Infrequently Asked Questions 2012

Shame Full Frontal

People of the internet find Mild Concern through a wide variety of search terms and one of the more curious ways I spend my time is keeping an eye on what people Google to end up on this humble blog. I do feel sorry for a large number of Googlers when I can see that they aren’t going to find what they searched for here.

By far the most popular unsuccessful search the film fans of the world embarked on was trying to find some images of the nudity in Shame. They wanted to see Michael Fassbender and, to a lesser extent, Carey Mulligan in the all-together and were surely disappointed to find not a single bit of genitalia on display. I apologise to you, the internet, and to make it up to you I will now answer a selection of questions people entered into Google in 2012 which led them erroneously to Mild Concern. Now if they do their search again their questions will be answered.

All of these questions are genuine, and tell you a lot about the world today…

Is The Skin I Live In in English? No, it is in Spanish and is not for the squeamish.

How old is Yoda’s actor now? Frank Oz is 68.

Is that a wig? No, my hair is all natural.

Is there nudity in 388 Arletta Avenue? No. It does contain “one scene of strong gore and horror”.

How many times is “Harry Potter” said in the movies? I counted 107 but then I did fall asleep a lot.

Is Die Hard a survival movie? I guess so… although I’d say a survival movie would be someone battling against nature or the supernatural not Alan Rickman with a dodgy accent.

Is Cool Runnings a Christmas film? It is in my family.

Why is Rupert Giles called Ripper? Giles gained the nickname Ripper in his younger days when dabbling in the dark arts with five friends. Presumably it is an allusion to Jack the Ripper.

When is Fast Girls out on DVD? It’s out! Sorry we didn’t get to this question sooner.

Where was We Built a Zoo filmed? We Bought a Zoo was filmed in California.

Heroes Season 3 what is with Claire’s hair? Hayden Panettiere cut her hair and so had to wear a terrible, terrible wig.

What is the twist in Cabin in the Woods? There isn’t one.

What episodes of Misfits have sex in them? A lot of them so I wouldn’t watch if you’re too prudish nor skip any episode for fear of a sex deficit.

What football team does Nicholas Hoult support? I don’t know. I’m really sorry.

Who is on the front of After Porn Ends? Mary Carey

Why do people like Doctor Who? It is scary, funny, and has a lot of heart. Also, Karen Gillan is hot.

Is the Life of Pi film made not in non 3D? It was made in 3D so… yes? 3D is not in non 3D.

Why don’t people like Dr Who? They find it childish, silly, and irritating? Stephen knows.

Does After Porn Ends have nudity? Yes. Not one for the family.

How big is Kevin Smith’s fan base approximately? He has over 2 million Twitter followers and one fan who thinks I am a parasite.

How violent is Sightseers? Violent in short bursts with plenty of blood and caved-in skulls. All the deaths are swift though, this is no Hostel.

What happened to Cameron Crowe? He returned! With We Bought a Zoo and Pearl Jam Twenty. I saw neither.

How accurate is Lawless movie? It doesn’t matter, the film is boring as hell.

Is Ethan Hunt married in Ghost Protocol? Yes, to Julia Meade played by Michelle Monaghan.

Is Michael Cera mean? He seems lovely.

Is NOW TV worth it? Certainly not. Though they provide lots of lovely cocktails.

What is the guy’s name from Footloose that plays on Third Rock from the Sun? John Lithgow

Where can I see the complete pilot episode of BBC Lizzie and Sarah? Nowhere legal I’m afraid. Ask your most internet savvy friend and see if they can help.

Is there a disorder consisting of rape, dismembering, necrophilia, and cannibalism? I don’t think that is a disorder. That is you doing unthinkable sexual things to someone before and after killing them and then eating the remains. GET HELP!

How violent is the film I, Anna? “In one scene of violence a man and woman fight before a heavy ornament is used to strike a blow to the head. In another scene the victim of a violent death is found lying on a heavily bloodstained carpet with a bloodied face.”

What is pyjamas party? Attractive young women spend the night together gossiping, playing games, and fighting with pillows in slow motion and skimpy pyjamas. That or you stay up all night watching films at the Prince Charles cinema.

What’s the film about couple gets handcuffed together at a music festival? You Instead

I hope that clears things up. (If you want to see Fassbender’s penis Google will show it to you. The thing terrifies me.)

BAFTA 2012 Debrief

Last night BAFTA presented their annual film awards to an excited crowd of famous people, and I managed to forget that the ceremony was happening due to having a fun weekend and the fact that BAFTA somehow forgot to invite me along to the event.

BAFTA made some wise choices last night as they threw plenty of awards at The Artist, (Best Film, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Music and Best Costume Design) and showed some much-needed love for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Outstanding British Film and Best Adapted Screenplay).

Meryl Streep took home an obvious win for her role in The Iron Lady making her Oscar win so certain it isn’t that exciting any more (and makes me think I should really make an effort to see the film). Christopher Plummer took home Best Supporting Actor for Beginners, a great role in a charming film which hopefully more people will seek out now that Plummer is winning awards all over the place.

Senna picked up Best Documentary and Best Editing making this the first year I can actually see what makes the editing in a certain film superior to others. As Senna was cut and pasted together from archive footage with nothing new being filmed for the documentary it is a pure feat of editing. It’s the equivalent of taking all of your old home movies and trying to cut together a BAFTA winning documentary, probably not worth the effort.

Further down the list of winners The Skin I Live In was dubbed Best Film not in the English Language and Rango won Best Animated Feature Film. Both films from my Top 20 Films of 2011 and both deserving winners, not least because I haven’t really seen any of the other nominees.

Perhaps the category with the most interest for me, partly because of the great talent taking up each space on the short list and partly because this was a category for which the winner was not obvious, was the BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer. The award went to Paddy Considine for Tyrannosaur and is a great victory for a stunning debut. Frankly I would probably have had the same reaction for any of the nominees (though possibly not Coriolanus) as I have a lot of love for Black Pond, Submarine and Attack the Block.

For the full list of winners skip on down to IMDb.

Well done BAFTA, you did good.

Top 20 Films of 2011

As 2011 comes to a close is it my obligation as a film blogger to put together my pick of 2011’s releases. I’ve gone for my top twenty as narrowing it down to just ten would be too harrowing a task and my only rule is that they must have been released in UK cinemas during 2011. This takes us from The Next Three Days (absolutely not in the list) to The Lady and The Artist and is only limited to films I have seen. I’ve also chosen not to speak to the wider Mild Concern team, mostly due to laziness, barring watching Waste Land at Kat’s insistence. This was a decision I have come to regret considering the rambling you will find below.

The scene properly set, let’s get onto the list. Looking back 2011 has been a great year for cinema, here are my top 20 releases of 2011:

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2012 Golden Globes Nominations

With awards season truly hotting up we are treated with the nominations for the 2012 Golden Globe Awards. They’re an interesting bunch, a lot of the more challenging and/or smaller films have been passed by. The Los Angles Times has it spot on when they say that the nominations seem to recognise those works featuring the A-list actors, more accessible films and less dark dramas. No Tyrannosaur or Like Crazy to be found below.

What you will find is my gut reaction and my opinions for each category (apart from Best Original Song and Best Original Score as that is not my strong suit) whether you want it or not. Continue reading

Out Now – 26th August 2011

In a rare twist we have seen all the films on general release today, both were good and the smaller films on limited release are completely uninteresting. The two big films are both pretty grim, but well worth seeing.

Final Destination 5
Irresistibly fun and surprising new instalment in this franchise. It could easily have become a stale format by now but somehow the elaborate deaths never get old. Click here for extra gush.

The Skin I Live In
After many sleepless nights we are happy to recommend Pedro Almodóvar’s latest, though that recommendation comes with a lot of hesitation. This is not the easiest film to watch and won’t leave you feeling warm and/or fuzzy afterwards. Click here for extra adjectives.

Powder (limited release)
“A dark comedy about an emerging band’s experiences in the UK music scene.” I dare you to find more information about the plot.

As Blood Runs Deep (limited release)
A boy is killed during a burglary and the town rallies together to help find the killers. I bet the killers are people you don’t necessarily expect at first. That’s where the plot comes in. I’ve seen films before, trust me.

R: Hit First, Hit Hardest (limited release)
Danish prison drama about two people whose names begin with “R”. The original title is R – Slå först, slå hårdast which is much more fun.

Children of the Revolution (limited release)
Documentary following two separate women who led the Baader Meinhof Group and the Japanese Red Army after the student revolutions of 1968.

The Skin I Live In – Clips & Pics

It’s been over a month since we reviewed The Skin I Live In so it seemed appropriate to give a little reminder before it is released tomorrow. A film about a plastic surgeon, his invention of synthetic skin and the human guinea pig he holds hostage, this is precisely as good as you would expect from writer/director Pedro Almodóvar.

Below are two obscure clips and a whole host of stills and behind the scenes images. It’s as if the press kit has thrown up all over this post.

 

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Film 4 Summer Screen at Somerset House

Tonight marks the start of one of the biggest entries in the London-based-outdoor-cinema calendar as Film4 Summer Screen at Somerset house begins with the premiere of The Skin I Live In. You can read our review of the opening film here and I have no idea how well this disturbing piece of cinema will play to a large crowd on a summer’s evening. Maybe it’s less creepy when not watched in a basement screening room.

You can read the full line-up of films at the Summer Screen in our earlier post, but unfortunately it’s all sold out. Your only remaining chance is the enter the competition on Film4.com and try to win tickets to the triple bill of Troll Hunters, Tremors and Gremlins on 6th August. Competition closes tomorrow at 5pm so don’t hesitate.

The Skin I Live In – Review

The Skin I Live In

Dr Ledgard (Antonio Banderas) was a renowned plastic surgeon until his wife died following a car crash in which she received disfiguring and extensive burns. Years later, the doctor is conducting secret experiments on a human guinea pig (Elena Anaya) to create tougher human skin, impervious to burns. Following a disturbance in Dr Ledgard’s isolated world we discover the origins of his project and just where his got his “patient” from.

The Skin I Live In is fascinating, mesmerising and completely disturbing. The full extent of Ledgard’s warped experiment can’t be discussed without ruining the grim and macabre twist lying at the centre of the story. This is the sort of film you leave in a slight daze, not wanting to dwell too much on what you have just seen and yet unable to stop discussing it.

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Film4 Summer Screen at Somerset House 2011 Line-up Revealed

Yesterday Somerset House released the list of films in this year’s Film4 Summer Screen. We missed out last year and frankly I can’t figure out why. With the amazing line-up this year I can imagine a fair few trips will be made.

Things worth getting silly about are a Die Hard and Attack the Block double bill, Scott Pilgrim vs The World and The Princess Bride. Possibly most exciting of all is a Gremlins, Troll Hunter and Tremors triple bill. Watch this trailer if you aren’t excited by this idea.

Before each screening is an hour-long talk from the Behind the Screen series, well worth a look as they have the likes of Joe Cornish in attendance.

The full schedule of films is below and we’d love to see you there sitting on the floor, outdoors and at night, among fellow film fans and quality cinema.

The Skin I Live In: UK Premiere
Wednesday 27 July 2011

The Spy Who Loved Me
Thursday 28 July 2011

The Big Blue
Friday 29 July 2011

Die Hard / Attack The Block
Saturday 30 July 2011

The Apartment
Sunday 31 July 2011

Thelma & Louise
Monday 1 August 2010

Chinatown
Tuesday 2 August 2011

In The Mood For Love
Wednesday 3 August 2011

Scott Pilgrim vs The World
Thursday 4 August 2011

Serpico / Shaft
Friday 5 August 2011

Gremlins / Troll Hunter / Tremors
Saturday 6 August 2011

The Princess Bride
Sunday 7 August 2011

Tickets can be bought online from Thursday 9th June and will sell fast.