Radio 4 increases airtime for the arts with new shows and an extended Front Row

Three new regular arts, film and music strands to launch on Radio 4 and flagship live arts programme Front Row extended to 45 minutes

Radio 4 is upping its arts coverage, to bring the best in cultural interview, discussion and criticism to our listeners, in a revamped offering.

 

A new film show, Screenshot, co-hosted by Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode, will take listeners on a fresh journey through film and screen culture . A new music programme, Add To Playlist, co-hosted by Cerys Matthews and Jeffrey Boakye, will explore music through surprising connections between songs and artists. And This Cultural Life, hosted by John Wilson, will feature in-depth interviews with the most important arts practitioners working today – from new talent to global icons.

 

Also from this Autumn, Front Row will air from Monday to Thursday at an extended running time of 45 minutes (from 30 minutes) with two regular presenters, Samira Ahmed and Tom Sutcliffe. The reinvigorated magazine programme will feature more regional coverage showcasing what’s happening in arts and culture across the UK. Throughout the week there will be big name interviews and an exciting mix of guests from across the arts industry having lively discussions about the big arts stories and events of the week. Each Thursday, the programme will focus on review and criticism of the key new arts openings, publications and events.

 

Mohit Bakaya, Controller Radio 4, said “The Arts matter. At all times, but especially during periods of uncertainty and change, culture provides an important lens that helps deepen our understanding of the world around us. However, the way we are consuming and experiencing the arts and culture is evolving. I’d like our arts programming to be even more ambitious, and intellectually curious. The new film and music shows will explore our evolving relationship with these two important genres as a result of the changing digital landscape, and the wonderful opportunities for discovery, as well as making fascinating new connections between past and present. The expanded Front Row will keep listeners across the most important cultural activity in the UK.  There will be more space for coverage and review of contemporary film releases, especially, but also a more thorough exploration of the worlds of performance art, the visual arts and literature.  Finally, This Cultural Life will do for the Arts what the Life Scientific has done for science - giving us deep insights into what makes our leading creative minds tick.”

 

SCREENSHOT

A new film programme co-hosted by Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode.

 

Radio 4’s new film programme Screenshot looks at the kaleidoscopic world of the moving image; from cinema to streaming, across decades and genres alike.  

 

Co-hosted by Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode, Screenshot will take Radio 4 listeners on an eclectic journey through the universe of the moving image, exploring the best of cinema and screen culture, wherever they encounter it.

 

Along with a wide range of guests, Ellen and Mark will share their knowledge and passions, making links across the ages, reflecting both the changing nature of contemporary viewing habits and the timeless art of screen storytelling. At a time when people can watch what they want, when they want, and how they want, Screenshot will help guide Radio 4 listeners to some of the best films and shows available, and to dig out hidden treasures, old and new.

 

Ellen E Jones, co-host of Screenshot, said "Screens are as everyday as the phone in your pocket, and yet screen stories retain this power to transport, transcend and unify. It’s a magical paradox which I love almost as much as I love talking about films and telly, so this Radio 4 project is a true joy. It’s as if I’ve walked out of a rainy night and into a fire-lit pub, where all my most erudite pals are gathered in animated conversation. Oh, and one of them just happens to be the legendary film critic, Mark Kermode!”

 

Mark Kermode, co-host of Screenshot, said "I’m thrilled to be working with the brilliant Ellen E Jones on this bold Radio 4 venture, which will perfectly complement Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review on 5Live. Rather than reviewing current releases, Ellen and I will be delving into the vaults to make unexpected links and discoveries from the history of film and TV. In the immortal words of Doc Brown from Back to the Future: ‘Where we’re going, we don’t need roads …’"

 

ADD TO PLAYLIST

A new music programme co-hosted by Cerys Matthews and Jeffrey Boakye

 

Music fans get a new show with Add To Playlist presented by broadcaster and singer songwriter Cerys Matthews and writer, teacher and broadcaster Jeffrey Boakye. Each week the presenters and guests will build a playlist track by track, connecting each track to the next with their own knowledge of musicology, music history and a touch of serendipity.

 

The series will tease out the connections between pieces of music as Cerys, Jeffrey and their guests surprise each other with their music choices and compete with each other to line up the next track, deepening our understanding of music we already know and discovering new pieces to enjoy. Songwriters, musicians, music writers and commentators will be on hand to unpack the rhythms, key signatures, and chord progressions that help the music tell its stories.

 

Cerys Matthews, co-host of Add To Playlist, said “I’m looking forward to launching Radio 4’s brand new music series with Jeffrey. It’s going to be an open armed celebration of music across genres and eras, we’ll journey amidst the backstories of these compositions , hearing how they came to be, and how they may interconnect . It’ll be  a voyage of discovery and I hope listeners will enjoy the ride, and maybe expand their own personal playlists too.” 

 

Jeffrey Boakye, co-host of Add To Playlist, said 'I’m absolutely thrilled to be taking part in this series, which I know is going to be incredibly special. Cerys and I both share such a deep love of music, and this is the perfect platform for us to bring this passion to BBC Radio 4 listeners. ‘Excited’ doesn’t even begin to cover it. I can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on.”

 

THIS CULTURAL LIFE

A series of in-depth conversations with artists hosted by John Wilson

 

This Cultural Life, hosted by John Wilson, will feature in-depth conversations with some of the world’s leading artists and creatives. The series will provide listeners with a deeper understanding of the lives and careers of our most celebrated artists from across theatre, visual arts, music, dance, film and more.

 

In each 45 minute edition, John Wilson talks to one leading cultural figure about their life, work, creative process, inspirations, and the emotional highs and lows of ‘this cultural life’. Selected episodes of This Cultural Life will be filmed and broadcast on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer.

 

John Wilson, host of This Cultural Life, said “Radio 4 has always been the proud home of arts programming on BBC radio, so I am delighted to be hosting This Cultural Life. For me, the extended interview has always been the most revealing and rewarding aspect of my radio work, and to be hosting a series dedicated to in-depth conversations with artists is a huge privilege. The new series will offer listeners a fantastic opportunity to gain unique and personal insights into the lives of some of the world’s leading creative people. I can’t wait to get started.”

 

As part of these changes and as previously confirmed, Radio 4 will no longer broadcast Saturday Review and The Film Programme. Across the new slate of arts programming there will be more review and criticism, including Front Row on Thursday evenings, and expanded film discussion and review of the latest releases on Front Row, as well as interviews with film makers and stars in new show This Cultural Life.

 

Add To Playlist will broadcast October to November, and Screenshot will broadcast December to January, both on Friday evenings at 7.15pm, and they will continue to alternate next year. This Cultural Life will broadcast on Saturday evenings at 7.15pm, beginning October.

 

The Debate Is Officially Over: Roger Moore Is The Best James Bond

Who is the best James Bond? Daniel Craig? Sean Connery? No... it's definitely Roger Moore! And this is why!

Live and Let Die (1973)

Moore in 1973

Owing to his commitment to several television shows, in particular The Saint, Roger Moore was unavailable for the James Bond films for a considerable time. His participation in The Saint was as actor, producer, and director, and he also became involved in developing the series The Persuaders!. In 1964, he made a guest appearance as James Bond in the comedy series Mainly Millicent. Moore stated in his autobiography My Word Is My Bond (2008) that he had neither been approached to play the character in Dr. No, nor did he feel that he had ever been considered. Only after Sean Connery had declared in 1966 that he would not play Bond any longer did Moore become aware that he might be a contender for the role. After George Lazenby was cast in 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Connery was enticed back to the role of Bond again for Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Moore did not consider the possibility until it seemed clear that Connery had stepped down as Bond for good. At that point, Moore was approached, and he accepted producer Albert Broccoli's offer in August 1972. In his autobiography, Moore writes that he had to cut his hair and lose weight for the role. Although he resented having to make those changes, he was finally cast as James Bond in Live and Let Die (1973).

Moore then made Gold (1974), based on a novel by Wilbur Smith for producer Michael Klinger and director Peter R. Hunt (who had an editing role in the first five Bond films and directed On Her Majesty's Secret Service). He was paid US$200,000 plus a percentage of the profits.

The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)

Moore made his second Bond film, The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), which was a hit, though less successful than Live and Let Die. It featured Christopher Lee as the main antagonist. Also appearing are Britt Ekland, Herve Villechaize, and Maud Adams. He then made a comedy That Lucky Touch (1975) which was a box office disaster. Moore made an Italian-shot action film Street People (1976), then went back to South Africa for another Klinger-Hunt movie from a Wilbur Smith novel, Shout at the Devil (1976), which was successful in Britain, though less so in the US. Lee Marvin was a main cast member. Ian Holm was also featured, as well as Barbara Parkins.

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Moore returned for a third outing as Bond in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), which was a massive box-office success. It also starred Barbara Bach, and Richard Kiel in his first appearance as the villain, Jaws. He returned to South Africa for a third action movie shot there, The Wild Geese (1978), produced by Euan Lloyd and directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. It was a sizeable hit in Britain and Europe but, like Shout at the Devil, less so in the US. The cast featured Richard Burton, who had top billing, and Richard Harris.

Moore played the lead in Escape to Athena (1979) partly financed by Lew Grade. It was a heist adventure set in war-time Greece, and stars Telly Savalas and David Niven, and features mostly American character actors, including Elliott Gould, Stefanie Powers, Richard Roundtree, Sonny Bono, and Italian actress Claudia Cardinale. Roger Moore (with top billing) plays a charming former Austrian antiquities dealer turned crooked camp commandant, asked to guard Greek antiquities desired by the Third Reich, and also guard the collection of archaeologists who are being forced to work to find and recover these objects, but he has other plans for the treasure he guards and for the people under his watch.

Moonraker (1979)

Roger Moore in 1979

With the success of his fourth outing as Bond, Moonraker (1979), Moore followed it with an action film North Sea Hijack (1980) where Moore played a very un-Bond-like hero, opposite Anthony Perkins. The film was a box-office disappointment.

Better received was The Sea Wolves (1980), another World War Two adventure which reunited many of the crew from The Wild Geese including Euan Lloyd and McLaglen. It was based on the true story of a March 1943 event in British India and Portuguese Goa, in which a group of retired members of the Calcutta Light Horse, coloneled by David Niven's character, assist regular British Army operatives, played by Moore and Gregory Peck, in destroying German ships in neutral Mormugao harbor, all the time surrounded by German spies and Indian nationalist intrigue. Trevor Howard, Patrick Macnee, and Barbara Kellerman also co-star, with a who's who lineup of British character actors.

Moore was in two all-star comedies: Sunday Lovers (1980), which flopped at the box office, and The Cannonball Run (1981), which was a hit. The latter featured an ensemble cast, including Jackie Chan, Burt Reynolds, Dean Martin, Dom DeLuise, Sammy Davis Jr, and Farrah Fawcett.

For Your Eyes Only (1981)

Moore returned for his fifth outing as Bond in For Your Eyes Only (1981).

Octopussy (1983)

Following the film, For Your Eyes Only, Moore expressed a desire to leave the role, and other actors were screen tested including James Brolin, but Moore was eventually enticed back for Octopussy (1983).

The circumstances around Octopussy's release were highly unusual in that another James Bond film was being released in the same year. The Non-Eon production Never Say Never Again which featured his predecessor Sean Connery returning to the role of Bond, although not canon to his previous Eon Bond films. This led to the media dubbing the one-time situation the "Battle of the Bonds".

He made a cameo as Chief Inspector Clouseau, posing as a famous movie star, in Curse of the Pink Panther (1983) (for which he was credited as "Turk Thrust II"). Then he tried a thriller The Naked Face (1984), written and directed by Bryan Forbes.

A View to a Kill (1985)

Moore starred in his final Bond film, A View to a Kill (1985). Moore was the oldest actor to have played Bond – he was 45 in Live and Let Die, and 58 when he announced his retirement on 3 December 1985, having played the part for over 12 years. With 7 films Moore currently holds the record for playing Bond the most times in the Eon series but is tied with Sean Connery in number of times playing the character when counting Connery's non-Eon appearance in Never Say Never Again (1983).

Moore's Bond was very different from the version created by Ian Fleming. Screenwriters such as George MacDonald Fraser provided scenarios in which Moore was cast as a seasoned, debonair playboy who would always have a trick or gadget in stock when he needed it. This was designed to serve the contemporary taste of the 1970s. Moore's version of Bond was also known for his sense of humour and witty one liners as Moore himself said, "My personality is different from previous Bonds. I'm not that cold-blooded-killer type. Which is why I play it mostly for laughs."

In 1987, he hosted Happy Anniversary 007: 25 Years of James Bond.

Read Marc Haynes' memorable Roger Moore story here.

What Does The The Matrix 4 Trailer Tell Us About The Upcoming Movie?

Film fans have been given their first full taste of the fourth instalment in the Matrix franchise in a trailer that reintroduces Keanu Reeves' hero Neo.

The Matrix Resurrections will be released in cinemas and on the HBO Max streaming service in December.

The original Matrix movie came out in 1999, and the first two sequels were both released in 2003.

The series involves a virtual reality constructed by a futuristic artificial intelligence to enslave humankind.

Returning co-star Carrie-Anne Moss can also be seen in the trailer, which had its online premiere on Thursday.

Here are five things we took away from the first look at what is already one of the year's most eagerly-awaited blockbusters.

1) What the duck?

The trailer opens with a bearded Reeves seeking guidance from a bespectacled psychiatrist, played by Neil Patrick Harris of How I Met Your Mother fame.

Reeves' character says he is having dreams that seem to allude to Neo's past as the Messianic figurehead of a resistance movement at war with the AI behind the Matrix.

Reeves, whom Harris calls Thomas, seems oblivious to the truth Neo learned in the first film - that the world he knows is a sophisticated simulation cooked up by computer.

But he discerns that something is up as he takes an elevator, studies his reflection in a mirror and sits in a bathtub with a plastic yellow duck perched on his head.

2) Have we met?

Given Neo appeared to die at the end of 2003's The Matrix Revolutions, we're led to ponder if Reeves is playing a different or alternative iteration of his original character.

The same may also apply to Moss's resistance fighter Trinity, who doesn't appear to recognise Reeves when they meet and shake hands in a coffee shop.

Then again, Thomas/Neo may be trying to block out memories of the man he once was - possibly by swallowing handfuls of tell-tale blue pills.

In the original film, Neo was offered a pill of that colour that would allow him to return to and continue his simulated existence.

3) Christmas Carroll

Neo, of course, chose to take a red pill that, in the words of Laurence Fishburne's Morpheus, let him "stay in Wonderland and [see] how deep the rabbit hole goes".

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll is a recurring motif in the Matrix universe and appears again in book form in the new three-minute trailer.

A rabbit tattoo that alludes to Carroll's White Rabbit is seen on the arm of another character, played by British-Chinese actress Jessica Fenwick.

The backing music, meanwhile, is Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit, a psychedelic 1967 anthem itself inspired by Carroll's writing and imagery.

4) He still knows kung fu

At the exhortation of Candyman actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, beardy Keanu ends up taking a red pill that seems to unlock the Matrix's secrets.

It also seems to reawaken the martial arts prowess that enables him to strike his new friend so hard it shatters the simulated dojo they're sparring in.

Abdul-Mateen II's character seems to have many of Morpheus's attributes, suggesting he may be a younger version or perhaps the son of Fishburne's character.

Fishburne himself revealed last year he had "not been invited" to reprise his signature role in Lana Wachowski's film.

5) Bang for your buck

While the original trilogy was directed by Lana Wachowski in tandem with her sibling Lily, the fourth film is directed by Lana alone.

Yet having one less person behind the camera doesn't appear to have had an impact on the new movie's explosive mayhem.

Trains, helicopters, motorcycles and cars are just a few of the modes of transport that are left riddled with bullets or blown to smithereens.

If there's a tall building in the vicinity, meanwhile, you can be certain someone at some point will throw themselves out of or off it.

The Matrix Resurrections will be released in UK cinemas on 22 December.

Source: BBC

Thomas Turgoose Reteams With Shane Meadows In TV Drama

Thomas Turgoose will reteam with writer-director Shane Meadows for new TV drama The Gallows Pole. 

Starring in the highly anticipated series will be:

Michael Socha (This Is England, Papillon)

Thomas Turgoose (This Is England, Looted)

George MacKay (1917, Captain Fantastic)

Tom Burke (Mank, The Souvenir)

Sophie McShera (Cinderella, Downton Abbey)

Cara Theobold (Downton Abbey, Crazyhead)

Yusra Warsama (Castle Rock)

Eve Burley (Secret State)

Nicole Barber Lane (Hollyoaks)

Samuel Edward-Cook (Peaky Blinders)

Anthony Welsh (Master Of None)

Joe Sproulle (The A Word)

Adam Fogerty (Legend)

Fine Time Fontayne (How We Used To Live)

...and an ensemble of first-time actors.

The Gallows Pole, based on the novel of the same name by Benjamin Myers, fictionalises the remarkable true story of the rise and fall of David Hartley and the Cragg Vale Coiners. Set against the backdrop of the coming industrial revolution in 18th century Yorkshire, the compelling drama follows the enigmatic David Hartley, played by Michael Socha, as he assembles a gang of weavers and land-workers to embark upon a revolutionary criminal enterprise that will capsize the economy and become the biggest fraud in British history.

It was also announced that A24 are teaming up with Element Pictures (The Favourite, Normal People) on the six-part series for the BBC which is currently filming in Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.

Collaborating again with casting director Shaheen Baig (The Virtues), Shane Meadows says of his cast: “Putting this cast together, with the undying support of Shaheen Baig and her amazing team, has been an absolute joy. To be working with actors I’ve grown up with and/or have been desperate to work with, alongside oodles of incredible ‘as yet’ undiscovered Yorkshire-based talent, is an absolute honour and I’ve not been this passionate about shooting a project in years!

"After some initial rehearsals back in spring, me and the team went on an open-casting odyssey, watching over 6,500 self-tapes from unrepresented actors and actresses, and were blown away by the quality of tapes that were submitted. We went from hoping to find one or two new faces, to making up half of the entire cast from those tapes and I believe it’s going to create a series quite unlike anything else I’ve ever worked on.

"This is the 18th century yes, but viewed through a slightly more anarchic lens and will - like my previous work - have a soundtrack that fits the mood like a psychedelic glove, rather than historical expectations.”

Piers Wenger, Director of BBC Drama, adds: “Shane’s talent for spotting and working with the newest and most authentic talent is second to none and will play a key role in setting this drama apart. It’s an honour to be working with Shane, our friends at Element, and our partners at A24, to see this amazing story start to come to life.”

Element Pictures adds: “Working with the BBC and A24 on Shane Meadows’ first period drama is incredibly exciting for all of us at Element. Shane’s unique take on the story combined with the stunning cast he has assembled will make for an intoxicating and unforgettable series.”

The Gallows Pole was commissioned by Piers Wenger, Director of BBC Drama, and is produced by Element Pictures in association with Big Arty for the BBC in association with A24. Nickie Sault, a long-time collaborator of Shane Meadows, will also be a producer on the show. International sales will be handled by A24.

10 Must-See Shounen Anime Movies

Shounen anime has been making big waves in the anime community lately. And now with the upcoming release of more shounen movies like Jujutsu Kaisen 0 and My Hero Academia: Heroes’ World Mission, we’re here to bring you some of the best shounen anime you may or may not have heard of!

Check out the top 10 here. 

Brian De Palma's The Fury: An Underrated Supernatural Thriller?

Is Brian De Palma's The Fury one of his most underrated films?

The Fury is a 1978 American supernatural thriller film directed by Brian De Palma and starring Kirk Douglas, John Cassavetes, Amy Irving, Carrie Snodgress, Charles Durning, and Andrew Stevens. The screenplay by John Farris was based on his 1976 novel of the same name.

The film was produced by Frank Yablans and released by 20th Century Fox on March 10, 1978. It was both a critical and commercial success, grossing $24 million from a $7.5 million budget. The music, composed and conducted by John Williams was highly praised by critic Pauline Kael, who called it "as apt and delicately varied a score as any horror movie has ever had".

Ghostbusters: Afterlife Film Review

Following Ghostbusters: Afterlife’s debut at CinemaCon, reactions from the screening have been flooding in. Thankfully for those of us eagerly anticipating this “reboot” sequel, the reviews are all glowing. Germain Lussier wrote on Twitter that the film is the “sequel fans have been waiting decades for”.

John Nguyen from Nerd Reactor said the film was destined to become a classic saying the "stars are the kids and they are charming on screen, giving off the Goonies meets Ghostbusters feel."

What's It About?

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is an upcoming American supernatural comedy film directed by Jason Reitman, who co-wrote the screenplay with Gil Kenan. The film stars Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, and Paul Rudd, while Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts reprise their roles from the original films. It is the sequel to Ghostbusters (1984) and Ghostbusters II (1989) and the fourth film overall in the Ghostbusters franchise. Set thirty years after the events of the second film, a single mother and her two children move to a small town in Oklahoma, where they discover their connection to the original Ghostbusters and their grandfather's secret legacy.

A third Ghostbusters film had been in various stages of development since Ghostbusters II released in 1989, stalling as Murray refused to commit to the project. After the death of cast member Harold Ramis in 2014, Sony instead produced a reboot released in 2016. The film performed poorly at the box office, and Reitman began developing a sequel to the original films. The new cast members were announced by July 2019, while the original cast signed on two months later. Filming took place from July to October 2019.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife was screened unannounced on August 23, 2021 during the 2021 CinemaCon event in Los Angeles and is scheduled to be released in the United States on November 11, 2021, after being delayed three times from an original July 2020 date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife film review

Reviews are currently embargoed so here's the premise:

After being evicted from their home, a single mother and her two children are forced to move to a decayed farmhouse in Summerville, Oklahoma, left to them by the children's late grandfather, where a series of unexplained earthquakes are occurring despite not being situated on any fault and strange things are happening in an old mine which once belonged to the alleged occultist Ivo Shandor.

The children discover their grandfather's history with the original Ghostbusters, who have since been largely forgotten by the world beyond their fan base.

When supernatural phenomena relating to New York City's "Manhattan Crossrip of 1984" arises and threatens the world, the kids, along with their family and friends, must use the Ghostbusters' equipment and become their successors to save it.