May 2009 Archives

ANYONE who watched tonight's edition of Britain's Got Talent has just seen British TV go over the top in its bid to offer sensationalism on a plate.

Most of the acts were awful, save for Selly Oak's 12-year-old dance senstation Aidan Davis who deservedly stormed into the final.

His years of competing at karate - he won his first black belt at the age of nine - stood him in good stead, both in terms of the physical nature of his act and how he handles himself with mature composure, too.

And there's cool saxophonist Julian Smith, 39, who had already qualified. Between them, Julian and Aidan have a great chance of taking two of the top three places, including winning the whole series.

Birmingham should be really proud of both of them.

Meanwhile, ten-year-old Hollie Steel broke down in tears during her performance of Edelweiss after forgetting the words.

She begged for another go and big boss Simon Cowell said they would find the time from somewhere.

Second time around she battled through, hit the high notes at the end and won the respect of the judges.

Simon said: "Hollie you are officially now the bravest girl in the world. Good for you."

Piers Morgan added: 'That was one of the gutsiest things I've ever seen in my life. I couldn't have done that. You should be very proud of yourself."

And Amanda Holden said: "Hollie, I knew you could do it. You're such a little professional with the most beautiful, innocent pure voice."

All of which may be true.

But here was a girl still shivering like a leaf after all three judges used their own votes to put her into the final. Like GCSEs these days, it seems that failure even when under stress was not an option.

Why? Because all of the other acts were so rubbish!

As well as having to go through it all again tomorrow night, Hollie now faces a punishing UK tour schedule for Britain's Got Talent which would have tested the energy of Bon Jovi when they were all in their 20s.

Even Aidan was speechless at the end.

Perhaps he was worrying about Hollie and Susan Boyle having an adverse effect on each other's nerves in the final.

Like Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler who played far too much top flight football too son, both Hollie and Susan risk being destroyed by the very thing they are seeking.

The winner of this competition on Saturday will get the chance to perform in front of The Queen this autumn, which is one thing.

But, last night, when I was writing this Saturday's TV column for the Birmingham Mail, I thought I'd better point out that £100,000 was too much to be dangled in front of anyone who hasn't learned the hard way the value of money.

Children don't need money as an incentive to do anything if they are enjoying themselves.

No wonder Hollie's mum was on the stage willing her daughter on come what may.

But I really hope she has her daughter's best interests at heart.

Back in September 1993 I had a two-hour telephone conversation with Lena Zavaroni, which still haunts me to this day.

The former Opportunity Knocks star who was sent out of her Scottish comfort zone to perform with the likes of Frank Sinatra, told me how she was dying from anorexia and could not cope with it.

She absolutely knew what was happening to her, but admitted she was totally powerless to do anything about it.

Simon Cowell had the chance to let Hollie go home tonight for a good rest - only to pass the buck.

Instead, he let Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden put her through to the final and then said he'd have made it a third 'Yes'.

But, as the camera cut away, he had a face of stone as if to say: 'I hope we're doing the right thing here having been caught in an impossible situation, the likes of which British TV has never seen before'.

I hope the judges know what they are doing in the way that Lena Zavaroni's family clearly didn't.

And that Hollie's mother will pull her out of the final of her own accord.

Lena died in October 1999 aged just 35.

Working Title Pictures is said to be planning a biopic about her life for release next year and, if it's made, it should be a cautionary tale for every parent.

Meanwhile, if you want to see a little girl having a riot amid chaos, simply hire out Little Miss Sunshine instead.

As most of the contestants in the last semi-final of Britain's Got Talent proved, the series has become so much of a freak show we could scarcely believe it if it was a movie.

SAM Raimi is back in cinemas directing his first love - horror.

But, with a film title like Drag Me To Hell, is he risking the patience of cinemagoers?

Many will have been wound up to a frenzy reading review comments like 'Scariest Film of the Decade'.

Is it, er, hell!

Find out why in tonight's Birmingham Mail - and revealing why I actually enjoyed the really silly thriller 12 Rounds more.

Maybe that's what a week off does to you.

It really is a different experience sitting with an audience watching a movie, and one I always try to take into account at official Press screenings.

Mind you, I could have done without a certain bloke sitting behind me during Drag Me To Hell.

He was one of those planktons who keeps rattling the row of seats in front with his big feet, not to mention running out twice, presumably to go to the loo.

Still, at least he clearly loves his movies so can't be all bad.

Think you've got what it takes to be a top film critic?

Virgin Media has launched a search to find the biggest teen film fan around to join the judging panel for the second annual Virgin Media Shorts competition. 

Virgin Media Shorts champions undiscovered talent, shining a light on up-and-coming film talent with the help of a prestigious judging panel from across the film industry.

One teenager will have the chance to join this year's exclusive panel.

And, since it's set to include Bond girl Gemma Arterton, Oscar-winning stage and screen actor Kevin Spacey, as well as BAFTA's Rising Star 2009, Noel Clarke, and award-winning short film director, Daniel Barber, it's a competition worth entering...

I'VE just seen the new Julia Roberts drama, Fireflies in the Garden, which opens on May 29 when I'll be reviewing it in the Birmingham Mail.

I enjoyed it, despite the fact it's a bit over-complicated and doesn't really tug at your heartstrings like it might have done.

Interesting to see her husband in the film is Willem Dafoe, hitherto the Green Goblin in the Spider-Man trilogy.

Watching his expression throughout this film, though, I reckon he'd have made a great Terminator character in Terminator 4 (Terminator Salvation) which is out on June 5!

Maybe Willem will sign up for T5 after reading this. There's nothing wrong with earning a few bob.

I had to wait for a public performance in order to review Tom Hanks' Angels & Demons for today's Birmingham Mail.
Good job it opened yesterday!
There were no regional preview screenings 'on security grounds' yet I've already had one chance to see Night At The Museum 2 and there are two more to come before the Ben Stiller comedy opens on Wednesday.
The industry seems to have varying ideas of what 'security' means.
I cannot condone piracy and have never even touched a pirate copy of a film, never mind played one.
To coin a phrase it would be 'more than my job's worth'.
But, not only that, I'm also of the opinion that piracy is illegal and immoral.
If you want something, pay for it properly. If not, like an honest MP faced with a blank expenses form, don't take advantage.
For all that anybody knows when they buy a pirate film, you could possibly be funding something you wouldn't want to fund (e.g. serious crime).
If you were given the option to donate a few bob to an obviously-dodgy cause every time you type in your pin number inside a proper shop you would surely say 'No'.
Just imagine going into WH Smith to buy a DVD and then being asked this question at the till: 'Excuse me sir, would you like to donate £1 in Gift Aid to funding armed robberies in rural communities?'
On the other hand, I really do think the cinema industry should think seriously about trying to release some films on DVD at the same time as they go into theatres.
I still believe most people who want to see films where they belong in cinemas would do so and, if they like what they've seen, might well even want to buy a DVD copy to keep on their way out again.
Meanwhile, all those who just want to see a new film by any means available as long as it's as quick as possible, would also probably pay a lot more for a proper copy than some cheapo version with low quality.

GREAT to see that old Villa fan Tom Hanks back on the silver screen today in Angels & Demons.

Although Hanks' track record proves that he's the best actor of his generation, this is only his third leading-man performance since The Terminal five years ago.

But what's Ewan McGregor doing in there?

He's got one of his silly hair partings again.

And, even though he turned 38 just six weeks ago on March 31, he's far too young to be playing a character who has supposedly temporarily taken over from the Pope after he's snuffed it.

Ewan looks like a schoolboy alongside some of the older guys who are milling around while trying to elect a new pontiff.

No wonder his Irish accent is all over the place.

So where is the Trainspotting star at now?

Well, it's ten years since he got sucked into the three Star Wars prequels as Obi-Wan Kenobi and in my view it was the worst thing he ever did.

Since then he's given us stuff like Big Fish, The Island, Cassandra's Dream, Incendiary and Deception.

Not forgetting the insufferable Down With Love.

Imagine going on a long haul flight and finding Down With Love, Cassandra's Dream and Incendiary all running back to back! You'd be praying for a parachute.

His best performance in the past ten years has undoubtedly been Young Adam, but hardly anyone went to see that!

+ Don't forget to read my Angels & Demons review in tomorrow's Birmingham Mail.

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STAR TREK is going great guns at the IMAX at Birmingham's Millennium Point complex.

Since opening last Thursday it has posted 13 sell-out shows to date.

But how is it doing compared with Batman movie The Dark Knight which was released last summer?

Find out in the Birmingham Mail on Friday.

I think you'll be amazed...

FOLLOWING the Birmingham Mail's rave review of the IMAX version of Star Trek (12A) on Friday last week - when we devoted three pages to its release - the cinema at Millennium Point has been packing fans in to the rafters.

To date, 5,522 tickets have beeen sold and the film has already had ELEVEN sell-out shows.

But... hurry, hurry, hurry.

With Night at the Museum 2 set to open at IMAX on Wednesday, May 20 there's going to be some amazing competiton for screen space at Birmingham's biggest cinema!

When it opened in September 2001 showing IMAX films, it seemed as if the cinema was almost too big.

But, when you see feature films there now in the amazing DMR format as a special treat, it almost makes you wonder how we ever managed before.

Tickets are £9 for adults. To book or to find out time for screenings, call 0121 202 2222 or visit www.imax.ac

IF YOU'RE in the city centre tonight and feel as if there's a whole lotta shakin' going on, that's probably because Star Trek is making its public debut at IMAX, Millennium Point.

Members of the public have been able to buy tickets to join in with a major media event and the atmosphere should be great.

The cinema is going to do really, reallly well with this movie as it's a day-on-date release with multiplexes from today.

I've already had a sneak preview at the IMAX.

And, I must say, I thought the cinema really transformed the film compared with how I first perceived it on a small preview screen in London.

The IMAX is certainly coming of age now. It still looks like an impossibly-big screen, but then the NEC Arena seemed like it was too massive 20 years ago.

Now, they both look the business.

Thanks to the spread of widescreen TVs at home, I think we're all growing into the IMAX format.

Especially as it offers unbeatable clarity and a sound system that's second to none.

Don't miss our three pages of Star Trek coverage in tomorrow's Birmingham Mail, when I'll be talking to director JJ Abrams and my Sunday Mercury colleague Roz Laws will be revealing whether she thinks the film could work as a date movie.

Finally, a word of warning.

Night At The Museum 2 is along on May 20 to compete with Star Trek for IMAX screen time!

I can hear the tills ringing already. Enjoy.

MICHAEL Douglas is back in the movies with new movie Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.

He plays a ghostly uncle who tries to teach Matthew McConaughey the error of his ways as if he's been created by Charles Dickens.

But if there are any lasses out there who think this will be a romantic alternative to X-Men or Star Trek, don't bank on it...

Quite what made him sign up for this latest tosh is anyone's guess.

He'd already bombed in The Ghost and the Darkness back in 1996, so 'Ghosts and The Douglas' are now proven to be a very bad fit...