Category / Cinema

by hutchwp

Happy ‘Heaven Can Wait’ day!!

10:17am on 20th March 2025.

The date and time that Warren Beatty’s character Joe Pendleton is scheduled to die in the 1978 film ‘Heaven Can Wait’.

Today is the day. Now is the time in fact!

‘Heaven Can Wait’ is quite a strange film. Starring Beatty alongside the likes of Julie Christie, James Mason and Buck Henry, it tells the story of an American footballer named Joe Pendleton who almost dies, but is taken to heaven by an over-eager administrator. Having never supposed to leave Earth, he is given a second chance at life as a rich industrial called Leo Farnsworth, who himself is due to die imminently following an attempted murder by his wife and her lover.

If that sounds complicated, the reality is a little less daunting. It breezes along at a nice pace, with whimsical musical cues and engaging dialogue. When Julie Christie’s Betty Logan looks longingly into Beatty’s eyes, there is real chemistry on screen. That they had previously been romantically linked comes as no surprise to me – I was born in the 1980s so was unaware of their relationship.

A cute romantic comedy that provokes thought without ever really feeling too taxing.

Celebrate by watching the trailer below then wondering why you’ve never seen the film before.

by hutchwp

BAFTAs 2025 – Full list of winners

Best film
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave – WINNER!
Emilia Pérez

Outstanding British film
Bird
Blitz
Conclave – WINNER!
Gladiator II
Hard Truths
Kneecap
Lee
Love Lies Bleeding
The Outrun
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer
Hoard, Luna Carmoon (director, writer)
Kneecap, Rich Peppiatt (director, writer) – WINNER!
Monkey Man, Dev Patel (director)
Santosh, Sandhya Suri (director, writer), James Bowsher (producer), Balthazar De Ganay (producer) [also produced by Alan McAlex, Mike Goodridge]
Sister Midnight, Karan Kandhari (director, writer)

Best film not in the English language
All We Imagine As Light
Emilia Pérez – WINNER!
I’m Still Here
Kneecap
The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Best documentary
Black Box Diaries
Daughters
No Other Land
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story – WINNER!
Will & Harper

Best animated film
Flow
Inside Out 2
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – WINNER!
The Wild Robot

Best children’s & family film
Flow
Kensuke’s Kingdom
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – WINNER!
The Wild Robot

Best director
Anora, Sean Baker
The Brutalist, Brady Corbet – WINNER!
Conclave, Edward Berger
Dune: Part Two, Denis Villeneuve
Emilia Pérez, Jacques Audiard
The Substance, Coralie Fargeat

Best original screenplay
Anora
The Brutalist
Kneecap
A Real Pain – WINNER!
The Substance

Best adapted screenplay
A Complete Unknown
Conclave – WINNER!
Emilia Pérez
Nickel Boys
Sing Sing

Best leading actress
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths
Mikey Madison, Anora – WINNER!
Demi Moore, The Substance
Saoirse Ronan, The Outrun

Best leading actor
Adrien Brody, The Brutalist – WINNER!
Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
Hugh Grant, Heretic
Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice

Best supporting actress
Selena Gomez, Emilia Pérez
Ariana Grande, Wicked
Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
Jamie Lee Curtis, The Last Showgirl
Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez – WINNER!

Best supporting actor
Yura Borisov, Anora
Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain – WINNER!
Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing
Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice

Best casting
Anora – WINNER!
The Apprentice
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Kneecap

Best cinematography
The Brutalist – WINNER!
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Nosferatu

Best editing
Anora
Conclave – WINNER!
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Kneecap

Best costume design
Blitz
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Nosferatu
Wicked – WINNER!

Best make up and hair
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Nosferatu
The Substance – WINNER!
Wicked

Best original score
The Brutalist – WINNER!
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Nosferatu
The Wild Robot

Best production design
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Wicked – WINNER!

Best sound
Blitz
Dune: Part Two – WINNER!
Gladiator II
The Substance
Wicked

Best special visual effects
Better Man
Dune: Part Two – WINNER!
Gladiator II
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Wicked

Best British short animation
Adiós
Mog’s Christmas
Wander to Wonder – WINNER!

Best British short film
The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing
Marion
Milk
Rock, Paper, Scissors – WINNER!
Stomach Bug

Rising star award
Marisa Abela
Jharrel Jerome
David Jonsson – WINNER!
Mikey Madison
Nabhaan Rizwan

by hutchwp

BAFTAs 2024 – Full list of winners

Best film
Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer – WINNER!
Poor Things

Outstanding British film
All of Us Strangers
How to Have Sex
Napoleon
The Old Oak
Poor Things
Rye Lane
Saltburn
Scrapper
Wonka
The Zone of Interest – WINNER!

Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer
Blue Bag Life – Lisa Selby (director), Rebecca Lloyd-Evans (director, producer), Alex Fry (producer)
Bobi Wine: The People’s President – Christopher Sharp (director)
Earth Mama – Savanah Leaf (writer, director, producer), Shirley O’Connor (producer), Medb Riordan (producer) – WINNER!
How to Have Sex – Molly Manning Walker (writer, director)
Is There Anybody Out There? – Ella Glendining (director)

Best film not in the English language
20 Days in Mariupol
Anatomy of a Fall
Past Lives
Society of the Snow
The Zone of Interest – WINNER!

Best documentary
20 Days in Mariupol – WINNER!
American Symphony
Beyond Utopia
Still: A Michael J Fox Movie
Wham!

Best animated film
The Boy and the Heron – WINNER!
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
Elemental
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Best director
Andrew Haigh, All of Us Strangers
Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall
Alexander Payne, The Holdovers
Bradley Cooper, Maestro
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer – WINNER!
Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest

Best original screenplay
Anatomy of a Fall – WINNER!
Barbie
The Holdovers
Maestro
Past Lives

Best adapted screenplay
All of Us Strangers
American Fiction – WINNER!
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

Best leading actress
Fantasia Barrino, The Color Purple
Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan, Maestro
Vivian Oparah, Rye Lane
Margot Robbie, Barbie
Emma Stone, Poor Things – WINNER!

Best leading actor
Bradley Cooper, Maestro
Colman Domingo, Rustin
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Barry Keoghan, Saltburn
Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer – WINNER!
Teo Yoo, Past Lives

Best supporting actress
Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
Claire Foy, All of Us Strangers
Sandra Hüller, The Zone of Interest
Rosamund Pike, Saltburn
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers – WINNER!

Best supporting actor
Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr, Oppenheimer – WINNER!
Jacob Elordi, Saltburn
Ryan Gosling, Barbie
Paul Mescal, All of Us Strangers
Dominic Sessa, The Holdovers

Best casting
All of Us Strangers
Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers – WINNER!
How to Have Sex
Killers of the Flower Moon

Best cinematography
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer – WINNER!
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

Best editing
Anatomy of a Fall
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer – WINNER!
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

Best costume design
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things – WINNER!

Best makeup and hair
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things – WINNER!

Best original score
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer – WINNER!
Poor Things
Saltburn
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Best production design
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things – WINNER!
The Zone of Interest

Best sound
Ferrari
Maestro
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer
The Zone of Interest – WINNER!

Best special visual effects
The Creator
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Napoleon
Poor Things – WINNER!

Best British short animation
Crab Day – WINNER!
Visible Mending
Wild Summon

Best British short film
Festival of Slaps
Gorka
Jellyfish and Lobster – WINNER!
Such a Lovely Day
Yellow

EE Rising Star award (voted for by the public)
Phoebe Dynevor
Ayo Edebiri
Jacob Elordi
Mia McKenna-Bruce – WINNER!
Sophie Wilde

by hutchwp

I’ve cancelled Netflix… and it’s brilliant

When my wife and I moved into our first home together, we decided to subscribe to Netflix. Not long before, I’d cancelled LoveFilm (remember that?!) and we’d set up our internet so wanted to test the waters.

At the time, picking and choosing what to watch on a TV in HD was revolutionary, and the choice was phenomenal. As time progressed, we watched some great series on the blossoming service: Breaking Bad, Orange Is The New Black, Glow, Stranger Things. All our friends were watching the same things. We had great discussions.

As time progressed, more streaming platforms appeared. Amazon Prime Video, with its confusing is-this-included-or-not interface. Now TV, which is home to most of the biggest blockbusters. Apple TV appeared with almost no content, but what it did have was excellent. BFI Player. MUBI. Paramount+. Lionsgate+. Everything was the price of a couple of pints and offered endless options.

Except, it isn’t the price of a pint if you have most or all of them. And you can’t keep up with the content. And nobody is watching anything you’re watching anymore because nobody has the same subscriptions.

So, a month ago we cancelled our Sky subscription. Tomorrow we ditch Netflix. As the cut-off time approaches, we’ve been really focusing on what we do and don’t want to watch. I’ve finally burned through Cobra Kai. I had a brilliant time watching Succession unfold. I’ve watched lovingly-created documentaries about David Beckham, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Robbie Williams.

Do I think I’ll miss any of it? Not really. What’s left is Apple TV+ on a trial, BFI Player (the one I really enjoy having) and my wife’s Amazon Prime account, which we’ve never really explored. There are a few things on each we want to watch, but I don’t think we’ll be paying for them for much longer.

Importantly, I never went as far as ditching my DVDs and Blu-Rays. Many of my friends did, only to find that their beloved series or film has vanished from their chosen streaming platform. Many DVDs are sat in charity shop bargain bins, waiting for someone to pick them up. I for one love rummaging in a charity shop, and often find a cool CD or vinyl in there.

I predict DVDs will have a resurgence in the near future. Because spending £1 on five films you keep forever has to be better than paying £150 a year just to watch those same episodes of Friends you like.

by hutchwp

Film review: LOLA (Andrew Legge, 2023)

The Hanbury sisters in the film LOLA

LOLA is a beautifully constructed science fiction tale that is as innovative as it is chilling.

Directed by Andrew Legge in his directorial debut, it tells the story of sisters Thomasina (Emma Appleton) and Martha (Stefanie Martini), who together invent a machine that transmits television broadcasts from the future. Initially using it to discover cultural touchpoints 30 years ahead of time, they then switch it to the war effort. After they use it to help prevent a German attack on British soldiers, they are enlisted by the Allied Forces and begin coordinating defence strategies with Lieutenant Sebastien Holloway (Rory Fleck-Byrne).

In LOLA, Legge has created a deeply rich alternative world that plays out with a good pace to great effect. The storytelling technique utilised is innovative and delivered with great aplomb by the two leads, each bringing humour and realism to their respective roles. Neither steals the show, instead complimenting each other with natural comradery.

With a 79-minute running time, there isn’t scope to slow down and the length and pace feels perfect. It’s an exciting debut and one that rightly has those that discover it wondering what Legge will come up with next.

by hutchwp

Film review – Medusa Deluxe (Thomas Hardiman, 2022)

Medusa Deluxe – A gritty debut

Thomas Hardiman’s stylishly gritty debut finds a new setting for a well-worn path. The story unfolds around a murder that takes place during a hairdressing competition, meshing together neatly with some strong performances from the entire cast, creating a powerful piece of cinema.

Murder mysteries have come back into fashion in recent times. Two ensemble blockbuster franchises have helped bring this wave of popularity to people’s attention – Rian Johnson’s Knives Out and Kenneth Branagh’s Poirot – but the genre doesn’t need a host of A-listers to succeed.

In a way Medusa Deluxe operates in exactly the same way. It is an ensemble piece, with none of the all-British cast standing out as significantly more established than the next, although a few are certainly recognisable. Their interactions and interplay are the real star.

It’s impossible to watch the film without the awareness that this is a one-shot labour if love. Admittedly, there are a few points where there is an obvious cut in the action, but even in the handful of long shots this represents a mammoth undertaking that almost gives Boiling Point a run for its money.

There is a verve to the performances that really disconcerted me as a viewer. Clare Perkins starts the film overflowing with anger as hardened hairdresser Cleve, and only ramps up further as her colleagues and models shrink with nervousness. Harriet Webb brings an element of sympathy to her prickly take on Kendra, which is an important part of the story.

Despite a few moments of heavy-handedness, the really shocking moments of Medusa Deluxe will stick with you for a while after watching. The one-shot approach is an interesting element that brings urgency but the real draw here is an intriguing story and some top-drawer performances from a strong cast.

by hutchwp

Halloween Quiz 2023 – Just for fun – ANSWERS

Here are the answers to the quiz we posted last week.

Picture Round

1. Get Out

2. Hotel Transylvania

3. It

4. What Lies Beneath

5. Cocaine Bear

6. Nightmare On Elm Street

7. Raw

8. Us

9. Arachnophobia

10. Psycho

11. Scary Movie

12. Shaun of the Dead

Questions

1. 1979

2. Bernard Herrmann

3. Jaws 2

4. Freddy Krüger

5. Mary Shelley

6. Inside No. 9

7. Night of the Living Dead

8. Gizmo

9. Stephen King

10. Ghostbusters

by hutchwp

What’s the deal with the Wes Anderson and Roald Dahl Netflix collaboration?

You may have noticed on Netflix recently a handful of sepia-tinged thumbnails popping up in your Trending Now or Recommends lists. Based on the lack of advertising generally, all you are left with is the titles alone: Poison, The Rat Catcher, The Swan and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.

These curiosities make up a series of four adaptations of Roald Dahl short stories by the distinctive director Wes Anderson. Bringing together a wonderful ensemble cast – including Rupert Friend, Richard Ayoade, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ben Kingsley, Dev Patel and Ralph Fiennes – the four shorts really are quite special. Marrying the distinctive styles of two great storytellers from very different eras, there is a high-art uniqueness that lands in a place that feels fresh and intriguing.

As I finished watching my favourite of the bunch – the sharp-scripted Poison, about a man struggling under the threat of an imminent deadly poisonous snake bite – I wondered whether these could have been made twenty years ago. Or even ten years ago? I could only think of one outlet for them, which would be as part of the festive programming of a terrestrial channel, probably on Boxing Day, when the rigidities of multi-part series and familiarities are relaxed as the nation forgoes its own schedules to Quality Street and sherry.

I’m thrilled these four short films have seen the light of day, although I also wonder whether they’ve been done a disservice in the manner of release. With little fanfare, they’ve just appeared in the faces of the casual scroller, with more than a little whiff of that U2 x iPhone collab we all loved so much. I know someone who accidentally watched the longest of the bunch – The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar – and wondered what on Earth was going on. With no explanation, it’s easy to see why the unfinished stylings of Wes Anderson could confuse. Actors look at the camera, the prop department hand items to the scenes apologetically, the elaborate sets are shifted as if they were part of an experimental theatre piece. These quirks that elevate the experience for fans of Anderson risk perturbing casual viewers, or indeed fans of Roald Dahl’s more popular output.

With results this good, perhaps Netflix decided that was a risk they were willing to take.

by hutchwp

Halloween Quiz 2023 – Just for fun

Round 1 – Picture Round
Round 2 – Questions

Just for fun, here’s a free Halloween film quiz for you to use in your office, with your friends, or with your family!

Just print them off or share them on your screen and hey presto – instant fun!

I’ll publish the answers in a separate post.

UPDATE

Here are the answers