Upcoming Releases - April '11

Here is a selection of films due out in UK cinemas next month.


Sucker Punch - 1st April
Action | Fantasy | Thriller
110 mins
12A certificate
Main cast: Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, Carla Gugino, Scott Glenn
Director: Zack Snyder

'An epic action fantasy that takes us into the vivid imagination of a young girl whose dream world provides the ultimate escape from her darker reality. Unrestrained by the boundaries of time and place, she is free to go where her mind takes her, and her incredible adventures blur the lines between what's real and what is imaginary.'

Official site: http://suckerpunchmovie.warnerbros.com/


Source Code - 1st April
Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller
93 mins
12A certificate
Main cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright
Director: Duncan Jones

'When decorated soldier Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train. In an assignment unlike any he's ever known, he learns he's part of a government experiment called the "Source Code," a program that enables him to cross over into another man's identity in the last 8 minutes of his life. With a second, much larger target threatening to kill millions in downtown Chicago, Colter re-lives the incident over and over again, gathering clues each time, until he can solve the mystery of who is behind the bombs and prevent the next attack.'

Official site: http://www.enterthesourcecode.com/


Oranges and Sunshine - 1st April
Drama
105 mins
15 certificate
Main cast: Emily Watson, Hugo Weaving, David Wenham
Director: Jim Loach

'Margaret Humphreys, a social worker from Nottingham, uncovered one of the most significant social scandals in recent times: the forced migration of children from the United Kingdom. Almost singlehandedly, against overwhelming odds and with little regard for her own well-being, Margaret reunited thousands of families, brought authorities to account and worldwide attention to an extraordinary miscarriage of justice. She discovered a secret that the British government had kept hidden for years: one hundred and thirty thousand children in care had been sent abroad to commonwealth countries, mainly Australia. They were promised oranges and sunshine, they got hard labour and life in institutions.'

Official site: http://www.iconmovies.co.uk/orangesandsunshine/


Your Highness - 13th April
Adventure | Comedy | Fantasy
102 mins
15 certificate
Main cast: Danny McBride, Natalie Portman, James Franco, Zooey Deschanel
Director: David Gordon Green

'Thadeous (McBride) has spent his life watching his perfect older brother Fabious (Franco) embark upon valiant journeys and win the hearts of his people. Tired of being passed over for adventure, adoration and the throne, he's settled for a life of wizard's weed, hard booze and easy maidens. But when Fabious' bride-to-be, Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel), gets kidnapped by the evil wizard Leezar (Justin Theroux), the king gives his deadbeat son an ultimatum: Man up and help rescue her or get cut off. Half-assedly embarking upon his first quest, Thadeous joins Fabious to trek across the perilous outlands and free the princess.'

Official site: http://www.yourhighnessmovie.net/


Red Riding Hood - 15th April
Fantasy | Horror | Mystery
100 mins
12A certificate
Main cast: Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Max Irons, Shiloh Fernandez, Julie Christie
Director: Catherine Hardwicke

'Valerie (Seyfried) is in love with brooding outsider Peter (Fernandez), but her parents have arranged for her to marry the wealthy Henry (Irons). Unwilling to lose each other, Valerie and Peter are planning to run away together when they learn that Valerie's older sister has been killed by the werewolf that prowls the dark forest surrounding their village. For years, the people have maintained an uneasy truce with the beast, offering the creature a monthly animal sacrifice. But under a blood red moon, the wolf has upped the stakes by taking a human life. Hungry for revenge, the people call on famed werewolf hunter, Father Solomon (Oldman), to help them kill the wolf.'

Official site: http://redridinghood.warnerbros.com/


Scream 4 - 15th April
Horror | Mystery | Thriller
103 mins
TBC certificate
Main cast: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Hayden Panettiere, Rory Culkin
Director: Wes Craven

'In Scream 4, Sidney Prescott, now the author of a self-help book, returns home to Woodsboro on the last stop of her book tour. There she reconnects with Sheriff Dewey and Gale, who are now married, as well as her cousin Jill (played by Emma Roberts) and her Aunt Kate (Mary McDonnell). Unfortunately Sidney's appearance also brings about the return of Ghostface, putting Sidney, Gale, and Dewey, along with Jill, her friends, and the whole town of Woodsboro in danger.'

Official site: http://www.scream-4.com/


Meek's Cutoff - 15th April
Western
104 mins
PG certificate
Main cast: Michelle Williams, Bruce Greenwood, Paul Dano, Will Patton
Director: Kelly Reichardt

'The year is 1845, the earliest days of the Oregon Trail, and a wagon train of three families has hired mountain man Stephen Meek to guide them over the Cascade Mountains. Claiming to know a shortcut, Meek leads the group on an unmarked path across the high plain desert, only to become lost in the dry rock and sage. Over the coming days, the emigrants face the scourges of hunger, thirst and their own lack of faith in one another's instincts for survival. When a Native American wanderer crosses their path, the emigrants are torn between their trust in a guide who has proven himself unreliable and a man who has always been seen as a natural born enemy.'

Official site: http://meekscutoff.com/

Fast Five - 21st April
Action | Crime | Drama
Running time and certificate: TBA
Main cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Tyrese Gibson
Director: Justin Lin

'Since Brian and Mia Toretto broke Dom out of custody, they've blown across many borders to elude authorities. Now backed into a corner in Rio de Janeiro, they must pull one last job in order to gain their freedom. As they assemble their elite team of top racers, the unlikely allies know their only shot of getting out for good means confronting the corrupt businessman who wants them dead. But he's not the only one on their tail.'

Official site: http://www.fastfivemovie.com/


The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec - 22nd April
Action | Adventure | Fantasy
107 mins
12A certificate
Main cast: Louise Bourgoin, Mathieu Amalric, Gilles Lellouche
Director: Luc Besson

'An adventure set in the early party of the 20th century and focused on a popular novelist and her dealings with would-be suitors, the cops, monsters, and other distractions.'

Official site: http://www.adeleblancsec-lefilm.com/


Thor - 27th April
Action | Adventure | Drama
130 mins
TBC certificate
Main cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgard
Director: Kenneth Branagh

'The powerful but arrogant warrior Thor is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard and sent to live amongst humans on Earth, where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.'

Official site: http://thor.marvel.com/



Information obtained from IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, http://www.filmdates.co.uk/, and the films' official websites.

The Good, the Bad and the Weird [30/03/11]

Bringing you recent movie news stories that caught my eye for different reasons. 

The Good:

As many of you will no doubt be aware, I am a fan of the immensely talented and entertaining Mr. Gary Oldman. I'd even go so far as to say he's my favourite actor. So I was delighted to hear that he had been honoured at the Empire Movie Awards, being named Empire Icon.

Colin Firth presented him with his award, stating "He is as far as I’m concerned a very strong candidate for the world’s best living actor.” Well said sir!

Source: Empire

The Bad:

I was sad to hear that the legendary star and icon Elizabeth Taylor had passed away, due to heart failure, at the age of 79. Taylor has such a luminous screen presence when you watch her movies. She won two Best Actress Oscars, for BUtterfield 8 and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Her most iconic role was in Cleopatra in 1963. This marked the first screen pairing of her and future husband Richard Burton. They had an affair on set, sparking a scandal, and later went on to make 11 more films together.

Source: Total Film

The Weird:

The title of this movie news story filled me with dread: "A sexy, young, American Miss Marple" - ugh! Why oh why is this happening? Miss Marple is a nosy old woman who solves murder mysteries for the incompetent local police force. Drastic changes are being made to update the character for a Disney film.

Jennifer Garner is set to star as the young Jane Marple. I've got nothing against her, thought she was awesome in J.J. Abram's TV series Alias. Sure, give her a role in a crime thriller or something, but why do they have to call her Miss Marple? They're basically changing everything about Agatha Christie's 'detective' anyway, just write something new! Oh right, everyone seems incapable of doing that at the moment.

Source: Dark Horizons

My 5 favourite... Gary Oldman good guys

Although better known for playing the villain, he's played nice guys too. Thought I'd take this opportunity to highlight some of those roles. Here are my 5 favourites;
  
• Sirius Black (Harry Potter series) Harry Potter's godfather who spent many years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Is able transform into a big black dog. Brave and loyal, he also looks quite dapper in a smart suit.

• Jim Gordon (Christopher Nolan's Batman films) One of the few good policemen left in Gotham who haven't been corrupted, he is an ally to Batman in his fight against the criminals in the city. He is promoted to Police Commissioner in The Dark Knight after he assists in capturing the Joker.

• Rosencrantz (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead) One of the minor characters from the play Hamlet who is the focus of this film's events. Oldman shows off a great talent for comedy and a masterful command of the very wordy script. 

• Ben Chase (Criminal Law) A lawyer who defends a man (Kevin Bacon) accused of murder and gets him let off, only to discover that he was guilty. A deadly game of cat-and-mouse ensues, with the lawyer trying to put things right and stop the killer before he can strike again. One of Gary's earliest films. 

• O.W. Grant (Interstate 60) A kind of genie who grants one wish per person. It's a great performance and a quirky, memorable character. He rides a bicycle, wears a bowtie and smokes a pipe in the shape of a monkey's head. A little-known but enjoyable film, and Gary steals the show.

So those are my favourites, who are yours? Drop me a comment.

Review: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Another boring summer holiday with his Aunt and Uncle ends with Harry losing control and using magic on his Uncle’s sister. He runs away and is picked up by the Knight Bus, a purple triple-decker, which takes him to the Leaky Cauldron. There he meets the Minister of Magic who tells him he isn’t in trouble for using magic outside of school, strange considering this is usually taken very seriously, but then Harry is soon going to find out he has more important things to worry about.

He learns from Mr Weasley that a wizard by the name of Sirius Black, a notorious mass murderer, has escaped from Azkaban, the wizarding prison. Apparently he was a disciple of Voldemort and blames Harry for his master’s demise. He is now on the hunt for Harry, with the desire to kill him in order to facilitate Voldemort’s return to full power. Dark creatures called Dementors, who guard the prison, are searching everywhere for him. Harry is told not to go looking for Black. Why would he go looking for someone who wants to kill him? It seems there is more to Sirius Black than meets the eye...

This is film number three out of eight (the last book is split into two films) and it’s notable as the point where things take a slightly darker turn. It breaks away from the conventions of the first two and tells a more interesting story. The characters also have a lot more depth, Sirius Black and the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, Remus Lupin in particular. The first two films were very faithful but rather unexciting, the director seemed afraid to attempt to make his own mark on the films. This time around they made the brave decision to choose Alfonso Cuaron, director of Y Tu Mamá También. This decision definitely pays off; he adds an aspect of realism to the film, which may seem strange for a fantasy but it works really well. The look is darker and grainier and there is a naturalistic feel to it that makes all the fantasy elements more believable, and paradoxically, more fantastic. It is a film that works on its own but also won’t disappoint the legions of Potter fans.

The plot of the film is rather murky at times and there are moments when more explanation would have been beneficial to those who haven’t read the book. It fails to fully explain the friendship between Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black and Harry’s Dad, James Potter. It also doesn’t enlighten audiences that these four were the creators of the Marauder’s Map: Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs or that three of the friends became Animagi (able to turn into animals) in order to look out for Lupin. These small details should have been clarified in order for viewers to get a better idea of certain character’s relationships and motivations.

This film, along with the others in the series, is a real showcase for the cream of British acting talent. There are fine performances from Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson and Michael Gambon (taking over from Richard Harris as Dumbledore). The three leads have matured and developed and look much more comfortable in their roles. Gary Oldman as Sirius Black is an inspired piece of casting. Famed for playing madmen and bad guys, more recently he has come to portray guardian figures for heroes such as in the new Batman films. Along with David Thewlis as Professor Lupin who also does an excellent job, he delivers a character with shadowy complexity which results in a credible and convincing performance. Both actors, playing characters who are firm fan favourites, excel during moments of serious emotion as well as those of good humour.

The end of the film is rather poignant and makes way for the future films, which continue to get even darker. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is my favourite in the series. It has an interesting story, a skilful director, great characters, engaging actors, emotion, humour, secrets, twists, and even a bit of time-travel thrown in for good measure.

My 5 favourite... Gary Oldman bad guys

He's best known for the evil characters he has played. Gary Oldman sure is the master of portraying crazy and memorable villains. Here are my 5 favourites;
  
• Norman Stansfield (Leon) Loves classical music and hates it when his suit gets ruined. Pill-popping Stan is quiet and calculating one minute and exploding with rage the next. Unpredictable and unstable, he may be an evil, murdering, corrupt cop but he is a joy to watch.

• Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg (The Fifth Element) A ruthless businessman who loves destruction. Zorg's mission is to retrieve the 4 elemental stones for the Great Evil, affectionately referred to as 'Mr. Shadow'. His interesting and colourful outfit, weird hairstyle and Southern accent make him an unforgettable character.

• Drexl Spivey (True Romance) A crazy pimp and drug-dealer with dreadlocks and a scarred face who talks like he wants to be a gangster. Although it's only a cameo in the movie, Oldman really makes the most of his part and delivers some hilarious lines.

•  Ivan Korshunov (Air Force One) A Russian hi-jacker who bites off more than he can chew when he tries to mess with the President of the United States (action hero Harrison Ford). He believes in the cause he is fighting for and is willing to give up everything, a dangerous man to be up against.

• Dracula/ Vlad (Bram Stoker's Dracula) I prefer to think of him as the hero of the film, although being a bloodthirsty undead monster does place him in the bad guy category. Gary's brilliant performance as the doomed vampire makes this film worth watching and makes up for Keanu Reeves' awful English accent.

 So those are my favourites, who are yours? Drop me a comment.

Review: The Fifth Element

The Fifth Element is Luc Besson’s big budget futuristic blockbuster, which, at the time, was the most expensive film ever produced outside of Hollywood. Besson again called on the might of Gary Oldman to play the bad guy, following his fantastic performance in Léon (1994) and he excels again here as the ruthless industrialist Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg.

This film is a visual extravaganza. The rich and vibrant colours ensure that the future is a bright and appealing one, not bleak and dystopian, as in so many futuristic films. Besson said that he wanted to show a vision of the future that wasn’t dark and dangerous. What comes across most about the visual effects is the amazing attention to detail. The shots of 23^rd century New York are some of the highlights. Leeloo’s POV shot when she sees the skyline for the first time is remarkable. The skyscrapers, packed closely together, ascend high into the clouds, with subways zooming up and down their sides and the areas in between packed with flying cars. The quirky, original costumes were designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier, who even checked over the extras individually before scenes to make sure they were looking their best. Two famous French comic book artists, Jean Giraud and Jean-Claude Mézières developed the production design. They were responsible for much of the iconography of the film; the vehicles, spacecrafts, buildings, human characters and aliens.

The story boils down to a straightforward good vs. evil narrative. A huge, dark sphere of absolute evil attempts to destroy Earth every 5,000 years and five elements need to be used together to stop this from happening. Earth, wind, fire and water, along with the Supreme Being; an ultimate warrior created to protect life. Korben Dallas, a former major, becomes embroiled in a mission to retrieve the stones housing each of the elements and activate them in a temple before the Great Evil reaches Earth. His allies are the beautiful and mysterious Leeloo, a Priest, his apprentice and a rather annoying media personality.

A simple but effective technique used a number of times throughout the film is cross-cutting. Used to switch between action taking place in different locations at the same time, it is cleverly used here because characters often finish each other’s sentences. For example, when Zorg meets with Aknot (leader of the Mangalores) to exchange crates of weapons for the case of stones, he shuts the lid and then states “This case...is empty.” The scene then cuts to Leeloo laughing and Cornelius asks “What do you mean, empty?” Cut back to Zorg, who tells his lackey “Empty. The opposite of full. This case is supposed to be full! Anyone care to explain?” Cut back to Leeloo, explaining in the divine language that they gave the stones to someone they could trust. Cornelius says “We’re saved” and then a final cut back to Zorg, who says “I’m screwed.”  This is an intelligent use of dialogue and editing that is both interesting and efficient.

Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis) is a rather reluctant hero. He was living a lonely, uneventful life before Leeloo crashed through the roof of his cab. At the beginning of the film he says he wants to meet the perfect woman. He hasn’t had very good experiences with women; his wife left him for his lawyer and his mother continuously calls him just to moan at him. He is laconic and very humourous at times. It is interesting that our hero Korben and the villain of the film, Zorg, never meet or communicate with each other. Usually there would be an epic battle at the end where they would fight until the villain was killed. However, they do narrowly miss bumping into each other as Korben gets into an elevator in the hotel on Fhloston Paradise and Zorg exits the one next to it seconds later. There is a connection between hero and villain too; Zorg orders the dismissal of 1 million people from one of his smaller companies, a cab company, and in a later scene Korben gets a message telling him he’s fired. The name ‘Zorg’ is clearly visible at the bottom of the message.

Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) is the heroine of the film. Beautiful and very strong, she is often referred to as ‘perfect’. She is a fast learner, able to absorb large quantities of information; she learns 5,000 years worth of Earth’s history from a computer in a very short amount of time. She is kooky and has lots of funny moments in the film, usually when she is trying to understand certain words in the English language (“Big ba-dah boom”, “Auto-wash”, “Mul-ti-pass”). The ‘divine language’ spoken by Leeloo has 400 words and was invented by the director and Milla Jovovich. Jovovich stated that she and Besson wrote letters to each other in the language as practice and by the end of filming they were able to have full conversations.

I highly recommend this film. It has a great cast of actors all having a good time, the visuals are fantastic and it’s very enjoyable as long as you don’t take it too seriously. It’s refreshing to see a bright and colourful vision of the future.

Review: Léon

Léon is acclaimed French director Luc Besson’s first film in an American setting. It stars Jean Reno in the title role, a Besson regular, having already appeared in his earlier films The Last Combat (1983), Subway (1985), The Big Blue (1988) and Nikita (1990). It was Reno’s role in Nikita which gave Besson the idea for Léon. He plays Victor the Cleaner, who appears to clean up the mess when Nikita’s mission goes wrong. Besson felt the character was underused and decided to realise his full potential by exploring the story of a ‘cleaner’. Coincidentally, the original title for Léon was “The Cleaner”.

The film tells the story of a hitman living in New York, who keeps to himself and shows little emotion. One day he unexpectedly finds himself the guardian of a young girl. He teaches her the tricks of his trade and in return she helps him to explore his feelings. But when she goes to seek revenge on those who have hurt her, she is captured and Léon must rescue her. Will they live happily together now that she has given him a taste for life?

Natalie Portman gives an excellent performance in her movie debut. She was only 11 when cast and was originally turned down by the casting director for being too young. However, when she returned to the auditions and performed the scene where Mathilda laments her loss, Luc Besson was so impressed with her ability and depth of emotion that he gave her the part.

Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman) is a deranged bent cop who pops pills, conducts Beethoven whilst carrying out acts of violence and overreacts when his suit gets ruined. It is a coincidence that this character likes Beethoven when Gary Oldman played the man himself in Immortal Beloved, released the same year. Stansfield is a very unpredictable character; you never know how he’s going to react. One minute he is calm and in control, the next he’s exploding with rage and doing something crazy. Oldman really makes this part his own and he is superb. Stansfield gets all the best lines and they are expertly delivered.

In complete contrast to this is Jean Reno’s performance as Léon, which is subtle and understated. According to Reno, he decided to play Léon as if he was a little mentally slow in an emotional sense. He felt that this would make audiences relax and realise that he wasn't someone who would take advantage of a vulnerable young girl. Reno claims that for Léon, the possibility of a physical relationship with Mathilda is not even conceivable. We can see this from the scenes where Mathilda ‘flirts’ with Léon. For example, when she says he has a cute name he almost chokes on his glass of milk. Léon has many childlike attributes and in comparison, Mathilda often seems more mature and assertive than him. His best friend is his plant, he thinks pigs are nicer than people and he gazes in wonder at Gene Kelly in roller-skates on the cinema screen.

I like the role reversal in terms of hero and villain. The cop, upholder of the law, would usually be the character we are supporting. However, he is corrupt and becomes the target for the audience’s hatred early on. He has no redeemable features except maybe the humour which emerges from his moments of sheer craziness. The hitman on the other hand, someone who would usually be the bad guy in the film, is instead the one we cheer on. Léon never refers to himself as a hitman, always as a ‘cleaner’, which has less menacing connotations. He also has the “No women, no kids” rule, which shows he has morals.

One of the film’s many strong points is its action scenes. They are stylishly directed, especially the awesome explosions, and never over-the-top. These scenes complement the calmer moments where dialogue dominates and they aren’t just thrown in for the hell of it. They manage to be thrilling without Besson feeling he has to resort to the far-too-common manic editing techniques some director’s use, which result in you not being able to see what’s going on and feeling dizzy. There is a sparing but calculated use of these scenes which makes them all the more powerful. They aren’t trying to make up for weak dialogue or plot, they have a purpose.

The soundtrack is another great element of the film. Eric Serra provides a musical score which complements the film perfectly. He expertly helps to raise the tension in all the right places and adds emotion to the sentimental scenes.

Luc Besson only intended for Léon to be a filler project. He had started working on The Fifth Element but Bruce Willis’s schedule meant that it wasn’t going to be released until 1997. Besson filled his time by writing Léon; it took him only 30 days and the shoot lasted only 90. I am so glad Bruce Willis is a busy man because Léon is one of my favourite films. The performances, soundtrack, direction and script are all brilliant. It just goes to show that if you want a job done well, hire a professional.

Alt movie poster #2

Alternative movie posters pay homage to film as well as showcase artistic talent and creativity. Some are minimalist, some complex, some include in-jokes for those who have seen the movie. This feature celebrates the work of fans, artists and designers whose love of film is clear to see.

The Adjustment Bureau

Created by: Matt Needle

Source: http://mattneedle.co.uk/



Have you seen any alternative movie posters you'd like to share or created your own and would like it featured? Get in touch!

Review: Shooter (short film)

“The need to kill is strong in man. The ability to overcome it is stronger.”

Ronnie B. Goodwin’s personal project Shooter follows an ex-soldier (played by Paul Hunter) as he roams around the picturesque landscape of Loch Lomond in Scotland. His narration gives us an insight into his internal turmoil. He is haunted by what he experienced in his years as a sniper. His journey leads him to the majestic animal he has been hunting and in the final moments he takes aim to shoot…

Inspired by Goodwin’s own experiences, this is a thought-provoking demonstration of how the events you witness and the surroundings you live in shape who you become. As well as directing, Goodwin also co-produced, co-wrote, and was the Cinematographer and Editor on the short film, which took 7 months to piece together. The carefully selected music, an original score composed by Gregor Narholz, suits the mood of the film perfectly. The evocative violins and pipes are a perfect accompaniment to the flashbacks and lend it a nostalgic and primitive feel.

The narration from our protagonist is strong and sincere with a sense that he is addressing the audience personally and individually. The script is wonderfully written and the Scottish accent and the way it is recited make it sound compelling and poetic. “I see things, the machines of war. These visions are often drowned out by the sheer beauty of what is around me. This incredible world in which we live and the beauty of the sun in the sky, soon drowned out again by more visions of violence and bloodshed.”

There is an inspired paradox present in this award-winning short. Our journey with the Shooter through the beautiful landscape is interspersed with dark and violent flashbacks of his time at war, completely at odds with the wondrous images of nature he sees around him. His time in solitude, away from the brutality and fighting seems to have calmed him. The stunning scenery has seemingly changed his attitude and had a soothing effect.

The cinematography on the film is amazing, especially the moments on-board the Seaplane where we get to see aerial views of the highlands and the loch. The special effects for the soldier’s flashbacks to the war he has left behind are also very impressive.

For a short film, this makes a big impact. Shooter is memorable and striking. The clever ending is notable as it leaves you reflecting and also desiring a repeat viewing.

Shooter was the first short film in the Swansea Bay Film Festival’s history to win the Best in Festival award in 2010. It also won Best Short Film at The Heart of England International Film Festival, the International Film Festival in Ireland and the International Film Festival in South Africa in 2009 as well as receiving nominations for numerous other awards.

It has recently been chosen to appear on Super Shorts, a weekly programme available on the independent British entertainment channel My TV on Sky 219.

For more information on this short film and the director's future projects, visit Ronnie B. Goodwin’s blog at: http://ronniebgoodwin.blogspot.com/