Archive for the ‘film’ Category
big screens ahoy
floating cinema
on the canal…
Pop up, flip up, or simply just turn up. It seems that this craze has taken London by storm this summer, and don’t we just love it. With the addition of temporary restaurants, boutiques, and cinemas springing up over the capital, its the perfect chance to explore new hideouts and do something out of the ordinary.
For those with a penchant for the big screen with a watery twist then head down to London’s Olympic boroughs from the 1st of July till September. Climb aboard a converted canal boat for free entertainment as The Floating Cinema meanders its way through the waterways of our fair city.
check it out here for an night on the canals
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ...an epic chat with charley boorman
Charley with his bike
on your bike…
Our brother website Epic Tomato caught up with actor and motorbike adventurer Charley Boorman just days before his latest expedition to Canada to find out what inspires him and what he hopes to learn from his upcoming journey…
And if you fancy a Canadian motorbike escapade of your own, live out your wildest Harley dreams in Québec. Click here to find out more…
What inspired you to go on these adventures, to travel and see as much as you have seen?
I think it was my Dad; he was a film director (producing works such as Deliverance and Point Blank) and would shoot all over the world from the South Pacific to South Carolina and Brazil. As a child I went everywhere with him and was always in his movies…I vividly remember dad’s stunt man teaching me how to shoot a hand gun at age 4, leaning out of the window and shooting sign posts. I guess it was his way of getting a bit of free work…he used to say ‘if you go and sit over there I will give you a tricycle’. Becoming an adult I carried on making movies but was choosing them for location rather than for script. When I met my wife we went to Oz and Africa together to make films and this eventually led to making the TV shows. Now it’s my kids who come out to meet me wherever I am, from Cape Town to Kenya to Tokyo, I think it is really important to instil the travel ethos in kids.
How do you prepare for these kinds of trips, is there a routine that you follow?
(Jokingly) Aside from getting other people to do everything for you? (I am a great believer in delegation!)
When you do go on an adventure and film it, there are endless issues with visas, work permits, film permits etc…for example in Russia every region we travelled through required a separate letter of sponsorship to permit filming.
In terms of dealing with extreme cold or heat like you have had to in the past, is there anything that really gets you through it and enables you to cope?
When we trained with the ex-SAS guys for hostile environmental training, we were taught how to survive and react to border crossings (amongst loads of other things of course) and it was this in particular that I found so useful.
I reckon if you can survive all the preparation then the journey is easy. When you spend all that time and effort preparing for your journey not matter who you are or for how long you are going, it’s very easy to forget to enjoy it; you are always rushing towards your destination but at the end of the day does it matter if you make it that night…or you end up sleeping in the car?
The thing I have noticed over the years is that it’s not the things that that go off without a hitch you remember, it is the things that go wrong; the break downs, the ‘dodgy’ situations, the immigration officials demanding money off you and the ensuing arguments that really stick in your mind…
Is there anything you miss whilst you’re away…something you always take with you?
It’s funny, you fantasise about food a lot; travelling through Africa and Mongolia and all those sorts of places you find there is not much to eat and the food you can buy in shops is not that great, I guess because the indigenous population are so self-sufficient.
So it’s rations all round?
Yeah, a lot of the time we go for those gooey, orange boil in the bags … not very pleasant and it’s at times like those when I start really craving one meal in particular, and strangely enough it is one that I don’t even have that much at home; Bresaola…a dried beef Carpaccio with rocket, shavings of parmesan, olive oil and balsamic with a squeeze of lemon….it’s on my mind a lot oh as well as American hot pizza with extra cheese!
So you are off to Canada in the next few days and are planning to visit all the different provinces…
Yeah, we will be doing all sorts of different things from really fun extreme stuff to interacting with the indigenous Inuit of the north. It’s going to be interesting to just be in one country for once with much fewer language barriers yet massive contrasts between say the Northern provinces and over on the West Coast. I am particularly looking forward to going down to the border with Montana to the areas where there was prohibition to see the tunnels they used to smuggle the booze in from Canada.
Is there one particular thing you have you have learnt about yourself through all your travels?
When you are travelling, the mistakes you make tend to become more apparent so I always hope you can improve on them. I think I am much more tolerant now, I used to be very impatient; as a kid my nickname was short fuse but I think I have got a handle on that now.
I also now have huge faith in humanity; you hear terrible things about certain places; for example we went through Libya a few years ago…people’s impressions are of torture and tyranny but when you are there it is not nearly as bad…I am sure it all goes on, but we stopped in villages where we were made to feel incredibly at home and people were so friendly…the same in Egypt and Sudan…filled with some of the loveliest, beautiful people.
How did you find it riding through the deserts?
Hot! Really hot…but it’s great, it’s what you fantasize about when you are planning the trip; about being baking hot with tyre sets melting beneath your wheels.
It was brilliant at night, still baking hot, lying there in your little silk liner under just a mosquito net looking up at just the most incredible stars in a pitch black African night sky. Once we came off the road and made camp when it was dark, in the morning we woke up to find ourselves right in the middle of these 3 huge kilns that were used for making bricks out of mud…all we could see was a load of guys looking down at us and a whole lot of commotion.
What are you looking forward to most about Canada?
I am really keen to get up into the mountains and the wilderness. We have arranged a whole host of amazing activities including kayaking, heli-mountain biking and swimming with minke whales in Newfoundland tempered with some time with indigenous tribes whose ancient ways of living remain unchanged to the present day.
(4 votes, average: 4.25 out of 5) Loading ...way to go
the way
We’re always interested in new inspirations on the paths of old journeys, and how classic routes can be reclaimed and re-imagined in modern times, so when we heard about the forthcoming release of Emilio Estevez’s The Way, starring his father Martin Sheen, we sat up.
Set in one of our favourite regions in northern Spain, the film follows Sheen along the path of the ancient Camino de Santiago de Compostella as he comes to terms with the loss of his son, who died during a storm on his own attempt to complete the ancient pilgrimage.
This film is a poignant reminder of why we travel and our overarching intrinsic desire to undertake a journey, and there’s not too much we find more inspiring than that.
The Way is now on general release in the UK.
(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...world’s finest cinemas
certainly no cine-plex…
As much as we advocate going out to explore the world, we understand that sometimes you need a night off. Which got us pondering our favourite cinemas around the world where we’ve slipped unoticed under the skin of local life to catch a classic film in more unusual surrounds than then nearest multiplex…
- First up has the quintessential American movie night experience at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas. It’s all about great food and cold beers at this cinema-come-eatery that creates bespoke gourmet menus based on any particular film. It opened in the mid 90s and whilst it may have expanded out a bit, we still think the original playhouse is well worth a visit.
- Next on our list is Govinda’s in Sydney, an Indian holistic centre that combines a scrumptious restaurant with a super comfy screening room replete with fully reclining loungers. Try one of the delicious thalis or pakoras from the buffet before heading upstairs to the screening room.
- Staying down under we’d hop over to Brisbane to the roof top of the Limes Hotel. The sophisticated chic space had us cooing at the prospect of mojitos and movies whilst admiring the stunning city views. It’s a smart casual affair and is the perfect place to begin a night out.
- We were pleasantly surprised when we found our next choice at the Evason hotel in the Ma’in Springs in Jordan. The ‘Cinema Paradiso’ outdoor screen is set in front of four hot waterfalls that cascade dramatically from the edge of the desert valley. The eighty foot falls may temporarily distract but the warm popcorn and homemade snacks are sure to induce that big screen feeling.
- Our final choice, for its futuristic, star wars appeal is the Multikino Zlote Tarasy in Warsaw, Poland. Brainchild of designer Robert Majkut, the main screen has a majestic 6 foot LED powered chandelier overlooking a titanic 777 seats. The Velvet bar in the foyer with its dark padded walls and wing chairs is the perfect hideout for villains and heroes to converge after the showing.
Fin.
(5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...calling all adrenaline afficionados
capture what you will with the playsport
Not ones for the shy and retiring experiences here at Black Tomato we love the outrageous, the dare-devilish, and the downright exhilarating. Think bungee jumping James Bond style in Switzerland, volcano surfing in Nicaragua, traversing the Peruvian Andes on a motor bike, these kind of jaunts need to be precision captured right? And instantly shared for all to see (and be super envious of).
tough and loveable
We’ve found this nifty little camera that packs some serious punch. Let the Kodak Playsport brings out your rebellious side. What’s so great about it we here you say? Let us explain…
With as much as an appetite for adventure as you do, the Kodak Playsport isn’t afraid to get dirty or wet. Like the award winning first generation the new Kodak Playsport Zx5 shrugs off dirt and dunks of up to 3m, but ups the ante by adding a wider angle lens and shock-proofing from drops of up to 1.5m. And that’s while packing the same awesome Full HD 1080p shooting skills, plus improved focusing (including macro), flat-screen connectivity via the bundled HDMI cable and on-camera editing.
Snap, upload, and share. The Kodak Playsport’s built-in software allows you to share videos and photos of you tearing through the surf, and gliding along the slopes on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube as soon as you touch down back on earth with just one push of a button.
Rugged, resistant and bursting with technology its sleek, sexy and comes in an array of eye-catching hues from electric blue to sunset orange. Click here to see the Playsport in action.
Kodak PlaySport ZX5
RRP £149.99
Available now at Amazon
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...follow us… to tribeca
over the bridge
Grab yourself a cwoffee because this weekend we’re heading to the big apple for our weekly Follow Friday instalment. Nothing beats New York in the spring, the days are getting warmer, New Yorkers are itching to get outside after a long cold winter, the cherry blossoms are blooming in Brooklyn’s Botanical Garden and the weekend markets are awash with vintage delights and charming trinkets. The highlight of this magical season for all film aficionados however has to be the TriBeCa Film Festival.
New York skyline
Founded a decade ago by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff, New York’s Tribeca Film Festival remains one of the leading go-tos for cinematophiles the world over. With awards and screenings of features, shorts and documentaries alike, plus discussions and talks for directors, screenwriters and dedicated screen-lovers there’s plenty for both the emerging and established players out there. And for us mere mortals, there’s also a tight bundle of consumer-side events (including our ol’ favourite: the drive-in) to keep us happy while we wait for Mr or Mrs Dream-Future-Spouse to saunter by…
Fancy a jaunt to New York click here and discover the big apples little secret.
(5 votes, average: 4.20 out of 5) Loading ...scandinavian sinister
Something stirs in the distant north. The halcyon days of free love and flawless beauty are, it would seem, DEAD. Enter overworked detectives with serious social deficiencies, drinking problems and dodgy wardrobes.
death's never far away in wallander's home town of ystad
Dark days indeed. And we love it. Hot off the back of one enormously successful television adaptation, BBC Four are going all Nordic Noir again with another. Henning Mankell’s award-winning Wallander series was deemed so right for British TV, the Beeb invested in an English-language adaptation starring Kenneth Branagh as the downtrodden sleuth. But it was the Swedish version that got everyone talking. And talking foreign. At once an engrossing set of crime dramas and a fascinating window onto our linguistic heritage, watching with subtitles you quickly find yourself pre-empting the dialogue with increasingly impressive snatches of Swedish.
So is the case with The Killing. Twenty episodes focusing on a single murder, the plot is so thick you could stick a knife in it. With only two weeks left to go, things are reaching an unbearable climax. What’s worse, when it all gets too much, even disappearing into the next room isn’t enough (Danish sounds remarkably Scouse at a distance). With the obvious successes of the two series, it could herald a new place for top quality foreign drama on our screens in the UK. Who knows, it might even inspire some of us to learn a new language…
James Snowdon is Editorial Intern at Black Tomato
(7 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...road to somewhere
It’s no secret that here at Black Tomato we’re fans of the road trip. Our affection for the open highways and hidden byways has taken us to India’s Himalayan gravel tracks, Switzerland’s magnetic race tracks and California’s sun-melded highways. We’re the first to recgonise there’s a heavy dose of nostalgia woven into the pursuit of freedom that starts behind the steering wheel… so for the ultimate in vintage celluloid inspiration we probed our favourite insider film expert, Paul Hanford, for his definitive road movie.
The thing that defines the road movie is, well, road. And lots of it. The European Endless of Germany’s Autobahns and the American freeways work because they go on and on and on, letting the narratives unfold into Homeric proportions. This didn’t deter Chris Petit however from illuminating a journey from London to Bristol into mythic proportions. The little seen 1979 cult gem, Radio On, attempts to do this.
As a student during the Britpop wars, I’d haul my battered Polo each term from Dorset to Edinburgh. It’d take a working day: wipe my eyes awake at 9am, arrive back in the evening, this having included a few coffee and Ginsters stops. OK, its not the full length and breadth of the UK but more than covers England. A day is hardly epic, short on that road movie key: existential dilemma; running into The Man overcharging horrendously for pick n mix at Watford Gap is unlikely to turn my battered Polo into a symbol of freedom. Yet Radio On turns a short journey of aprox 120 miles into something blurry, mystic and potentially epic.
Partly down to the black and white photography reminiscent of Anton Corbijn’s Joy Division photos; partly its soundtrack of Berlin era Bowie and Kraftwerk, and possibly the over seeing hand that German road movie auteur Wim Wenders as producer gives the film an oblique edge, like trying to decipher a Neolithic rune. Adding that the driver spends a great deal of the time not driving, but stopping, getting out and looking moody, Radio On’s nods to nourish thriller can be taken or leaven, but what emerges is a document of rural British life, only 30 years old, yet already fading from our collective consciousness like Snickers being called Marathon.
Radio On proves, if you pace yourself, you can turn a trip to the Cost Cutter into Ulysses.
(6 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...doha tribeca film festival 2010
Yes it’s that time of the year again when the global glitterati of the big screen escape the winter chill and fly east to Qatar for the largest film festival in the Middle East.
What’s in store? Well, entertaining industry big-wigs including Robert De Niro, will be a selection of films by African, Arabic and European directors…
This year’s hotly anticipated debuts include Julian Schnabel’s ‘Miral’, starring Frieda Pinto, following the lives of four women affected by conflict in Jerusalem; and an absorbing documentary ‘Bhutto’ tracing the life of Pakistani leader, Benazir Bhutto, from filmmakers Johnny O’Hara and Duane Baughman.
We’re hard pushed to find a more unique city to provide the ideal end-of-October auditorium than Doha- lapped by the warm waters of the Arabian Gulf; this futuristic city is fast becoming one of our must-see destinations of 2011.
Our recommendation of where to pitch up to stay ahead of the curve? Well, epitomising modern Middle Eastern chic (and planted right in the middle of where it’s all happening) is the brand new W Doha. Expect W’s signature innovative design with sensitive social spaces including the rather fragrant Spice Lounge.
In fact, we’ve been more that a little bit wowed when we caught sight of their latest wave of openings. They are, dare we say it, quite sexy?
(3 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5) Loading ...drama, love and subtitles
latin american film
Caz loves Latin American film, and thinks you should too. Read her thoughts on the fantastic amount of talent coming from this region of the world.
visit the neighbourhoods from 'the secret in their eyes' in buenos aires
Well, I am the Latin America Specialist here at Black Tomato, so I think I can be excused for being a little obsessive about all things South American…so, of course, Latino films hold a special place on my DVD shelf…
Latin American cinema is hugely under-rated, but absolutely fantastic, and with the Oscar winning Argentine movie The Secret in their Eyes has recently proven this to the up-until-now unaware.
Everyone has seen the classics; City of God, depicting the gun-crime-gang-warfare in Rio’s Favelas, and the Motorcycle Diaries showing Che Guevara’s early influences shaping his Political ideals, but why is it not so many South American films come to the mainstream? Maybe it’s the subtitles?
explore the majestic landscape of patagonia through the argentine classics born and bred, liverpool and historias minimus
Watching films made and set in South America is something that stirred my passion to travel to that amazing continent in the first place. The sprawling immensity of the Patagonian landscape can be seen in the Argentine classics Born and Bred, Liverpool and Historias Minimus, the seedy under-world of Brazil is portrayed colourfully in Lower City and Maria Full of Grace is a disturbing yet fascinating insight into the damage the narcotics trade has done in the awe-inspiringly beautiful, yet previously troubled Colombia.
South America is also the perfect film set; dramatic, picturesque landscapes, interesting cityscapes, diverse cultures, and enough (that is to say, too much) terrible political history to make a fascinating film noir like the Tony Manero. Set in 1970s Chile, when Pinochet ruled the roost (and seriously intimidated the other hens) Tony Manero is a comedy so dark it’s pitch black.
watch the film noire tony manero to understand more about the fascinating history of chile
But South America also has enough heart to produce deeply affecting and heart-warming films like Central Station in which a Brazilian letter writer sacrifices her whole life to adopt a homeless orphan. I am racking my brains to think of a light-hearted rom com to pop into the mix, but perhaps the Latino’s leave those to their Hollywood neighbours…
With so much creative talent to be found amongst the filmmakers and directors, it is time they got the recognition they deserve, so give one of these beautiful flicks a go – and then give me a call when your interest in South America is stirred.
(3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5) Loading ...
