Where are all the women??

Anyone could tell you that the men dominate the film world, not just in Hollywood but also in the British film industry. Unfortunately men are dominate in nearly every industry but that in no way means that the women are any less talented. Take Andrea Arnold for example. Born in  1961, Andrea has had a career in the industry ever since she left school in the late 70s. She has been a variety of acts, from a dancer  on Top Of The Pops to a children's television presenter. Deciding to put presenting behind her, she directed a short film called Wasp that won the Academy Award For Best Live Action Short Film in 2005.

Now her first feature length film was a movie called Red Road that was released in 2006. The story of a young woman who watches the CCTV over a small area and is thrown whens he spots a familiar face from her past on the screens. She uses the cameras to follow and keep tabs on him before finding the courage to confront him. Staying with her British roots the whole feature was filmed in Glasgow. It managed to easily pocket 21 awards without any hassle and drew the crowds at the Cannes Film Festival. Without a doubt this woman is a powerful female figure in the British film industry and a great inspiration to all hopeful directors. She manages to excellently prove that no matter what the profession is, women can tackle it head on, and be just as successful as any male counter part.

You Instead

Well, most of the time when a film is in development, a lot of thought goes into scripting, actors, music etc so what better place to create a film than T in the Park. Yes thats right there is a film about and set during the popular music festival. No, it is not a documentary it is in fact a comedy. The story of two singers who are possibly the biggest opposites, in music taste and personality. Adam, the lead singer of an indie band is handcuffed by accident to Morello, the lead singer of an all girl punk band. This of course is the recipe for a great comedy.

Of course since both of them have to be on stage to perform this provides many difficulties for the pair, as at first they are very unhappy. Of course i doubt many people would be happy if they found themselves handcuffed to a stranger. They are of course frustrated but this soon gives way to acceptance and then genuine feelings for one another. Having to perform with the other person attached on stage gives them a new appreciation for each others style in music and the way they interact with their fans.

Now the clever thing about this film is that it was filmed during T in the Park 2010. This means that any big crowds that you see are real every day British people, the audiences are real crowds there to listen to that band. This is a clever idea in getting the public involved with the film industry, giving them a chance to have fun and be a part of a great film, and will almost certainly bring the crowds when it is released. Whether its for people interested in the film or people wanting to see if there are any clips of them in the film. Scottish director David Mackenzie has certainly made his mark in the film, and quite possibly in the music industry with this piece work that is certainly anticipated to do great.



Answer's to Quiz

Try not to look here until you have done the Quiz :P
Here are the answers to the quiz, how well did you do?

1. Danny Boyle

2. Last King Of Scotland

3. Glasgow Film Festival

4. Ken Loach

5. Happy-Go-Lucky

6. Danny Boyle

7. Anthony Hopkins

8. Ben Kingsley

9. Christopher Lee

10. Helana Bonham Carter

Soo be honest, how many did you REALLY know? :)

Who is this Ken Loach???

Time and time again when I type British directors, or Glasgow film scene into google, this guys name constantly comes up. He seems to be linked to everything British but who is he. I can safely say that he is not a name that many people know, but do in fact we know him better than we realise?

He is the director of over 40 films, written 7, and produced 5. He studied at St Peter's College, Oxford and unlike many other directors, he has managed to avoid the Hollywood limelight. Well known in the theatre circles for his work there, his movies are world wide and well liked, though most people probably do not even know that he is the director. His first ever movie that he directed was Black Jack in 1979 followed swiftly by The Gamekeeper in 1980. His career blossomed, having him spill out films on average every year.

I guess your age and taste in film will influence what Ken Loach film you have seen, if any. One of his more popular films that continually pops up in searches is Sweet Sixteen, made in 2002. The story of a reckless teenager's quest to raise money and rescue his mum from her drug pushing boyfriend and even worse grandfather once she is released from prison, where she is serving time for a crime her boyfriend committed.

His most recent accomplishment is in-fact Route Irish released in 2010.  It is the story of a security contractor in Iraq who does not believe the official explanation of his friends death, and, like any good friend would, sets out to find the real reason his friend died. This of course would attract a whole other type of film lover than Sweet Sixteen would have. Mainly because of the gritty atmosphere, its story of loyalty, the setting or just the general idea of the plot. He covers a wide range of genres, while staying true to his british roots, not influenced by Hollywoods big bucks

He may not be a name that we recognise, but he is certainly one that we should take a look at more often. His films are widely enjoyed and even though he may not get the recognition he always deserves, he manages to stay true to the film and does and excellent job, no matter what the challenge is.

Quiz time :)

Right lets test your British movie knowledge :) AND NO CHEATING! :P

Part 1

1. Who directed Trainspotting?

2. Kevin Macdonald directed which film - Last King of Scotland or The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button?

3. The Eagle premiered at which British festival?

4. Which British director filmed Sweet Sixteen?

5. Mike Leigh directed which feel good film starring Sally Hawkins?

How do you think you did? Suprisingly most people won't have done to well on their own knowledge and would have to look things up on IMDb, or Wikipedia. Now try Part two :)

Part 2

6. Cillian Murphy starred in 28 Days Later and Sunshine by which director?

7.Which British actor starred in Hannibal?

8. Well known in the movie industry this British actor has starred in films ranging from Thunderbirds and Sherlock Holmes to Schindler's List and Oliver Twist. Who is he?

9. The Star Wars Saga, and The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy are massive franchises, which British actor has had the luck of starring on both?

10. Again, Harry Potter is a massive franchise, along with Sweeny Todd and Planet of the Apes being well received films, which British actress managed to get a part in all of these?

I can guess that the actor questions were a lot easier to answer of the top of your head than the director ones. It's not that I expect everyone in Britain to be well up on their knowledge of directors, but without them we wouldn't have the amazing films that we have today. They deserve some credit at least. So next time you watch a movie, take a minute to glance at who took their time to make it for you, it will only take a second :)

Answers up next time

Kevin MacDonald Bio

Name - Kevin MacDonald

Age - 44

Occupation - Director/Writer/Producer.

Directed - The Eagle, The Last King Of Scotland, Touching The Void, State of Play

Produced - Kindertransport, My Enemy's Enemy, Senna, Shoot Out in Swansea: The Making Of 'Twin Town'

Wrote - My Enemy's Enemy, Chaplin's Goliath, The Making of an Englishman

Did you know?

He is the grandson of legendary filmmaker Emeric Pressburger, who, with partner Michael Powell, wrote, produced and directed such films as Black Narcissus, The Red Shoes, A Matter of Life and Death and 'I Know Where I'm Going!'

You learn something new everyday :)

Danny Boyle

Right Danny Boyle is without a doubt one of the most talented directors I have ever come across. His talent ranges from all sorts of genres, from horror to thriller. No matter what he is handed he tackles it head on

Now for those of you who do not know who Danny Boyle is, let me enlighten you. His career started in 1987 with his first movie Scout, which was shown on the television. From there he ended up directing a total 21 movies so far, and he still continues to do so. Now some of his best loved movies are possibly some of his best work. First there is Trainspotting, a tale of a group of people in Edinburgh surrounded by the allure of drugs and pressure from friends. His next massive hit was The Beach, a story again of drugs but in an entirely different setting of a solitary tropical island. After these, and a few films later came 28 Days Later, a horror film about a virus let loose in the world, causing 99% of the human race to turn into violent zombies.

Danny Boyle is possible my favourite director, mainly because he directed one of my favourite thrillers Sunshine. The story of the sun dying and a group of astronauts flying towards the sun to re-ignite it. His take on this interesting sorry is his own and is what gives the film the gritty feeling that I love. As you can see his career is flying and it gets higher with the release of Slumdog Millionaire. It was a low budget film set in India about the Indian version of who wants to be a millionaire, and the film took off. It was extremely popular, rocketing the actors to stardom and giving an even bigger boost to Danny's career.

His most recent achievement is his take on the true story of a man whose hand gets, well stuck under a boulder while canyoning alone near Moab, Utah, for 127 hours. This film, completely different from his previous action and horrors, still managed to draw the crowds as soon as it was released. Danny Boyle is certainly a perfect example of the great British talent in the movie industry and his talent is something for future British directors to aspire to. Being able to work with acting talents such as Ewan McGregor, Chris Evans and James Franco, yet still manage to hold on to his British values is something to be admired, and if you still don't recognise any of these films by this talented director then you don't get out enough.

The Glasgow Film Festival

Well there is certainly a lot of buzz going around about this festival. Movie fans everywhere, well within the local area at least, will be ready for the annual film event in Glasgow.

Glasgow may not be known for a lot of things but this film festival is certainly one of them. With directing and acting talent from all around, the movies screened are due to bring the crowds. Unlike the Edinburgh festival, the Glasgow one focuses more on the directing talents of the British population, keeping with heritage and giving local directors the honour of having their film screened.

One such director is Kevin MacDonald. Most renown for his directing talents in films such as The Last King Of Scotland and Touching The Void, he is also the director of the film The Eagle. Now you may not recognise it but you should. Not only is it an incredibly film with award winning actors such as Channing Tatum, it was also the opening film to the Glasgow Film Festival. Now the Glasgow Film Festival, not only has a wide variety of films, but the opening film to kick it all off was directed by Kevin MacDonald who is also from Glasgow. (Take a look at my previous blog on this director)

And if for some reason you decide to come to the festival and  don't want to watch a film then the festival gladly provides lots of extras such as workshops, question and answer times with directors, meetings about certain films. And they are open for all people of all ages. Whether you want to see an action, romance, horror or just turn up to a meeting with one of the directors of a film to ask questions, the festival provides entertainment for all tastes, so go and have fun.

Great British Directors.

I know this says Glasgow Film Scene, but trying to find 10 directors that are from Glasgow was difficult. So I did my best. Lets see how many of these fine talented directors you recognise

1. Alfred Hitchcock

2. Shane Meadows

3. Mike Leigh

4. Danny Boyle

5. Ken Loach

6. John Schlesinger

7. Michael Winterbottom

8. Ridley Scott

9. Stephen Frears

10. John  Boorman

Did you recognise any? These are directors from Britain and Glasgow and there films are some of the most popular around. Any you don't recognise, take a look below.

1. Alfred Hitchcock of course renown for his horror films such as Psycho and The Birds.

2. Shane Meadows for films like This Is England and Dead Man's Shoes

3. Mike Leigh for films such as Happy Go Lucky and Another Year

4. Danny Boyle for of course Trainspotting and Sunshine

5. Ken Loach is well known for films such as Sweet Sixteen and My Name Is Joe

6. John Schlesinger for films such as Marathon Man and The Next Best Thing

7. Michael Winterbottom for films such as A Cock And Bull Story and The Trip

8. Ridley Scott for famous films such as Black Hawk Down and Gladiator

9. Stephen Frears for films such as The Queen and Dangerous Liasons

10. John Boorman for films such as Excalibur and The General

And if you didn't recognise the films then...you should start watching British films for a change because they are just as good as Hollywood ones, if not better.

Who is Peter Mullan?

He is possibly not a recognised household name. Peter Mullan is a man who has been around and done his 'thing' for many years now. Originally from Peterhead, Scotland, he is without a doubt some home grown talent. Whether it is acting, directing or producing, I can say that he has the experience, and is definitely one of the examples of the talent that comes from Glasgow.

Although originally from Peterhead, he moved to Glasgow at an early age, and his career in the movie industry began. He had a dream to become a movie director and he applied for the National Film School. Unfortunately for him (but not for us) he didn't make it in, so he began his swift career in acting.

He certainly is one of those actors that has been in everything. In his early days he acted in television series' such as  Taggart (who hasn't these days) and Rab C. Nesbitt and movies such as Riff - Raff and Braveheart.

His career blossomed and  he won the award for  best leading actor at the Cannes Film Festival in 1998 for My Name Is Joe. But he didn't stop there. It was still his dream to become a director and in 1993 he directed his first short film Close. This then led to Peter becoming the successful director of 7 films, from Good Day For The Bad Guys to NEDS. Now, before you fall asleep, it won't surprise most people that after his award his career exploded, getting acting parts in in films such as Children Of Men and the brand new Harry Potter films.

NEDS was without a doubt a very anticipated film. As Peter had lived in Glasgow for many years, his unique take on the script meant that the film would have a certain air about it. He was able to draw on past experiences to add atmosphere to the film. The setting of the film and the Glasgow director is possibly one of the strongest examples of Glasgow film. The anticipation of people wanting to see this movie was well more than anyone expected. Everyone knows some 'neds', everyone had experienced them and their antics, so now a film about them had to be worth the watch. Viewers were finally glad to see a film about the housing schemes that they live in, to see it portrayed on the big screen would have been a great feeling.

Peter Mullan, now in the middle of filming the final installment of the Harry Potter series is without a doubt incredibly talented. NEDS has certainly put him on the map with the younger generation. His acting talent has most probably secured him some good roles for the future, and after the success we can only sit back and wait to see what the next wonder will be from this talented guy.