Archive for March, 2012

Student flashmob performs in Upper Precinct

Saturday, March 31st, 2012

‘The Hunger Games’ wins UK box office

Wednesday, March 28th, 2012
Jennifer Lawrence in 'The Hunger Games'

Jennifer Lawrence’s teen action movie The Hunger Games has topped the UK box office.

The movie, which co-stars Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth, broke records in the US over the weekend with a $155 million haul.

The Hunger Games‘s UK opening gross, £4.9 million, easily outpaces the £2.5 million earned by Twilight in 2008. However, the fledgling franchise falls short of matching its three sequels New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn – Part 1, which all surpassed £10 million on their opening weekends.

Comedy 21 Jump Street and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel hold steady at numbers two and three respectively, while last week’s chart-topper The Devil Inside tumbles to number four.

We Bought a Zoo rounds out the top five.

Elsewhere, the only other new release to dent the top ten is Act of Valour. The US-produced war movie, which features active Marines among its cast, lands at number eight with £214,401.

The UK box office top ten figures in full:
1. (-) The Hunger Games – £4,900,177
2. (2) 21 Jump Street – £1,184,044
3. (3) The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – £747,122
4. (1) The Devil Inside – £643,036
5. (5) We Bought a Zoo – £408,821
6. (6) Contraband – £315,666
7. (4) John Carter – £297,762
8. (-) Act of Valour – £262,935
9. (7) The Woman in Black – £214,401
10. (9) The Muppets – £168,381

Source: Rentrak

‘Harry Potter’, Gary Oldman dominate Jameson Empire Awards

Sunday, March 25th, 2012

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy has dominated this year’s Jameson Empire Awards with three wins.

The 17th Empire Awards took place today (Sunday, March 25) with Lauren Laverne and Chris Hewitt hosting from London’s Grosvenor House Hotel.

The Tomas Alfredson-directed film took home prizes for ‘Best British Film’, ‘Best Thriller’ and ‘Best Actor’ for Gary Oldman.

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part 2 won two trophies for ‘Best Film’ and ‘Best Director’ for David Yates.

Kenneth Branagh’s Thor won ‘Best Sci-Fi’, while The Inbetweeners won ‘Best Comedy’. ‘Best Horror’ was given to Ben Wheatley’s Kill List.

Tyrannosaur‘s Olivia Colman won ‘Best Actress’, with Michael Fassbender winning the ‘Empire Hero’ award.

Felicity Jones was crowned ‘Best Female Newcomer’ for her role in Like Crazy, with Tom Hiddleston winning the ‘Best Male Newcomer’ award for Thor.

Ron Howard was presented with the ‘Empire Inspiration’ award for his contribution to film.

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Paul Weller narrowly beats David Guetta to score album No.1

Sunday, March 25th, 2012

Paul Weller has scored his fourth UK number one album with Sonik Kicks.

The singer-songwriter’s 11th studio album beat David Guetta’s Nothing But the Beat to the top spot by just 250 copies.

The Military Wives drop two places from last week’s Mother’s Day number one to three with In My Dreams, while Emeli Sandé also fell two spots to four with Our Version of Events.

Adele’s 21 spends a 61st week inside the Top 10 – falling two places to this week’s five – and has now become the sixth best-selling album of all time in the UK.

Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto re-entered the Top 10 by climbing five places to seven, while Lana Del Rey also jumped up two to six with Born to Die.

The Shins achieved the second highest new entry with their major label debut Port of Morrow at 11.

Miike Snow reached number 31 with their new release Happy To You, while Odd Future entered at 40 with The OF Tape – Vol 2.

Source: Official Charts Company

Dutch man hasn’t stopped laughing for two years after hip operation

Sunday, March 25th, 2012

A Dutch man has been unable to stop laughing ever since he underwent a hip operation two years ago.

Huug Bosse and his wife have appeared on TV show Man Bijt Hond, stating that the anaesthesia used in the 2010 operation has led to him constantly laughing out loud.

“It appears that due to the operation, due to the anaesthesia, he was laughing more,” his wife said while Bosse continued to giggle.

She added: “Sometimes it starts to get really annoying all that laughing the whole day. When you are having a discussion and all he does is laughing, then it gets annoying.”

Mr Bosse revealed that his change of behaviour has put a strain on his children, saying: “They don’t visit any more.”

However, he explained that hearing the Dutch national anthem is the only thing that makes him cry, describing it as a “beautiful” song.

Watch Huug Bosse and his wife talk about his affliction below:

‘The Devil Inside’ scares off ’21 Jump Street’ at UK box office

Wednesday, March 21st, 2012
The Devil Inside

The Devil Inside has topped the UK box office on its debut weekend on release.

The found-footage horror movie netted £1.9 million in ticket sales to hold off competition from new comedy release 21 Jump Street to secure the number one spot.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel falls a place to number three, while last week’s chart-topper John Carter sees a 51% dip in ticket sales to land at number four.

New release We Bought a Zoo rounds out the top five, while Mark Wahlberg’s latest thriller Contraband bows at number six.

Daniel Radcliffe’s The Woman in Black slips four places to seven, with a £544,636 haul on its sixth weekend on release. The Hammer production has now grossed an impressive £20 million from its UK theatrical run.

Elsewhere, This Means War is at number eight, ahead of The Muppets and Safe House.

The UK box office top ten figures in full:
1.
(-) The Devil Inside – £1,988,461
2. (-) 21 Jump Street – £1,556,039
3. (2) The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – £1,530,112
4. (1) John Carter – £965,946
5. (-) We Bought a Zoo – £850,651
6. (-) Contraband – £683,654
7. (3) The Woman in Black – £544,636
8. (4) This Means War – £431,648
9. (6) The Muppets – £395,549
10. (5) Safe House – £268,288

Source: Rentrak

Military Wives grab No.1 album on Mother’s Day

Sunday, March 18th, 2012

The Military Wives have soared to number one in the album chart on Mother’s Day with In My Dreams.

Gareth Malone’s 247-strong choir, who won the Christmas chart race with ‘Wherever You Are’, topped the chart by a margin of 8,000 copies.

Bruce Springsteen, who pipped Military Wives last week with his 17th studio LP, tumbled to fifth place with Wrecking Ball.

Meanwhile, Emeli Sandé’s Our Version of Events and Adele’s 21 each climbed a spot to finish second and third respectively.

Soul singer Michael Kiwanuka was the most triumphant new entry in the Top 10, with a fourth-place finish for his debut album Home Again.

Marcus Collins’s eponymous first record arrived in seventh, while Michael Bolton greatest hits LP Gems – The Very Best Of just missed out on a Top 10 place, in 11th.

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‘John Carter’ leads UK box office, ‘The Raven’, ‘Bel Ami’ fall short

Thursday, March 15th, 2012
'John Carter' still

John Carter has topped the UK box office on its debut weekend on release.

The Disney blockbuster, which stars Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins, pulls in £1.9 million to send last week’s chart-topper The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel into second spot.

Daniel Radcliffe’s The Woman In Black falls to number three with £1.13 million, while This Means War and Safe House complete the top five.

The Muppets and comedy Project X both slip a slot from last week to occupy numbers six and seven respectively.

New release The Raven enters at number eight with £299,254 ahead of Robert Pattinson’s Bel Ami. The Twilight star’s latest film earns £296,341 from its 261 locations as it bows in ninth place.

The Artist, in its 11th week on release, charts at number 11 with £211,427.

The UK box office top 10 in full:
1.
(-) John Carter – £1,960,414
2. (1) The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – £1,787,352
3. (2) The Woman in Black – £1,131,402
4. (3) This Means War – £1,017,075
5. (4) Safe House – £774,745
6. (5) The Muppets – £667,231
7. (6) Project X – £412,883
8. (-) The Raven – £299,254
9. (-) Bel Ami – £296,341
10. (8) The Artist – £211,427

Source: Rentrak

‘The Hunger Games’ cuts ‘bloody’ seven seconds to get 12A rating

Monday, March 12th, 2012

The Hunger Games has seen its age classification drop from a 15 to a 12A in the UK.

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has revealed that in order to reach the new rating, seven seconds of footage has either been cut or replaced.

Lions Gate UK Ltd edited a particular scene by removing images of “blood splashes”.

“The company chose to make cuts in order to achieve a ’12A’ classification,” the report states. “A number of cuts were made in one scene to reduce an emphasis on blood and injury.

“These cuts, which were implemented by digitally removing sight of blood splashes and sight of blood on wounds and weapons, were made in accordance with BBFC Guidelines and policy. An uncut ’15’ classification was available.

“These cuts were made in addition to reductions already made following an earlier ‘advice’ viewing of an incomplete version.”

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Bruce Springsteen beats Military Wives to No.1 with ‘Wrecking Ball’

Sunday, March 11th, 2012

Bruce Springsteen has beat The Military Wives Choir to the top of the UK album chart with his 17th studio LP Wrecking Ball.

The legendary rocker finished 18,000 copies ahead of In My Dreams, the debut record from Gareth Malone’s armed forces collective, who became the 2011 Christmas number one with charity single ‘Wherever You Are’.

Last week’s winning artist Emeli Sandé slips to third after a fortnight in pole position with Our Version Of Events, while Adele’s 21, Ed Sheeran’s + and Born To Die by Lana Del Rey also drop two to fill places four to six.

Also making a triumphant return to the chart this Sunday is Lionel Richie, who lands at seven with his tenth studio album Tuskegee. The opus, named after his hometown in Alabama, features collaborations from the likes of Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson, Shania Twain and Pixie Lott.

Secret Symphony , the classical-inspired fifth studio album by Katie Melua, is today’s fourth new entry at eight, while Gotye tumbles from six to ten with Making Mirrors.

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