X-MEN: FIRST CLASS - The Training montage

Every action film seems to need a "training montage" and X-Men is following that convention...

X-MEN FIRST CLASS charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga, and reveals a secret history of famous global events. Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Not archenemies, they were instead at first the closest of friends, working together with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop Armageddon. In the process, a grave rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-Men.

Hitting Cinemas June 1, 2011
Find out more on facebook , the official website or on YouTube
TM and © 2009 Fox and its related entities. All Rights Reserved. Property of FOX

KABOOM - image and trailer

The trailer is quite rude and explicit so if you're under 18 then don't click play!

Smith’s everyday life in the dorms - hanging out with his arty, sarcastic best friend Stella, hooking up with a beautiful free spirit named London, lusting for his gorgeous but dim surfer roommate Thor - all gets turned upside-down after one fateful, terrifying night.

Tripping on some hallucinogenic cookies he ate at a party, Smith is convinced he’s witnessed the gruesome murder of an enigmatic Red Haired Girl who has been haunting his dreams. What he discovers as he tries to find out the truth leads him deeper and deeper into a mystery that will forever change not only the course of his young life but the destiny of the entire world.

KABOOM, directed by GREGG ARAKI comes to UK cinemas on June 10, 2011

Henry's Crime DVD Release Review

Henry's Crime looks and sounds as if it is going to be a really good film, but in actual fact I was rather disappointed when I finally got to watch it. I would give this film 3 stars, as it has it's good points, but they are offset by plenty of negatives.

The premise of the story is good, a man locked up for a crime he did not commit decides that he may as well go ahead and commit the crime after his release from prison. The film stars Keanu Reeves (The Matrix, Johnny Mnemonic) and James Caan (The Godfather, Misery) as former cell mates turned accomplices.

I have always been a fan of Keanu Reeves, which added to my anticipation of watching Henry's Crime, but I have to admit that in this, I agree with the people who say that his acting is wooden. Although a lot of it seems to be intentional there are times when you feel he just isn't trying. Or maybe he is - which is worrying.

The one thing which carries the film more than anything is the performance of James Caan who is magnificent as ever, and downright scary in places. Also good and eclipsing Keanu Reeves is his co-star, Vera Farmiga (The Manchurian Candidate, The Departed) who plays the role of self-centred actress to perfection.

Henry's Crime is billed as a comedy, but although it is is mildly amusing in a few places, comedy is a bit of an exaggeration, in fact it even gets quite boring after a while.

Included on the disc are interviews with the cast and crew and a theatrical trailer.

All in all, Henry's Crime is an okay film, fairly entertaining but will never set the world on fire.

Henry's Crime is available to buy on DVD and Blu-ray from June 6th 2011

Real Steel - new poster

After that long weekend Dreamworks has now released a new, international, poster for their upcoming "Big Fighting Robots", sorry, Real Steel

Dreamworks Studios presents REAL STEEL, a gritty, white-knuckle, action ride set in the near-future where the sport of boxing has gone high-tech. REAL STEEL stars Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next. REAL STEEL begins when Charlie hits rock bottom. He reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo) to build and train a championship contender. As the stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred arena are raised, Charlie and Max, against all odds, get one last shot at a comeback.

REAL STEEL punching into cinemas October 7, 2011
© DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC

Study the skies with Green Lantern

To celebrate the release of Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Green Lantern’ in UK cinemas on 17 June 2011, UK movie fans are being enlisted to help make new discoveries in space. A unique partnership between Warner Bros. Pictures UK and the Zooniverse Project at Oxford University is targeting fans of the ‘Green Lantern’ film to assist a set of citizen science projects which lets internet users analyse images generated by some of the world’s best telescopes.

Zooniverse users log in and use a simple set of tools to spot important features – for example the shape of galaxies, or the location of craters on the moon. Human contributors are crucial to the success of the projects, as they are able to perform the task of marking the features better than a computer could. The aggregate data from the massed ranks of budding amateur astronomers is then passed back to Oxford University research teams for analysis.

The Milky Way Project is the latest venture from the Zooniverse, which launched in December 2010. In it, users analyse photographs from the Spitzer Space Telescope, maintained by NASA, orbiting the earth. The particular feature that users are looking for in these is photographs are ‘bubbles’ produced by the formation of stars. They manifest in the images as green rings.

Warner Bros Pictures UK and social gaming developers Hide&Seek have created a special version of the Milky Way Project interface, where fans can engage in a special narrative featuring the characters from the ‘Green Lantern’ film.

Robert Simpson, researcher and developer at Oxford University and PI for the Milky Way Project said “We were absolutely delighted when Warner Bros UK approached us with news of their plans for the ‘Green Lantern’ film. Anything that gets people excited about space and drives attention to the Milky Way Project is something we’re very keen to support. We’ve had many instances where participants have made genuine scientific discoveries and we’re hopeful that some ‘Green Lantern’ fans will join that number.”

This partnership is the first time a UK film marketing campaign has engaged with a citizen science project.

The in-narrative version can currently be found on spitzer.deo-br.com

The GREEN LANTERN branded version of the Milky Way Project can be found at www.studytheskies.com

In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan.

Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax…he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

Green Lantern hits UK cinemas June 17, 2011
© 2010 Warner Bros.Ent. 2011

The 80s are back with Hobo with a shotgun

In a film with a title and the star that sounds like it came right out of the late 80s. With that in mind I give you "Hobo With a Shotgun". With Roy Batty himself, Rutger Hauer starring. Not only that the US poster is very much based on posters from the 80 that has been stored for over 20 years with the inbuilt folds. You can also click on any of the images to see a bigger version

No UK trailer exists. So here is the US "redband" one so be careful if you don't like cursing or bits of bodies being hacked / shot off!

A train pulls into the station – it’s the end of the line. A Hobo jumps from a freight car, hoping for a fresh start in a new city. Instead, he finds himself trapped in an urban hell. This is a world where criminals rule the streets and Drake, the city’s crime boss, reigns supreme alongside his sadistic murderous sons, Slick & Ivan. Amidst the chaos, the Hobo comes across a pawn shop window displaying a second hand lawn mower. He dreams of making the city a beautiful place and starting a new life for himself. But as the brutality continues to rage around him, he notices a shotgun hanging above the lawn mower… Quickly, he realizes the only way to make a difference in this town is with that gun in his hand and two shells in its chamber.

Hitting UK cinemas July 15, 2011

VIVA RIVA!

VIVA RIVA! is a gangster thriller about a charismatic criminal, Riva, for whom a sudden burst of stolen wealth ignites an exhilarating, hedonistic and perilous journey through one of the most intriguing cities in Africa - Kinshasa.

VIVA RIVA! expertly combines a fresh rhythm, violence and eroticism that promises to ignite a new wave of African cinema, whilst demonstrating the intelligence, wit and technical accomplishment of European cinema.

The irony of the petrol thief Riva’s journey is that he lives in a nation widely recognised to be the richest on the planet in terms of untapped natural resources (in excess of $23 trillion), and yet the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo are amongst the poorest on the planet with the second lowest GDP per capita.

Yet the film steers entirely clear of politics, the focus remains firmly on story-telling:

VIVA RIVA! treats its audience to an imaginative portrait of vibrant rogues competing on the streets of Kinshasa. Trailblazing Congolese writer/director Djo Tunda Wa Munga mixes a heady cocktail of rich colour, dynamism and local music that marks him as an emerging force in World Cinema.

Hitting UK cinemas June 24, 2011

Find out more about the Green Lantern with a new AR smartphone app!

To celebrate the release of Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Green Lantern’ in UK cinemas on 17 June 2011, a new mobile marketing initiative has been launched using state-of-the art handheld AR technology, Zappar, a new free-to-download app available on iPhone and Android devices that brings the physical world to life via your smartphone.

The Zappar app can be used in conjunction with the film’s national six sheet campaign, Odeon Magazine ‘Green Lantern’ cover, The Mirror newspaper’s exclusive ‘Green Lantern’ poster and ShortList Magazine’s cover wrap in the run up to the film’s theatrical release in the UK on Friday 17th June. Users simply download the app and point their phone’s camera at the exclusive film advertising to launch the experience. They can then interact with the campaign, unlocking audio, visual and animated features embedded in the image. The Odeon cover will also feature a pre-booking link for ticket sales from its cover in the run up to the film’s release.

Polly Cochrane, Group Marketing Director and SVP of Marketing Warner Bros Pictures UK commented, “Zappar opens up a whole new way for us to think about our marketing campaigns. Posters become engaging and interactive media channels where we can bring the stories behind our films to life in a truly immersive way.”

Caspar Thykier, Managing Director for Zappar commented, ‘We’re delighted that our first work for our new mobile media channel is with Warner Bros and ‘Green Lantern’. It’s a great showcase for the kinds of experiences made possible with Zappar. However, it’s really just the beginning of how we hope to bring the physical world to life through Zappar in the future. We’re entering a new era of vision based mobile entertainment.’

The Odeon Magazine is out on Friday 27th May and the ‘Green Lantern’ national poster campaign rolls out on Monday 6th June. The Zappar application is available for download at iTunes App Store and Android Marketplace.

For iPhone, iPod and iPad or Android

Bringing the endearingly popular superhero to the big screen for the first time, “Green Lantern” stars Ryan Reynolds (“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”) in the title role, under the direction of Martin Campbell (“Casino Royale”).

In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan.

Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax... he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

Green Lantern hits UK cinemas June 17, 2011
© 2010 Warner Bros.Ent. 2011

Join Joe Utichi as he tries to become a first class member of the X-Men

This is something different for the upcoming x-men movie reboot... According to the press release it's a chance to "join Joe Utichi as he takes on the unenviable task of trying to become a first class member of the X-Men!"

X-MEN FIRST CLASS charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga, and reveals a secret history of famous global events. Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Not archenemies, they were instead at first the closest of friends, working together with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop Armageddon. In the process, a grave rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-Men.

Hitting Cinemas June 1, 2011
Find out more on facebook , the official website or on YouTube
TM and © 2009 Fox and its related entities. All Rights Reserved. Property of FOX

Super 8 - new poster

J.J. Abrams has gone back to making films about monsters.  With watching the trailer it does seem like a mix of his last monster film, Cloverfield, and the producer's , Steven Spielberg's, E.T.

In the summer of 1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries to uncover the truth - something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.

Hitting UK Cinemas August 5, 2011

Mr Popper's Penguins - the full trailer

Still quite a while to go before the film his UK cinemas. Fox has now released a new, full length, trailer for the film.

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Jim Carrey is Mr. Popper, in a family comedy about a driven businessman who is clueless when it comes to the important things in life – until he inherits six penguins.  While Popper’s penguins turn his swank New York apartment into a snowy winter wonderland – and the rest of his life upside-down -- they teach him valuable lessons about families… human or otherwise. MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS is a contemporary update of the award-winning book.

Waddling into UK cinemas August 5, 2011
TM and © 2009 Fox and its related entities. All Rights Reserved. Property of FOX

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS - New clips

With less than a week to go before the film's launch, fox has now sent over a set of new clips. We've already had a clip before. However, this time we have 4 new ones to wet your appetite.

BANSHEE FLIES

LOCATING SHAW

SHAW ATTACKS

NEVER AGAIN

X-MEN FIRST CLASS charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga, and reveals a secret history of famous global events. Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Not archenemies, they were instead at first the closest of friends, working together with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop Armageddon. In the process, a grave rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-Men.

Hitting Cinemas June 1, 2011
Find out more on facebook , the official website or on YouTube
TM and © 2009 Fox and its related entities. All Rights Reserved. Property of FOX

Stake Land - poster and clips

With its blood drive still on, Metrodome has now released the poster as well as 3 clips about some of the character's back story - or what happened before I became a vampire. It does sound like it could turn into quite a cliche ridden film as the synopsis says it stars a minister, a num and a pregnant teen... What could possibly go wrong?

Clip - Sister's Back Story

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Clip - Martin's Back Story

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Clip - Belle's Back Story

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A young boy (Connor Paolo, Gossip Girl) is about to learn how cruel the world can become. Martin was a normal teenager before the country collapsed in an empty pit of disaster, and a vampire epidemic swept across the nation’s abandoned towns and cities.

It’s up to Mister (Nick Damici, Mulberry Street, World Trade Center), a death dealing, rogue vampire hunter, to get Martin to safety. Armed with a trunk full of wooden stakes and a desperate will to stay alive, Mister and Martin make their way through locked down towns, recruiting fellow travelers along the way. Among them are a devout nun (Kelly McGillis, The Accused, Top Gun) and a pregnant teen (Danielle Harris, Halloween, Halloween 2)...

As with his hit, MULBERRY STREET, Jim Mickle creates a dark and terrifying world, although this time it is fully stocked with the most vicious vampires in recent film history. STAKE LAND is a gritty, post-apocalyptic road movie with teeth!

STAKE LAND will be tearing into UK cinemas June 17, 2011

Horrid Henry gets a new poster and a trailer

With character posters and a teaser trailer already released it was just time before the poster and a full, non teaser, trailer was launched. It's now that time so I give you the new poster and full trailer for the film.

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The first ever British kid’s movie to be filmed in 3D, Horrid Henry: The Movie stars Anjelica Huston as Henry’s terrifying teacher Miss Battle-Axe, alongside, Rebecca Front as Henry’s headmistress Ms Oddbod and Richard E Grant as rival headmaster Vic Van Wrinkle, with Parminder Nagra as Miss Lovely, Noel Fielding makes an appearance as Killer Boy Rats’ frontman Ed Banger, joining Jo Brand as the Demon Dinner Lady, Matthew Horne as Henry’s Dad and Prunella Scales as Great Aunt Greta. And introducing new young stars, including Scarlett Stitt as Moody Margaret, Ross Marron as Perfect Peter and Theo Stevenson leads in the title role as Horrid Henry.

find out more at the official website or on facebook
Horrid Henry: The Movie in 3D is released in cinemas on July 29, 2011.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules - clips and trailers

To celebrate today's launch of Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules I've been sent over a load of new clips and TV spots for your enjoyment.

Dance Party - clip:

That’s Not Me - clip:

TV Spot 1

TV Spot 2

TV Spot 3

TV Spot 4

In this sequel to 2010's surprise hit, Greg Heffley, the kid who made 'wimpy' cool is back in an all-new family comedy based on the best-selling follow-up novel by Jeff Kinney. (Kinney's 'Wimpy Kid' series has thus fat sold 42 million books). As he begins seventh grade, Greg and his older brother - and chief tormentor- Rodrick must deal with their parents' misguided attempts to have them bond.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules is in UK cinemas NOW

Larry Crowne - images and a trailer

Not sure what to say as I may go off on a rant about this sort of film. It's the "ultimate" pairing for one. Two Oscar winners in the same film. Both doing the same thing that brought them to the attention of the world way back int he late eighties / early nineties. The Rom-com! From he trailer is seems to have all the standard bits that Hollywood likes in this genre. Loss, love and, probably an unexpectedly happy ending. With all the contrived bumps on the way.

With that rant out of my system. Here are some images, the trailer and all-important synopsis.

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Until he was downsized, affable, amiable Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks) was a superstar team leader at the big-box company where he's worked since his time in the Navy. Underwater on his mortgage and unclear on what to do with his suddenly free days, Larry heads to his local college to start over. in his public speaking class, Larry develops an unexpected crush on his teacher Mercedes (Roberts), who has lost as much passion for teaching as she has for her husband.

Larry Crowne hits UK cinemas July 1, 2011

‘Spot the X’ at MCM Expo

At this year’s MCM Expo, taking place on the 27th – 29th May 2011, Twentieth Century Fox are giving attendees the chance to win a seat at an exclusive screening of X-Men: First Class.

An official ‘X’ will be hidden somewhere inside MCM Expo, London’s Comic Con, taking place at the Excel, London. If attendees find the ‘X’ they will need to take a picture and upload it to Twitter using the hash-tag #XMENEXPO to be in with a chance of winning.

Once all pictures have been uploaded to Twitter with the correct hash-tag, a winner will be picked at random on the 30th May to attend an exclusive screening in London.

X-MEN FIRST CLASS charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga, and reveals a secret history of famous global events. Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Not archenemies, they were instead at first the closest of friends, working together with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop Armageddon. In the process, a grave rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-Men.

Hitting Cinemas June 1, 2011
Find out more on facebook , the official website or on YouTube
TM and © 2009 Fox and its related entities. All Rights Reserved. Property of FOX

Sex doll goes rogue!

Over the years working with film you sometimes get sent some strange things to cover and this is one of the strangest! It's a short film about a sex doll that exercises her own free will! And before you ask, Yes it is Safe for work (just).

The film begins in a laboratory, stark an cold. We rapidly discover the “object” of experimentation in her box. During the day the robot woman is attached to machines by a kind of umbilical cord located on the back of her neck. She is surrounded by scientists who put her through numerous scientific tests. At night, while no longer “plugged-in” the creature mysteriously takes on life and begins to explore the place where she has been confined. She dreams of the world outside while she begins to build a mysterious module that will eventually give her freedom. When the moment arrives, she makes her escape in the most unexpected way before disappearing into the streets of London...

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS - Even more new images

Only yesterday there was 8 new images for X-Men. Now another dozen images were released for the film.

X-MEN FIRST CLASS charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga, and reveals a secret history of famous global events. Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Not archenemies, they were instead at first the closest of friends, working together with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop Armageddon. In the process, a grave rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-Men.

Hitting Cinemas June 2, 2011
Find out more on facebook , the official website or on YouTube
TM and © 2009 Fox and its related entities. All Rights Reserved. Property of FOX

Conan gets a new poster

More Conan news - Lionsgate has released an actiontastic new poster for the film as well as a tie in with Age of Conan. If you missed the trailer then head over here and watch it.

Funcom's award-winning and critically acclaimed massively multiplayer online game Age of Conan announces new content that will tie together the game and the upcoming movie Conan the Barbarian. Set 20 years after the movie storyline, an epic new adventure pack - 'The Savage Coast of Turan' finds players being sent by Conan, now King of Aquilonia, to aid his old ally Artus. The new adventure pack includes but is not limited to content from the movie, and allows players to follow epic storylines in Conan's realm.

"I live. I love. I slay... I am content."

The colossal legend that is CONAN THE BARBARIAN is back this Summer. Having thrived and evolved for eight decades in the public imagination - in prose and graphics, on the big screen and small - Conan's exploits in the Hyborian Age now come alive like never before. Shot in 3D, the reimagining of one man's mythical battle for revenge is finally here in this Epic action-adventure film.

A quest that begins as a personal vendetta for the fierce Cimmerian warrior soon turns into an epic battle against hulking rivals, horrific monsters, and impossible odds, as Conan realises he is the only hope of saving the great nations of Hyboria from an encroaching reign of supernatural evil.
Deftly adapted from the original works of Robert E. Howard and faithful to the mythology and psychology of his iconic character, CONAN THE BARBARIAN stars Jason Momoa, Rachel Nichols, Stephen Lang, Rose McGowan, Said Taghmaoui and Ron Perlman. The film is directed by Marcus Nispel, and written by Thomas Dean Donnelly & Joshua Oppenheimer and Sean Hood.

Conan the Barbarian hits cinemas August 24, 2011

Would you raise a chimp as human?

I've just been informed about the new documentary from the award-winning director, James Marsh (Man On Wire). This is Project Nim, a film about a chimp. The film won the coveted World Cinema Directing Award: Documentary for the film at this year’s Sundance Film festival.

The film will have its UK premiere at this year’s Sheffield Doc/Fest on 10th and 12th June and at the Edinburgh Film Fest on 18th and 20th June before coming to cinemas on 12th August.
I can't find a UK trailer so here's the US one...

From the Oscar and BAFTA winning filmmakers behind MAN ON WIRE, James Marsh and Simon Chinn, comes the story of Nim the chimpanzee. In the 1970s Nim became the focus of a landmark experiment which aimed to show that an ape could learn to communicate with language if raised and nurtured like a human child.

Following Nim’s extraordinary journey through human society, and the enduring impact he makes on the people he meets along the way, the film is an unflinching and unsentimental biography of an animal we tried to make human. What we learn about his true nature – and indeed our own – is comic, revealing and profoundly unsettling.

PROJECT NIM will open in cinemas across the UK Friday 12th August 2011