Or rather, they want you to serenade your loved ones… yes. That’s more accurate. I’m sure they’d sing to you if you asked them to though. Well, maybe.

Anyway, obviously this is a little different from my usual posts. It’s a sponsored post but then I wouldn’t write about it if I thought it was crap.

In my life outside the site, I’m very interested in how companies are trying to do different things with social media and brand messaging. With this Serenade Your Date campaign, Heineken are doing just that.

For Valentine’s Day, Heineken have created a Facebook app that will allow you to send a personalised “serenade” to your hopefully-soon-to-be-more-than friend. You just pick Who, Why, What and Why Me and off it goes. Than you just have to hope they say yes.

They’ve also organised an 8 hour live global event called Serenade Live on 9th February which will be streamed on Heineken’s YouTube Channel. So yes, this is a pretty big deal. It sounds to me like one of the biggest social media campaigns going.

If you want to get involved, and you are over 18 (or whatever the legal drinking age in your country is) pop along to the Facebook Serenade Your Date app and give it a go. Don’t forget to also have a look at the live event on 9th Feb 2012 – things are kicking off at 6pm UK/IRL time.

sponsored post

As usual, I’ll be doing an Oscar predictions post closer to the time but for now, as it seems to be becoming a tradition… I’ve done an Academy Awards 2012 A4 printable prediction ballot for you to fill out and do with what you wish. I’m not saying you should organise a pool amongst your friends or anything but like… you know, the form is handy for that type of thing…

This year I decided to redesign the Oscar prediction ballot form because I wanted to fit in more categories. It is still printable on 2 A4 sheets but I’ve kept the biggest categories on the first page so you can just not print the second if you want to keep it simple.

Feel free to send me your predictions as well, I am ever curious to know what other people think. You can e-mail your ballot form to nicola at averagefilmreviews dot com and if enough of you do I’ll announce the person who got most right on the blog on the 27th. I may even have a prize for the first entrant who gets all 21 right.

Anyway, to get the prediction ballot click the links below. I’ve done a pdf version this year as well. Oh, and I also put some tie breaker questions in for y’all.

DOWNLOAD THE WORD DOCUMENT HERE

DOWNLOAD THE PDF HERE

New operators, Element Pictures, say they plan to screen the best of international art house and Irish cinema, as well as re-runs of classics and special events. They are, hopefully, starting as they mean to go on, with the programme for this (re)opening weekend includes The Artist and Shame. Other films include Madonna’s W.E. and Clint Eastwood’s latest, J. Edgar.

Their (likely) re-vamped website is not up and running just yet, but you can contact them on twitter @LightHouseD7 or on their Facebook page. They have been up and answering queries, so if you have a question get over there and start following them! If you’re wondering if they’re going to have a loyalty scheme, from their responses this morning it looks like one might possibly be on the cards…

The Light House Cinema has had a slightly chequered history. This particular Light House Cinema first opened in Smithfield in May 2008 under the ownership of Neil Connelly and Maretta Dillion. Dillion and Connelly had run the original Light House Cinema on Middle Abbey Street. That cinema enjoyed a run of 8 years in it’s Abbey Street premises, the art-deco style facade of which can still be made out, till it’s lease ran out in 1996.

The site in Smithfield was then custom-built with 614 seats across 4 screens and areas which could be used for events and exhibitions. The arthouse cinema was heralded as a centre to invigorate the cultural cinema landscape and deliver a greater choice and diversity of films in Dublin. Indeed, the site was designated as a cultural space under the planning permission given for Smithfield Market and some €1.75 million was granted by the state for its development.

Unfortunately the cinema, and Smithfield in general, became a victim of the property crash and in April 2011, The Light House had to close it’s doors again in the wake of a rental dispute with the landlord, Mr. John Flynn of Fusano Properties. Fusano’s properties had been taken over by the National Assets Management Agency (NAMA).

Under NAMA and Fusano Properties a new tenant was sought for the site and happily one has been found in Element Pictures.

Element Pictures is a Irish film and television production company, founded in 2001 by Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe. They have produced such successful Irish films as The Wind That Shakes The Barley and last year’s massive hit, The Guard, starring Brendan Gleeson. The company also operates Element Pictures Distribution, who are responsible for the distribution of StudioCanal (formerly Optimum Releasing) films in Ireland.

From the press release for the official launch today, 17th January 2012:

Welcoming the reopening of the Light House, Minister for The Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan said “The Programme for the Government committed us to seek to capture some public good from NAMA buildings for arts and culture facilities. The reopening of the Light House is a tangible expression of that commitment. I believe that this outcome is hugely positive for the arthouse cinema sector, for the Smithfield area and for employment and economic regeneration locally“.

Directors of Element Pictures Andrew Lowe and Ed Guiney are “delighted that the Light House Cinema will be screening films again. We are opening the cinema at the earliest possible opportunity and have lots of ideas, which we will implement over the coming months . We really appreciate the warm support and goodwill we have received following the news and look forward to ensuring that a visit to the Light House is a unique and wonderful experience. We would also like to extend our thanks to the Minister Jimmy Deenihan, the Arts Council and Bord Scannán na hÉireann / Irish Film Board for their support in getting the Light House up and running again”.

Commenting on the news, James Hickey, Chief Executive, Bord Scannán na hÉireann / Irish Film Board said “The reopening of the Light House brings an important renewal of the Irish exhibition landscape. It will once again provide Dublin audiences with reinvigorated access to the wide range of independently produced films than are currently available. It is our ambition that the Light House will contribute to the growing appetite for independent cinema amongst Irish audiences, in a cinematic environment with the availability of the latest digital equipment.“

Orlaith McBride, Director of the Arts Council, said, “The Arts Council wishes Element Pictures every success in the operation of the Light House cinema. Element Pictures will build on the programming foundations laid by the Light House since its opening and will continue to bring a diverse range of cinema to audiences in Dublin to this fine cinema setting“.

Co-directors Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe at the re-launch of the Light House Cinema in Smithfield today, 17th Jan 2012.

On the whole, I don’t think 2011 was a great year for cinema. There were some great films sure but I struggled to get 10 films to be honest. I should probably preface this by saying that I managed to miss 3 of the films that seem to be featuring on critics lists all over the place. Somehow The Tree of Life, Melancholia and Incendies all passed me by. Rest assured they are on my list for DVD perusal.

As I did with last year’s top 10 of 2010 feature, I’ll be sticking to titles that released in the Republic of Ireland and UK in 2011, regardless of when I saw them. This means that unfortunately films such as The Artist or The Descendants, which are getting on to a lot of US lists, aren’t eligible for this one. Also I’ll be linking the titles to any reviews I did, and where I didn’t do a review you’ll get the IMDb link.

Here we go. In reverse order.

10. Your Highness

It’s only the first one of the list and already I can hear you all saying “Really?, Really!?”. Yes, really. What can I say? Maybe this film just caught me a in a good mood, but I laughed at it a lot. I think it was just that it was so unexpected. They really committed to the brand of comedy they were going for. Did I think I would ever see a Minotaur d!ck hanging around a hero’s neck? No. Was it in poor taste? Yup. But did I laugh when I did? Hell yeah.

If I’m being perfectly honest, I wasn’t sure whether it really warrented getting on the top 10 of the year list, but by virtue of the fact that there aren’t any other comedies on here, I thought I should put it on. If there had been a stand out film that I thought really deserved a spot it wouldn’t be, but like I said, it’s not been a fantastic year… (7.5/10)

9. Battle: Los Angeles

If you read the review you’ll get the full rant (and it was a rant), but the gist of it is that I think Battle: Los Angeles got a bit of bum deal. It had an absolutely fantastic teaser trailer and I think that caused a lot of people to expect a movie they didn’t get. Which is a shame because I really thought it was a great movie.

It was a bit clichéd and a bit cheesy but I genuinely think that it was a good-looking simple action film that knew what it was doing and did it well. So many films do the big budget action thing and don’t bother about plot, characters or anything else that could take away from the huge explosions. Or worse still they try to over-complicate their films with too much plot and far too many characters. This managed to stay away from both those pitfalls. It was a strong, tightly focused film that did what it set out to do. Show us a group of soldiers killing loads of aliens. (8/10)

8. The Fighter

I was in two minds about this one. I couldn’t decide if I liked Warrior or The Fighter better… and whichever one I liked better was the one that deserved to be on the list. I didn’t want to have two such similar films on it.

It didn’t help The Fighter that it’s one of those 2010 films that didn’t release here till 2011, and thus isn’t getting the year end round up love that Warrior is.

Obviously enough, I went with The Fighter.

I’ve been quite harsh about sports movies this year but the fact is, they are all very similar…

Our protaganist is talented but he doesn’t know how/won’t use it.
Someone takes an interest.
It gives him the reason to work hard. (cue montage).
He suffers a setback.
People spur him on.
He fights harder and gets further than you’d ever expect. (cue another possible montage)
One final big fight.
Everybody in the cinema feels the amazing rush of the climax of the film.
End of movie.

What set The Fighter apart were the, quite frankly, amazing performances from all the cast. Mark Wahlberg and Amy Adams really gave it their all as the leads, but it was Christian Bale and Melissa Leo who really stole the show. Rarely would I ever brook no argument over an Oscar win – they’re always contentious and everyone is entitled to their opinion – but these two… I will brook no argument! (8/10)

7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

I waited some 12 years to find out what happened to Harry Potter in the end, and finally I found out. It did not disappoint.

To explain, I was a big fan of the Harry Potter story, but somewhere around the middle of the sixth book I decided that I just couldn’t do it any more. The last two books were so long, and (in my opinion) quite badly edited and I just couldn’t face read any more of it. Particularly not with the movies actually (mostly) living up to the books. I decided to wait for the last few films. That was in 2005.

How I managed to avoid spoilers all this time I will never know but I managed it. And so, when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: part 2 came around, I was clean and fresh for the epic battle that awaited. And it was epic. Which was lucky because truth be told and I’d been quite disappointed by HP7: part 1. I’d have hated to have waited this long just to be crushed by bordom.

I wouldn’t say it was a perfect ending to the series and of course, unlike The Fighter, it’s not as though there were amazing admirable performances to watch. But I did find it supremely satisfying and thus, it’s made it here to the top 10. (8.5/10)

6. Perfect Sense

I suspect Perfect Sense, starring Ewan McGregor and Eva Green, passed a lot of people by. Truth is, it almost passed me by. It got a tiny release in Ireland and it probably wasn’t the most… well let’s just say it might have lacked broad appeal.

It was a film that was right up my alley though. I’ve mentioned, on more than one occasion, my love of sci-fi. While this isn’t a sci-fi film, much like Another Earth (which hit Irish and UK theatres recently), it does have a touch of sci-fi to its setting and that’s enough for me.

This film put me in mind of one of my favourite films of all time, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. People who’ve seen both will probably think I’m crazy but I really do think that there’s a parallel to be drawn between the conclusions in both films. Of course I guess that depends on the conclusion you draw from the end of Enternal Sunshine.

In any case, I thought Perfect Sense was a little gem and one that deserves more attention than it got. Quick, go seek it out. (8.5/10)

5. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is a film that I think divided people. I can see why many would find it boring and tiresome but personally, I found it fascinating. I said more in the full review but basically I saw Tinker, Tailor as a puzzle. A twisty little maze of a puzzle.

Thing is, if you don’t have patience for puzzles, or lots and lots of very dry dialogue – basically if you think 2 hours of watching a bunch of old English men talking to each other in code is some kind of hell on earth – then Tinker, Tailor is not for you. I can totally understand that. But if you’re willing to stick with it then it is a very rewarding film. (8.5/10)

4. Hugo

I wasn’t sure about Hugo (formerly known as Hugo Cabret) when I first heard about it. Martin Scorsese is directing a kids film? Really? Plus I thought it was animated… so… Martin Scorsese is directing a kids animation? Really? In 3D? Wha?

It turns out it wasn’t an animation. I was mistaken on that. And it’s only kind of a kids film. It is in 3D though and I have to say… it is, hands down, the best 3D I’ve seen since Avatar. So that was nice.

Beyond that it is an altogether charming film. All at once it is the tale of a young orphan boy, a mystery-adventure centring on an automaton and a trip through the history of cinema. It’s not really a kids film though. Well, it kind of is. As long as that kid is over 10 years of age and bookish. (9/10)

3. Tyrannosaur

A taut and gripping domestic drama, Tyrannosaur was another one of those films that few people seem to have caught in the cinema…

In his directorial debut, Paddy Considine (who also wrote the film) managed to draw what I consider the two best performances of the year. Peter Mullan excels as Joseph, an alcoholic widower who is seemingly on the path to self-destruction, while Olivia Colman (who I’d only ever seen before in C4 comedy Peep Show) is stunning as the abused wife Joseph somehow finds himself drawn to.

It’s a rough ride and I’ve never been a fan of gritty British drama but it really is an excellent addition to the genre. Highly recommended but you’d want to be in the mood for a downer. (9/10)

2. Senna

Unusually for me, number 2 on the list is a documentary. I don’t often go to documentaries but I was glad that I got to this one.

I’ve never been a huge fan of Formula One racing. Back when Ayrton Senna was in his prime I was much more into F1 Powerboat racing… But I remember when he died. I remember it was a huge shock because at that stage we’d become so used to seeing the drivers walking away from horrific looking crashes. I didn’t know exactly how famous he was but I knew his name so I knew he was a big deal.

I went to Senna knowing not much more than that.

As a non-fan, I found it fascinating. I think what stayed with me most was his passion for his chosen field. He put immense pressure on himself to succeed and it comes across completely. As a documentary, it’s an excellent technical construction, made entirely of archive footage – not the easiest way to tell a story. I would urge you to check this out. (9/10)

1. Black Swan

I finally posted the review for this a couple of days ago… and now you know why. This may have been one of the first films I saw in 2011 but it’s still the one I was thinking about at the end of it.

You can see my thoughts in the full review but suffice to say. I loved this film. It surprised me. Partly because it’s a Darren Aronofsky film and I’ve never liked a Darren Aronofsky film, and partly because you don’t see many good psychological thrillers these days. Oh yes, you see plenty of films that try to give it a go, especially horror films, but few are successful and this one was one of the best I have ever seen.

I know it wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea… but hey, if we all agreed the world would be a boring place. (9/10)

Honourable mentions (in alphabetical order)

13 Assassins – From the legendary Miike Takashi came a sword-filled bloodbath. Rivers of blood there were, rivers. Gwan Takashi.

Crazy, Stupid, Love – my pick of the romantics comedy/dramas this year. Sweet, charming and emotional in well proportioned parts. Also my favourite Ryan Gosling film of the year. Probably not his best performance though, I’ll give that to Blue Valentine. And yes, I did see Drive. Less said… because I don’t want a fight.

Guilty of Romance – I think I liked Guilty of Romance. It was pretty damn crazy. And explicit, very explicit. And horrifying, particularly horrifying. I felt quite disturbed after it… and kind of dirty. It was shocking, lurid and… let’s call it uncompromising. To be honest, I’m still not sure what I thought of it… but on the grounds that any film that does it’s job can be considered a good film – this was a great film. In any case it deserves a mention. It was certainly one of the most unique films I saw all year. Brrr…

One Day – I was very close to putting this one in, very close… but I decided I wanted to put a comedy in so it got pushed out. Now I’ve never read the book and I understand that some people say it’s not as good, but I really enjoyed it. I thought the concept translated well to screen and, dodgy accents aside, Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess put on strong performances. I was genuinely moved by this film. I know it was, in a way, a little light… perhaps it was just what I was looking for at the time. A good cry is always cathartic.

Warrior – I already mentioned this in the entry for The Fighter. Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton pull off convincing transformations and it is fine, solid drama. But they’re just not as good as Bale and Wahlberg.

So there you have it. My top 10 films of 2011. Any comments? What were your faves of the year?

And… am I seriously missing out having not seen Tree of Life, Melancholia, Incendies and A Separation? Do you think they’d have made my list?

In keeping with their long-standing support of film, Stella are running a promotion where you can get free DVDs. Basically, if you buy one of their special promotional packs of Stella, you get a code with which you can redeem a free DVD from the Stella Artois website. The promotion is running in the UK and Ireland until the end of August 2011 and the special packs should be available in all good off-licences.

There are 40 DVDs to choose from and they’ve put them into 4 broad categories. You can find out much more about each of the films on the site, and you can also view the trailers, but here’s the full list.

If you’re over 18 and you like Stella, then off you go! Get out there and claim your free DVDs!

Hey everyone, long time no speak…

As you may or may not know, Mel Gibson has a new film out called The Beaver. To celebrate it’s release, Eclipse Pictures has been kind enough to give average film reviews a beaver puppet to give away.

It’s mad cute and if it were up to me I’d keep it for myself…

… but obviously I can’t do that. So…

If you want to be the proud owner of the little fella inthe picture above (or maybe to the right, I’m not sure what this looks like in your browser) just answer this simple question.

Q: Which Oscar winning actress co-stars in and directs The Beaver?

Is it…

a) Jodie Foster
b) Natalie Portman
c) Anna Paquin

To enter, e-mail your name, address and answer to competitions at averagefilmreviews dot com. The closing date is Wednesday 6th July at 5pm.

**** COMPETITION CLOSED ****

Please note, this competition is for Republic of Ireland readers only. It’s only fair after the last one was UK only!

If you want to know more about The Beaver, or you just need a hint at the answer, have a look at the trailer below.

Hey there folks!

Cannes Film Festival is almost upon us and we here in average film reviews want to get you in the spirit with a special prize pack from Stella Artois

Earlier this year Stella Artois ran a competition called Cannes Casting Call to find their leading man to star as Jacques d’Azur in a biography of his life. The winner has been chosen and we have been fortunate enough to have been given 3 prize packs to celebrate!

I am selecting 3 lucky winners to receive…

Two bottles of Stella Artois
A beautiful Stella branded chalice
A DVD of one of Jacques d’Azur’s favourite films*

I’m afraid this is a UK only prize but if you have friends in the UK please let them know about it!

To be in with a chance to win e-mail the answer to the following question:

**** COMPETITION CLOSED ****

Q: What is the name of the film that the winner of the Cannes Casting Call competition is to star in?

hint: see below!

E-mail your answer, name, age and address to competitions at averagefilmreviews dot com. All entrants must be over 18 and the competition closes on 16th May 2011.

Best of luck!

Stella Artois has crowned the winner of its Cannes Casting Call competition, casting Gustavo Alvarez from Buenos Aires, Argentina in the role of Jacques d’Azur, the legendary (and fictitious) King of Cannes, in a biographical film about his life.

In addition to playing the leading role in the film, set to tape in Uruguay at the end of April, Gustavo will also attend the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, to premiere the film at an exclusive Stella Artois event.

Stella Artois’ global search to find the perfect leading man or lady to star in the film commenced in March at http://castingcall.stellaartois.com/, with thousands of auditions submitted from around the world.

After selecting a short list of 200 finalists from both online voting results (top 100 favorite submissions) and a distinguished panel of judges (100 finalists based on creativity and acting skills), Gustavo was selected to be the star of the film.

* Select from one of the following: Le Mepris, To Catch a Thief, Une Femme est une Femme, La Main au Collet

**** COMPETITION CLOSED ****

Apparently the kind judges of the Irish Blogs Awards have found it appropriate to put this blog through to the finals for Best Arts & Culture Blog again this year. It was great to make it last year but to make it again this year? I’m as surprised as you are. Suprised and extremely happy

Congrats to everyone else who’ve made it to the finals, as well as those who were nominated and shortlisted as well. I’d particularly advise people to have a look at the nominees over on the #iba11 site, there are some great blogs out there waiting to become your new favourite.

In particular have a look at the other finalists in Arts & Culture below. As you can see I’ve some stiff competition (!) but hey, it’s a great night and I’ve never been to Belfast so I’ll definitely be along, hope to see you there!

>> Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich
>> Vulgo
>> Asylum
>> A Book A Day Till I Can Stay

Thanks to the sponsors of the category Culture.ie and everyone who works hard at organising the Blog Awards every year.

If you read my article yesterday you’ll know that I’m pretty enthusiastic about Battle: Los Angeles. Not overly so though, just the right amount. If you too are enthusiastic about it then you should really read on because…

… The very kind people at Sony Pictures have given me 5 t-shirts to give away!

To enter the draw to win one of these Battle: Los Angeles t-shirt just answer this simple question.

What character did Aaron Eckhart play in The Dark Knight?

a) Batman
b) The Joker
c) Harvey Dent / Two-Face

Need a clue? Either of those links in the question can help you out.

Send an e-mail with your name, your answer and your address (so I know where to send the prize if you win) to competitions at averagefilmreviews dot com. I’ll be closing the competition on 4th March at 5pm so get your entries in soon as.

***### COMPETITION CLOSED ###***

When you’re done with that have a look at the trailer I posted in the article the other day and let me know what you think of it.

Best of luck!

Now, I ain’t really given to shameless self promotion… well, ok, maybe just a little bit… but I have to admit. I’m pretty damn chuffed about this and I want to tell everyone…

Average Film Reviews has been nominated in the Best Overall Blog category at the 2011 Total Film Movie Blog Awards! I gotta say, it’s an honour and congrats to all the other nominees out there.

I’m only a small little blog so I fully expect that one of the other great blogs out there, blogs that I read myself, will win… but obviously, I would be unbelievably appreciative if you could vote for Average Film Reviews. Here’s the link (or click the graphic) and the poll is down the bottom.

http://www.totalfilm.com/features/the-2011-total-film-movie-blog-awards/page:2

There are other specialist categories there too so do have a look around and vote in the others – it’s a great way to discover new blogs and I have to say, I really appreciate Total Film for supporting all us little bloggers out there with a thing like this.

Anyway, I’m going on a bit so one last thing. I would be forever grateful if you would spread the link to anyone who you think might like the blog and might like to vote for it in the awards!

Thanks for reading,
Nicola-T