July 2009 Archives

ACTRESS Jill Balcon, the extraordinary daughter of Birmingham-born film legend Sir Michael Balcon, widow of the late poet laureate Cecil Day-Lewis and the mother of double Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis, has died. She was 84.

IT'S ALMOST time for the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing.

Meanwhile, remember David Bowie... who used to sing about Life on Mars?

Well his son, Duncan Jones (formerly known as Zowie Bowie), has directed a very ambitious new film called MOON (15).

It explores what life might be like for people if they are told to spend three years on the moon and stars Sam Rockwell, with the voice of Kevin Spacey.

It's the only film opening up against the might of Harry Potter tomorrow. And it's only playing on one screen in the West Midlands... at Vue Star City.

But is it any good? Find out in tomorrow's Birmingham Mail...

WHERE CAN YOU SEE HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE FIRST?

Keep reading to find out more!

AFTER breaking the record for the highest grossing 18 certificate opening weekend comedy (pray, just think of all the competition it's had before!), Brüno is now being cut down to size in a pioneering move.

Find out why below.

AS PROMISED in today's Birmingham Mail, here's a longer version of my thoughts about the latest revision of guidelines by the British Board of Film Classification.

I've also now added a few websites for further reading after a list I had compiled earlier this week disappeared into thin air off my computer.

In particular, if you're a student or school pupil interested in films, don't miss my tips about www.filmeducation.org - or see my blog from September 5, 2008 for more details.

OSCAR winning star Karl Malden has died today. He was 97.

Like the late Michael Jackson, Karl Malden was raised in Gary, Indiana - but managed to live for almost twice as long.

In 1952, he won the Oscar for best actor in a supporting role for A Streetcar Named Desire, winning a second nomination three years later for On The Waterfront.

In the 1970s, he reinvented himself as Det Lt Mike Stone in more than 100 episodes of The Streets of San Francisco.

It's worth noting that Malden began working on this series when he was 60, which illustrates just what older stars can achieve - and what has been lost with Michael Jackson's premature death.

Rest in peace, Karl. And thanks for the memories.