Scottish auteur Lynne Ramsay and former Icelandic Film Center (IFC) chief Laufey Guðjónsdóttir received honors from the 10th anniversary edition of Reykjavik’s Stockfish Film & Industry Festival. The awards, presented during a reception on April 11th, celebrate outstanding contributions to the film industry both internationally and domestically.
Known for its intimate atmosphere and ease of networking, the non-profit Stockfish is overseen by the six professional associations of filmmakers in Iceland, members of which comprise the festival board. The festival offers screenings of domestic and international features along with the popular Shortfish, a juried competition for Icelandic shorts in a variety of categories. The festival honors are part of an industry program that includes talks and panels as well as Icelandic works-in-progress.
Citing honoree Ramsay’s unique artistry, Stockfish’s artistic director Hrönn Kristinsdottír praised the director-screenwriter for challenging conventions and pushing boundaries in an industry dominated by male voices. Ramsay,...
Known for its intimate atmosphere and ease of networking, the non-profit Stockfish is overseen by the six professional associations of filmmakers in Iceland, members of which comprise the festival board. The festival offers screenings of domestic and international features along with the popular Shortfish, a juried competition for Icelandic shorts in a variety of categories. The festival honors are part of an industry program that includes talks and panels as well as Icelandic works-in-progress.
Citing honoree Ramsay’s unique artistry, Stockfish’s artistic director Hrönn Kristinsdottír praised the director-screenwriter for challenging conventions and pushing boundaries in an industry dominated by male voices. Ramsay,...
- 4/12/2024
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
(Welcome to Best Action Scene Ever, a column dedicated to breaking down the best, most effective action sequences throughout the genre. In this edition, we cap off spooky season with the perfect meld between horror and action: the hallway fight in "Attack the Block.")
Do you feel that chill in the air? Halloween is once again upon us, providing the timeliest of reminders that the concepts of action and horror need not be mutually exclusive. Experienced viewers know full well that some of the best examples of either genre tend to share quite a few interests, whether it be James Cameron's "Aliens" taking a more militaristic approach than the claustrophobic, slasher-like original did or horror maestro John Carpenter staging a feature-length action sequence out of a classic horror premise in "Assault on Precinct 13," as we last covered in this column. As tempting as it was to focus on...
Do you feel that chill in the air? Halloween is once again upon us, providing the timeliest of reminders that the concepts of action and horror need not be mutually exclusive. Experienced viewers know full well that some of the best examples of either genre tend to share quite a few interests, whether it be James Cameron's "Aliens" taking a more militaristic approach than the claustrophobic, slasher-like original did or horror maestro John Carpenter staging a feature-length action sequence out of a classic horror premise in "Assault on Precinct 13," as we last covered in this column. As tempting as it was to focus on...
- 10/31/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
Having directed only four films over the last quarter-century, we’re not holding our breath when we may see the next feature from Scottish director Lynne Ramsay. However, with a handful of projects in development, we’ve been curious which one she’ll focus her attention on in the coming years. Courtesy of a masterclass at Doha Film Institute’s Qumra 2023, she’s now provided some updates on a quarter of projects in the hopper.
As reported by Screen Daily, Ramsay says first up she hopes to shoot Stone Mattress––an adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s 2011 short story for The New Yorker that will star Julianne Moore and Sandra Oh––starting this year. Backed by Amazon and adapted by Ramsay with Tom Townend, the thriller is set on an Arctic cruise ship. “It’s such a challenge, that film because it’s a boat in the Arctic – it [needs] all the elements aligning,...
As reported by Screen Daily, Ramsay says first up she hopes to shoot Stone Mattress––an adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s 2011 short story for The New Yorker that will star Julianne Moore and Sandra Oh––starting this year. Backed by Amazon and adapted by Ramsay with Tom Townend, the thriller is set on an Arctic cruise ship. “It’s such a challenge, that film because it’s a boat in the Arctic – it [needs] all the elements aligning,...
- 3/14/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Joaquin Phoenix is simply stupendous in You Were Never Really Here. His performance is damn near flammable—dangerous if you get too close. What a team he makes with Scottish writer-director Lynne Ramsay, whose output is small but inarguably stunning (Ratcatcher, Movern Caller, We Need to Talk About Kevin). Working from a 2013 novel by Jonathan Ames, the actor and the filmmaker craft a fiercely brilliant drama that gets under your skin and makes it crawl.
Phoenix plays Joe, a war vet who supports himself and his ailing mom (Judith Roberts...
Phoenix plays Joe, a war vet who supports himself and his ailing mom (Judith Roberts...
- 4/4/2018
- Rollingstone.com
Ever since the Cannes Film Festival last year, buzz has been building for Lynne Ramsay’s follow up to We Need to Talk About Kevin. The movie in question is You Were Never Really Here, and boy is it something. Opening this week, Ramsay has crafted something truly remarkable. Very much a cinematic cousin to Drive, this is the filmmaker putting her stamp on what otherwise could be a throwaway genre outing. Whereas a studio would have shaved off the rough edges and made this a Liam Neeson vehicle (not that those don’t have their own merits), here we have something far more offbeat. It’s also easily one of the three best films of 2018 so far. The movie is like a lucid fever dream. IMDb describes it as such: “A traumatized veteran, unafraid of violence, tracks down missing girls for a living. When a job spins out of control,...
- 4/3/2018
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Chris here. Can you believe the wait for the next Lynne Ramsay film is almost over? We've only had to wait a mere six years this time after the the nine year gap between Morvern Callar and We Need to Talk About Kevin, so maybe we shouldn't complain. But this film is a promising return: Ramsay worked on You Were Never Really Here until the last minute before its Cannes debut, landing both a Best Actor trophy for Joaquin Pheonix and a tie for Best Screenplay (shared with The Killing of a Sacred Deer). And don't expect any dampened intensity from the auteur - Pheonix stars as a vigilante hitman tasked to rescue a young girl from a human trafficking circle.
The film is absent from the fall festival circuit and Amazon has yet to announce a release date, which likely spells out a slightly further wait and spring stateside release.
The film is absent from the fall festival circuit and Amazon has yet to announce a release date, which likely spells out a slightly further wait and spring stateside release.
- 9/5/2017
- by Chris Feil
- FilmExperience
Author: Jo-Ann Titmarsh
We had to wait until the bitter end for Lynne Ramsay’s new film – the last in competition in Cannes and surely a hot contender for the Palme d’Or – and it was certainly worth the wait.
Based on Jonathan Ames’ eponymous novella, the film tells the story of Joe (Joaquin Phoenix), an army vet with some serious issues. If you thought Chris Kyle in American Sniper had Ptsd problems, wait until you see this guy. At first Joe is appears to be some kind of paedophile serial killer for the film opens on him lying on a hotel with a plastic bag over his head. A girl’s jewellery and a bloody hammer are his companions. We are also given a brief glimpse into Joe’s troubled childhood, but the details remain undisclosed for now. And when he leaves Cincinatti for home in New York, the...
We had to wait until the bitter end for Lynne Ramsay’s new film – the last in competition in Cannes and surely a hot contender for the Palme d’Or – and it was certainly worth the wait.
Based on Jonathan Ames’ eponymous novella, the film tells the story of Joe (Joaquin Phoenix), an army vet with some serious issues. If you thought Chris Kyle in American Sniper had Ptsd problems, wait until you see this guy. At first Joe is appears to be some kind of paedophile serial killer for the film opens on him lying on a hotel with a plastic bag over his head. A girl’s jewellery and a bloody hammer are his companions. We are also given a brief glimpse into Joe’s troubled childhood, but the details remain undisclosed for now. And when he leaves Cincinatti for home in New York, the...
- 5/28/2017
- by Jo-Ann Titmarsh
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Special Mention: Shock Corridor
Written and directed by Samuel Fuller
USA, 1963
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Shock Corridor stars Peter Breck as Johnny Barrett, an ambitious reporter who wants to expose a killer hiding out at the local insane asylum. In order to solve the case, he must pretend to be insane so they have him committed. Once in the asylum, Barrett sets to work, interrogating the other patients and keeping a close eye on the staff. But it’s difficult to remain a sane man living in an insane place, and the closer Barrett gets to the truth, the closer he gets to insanity.
Shock Corridor is best described as an anti-establishment drama that at times is surprisingly quite funny despite the dark material. The film deals with some timely issues of the era, specifically the atom bomb, anti-communism, and racism. It features everything from a raving female love-crazed nympho ward,...
Written and directed by Samuel Fuller
USA, 1963
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Shock Corridor stars Peter Breck as Johnny Barrett, an ambitious reporter who wants to expose a killer hiding out at the local insane asylum. In order to solve the case, he must pretend to be insane so they have him committed. Once in the asylum, Barrett sets to work, interrogating the other patients and keeping a close eye on the staff. But it’s difficult to remain a sane man living in an insane place, and the closer Barrett gets to the truth, the closer he gets to insanity.
Shock Corridor is best described as an anti-establishment drama that at times is surprisingly quite funny despite the dark material. The film deals with some timely issues of the era, specifically the atom bomb, anti-communism, and racism. It features everything from a raving female love-crazed nympho ward,...
- 10/9/2015
- by Ricky Fernandes
- SoundOnSight
Principal photography is underway in Vancouver on Warner Bros. Pictures. Hidden, starring Alexander Skarsgård (TV.s .True Blood.) and Andrea Riseborough (.Shadow Dancer.).
Ray (Skarsgård), Claire (Riseborough) and their seven-year-old daughter, Zoe, are an average American family in Kingsville, North Carolina.except they have existed in a bomb shelter since escaping a day of devastation that changed everything.
For 301 days, they have transformed their cement prison into a home, holding on to memories of the past and hope for a normal life someday. And for 301 days, the family has eluded what looms above the surface.the heavy breathing and booming footsteps that punctuate the night, threatening their fragile existence.
All the while, the family has managed to stay hidden. Until now. Now their safe haven has been breached.and something is coming for them.
Brothers Matt and Ross Duffer, who wrote the original script, make their feature film directorial debut on .Hidden.
Ray (Skarsgård), Claire (Riseborough) and their seven-year-old daughter, Zoe, are an average American family in Kingsville, North Carolina.except they have existed in a bomb shelter since escaping a day of devastation that changed everything.
For 301 days, they have transformed their cement prison into a home, holding on to memories of the past and hope for a normal life someday. And for 301 days, the family has eluded what looms above the surface.the heavy breathing and booming footsteps that punctuate the night, threatening their fragile existence.
All the while, the family has managed to stay hidden. Until now. Now their safe haven has been breached.and something is coming for them.
Brothers Matt and Ross Duffer, who wrote the original script, make their feature film directorial debut on .Hidden.
- 8/15/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Following our looks at actors, actresses, screenwriters and directors to watch in recent months, when the time came to put together a list of cinematographers (as we did two years ago), we went in with an open mind. But what was interesting is realizing, after the fact, that in an era where 35mm film is allegedly being phased out, that all five have done perhaps their most distinctive work on old-fashioned celluloid, rather than digital.
All have worked in digital of course, at least in the commercial world, and some have done hugely impressive work on new formats. But most of our five are fierce advocates for good 'ol 35mm, and it's another sign that the death knell shouldn't be rung for the old ways just yet. As long as there are talented DoPs like the ones below, and on the following pages, working closely with filmmakers like Paul Thomas Anderson,...
All have worked in digital of course, at least in the commercial world, and some have done hugely impressive work on new formats. But most of our five are fierce advocates for good 'ol 35mm, and it's another sign that the death knell shouldn't be rung for the old ways just yet. As long as there are talented DoPs like the ones below, and on the following pages, working closely with filmmakers like Paul Thomas Anderson,...
- 6/26/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
Best indie video goes to Manchester Orchestra while Spike Jonze named best director – twice – at ceremony in London
Adele, an American film director and three upstarts from Barcelona were among the winners at the UK Music Video awards on Tuesday night. The London gala celebrated the best music videos made in the country and abroad, recognising "creativity and technical excellence" – not just YouTube views.
"Some amazing music videos have been made in the past year," said David Knight, editorial director for the fourth annual awards. There has been "a resurgence of the medium as a creative force", he said, in spite of the "very challenging budgets" of many projects. While the night saw wins for blockbuster acts including Depeche Mode, Arcade Fire and Jay-z and Kanye West, many smaller artists were also rewarded, including the Shoes, Is Tropical and Wave Machines.
Most of the UK Music Video awards are given out in three tiers – UK,...
Adele, an American film director and three upstarts from Barcelona were among the winners at the UK Music Video awards on Tuesday night. The London gala celebrated the best music videos made in the country and abroad, recognising "creativity and technical excellence" – not just YouTube views.
"Some amazing music videos have been made in the past year," said David Knight, editorial director for the fourth annual awards. There has been "a resurgence of the medium as a creative force", he said, in spite of the "very challenging budgets" of many projects. While the night saw wins for blockbuster acts including Depeche Mode, Arcade Fire and Jay-z and Kanye West, many smaller artists were also rewarded, including the Shoes, Is Tropical and Wave Machines.
Most of the UK Music Video awards are given out in three tiers – UK,...
- 11/9/2011
- by Sean Michaels
- The Guardian - Film News
Chicago – Here’s a directorial debut made with such an assured sense of style and craft that one wishes it were more fun. All the ingredients are here for a splendid cult classic: deadpan gags, live-action aliens, a fresh-faced ensemble and R-rated violence all wrapped in the blessings of Edgar Wright and Nick Frost. Yet “Attack the Block” sounds a lot more fun on paper that it is in execution.
For all of its considerable charms, the picture is irrevocably marred by the least likable protagonists in recent memory. The blame cannot be placed on the young actors, who are all game and energetic. It’s the script by first-time feature director Joe Cornish that lets them down. As a cinematic rule of thumb, it’s generally a bad sign when viewers start growing impatient over waiting for the so-called heroes to get killed off.
Blu-Ray Rating: 2.5/5.0
The film’s...
For all of its considerable charms, the picture is irrevocably marred by the least likable protagonists in recent memory. The blame cannot be placed on the young actors, who are all game and energetic. It’s the script by first-time feature director Joe Cornish that lets them down. As a cinematic rule of thumb, it’s generally a bad sign when viewers start growing impatient over waiting for the so-called heroes to get killed off.
Blu-Ray Rating: 2.5/5.0
The film’s...
- 10/28/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
My initial thoughts on Attack the Block following early trailers and marketing was that the film could well be too limited in its wider appeal, thanks to the very strong regional feel, but that skepticism quickly evaporated in the presence of some serious genre credentials and painstakingly observed generic conventions, as soon as the film got into its swing. On the surface it may look like a grime-infused “Ends” opera, accessible only to those from the areas depicted in the film, but the film is also injected with a great deal of allegorical interest. Within the confines of this straight-up sci-fi thriller, there are messages of criminality, of disenfranchisement and of the hope in personal triumph.
Since its cinematic run of course, events in Britain (and the poorer areas of London) have added a weighty gravitas to the political undertones of the narrative, with the obvious ingrained feelings of disenfranchisement...
Since its cinematic run of course, events in Britain (and the poorer areas of London) have added a weighty gravitas to the political undertones of the narrative, with the obvious ingrained feelings of disenfranchisement...
- 9/19/2011
- by Simon Gallagher
- Obsessed with Film
What’s it about? Joe Cornish’s directorial debut, Attack The Block, was released to a stream of near universal acclaim but the suspicion remains its reception was slightly over-enthusiastic. That’s not to say it’s no more than average because it’s quite good – it’s just not amazing. The visuals, by Thomas Townend, are first class but [...]...
- 9/15/2011
- by Martyn Conterio
Directed by: Joe Cornish
Written by: Joe Cornish
Cast: John Boyega, Alex Esmail, Franz Drameh, Leeon Jones, Simon Howard, Jodie Whittaker, Luke Treadaway, Nick Frost
Attack the Block is the British two-fingered salute to Super 8.
It explores what would happen if real kids (the kind that rob unwary passersby of their cellphone and jewelry at knife-point) were the first to realize their community was the target of an alien invasion. There's not a lovable TV-complexioned mop-top in sight as the surly street hoods deal with the first invader the best way they know how - with some illegal fireworks and a switchblade.
As is always the way with alien invasions, the reconnaissance scouts are always the smallest, non-threatening version of the species. And, inevitably, there's a boatload of back up. While the kids - a diverse group of mid-teens led by Moses (John Boyega) - congratulate themselves on their...
Written by: Joe Cornish
Cast: John Boyega, Alex Esmail, Franz Drameh, Leeon Jones, Simon Howard, Jodie Whittaker, Luke Treadaway, Nick Frost
Attack the Block is the British two-fingered salute to Super 8.
It explores what would happen if real kids (the kind that rob unwary passersby of their cellphone and jewelry at knife-point) were the first to realize their community was the target of an alien invasion. There's not a lovable TV-complexioned mop-top in sight as the surly street hoods deal with the first invader the best way they know how - with some illegal fireworks and a switchblade.
As is always the way with alien invasions, the reconnaissance scouts are always the smallest, non-threatening version of the species. And, inevitably, there's a boatload of back up. While the kids - a diverse group of mid-teens led by Moses (John Boyega) - congratulate themselves on their...
- 7/29/2011
- by Karina
- Planet Fury
Attack the Block
Written by Joe Cornish
Directed by Joe Cornish
UK, 2011
2011 has not been a banner year for the Hollywood blockbuster. Bloated sequels and limp comic-book adaptations have made a trip to the multiplex a dismal choose-your-own-adventure of mediocrity. What makes Joe Cornish’s Attack the Block so fresh and lively in comparison to its American counterparts? On the surface, it appears to be another hyperactive geek fantasy about prepubescent kids saving the world, a narrative we’ve already explicitly seen once this year already (Jj Abrams’s would-be opus Super 8), not to mention the general glut of alien-invasion flicks.
What immediately distinguishes Attack from its American counterparts is its willingness to risk alienating the audience from the opening seconds. Our first view of Moses (intense, charismatic John Boyega in his first acting role) and his young gang of hoods is not a pleasant one; they surround and intimidate a nurse,...
Written by Joe Cornish
Directed by Joe Cornish
UK, 2011
2011 has not been a banner year for the Hollywood blockbuster. Bloated sequels and limp comic-book adaptations have made a trip to the multiplex a dismal choose-your-own-adventure of mediocrity. What makes Joe Cornish’s Attack the Block so fresh and lively in comparison to its American counterparts? On the surface, it appears to be another hyperactive geek fantasy about prepubescent kids saving the world, a narrative we’ve already explicitly seen once this year already (Jj Abrams’s would-be opus Super 8), not to mention the general glut of alien-invasion flicks.
What immediately distinguishes Attack from its American counterparts is its willingness to risk alienating the audience from the opening seconds. Our first view of Moses (intense, charismatic John Boyega in his first acting role) and his young gang of hoods is not a pleasant one; they surround and intimidate a nurse,...
- 7/17/2011
- by Simon Howell
- SoundOnSight
As his directorial debut Attack The Block arrives in cinemas, we met with Joe Cornish to chat about the making of the film...
Even though Attack The Block is his directorial debut, Joe Cornish is far from a newcomer. As the taller half of the Adam & Joe comedy team, whose eponymous television show was an integral pillar of Channel 4’s late-night output in the back end of the 1990s, Cornish would lampoon films of the day, creating elaborate movie parodies and deconstructing genre tropes with a cast of toys.
More recently, he has made cameo appearances in Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz, before collaborating with Edgar Wright on two projects, the elusive Ant-Man feature, and Steven Spielberg’s upcoming Tintin film.
All this has led to Attack The Block, the supremely confident sci-fi action film which sees an alien invasion land in inner-city London. With the bobbies...
Even though Attack The Block is his directorial debut, Joe Cornish is far from a newcomer. As the taller half of the Adam & Joe comedy team, whose eponymous television show was an integral pillar of Channel 4’s late-night output in the back end of the 1990s, Cornish would lampoon films of the day, creating elaborate movie parodies and deconstructing genre tropes with a cast of toys.
More recently, he has made cameo appearances in Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz, before collaborating with Edgar Wright on two projects, the elusive Ant-Man feature, and Steven Spielberg’s upcoming Tintin film.
All this has led to Attack The Block, the supremely confident sci-fi action film which sees an alien invasion land in inner-city London. With the bobbies...
- 5/9/2011
- Den of Geek
Lucy and Sarah Unwin’s first attempt at bring a U.S style convention to the U.K. was, in this writer’s opinion, an eventful and successful experience. It’s a bit silly to try and fully compare this comic-con and its baby steps to its American cousins for many reasons. For one: not only does the share size of San Diego’s event eclipses ours in good old Blighty, but it’s been going on for a whole lot longer.
I wouldn’t be surprised that some of the rougher patches that some might have found in Kapow would most likely be smoothed out to non-existence in San Diego. That’s not a “I’m better than you” thing more of a “I’ve been around the block” thing, so to speak.
Comparisons are also useless in a sense. While there’s much to learn from watching our...
I wouldn’t be surprised that some of the rougher patches that some might have found in Kapow would most likely be smoothed out to non-existence in San Diego. That’s not a “I’m better than you” thing more of a “I’ve been around the block” thing, so to speak.
Comparisons are also useless in a sense. While there’s much to learn from watching our...
- 4/17/2011
- by Leslie Byron Pitt
- FilmShaft.com
Attack the Block
Directed by Joe Cornish
Written by Joe Cornish
2011, UK
One of the greatest things about SXSW is sitting down to watch a film not knowing what you’re going to get. Attack the Block is one of those films that has started to create buzz here at SXSW. Fast-paced and tightly knit, the story builds, reaches its arch and slides across the finish line effortlessly. With such a smooth, gripping plot, the audience can sit back and enjoy the diverse characters, with their urban language and thick accents unique to South London.
At its core, this is an alien-adventure film where large gremlin-like creatures are rocketed from the sky, and begin descending on a block in South London’s projects where a group of tenacious teenagers live. The teenagers, who work tirelessly each night to terrorize outsiders in order to mark their territory, treat the fuzzy black...
Directed by Joe Cornish
Written by Joe Cornish
2011, UK
One of the greatest things about SXSW is sitting down to watch a film not knowing what you’re going to get. Attack the Block is one of those films that has started to create buzz here at SXSW. Fast-paced and tightly knit, the story builds, reaches its arch and slides across the finish line effortlessly. With such a smooth, gripping plot, the audience can sit back and enjoy the diverse characters, with their urban language and thick accents unique to South London.
At its core, this is an alien-adventure film where large gremlin-like creatures are rocketed from the sky, and begin descending on a block in South London’s projects where a group of tenacious teenagers live. The teenagers, who work tirelessly each night to terrorize outsiders in order to mark their territory, treat the fuzzy black...
- 3/18/2011
- by Alice Gray
- SoundOnSight
The only invasion more impressive than the wildebeest-like aliens that descend on a South London street corner to terrorize its denizens in Joe Cornish's "Attack the Block" is the way in which the film itself came in and conquered SXSW. Deep in the heart of geek culture...err, Texas, the debut appeared to be one of the surest bets of the festival, given the involvement of executive producer Edgar Wright and that Cornish's arrival in the States comes after years of being a favorite in his native England as a radio host on the sketch comedy program "The Adam and Joe Show" and his work on two scripts with Wright for two of the more anticipated films around, Wright's "Ant-Man" and Steven Spielberg's "The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn."
It's probably no coincidence then that Cornish just made a film that thrives on the wit and joy that permeates Wright's work,...
It's probably no coincidence then that Cornish just made a film that thrives on the wit and joy that permeates Wright's work,...
- 3/16/2011
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
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