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

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.

How well do we know our home grown movie talent?

If I stepped outside this room, went down to the street and grabbed the first randomer that I saw, their reaction would be, of course, surprise. If I then asked them to name me a big popular movie nine times out of ten I would get an answer like Avatar or Inception.

The answer is due to be some big shot Hollywood film that made millions and everyone loves. If I then asked the same person to name me a film done by a British director then they would be stumped. Anyone that blurted out Braveheart would in fact be wrong, considering it was directed by Mel Gibson who is in fact American. It is understandable that Hollywood has managed to take over the film world, spewing out films left, right and centre. But we must not forget about our own home grown British talent in the movie industry.

 
British director's such as Danny Boyle (Sunshine and Trainspotting) and Kevin MacDonald (Last King of Scotland and Eagle) can produce a movie to rival any that is produced from Hollywood. These directors prove that you don't need a big budget or fancy famous stars to make a great movie.

If I then asked the person one last question, to name a director from Glasgow, what would they say? The known nationality of directors and their work is scarce, we know where actors are from, but not directors. This person would most likely  think I was bonkers but it raises a crucial point. Directors like Kevin MacDonald and Peter Mullan (NEDS and Co director of Trainspotting) are less well known in the film world but that in no way means they are any less talented. Glasgow is capable of spilling out amazing talent, whether it's in the form of Directors or Producers, something I will be exploring in more detail.