With the impressively cast but critically mauled “The Big Wedding” hitting our screens just now (see our rightly unforgiving review here), one’s mind runs to other examples of films that have wound up being significantly less than the sum of their parts.
It’s not enough for a film to feel like it could have done better with its impressive resources, we need to find ourselves in the presence of a genuinely flagrant waste of considerable talent. The anti-12 Angry Men, if you will.
So where do we start? With the granddaddy, of course:-
Rancid Aluminium
Rhys Ifans, Joseph Fiennes, Steven Berkoff, Sadie Frost, Tara Fitzgerald – all excellent actors with sterling work under their respective belts. But goodness me, what a car-wreck.
Managing to recoup about a tenth of its $12m budget, Rancid Aluminium’s tale of a man getting caught up with the Russian mafia is horrendously misconceived,...
It’s not enough for a film to feel like it could have done better with its impressive resources, we need to find ourselves in the presence of a genuinely flagrant waste of considerable talent. The anti-12 Angry Men, if you will.
So where do we start? With the granddaddy, of course:-
Rancid Aluminium
Rhys Ifans, Joseph Fiennes, Steven Berkoff, Sadie Frost, Tara Fitzgerald – all excellent actors with sterling work under their respective belts. But goodness me, what a car-wreck.
Managing to recoup about a tenth of its $12m budget, Rancid Aluminium’s tale of a man getting caught up with the Russian mafia is horrendously misconceived,...
- 6/4/2013
- by Dave Roper
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
It takes a twisted creative genius to produce a compellingly bad film. It doesn't sound like Madonna's W.E. makes the cut
Like the vast majority of you, I presume, I'll probably give W.E. a miss. I did have momentary hopes for Madonna's biopic of Wallis Simpson; by the time the house lights had risen on the Venice film festival, the vultures of Twitter were already circling. This looked like it could be special. Then came Xan Brooks's review offering tantalising promises of something "jaw-dropping" and "risible", including a scene where Wallis dances with a Masai tribesman to the strains of the Sex Pistols' Pretty Vacant. Hello, is that the ticket office?
Then came the crushing disappointment. Further exploration unearthed critics on the Telegraph, the Mail, the Independent, the Hollywood Reporter and beyond using dreaded phrases like "redeeming features"; "breath of fresh air" and "lovely frocks". The critics, alas,...
Like the vast majority of you, I presume, I'll probably give W.E. a miss. I did have momentary hopes for Madonna's biopic of Wallis Simpson; by the time the house lights had risen on the Venice film festival, the vultures of Twitter were already circling. This looked like it could be special. Then came Xan Brooks's review offering tantalising promises of something "jaw-dropping" and "risible", including a scene where Wallis dances with a Masai tribesman to the strains of the Sex Pistols' Pretty Vacant. Hello, is that the ticket office?
Then came the crushing disappointment. Further exploration unearthed critics on the Telegraph, the Mail, the Independent, the Hollywood Reporter and beyond using dreaded phrases like "redeeming features"; "breath of fresh air" and "lovely frocks". The critics, alas,...
- 9/2/2011
- by Ally Fogg
- The Guardian - Film News
After years of gloom, the buzz around Ben Wheatley's occult chiller suggests British audiences are finally developing a taste for British film
Few things can be as wince-inducing as the patriotic hubbub around British film in award season. Viewed from this side of the Atlantic, the Oscars often become a long obsessive fret about Kate Winslet's prospects for best supporting actress, while the Baftas do away with even the chance of national disappointment by reserving two prizes for we plucky Brits alone. It's enough to give you pause when you're about to reach for the plastic Union Jack bowler hat and sing the praises of British cinema. But perhaps there comes a time you have to.
Today sees the release of Kill List, the much-discussed second film from Brighton director Ben Wheatley. By yesterday lunchtime, its weekend shows had already begun to sell out, the fervent whispers that...
Few things can be as wince-inducing as the patriotic hubbub around British film in award season. Viewed from this side of the Atlantic, the Oscars often become a long obsessive fret about Kate Winslet's prospects for best supporting actress, while the Baftas do away with even the chance of national disappointment by reserving two prizes for we plucky Brits alone. It's enough to give you pause when you're about to reach for the plastic Union Jack bowler hat and sing the praises of British cinema. But perhaps there comes a time you have to.
Today sees the release of Kill List, the much-discussed second film from Brighton director Ben Wheatley. By yesterday lunchtime, its weekend shows had already begun to sell out, the fervent whispers that...
- 9/2/2011
- by Danny Leigh
- The Guardian - Film News
Place your bets. Which villain will he play? Vulture? Mysterio? Lizard? Carnage? I’d say the smart money’s on The Vulture. He might look like an old fogey in an fur collar, but the Vulture is a vicious enemy. Along with Electro, he once almost beat Spider-Man to death. Vulture, aka Adrian Toomes, first appeared in .Amazing Spider-Man #2″
Press release:
Rhys Ifans will play the villain, opposite Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker and Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, in the next installment of Spider-Man from Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios, it was announced today by Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment and Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures. The film, to be directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt and produced by Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin, will begin production in December and will be released in theaters nationwide in 3D on July 3, 2012.
Commenting on the announcement,...
Press release:
Rhys Ifans will play the villain, opposite Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker and Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, in the next installment of Spider-Man from Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios, it was announced today by Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment and Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures. The film, to be directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt and produced by Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin, will begin production in December and will be released in theaters nationwide in 3D on July 3, 2012.
Commenting on the announcement,...
- 10/13/2010
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Rhys Ifans (Anonymous), who will next be seen as Xenophilius Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 has signed on to play the villain, opposite Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Emma Stone (Easy A, Zombieland) as Gwen Stacy, in director Marc Webb‘s as yet Untitled Spider-Man Reboot.
Check out the official press release below for all the details.
Culver City, Calif., October 11, 2010 – Rhys Ifans will play the villain, opposite Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker and Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, in the next installment of Spider-Man from Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios, it was announced today by Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment and Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures. The film, to be directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt and produced by Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin, will begin production in December and will be...
Check out the official press release below for all the details.
Culver City, Calif., October 11, 2010 – Rhys Ifans will play the villain, opposite Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker and Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, in the next installment of Spider-Man from Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios, it was announced today by Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment and Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures. The film, to be directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt and produced by Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin, will begin production in December and will be...
- 10/12/2010
- by Jason Moore
- ScifiMafia
Welsh thesp Rhys Ifans has finally joined the Hollywood big league after landing the lead villain in Marc Webb’s Spider-Man reboot. Of course there’s no word who’ll he be playing but it is surprising news to say the least.
Ifans is currently buying up all copies of Little Nicky on DVD and videotape before studios execs see his interpretation of villainy*.
The Notting Hill actor will be joining the ace Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-Dude and Emma Stone, who has been cast as Gwen Stacy. Below is the official studio press release. Expect internet sites to be speculating like lunatics over who’ll Ifans will play.
“Culver City, Calif., October 11, 2010 – Rhys Ifans will play the villain, opposite Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker and Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, in the next installment of Spider-Man from Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios, it was announced today by Amy Pascal,...
Ifans is currently buying up all copies of Little Nicky on DVD and videotape before studios execs see his interpretation of villainy*.
The Notting Hill actor will be joining the ace Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-Dude and Emma Stone, who has been cast as Gwen Stacy. Below is the official studio press release. Expect internet sites to be speculating like lunatics over who’ll Ifans will play.
“Culver City, Calif., October 11, 2010 – Rhys Ifans will play the villain, opposite Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker and Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, in the next installment of Spider-Man from Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios, it was announced today by Amy Pascal,...
- 10/11/2010
- by Martyn Conterio
- FilmShaft.com
With the announcement of Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker in Sony’s reboot of Spider-Man we were left with the vacancies for female lead and the main villain of the piece.
Emma Stone was recently confirmed as Gwen Stacey and now we have news that Rhys Ifans will be playing the villain, though they are not saying which of the many bad guys he will be playing.
There were reports that Philip Seymour Hoffman was talking to Columbia about playing Venom but strong indications say that Marc Webb and co. are not looking to Venom or Hoffman for their Spidey-reboot, and now with Ifans in the frame the internet is sure to whizz into a frenzy as to the identity of the villain he will play.
Director Marc Webb is quoted as saying that Ifans is capable of displaying the ‘warmth and rage’ of the villain in question, and there...
Emma Stone was recently confirmed as Gwen Stacey and now we have news that Rhys Ifans will be playing the villain, though they are not saying which of the many bad guys he will be playing.
There were reports that Philip Seymour Hoffman was talking to Columbia about playing Venom but strong indications say that Marc Webb and co. are not looking to Venom or Hoffman for their Spidey-reboot, and now with Ifans in the frame the internet is sure to whizz into a frenzy as to the identity of the villain he will play.
Director Marc Webb is quoted as saying that Ifans is capable of displaying the ‘warmth and rage’ of the villain in question, and there...
- 10/11/2010
- by Jon Lyus
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
For as riotously entertaining as both Lock, Stock and Snatch were, Guy Ritchie has a lot to answer for. As international audiences were largely spared the brunt of the misery by a lack of international distribution, most Americans will never know the excruciating pain that even a single viewing of such piss poor clones the likes of Rancid Aluminum, The 51st State, and Love, Honor, and Obey can inflict. Thankfully these last few years have seen something of a moratorium on wearily hip tales of cock-er-ney wideboys and their harebrained, desperately ironic escapades, and with it a welcome return to the kind of arresting, gritty, and disgustingly grubby crime dramas Britain used to be very good at.
With that in mind we come to director Paul Andrew Williams's 2006 study of urban sickness London to Brighton, a grimy shoestring tale of an on-the-run prostitute, her underage ward and a perusing...
With that in mind we come to director Paul Andrew Williams's 2006 study of urban sickness London to Brighton, a grimy shoestring tale of an on-the-run prostitute, her underage ward and a perusing...
- 8/13/2009
- by Neil Pedley
- JustPressPlay.net
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