FDA’s Summer of Cinema Film Quiz Report

Last Thursday saw the UK Film Distributor’s Association reveal the line-up for this summer’s film releases through the medium of a film quiz and what seemed suspiciously like a rather large piss-up. As everyone knows, the film industry historically does inversely well in times of recession; well, we must really be screwed financially if the statistics in the FDA’s press release are to be believed: the UK box office is at the time of writing 4% ahead of its takings from this time last year and has passed the £300m barrier faster than ever.

After finding myself the only representative from B3K at the event and being disinclined to go solo on the quiz, I was readying myself to make my apologies and do one, however, a kindly attendee sought out an equally accommodating team from the excellent Find Any Film website who were willing to take on a Billy-no-mates straggler. Inside scoop: they want to make an app and are looking at their options. We made a good team and made a decent attempt at the quiz (hosted by Russell Brand tribute act, Alex Zane); however we made a stronger show of polishing off canapés and endeavouring to empty seemingly bottomless wine glasses.

The FDA – whose member companies are responsible for the distribution of 97% of the UK’s cinema releases – are promoting their summer line-up with a teaser trailer featuring fifty-one of the new releases, a series of vod and podcasts and this rather nice website.

Highlights of the coming months include superhero shindigs The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man, sci-fi shenanigans from Prometheus and Total Recall and Jason Segel-‘em ups Jeff Who Lives at Home and The Five Year Engagement. Other notable releases include Pixar’s latest, Brave, which features the wonderful Kelly Macdonald, Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom and Step Up 4: Miami Heat. Classic films such as Jaws, Beauty and the Beast and Chariots of Fireare all being rereleased.

So in short: FDA organise nice big party, cinema singlehandedly saving UK economy (maybe) and lots of exciting sounding films are being released. For me, it’s difficult to get beyond anything other than The Dark Knight Rises in terms of anticipation, but what are you looking forward to this summer? Voice your thoughts in the comments below.

You can check out pictures from the event on the official Facebook page.

The Amazing Spider-Man Preview

You know, if you’re looking to create a buzz around a film, holding an exciting multi-national event featuring new footage and Q&As with its talent and inviting bloggers to come and write about it is an excellent idea. Such was the case with the upcomingThe Amazing Spider-Man. An even better idea is to allow said bloggers to use recording devices to accurately portray the event in order to publicise your film. There is something deeply ironic about being told to ‘please switch off your phones… and if you want to Tweet about the event, use the hashtag #TheAmazingSpiderman!’ Still, at least it means I don’t feel too much pressure to write with my usual razor sharp accuracy.

Anyway, despite that rather cynical opening paragraph, the event was actually very well put together and certainly stirred up no little excitement for the film. Taking place in several cities across the globe simultaneously, we were treated to several excitable presenters on one of Leicester Square’s big screens, each joined by cast and crew. In LA was director Marc Webb, lucky Rio de Janeiro had Emma Stone, New York boasted the presence of Andrew Garfield and live in person in our auditorium was Rhys Ifans, who was accompanied by a tamed grizzly bear called Cedric, though I may not be remembering that correctly.

The main event was the unveiling of the new trailer, which you may well have seen by now. It looked good. Really good. It’s evidently a lot slicker-looking and snarkier than the previous Spider-films and there’s more than a little bit of the Dark Knights about it (the police versus vigilante aspect, the Zimmer-esque soundtrack), which isn’t too bad a thing, provided Spider-Man can retain his own identity. I’m think I’m right in saying that Brian Blessed made a brief but memorable cameo in the trailer too, but again, there’s a chance I’m mistaken.

We then had a few Q&As from the talent. Here’s what we learnt:

• The ‘untold story’ promised in the film’s tagline will focus on Peter Parker’s parents.
• Emma Stone is as genuinely funny and charming as her reputation suggests.
• She also outlined the main differences between Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane. Basically, Stacy is rich, likes her dad and falls in love with Peter Parker, not Spider-Man.
• Rhys Ifans said it wasn’t difficult to figure out the motivation of a character that has a missing arm and is a geneticist specialising in lizards.
• Andrew Garfield is also rather funny and charming and convincingly won over the fans.
• He’s also nine feet tall, has fangs and a prehensile tail.
• I think.

We then got to see some further extended footage/trailer, which focussed on the ‘meet cute’ between Parker and Stacy, which was as enjoyable to watch as you might reasonably expect from two such well-lauded young talents (and deservedly so). Yet another charming thing in the footage reel was the fact that several effects shots were included that were far from complete, giving us some early nineties style computer graphics of cars flying around and some blue screen Spider-Man swinging fun. There was also a fair few glimpses of the Lizard, who is looking good.

Ifans stuck around after this to answer a few more slightly inane questions. One enthusiastic fan asked if the Lizard would have a snout, to which Ifans responded in his lovely Welsh lilt, ‘no, but he could smell you a mile off’. He was nonplussed about being immortalised as a Pez dispenser. He may also have declared war on the Prussian Empire at some point too.

On the way out, we all got a snazzy Spider-Man t shirt. I know that this definitely happened as I am currently wearing the evidence.