Stub it out Cruella!

A local anti-smoking group has called for all films with smoking scenes to be given an 18 certificate in the UK to stop children being encouraged to light up.

The concerns were raised by Liverpool City Council who suggest that research has shown that young people are heavily influenced by the depiction of smoking in films and if imposed would stretch to Disney favourites.

Neil Rafferty, of pro-smoking group Forest said: “It’s an absolutely absurd idea to make a film with smoking an 18 but one that has extreme violence a 15″ and I would have to agree.

Such a measure is not going to prevent youngsters from being subjected to smoking. Every time children step out onto the street they see rspected ‘grown-ups’ lighting up and many children have parents who smoke. Surely the influence of ‘real’ people is of more concern? Giving an 18 cert to a film with graphic sexual scenes seems reasonable as you do not see full blown intercourse on the streets, well maybe occasionally on a Saturday night but by this time those passive, impressionable young souls are tucked up in bed with a night light keeping away the boogie man!

Lets give the youth of Britain some credit. Suggestions of increasing the certificate on films which feature the cancer giving sticks is insulting to their intelligence! Children today are more aware of the risks of smoking than any other generation, they are taught about it in school from a very young age.

These are the same youngsters that we were considering lowering the vote to! So are we proposing that a 16 year old is mature and educated enough to make informed decisions about the running of a country yet they are too impressionable to tell the difference between fact and fiction?

Giving an 18 cert to films such as 101 Dalmatians is laughable! I severely doubt that any child has watched the popular animation and thought “wow, that Cruella De Vil looks cool puffing on that disease ridden fag” in the same way that I am highly certain that no child has ever watched the film and been endeared to kill and skin puppies! As Rafferty exclaims: “you need to get some perspective”.

Sarah Butt ©

Sources

www.metro.co.uk

Image courtesy of www.voanews.com

Atonement steals the show at Sony Ericsson Empire Awards!

The public has spoken and the votes for the 2008 Sony Ericsson Empire Awards have been counted and verified. British film’s were victorious in many categories with Atonement being the big winner taking away awards for best actress, best actor and best British film. The full list of winners is as follows:   

Best Newcomer
Sam Riley (Control)

Best Comedy
Hot Fuzz

Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Stardust

Best Horror
28 Weeks Later

Best Thriller
American Gangster

The Sony Ericsson Soundtrack Award
Control

Best British Film
Atonement

Best Actress
Keira Knightley (Atonement)

Best Actor
James McAvoy (Atonement)

Best Director
David Yates (Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix)

Best Film
The Bourne Ultimatum

Done In 60 Seconds
Titanic

Empire Inspiration Award
Guillermo Del Toro

Outstanding Contribution To British Film
Shane Meadows

Empire Icon
Ewan McGregor

Sarah Butt ©

Photographs courtesy of www.imdb.com

Information courtesy of www.empireonline.com

Atonement gown sold for near $50k

The stunning emerald green dress worn by Keira Knightley in the Oscar nominated film Atonement has been sold for $46,000 in an on-line auction.

All proceeds have gone to the Children’s Charity of Southern California.

Sarah Butt ©

Photograph courtesy of www.pagesix.com

Films that will entertain and films that will send heads rolling! – Viewing tips for March

March is going to be a month of variation. The avid film goer will be spoilt for choice with movies ranging from CGI perfection to historical dramas. Read on for my pick of films which warrant getting the popcorn out for and those which should be avoided at all costs.

Diary Of The Dead

Genre: Thriller, Horror

Certification: 18

Director: George A. Romero

Starring: Shawn Roberts, Joshua Close, Michelle Morgan

Plot: A group of film students are shooting a horror movie when ironically they hear word that the dead are rising and seek refuge.

Verdict: This film was never going to disappoint with Romero as the director and reviews appear to suggest that this film is as vivid and frightening as Dawn of the Dead and Land of the Dead.

To view or not to view: View

Release date: 7^th March

The Other Boleyn Girl

Genre: Drama

Certification: 12A

Director: Justin Chadwick

Starring:Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana

Plot: A rivalry unfolds between Anne Boleyn (Portman) and her sister Mary (Johansson) after the two are encouraged by their father and uncle to contend for the affections of King Henry VIII (Bana).

Verdict: The wonderfully authentic looking costumes and familiarity with the story’s end are surely enough to entice the audience. Add to this the racy nature of the film and the star studded cast and this film has got to be worth a viewing.

To view or not to view: View

Release date: 7^th March

10,000 BC

Genre: Drama, Action

Certification:TBC

Director: Roland Emmerich

Starring:Camilla Belle, Nataneal Baring, Omar Shari

Plot:A prehistoric epic that follows a young mammoth hunter (Strait) as he embarks on a quest through uncharted territory to secure the continuation of his tribe and save his love interest, Evolet (Belle).

Verdict: This film has been criticised for its bland storyline, my response is, if you go to see this film you are not doing so to be wowed by plot twists, you want to judge the graphics. With the man who directed Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow on-board, the CGI recreation of the world as it was in 10,000 BC was always going to impress. This film is all about the CGI!

To view or not to view: View

Release Date: 14^th March

Son Of Rambow

Genre: Drama, Comedy, Family

Certification: 12

Director: Garth Jennings

Starring:Neil Dudgeon, Jessica Hynes, Bill Milner

Plot:Set in the 1980s, Will Proudfoot (Milner), a quiet and religious 10-year-old boy with an over active imagination and Lee Carter (Poulter), an outcast who is constantly in trouble, become close friends over a shared love of First Blood. The pair attempt to make their own sequel and enter it into a TV competition.

Verdict: The dark horse of the group. True, the plot does not immediately capture the imagination and the film appears insignificant, yet reviews so far have dubbed Son Of Rambow as an endearing tale of childhood relationships and definitely worth a look. Empire has gone as far to suggest that “If you only see one Rambo movie this year, make sure it’s this one”.

To view or not to view: View

Release date: March 28^th

Meet The Spartans

Genre: Comedy

Certification: 12A

Director:Aaron Selzer

Starring:Sean Maguire, Carmen Elektra

Plot: A parody of 300

Verdict: The only reason people go to see spoof movies is to be entertained by the onslaught of fat, gay, fart and dick jokes and the crude nudity that are standard elements of such films. This film contains all of the above but somehow still fails to be funny!

To view or not to view: Not to view

Release date: 28^th March

Happy viewing fellow film goers!

Sarah Butt ©

Photographs courtesy of www.imdb.com