Mills on Movies Week 4 Term 3
Over Easter I re-watched Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar and it struck me that one of the strongest elements of the film, aside from the direction and acting, was the incredible score by Hans Zimmer. For those of you who aren’t aware, Hans Zimmer has produced some of the most iconic soundtracks of the last 20 years. These have included The Lion King, Pirates of the Caribbean, 12 Years a Slave, but inarguably his best work has come when collaborating with Nolan on The Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception, The Prestige, and the aforementioned Interstellar. Interstellar’s soundtrack can almost be seen as evidence that Hans Zimmer’s previous work had begun to “seep into other people’s movies”, as Zimmer attempted to re-invent his own sound. Working from superficial details of the film, Zimmer created a soundtrack that is absolutely breathtaking and its failure to win an Academy Award is one of the less known travesties from this year’s ceremony. There were reportedly some moments in the film that brought audience members to tears simply because of Zimmer’s work.
It is often easy to forget the power of music in cinema. When you think about it, a vast majority of the best remembered moments in Western cinema have stemmed from the soundtrack. The screeching violins in Psycho’s shower scene, those incredible trumpets at the start of John William’s score for Star Wars, and of course the dramatic bass notes in Jaws as the shark moves ever closer to the boat. Music has the potential to transform a fairly simple scene into something effortlessly evocative. Everyone has their own favourite music moment in cinema. I’d love to hear what yours are by tweeting me – @jhrm94.
The Inside View
In week 2/3 I was offered the chance to play an extra in LUFP’s Post-Mortem. For fear of spoiling the plot I won’t divulge too many details, but I can reveal that I spent Monday night covered in (fake) blood, being stamped on by the films lead actor Tom Dykes. I spent Sunday afternoon, once again covered in fake blood, sat on a toilet, and then the evening collapsing onto a plate covered in fake blood. There was definitely a recurring theme to my part in the film. I was, however, blown away by the professionalism and genuine quality of the work done by the cast and crew. Given the level of equipment and funding available to the society, the skills of all those involved were pushed, triumphantly, to their limits.
Life After Lancaster
While it may seem a long way from Hollywood stardom Lancaster has, at one point or another, been home to a number of stars and not all of them went on to host Top Gear…
Andy Serkis
Best known for his role as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but he has also had roles in Age of Ultron, King Kong, and The Prestige. He also has an un-confirmed part in the new Star Wars movie and is directing Jungle Book Origins. During his time residing in County College he balanced his degree in Visual Arts with theatre productions as well as hosting shows on Bailrigg FM.
Chee Keong Cheung
Raised here in Lancaster, he began shooting films in his home city at the age of just 16. Since then he’s gone on to write and direct 2 films (Underground and Bodyguard: A New Beginning). He’s currently working on a zombie movie and welcomed local people to play extras in January when he shot in Lancaster castle.
Lucy Briers
A former Lancaster University student who studied theatre and sculpture, Briers is perhaps best known for her work in theatre, but she has also been highly praised for her performances in films. She starred in the 2006 thrill Children of Men, the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, as well as a number of independent films.
John Waite
Lancaster born and bred he attended Lancaster Story Art College over 40 years ago. Best known for his chart topping hit Missing You, his music has ended up on the soundtrack to films including Anchorman 2, 22 Jump Street, and Tango & Cash.
Joseph Delaney
Born in Preston, he worked briefly before attending Lancaster University. He is best known for his science fiction and fantasy books, but his work was the basis for the film Seventh Son released in 2014 which starred Kit Harrington and Julianne Moore.
What’s On
Dark Horse: The Incredible True Story of Dream Alliance An uplifting documentary telling the rags-to-riches story of an unlikely Welsh syndicate who bred a winning race-horse. When Screenings until 26th May Where The Dukes
Pitch Perfect 2 Get your ticket for this comedy sequel starring Anna Kendrick. When Released 15th May Where Vue
NT Encore: Man and Superman Ralph Fiennes plays Jack Tanner in this exhilarating reinvention of George Bernard Shaw’s witty, provocative classic. When Thursday, week 5 Where The Dukes
Blackhat Didn’t get the best reviews, but Chris Hemsworth (Avengers, Rush) and Micheal Mann (Collateral, Public Enemies) potentially offer up something interesting. A Hong Kong Nuclear Power Plant is hacked in to, and a crack team is set up to find out who. When Thursday + Friday, week 5 Where Take 2 Cinema
Focus The writer of Cats and Dogs (!) teams up with Will Smith and Margot Robbie in a film about a veteran con man falling in love. When Thursday + Friday, week 6 Where Take 2 Cinema
Hans Zimmer Interview by Scott Feinberg Following on from my editorial, it’s fantastic to hear about his life. Where Youtube
