Special Feature | Summer 2017 Blockbuster Montage
Hey readers! AMONymous here.
It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything here – life has been a bit crazy for me these past few months – and I’m aiming to change that in the near future. One thing I couldn’t deprive people of was my annual Summer Blockbuster AMONtage, which has grown in popularity from year to year.
Doing these edits takes me a lot of time, but the fact that I got more messages about it this year than in times past was both humbling and motivating. You can now see the fruits of this year’s labour below. Let me know what you think (and be sure to share if you enjoy it!).
Film Feature | Top 10 Most Anticipated Films of 2016
Happy new year readers!
I hope you’ve all had a great holiday season and are ready for the new year. 2016 is going to be HUGE for AMONymous, and a couple big changes are in the works.
Firstly, I am now going to be doing a lot more on-camera content for AMONymous. The website will still be updated, but if you want to be ahead of the game you’ll want to be subscribing to my YouTube channel here. Secondly, the content will be much more varied and regular. In addition to reviews, there will be plenty of features, interviews, competitions and much more!
To that end, here’s my top 10 most anticipated films of 2016. It’s going to be a great year.
Special Feature | Summer 2015 Blockbuster Montage
Hey readers!
With Fast and Furious 7 recently released and Avengers: Age of Ultron just around the corner, this week felt like the perfect time to drop my annual Summer Blockbuster AMONtage. I hope it gets you as excited for summer movie season as I am!
This is just the first part of an AMONymous relaunch of sorts, so stay tuned for a few more updates later this month. For those interested, this post will be updated on the weekend with a little bit more about my process when it comes to making these videos. For now though, sit back, relax and enjoy!
Interview | Maika Monroe talks It Follows
When I sat down with Maika Monroe at a London hotel earlier last month, it quickly struck me that her demeanour was one I wasn’t used to seeing on her – specifically, she was relaxed.
This isn’t to say that Monroe is never like this of course – by all accounts she’s a charming, laid-back individual – but for the characters she plays in 2014 sleeper hit The Guest and new horror flick It Follows, relaxation is not a feeling that’s expressed too often.
Behind the Scenes at Empire Leicester Square’s IMAX
When it was announced that Screen One at the Empire Leicester Square was to be taken down, the initial reaction was one of sadness. The venue had played hosts to a number of memorable film events, and this writer can definitely attest to its rich atmosphere. However in its stead comes a new IMAX screen – the 26th in the UK – and HeyUGuys were offered an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the customised installation.
As always, what immediately strikes you upon walking into an IMAX screening room is the sheer size. The 87-foot wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling curved IMAX screen comes in at a substantial 26.5m x 15.6m, and the room has a seating capacity of 727. Speaking of the seats, they’ve been upgraded to a lush leather that ensures a comfortable viewing experience.
Film Feature | Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Extended Footage Report
On behalf of HeyUGuys I was among a lucky group of journalists who were shown five scenes from the highly anticipated Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, effectively amounting to a 20 minute tease. The footage was introduced by Caesar himself, Andy Serkis (we’ll have our interview with the star up on the site next month), and the performance capture pioneer was also on hand to add context to each clip we were shown. Below is a breakdown of what we saw. Be warned: SPOILERS AHEAD.
Special Feature | Parkouring for Brick Mansions
To celebrate the release of Brick Mansions earlier this month, on behalf of HeyUGuys I was invited to The Chainstore in London to be taught some parkour. It’s safe to say that in the hours leading up to our training day we were as excited as we were nervous, with the latter feeling growing exponentially after we watched a video featuring some of the world’s best parkourists (this was not a good idea!).
Thankfully our instructors were pros and immediately put us at ease, and after a brisk warm-up we learned some of the simpler manoeuvres before moving onto more difficult exercises. Our biggest challenge was a wall-run without the aid of a ramp, a feat which was eventually accomplished on the fourth try…
Suffice to say, a day parkouring gave us newfound respect for masters of this craft, particularly when our instructors made complex movements look ridiculously easy! We had a great time learning the ropes (although our body suffered the consequences of the brutal workout in the subsequent days!) and would highly recommend the experience to anyone willing to give it a shot.
Click the link below to see the skills on full display!
http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/heyuguys-went-parkouring/
Special Feature | Summer 2014 Blockbuster #AMONTAGE
Hey readers!
Once again, summer blockbuster season is upon us! As the summer blockbuster mash-up I did last year proved quite the hit, I’ve decided to make it an annual fixture. For the past three months, I have toiled over the 2014 edition, and it gives me great pleasure to post the finished version today, EXCLUSIVE to AMONymous. Enjoy, comment, share, and most importantly…ENJOY THIS YEAR’S SUMMER BLOCKBUSTERS!
Film Feature | The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Extended Footage Report
This week, on behalf of HeyUGuys I was invited to a special screening of footage from Marc Webb’s forthcoming superhero sequel The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which included the first 15 minutes in addition to two pivotal scenes. I won’t go into too much detail about what I saw, but here are some of my takeaways from what was revealed. Suffice to say, there’s plenty of reasons to start getting excited.
Film Feature | Six of the Best: 21st Century Buddy Cop Partnerships
Riggs & Murtaugh. Mills & Somerset. Tango & Cash. All buddy cop movies live and die on the chemistry between their central pairing, and over the years there have been many memorable partnerships to have put their own spin on the familiar buddy cop formula.
In honour of this week’s UK release of Ride Along – which pits comedian of the moment Kevin Hart with rapper turned actor Ice Cube – here are six of the best 21st century buddy cop partnerships.
Film Feature | ‘2 Guns’ With Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg is a busy guy. He’s currently shooting Transformers 4 but flew in from Detroit to promote his latest film, the action-comedy 2 Guns, in UK cinemas on 16 August. Directed by Baltasar Kormákur, who also directed the actor in last year’s Contraband, the movie stars Wahlberg and Denzel Washington as two undercover cops from competing bureaus who are forced to go on the run together. Despite being jet-lagged, Wahlberg was in good spirits throughout the press conference. Here he chats about working with Washington, how much stunt work he does himself and reuniting with his Contraband director, Kormákur.
Check out the highlights at Flicks and the City here.
Film Feature | He Took His Skin Off For Me
Named one of the ‘British Directors of Tomorrow’ at the recent Edinburgh Film Festival, talented filmmaker Ben Aston has proven skill in the short film arena with a series of films dating back to 2010. Adapted from a short story by award winning author Maria Hummer, his next project – entitledHe Took His Skin Off For Me – depicts a couple’s relationship after a man decides to take his skin off for his girlfriend. On the surface, this might sound like a strange premise, but upon closer inspection it becomes clear that the film is aspiring to be far more than a gruesome horror. The director explains: “The power of the allegory is how multifaceted it is. It’s a cautionary tale of someone completely changing themselves for another person.
The story urges us to see a poisonous relationship for what it really is – horrifying.” The end result will see Aston blending both realistic and fantastical story elements to create something thought-provoking and unique. The London-based filmmakers are also fans of practical special effects – check out the test video below – and will no doubt benefit from the experience of project mentor Colin Arthur, the man responsible for the creatures in Never Ending Story (1984) as well as the apes in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Interest for the project is high, and the team have already raised £3,320 of the £7,000 needed to make the film a reality. If you like what you see and want to help out, check out their Kickstarter campaign here.
For all things He Took His Skin Off For Me, head to the official website here.
This article was originally published at CineVue.
Film Feature | 5 Reasons We Need A World’s Finest Film Before Justice League
The eagerly anticipated Man Of Steel is mere weeks away from release, and it’s safe to say that many of us are looking forward to seeing Zack Snyder’s take on the world’s most iconic superhero. Even though the film is not out yet, there has already been speculation on the future of the DC universe on the silver screen, specifically whether or not Man Of Steel will be the launching pad for a Justice League movie. However, there is also another avenue which Warner Bros. could pursue; a team-up of just the ‘World’s Finest’ superheroes, Superman and Batman.
At one point, it seemed like fans’ dreams of a Superman/Batman team-up were going to be realised, as Wolfgang Peterson was attached to direct a World’s Finest movie prior to Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins (2005). Since then however, the closest we’ve come is the now infamous poster tease in I Am Legend (2007). A recent interview with Man Of Steel‘s leading man Henry Cavill – in which the star expressed interest in a live action Batman/Superman story – is guaranteed to stir up discussion once more, and there are many reasons a World’s Finest movie might be a better way for WB to go post Man Of Steel.
Let’s discuss…
Read the rest of this article at HeyUGuys here.
Film Feature | Star Trek Into Darkness Press Conference
The UK release of J.J. Abrams eagerly anticipated Star Trek Into Darkness is only seven days away. Ahead of this evening’s London premiere, the cast, director and writers gathered in City Hall for a press conference where there was talk of the challenges of making a bigger and better sequel, Scottish accents, and hairstyles.
To read the rest of this article at Yin & Yang, click here.
Film Feature | Summer 2013 Blockbuster Montage
Summer blockbuster season is almost upon us, and as usual there is an exciting assortment of big budget films heading our way. From post-apocalyptic sci-fi’s After Earth and Oblivion, to eagerly anticipated superhero flicks Iron Man 3 and Man of Steel, the slate for the next 3 months is enticing.
I’ve included all the above and more blockbusters in a 3 minute montage below for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy and comment!
Film Feature | Jameson Empire Done In 60 Seconds Awards 2013
Last Friday night (22 March), on behalf of CineVue I was invited to Google’s swanky London headquarters for the Jameson Empire Done in 60 Seconds Awards. The idea has evolved quite considerably in the five years since its inception, now inspiring amateur filmmakers around the world to test their talents. This year, the judges featured some of the most knowledgeable and respected names in the entertainment industry including Sky Movies presenter Alex Zane, broadcaster Edith Bowman, Downton Abbey actress Joanne Frogatt, Empire Magazine Editor-in-Chief Mark Dinning, Bauer CEO Paul Keenan. The panel was rounded of by British star Tom Hiddleston, best-known for his role as Loki in Thor/Avengers Assemble.
Oh yeah, and this happened. Really nice chap, that Loki fella. Totally misunderstood.
Film Feature | Iron Man 3 Trailer: 5 Things We’ve Learned
An epic new trailer for Iron Man 3 came online this afternoon, and I wrote a succinct breakdown of what was revealed for What Culture. Read (and watch) here.
Film Feature | 2012: The Year of the Superhero Video
This year, I’m hoping to produce a lot more video content, from montages to top 10’s. As some of you know already – or have guessed – I am a huge superhero fan, and as such my first montage is a tribute to a great year of comic book movies.
You can check out the video at WhatCulture! here.
Film Feature | Top 10 Most Anticipated Films of 2013
Happy new year peoples! The past 12 months have been fantastic for cinema – it was recently announced that 2012 was the highest grossing film year ever – and there are plenty of upcoming releases in the next 12 months that already have us excited. With no further ado then, here’s our picks for the top 10 must-see movies of 2013.
Read the rest of this article at Yin & Yang here.
Film Feature | Wish List: Superhero Movies We’d Love To See
With no fewer than five comic book movies released this year, superheroes on film have never been more prominent, and Avengers Assemble and The Dark Knight Rises have been two of the most talked about and successful films of 2012.
Marvel, DC, and other studios still have many characters who they would love to see get the coveted multiplex treatment, and after much deliberation, we’ve whittled down our wish list to 10 potentially awesome comic book movies.
For the full list, read the rest of this article at Screen Geek here.
Film Features | A Star is Bourne: The Rise of Jeremy Renner
Jeremy Renner has been acting for a long time, but many – myself included – have only really started to take notice of him in the past few years.
It’s not as if he hadn’t starred in big budget movies up till now; he had played secondary characters proficiently in S.W.A.T. and 28 Days Later. Butsince his breakthrough in 2008 the 41 year old has rapidly ascended the acting ranks with his portrayals of focussed characters, and he is fast solidifying himself as a bona-fide action star.
With the upcoming release of The Bourne Legacy next month, here’s a look at some of his best roles to date.
Read the rest of this article on Hey U Guys here.
Film Features | For and Against: The Amazing Spider-Man in The Avengers
Next week, the eagerly anticipated franchise reboot The Amazing Spider-Man swings into UK cinemas (read my review here), and with its impending release, its star Andrew Garfield – who of course plays the famous scarlet-clad hero – has been asked on numerous occasions about the possibility of Spider-Man joining the Avengers at a later date.
The answer has always been a tongue-in-cheek ‘Yes’ – honestly, who wouldn’t want to be on that team?! – but there is a lot of red tape to get through in order to get to that stage, what with Sony currently owning the rights to Spider-Man meaning that Marvel will have to buy the rights back before being able to use the character.
There is no doubting that the web-slinging hero is one of the most well-known comic book characters of all time, and his presence in a future Avengers movie is at the very least intriguing to ponder.
The question therefore is; would Spidey be a good fit for the Avengers?
Read the rest of this article on HeyUGuys here.
AMONymous 