James Absolon explains how this Pope-themed film, despite its risky premise, works
Alex Pollard reviews Hollywood's biopic of the controversial Margaret Thatcher
-Has it really been that long? Jurassic Park III was released nearly a decade ago, and while a fourth dinosaur romp has been on the cards for some time, the past week has seen some fresh news. Rumour has it that Steven Spielberg, the director of the first and second iterations of the series, is considering a return to the franchise. Previous reports suggested that Jurassic Park IV would not be a direct continuation of the original storyline, though it remains to be seen how Spielberg would approach it if he was to return.
-The next Superman film, called Man of Steel, has its Jor-El. The father of the titular kryptonian, Jor-El will be played by Russell Crowe, (Gladiator (2000), A Beautiful Mind (2001)). Director Zack Snyder, famous for helming 300 (2006) and Watchmen (2009) still looks set to begin filming the reboot this summer.
-One of the roles which catapulted actress Emma Stone to fame was as the character Wichita, fending off the undead in Zombieland (2009). Now it looks like she may have another chance to show off those shuffler-bashing skills in the upcoming Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. She will reportedly play Elizabeth Bennett in the bizarre period drama/horror mash up based on the popular novel.
-The classic James Bond spy tale Never Say Never Again (1983) is on ITV1 at 15:30 on Saturday 25th June. Peter Jackson’s remake of King Kong (2005) begins before the end of the Bond film, on ITV2 at 17:25. Hugh Jackman-starring vampire flick Van Helsing (2004) begins immediately afterwards, at 21:00 on ITV2. School of Rock (2003) is on E4 at 15:55 on Sunday 26th June. The aforementioned Spielberg-directed dinosaur adventure Jurassic Park (1993) is showing on ITV2 at 18:35 on Sunday 26th June. The Ian McEwan adaptation Atonement(2007) is on ITV3 at 21:00 on Sunday 26th June.
-Bridesmaids This rather rude and crude comedy stars Kristen Wiig as a woman who is maid of honour at her best friend’s wedding only to find herself fighting bridesmaid Helen (Rose Bryne) whilst the rest of her life goes down the toilet. What results is a film that works surprisingly well, with its more risqué humour still allowing for some good characters you can honestly root for whilst remaining extremely funny.
-The First Grader This clear attempt to create a ‘heart-warming drama’ sees a man in his eighties grasp the right to his free education. Cue the obligatory triumph of the human spirit and over adversity tropes as he attempts to fulfil his dream even this late in life. In the end, though, the film has warmed the hearts of a few critiques but not many.
-Countdown to Zero
Lucy Walker’s acclaimed documentary charts the life and progress of the atom bomb and its inevitably expanding use in global politics. A thought-provoking but hardly uplifting viewing.
-Incendies
Nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film award at this year’s Oscars this French-Canadian picture tells the story of a pair of twins who journey to the middle east to uncover their families’ past, resulting in what been hailed as deeply touching and an extremely well acted drama.
-Viva Riva
A stylish crime thriller from the Congo is not something you see every day and neither is one that has received primarily positive reviews. That said it does apparently follow the standard genre formula and will be nearly impossible to see in cinema.
-Akira
23 years on it looks like Neo Tokyo’s about to explode all over again, and where better to see it then in the cinema. This re-release reminds everyone just how breathtaking Katsihiro Otomo’s vision really is.
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