Somerset House – Film Poster Exhibition

As mentioned previously Film4’s Summer Screen at Somerset House starts tonight with the UK premiere of Two Days, One Night and finishes on the 20th of August. Running alongside the films themselves is the Behind the Screen strand and an exhibition of original film posters.

I popped down on a needlessly hot evening last week to preview the poster exhibition and sweat profusely at PR individuals.

For each film in the Somerset House line-up Print Club London have commissioned a designer to create an original poster. Each poster, as well as being on display at the free exhibition, has been screen-printed by hand and is for sale in limited numbers on site and at the Print Club London website for £45. I’m told that this is good value and considering the fact that the E.T. prints have sold out other people seem to agree,

Each designer has taken a different approach with their design, some utilising iconic scenes or stills from the film and others going completely off-piste to create something unique. Obviously preferences will be defined by the films you know and love but for what it’s worth my favourites were The Royal Tenenbaums by Concepción Studios, Spring Breakers by Hattie Stewart, and E.T. the Extra-terrestrial by Rose Blake. You can see each of these, along with some more examples, below.

Is the exhibition worth your time? Considering it is free then the answer is definitely a yes. Sadly the gallery is only open to non-ticket holders from 10am until 6pm so popping in after work is sadly out of the question. If you are walking nearby at the weekend or are going to see a film at Somerset House then I definitely recommend having a gander at the work on show. If posters at £45 seems a little steep some of the prints are available as postcards for £2 which is a more wallet-friendly amount.

The exhibition is free (did I mention that?) and runs at the West Wing Galleries at Somerset House until 25th August 2014.

Click on a thumbnail to launch gallery:

Joe Wilson A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS

Cassandra Yap GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES

Caspar Williamson GHOSTBUSTERS

Rose Blake E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL

Concepción Studios THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS

Hattie Stewart SPRING BREAKERS

HItchcock’s Silent Films Offer

You may have noticed how much we’ve been enjoying The Genius of Hitchcock season at the BFI recently (and should at least have played with the Rebecca soundboard). And now several more of the recently restored silent films are having their premieres, complete with soundtracks played live.

To celebrate this, the BFI are offering 25% off, if you buy any two full-priced adult tickets with the code SilentHitch. Book online, by phone (020 7928 3232) or in person. So take someone with you, or set yourself up for an awesome double bill (I am not convinced this works but it’s worth a go, right?)

It should be noted that there’s also a 50% offer running in conjunction when you book online, which is obviously better, but it doesn’t cover quite as many of the films.

Four Stories Short Film Competition

We have yet another competition to bring to the attention of budding screenwriters. Roman Coppola (brother of Sofia, son of Francis Ford, cousin of Jason Schwartzman and Nicolas Cage, and writer/director in his own right) is teaming up with W Hotels and Intel to produce a series of four short films.

One of the four short films will be written by Roman Coppola and one of the remaining three could be written by you, this will require some effort of your part though. All you need to do is write a ten minute short film set in a W Hotel and featuring an Intel Ultrabook as a key character. If this feels too much like selling out to you then sorry, welcome to Hollywood. Judges include indie superstars Chloe Sevigny and Michael Pitt so write as if writing to impress that achingly cool girl/guy you fancy.

Scripts must be submitted online by 30th August (that’s this Thursday so get writing) and more information can be found by clicking here or watching the video below:

For anyone needing more inspiration below I have embedded Hotel Chevalier. It’s a short film set in a hotel which accompanied the Roman Coppola co-written The Darjeeling Limited. Just imagine Jason Schwartzman having angry sex with Natalie Portman over Skype rather than face-to-face and you’ve got your script written.

Win a Preview Screening of 50/50

There are times when we bring competitions to your attention because the item on offer is of interest but the film involved is abysmal. This is not one of those times. 50/50 is a great film, one I called “moving and hilarious“.

The prize on offer is an exclusive private screening of 50/50 for you and your friends. To enter simply follow this link and tag your ‘Go-To Buddies’ in the comment box. If you don’t have any ‘Go-To Buddies’ maybe your Nan is free?

Inspired by personal experiences, 50/50 is an original story about friendship, love, survival and finding humor in unlikely places. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen star as best friends whose lives are changed by a cancer diagnosis.

50/50 is in cinemas on November 25th and the trailer is below:

The Jameson Apartment

On Wednesday night Jameson were kind enough to not only give us tickets to give away, but invited us along to the launch of the Jameson Apartment, a pop-up cinematic speakeasy running alongside the London Film Festival. The Apartment can be found at 39 Greek Street in London’s Soho and so long as you get there before it fills up all you need is the password “Sine Metu” and you’re in. More info can be found on their website including the full schedule of events. Alcohol based bribery aside there are some genuinely exciting events on the schedule; the film quizzes are particularly tempting, if only we didn’t have 40+ films to see in eight days.

Obviously we can’t review the various events but we can talk about some of the cocktails that are on offer, all Jameson based of course. In a bizarrely restrained move we only sampled the Irish Martini, a bit too sickly for my taste, and the Jameson Irish Mule, lovely and bitter. If you can’t make it to the Apartment then the recipe for the Irish Mule is below, it is pleasantly straight forward and doesn’t require any additional kit.

Make sure you use Jameson or all this plugging will have been in vain.

Jameson Irish Mule

Serve:
High ball Glass/Cubed ice
– 35ml Jameson
– Ginger Beer
– Angostura Bitters

Garnish:
Lime wedge

Method:
– Fill a hiball glass with ice
– Add Jameson and a dash of angostura bitters.
– Top up with Ginger Beer
– Add a wedge of fresh lime

Taste:
A sophisticated combination of citrus and spice.

2 for 1 Theme Park Entry from Abduction

It’s been a while since we’ve run a promotion but we’re back with possibly the best so far. To celebrate the release of Abduction in cinemas September 28th you can get 2 for 1 tickets for Thorpe Park and Alton Towers Resort. And if you opt for Thorpe Park you get a fast track ticket to the Saw Alive live maze. I can’t vouch for Abduction yet but I can most certainly vouch for Saw Alive, a genuinely terrifying experience.

Simply go to www.abductionoffer.co.uk, enter the promotional code and follow the instructions to redeem your voucher (terms and conditions apply of course)

Promotional Code: abduction

And now for Abduction related blurb:

2 for 1 Karting from Drive Angry

Fancy a 2 for 1 voucher for F1-K Indoor Karting courtesy of Drive Angry? All you need to do is go to www.driveangryoffer.co.uk and enter the inspired promotional code “drive”.

This is a film about a man who has broken out of hell and presumably drives like a maniac but I suggest you don’t actually drive angry. It will only end in tears and the friend you take with you won’t appreciate being forced off the track. It’s also worth pointing out that you probably won’t get to hang around with Amber Heard, but we can dream.

Synopsis
Nicolas Cage (Bad Lieutenant, Adaptation) stars as a vengeance-fuelled father who breaks out of Hell to pursue the killers of his daughter and save her kidnapped baby in Lionsgate’s DRIVE ANGRY 3D, the new in-your-face shocker from the team behind My Bloody Valentine 3D, director Patrick Lussier and fellow writer Todd Farmer.

The Oscar-winning star is joined on screen by William Fichtner (The Dark Knight), Amber Heard (The Rum Diary), Billy Burke (Untraceable), Simona Williams and Katy Mixon.

Milton (Cage), a hardened felon, has broken out of Hell for one last chance at redemption. Intent on stopping a vicious cult who murdered his daughter, he has three days to stop them before they sacrifice her baby beneath a full moon. He’s joined by Piper (Heard), a young, sexy waitress, who liberates her boyfriends cherry-red muscle car in order to help Milton.

Now the two of them are hot on the trail of the deadly leader of the cult, Jonah (Burke), who believes it is his destiny to use the baby to unleash Hell on Earth. But the bloodthirsty cult is the least of Milton’s problems. The police are after him too. And worse, an enigmatic killer known only as The Accountant (Fichtner) has been sent by the Devil to retrieve Milton and deliver him back to Hell.

Release Date: February 25th

Free Paintball Passes From The Mechanic

We’re giving away free pairs of paintball tickets again, this time courtesy of The Mechanic starring Jason Statham. All you have to do to get the tickets is to click here and then enter the code “mechanic”. Easy!

SYNOPSIS
Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) is a ‘mechanic’ – an elite assassin with a strict code and unique talent for cleanly eliminating targets. It’s a job that requires professional perfection and total detachment, and Bishop is the best in the business. But when his mentor and close friend Harry (Donald Sutherland) is murdered, Bishop is anything but detached. His next assignment is self-imposed – he wants those responsible dead. His mission grows complicated when Harry’s son Steve (Ben Foster) approaches him with the same vengeful goal and a determination to learn Bishop’s trade. Bishop has always acted alone but he can’t turn his back on Harry’s son. A methodical hit man takes an impulsive student deep into his world and a deadly partnership is born. But while in pursuit of their ultimate mark, deceptions threaten to surface and those hired to fix problems become problems themselves.

The film is out on the 28th January and knowing Jason Statham it will probably give you a heart attack.

Thorpe Park Vouchers & Fast Track Tickets from Saw 3D

We have another giveaway for you, and this is the best yet. Thanks to Saw 3D, in cinemas 29th October, you can not only get a voucher for 2 for 1 tickets at Thorpe Park but two free Fastrack passes for Saw – The Ride which means beating the queue. We also sell tickets online, so you can buy the tickets early before you come to the show.

All you have to do is go to www.saw3doffer.co.uk and enter the code 940102.

I am a big Thorpe Park fan, in particular Saw – The Ride. We are so good to you.

Read on for a bit of blurb and those all important terms and conditions.

In Saw 3D, the seventh chapter, a deadly battle rages over Jigsaw’s brutal legacy. A group of Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) survivors gathers to seek the support of self-help guru, and fellow survivor, Bobby Dagen (Sean Patrick Flanery). Soon though, the survivors really must help themselves as Dagen’s dark secrets unleash a new wave of terror…

THORPE PARK – SAW – The Ride

You’ve watched others suffer from the comfort of your chair, now pit yourself against jigsaw’s ultimate test on the world’s most terrifying rollercoaster Saw – The Ride, only at THORPE PARK.

With a ‘beyond vertical’ drop of 100º from a nerve shredding height of 100ft, you’ll have to endure three inversions and extreme G-forces to prove yourself worthy of this fantastic 2 for 1 offer to the nation’s Thrill Capital. Plus – get 2 x single Fastrack passes for you and your friend for SAW – The Ride when you present this voucher at the ticket booth. That means no queues!!

THORPE PARK is the ‘must do’ destination for adrenaline junkies! SAW – The Ride tests the nerve of all who dare experience them and those who are brave enough can ride the ‘Unholy Trinity’ of STEALTH, COLOSSUS and NEMESIS INFERNO.

You thought the games were over…

Terms and Conditions

Thorpe Park – Free* Entry to Thorpe Park plus 2 x single Fastrack** passes for SAW – The Ride

1. *If the holder of this voucher buys a fully priced adult ticket to THORPE PARK then s/he may take with him/her one other person who will enter the Park on the same day free of charge.
2. This Voucher is valid until 30.04.2011 EXCLUDING 28 – 31.10.2010 & 22 – 25.04.2011.
3. Check opening dates and times before your visit.
4. Only one Voucher per person and per transaction. An Adult is aged 12 and over.
5. Visitors under 1 metre in height enter the Park free of charge.
6. Visitors under 12 years must be accompanied by a person 18 years of age or over.
7. Voucher can only be used as stipulated and cannot be exchanged for cash.
8. Sale of this Voucher for profit is prohibited.
9. Admission prices subject to change.
10. Voucher cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer, ticket or advance booking.
11. Voucher must be presented upon entrance and surrendered to the ticket booth operator.
12. Defaced or amended vouchers will not be accepted.
13. This Voucher is not for resale.
14. Size, height, weight, age restrictions and medical warnings apply to certain rides and attractions.
15. THORPE PARK reserves the right in its absolute discretion to refuse entry and to close and/or alter all or any part of the facilities Please visit http://www.THORPEPARK.com for further information and opening times.
16. **Fastrack passes for SAW – The Ride accompanied with this offer will be issued upon presentation of this voucher at a THORPE PARK ticket booth operator and only with receipt of entry ticket purchase.
17. This Fastrack ticket does not give you access to the park.
18. Fastrack is not suitable for those under 1.4 metres tall.

Free Paintball Passes From The Expendables!

Forget The A-Team, put aside The Losers, what you want is a film about mercenaries will a cast of action stars. Stallone, Statham, Li, Rourke, Schwartzenegger, Willis and… Charisma Carpenter all have one thing in common; The Expendables. They have guns and everything!

If you want to run around with guns you might like to go paintballing and Lionsgate Films want you to go too. To get a free ticket to one of 45 UK paintball locations just go to www.expendablesmovie.co.uk and enter the code 949395.

There, never say we don’t give you anything. Thorpe Park vouchers and now free paintball tickets!