MEGA MOVIES - LAUNCH OF THE MIDLANDS' No 1 FILM BLOG
A VERY warm welcome to the latest Birmingham Mail blog - Mega Movies.
And, before we begin, let an independent source - BBC WM's drivetime star Paul Franks - tell you why you won't be able to take your eyes off it.
"No other journalist locally or nationally for me has the knowledge, affection or feel for films the way that Graham Young has," says Paul.
"He loves the movies he brings it to life in print and the reviews make you want to pay a visit to the movie theatre to see for yourself.
"In an age when you can literally get away with murder it's refreshing to see someone have the guts to chastise the filmmaker for loose morals or for gratuitous violence where it's not appropriate... to not go with the flow.
"There's always humour in the reviews as well and they're always superbly written.
"As Carly Simon once sang in the opening credits to the Bond movie The Spy Who Loves Me... 'Nobody Does It Better'."
Now, sit back... and read on!
So why a blog about Movies?
For starters, our very own Birmingham Mail Film Club is about to offer the bargain of the year, so keep reading our paper's bumper What's On section every Friday night to make sure you don't miss out.
And don't forget that on Tuesday, April 22 we'll be holding a special 20th anniversary screening of the Bruce Willis classic Die Hard (18 / 132 mins) - it's showing from 6.50pm at Cineworld Broad Street only. Yippee-ki-yay!
Now consider these amazing facts, too:
* Birmingham is the spiritual home of the movies! When city-born chemist Alexander Parkes (December 29, 1813) fathered the modern plastics industry in the 19th century, little did he know that he was paving the way for a celluloid explosion in the US.
* Thanks to this development capturing the imagination of everyone from Charlie Chaplin to Howard Hughes, Oscar Deutsch opened a single-screen Odeon Cinema in Birchfield Road, Perry Barr in 1930.
Though terminally ill, he spent the next decade creating what still remains the country's largest cinema chain. What a man, what a feat!
* Moving on... in 2007, the top ten 'British' films - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Golden Compass, Mr Bean's Holiday, Hot Fuzz, Stardust, Atonement, Run Fat Boy Run, St Trinian's and Miss Potter generated 40 million cinema admissions across the UK.
* Last year, according to my friends at the Film Distributors' Association, the UK's total of 162.4 million admissions was up 3.7 per cent on 2006.
* Cinemagoing by English ITV region in 2007 saw our own Central region finish second only to the 38.6 million admissions in London / West End.
As well as being home to the country's largest cinema, Vue Star City, the Midlands had 22.9m admissions generating £107,563,061 at the box office - that's £20 million more than the Granada region in the North West which includes both Liverpool and Manchester.
* The Central region was also more significant than Border, Westward, Tyne Tees and Wales / West combined. And adding Wales / West to Anglia couldn't touch the Central region either.
* Today there are some 50,000 cinema seats within an hour's drive of the Mail's city centre office.
Internationally speaking, the 20th Century's greatest pan-global art form is still the medium to beat.
My unbiased theory is that if you ask everyone on a bus who their favourite football / cricket / rugby team is half of them won't care tuppence.
Tennis and golf players are likely to be even further off the register.
But movies? Now you're talking!
Regardless of age, colour, creed or sex, we've all got our favourite films, genres and stars.
Anyone who doesn't love the movies is not living their life to the full.
And it's not as if it's expensive. Go in the daytime and you can watch a multi-million dollar extravaganza for the price of a burger and coke.
Even most peak-time prices are less than £6 - a snip compared with London.
Read my reviews in the Birmingham Mail every Friday and you'll already know whether to expect value for your money or not.
And remember this personal pledge:
* I write on behalf of the inquisitive, ordinary cinema-goer in all of us.
* I don't listen to PR people trying to put a glossy coat on turkeys or filth.
* I take each release at face value and then tell it like it is.
* I simplify plots to the bare bones and never give away a twist - because nobody should have their enjoyment spoiled before they've had a chance to splash their cash.
For me, the most important consideration is whether anyone should waste their time spending their hard earned dosh.
Certain reservations will always apply, though - chief among them is everyone's human weakness for a certain genre or star.
How else does that pesky Adam Sandler keep getting a gig? It beats me!
COMING SOON: Whatever happened to; star of the day; thought for the day; X years ago today; what if...; guilty as charged?; obituaries; new releases and much, much more. Can you afford to go to bed without knowing what's out there in Mega Movie land?
As RADA-trained former Police 5 presenter Shaw Taylor might have said: "Keep 'em reeled".
*PS. Don't miss my classic Rutger Hauer hissy-fit story in today's Birmingham Mail.
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4 Comments
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Graham Young
Hmmm. "No other journalist locally or nationally" eh? At least you had the modesty to use a pal as your mouthpiece, Graham, but I reckon Phillip French or Peter Bradshaw might just want to disagree.
But enough curmudgeonliness. Congratulations on your new Blog, Graham - I'll be reading with interest.
I might read this too... if it becomes a blog with short, snappy insights! You read well, Graham, and I'll let you off on day one. But blogs should be a passing comment, an intellectual aside. Leave your essays for the paper and entertain me with snippets here... please.
Hi Bill
Thanks for your note - and best wishes!
Yes, you put me to shame... thinking of the great and the good who deserve such praise far more than me sends a cold shiver down my spine. A bit like watching The Orphanage all over again!
But, if we all lived in fear of our superiors – and this applies particularly to young actors like Leonardo DiCaprio – then we'd have no ambition, energy or creativity and certainly nothing to aim for.
For the record, 'Franksy' is not a 'pal'. We've probably met just once in ten years (briefly, backstage after a Robert Plant gig at The Academy). As a regular listener, I certainly respect his ability and I guess he must respect me in print. I can live with that.
Two more things, though, before I cheese blogger Dave off by going on too long.
1). Franksy was more than generous, but none of us should ever forget the tireless contributions of my peers to film reviewing in the West Midlands.
In alphabetical order they include: Mike Davies (Birmingham Post / What's On), Dave Freak (What's On), Roz Laws (Sunday Mercury) and Mike Polanyk (Leicester Mercury).
We all owe a collective debt to those who went before us, including the Mail's theatre legend Fred Norris, (who got to hang out with everyone from Mae West and Marlene Dietrich to Tony Hancock and Eric Morecambe) and the late Richard Williamson (Mercury), a peerless wordsmith. All six are inspirations to me – you wouldn't believe their commitment to the cause if I told you.
2). Every critic has to be his or her person, but what are the qualities which define the ones you return to again and again? Do you have to agree / disagree with them more often than not, or is it just their style and / or knowledge which is more addictive?
Hi Dave
You're right. Life's too short to be too long, so here's a little thought about the big IF.
Fool's Gold star Kate Hudson is 29 today.
Just think... ten years to go to find a hit to pay for the facelift she probably wouldn't need if she did a Sean Young and faded into relative obscurity. No fame, no pain!