet, Nick Frost for his latest film Pirate Radio. Aside from Frost’s great comedic ability, what many people love about him is how both he and SimonPegg communicate with their fans. They aren’t stars, they are movie makers who enjoy making audiences laugh and don’t remove themselves from the the people who love their films. As he says in the interview “if someone twitters me, yeah I’ll twitter them back!”

In a rather relaxed interview style, Frost decided to go ahead a lay down in our interview while we talked about Tintin, reaching out to fans, and competeing with the other great actors in the film for the best line. It was only later that I realized that lying down might not have been the best pose for the camera, but if you’re up for hanging out with Frost for 7 minutes and talking about film, watch the video below…

I apologize to Frost if this is not the exact way he would have like to have been shot. To cover my own ass I will say that he did say it was okay to record him and I kind of like it. He’s obviosly quite comfortable in front of the camera and doesn’t feel obliged to pose for anyone.

Check him out as a 60′s swinging DJ in Pirate Radio November 13th.

Further Reading:

Interview with Talulah Riley (Here she talks about how shy Frost was about laying naked next to her)
Nick Frost talks more about working with Speilberg and Jackson on Tintin
Interview with Tom Sturridge
Pirate Radio (AKA The Boast That Rocked) Photos and Trailer

Interview: Talulah Riley Interview for Pirate Radio

Mali Elfman — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:50:32 +0000

There is something refreshing about a young actress making it into the business the good ol’ fashioned way… by auditioning! Talulah Riley gracefully and provocatively enters the herd of boys in Pirate Radio and in a sea of greats, stands out. She, alongside past cast-mate Carey Mulligan, are easily the two new faces to watch out for. Something tells me that when her upcoming film, Inception is released, we’ll be seeing a lot more of her.

Riley has only been in the business a short while but has already been making waves. Check out how she’s been landing all of these amazing parts and how she tackled Pirate Radio below…

How did you get this role in Pirate Radio?

TR: I auditioned.

Was this before your role in St. Trinian’s came out?

TR: No, this was after St. Trinian’s. Although his daughter likes this film, which I think helped.

What did you know of Pirate Radio before you did this film?

TR: I knew of it. I knew of Radio Caroline because my mother told me about it and she used to listen on a little transistor radio, but I didn’t know to what extent. I didn’t know it was illegal to play rock and roll music in the UK for more than an hour, which I found quite shocking. Our impression is it was the time is free love and anything goes, but clearly not

What do you think of your character in this film?

TR: I have to say, I had slight issues. I was sort of saying, “No girl would ever, ever, ever behave like this in a million years.” But Richard said, “It’s the 60’s. Its free love.” Do I like Marianne? I don’t know, I think she is the type of girl at school that I wouldn’t have been friends with. [laughs] She was a bit mean.

Would you say that she is more of a sex object or a woman of lax morals?

TR: I certainly don’t think she is an object. No, she is has a very determined path of her own, clearly. I think it was the sexual revolution. That’s what I’m clinging onto. That is the good thing about Marianne, she is a girl of her time.

How was it working with Tom Sturridge who was head over heals for you?

TR: Well he is one of my best friends, so we knew each other before we did this. It was quite strange, actually. We have never kissed or done anything vaguely in that direction. To have to lie naked under sheets, it was pretty, not awful, but different.

Was it more uncomfortable than having to lie next to Nick Frost?

TR: Yeah. Nick is very jubilant, funny, and extroverted all the time. We had never been in a bed before, in a bedroom scene, and we both were really nervous. He was saying, “So, I am getting married!” He got really nervous, and I was too. He subsequently had more bedroom scenes with Gemma than I had with Tom.

When did you begin acting?

TR: I started acting when I was 18. I used to go to Saturday acting classes. I basically auditioned for extras, but I looked like a younger version of an actress for a time piece. Then Joan Wright was looking for unknowns for Pride and Prejudice, and I went straight from school into that and just kept going.

That was with Carrie Mulligan?

TR: Yeah, it was her first job and my second.

Can you tell us anything about Inception?

TR: It was fun to do. It was very different to Pirate Radio and St. Trinian’s.

How were you cast in Inception?

TR: I auditioned. I guess that is how I get jobs. I just go and audition and I get them.

What has been the most interesting auditioning experience you have had thus far?

TR: Oh gosh, I actually did something terrible. I was still a bit scared, but I used to be terrified of flying. Terrified. I had to fly back to come to an audition on my own, it was a call for something, and I was so scared on the plane that I took all four diazepam that I had with me. I was still so frightened that I kept passing in and out of consciousness. The guy sitting next to me told the air stewardess that I had done this, so she took me to the front of the plane and sat with me. Then as soon as we were on the ground, I just collapsed and fell asleep. I still went to my audition, and I can’t remember it very well. I was very sleepy all the way through. I think I really embarrassed myself. I think I bowed to the director.

Did you get the part?

TR: No. [laughs] It was that terrible. It was a learning experience. Don’t go to an audition straight after getting off a plane, and don’t take four diazepam on the way. I took one and it had no effect, so I was like, “They aren’t working!” I was really frightened.

Are you often recognized by fans?

TR: Mostly by 12-year-old girls because of St. Trinian’s [laughs]. And 45-year-old men [laughs]. Those are the two demographics.

What have you found when you watch yourself? Do you enjoy it?

TR: Well I always look quite different in everything I do, which is nice because it never looks like me in the costumes. The first time I see something, that I am in, it is difficult, because you are looking for the bits that you are in going, “Ahh! Did I do anything horrendous?” But then the next time you watch it, you can watch it as a film, which is nice. It was funny because the first time I was watching this, I wasn’t really bothered about it. I was just like, “It is lovely!”

Check out the lovely and promiscuous Talulah Riley in Pirate Radio November 13th!

Interview: Tom Sturridge for Pirate Radio

Mali Elfman — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:00:35 +0000

Something tells me that Tom Sturridge, the “unknown” in Pirate Radio is about to be known by people everywhere. Not only does he put in a solid performance but he has a unique charm that makes him more than just attractive but intriguing. And although he seems to have jumped onto the movie screen, he hasn’t let his sudden success go to his head.

In our round-table interview with him, he was humble (to the point of self deprecating at times) and told us quite a bit about his sorted past and how it has lead him to his current success. He’s gone from being kicked out of schools, to living in Budapest, and now to being attacked by teenage girls in a theaters.

Check out his story below…

How were you cast for this movie?

Tom Sturridge: I think the major difference between me and the majority of people you have talked to in the film are that they are all incredibly experienced and talented, and therefore asked to be in it. I generally had to persuade Richard to let me be in it, so I had to audition three or four, maybe five times. Eventually he was foolish enough to let me in it.

Were there any actors that you looked up to in particular?

TS: You can’t really be an actor and not be in awe of people like Philip Seymour Hoffman and Bill Nighy, and you know Rhys Ifans. I was intimidated to be honest. Massively intimidated. Like everyone, you spend enough time with somebody, you realize there are just very fragile human beings and not super-sized. Again, it was exciting to be part of that ensemble. Terrifying at first, but then became a good thing.

Anything you learned from them?

TS: I don’t know. People always ask that! To be honest, I just think, “Is there anything we have learned from you?” is the answer. I think it is such an intangible thing and it is so very personal, you know. I learned how to do a certain hand gesture from Philip. If anything, I learn more about the behavior of human beings outside of work. There are particularly a few people, Philip, Bill and Rhys, and you rarely describe people as dignified these days, and they are. They are extraordinary examples of men.

As I said, he was rather hard on himself, but that’s not to say that he didn’t put in a solid performance as the sweet-trouble-maker coming out of his shell.

What did you think of your character?

TS: It was just nice to be someone who is almost a voyeur on everybody else, especially as I knew that the people involved was going to be so exciting and interesting. I just sort of wanted to be a part of that group.

What was shooting like? How long were you actually on board of the ship?

TS: It was literally fifty percent on the boat. When I say on the boat, I mean 150 people get on a boat at six in the morning, as the sun rises, the boat goes out to sea as far as it can without being dangerous, and shoot for six weeks like that. The main aspect of the studio experience was that all the sets were on gimbals to replicate the boat, which was actually more sickening. Being on the boat was fine because it was enormous, but these gimbals had different settings for different weather levels. Literally, enormous sets would be moving like that and everybody wanted to throw up.

What was is like being naked with Nick Frost in that tiny bathroom?

TS: That was an incredibly important moment in my acting career. I think the thing I love most about acting is not giving a shit, and not being embarrassed about anything. On that level, it was about taking off my clothes and standing naked in front of human perfection. [laughs] It is useful in the same way of saying lines in stupid ways.

Up next on Sturridge’s itinerary is the film Waiting For Forever, which will be released later this year and a play in London, which will be his first time on stage.

Can you tell us about your other film, Waiting For Forever?

TS: It is about a homeless street performer, whose parents died when he was very young, and he has kind of stopped mentally developing and the only person he knows is this girl, played by Rachel Bilson. The film is about how he stalks her, basically. In the beginning, he reveals to her that he has been following her for about three years, and it is about how they resolve that situation.

What is the name of the play?

TS: It is called “Punk Rock”. It is by a British writer named Simon Stephens.

How long are you committed to the play?

TS: Until the 31st of this month; I have been doing it since August. Well, rehearsals since August.

Who do you play in it?

TS: It is about a grammar school in Stockport, which is in northern England, where a boy, over the course of the play, revealed that he has schizophrenia and he ends up killing everybody in his class.

Are you the boy?

TS: Yeah.

Do you like these types of roles, or are they just coming up?

TS: I just try to avoid… if you are English, and kind of well-spoken, [they see you as one thing] and I just don’t want to play those parts. So I just very specifically seek out parts that are not that.

How did you get that role?

TS: To be honest, it was very difficult. He is an amazing playwright. There is a lot of snobbery in the theater, and I didn’t go to drama school, and there is a lot of resistance to people who have done films, in England especially, who want to do plays. Casting directors and theater directors don’t want to see you because you didn’t go to drama school and think you are just some wanky film actor. So, I had to really battle to been seen, and then persuade them that I could speak loud enough in the theater.

It’s safe to say that Sturridge has fallen into the industry with a splash and is here to stay. It’s easy to see how young girls could soon have posters of him on their walls. Already he’s started being accosted…

Where did you go to school?

TS: I went to a lot of schools. [laughs]

Did you graduate from college?

TS: No. I left school when I was possibly 17. It was very complicated.

Do have lots of female fans?

TS: Not really. I did get attacked in the theater the other day, which was surreal.

About acting?

TS: Yes, by middle-aged critics. No. There are these coaches of girls from the school. I think the coach journey was very long and they were a bit wired. They literally broke down the stage door and, genuinely, 70 girls charged and threw me up against a wall. They stole my hat and my bag. The Royal Exchange is a bit of an old-school theater. They have no sort of notion of this type of situation. They had no idea what to do.

How long have you been in acting?

TS: Three or four years.

What made you decided that this is what you want to do with your life?

TS: Uh, God. I’m not sure I have decided that yet. I was very obsessed with film when I was younger. There was a director, Istvan Szabo, who made Mephisto, which is like one of my favorite films when I was about 14, somebody who knew me, cast me in a film of his. She couldn’t find anyone who was a 17-year-old boy in the professional setting. Basically, she started getting her son’s friends because she couldn’t find anyone.

I decided to go for it, and I really wanted to meet Istvan Szabo, and I did. I didn’t do drama school or anything. That experience of working with him, I lived in Budapest for two months, I was 17, it was my first proper summer away from any world I knew, was a formative experience. Working with someone like that, you definitely come out of it with romantic illusions that filmmaking is an artistic process with people who want to do something beautiful, even if it doesn’t turn out like that.

Does that mean that you haven’t fully decided that you will stick with this business?

TS: It sounds like facetious. I did a play in my school, and I have never done a play before. That, in a matter of weeks, totally expands my horizons about what potential acting is. Without being frivolous, it generally has changed my life and my opinion of what my life could be, which is really a weird thing. I am very aware how you have your little moments in this industry.

See Sturridge in action in Pirate Radio starting November 13th!

The Boat That Rocked Picked Up By Focus and Is Edited Down

Kara Stanford-Jones — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:14:21 +0000

The latest film by Richard Curtis (Love, Actually), The Boat That Rocked, has been picked up by Focus Features for distribution in the United States. The movie is about the colorful DJs of a pirate radio station, that plays nothing but rock music, operating on a tanker off the coast of the U.K. The movie has a really solid cast, staring Nick Frost, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, and Rhys Ifans.

The movie seems like it would be a slam dunk, but the reviews over in the U.K. have been less than stellar. Apparently, the biggest problem is the length of the film. In effort to salvage the movie before the U.S release date, Focus has decided to edit the 129 minute movie to make it shorter. The Boat That Rocked was originally supposed to hit U.S. theaters on August 28, but it has been pushed back to November. Focus president James Schamus stated, “It will be a shorter, leaner version…We think it is a real crowd-pleaser. We love a challenge, and we love working with Working Title.”The story and cast of this film sounds absolutely amazing, but it seems like that might not be the case. The editing and the later release date are not encouraging. I really hope Focus can work some magic and better the movie. With this cast and director, I refuse to believe that they can’t make an entertaining movie.

What do you think?

Source: /Film

New The Boat That Rocked Trailer and Photos

Mali Elfman — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:30:13 +0000

This film has got Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost, Tom Sturridge, Kenneth Branagh; it was written and directed by Richard Curtis (Love Actually); and it is based off a true story about a group of radio pirates who brought rock n’ roll to the UK in the 1960′s by boat. Do I really need to say anything else? You should be sold, hook, line, sinker.

You’ve got an amazing cast, a great writer and director, and amazing source material. It would be a feat to mess this one up.

Check out the trailer and photographs from the film below…

I do have to warn you, the trailer is amazing, but it does reveal a little bit too much information for my liking. So! If the above is enough to sell you on the film, I suggest stopping with the photos. If you need more convincing or don’t mind a few spoilers, then check out the trailer below…

The film will be coming your way, on August 28, 2009.

Are you sold? Or do you not see what I see?

TRAILER: The Boat That Rocked

Mali Elfman — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:39:06 +0000

I’m so excited to see this movie on it’s way to theaters. This is where “pirate” radio. Director Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually) brings you another amazing film, with one of the best casts you could ever ask, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Emma Thompson, Kenneth Branagh, Gemma Arterton and more in The Boat That Rocked.

Check out the trailer below…

I can’t wait for this. How about you?

ScreenCrave.com » pirate radio

New DVD Releases: Pirate Radio, Tenderness, Apollo 13

FEATURE FILMS

TV ON DVD

SPECIAL EDITION OF THE WEEK

Related Posts

Movie Releases: 2012, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Pirate Radio…

Related Posts

Pirate Radio: Movie Review

The Players:

The Plot:

The Good:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 6.5/10

Photo Gallery

Trailer:

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Interview: Nick Frost for Pirate Radio

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Interview: Talulah Riley Interview for Pirate Radio

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Interview: Tom Sturridge for Pirate Radio

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The Boat That Rocked Picked Up By Focus and Is Edited Down

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New The Boat That Rocked Trailer and Photos

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TRAILER: The Boat That Rocked

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