News

Exclusive: Sexy Beast and The Departed actor Ray Winstone will turn his cockney tones to a feature documentary on the heyday for British stunt performers in Hollywood.

Produced by Canal Cat Films Production in association with Red Rock Entertainment and Verax Films, Hollywood Bulldogs: The Rise and Falls of the Great British Stuntman will see Winstone tell the story of a small community of British stunt performers who dominated Hollywood in the 1970s and ’80s.

The film is directed by Jon Spira (Anyone Can Play Guitar) and features a cast of stuntmen including Vic Armstrong, Paul Weston, Rocky Taylor, Greg Powell, Ray Austin, Jim Dowdall, Richard Hammatt and Frank Henson.

The former bouncers, gangsters, and demobbed soldiers were prepared to do the dangerous work on set, paving the way for a new generation of professional stunt performers. It reveals stories of revelry and insights from behind the scenes on blockbusters including James Bond,...

Daniel Radcliffe has launched a new podcast series titled “Cunning Stunts” alongside his longtime “Harry Potter” stunt double David Holmes. The podcast finds the two former collaborators interviewing notable stunt performers to break down some of cinema’s best action scenes. Holmes served as Radcliffe’s stunt double on all eight “Harry Potter” films until he was critically injured during production on the final entry in the series. Holmes broke his neck performing a stunt and was paralyzed from the chest down.

The “Cunning Stunts” podcast launched with an episode featuring Derek Lea, a stunt performer whose credits include James Bond films, “Titanic,” “Saving Private Ryan,” and more. Additional episodes are set to feature Tina Maskell & David Forman, Paul Lowe, Jo McLaren, Rocky Taylor, and the late Brian ‘Sonny’ Nickels. Radcliffe said in an interview with Deadline that he wanted to be part of the podcast to bring greater awareness to stunt work,...

When stunt performer David Holmes, who had doubled for Daniel Radcliffe on all eight of the Harry Potter movies, was seriously injured rehearsing a flying scene for the final chapter in 2009, his career as a stuntman came to a sudden end. Holmes broke his neck performing a jerk back stunt and was paralyzed from the chest down. He has spent the subsequent 11 years adjusting to life with limited mobility only in his arms and hands.

But his love for his profession hasn’t faltered, and he has now teamed up with his “acting double” Radcliffe for a new podcast, Cunning Stunts, in which the pair interview stunt performers from around the globe to shine a light on the people responsible for some of the most memorable sequences in film history.

“What I missed from my days at work, as much as doing the stunts and getting that buzz, was the...

By Jacob Oller

Rocky Taylor has been putting himself in danger longer than most people have been alive. tunts are a young man’s game. You have to be courageous and meticulous, with enough of a wild streak to be reckless when all the rules have gone out the window. Rocky Taylor has been a stuntman for 54 years. […]

The article Beaten and Bruised: Britain’s Oldest Stuntman appeared first on Film School Rejects.

Bond girls Jenny Hanley, Caron Gardner, Francesca Tu.

By Mark Mawston

The ultimate “Bonding” session once again took place at the home of the 007 franchise, Pinewood Studios, on Sunday 24th September. Those lucky enough to attend were treated to a dealer’s room, a 50th Anniversary 4K screening of You Only Live Twice, at which organizer Gareth Owen read a message received from the e Prime Minister herself, Theresa May, which touched on the amazing feats of ingenuity and sheer technical mastery that went into the construction of the films famed volcano set; a three course lunch and afternoon tea and of course a "who’s who" from the world of Bond from both in front and behind the camera. These included:

Peter Lamont - Assistant Art Director - Art Director and Production Designer of 18 Bond films, Terry Ackland-Snow - Art Director on two Bond films, Alan Tomkins - Art director on five Bond films,...

February 21st isn’t necessarily a busy week on the home entertainment front, but horror and sci-fi fans definitely should keep an eye on several intriguing releases that arrive this Tuesday. The Oscar-nominated thriller Nocturnal Animals is coming to Blu-ray and DVD via Universal Studios Home Entertainment, and Arrow Video is giving the cult classic Psychomania an HD overhaul for their 2-Disc Special Edition.

Other notable releases for February 21st include Doctor Who: The Return of Doctor Mysterio, It Watches, House on Haunted Hill / Tormented double feature, and Kill, Granny, Kill.

Doctor Who: The Return of Doctor Mysterio (BBC Home Entertainment, Blu-ray & DVD)

This Christmas sees The Doctor join forces with a masked Superhero for an epic New York adventure. With brain-swapping aliens poised to attack, the Doctor and Nardole link up with an investigative reporter and a mysterious figure known only as The Ghost. Can the Doctor save Manhattan?...

A motorcycle gang comes back from the dead to wreak havoc on the living in 1973's Psychomania, aka The Death Wheelers. Following the recent UK Blu-ray / DVD release of the cult film, Arrow Video has now announced that they will bring the zombie bikers stateside in February with their Us Blu-ray / DVD release of Psychomania, complete with a 2K restoration from preservation negatives and plenty of bonus features.

From Arrow Video: "New Us Title: Psychomania Dual Format Blu-ray & DVD

Zombie bikers run amok is southern England.

Pre-orders links should be live soon!

Release Date: 21st February 2017

The United States gave motorcycle-mad cinemagoers Easy Rider, The Wild One and The Wild Angels. The United Kingdom gave them Psychomania, the tale of zombie bikers run amok is southern England.

The Living Dead are a delinquent biker gang, fond of causing havoc on British roadways and making out in graveyards. Gang leader...

facebook

twitter

google+

As The Shannara Chronicles comes to the UK, we chat to and Lord Of The Rings and Indiana Jones actor, John Rhys-Davies…

Interviewing John Rhys-Davies is like trying to alter the flow of a mighty torrent with a teacup. Scoop as hard as you like in any given direction, and on it gushes with tremendous force, following its own course and making a wonderful spectacle as it goes.

Best known for his role as Gimli, son of Gloin in Peter Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings trilogy, Davies’ six decades-long career includes the roles of Sallah in the Indiana Jones films and Professor Arturo in Fox’s Sliders, a show he didn’t depart from happily after a network-orchestrated change in writing personnel.

I met Davies in the offices of Channel 5 to talk about his role as Eventine, King of the Elves in new MTV fantasy series The Shannara Chronicles,...

Stunt teams from Skyfall and Game of Thrones have won this year’s SAG Award for Outstanding Action Performances by Film and Television Stunt Ensembles. SAG Awards Committee Chair JoBeth Williams and committee member Scott Bakula announced the award from the red carpet at the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards and were webcast on tntdrama.com, tbs.com and People.com which will be streaming until 5 Pm Pt / 8 Pm Et. The Stunt Ensemble Honors recognize recognize stunt performers and coordinators. Nominees were chosen by their film and television nominating committees and were announced December 12, 2012. The recipients are: Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture Skyfall (Columbia Pictures) Hussain Abdullah Arsha Aghdasi Mahsa Ahmadi Gillian Aldam Lucy Allen Scott Armstrong Gary Arthurs Amir Badri Lee Bagley Cody Banta Carly Barnes Lloyd Bass Nikki Berwick Mustafa Beyter Dani Biernat Nellie Burroughes Michael Byrch Annabel Canaven Justo Usin Carrera...

Nothing says the Seventies quite like undead bikers terrorizing a small town, and if you've never seen the 1973 classic UK film Psychomania, then you're in luck as come October Severin Films will be releasing a special edition DVD of the flick directed by Don Sharp.

From the Press Release:

The grooviest zombie biker movie of them all is being exhumed and, after years of shoddy bootlegs and sub-par presentations, is getting the Special Edition treatment from Severin. Psychomania stars Beryl Reed (Beast in the Cellar) and, in his last performance, George Sanders (Village of the Damned), who perfect a formula to return from the grave via some sort of satanic toad worship. Said formula is then used by young Tommy and his biker gang, The Living Dead, who, after offing themselves in a variety of creative ways, free-wheel back from the dead to wreak havoc on a small English town.

Yup. 1970s British zombie bikers are being given a full restoration by the cult film lovers at Severin. The film is Psychomania, anybody who has ever seen a Severin restoration knows why this is good news, and I don't think I have any prayer of pitching it better than they do themselves so have at it, press release!

The grooviest zombie biker movie of them all is being exhumed and, after years of shoddy bootlegs and sub-par presentations, is getting the Special Edition treatment from Severin. Psychomania stars Beryl Reed (Beast In The Cellar) and, in his last performance, George Sanders (Village Of The Damned) who perfect a formula to return from the grave via some sort of satanic toad worship. Said formula is then used by young Tommy and his biker gang, The Living Dead, who after offing themselves in a variety of creative ways, free-wheel back from the...

Our friends over at Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation have just given us the details for a very exciting evening which will not only allow you to spend an evening at the world famous Pinewood Studios, but the black-tie charity event will also give you access to meeting some of the ‘legends’ that have worked at the studio.

This one-off event will take place on Saturday, 5th December and the legends will include:

Roy Button OBE (Senior Vice President & MD of Warner Bros.) Bryan Forbes Cbe (Filmmaker, Whistle Down the Wind, Stepford Wives) Nanette Newman (Actress, Personal Affairs, The Wrong Box) Rocky Taylor (Specialist Stunt Performer) Terence Clegg (Producer, Out of Africa, A Clock Work Orange) Mike Moran (Movie music score composer) Joss Williams (Special Effects Supervisor on Green Zone, Hell Boy 2, Rambo, The Bourne Ultimatum) Anthony Waye (Producer, Casino Royale)

+ Many More

Guests will also have their own opportunity to...

Daniel Craig faces a battle royal at the box office, if he signs on to play William The Conqueror in a new film - Oliver star Mark Lester will play King Harold in a rival movie.

The former child star will don the crown for a new movie, called 1066, which will also feature Alien Vs Predator star Ian Whyte. The $75 million (GBP50 million) movie will be shot in Wales next year.

The project, written by Robin Jacob and historical novelist Helen Hollick, is the culmination of over four years of historical research and script development.

Industry stunt legend Rocky Taylor, who has featured in 17 Bond movies, will take charge of the film's stunt scenes.

Craig is said to be in negotiations to play Harold's rival William in a rival epic, which will trace his life prior to his victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.