Tag: cinema

Film Fest In The City 2022 Programme Revealed

Edinburgh International Film Festival in partnership with Essential Edinburgh returns to St Andrew Square Gardens for an opening weekend of free outdoor screenings from Friday 12th August to Sunday 14th August.

Film Fest in the City in St Andrew Square Gardens returns as part of the Edinburgh International Film Festival programme on the festival’s opening weekend from Friday 12th to Sunday 14th August. The free and non-ticketed outdoor screening programme of new and classic cinematic favourites reflect the wider EIFF 2022 themes, including a celebration of Scotland’s Stories on Screen for Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022.

The programme is delivered in partnership with Essential Edinburgh and supported by Innis & Gunn, EIFF’s Official Beer Partner, travel partner LNER and supported by EventScotland as part of the Year of Stories 2022 and reflects EIFF’s return to August embracing other cultural festivals around it. EIFF is working closely with local travel partner Lothian Buses to encourage sustainable travel to Edinburgh’s city centre, plan your journey at lothianbuses.co.uk or download the Lothian buses app.

On Friday 12th August, EIFF tips its hat to the Edinburgh International Book Festival with a day of films that all started in the twinkle of an author’s eye.

The day will also feature a selection of short films with a Scottish connection, screened before feature films and presented in celebration of Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022 as Scotland’s Stories on Screen. 

On Saturday 13th August, the celebration of Scotland’s Stories on Screen picks up pace as the Film Fest in the City programme fills the square with homegrown stories and some family fun, including a special live musical performance to accompany the 100 year anniversary screening of the 1922 classic Rob Roy, as well as Brave, set in the Highlands story of Princess Merida and The Illusionist set in Edinburgh plus more short films with a Scottish connection. And if all that homegrown fun wasn’t enough, stay on and enjoy the evening with the family favourite WALL-E followed by the recent blockbuster, Free Guy.

Sunday 14th August sees EIFF Youth Programmers from Edinburgh and Aberdeen take over the square with a selection of favourites including Twilight, Big, Shrek and Whip It to celebrate big screen favourites all directed their favourite female directors.

As a nod to EIFF’s closing night film, After Yang, the Film Fest in the City explores the idea of Artificial Intelligence on screen. For sci-fi purists out there there’s Stanley Kubrick classic, 2001 A Space Odyssey. If you like your A.I. all singing, all dancing, don’t miss everybody’s favourite Pixar robot Wall-E or maybe you just want to spend Saturday night with Ryan Reynolds (who doesn’t?!) then don’t miss Free Guy.

This special open-air series of screenings coincides with the main programme of full in-person cinema screenings as part of the 75th anniversary of the city’s International Film Festival, giving the Film Festival an East-to-West city centre presence and making cinema accessible to both film buffs and Edinburgh residents of all ages. Attending audiences can look out for lots of special surprises at each screening too.

These events are free. Film times and details of accompanying activities can be found by visiting www.edfilmfest.org.uk.

Audiences will enjoy the outdoor screenings with an amazing range of food and drink produce available to purchase on site, including EIFF Official Beer Partner Innis & Gunn. Heritage gastropub The Voyage of Buck will be have a bar on site which will be focusing on Lind and Lime Gin cocktails including collins and spritzes featuring summer flavours with London essence tonics and sodas.

Bring your favourite cinema snacks and picnic blankets or sit yourself down on one of the famous St Andrew Square deck chairs to enjoy the following:

FRIDAY, 12 AUGUST

11.00 | Paddington (2014 / dir. Paul King)

Everyone’s favourite bear in his first big screen adventure as he travels from deepest darkest Peru to London to try and find himself a new home.

13.00 | Fantastic Mr Fox (2009 / dir. Wes Anderson)

Filmmaker Wes Anderson guides an A-list cast in this stop-motion take on Roald Dahl’s classic book.

14.45 | SHORT FILM: What Makes Soup, Soup? (dirs. Conor Reilly, Tommy Reilly, Malcolm Cumming)

…one of life’s greatest mysteries. From BBC Social team, a short film including a rising star, Glasgow-based Malcolm Cumming and composer Tommy Reilly, both known for their work on Anna & The Apocalype. In celebration of Scotland’s Stories on Screen.

15.00 | Christopher Robin (2018 / dir. Marc Forster)

Perth-born Hollywood actor Ewan McGregor stars as a now-grown-up Christopher Robin who is visited by Winnie the Pooh to help find his lost friends in the Hundred Acre Wood.

17.00 | SHORT FILM: Neville is Dead (dir. Louis Paxton)

Neville is Magnus’ best friend. Neville can’t die. This is going to be AMAZING. A short film from an Edinburgh filmmaker who recently directed the last ever episode of tv series Shetland. In celebration of Scotland’s Stories on Screen.

17.30 | Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000 / dir. Ang Lee)

Join us for high-flying spectacle in filmmaker Ang Lee’s martial arts masterpiece

19.40 | SHORT FILM: Flit (dir. Jack Allen)

A world-renowned, professional fly killer, named Carl, is on the cusp of finalising his latest and most powerful invention… an exciting new short film from an emerging Scottish filmmaker and animator.

In celebration of Scotland’s Stories on Screen.

20.00 | 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968 / dir. Stanley Kubrick)

One of the greatest cinematic experiences of all time. Stanley Kubrick’s journey into space is designed for the big screen.

SATURDAY, 13 AUGUST

11:00 | Brave (2012 / dirs. Brenda Chapman and Mark Andrews)

Follow Princess Merida as she forges her own path in Disney and Pixar’s journey into the mythical Scottish kingdom of DunBroch. Celebrating Scotland’s Stories on Screen. Pre-screening family entertainment, including face-painting.

12.50 | SHORT FILM: Fear of Flying (dir. Conor Finnegan)

A small bird with a fear of flying tries to avoid heading South for the winter. A short animation which screened at EIFF in 2013. Celebrating Scotland’s Stories on Screen.

13:00 | The Illusionist (2010 / dir. Sylvain Chomet)

Based on the story by Jacques Tati, this beautifully animated tale tells of a French illusionist who travels to Scotland, where he meets a young woman where their exciting adventures together change both their lives forever. Celebrating Scotland’s Stories on Screen. Pre-screening family entertainment.

14.49 | SHORT FILM: Widdershins (dir. Simon Biggs)

A pampered gentleman’s seamlessly automated life is thrown into chaos when he pursues a free-spirited woman, against the advice of his robot butler. Scottish Film Talent Network-funded Scottish animation from the team at Once Were Farmers. Celebrating Scotland’s Stories on Screen.

15:30 | Rob Roy (1922 / dir. W. P. Kellino), in celebration of Scotland’s Stories on Screen

Join us for a special live musical performance to accompany this impressive 1922 classic film.

17.20 | SHORT FILM: Betty (Will Anderson)

A new short from the BAFTA Award-winning Scottish animator tells the story of an avian protagonist as he falls in love with Betty and then loses her through a series of bad decisions…

Celebrating Scotland’s Stories on Screen.

18:00 | Wall-E (2008 / dir. Andrew Stanton)

An all singing, all dancing modern classic from Pixar.

20.00 | SHORT FILM: Don Vs Lighting (dir. Big Red Button)

Unlucky Don keeps getting struck by lightning… a short film from Big Red Button (Johnny Burns and Pier van Tijn), starring award-winning Scottish actor Peter Mullan. Celebrating Scotland’s Stories on Screen.

20:15 | Free Guy (2021 / dir. Shawn Levy)

Affable bank clerk Ryan Reynolds discovers he is a computer game character in this recent action comedy.

SUNDAY, 14 AUGUST

11:00 | Shrek (2001 / dirs. Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson)

Join a whole host of fairy tale characters in this animated, tuneful and funny animated adventure.

13:00 | Big (1989 / dir. Penny Marshall)

Tom Hanks reconnects with his youth in this 80s family classic.

15:15 | Whip It (2009 / dir. Drew Barrymore)

Get your skates on and join Babe Ruthless and the roller-derby team in this funny and quirky drama.

17:30 | The Farewell (2021 / dir. Lulu Wang)

A funny and uplifting tale of a family reconnecting with their past

19:45 | Twilight (2008 / dir. Catherine Hardwicke)

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart star in this everlasting teenage vampire romance.

Edinburgh to experience CURIOUS film event this weekend

Summer season of curious film experiences gets underway

All events as part of Film Feels: Curious, a nationwide celebration of curiosity and cinema officially launched by comedian Joe Lycett, have now been confirmed.

An event is taking place in Edinburgh this Saturday as part of CURIOUS, a film festival partnership between Film Feels and Changing Times supporting independent programming.

Edinburgh-based Cinetopia is collaborating with The Debutante (a feminist-surrealist magazine), and musician-composers Aurora Engine (Deborah Shaw), and Bell Lungs (Ceylan Hay) to bring audiences Electric Muses: a women-led evening of surrealist film.

Electric Muses celebrates women working in creative technology spanning across two centuries, bringing their overlooked input into the public eye. Since the birth of cinema, women filmmakers have used this “electric” art form to tell their stories. With Electric Muses Cinetopia will merge cinema and live, technologically enhanced music to highlight the profound contributions women have made in creative technology art forms.

The main feature will be ‘The Seashell and the Clergyman’ (1928) by Germaine Dulac, a female surrealist filmmaker and director active during the 1920’s. This will be accompanied by a live soundtrack composed and performed by Aurora Engine and Bell Lungs. In addition, audiences will experience a newly commissioned score of Maya Deren’s experimental short, ‘Meshes of the Afternoon’ (1943) composed and performed by the same musical team. Two additional short films will be screened curated by The Debutante.

Electric Muses takes place at the Old Royal High School and details can be found at https://filmfeels.co.uk/venues/old-royal-high-school/173/

Curiosity is the theme of this year’s FilmFeels season from the BFI Film Audience Network, made possible with National Lottery funding, taking place at independent cinemas across the UK following its launch by Joe at Flatpack Festival 2022.

For the first time since 2018’s inaugural Film Feels, event organisers have also partnered with the Screen Heritage programme Changing Times under the unifying theme for this year of CURIOUS.

A total of 27 projects have been funded across all the regions of the UK, including a curated programme of classics by The Place Bedford throughout June and July, a programme as part of London Short Film Festival on July 30th and 31st, and from July 8th, a three-day update of Cinetopia’s Electric Muses programme in partnership with feminist magazine The Debutante – a women-led evening of surrealist film and technologically-enhanced live music in Edinburgh.

In addition, throughout July, the charity Birds’ Eye View, which supports films by women and non-binary people, is touring Queerious both across the country and via streaming on BFI Player. Events will be accompanied by curated live or participatory events in select cinemas to explore the themes of sexual awakenings and re-awakenings, and queer love through a feminist lens.

Venues and organisations including Chester’s Story House, Fabrica of Brighton, Hove and Lewes, Birmingham’sVictoria Park Productions, Derby QUAD and Cornwall Film Festival are also taking part, with events touching upon the forgotten films of the 1990s and 2000s, Queer culture, Filmosophy for Families and more, all of which are designed to connect people through film.

Manon Euler is Major Programmes Manager at Film Hub Midlands, part of BFI FAN. She said: “With CURIOUS, we wanted to take audiences out of the ordinary and down the wonderful rabbit hole of cinema, with intriguing, exciting film programmes that will stimulate the mind and the senses and allow everyone to (re)connect with their wondrous selves.

“There’s absolutely no doubt that these projects will deliver exactly that, with both in-person and virtual options. We’ve been so impressed by the imagination that has gone into the creation of such a varied and intriguing season by programmers at all levels of experience, including young people. We can’t wait to hear what audiences think.”

CURIOUS was chosen as the theme for this celebration as it’s clear as we continue to recover from the worst of the pandemic that bringing people together to experience art collectively and learn more about the people and things around us, is more important than ever.

Over the past four years, Film Feels has funded more than 150 projects and more than 1,000 screenings have taken place across the festival seasons nationwide, with around 40 per cent of increasingly diverse audiences each year being new to the festival. Previous themes have included obsession, uprising, hopeful and connected, with almost £400,000 given to participating programmers in total so far.

Screen Heritage Producer Andy Robson added: “Inspired by our theme and our collective experience of multiple lockdowns, which gave many a new awareness of our communities as well as the wider world around us, this year’s programmers are helping us to both better understand the unfamiliar, and seek solutions.

“Through film’s ability to transport us, illuminate ideas and spark conversation, we can recognise things we may have missed or never considered before, and find new passions together.”

Find more information about the full nationwide programme for CURIOUS, including all participating venues and exhibitors, at filmfeels.co.uk. 

Support for screen heritage screenings and events is also still available through Changing Times: Curious.

Top 10 films to watch over the Jubilee weekend


By Justin Trefgarne, course leader at MetFilm School 

Love them or loathe them, the Royal Family in its various forms has been entertaining, enthralling and fascinating us for centuries.

The British Monarchy’s catalogue of blood feuds, forbidden love affairs, wars, abdications and endless scandals has supplied material for the writers of every age.

From Shakespeare’s thinly disguised commentaries on Elizabeth and James I respectively to Peter Morgan’s reimagining of the Royals as high-end Soap Opera in The Crown, the audience for these gilded dramas has never waned. 

And now, as Elizabeth II, and indeed millions of Britons, celebrate her becoming not just the longest serving British monarch but the third longest serving monarch in world history, we take the opportunity to cast our gaze over some of the best Royalty-themed films of the first century of cinema.

In no particular order, here are the top 10 picks to watch over the Jubilee weekend: 

Spencer

Kristin Stewart brings her own brand of sparkle and unpredictability to this intense, poetic take on Princess Diana.

Whether Diana was really like this or not is sort of missing the point.

Pablo Larraín’s film is a tightly wound character study of a woman unravelling under intense pressure and as a consequence plays out as much as a psychological horror as it does conventional drama.



The Queen

Given the intense scrutiny the modern day Royals find themselves under, it’s quite rare to find Elizabeth II at the centre of a movie narrative.

Helen Mirren transcends as a Queen in semi-exile after the death of Diana, facing a crossroads in her reign and, more immediately, a beguiling stag that haunts her estate in the Scottish Highlands. 



Elizabeth 

Radical choice of director (Shekhar Kapur): tick.
Young actress ready for super-stardom (Cate Blanchet): tick.
The rise of Elizabeth retold as The Godfather: tick. 

A period film for all the ages. 


The King

I confess to being on the fence about Timothée Chalamet until I gave this film a whirl. And it’s astonishing.

His spindly, hungover, sad rendition of Prince Hal slowly morphs into something raw, timeless and utterly believable.

Joel Edgerton and David Michôd’s masterful retelling of the ‘Henriad’ exerts a compelling, epic grip that makes it one of the best historical films since Gladiator.


Mrs Brown

Judi Dench cemented her reputation as one of the world’s most accomplished screen actors with this moving portrayal of a grieving Queen Victoria.

But perhaps the film’s biggest surprise was the unexpected, nuanced performance of Scottish comedian Billy Connolly as the ‘commoner’ who encouraged her to return to public life. 



The Lion In Winter 

One of three stage plays adapted for the screen on this list, The Lion In Winter brings together the titanic screen presences of Katherine Hepburn and Peter O’Toole for a heady dose of relationship fireworks.

They really don’t make ‘em like this any more.

Notable too for Anthony Hopkins making his screen debut. 
A Man For All Seasons

I was forced to watch this at school and was ready to write it off until the genius of writer Robert Bolt’s characters and the play’s moral conscience completely captivated me.

A film as relevant now as it was when first released.

Watch out for a late-period Orson Welles filling up the frame with his interpretation of Cardinal Wolsey. 


The Madness Of King George

A film in which the a King descends into ‘madness’ only to be retrieved from the abyss by a radical form of treatment.

Gentle, funny, heartbreaking and sumptuous all at once, this is British period filmmaking at its finest. 

Viceroy’s House 

If all this feels too much like Royalist propaganda, then cleanse the palate with Gurinder Chadha’s brilliant, bold dismantling of the accepted history of the Queen’s Uncle’s attempt at managing the Partition between India and Pakistan.
Moria Bufini and Chadha’s masterful script weaves the political and the personal together seamlessly to challenge and confront the dissolution of the ‘British Raj’.
 

Sid & Nancy 

Since The Sex Pistols blew up pop music in the late 1970s, no Royal celebration is complete without an airing of their alternative jubilee anthem, ‘God Save The Queen’.

And why not indulge, then, in the film that launched the careers of Oscar Winners Gary Oldman, Roger Deakins, maverick director Alex Cox and Working Title chief Eric Fellner?


Easter opening times at Fort Kinnaird

For those looking to enjoy a day out with family and friends or pick up some last-minute Easter gifts and decorations, Fort Kinnaird has confirmed its Easter weekend opening times.

With a variety of shops and restaurants, as well as ODEON cinema, there are plenty of ways to make the most of the Easter break at Fort Kinnaird.

From Friday 15th – Monday 18th April the centre’s shopping hours will remain the same as normal: 

  • Good Friday – 15th April: 9am – 9pm
  • Easter Saturday – 16th April: 9am – 6pm
  • Easter Sunday – 17th April: 9am – 6pm
  • Easter Monday – 18th April: 9am – 9pm

Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “We know many people will be looking for ways to spend quality time with family and friends during the Easter break, and we look forward to welcoming them to the centre.

“To help them make the most of this time together, we’re open every day over the Easter weekend, so visitors can spend a day or evening out at the centre.”

Fort Kinnaird is home to more than 70 retailers and restaurants, including Primark, M&S, ProCook, Next, Smyths, Wagamama, Nando’s and Fridays. There are also over 2,600 free parking spaces.

It’s recommended to check the opening hours of individual retailers before setting off to avoid disappointment.

For more information to help plan your Easter trip to Fort Kinnaird, including what’s on head here.

Everyman Edinburgh is here …

… paying tribute to the capital’s big screen history

To celebrate the official opening of the Everyman Edinburgh at St James Quarter, four giant picture frames have popped up around the city centre – each in a location that featured on the big screen in famous movies including, Sunshine on Leith, Avengers: Infinity War, One Day and Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.

The Everyman Edinburgh frames can be found on the Royal Mile, Calton Hill, The Shore and George IV Bridge, for passers-by to capture their own selfies and redeem two free tickets to Everyman Cinema, #nofilter needed.

To enter, step into the frame, share your pic and tag @StJamesQuarter and @EverymanCinema on Instagram or Facebook along with the hashtag #FramedbyEveryman.

The first 500 people to show their posted content to the box office at Everyman Cinema on level 5 at St James Quarter will receive two free tickets to a movie screening of their choice.

The frames will be in place until Saturday 2nd April.

St James Quarter Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/stjamesquarter/

St James Quarter Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/St-James-Quarter-105737954246444

Everyman Cinemas Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/everymancinema/?hl=en

Everyman Cinemas Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/EverymanCinemas/

About Everyman

Everyman is redefining cinema. Bringing an innovative lifestyle approach to their venues, where you swap your soft drink for a nice glass of red wine and slice of freshly made pizza served to your seat.

There are currently 36 Everyman cinemas across the UK. Created to deliver a warm and friendly atmosphere, with an excellent food and drink selection and fantastic customer service.

About St James Quarter

St James Quarter is Edinburgh’s largest development in a generation.

A new 1.7 million sq ft masterplan in urban placemaking. Comprising 850,000 sq ft of retail space, St James Quarter will complement the luxury shopping offer of neighbouring retailer Harvey Nichols, which anchors the premium shopping street of Multrees Walk. 

Completing the city centre’s retail circuit, it will also be home to John Lewis, Everyman Cinema, an enticing mix of new restaurants, cafés and bars; Scotland’s first W Hotel – W Edinburgh – which includes 244 stylish guestrooms, a destination bar, outdoor terrace, signature restaurant, chef’s table, and an AWAY® Spa; luxury aparthotel brand Roomzzz, comprising 75-rooms; New Eidyn residences that will provide 152 premium apartments with exceptional amenities, by developers Native Land, nine new public squares and 1,600 car parking spaces.

Leonardo DiCaprio tops list of most-viewed Oscar acceptance speeches

  • Leonardo DiCaprio officially has the most popular Academy Award acceptance speech of all time, with more than 47 million views.
  • Matthew McConaughey has the second most-viewed Oscar’s acceptance speech on record, with more than 21 million views. 
  • Jennifer Lawrence’s fall up the Academy steps has more than 14 million views on YouTube. 

New research reveals that Leonardo DiCaprio has the most-viewed Oscar’s acceptance speech of all time. 

The study conducted by casino experts MapleCasino examined the verified Oscars YouTube account to reveal the most-viewed Acadamy Award acceptance speeches, to establish the Internet’s favourite Oscar speeches ahead of this year’s ceremony.  

The research revealed that Leonardo DiCaprio has the most-viewed Oscar acceptance speech in history.

After multiple nominations, DiCaprio finally won his long-awaited ‘Best Actor’ Acadamy Award in 2016 for his role in The Revenant, attracting more than 47 million views on YouTube. The Hollywood actor used his speech to address critical issues, highlighting the threat of climate change and the damaging effects of big polluters, telling the audience to “not take this planet for granted.” 

Matthew McConaughey has the second most popular Oscars acceptance speech, with more than 26 million views on YouTube. The Dallas Buyer’s Club actor won his ‘Best Actor’ award in 2014 – beating the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale – and delivered a passionate talk thanking God, his family and colleagues, before finishing his speech with his signature phrase, “alright, alright, alright”.  

With more than 21 million views, the Internet’s third favourite Oscar acceptance speech goes to Heath Ledger. As one of the most emotional speeches of all time, the late Heath Ledger won ‘Best Supporting Actor’ in 2009 for his role as the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. Due to Heath Ledger’s sudden death the year before, his family accepted the award on his behalf, going down in history as one of the most memorable award acceptance speeches of all time. 

Kate Winslet has the fourth most popular Oscar’s acceptance speech, in addition to the most-watched speech for a ‘Best Actress’ winner. Kate Winslet won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in The Reader in 2009, beating the likes of Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep. The actress struggled to hold back her emotions during her evocative speech, which has now received more than 17 million views. 

The findings revealed that Jennifer Lawrence’s Oscar acceptance speech is the fifth most popular on record for her 2013 ‘Best Actress’ award for Silver Linings Playbook. Jennifer Lawrence will go down in Oscars history, sadly not for her speech, but for her fall up the Academy steps on her way to collect her award, which has now received more than 14.5 million views on YouTube. 

Additionally, Marlon Brando’s acceptance speech also features as one of the Internet’s favourites, placing eighth overall, making it the oldest acceptance speech in the ranking.

Receiving the ‘Best Actor’ award for his role in The Godfather, Brando’s 1973 speech has more than 11 million YouTube views, despite him not making an appearance. During the iconic speech, actress and Native American civil rights activist Sacheen Littlefeather spoke on Brando’s behalf, protesting the treatment of Native Americans in the film industry. 

A spokesperson for MapleCasino commented on the findings: “From Kate Winslet’s emotional speech to Leonardo DiCaprio’s political address, acceptance speeches can be used to not only celebrate wins but also as a vital platform to voice political and social change.

“The Internet celebrated when DiCaprio won his well-deserved Academy Award back in 2016, delivering such a powerful speech that it still sparks interest today.

“As a keen environmental activist, DiCaprio used his platform to call attention to the detrimental effects of climate change, which now has close to double the number of views of Matthew McConaughey’s speech.”  

The study was conducted by Maple Casino – the premier authority for the best online casinos in Canada, devoted to connecting Canadian players with the top online casino reviews.  

Top 10 most viewed Oscar acceptance speeches of all time 
Winner YouTube views 
Leonardo DiCaprio 47,352,852 
Matthew McConaughey 26,186,277 
Heath Ledger 21,425,866 
Kate Winslet 17,530,502 
Jennifer Lawrence 14,589,004 
Eddie Redmayne 13,734,109 
Natalie Portman 12,183,834 
Marlon Brando 11,454,828 
Joaquin Phoenix 11,386,659 
Sandra Bullock 10,917,316 

 END 

Cineworld launches inaugural ‘Cineworld Day’

CINEWORLD DAY TO TAKE PLACE THIS SATURDAY FEBRUARY 26th 

TICKETS REDUCED TO £3 FOR ALL FILMS, ALL DAY, IN ALL FORMATS

OFFER VALID ACROSS ALL 101 CINEMA SITES IN THE UK & IRELAND

Cineworld, the UK’s leading cinema chain, has announced its first ever ‘Cineworld Day’ to take place this Saturday, February 26th, 2022. 

A grand celebration of the nation’s love of cinema, the inaugural Cineworld Day will take place in all corners of the UK as Cineworld reduces its ticket prices to £3 for all films, all day, in all formats, including IMAX, 4DX, ScreenX and Superscreen, in addition to regular 2D. 

Cinema-goers will have the chance to see all of the latest film releases for only £3, including: Cyrano, The Duke, Death on the Nile, Uncharted, Marry Me, Belfast and Sing 2.

As part of the Cineworld Day celebration, some of 2021’s biggest blockbuster favourites will also be brought back in IMAX, 4DX and ScreenX such as, Dune and Spider-Man: No Way Home. 

As part of the Cineworld family, Picturehouse will also offer £3 tickets throughout Cineworld Day;

Additionally, as a limited time offer, customers can also receive 50% off their first month of Unlimited with the code BATMAN50 when you pay monthly or 10% off annual memberships with BATMAN10.

Stuart Crane, VP of Film for Cineworld Group, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome customers to our first  Cineworld Day, where for one day only on Saturday February 26th, they can experience all of the latest movies in all of the Cineworld formats for only £3, including IMAX, 4DX, ScreenX and Superscreen.

“The last two years have been especially difficult for the cinema industry, but with the huge crowds returning through our doors for movies like Spider-Man: No Way Home and with so many exciting movies to look forward to in 2022, like The Batman, Morbius, Top Gun: Maverick, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Jurassic World: Dominion, we wanted to celebrate everything that people love about cinema and everything that there is to look forward to at Cineworld, the best place to watch a movie.”

The event is sponsored by PepsiMax, IMAX, 4DX and ScreenX.

For more information on Cineworld Cinemas and to book tickets for Cineworld Day on Saturday February 26th 2022, please visit: cineworld.com

#CineworldDay

World’s Best Video Game Adaptations?

Ahead of the cinema release of video game adaptation Uncharted in the UK, new data has found the best video game movie, revealing Pokémon’s ‘Detective Pikachu’ to be a favourite across the globe.  

  • Pokémon’s ‘Detective Pikachu’ scored the best video game adaptation with scores 53/100 on Metacritic and 68% via Rotten Tomatoes  
  • Second is ‘Rampage’ seeing a box office of £350 million, Critic scores of 51% on Rotten Tomatoes and an IMDB rating of 6.1/10 
  • ‘Warcraft’ in third, this video game movie was the highest earner at the box office with £376 million 

Gaming experts SolitaireBliss, analysed 34 video games made into movies looking at both critic and viewer ratings and box office income adjusted for inflation to find the most popular video game movie.  

First is ‘Detective Pikachu’ from the Pokémon franchise. Released in 2019, the adventure game could be played on Nintendo, where players accompany Pikachu to solve mysteries. Starring Ryan Reynolds in the movie, the film took in £348 million at the box office, making it the third highest-earning video game movie adaptation.

The film received a Metacritic score of 53/100, and the highest Rotten Tomatoes score of all films in the list, at 68%. 

‘Rampage’ is the second highest in the list, after placing second at the box office with £350 million. The video game was first created in 1986, made originally as an arcade game, and players control three monsters with aims to survive against the military. The movie claimed Hollywood stars Dwayne Johnson and Naomie Harris to play the lead roles. 

The Third most successful movie based on a game is ‘Warcraft’. Starring Paula Patton and Dominic Cooper, the film scored 28% on Rotten Tomatoes and 32/100 on Metacritic, but ranked highly after being the highest earner at box office with £376 million. Warcraft is built up around five core games in the franchise, where opposing players order virtual armies to battle against each other. 

The action-adventure game adaptation with Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton and Ben Kingsley, ‘Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time’, ranked fourth in the listing with an average score of 51 in the viewer and critic score, the movie made more than £317 million at box office when it was released in 2010.

Released in February 2020, ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ takes fifth place in the ranking. The movie featuring Jim Carrey received an IMDB score of 6.5/10 and 63% via Rotten Tomatoes. The series follows Sonic battling a mad scientist.  

Sixth most popular is ‘Tomb Raider’ released in 2018, the film took in almost £225 million at the box office. ‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider’, the first instalment of this series of movies in 2001, placed eighth in the list. The game ‘Tomb Raider’ is an action-adventure which follows Lara Croft travelling the globe for lost artefacts, involving puzzle solving and fighting enemies.  

The Resident Evil series with Kaya Scodelario placed twice in the top ten with ‘Resident Evil: The Final Chapter’ ranking seventh in the list, and ‘Resident Evil: Afterlife’ in ninth. The Franchise is a survival horror series which includes zombies and puzzle solving.  

Tenth in the list is the fighting, action-adventure game adaptation ‘Mortal Kombat’, the video game movie received a Metacritic score of 60/100 and IMDB rating of 6.1/10.  

Most Popular Video Game Movie  
Rank Movie Title 
1 Detective Pikachu 
2 Rampage 
3 Warcraft 
4 Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time 
5 Sonic the Hedgehog 
6 Tomb Raider 
7 Resident Evil: The Final Chapter 
8 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider 
9 Resident Evil: Afterlife 
10 Mortal Kombat  

Commenting on their findings, a spokesperson from SolitaireBliss said, “With the release of the new video game movie adaptation, Uncharted, it’s fascinating to see how viewers and professional critics score the movies based on games, and comparing that with how each film performed at the box office.

“Movies based on video games have the advantage of a set of fans already familiar with the brand, and likely keen to see it. However, it can be a double-edged sword as those same fans are likely to have strong opinions and high expectations. This data shows that plenty of video game films have made good money, but many have struggled to impress fans and critics.”   

This study was conducted by SolitaireBliss, which provides an online gaming service allowing users to play a wide array of card games and challenges.  

SolitaireBliss

Valentine’s Viewing: The UK’s favourite Rom-coms

  • ‘Palm Springs’ is the UK’s favourite Romantic comedy
  • ‘Juno’ and ‘Groundhog Day’ take second and third on the list
  • ‘Amelie’ and ‘Love Actually’ also make the top ten

New research has revealed that 2020’s ‘Palm Springs’ is the UK’s favourite rom-com.

The research, conducted by PokerListings.com looked at the number of Google searches, review scores and Wikipedia page views of the most popular rom-coms, to determine which one came out on top.

It found that 2020’s ‘Palm Springs’, starring Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti, was the UK’s favourite. The film receives more than 193,000 searches a month, accompanied with a Rotten Tomatoes Audience score of 88%, which sees it sit at the top. Released digitally in 2020 in the US on Hulu where it broke the platform’s streaming records, it reached UK audiences via Prime Video in early 2021 to further appeal.

The coming-of-age movie ‘Juno’ sits in second place, with UK audiences searching the title more than 158,000 times a month. Starring Elliot Page and Michael Cera in leading roles, the film received praise from critics and audiences alike upon its release in 2007, also winning ‘Best Writing for an Original Screenplay’ at the 2008 Academy Awards. It arrived on Disney+ in December last year which introduced it to wider audiences nearly 15 years after its release.

The Bill Murray classic ‘Groundhog Day’ comes in third place, with more than 50,000 searches a month and with an 8/10 rating on IMDB, one of the highest on the list. It’s often spoken about as one of the most influential comedy movies of all time, with the common term ‘Groundhog Day’ referring to a day that keeps reoccurring, originating from the movie from its release in 1993.

MovieRT Audience scoreIMDB RatingNumber of monthly Google searchesWiki Page daily average views
Palm Springs887.41930003,566
Juno887.41586003,369
Groundhog Day888503006,726
Love Actually727.61920010,068
Amelie958.3463004,507
Silver Linings Playbook867.715508,123
Breakfast at Tiffany’s917.655004,947
Some Like It Hot948.221503,996
Notting Hill797.1286005,406
The Holiday806.9401004,897

‘Love Actually’ falls just outside the top three with the film not only being a popular rom-com but a fan favourite Christmas movie as well. The ensemble cast of stars like Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth makes it one of the most rewatchable British films.

In fifth place is the French movie ‘Amelie’ which was released in 2001. It’s the best-rated film in the list, with a Rotten Tomatoes Audience score of 95% and an 8.3/10 on IMDB. In the year it was released, it won ‘Best Film’ at the European Film Awards and was even nominated for five Academy Awards.

Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson from PokerListings said: “With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, it’s often that romantic comedies are the films couples turn to for their perfect combination of laughter and intimacy, and this list will hopefully provide some viewing inspiration. It’s fascinating to see how timeless films like ‘Groundhog Day’ and ‘Some Like It Hot’ are, with the classics competing with newer titles like ‘Palm Springs’ in the list.”

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CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN: The UK’s favourite Christmas Film

  • ‘Elf’ is the UK’s favourite Christmas movie
  • ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ and ‘Home Alone’ take second and third respectively
  • ‘Love, Actually’ and ‘Last Christmas’ also make the list

The 2003 comedy ‘Elf’ is the most popular film to watch this Christmas period, according to new research.

Research conducted by PokerListings.com analysed IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes scores, as well as Google search levels and Wikipedia page views to see which Christmas movie is the UK’s number one fan favourite.

‘Elf’ ended up taking the top spot, with more than 30,000 Google searches a month for the Christmas classic, as well as praise from audiences and critics alike.

The film is currently sitting at 7/10 on IMDB and a 79% score from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. The Jon Favreau-directed comedy featured an ensemble cast with Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel, James Caan and many more starring.

In second place is the animated musical ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’. Released in 1993, the film is a high scorer with audiences sitting at an 8/10 on IMDB and a 91% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

It’s the biggest scorer for Wiki page views on the list, with more than 1.1 million visiting in the past month alone. The fantasy title was the first animated film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.

‘Home Alone’ sits in third place in the list as another audience favourite, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 80% and a 7.6/10 on IMDB. It’s widely considered one of the greatest festive films ever, and the effect the film has is clear, with its success influencing the making of six sequels since its release in 1990.

RankMovie titleRT Audience scoreIMDB RatingTotal Searches per monthWiki Page Views (Past Month)
1Elf79%730800159,484
2The Nightmare Before Christmas91%810701,100,610
3Home Alone80%7.62450530,980
4Mickey’s Christmas Carol90%8192075,212
5Last Christmas81%6.511900230,285
6Love, Actually72%7.62050335,226
7Santa Claus: The Movie66%6.33690038,795
8It’s a Wonderful Life95%8.6800672,539
9Love Hard94%6.330699,162
10The Snowman91%8.2440093,672

‘Love, Actually’ also features in the top ten, sitting in fifth place. The film is one of the most prominent UK rom-coms set in the Christmas period, and features a star-studded cast including Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightley, Emma Thompson and many more. It had a charity short film sequel, Red Nose Day Actually, which aired in 2017 on BBC One with the same cast.

The 2019 Romantic Comedy ‘Last Christmas’ makes an appearance in seventh place. Inspired by the music of George Michael, it stars Emilia Clarke in the leading role, with Emma Thompson and Henry Golding also starring.

It’s an example of a Christmas movie that divided critics and fans, with a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 81% and only a 44% score from critics, with a 6.5/10 on IMDB. It’s also one of the most Googled entries on the list with more than 11,000 searches a month.

Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson for PokerListings said: “It’s great to see how diverse the market for Christmas movies is, with a variety of genres included on the list.

“Despite many new additions every year to the festive line up, many entries in the top ten are more than 20 years old now, which really emphasizes how timeless movies like ‘Elf’ and ‘Home Alone’ are and how they can be enjoyed for generations to come.”

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