Lamb Films latest short film 2p

Film maker: iamwillmaloney

Synopsis:

Between the hours of nine and five Billy works as a nightclub “PR Rep”, but his life’s passion lies in collecting 2p coins. Billy takes pride in his small change hobby, learning the value of enjoying the tiny things life has to offer. But in his love for the small things, Billy often misses the big picture And the girl who just wants him to say hello...

Genre: Comedy

Running time:  2:20

Will Maloney said : -

2p is collaboration between our producer, Larry Cowen and myself. We were chatting one day, eager to get another project going and Larry told me about the Virgin Shorts competition. I immediately went to the drawing board and started drafting ideas. As an American, the 2p coin has always been a bit of an anomaly to me, so I thought what a unique base for a narrative. Something we see everyday, but rarely think about twice. After I wrote the script, we brought in a fantastic cast and crew and filmed for two days on location in South Belfast

2p is about the power of hope, and what can happen when we give things a chance. Chris Patrick Simpson and Mary-Frances Doherty play our leads, Billy and Clare. Coming from a mixture of theatre and film, both actors bring an aspect of empathy to their roles that I think your average viewer will really connect with. Our Director of Photography was my father, Denis Maloney, an award winning cinematographer who visually took 2p to the next level.

2p is a labour of love that would not have been possible without a belief in the script from our talented cast and crew. Northern Ireland is a place with a lot of creative talent, and more than anything; 2p is a testament to that.





Please follow this link to comment on 2p

 http://www.virginmediashorts.co.uk/film/1213/2p

Film Noir – The Best Modern Noir Films

Search IMDB for “Film Noir” and you will find a fairly exhaustive list of the top fifty film-noir titles as voted by users like you and I. However, closer inspection of this list reveals that every film was made sometime before 1958. This begs the question – did great film noir die with the black and white era? Certainly not.
Film noir is as alive today as the days when dark, gritty fiction was printed on cheap wood pulp paper. So if you`re in the mood for some detective drama, beautifully-crafted-albeit-cheesy dialogue, and lovable anti-heroes.

Dark City (1998)
Director Alex Proyas masterfully weaves together intelligent dialogue, intriguing plot developments, stunning art direction, atmospheric lighting design, and competent visual effects to create a critically maligned box office failure. Ouch.

Yet the last ten years have been kind to Dark City – a strong cult following has spurred many critics to revisit their original scathing reviews. The film, half science-fiction, half film-noir, chronicles John Murdoch, a man who might be a murderer, as he looks for answers in a city that never sees the light of day. Pursued by police and a group of all-powerful ghouls known as The Strangers, Murdoch uncovers the truth of why it is always dark, and why no one can ever leave the city. Look for a young Jennifer Connelly as she co-stars opposite Rufus Sewell.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit reminds me of the days when Robert Zemekis used groundbreaking special effects to help tell his story – not to be his story. A remarkable achievement of live-action and 2D animation seamlessly blended, this film coined its own phrase within the special effects community – “bumping the lamp.”

The story follows detective Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) as he investigates the murder of Marvin Acme, the owner of Toontown – a place where Disney and Warner Bros. characters film cartoons, and always share equal screen time. All signs of Acme`s murder point to one toon, the hysterically inept Roger Rabbit. Valiant, an avid toon-hater, must protect Roger and unearth the truth while navigating a bevy of unique characters in the Golden Age of Toontown (Hollywood). This is a film you have probably seen, but not recently, and is well worth another look.

Sin City (2005)
A veritable wet dream for any film noir/comic book/Jessica Alba fan – Robert Rodriguez adapts Frank Miller`s famed graphic novels straight from the page. This film is brimming with ultra-violence, gratuitous nudity, and pretty much everything else that makes us want to go to the movies. No plot synopsis can do this film justice – it`s a visual masterpiece and quite possibly the greatest noir film ever made. Not for the faint of heart.

Brick (2005)
Brick is an interesting experimental film that is not for everyone. Neophyte director Rian Johnson paints an intricate tale of sex, drugs, and murder centered around a Southern California high school. The cast, led by Joseph Gordon Levitt, is packed with real teens and twentysomethings, playing students/moonlight detectives and drug kingpins. Brick is very well written, but unfortunately, much of the clever dialogue is lost within So-Cal mumbles. The film doesn`t always work, but the mere fact that any of it works is a remarkable achievement.

L.A. Confidential (1997)
Curtis Hanson`s Tinseltown opus was the underdog`s favorite to win the 1997 Best Picture Oscar. However, James Cameron`s Titanic quickly sunk that notion. So was L.A. Confidential, an all-star cast 1950s detective drama, truly worthy of the statuette? In hindsight, many Academy voters would probably say yes. James Ellroy’s novel serves as an excellent launch pad for the acting talents of Russell Crowe, Kevin Spacey, David Strathairn and more. The film plays out like a cousin of Polanski`s Chinatown – and that`s a very good thing.

Payback (1999)
When every telephone in a film (sans cellphones) is a rotary, you`ve got yourself some great film noir. Payback follows small-time hood Porter (Mel Gibson), as he kills off big-time hoods in his pursuit of $70,000. An interesting footnote to this film is that director Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential screenwriter) was fired during production – and a sizeable portion of the film was re-shot prior to release.

One could come to expect all sorts of continuity problems due to this, but surprisingly, it works well. An additional interesting footnote is that Helgeland revisited the work in 2006 to produce Payback: Straight Up – The Director’s Cut, a much darker film.
 

Emma Thompson asked to Adapt Annie

It’s pretty well-known by now that Will Smith has been working with Jay-Z to update ‘Annie’ for a new generation - as a movie starring his pop-star daughter Willow Smith - but now it looks like another big star could be on board.

Vulture report that the pair, plus Overbrook Productions, are negotiating with Emma Thompson to re-adapt the screenplay. She seems the perfect choice having recently scripted the ‘Nanny McPhee’ movies.

Columbia Pictures announced the partnership of Smith and Jay-Z back in January of this year, and they’ve previously worked together as co-producers of Broadway hit ‘Fela!’ - along with Jada Pinkett Smith. It scored a massive 11 Tony Award nominations in 2010.

Thompson is currently working on ‘Men in Black III’ which stars Smith. Perhaps this is how the pair got to talking about the ‘Annie’ adaptation.

Earlier in the process, ‘Glee’ creator Ryan Murphy was in the running to direct, but he moved on to other projects while Smith focused on the third installment of the ‘Men in Black’ franchise.

It’s not confirmed whether Thompson will also take an acting role in the ‘Annie’ update, but the mix of her script, music composed by Jay-Z, and a Smith kid in the starring role sounds like it could be a winning combination. Stay tuned.

Fast and Furious 6 confirmed

Universal Pictures has announced a release date for the sixth entry in its popular The Fast & the Furious franchise.

According to EW, Fast and Furious 6 will be released on Memorial Day weekend 2013 and will see the characters embark on their most dangerous adventure yet.

Although no cast details have been officially announced, it is expected that Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Tyrese Gibson and Jordana Brewster will all return for the new film.

Fast Five opened in cinemas earlier this year, giving Universal its biggest opening weekend ever.

Neal H. Moritz and Vin Diesel will serve as producers, while Fast Five director Justin Lin will return to direct the sequel.

Universal also announced that its supernatural comedy R.I.P.D. starring Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges will reach cinemas in June 2013.

Fast and Furious 6 is expected in cinemas on June 24, 2013.

Matthew Lewis has confessed that he is ready to move on from the Harry Potter franchise.

The actor, who played Neville Longbottom in the wizarding series, told Parade that while he will miss his fellow castmates and crew, he feels "privileged" to have been part of such a monumental project.

Lewis explained: "I've been so pleased to be a part of it for such a long time. I feel very privileged. Every year that I got to come back I felt like I was stealing a bit of time. I enjoyed it so much. When it came to an end, I wasn't really sad at all. I was just proud of everybody and really excited to see what we made.

"The friendships were one of the main things that kept me going. The chemistry was really clear in the film, and it kept everyone coming back each year... I'll miss all the guys, but we all still live in England, and England is not that big of [a] place, so we'll still see each other. I'll miss working with them. Hopefully one day I'll work with some of them again."

Lewis went on to say that while he accepts that the Harry Potter storyline has come to a close, he would not turn down the opportunity to appear in another film should author J.K. Rowling decide to pen another book.

"I'd definitely be excited about new books and I'd read them. As for the film, I've been doing this for 10, 11 years now. I'm ready to go and do something different. I'm ready to say goodbye to Neville and see what else I can do," Lewis revealed.

"But if it was a genuinely good story - which if JK Rowling wrote anything, it would be brilliant - and they asked me, then, yeah, I would be quite excited. But I think our story is finished. I was very happy with the way it ended."

The final instalment in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, opens in cinemas worldwide on July 15.

Keira Knightley in 'A Dangerous Method' trailer

After a supporting turn in last year's Never Let Me Go, Keira Knightly returns with another hefty drama in the form of A Dangerous Method.

Starring opposite Viggo Mortensen and Michael Fassbender, Knightly plays Sabina Spielrein, a Russian-Jewish psychiatric patient of Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender). As Jung begins to grow closer to Sabina, his relationship with his mentor - the legendary psychotherapist Sigmund Freud - begins to crumble

David Cronenberg is behind the camera for A Dangerous Method, his first movie since 2007's critically acclaimed Mortensen crime film Eastern Promises. A Dangerous Method will open in UK cinemas all the way off in February 2012.

Watch the trailer for A Dangerous Method below:

Emily Browning: 'Nudity in films isn't risky'

Emily Browning has revealed that she doesn't mind nudity in films.

The 22-year-old Australian actress, who plays the lead role in the upcoming Sleeping Beauty movie, said that she doesn't know why people think that she is "risking" her career by stripping off for the role.

Browning told the Herald Sun: "Everybody keeps talking about how risky it was. But I didn't see what the potential risk was - except people not wanting to cast me in a children's film any time soon. And that's not the path I am wanting to take at the moment."

The former Lemony Snicket actress has previously revealed that she likes to be "brave" at work because she is "nervous" in her "everyday life". She has said of nude scenes: "I don't have a problem with naked human bodies. I just loved the material... it was all tasteful. It just didn't really seem much of an issue to me."

Earlier this year, Browning starred in Sucker Punch alongside Jon Hamm, Vanessa Hudgens and Abbie Cornish. Although she admitted that filming a sex scene with Hamm was "awkward", she said that she was upset it was eventually cut from the movie.

Liv Tyler: I wish I was in The Hobbit

Liv Tyler has confessed that she wishes she could be part of The Hobbit.

The Ledge actress revealed that she will not be part of The Hobbit and knows nothing about the project in a new interview with PopEater.

"I'm definitely not in The Hobbit and I actually don't know anything about it," Tyler explained. "I realised I need to call my friends in New Zealand to ask them what's going on so I have some facts when I get asked questions about it."

Asked if she was disappointed at not being included in the film, she replied: "Kind of secretly, [though] maybe desperate is the wrong word to use. I would love to go back there and bring my son to New Zealand and see all those amazing people. It was such a magical experience."

Tyler is well-known for her portrayal of Elf maiden Arwen Undómiel in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

Peter Jackson's adaptation of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit will be divided into two parts.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be released on December 14, 2012 and will be followed by The Hobbit: There and Back Again on December 13, 2013.

The cast of The Hobbit includes Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug, Welsh actor Luke Evans as Bard and Evangeline Lilly as elf Tauriel.

Statham’s Killer Elite gets a trailer

The first trailer for Jason Statham’s latest action film Killer Elite has busted its way online.

If you’re a fan of dirty fighting and even dirtier visuals, it looks like Elite was made just for you.

Statham plays an ex-special ops agent who is lured out of retirement (aren't they all?) in order to rescue his mentor (Robert De Niro).

That rescue will involve killing three unkillable assassins, who are being led by Clive Owen’s tough-as-nails bad guy.

Promising minimal plotting but maximum thrills, Killer Elite looks like a fun actioner that knows not to take itself too seriously. Just look at Owen’s moustache for proof of that.

The film also gives De Niro an opportunity to throw a few punches as well, which is always something to be celebrated.

Check out the trailer below…

James Cameron 'not planning Avatar trilogy'

James Cameron has revealed that the upcoming Avatar sequels will not round out a trilogy.

The Titanic director stated that he is writing two separate scripts for Avatar 2 and Avatar 3 respectively, promising that the films will each be able to stand alone, according to Fox News.

"We're shooting two films back-to-back, so I'm writing two scripts, not one, which will complete a free-film story arc - not really a trilogy, but just an overall character arc so I'm pretty excited about that," Cameron said.

Cameron went on to state that while he feels the pressure to write quality sequels, he is not letting himself become overly stressed.

"There's always an expectation," the 56-year-old said. "I had to deal with that after The Terminator back in 1984. All of a sudden I had a big hit movie and it was, 'What are you doing next?' But my job is take the audience on a journey and entertain them. The second I am sitting down writing, I just go to Pandora. The characters have their own lives."

Ioan Gruffudd recently described Cameron as having a "Jekyll and Hyde" personality, claiming that while the director can be difficult on set, he is perfectly charming off set.

Cameron predicted in April that there will be a 100% take-up of 3D technology in cinemas over the next five years, stating that he also hopes to see an expansion of the technology into the home.

The two Avatar sequels are scheduled to be released in December 2014 and 2015 respectively

Jennifer Lopez in talks for Jason Statham movie

Jennifer Lopez has entered talks to star in two new movie projects.

The American Idol judge is circling Jason Statham action film Parker, about a thief who gets romantically involved with a woman named Leslie (Lopez) as he prepares a heist.

Taylor Hackford (Ray) is directing the movie based on a novel series by Donald Westlake. Mel Gibson and Lee Marvin have previously played versions of the Parker character in Payback and Point Blank respectively.

Lopez is also discussing the possibility of taking a supporting role opposite Cameron Diaz and Glee's Matthew Morrison in What To Expect When You're Expecting, reports Deadline.

The project, to be directed by Everybody's Fine helmer Kirk Jones, is based on the best-selling childbirth how-to guide.

Lopez last appeared on-screen in romantic comedy The Back-up Plan.

The 'On the Floor' singer is allegedly planning to embark on a world tour to promote her new album Love?. She recently said that she is still unsure about returning to judge another season of American Idol.

Christina Hendricks wanted for Wonder Woman

Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, Bronson) has revealed he’d cast Mad Men star Christina Hendricks as Wonder Woman if he ever got to make a movie about the superheroine.

Refn recently worked with Hendricks on Drive. The film stars Ryan Gosling as a stuntman, and has been earning rave reviews across the festival circuit.

The director’s long been attempting to get his version of Wonder Woman onto the big screen. “If I get to do it, she’s going to be it,” Refn told Vulture of his dream casting.

In what could be seen as a two-pronged attack on rights holders Warner Bros, only last year Hendricks told Collider: “I’ve been wanting to wear that outfit my whole life.”

No Wonder Woman film is currently on the WB’s slate - Joss Whedon's attempt was shooed out of their offices, while David E Kelley’s recent Wonder Woman TV show failed at the first hurdle.
Next for Refn is remake Logan's Run. If the director continues to garner acclaim, expect him to get his shot at Wonder Woman in the near future.

Source: Vulture

Jonathan Demme: 'Movie-making is too expensive'

Jonathan Demme has confessed that he is "not comfortable" with the high cost of making movies in Hollywood.

The Silence of the Lambs director revealed that he became aware of the financial pitfalls of film-making after 2004's The Manchurian Candidate underperformed at the box office despite the project's $80 million cost.

"I made a version of Manchurian Candidate that cost a fortune. It was just so much money, and you think of something like Napoleon Dynamite made for under $100,000 and you're like, 'F**k, I want to do that'," Demme explained to PopEater.

"The effort going into making these huge budget Hollywood movies wasn't for me. After The Manchurian Candidate, I had to rest up and get re-acquainted with myself."

Demme added that he hopes to change the process in the future, saying: "To do these high style films now it costs so much to make them and I am not comfortable spending a lot of money on a movie anymore.

"The money is needed in other places. I love the stuff you see on YouTube made by 12-year-olds."

Anthony Hopkins recently expressed his gratitude to Demme for casting him in the role of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs.

Heather Graham: Sexual roles are interesting

Heather Graham has revealed that she is often drawn to roles which explore sexuality.

The Hangover actress confessed that while she has no problem with being typecast into particular parts, she is anxious to try projects with a bit more depth.

"The subject of sexuality is definitely fascinating to me. I think also men like to write these characters in scripts so if a man can write the part of a lesbian prostitute who's into porno they're writing it in!" Graham explained to PopEater.

"I want to do a movie about the survivors of the triangle shirtwaist factory fire and how they were empowered through their tragedy."

Graham went on to say that she is grateful to be a working actress, adding: "I can't really see myself from the outside like what people are thinking but I do feel very grateful that I get paid to work and continue to do things for different audiences."

She recently insisted that while she would have liked to have been in The Hangover Part II, she was happy just to be in the first one.

Megan Fox joins Sacha Baron Cohen's Dictator

Megan Fox has signed up to the cast of Sacha Baron Cohen's new comedy The Dictator.

The ex-Transformers actress's role in the film is being kept secret, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Cohen's film, which is to be directed by Borat's Larry Charles, will centre on the "heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed".

Paramount Studios has said that the screenplay is based on the novel Zabibah and the King by Saddam Hussein.

Ben Kingsley and Anna Faris have already been confirmed for the comedy.

Megan Fox recently wrapped up Kissing Jessica Stein director Jennifer Westfeldt's new comedy Friends with Kids.

She has been attached to several projects since being dropped from the Transformers series by director Michael Bay.

Bay claimed that Fox's description of him as "Hitler" had prompted producer Steven Spielberg to call for her sacking from the franchise.

Bridesmaids sequel titled Bridesmaids Revisited

Bridesmaids director Paul Feig has revealed that the comedy's sequel may be titled Bridesmaids Revisited.

Feig admitted that he is keen to work with the cast - including Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne, Maya Rudolph and Melissa McCarthy - for a second time, although Universal is yet to officially give the green light to any follow-up.

"Nobody's officially brought it up, but we'd love to assemble the team again,"  "We just need to make sure it's even better than the first one."

Asked about the title Bridesmaids Revisited, Feig replied: "That idea has already been floated. We've already said that's what we may call it because it makes us laugh."

Bridesmaids actress Melissa McCarthy joked that the sequel should be called Bridesmaids 2: Electric Boogaloo and centre on "an aggressive urban dance squad", while star and co-writer Wiig suggested a divorce storyline.

"Someone had the idea of a divorce party, which I like. She just immediately gets divorced - it does not work out!" Wiig quipped.

Bridesmaids recently crossed the $100 million mark at the US box office and will open in the UK this week.

Green Lantern beats Panda at UK box office

Green Lantern has topped the UK box office on its first weekend on release.

The 3D superhero epic, starring Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, takes in £2.4 million to edge past family movie Kung Fu Panda 2 and claim the number one spot.

Green Lantern's opening falls significantly short of the Kung Fu Panda sequel's £6 million bow and the £11 million debut for the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Fellow comic book adaptation X-Men: First Class took in more than £5 million on its first weekend earlier this month, despite not having the benefit of a box office boost from the price of 3D tickets.

Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake comedy Bad Teacher charts at number three, while The Hangover Part II and X-Men round out the top five.

Elsewhere, Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu's French comedy Potiche debuts at number nine with just over £200,000.

Kevin Macdonald's YouTube-sourced documentary Life in a Day and Mel Gibson's The Beaver both fail to make a dent in the top ten.

The UK box office top ten in full:

1. (-) Green Lantern - £2,472,969
2. (1) Kung Fu Panda 2 - £2,277,474
3. (-) Bad Teacher - £1,958,656
4. (2) The Hangover Part II - £1,504,318
5. (3) X-Men: First Class - £1,219,141
6. (4) Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - £917,188
7. (7) Senna - £376,286
8. (6) Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules - £227,995
9. (-) Potiche - £201,588
10. (5) Honey 2 - £176,140

Evangeline Lilly joins cast of 'The Hobbit'

Evangeline Lilly has become the latest addition to the cast of The Hobbit.

The former Lost star, who gave birth to her first child with boyfriend Norman Kali last month, will play an elf called Tauriel in Peter Jackson's adaptation of the JRR Tolkien novel.

Jackson wrote on his official Facebook page: "Evangeline Lilly will be playing a new character - the Woodland Elf, Tauriel. Her name means 'daughter of Mirkwood' and, beyond that, we must leave you guessing! (No, there is no romantic connection to Legolas.)

"What is not a secret is how talented and compelling an actress Evangeline is; we are thrilled and excited she will be the one to bring our first true Sylvan Elf to life."

Jackson also confirmed that the first block of shooting has now finished and that location scouting for the second production block is underway.

He added: "Evangeline and Barry [Humphries], along with Welsh actor Luke Evans as Bard and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug, just about rounds out the major casting. I cannot wait to get stuck into these new scenes!"

Lilly's former partner Dominic Monaghan made his movie breakthrough in Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy playing hobbit Merry Brandybuck.

The Hobbit will be divided into two parts.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be released on December 14, 2012 and will be followed by The Hobbit: There and Back Again on December 13, 2013.

McAvoy 3D is a waste of time and money

James McAvoy has revealed that he is not a fan of 3D.

The Wanted actor spoke to Deadline about his views on the technology, confessing that he is relieved that his recent film X-Men: First Class was not shot in 3D.

"Thank God this movie [X-Men: First Class] is not in 3D, which is just an excuse to charge an extra ten bucks at the theatre," McAvoy said. "Then in the end, they're not 3D at all. The idea of things coming out of the screen and making you jump out your seat are done very well, but I think it's a waste of time and money and I wouldn't pay for a ticket to go to one of those films."

The 32-year-old continued: "I maintain you can't do a good conversion of a two-hour movie with high quality in a few weeks like they tried to do with Clash of the Titans."

X-Men: First Class producer Lauren Shuler Donner recently agreed with McAvoy, claiming that filmmakers chose not to shoot the movie in 3D due to overexposure of the technology.

Earlier this month, McAvoy expressed interest in shooting two more X-Men films, stating that he would love to reprise his role as Professor X.

Peter Sarsgaard explains 'Green Lantern' role

Peter Sarsgaard has revealed that he took on the role of supervillain Hector Hammond in Green Lantern because it challenged him as an actor.

Hammond serves as one of the film's main villains after he is possessed by the evil Parallax entity and develops an overly enlarged cranium, and Sarsgaard said that it
was the ridiculous nature of the character that drew him to the role.

"I think because it seemed imposible," Sarsgaard told Comic Book Resources. "I was aware there was a big chance people would just be repulsed the entire time I was on screen or laugh at me instead of with me, so I knew it would require very strong acting choices.

"I would have to be powerful in it," the actor said, regarding the extensive prosthetics his character wears. "The only way to silence a room that's laughing at you is to sort of take over."

The An Education star claimed that producers originally intended for him to wear an even larger head prosthetic, more in line with the character's comic book appearance, but that it would have made his acting suffer as a result.

"It was weighing me down, it was like a sight gag. Like I said, I needed to take command in these scenes and have them be about something other than the fact that I have a large head."

Green Lantern was released in cinemas this weekend.

Scary Movie 5 for 2012 release

The Weinstein Company has announced that Scary Movie 5 will launch in cinemas in April 2012.

Earlier this year, it was confirmed that the studio were planning a fifth instalment in the long-running horror spoof franchise.

Despite the announced release date, it is still unknown whether stars Anna Faris and Regina Hall will reprise their roles as Cindy Campbell and Brenda Meeks respectively.

The franchise's last entry Scary Movie 4 took $41 million at the US box office upon its release in April 2006, and went on to gross around $91 million domestically.

The studio also announced that Patrick Lussier's rebooted Halloween 3D will be released on October 26, 2012.

Scary Movie 5 is expected to hit cinemas on April 20, 2012.