Attack The Block Review

A gang of inner-city teens ('Chavs ' or 'Hoodies' depending on which paper you read) find themselves stuck in the middle of an alien invasion of their South London council estate on bonfire night. Their initial glee at the chance to cause some mayhem turns to fear as the full force of the ferocious monsters becomes clear. Retreating to their local housing block they have to unite with other residents to save themselves and the world.

Director Joe Cornish will be well known to some for his work on genius cult TV series The Adam and Joe Show. The infamous comedy show featured puppet based movie parodies and darkly hilarious satirical skits. He brings much of the same wit and visual panache to this memorable feature length debut. In particular a fantastic soundtrack and moody cinematography helps give the film an edgy ambiance, despite being more polished than the average B-Movie.

With Edgar Wright as executive producer and Nick Frost starring , it's no surprise that the film has much in common with Shaun of The Dead and Hot Fuzz. Attack The Block follows a similar pattern of juxtaposing the fantastica spectacle of Hollywood genre films with a mundane and distinctly British reality. The film also draws clear inspiration from classic 80s films like The Goonies or Gremlins. It's an enjoyable throwback to a time before films with young heroes were entirely sanitised and sterile.

With the exception of Nick Frost and Jodie Whittaker, all of the young faces in Attack The Block are unfamiliar newcomers. In a brave directorial choice they're also unashamedly obnoxious. The first time we encounter our young 'heroes' they're actually mugging a startled young woman at knifepoint. It's hard to imagine a less appealing introduction, but as we learn more about the troubled teens they become more likeable, or at least more comedic. Pitting them against an even worse breed of vicious alien nasties also makes them the good guys by default.

Attack The Block will no doubt attract a flurry of criticism, either because it is accused of glamorizing the thuggish activates of its young band of hoodlums or alternatively because it unfairly stereotypes inner city youth as loathsome knife wielding druggies. However it's important not to mistake the film's dark sense of humour for something more serious.

Without debating how accurate the film's council estate caricatures may be, it's fair to say that the film never shies away from their ugly side. If the film does rely on stereotypes, it's because the entire purpose of satire is to play on peoples pre-conceptions for comedic effect. However it should be pretty obvious from the alien invasion that this isn't meant to be a documentary. The film also makes sure that our 'heroes' get their comeuppance and manage to mostly redeem themselves along the way.

It's immediately clear that Attack the Block will be adored by many but disliked by a minority who fail to get the joke. Anything this unique and original will always divide opinion a little, but that won't stop it becoming an inevitable cult classic.

Thor Review

After violating an ancient truce with a deadly enemy, the powerful but arrogant warrior Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is banished from the fantastic realm of Asgard and sent to earth, leaving his mischievous brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) free to take control of their ailing father's throne. On earth Thor must learn what it really means to be a hero if he is to become our greatest defender.

Originally inspired by Norse myths and legends Thor is one of Marvel's most enduring comic book heroes, but he has had a troubled path to the big screen. Thor is just as familiar and visually iconic as any of the most popular superheroes, but he has always been a little more fantastical. Talk of Gods and magic always set Thor apart from the science based world other heroes Like X-Men or Iron Man inhabit. Finding a way to integrate Thor with the real world and explain him to a sceptical audience was always going to be the film's biggest challenge. With a little gentle tweaking and a few forgivable updates to original comic book tales the film largely succeeds.

The appointment of noted thespian Kenneth Branagh as Thor's director surprised many, but in retrospect it makes perfect sense. At its heart Thor is very much a Shakespearian style tale of feuding princes. It's exactly the sort of material Branagh has built a long and distinguished career around on stage and screen. Of course with Thor it's buried beneath layers of fantasy and special effects, but Branagh proves he's adept enough at handling those elements as well.

The film's cast is an intriguing mix of accomplished familiar faces and exciting new talents. It certainly looks great on paper. Sir Anthony Hopkins is convincingly God like as the Asgard King Odin. His impeccable regal quality gives the film exactly the kind of gravitas it needs and prevents it falling into the territory of camp costume clad drama.

Fresh from her Oscar winning triumph Natalie Portman is able to coast through an undemanding performance as physicist and predictable love interest Jane Foster. She delivers all the necessary scientific spiel competently enough, but has little else to do other than stare admiringly at Chris Hemsworth's impressive physique. There's nothing wrong with her performance, it's just a clear underuse of one of the best talents of her generation.

Having mentioned Chris Hemsworth's appropriately impressive muscles it's only fair to say that he really is the comic book character ripped from the pages. He embodies everything a boisterous blonde Viking warrior should be. His convincing growl and hulking frame even manages to make Thor's red cape and giant flying Hammer look anything but silly.

However, the real breakthrough star of Thor though is not the titular hero but rising British talent Tom Hiddleston in the role of Thor's mischievous younger brother Loki. Gifted with cunning and dark magical powers as opposed to his brother's brawn, Loki is a worthy adversary as he fights for his father's affection and power. In the tradition of many classic villains, he is a charming schemer. It's hard not to empathise with him, at least just a little. With roles in War Horse and a Woody Allen film on the way, Hiddleston is definitely one to watch for the future.

In-keeping with Marvels other superhero franchises Thor drops several hints towards the long awaited Avengers movie. The Avengers is set to unite Thor with heroes such as Iron Man, Captain America and the Incredible Hulk. In particular Thor features a brief introduction to his future Avengers teammate Hawkeye, played by Hurt Locker star Jeremy Renner. But it's far too brief a cameo to give any real indication of what the character is going to be and how fans will react to him. Loki has also long been rumoured to be a major part of the Avengers and based on this showing fans should be happy if he does return.

Thankfully Thor doesn't allow itself to be distracted too much by the prospect of future sequels and spin offs. Any sly nods in that direction are neatly folded into a simple but enthusiastically told story. Thor works hard to make itself accessible to as wide an audience as possible. It adds a lot of tongue in cheek comedy to balance its melodramatic moments. For those who lack an appetite for fantasy tales the film also literally reminds us that magic is just a word for science we don't understand. As long as you're not expecting the gritty realism of The Dark Knight and don't mind your superheroes a little larger than life, you should enjoy Thor.

Ultimately it's a fairly solid start for yet another Marvel franchise. It probably won't prove to be a Spiderman sized phenomenon, but it's another comfortable piece in The Avengers puzzle.

THOR and The Avengers Interviews

Thor Director Kenneth Branagh and stars Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Tom Hiddleston (Loki) talk about the latest Marvel superhero film in London, ahead of its world premiere in Sydney Australia. The film also stars Sir Anthony Hopkins, Idris Elba, Jamie Alexander, Kat Dennings and Natalie Portman.

The cast and director talk here about bringing the Norse gods of war and mischief to life on the big screen. They talk about the challenges of meeting the high expectations of comic book fans and what it was like to work with the beautiful Natalie Portman. Chris and Tom talk about what Kenneth Branagh is like to work with as a Director and how they transformed themselves into the feuding brothers Thor & Loki.

The stars also talk about how this film was affected by Marvel's much anticipated forthcoming Avengers movie. Thor features alongside franchise favourites Iron man, The Incredible Hulk and Captain America in the superhero team-up adventure. Chris Hemsworth talks about how the knowledge that he would be returning in that film affected his performance. Tom Hiddleston talks about his strongly rumoured return as Loki, as one of the main villains in the Avengers.

Your Highness Review

The brave and handsome Prince Fabious (James Franco) sets out on an epic quest to save his beautiful bride-to-be Belladonna (Zooey Deschannel) from the evil sorcerer Leezar (Justin Theroux). He is reluctantly accompanied by his oafish younger brother Thadeous (Danny McBride), a bumbling slacker who is more interested in buxom wenches and wizard weed than heroic deeds. The two brothers must defeat all manner of monsters and magic , with a little help from a ruthless female warrior (Natalie Portman), if they are to royally save the day.

The idea of combining pretentious fantasy adventure with the crude stupidity of a stoner comedy has some appealing potential. The generic plotting and clichéd characters of the fantasy genre provides the perfect platform for satire. It should be an easy target for droll observational slacker wit. Unfortunately the film's jokes follow an increasingly predictable and disappointing pattern. Every serious moment is ruthlessly interrupted by unexpectedly foul mouthed innuendo. The problem with this kind of shock value humour is that it suffers greatly from the law of diminishing returns. Amusing novelty gives way rapidly to boredom with constant and uninspired repetition .

Director David Gordon Green has a background in accomplished art-house films (George Washington, All The Real Girls) and successful low brow comedy (Pineapple Express), so he seemed well equipped to handle a fantasy spoof. Unfortunately the film only really grabs for easy laughs with mixed results at best. It's not that it's terrible, it's just that it could have been great but largely misses the opportunity.

A respectable blockbuster budget does at least ensure lavish sets, costumes and special effects. A five headed Hydra, a stoned puppet and a frisky Minotaur are a few of the films glossy set pieces. Of course it might not be enough to keep you entertained if you're not already laughing. The films excessively blood splattered action may also be slightly off-putting for the squeamish, but will likely appeal to the film's target audience.

James Franco takes a break from being an Oscar nominated renaissance man to indulge once again in his stoner comedy sideline act. He's obviously enjoying himself so much that it's hard to imagine this isn't his true comfort zone. Likewise Natalie Portman slips out of her Oscar winning ballet shoes and into a metal thong, sacrificing high brow critical acclaim for eager fanboy worship . It's interesting to wonder precisely what motivated her to invest her dramatic talents and credibility in a sea of dick jokes.

Justin Theroux steals a few scenes as a clueless warlock. While every time the enchanting Zooey Deschannel appears on screen it's a treat for the eyes that make the film a little easier to watch. It's clear that the cast are all having a lot of fun, but more difficult to explain why that doesn't always translate to the audience.

Danny McBride (Eastbound & Down, Pineapple Express) squeezes his usual arrogant underachiever persona into medieval armour with occasionally amusing results. But whatever you opinion is of his typical frat boy trash talk, it's unlikely that the addition of a few old English words will change it. How funny you think Danny McBride is will likely be a very good yardstick for how much you'll enjoy Your Highness.

The savaging that the film has received from critics is perhaps a little mean spirited and unfair. It might fail to live up to its potential, but it's still vastly superior to abysmal parody movies like Epic Movie or Meet The Spartans. At least unlike those films it's not just a random assortment of awful pop culture references and toilet humour.

Still if you're in the mood for a lovingly satirical homage to the fantasy genre you may be better off re-watching The Princess Bride on DVD again. If you don't own The Princess Bride then I'm sorry but I'm just not sure we can be friends again until you do...

Insidious James Wan & Leigh Whannell Interview

We talk to the creative team behind Saw as they launch their new horror film Insidious.

In 'Insidious', Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai (Rose Byrne) have a happy family with their three young children. When tragedy strikes their young son, Josh and Renai begin to experience things that science cannot explain.

JAMES WAN (Director) was one of the youngest students ever to be accepted into the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology's highly respected film and media school in Australia, where he first met Whannell and together they started creating and developing the world and characters that would become known as Saw, now the most successful horror movie series of all time as named this year by the Guinness World Records.

LEIGH WHANNELL (Writer) hails from Melbourne, Australia, where he began his career as an actor appearing in Australian series such as "Neighbours" and "Blue Heelers" and as a presenter on the cult hit TV series "Recovery", which he later went on to host in its last two seasons. In addition to his work on the screenplay for SAW II, Whannell wrote and starred in SAW III and is an Executive Producer on the SAW Franchise and a creative consultant on the SAW video game. Whannell's other writing credits include the Universal release DEAD SILENCE.

TT3D Closer To The Edge Premiere Interviews

We talk to TT racing stars Ian Hutchinson and Conor Cummins on the red carpet at the Uk premiere of TT3D Closer To The Edge. We also get the full inside track on the movie direct from CinemaNX.

Guy Martin Interview - TT3D Closer To The Edge Premiere

We talk to TT3D star Guy Martin on the red carpet at the UK premiere of the film. Guy gives us the inside track on the world's oldest and most infamous motorcycle road race, which takes place every year on the Isle Of Man

Blake Interview & Singing their New Royal Wedding Song

We talk to Blake at the Uk premiere of TT3D Closer To The Edge. The classical boy band talk about their love of bikes and share news of their new single to be released for the royal wedding. The boys even give us a little sample of the song singing live on the red carpet.

Murray Walker Interview - TT Racing and F1 2011 Championship

We talk to racing legend, commentator Murray Walker on the red carpet for the premiere of TT3D. Murray talks about the infamous Isle of Man TT road race and also gives his opinions on this year's Formula one season. He shares his views on the new rules and picks his early favourites to win.

Emily Browning Interview Sucker Punch

Emily Browning talks to us on the red carpet about her new film Sucker Punch.

Sucker Punch tells the story of a beautiful young girl Babydoll (Emily Browning) who finds herself imprisoned in a mental institution and must escape into her own fantasy world. There she has to fight to survive as she is confronted by dragons, killer robots , zombie Nazis and deadly samurai warriors.

The film also stars Vanessa Hudgens, Jena Malone, Abbie Cornish and Carla Gugino. It is written and directed by Zack Snyder (Watchmen, 300), who is soon to start work directing the new Superman movie.

Carla Gugino Interview Sucker Punch

Watchmen star Carla Gugino talks to us on the red carpet at the UK premeire of Sucker Punch. She tells us how it feels to meet UK fans and gives us the inside story on her character Dr Gorski.

Jamie Chung Interview Sucker Punch

Beautiful young star Jamie Chung talks to us on the red carpet of new film Sucker Punch. She talks about the demanding stunts and what attracted her to the role of Amber.

Jena Malone Interview Sucker Punch

Jena Malone (Donnie Darko) talks to us on the red carpet of new film Sucker Punch. She talks about what attracted her to the role of Rocket and how she transformed herself into a kick ass fighting machine. She also talks about how much love she has for her co-stars who have now become her best friends for life.

Gabriella Cilmi Interview

We talk to beautiful singer Gabriella Cilmi on the red carpet at the UK premiere of Killing Bono. Gabriella reveals she has a personal connection in real life to one of the characters in the film and talks a little about work on her new album out later this year.

Royal Wedding Comic Book Interviews

We talk to author Rich Johnston and Illustrator Gary Erskine at the launch of the Royal Wedding graphic novel "Kate & William" at Forbidden Planet in London.

Rich talks about where the inspiration came from to turn the romance between Kate Middleton and Prince William into a Comic Book. The book tells the fairytale love story from both Kate and William's perspectives.

Ben Barnes and Robert Sheehan Interview

We talk to Killing Bono stars Ben barnes (Narnia) and Robert Sheehan (Misfits, Cherrybomb) about their new rock music comedy Killing Bono. Based on the autobiographical book by Neil McCormick the film tells the story of two brothers Neil and Ivan who are convinced they are destined to be rock and roll superstars. They’re especially sure that they’ll end up being much bigger than the only other band in school, unfortunately that other band is U2…

Rick Astley Interview

Rick Astley Interview - We talk to cult pop music and Youtube sensation Rick Astley on the red carpet at the Uk premiere of rock music comedy film Killing Bono. Rick has sold 40 million records worldwide and is the only male solo artist in Uk chart history to reach the top 10 with all his first 8 singles.

Rick talks about his career and the real life of fame. He also shares a story of his ultimate rock and roll moment having a drink with Black Sabbath rock legend Ozzy Osborne and his wife Sharron .

Superman & Sucker Punch Zack Snyder Interview

Sucker Punch director Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen) talks about the new film ahead of it's UK premiere, while launching a book of the film's production art at Forbidden Planet in London.

Zack talks about his inspiration for the genre-mixing project in classic sci-fi and fantasy magazine Heavy Metal. He also gives us a guide to the story of the film and his favourite scene.

The film tells the story of a beautiful young girl Babydoll (Emily Browning) who finds herself imprisoned in a mental institution and must escape into her own fantasy world. There she has to fight to survive as she is confronted by dragons, killer robots , war and deadly samurai warriors.

Zack then talks about the recent news that Amy Adams will be playing Lois Lane in the forthcoming Superman reboot. Zack talks about what Enchanted star Amy will bring to the iconic character and how she will fit in with the new tone and direction the franchise is taking.

Similarly the director talks about new leading man Henry Cavill, the relatively unknown British actor who has landed the part of the iconic man of steel. Zack says that the new Superman will be more of a 'manly' hero than what we may have seen in previous Superman films. He's going to be more of a 'man's man'. Although he's quick to point out that Henry also has a sensitive side which is an important part of the character.

Finally Zack tells us he's amused by the constant speculation about who will be playing the villain in the new film. Rumours have recently linked Viggo Mortensen to the role presumed to be General Zod. Zack isn't allowed to tell us too many details but will admit that there is a villain and a particular actor in mind for the project.

Zack leaves us with a message to his UK fans thanking them for their support with all his past work.

Johnson Beharry VC Interview - Dancing On Ice & Veteran care

We talk to Victoria Cross recipient and war hero Johnson Beharry VC on the red carpet at the Uk premiere of new rock music comedy film killing Bono. Johnson reached the semie final in this year's Dancing On Ice skating contest and he talks about being nervous about getting on the ice for the first time. he also talks about bonding with fellow contestant rapper Vanilla Ice.

Johnson also talks about the important issue of care for injured veterans. Having spoken out in the past about the lack of support for soldiers dealing with physical and mental injuries suffered while serving the country Johnson says he's taking things as they come now. He admits that whatever we do for these brave men it never feels like it's enough.

Johnson also reveals plans for his own new charity foundation which he will be launching once he finishes performing on the Dancing On Ice tour.

Sharleen Spiteri Interview - New Texas Album

We talk to Texas lead singer Sharleen Spiteri on the red carpet at the UK premiere of rock music comedy Killing Bono. Sharleen talks aboiut her musical inspirations and her rock and roll experiences of trashing ahotel and stealing a pot plant on tour with the band. She also talks about the forthcoming new Texas album. She promises it will be something new, modern and different form the band, while still keeping their signature sound.

Killing Bono Ben Barnes Interview

We talk to Narnia star Ben Barnes on the red carpet for his new rock music comedy film Killing Bono. Ben tells us all about his character and how he found the experience of being a pretend rock star. He also talks about working with Misfits star Robert Sheehan and says he'd love to have a part on the third series of Misfits, so long as he got to do a scene with Rob's character Nathan.

Killing Bono Robert Sheehan interview

We talk to Misfits star Robert Sheehan on the red carpet at the premiere of his new rock music comedy Killing Bono. Robert talks about the wonderful experince of having girls paid to scream at him as he lived out his rock star fantasies on stage.

Robert talks about his own real life rock and roll experiences and the possibility that he may be giving music a chance with his own album. Roberts obvious gifts with a guitar and indie good looks might make him a perfect frontman.

Robert also talks about working with co-star Ben Barnes and being impressed by Ben's Irish accent efforts.

Jonathan Ross Interview - Films Of The Year

We talk to tv presenter and film buff Jonathan Ross on the red carpet at this year's Empire Film Awards. Jonathan shares his thoughts on some of the best films of the year such as The King's Speech, Kick Ass and Inception. Jonathan laments the fact that so many awards shows seem to focus on the films which critics think are "good art" rather than the films which people actually like to watch.

Jonathan also talks about X-Men First Class which his wife Jane Goldman (Kick Ass, Stardust) co-wrote. he says he's seen some preview footage and it looks like a great new addition to the popular Marvel comics franchise.

Kick Ass - Mark Strong and Jane Goldman Interview

We talk to the star and writer of Kick Ass backstage at this year's Empire Awards. The cult comicbook film based on the violent and brilliant work of Mark Millar won several awards on the night including Best British Film and best Newcomer for young Hit Girl star Chloe Moretz. Mark Strong talks about fighting Hit Girl and Jane Goldman chat a little about her next project, the eagerly anticipated X-Men First Class.

This Is England News - Andrew Shim Interview

We talk to This Is England 86 Star Andrew Shim on the red carpet at this year's Empire Awards 2011. Andrew talks about this years best films and tells us about what to expect from the forthcoming This Is England Special .

Talulah Riley Interview

We talk to Talulah Riley (Inception, St Trinians) on the red carpet at this year's Empire Awards 2011. Talulah talks about her new projects and what it was like to work with Leonardo Di Caprio in Christopher Nolan's mind bending dream thriller. Talulah also gives her opinion on whether or not the end of inception sees Cobb coming back to reality or still trapped in his own dream.

War Horse - Jeremy Irvine Interview

We talk to young British actor Jeremy who stars in the movie version of west end stage show phenomenon War Horse, in cinemas later this year and directed by Steven Spielberg.

Jeremy talks about how he thinks the material will transfer from the stage to the big screen and tells us what it was like to work with one of the greatest directors of all time.

Four Lions wins at Empire Awards

We talk to Preeya Kalidas on the red carpet at this year's Empire Awards in London. The singer and actress talks about terrorist comedy film Four Lions. The controversial film from Brass Eye comic Chris Morris tells the story of four inept wannabe terrorists who hatch a plan to blow up the London marathon.

We then talk to the cast and crew backstage shortly after scooping their award for Best Comedy film.

Edgar Wright Interview - Scott Pilgrim and New Project

We talk to Scott Pilgrim director Edgar Wright on the red carpet backstage at the Empire Award 2011. Edgar won best director and Scott Pilgrim won the inspiration award. Edgar talks about what attracted him to adapting Bryan Lee O'Malley's comicbook for the big screen. He also tells us that he's working on writing a new mystery project at the moment. Perhaps this is the final chapter to the popular blood and ice cream trilogy, or it could be the long awaited Ant Man film he's been promising us for years. Time will tell....

Will Poulter Interview

We talk to Narnia and Son of Rambow star Will Poulter on the red carpet at this year's Empire Awards in London. Will played Eustace Scrubb in Voyage Of The Dawn Treader. He tells us about how being part of the huge C.S.Lewis franchise has changed his life. Will also talks about his next project a British film called Wild Bill, directed by and co-starring Dexter Fletcher.

Olivia Williams Interview

We interview best actress nominee Olivia Williams backstage at the Empire Awards 2011 in London. Olivia talks about how it feels to be nominated for her superb peformance alongside Ewan McGregor in the Roman Polanski thriler The Ghost. Olivia is currently appearing on stage in London's West End alongside Lost star Matthew Fox.

Gary Oldman Interview - Leon and The Dark Knight Rises

Gary Oldman talks to us on the red carpet at this year's Empire Awards 2011 where he received the screen icon award. Gary talks about working with recent Oscar winner Natalie Portman when she was just 12 in cult classic hitman film Leon. He also talks about working with rising British star Tom Hardy who plays villain Bane in the forthcoming Batman sequel The Dark Knight Rises.

Tom Hiddleston Interviews - Spielberg, Woody Allen and Thor

We talk to rising British star Tom Hiddleston on the red carpet and then backstage at the Empire Awards. Tom talks about his secret role in the upcoming Woody Allen film 'Midnight in Paris'. He also talks about Thor and working with Steven Spileberg on 'War Horse'. In his own words Tom is 'Living the dream right now'.

We will next see Tom as Loki the norse god of Mischief, alongside Natalie Portman, Sir Anthony hopkins and Chris Hemsworth in Marvel superhero blockbuster Thor.

Chris O'Dowd Interview

We talk to IT crowd star Chris O'Dowd on the red carpet at the Empire Awards. Chris talks about his new film projects and his favourite films of the past year.

The Inbetweeners Interview

We talk to the boys from The Inbetweeners on the red carpet at the Empire Awards. They talk a little bit about the forthcoming Inbetweeners film and their opinion on the new American version of the show. They also make their suggestions for the American cast.

Eli Roth Interview - The Last Exorcism and New Film

We talk to actor, director and producer Eli Roth on the red carpet backstage at this year's Empire Awards 2011. Eli was collecting best horror award on behalf of The Last Exorcism. He talks about the horrow genre and shares news of his next project a kung fu film with Russell Crowe.

Tom Felton Interview - Harry Potter - Empire Awards 2011

We talk to Harry Potter star Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) on the red carpet backstage at the Empire Awards. Deathly hallows Part one won the award for best scif-fi and fantasy film.

Tom talks about the final chapter in the Potter saga which is out later this summer. He talks about his special friendships with his co-stars particularly Daniel Radcliffe.

The Power Of The Dark Crystal News

Artist Brian Froud confirms that the long awaited and delayed sequel to The Dark Crystal is still going ahead. Production is yet to fully start on the new film as the script continues to be fine tuned. However Brian shares exciting news that major announcements will soon be made regaring the project. It had previously been announced that Daybreakers directing pair Michael and Peter Spierig would be directing. However Brian let's slip that we should expect that to change with an announcement regarding a new director to be made soon.

Brian was talking with John Matthews at Forbidden Planet in london, promoting their latest book "How To See Faeries".

Jenson Button & Lewis Hamilton - F1 2011

We talk to Formula 1 superstars Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button at the start of the 2011 F1 season with the Australian grand prix.

Jerry O'Connell Interview - The Defenders & Stand By Me

Jerry O'Connell tells us all about his new legal comedy series The Defenders. Jerry stars alongside legendary funnyman Jim Belushi in the hit CBS show, based on the real life exploits of two Las Vegas lawyers. Jerry tells us all about his character Pete and the unique charms of Vegas.

The Defenders first episode airs in the UK on 8th April at 10pm on FX.

Check out our other videos below to hear Jerry talk about classic sci-fi series Sliders, Prianha 3D and being "The Fat Kid" from Stand By Me.

The Only Way Is Essex Interview

We interview reality TV stars Sam Faiers and Harry Derbidge on the red carpet at the UK premiere of HOP. The belached blonde pair talks about how being a part of The Only Way Is Essex has changed their lives.

Sam and Harry defend the show from criticism that it presents a stereotypical and unrealistic portrayal of Essex people and their notorious lifestyle.

Harry and Sam also share stories of their best experience meeting fans of the popular ITV2 show. Sam in particular recalls an interesting recent encounter with a vajazzled female fan in a club toilet.

The second series of the show is now under way with the nations obsession with their antics seemingly ever growing.

Robert Sheehan Interview - Misfits Series 3

Misifts star Robert Sheehan talks about series 3 of the show on the red carpet at the premiere of his latest animated film A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventure in London at the BFI Southbank.

Robert admits that he hasn't been able to look at a script yet as they keep the cast pretty much in the dark until it's time to start filiming. However he has an interesting suggestion for Nathan's new superpower.

The cliffhanger ending of the second series left Nathan and the gang faced with the choice of which new superpower they would like to have. Having been immortal before Rob suggests that his new power would be a bit more sexy and romantic. He'd like to have the ability to seduce lots of women at the same time so that "Everyone can get naked and just start making sweet love to each other!". He admits it's and edgy idea but he thinks that Misfits is the kind of show that could pull it off.

Hugh Dennis & Tamsin Greig Interview

We interview Hugh Dennis (Outnumbered, Mock The Week) and Tamsin Greig (Episodes) on the red carpet at this year's First Light Movie Awards 2011 in London.

Two of the biggest stars in British comedy talk about the importance of encouraging young talent in the UK. Hugh also talks about the new third and forth series of Outnumbered and gives his view on why the popular show has been such a hit. Tamsin likewise talks about the possibility of seeing a second series of Episodes and what it was like to work with Matt Le Blanc.

Jessica Barden - Tamara Drewe & Hanna Interview

We interview young Tamara Drewe star Jessica Barden on the red carpet at this years First Light Movie Awards 2011. Jessica talks about the importance encouraging young creative talents in the UK.

Jessica talks about her forthcoming Joe Wright directed film Hanna. Hanna co-stars Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana and Saoirse Ronan. In Hanna, a 16-year-old who was raised by her father to be the perfect assassin is dispatched on a mission across Europe, tracked by a ruthless intelligence agent and her operatives. The film has already attracted some controversy and critical buzz.

Noel Clarke Interview

We interview rising British star Noel Clarke on the red carpet at the First Light Movie Awards 2011 in London. After an early role in Dr Who, Noel has since gone on to eastablish himself as a promising young writer and director with films such as Kidulthood, Adulthood and 4321

Noel talks to us about the directors that inspired him and about the massive cult success of the Kidulthood franchise. He speaks about the important social messages which he feels the film and it's successful sequel delivered. Addressing challenging issues of drug culture and gang violence he expalins why he thinks the films resonated so powerfully with young audiences at the time.

He also gives his reaction to Adam Deacon's recent parody movie Anuvahood.

Noel the talks about the important issue of diversity in the UK film industry. Noel gives his views on whether or not prejudice and rascism are still keeping some doors in the film industry closed to young people.

Finally Noel speaks positively about the hope that the success of people like himself and Ashley Walters is slowly making it easier of young filmmakers to take advantage of opportunities whatever their background.

The Eagle Review

Based on a bestselling book, The Eagle tells the story of a young Roman centurion (Channing Tatum) who sets out beyond Hadrian’s Wall into the barbaric wilderness, in search of a lost golden Eagle statue that will restore his family’s honour. Accompanied only by a young slave (Jamie Bell), the pair form an unlikely friendship as their search takes them across rain drenched mountains and amongst deadly tribes of Celtic warriors.

It’s hard for any film set in this era of human history to escape the shadow of epic blockbusters like Ben Hur or Gladiator. Comparisons are inevitable and expectations are high. The Eagle isn’t a sweeping tale of empires and armies, but it never pretends to be that. The film sets out to be a low key drama about the bonds of honour and loyalty. It meets these more modest ambitions with some success. Provided that audiences walk in understanding this they won’t leave too disappointed.

Those who feel a little squeamish at the thought of brutal bloodshed will be pleased to hear that the film’s fight sequences are frenetic but mostly sanitised and entirely gore free. Swords, Axes and daggers are wielded ruthlessly; but the camera diligently cuts away at the fatal and bloody moments. This could be a deliberate tactic to make the film more accessible for all the children who still read the original book in schools, or maybe it’s just a clever editing trick to avoid the expense of CGI blood.

Star Channing Tatum is a good fit for a well muscled soldier. However this might not be the right century for his chiselled all-American features and ever present designer stubble. It’s hard to ignore the fact that he’d look far more at home in an army recruitment ad than he does in a tunic. By contrast, Jamie Bell is more passable as a grimy young slave. I’m not sure which of the two actors should feel most offended by those observations.

The Eagle gambles heavily on there being a convincing chemistry between its two stars, as battles and bloodshed take a firm backseat to lingering conversations about duty and destiny. It’s probably not even fair to label The Eagle an action movie. There’s much more talking and walking than fighting and heroics. The film even features a long sequence where our heroes essentially ask a series of farmers for directions.

Bell and Tatum make a reasonable pairing and get a lot of help from authentic highland surroundings and a solid supporting cast. Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong and A Prophet star Tahar Rahim, lend the film the film a dramatic credibility that Channing Tatum’s face occasionally lacks.

Overall The Eagle never quite soars to the heights of historical epic but manages to stay comfortably watchable as a small scale drama. Obviously it won’t satisfy anyone mistakenly looking for a Gladiator sequel, but realistic audiences should still be entertained.

Miranda Interview

We interview Miranda Hart and Sarah Hadland, the stars of hit comedy show Miranda, on the red carpet at this year's First Light Movie Awards in London.

Having presented an award Miranda and Sarah share their thoughts backstage on the importance of encouraging young creative talent and then tell us about the second and third series of Miranda.