James Bond To Give Cinemas A Winter Boost

The new Bond movie, No Time to Die, will be the spark that brings film fans back to the beleaguered cinema industry, predicts entertainment firm and online gaming site, PartyCasino.

Research carried out by the site found that a whopping 83% of movie-goers plan to watch the new Bond film*, whose release was delayed from 2020 to April 2021 and then September 30, 2021.

The news comes after a torrid year for cinema companies, with the total UK and Ireland box office for 2020 falling to £323m, a massive 76% down on 2019. Only 441 movies were released in 2020, less than half of the previous year, as the major chains either shut down completely (Cineworld) or cut, drastically, their opening times (Odeon, Vue).

But PartyCasino’s analysis found that nearly half of fans (47%) will be prompted to make their first visit to a cinema since they were reopened nationally by the return to the silver screen of James Bond. The iconic secret agent was also voted the best movie secret agent in history as part of PartyCasino’s research.

The mothballing of Cineworld’s 128 UK venues last year was caused directly by the initial delay of No Time to Die. The rescheduling of the film’s release date also started a chain reaction across the movie world, with other titles including Dune, Wonder Woman and Black Widow following suit and delaying release dates.

Younger movie lovers are the most excited to see No Time to Die, with more than three quarters (76%) of 18-24 year olds saying they will definitely watch it. However, they are also the least likely to venture out to the cinema to do so, with 72% planning to watch it at home or on demand.

Meanwhile, viewers aged 35-44 (55%) and 45-54 (47%) are most likely to watch on the big screen and it appears that men have been more cautious about visiting the cinema over the last year – more than half (51%) of men state that the Bond movie will be their first trip back to the cinema, compared with 42% of women.

Londoners have been the most eager to get back to the movie theatre, with more than three in five (65%) reporting that they have already been to see a film; only 29% of the Capital’s film fans will make No Time to Die their first since restrictions were eased.

The popularity of the iconic James Bond character has played a big part in bringing people back to the cinemas. PartyCasino’s research found that Bond, who will be played by Daniel Craig for the final time in No Time to Die, was overwhelmingly the nation’s favourite secret agent.

More than half (52%) named the suave MI6 operative at the top of their list. Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne was second in the list with 28% of the vote, followed by The Impossible Mission’s Ethan Hunt (19%), played by Tom Cruise.

Younger fans preferred several other agents to Bond, with Jason Bourne and Alec Leamas from The Spy Who Came In from the Cold registering more votes among 18-24 year olds, but Ronin’s Sam Regazolli (Robert de Niro) was the youngsters’ favourite, with 20% voting him top of the list.

Conversely, while Bond was the top choice of most aged 65 and over, Harry Palmer from The Ipcress File was also popular, with more than a quarter (26%) naming him.

PartyCasino marketing manager, David Winter, said: “James Bond clearly still has a massive place in the hearts of the British public – his magnetism, suaveness, witty one-liners and fearless stunts still draw the crowds they did decades ago.

“His return this month can only be a good thing for the UK cinema industry which, like most entertainment sectors, has been hit hard in the last year. James Bond always saves the day – here’s hoping he can save our cinemas too.”

To find out exactly why Bond is still such a huge draw, take a look at PartyCasino’s research on the public’s favourite stunts and casino scenes from 007’s back catalogue here: The Reasons why Britain Still Loves Bond.

Joel Rapp Dies

Joel Rapp, who had writing or co-writing credits on 16 feature films and more than 250 classic sitcoms, died Wednesday at home. He was 87 and no cause of death was given by his family.

Born on May 22, 1934 in New York City, Rapp grew up Beverly Hills in a family considered part of Hollywood royalty. His father, Philip Rapp, created radio series The Bickersons and Baby Snooks. His godmother was actress and singer Fanny Brice, and his godfather was actor-singer Eddie Cantor.

Joel Rapp went on to work with director Roger Corman on many films and wrote for such television hits as Gilligan’s Island, The Lucy Show, McHale’s Navy, My Favorite Martian, The Patty Duke Show, The Joey Bishop Show and The Donna Reed Show.

Source: Deadline

Christopher Nolan's New Deal With Universal - Explained

If you want to attract Christopher Nolan to your studio, it turns out he comes with a list of terms and conditions.

Just in case you’re a studio head reading this and contemplating a last-minute raid on Universal to try and secure the services of Christopher Nolan, you might want to finish this article first.

Whilst Nolan’s contract with Universal is said to be in the final stages of negotiations, there’s a long list of demands that reportedly come with securing the services of such a successful and prestigious director. Sony, Apple and others were all said to be courting the director at one point when his departure from Warner Bros became an inevitability, following his public dressing down of the studio over its decision to release its films both theatrically and via its streaming service. However, it’s Universal that have seemingly won his favour, with the studio reportedly meeting Nolan’s demands, which have now become public.

According to Variety, Nolan’s demands included a $100 million budget for his next project, a film about Robert J Oppenheimer, the ‘father’ of the atomic bomb. Nolan also wants total creative control of the film and 20% of the first-dollar gross. Reportedly, Nolan is also requesting a six-week non-release period surrounding the theatrical release of his Oppenheimer film, throughout which Universal will not release any other films. We have to imagine that this request would be granted on a wait-and-see basis, given the current state of the world, but who knows?

The list of demands features as part of a wider story on the chase to secure Nolan’s services, and it’s well worth a few minutes of your time.

Whilst Nolan’s expectations may raise eyebrows in some quarters, most of them are contractual elements that he had already earned at Warner Bros, plus you can’t help but admire the director’s commitment to the theatrical cause, even if demanding a 100 day theatrical window probably lost him Apple’s interest immediately. We’ll bring you more details of Nolan’s next film as we hear them.

Source: Film Stories

Denis Villeneuve Isn't A Fan Of Marvel Films

Dune director Denis Villeneuve has been ruminating on why the MCU probably isn’t right for his work.

Denis Villeneuve has the hotly-anticipated Dune coming up for release next month. He’s also hoping to get moving onto the sequel pretty quickly should the first one do well. However, one project he’s not interested in is a gig with Marvel, and creating a future instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Villeneuve has been discussing the limitations of sticking to Marvel’s ‘house style’, stating that “the problem today… Well, if we’re talking about Marvel, the thing is, all these films are made from the same mould. Some filmmakers can add a little colour to it, but they’re all cast in the same factory. It doesn’t take anything away from the movies, but they are formatted.”

In a separate interview with Harper’s Bazaar, both of which were pulled together by Dark Horizons, Villeneuve was interviewed by Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao, whose next release is the upcoming Marvel flick, The Eternals... [continue reading]

Source: Film Stories

The Purge 6 Is On The Way, Frank Grillo To Return

Frank Grillo is heading back to The Purge franchise, he’s confirmed, as he awaits the script for The Purge 6.

This year, the fifth film in the Purge series of movies – The Forever Purge – was released, to pretty good reviews. The whole series has bounced up and down a bit, and for our money it’s peaked thus far with the second, The Purge: Anarchy. But there’s little doubt that it’s a franchise short of neither ideas nor legs.

Little surprise then that a chapter six is on the way. Frank Grillo has confirmed both the existence of the project, and also that he’ll be back as Leo Barnes in the next film.

Furthermore, James DeMonaco is not only scripting this way again, but he’s also returning to the director’s chair for the next movie.

No word yet on what the title of the new film will be, or when to expect it. But as Grillo explains, he’s set to receive the script for the new movie any day. On top of that, they don’t tend to take too long to film. We’ll keep you posted as we hear more.

Source: Film Stories

What To Watch On Netflix: Blood Red Sky

Let Me In meets Snakes on a Plane, Blood Red Sky boasts high-concept appeal with a touching mother-son relationship at its core and a great breakout performance from the very talented Peri Baumeister. Director Thorwarth manages to give us both the kinetic, visceral action set-pieces that titillate the senses alongside poignant, quieter moments that champion the bonds of parenthood. It means Blood Red Sky leaves a lasting impression that goes beyond the tearing of flesh and dismembered body parts.

Watch on Netflix now. 

PLOT (from Wikipedia):

An airborne plane is headed for a landing based on a hijacking. Someone has control of the plane and lands it successfully at an RAF base in Scotland. A man in the cockpit claims he is injured but suspected of being a hijacker.

A woman then is seen talking to a child who was a passenger aboard the plane at the behest of the base's commanding officer.

A German widow, Nadja, and her son Elias prepare to board a plane to New York; Nadja, who appears to suffer from leukemia, is set to visit a doctor who can provide her with the treatment she needs to restore her health. At the airport, Elias befriends a man named Farid, while his mother takes medicine that causes her severe discomfort.

As the passengers settle down for the evening, a group of men, including the co-pilot Bastian, discreetly murder the three air marshals on the plane and sabotage the black box, preventing the plane from being tracked on radar. Their leader, Berg, then makes an announcement to the passengers that he and his men are now in control of the plane and expect everyone to stay put until a ransom is paid. Elias tries to hide, and Nadja follows him. A sociopathic hijacker named Eightball sees them and shoots Nadja several times. Assuming she's dead, the hijackers begin the second stage of their plan, forcing Farid to record a statement that makes it appear the plane has been seized by terrorists for a suicide attack, knowing it will then be shot down.

As Nadja slowly regains consciousness, she begins to relive the day her husband, Nikolai, was killed. He had gone to a local farmhouse for help when their car broke down during a family trip but failed to return. When Nadja went looking for him, she was attacked by his murderer, a vampire who managed to bite Nadja before being burned to death by the sunrise. Nadja soon turned into a vampire, and went back to the farmhouse looking for answers. She ran into an elderly vampire who tried to shoot her to stop further spread of vampirism, but she overpowered and beat him to death before escaping with vials of vampire suppressant and burning the farmhouse to the ground.

Nadja manages to access the cargo hold, and removes the contacts and dentures that conceal her mutated eyes and fangs before killing and feeding on a dog. A hijacker catches her in the act and she kills him and drinks his blood, which fully transforms her into a vampire. She finds Farid and they manage to regain control of the plane just as the hijackers are about to parachute out. Berg tries to take back control of the cockpit before Nadja surprises and bites him. She then stabs him with a knife before he can fully transform.

The hijackers, realizing what they're dealing with, task Eightball with killing Nadja. He subdues her with UV light before extracting some of her blood, but just as he is about to stake her, Elias confronts him with Berg's gun and accidentally shoots out a window which depressurizes the plane. The hijackers take back the cockpit and restore the pressure. Eightball flees into the cargo hold and injects himself with Nadja's blood; she tries to set him on fire but fails to fully destroy him. Soon enough, the other hijackers, with the exception of Bastian, are ambushed and killed by a vampiric Eightball, while the rest of the passengers arm themselves. Nadja convinces them that she wants to help, and they manage to lock Eightball in the hold and secure the plane.

Bastian informs Nadja that the plane doesn't have enough fuel to reach New York, and that they must land soon or crash. A selfish passenger dying from an injury releases Eightball in the hopes of being bitten; instead, he kills him and proceeds to turn most of the other passengers into vampires. Nadja, knowing that they will escape if the plane lands, decides to sacrifice herself by using the hijackers' explosives to kill them. Elias stops her and goes himself, but only manages to grab the detonator before being surrounded by vampires. Nadja makes Farid promise to look after him before killing and feeding on Bastian. She tries to save her son but is attacked and drained of her blood by Eightball. Just as he goes for Elias, Farid steers the plane into the path of the morning sun, causing Eightball to burn and fall to his death.

Elias uses his blood to save Nadja's life, but she rejects him and flees, knowing that her taste for his blood puts him in danger. The plane lands at an RAF base in Scotland, but the authorities ignore Elias and Farid's pleas and board the plane looking for survivors, resulting in a massacre. They mistake Elias' pleas as trauma, so an ambulance is sent to transport him to a hospital. But before embarking he demands for his teddy bear to be given back, and he becomes reunited with it. As a medic prepares to inject him with sleep sedative, Elias escapes from the ambulance and runs back to the plane. He sees his mother get out of the plane and feed on a soldier, but when he calls her she only returns a hungry roar, then heads toward him with the intention of devouring him. Realizing that his mother is gone and all that is left of her is a rabid beast, Elias activates the detonator he hid in his teddy bear, killing her and the other vampires. Farid is released from custody and hugs Elias as the camera slowly pulls away.

What to Watch on Netflix?

The Conjuring: Does for "hanging out the washing" what Jaws did for swimming

To coin a cliché: The Conjuring does for “hanging washing on the line” what Jaws did for swimming.

What's The Conjuring about?

The Conjuring is a 2013 American supernatural horror film directed by James Wan and written by Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes. It is the inaugural film in the Conjuring Universe franchise. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga star as Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators and authors associated with prominent cases of haunting. Their purportedly real-life reports inspired The Amityville Horror story and film franchise. The Warrens come to the assistance of the Perron family, who experienced increasingly disturbing events in their farmhouse in Rhode Island in 1971.

Development of the film began in January 2012, and reports confirmed Wan as the director of a film entitled The Warren Files, later retitled The Conjuring, centering on the alleged real-life exploits of Ed and Lorraine Warren, a married couple who investigated paranormal events. In his second collaboration with Wan, Patrick Wilson starred alongside Vera Farmiga in the main roles of Ed and Lorraine. Production commenced in Wilmington, North Carolina, in February 2012, and scenes were shot in chronological order.

The Conjuring was released in the United States and Canada on July 19, 2013, by Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema. It received positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances, direction, screenplay, atmosphere, and musical score. It grossed over $319 million worldwide against its $20 million budget. A sequel, The Conjuring 2, was released on June 10, 2016.

Is James Wan's The Conjuring any good?

The craft – if not the art – of a great horror flick skitters around Saw creator James Wan's new popcorn-spiller. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga play Ed and Lorraine Warren, the real-life paranormal investigators who in the early 1970s helped the Perron family (led here by Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor) rid their Rhode Island pad of a demon, before clearing up at Amityville. The beast roves the house, as bashful about its hell-raising as Wan is about reeling off genre tropes: slamming doors, stopping clocks and smashing family photos.

The Conjuring was a huge hit in the US, perhaps because it plays to sceptics and believers alike; there's never any question that what we're seeing might be absurd or imaginary. The Warrens – religious folk concerned for their victims' souls (their church attendance is patchy) – are presented as dedicated professionals, rather than kooks, weirdos or (whisper it) hucksters. But the 70s setting, paired with the cheapish visual effects, helps the thing scramble along like a fleshed-out episode of Scooby Doo. Wan's shocks are predictable but – yikes! – are they scary.

Review by Henry Barnes.