TICKETS FOR NO DISTANCE LEFT TO RUN ON SALE FRIDAY

Parlophone Records’ No Distance Left to Run, a film on the band blur, will have special digital screenings in cinemas worldwide – including select Canadian cities on January 21, 2010 (participating Cineplex Entertainment theatre locations listed below). All Canadian screenings will begin at 7:00 p.m.

The tickets will go on sale for the Canadian screenings on Friday, January 15 via: http://www.cineplex.com/Movies/MovieDetails/5D57DBFA/No_Distance_Left_To_Run_A_Film_About_Blur.aspx. You can also go to: http://alternative.artsalliancemedia.com/cinemas/country/13/film/16/. The world premiere with Blur in attendance will take place at the Odeon West End in London, England on January 14.

The Pulse Films production, directed by Dylan Southern & Will Lovelace and produced by Lucas Ochoa & Thomas Benski, is the story of Blur told in the band’s own words, and is being distributed exclusively in digital cinema by Arts Alliance Media. A trailer for the film is already showing on blur.co.uk, where fans can also find up to the minute confirmed cinema listings and links to book tickets.

The film finds Graham Coxon, Damon Albarn, Alex James and Dave Rowntree set to perform together for the first time in nine years. Intimate new interviews recount the highs and lows of Blur: from Colchester, throughout the heady Britpop years and the band’s headline return at Glastonbury and Hyde Park.

Arts Alliance Media’s CEO Howard Kiedaisch commented “Seeing this film in flawless digital cinema quality and on the big screen is going to be a fantastic experience and will allow people to immerse themselves in the story of blur. We’re sure fans are going to snap up tickets to these limited screenings.”

Stefan Demetriou, VP Visual Content Strategy EMI commented “This is the definitive film about blur and we’re really excited about giving their fans the chance to see it on cinema screens worldwide’.

Jamie Clark, Head of Music, Pulse Films added “At Pulse, we are committed to delivering high-quality and entertaining content across all platforms. With our first feature film we can now add a further string to our bow; we see this as the first of many such projects to come out of Pulse. Blur are one of the most iconic bands of the last two decades, and we are delighted to have the opportunity to work with them”.

CANADIAN SCREENINGS OF NO DISTANCE LEFT TO RUN – JANUARY 21, 2010 @ 7:00 P.M.

CALGARY – SCOTIABANK THEATRE CHINOOK (6455 Macleod Trail SW, Calgary)

EDMONTON – CINEPLEX ODEON SOUTH EDMONTON CINEMAS (1525 99th Street NW, Edmonton)

HAMILTON – SILVERCITY HAMILTON MOUNTAIN CINEMAS (795 Paramount Drive, Stoney Creek)

LONDON – SILVERCITY LONDON CINEMAS (1680 Richmond Street)

MONTREAL – SCOTIABANK THEATRE MONTREAL (977 Ste-Catherine West, Montreal)

TORONTO – SILVERCITY FAIRVIEW MALL CINEMAS (1800 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto)

TORONTO – SCOTIABANK THEATRE TORONTO (259 Richmond Street West, Toronto)

VANCOUVER – SCOTIABANK THEATRE VANCOUVER (900 Burrard Street, Vancouver)

WINNIPEG – SILVERCITY POLO PARK CINEMAS (815 St. James Street, Winnipeg)

Interesting story line (I get so tired now of the predictable, already covered angle of a film). This angle’s quirky, as is the story line, the actings very good, it’s humourous, has good range of emotions covered and you can even bring a guy! (though it’s still leans girl moreso).

But BEST IV AL (that’s my new pun now these days tiill i go!) ….

it’s got some great british music running through it. Hey! when was the last time YOU heard the Doves playing while you watched a movie?? F. Then some Smiths, Mumm-ra (who broken up last yr … hmmhad they only waited one more year…). Plus there’s other great stuff by Black Kids, Feist, Wolfmother..etc.. all very well fitting tunes. Impressed. Good job movie music picker. I salute you!

Listen to my Sep 09 interview with “Doves” here where, amongst many other topics, we discuss their song in ’500 Days of Summer.

Welll it was in teresting… it was like watching the evolution of a city on fast forward, thru the eyes of a resident who grew up there – who happens to be the film’s director and narrator Terrence Davies.

if you’re looking to “understand” a culture, a rhythm, a nation, better…how it is what it is today, then you’ll appreciate it (not saying you’ll thoroughly enjoy it…) for that. it’s like a chilled out video history lesson. ..makes you glad tho i have to say for not having grown up in england decades ago …as the author did allude to.. it was boring, time wasted away, the city was grey and uneventful..yet he acknowledges later on in the film, as he chronologically approaches ‘modern day’ that he ironically misses those times (o nostalgia..who can stop’ha

you might want to wait till its on dvd as even i had trouble understanding what he was saying at times – in part accent, in part due to historical/cultural quotes & references not part of my N.Amer life or decade of growing up.

Sometimes watching it, the older pple around me would laugh and i realized Terrence was reminding them of something they had experienced themselves growing up in england (i’m not a spy — they spoke with accents before the film started!) ..a few times i thought how my grandmother from england, were she alive today, would have loved this film.

watching this film on dvd with the cc (closed caption) on would be great for us younger ‘folk’ = to catch the poetic,latin comments by terrence, his humour that i knew instinctively was coming out witty but i cldnt always catch what he said.

the last part of the movie brings the city into the 21st century and even looking around the scenery presented you wonder..is this really a suitable place to be named the 2008 European capital of culture?? ….. i havent been there yet (i’m waiting for a call from the Wombats ha) and i do want to go and i appreciate this film for my 1st glimpse of it..but i do have to say, i hope its a bit more advanced,modern than what i saw at the end of this film. then again, i travel to some v. poor places,countries..and their magic makes me take many many more pictures than when in say, rome. and on that note, arrivaderci and goood night, TO

ps met the High Commissioner of the UK after the film – told him about my show…and you may be hearing music from his son next year (not that far away kiddies) as he’s apparantly in a rock band back in England. small world….

overall rating: 7/10 (for its historical, learning, and first person benefits – from a visual perspective that no books or reading could transmit)

from an ‘entertainment’ perspective rating is 5/10 (ps the older you are, the more entertaining it’ll be)
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It plays at the Ottawa European Film Fest. I’ll be there and post a review afterwards in case you can’t make it…

http://www.cfi-icf.ca/index.php?option=com_cfi&task=showscreening&id=88

Here’s my pre-humust (ha) review:
It’s Liv-pool dah-ling… the cultural capital of Ingg gland – so should be interesting to see how it’s development and urban choices (dont even know what i mean by that ..sound knowledgeable tho has affected or brought it to where it is today.

havent been to the ‘pool ..YET (so go jump in the pool you friendly fires!) so this’ll be a good backgrounder… peace out TO

Glasgow based film Red Road

My quick review is…fun accents (those glass weee giannszz) story: strange but at 45m mark it starts to make sense..or so you think! then goes strange again. then ahhhh.

worth seeing for dreary yet realistic glaswegian scenery (hey it’s realistic!) also gives good cultural references to the simple daily life of some there. and man..it shows you how much CCTV rules england (oops i should say scotland). i mean…you can trace anybody it would seem around there. ..and the govt wants to add more!

rating: 6.5/10 (cause too slow for me and pisses me off when they send you down various paths (for wayyy too long) thinking what the hell’s this film about anyways..but as far as unique storyline and realistic ending goes: 8/10)

Covers the story by Manchester’s TV personality Tony Wilson who, along with, Joy Division (and New Order) started Factory Records and opened the famous La Hacienda Club. (see pics below from my Manchester 07 trip where, lucky me, there was a museum exhibition on La Hacienda)

Focus is on the growth of the Manchester scene (Happy Mondays, Joy Division/New Order), the cohesion and explosive timing of the punk movement in this one city, the drugs, the ups/downs, and the ultimate demise of Ian Curtis (lead singer Joy Division) and La Hacienda.

Interestingly narrated by the lead character and true life person – Tony Wilson, who i learnt today, died in 2007 from kidney related cancer. A shame. Thank you Tony and New Order, for some wonderful music.

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Glastonbury Live – a 2 set DVD compiliation – great moments of this 30(?) year annual festival in England on British pop, rock, folk music of its day. I”m only part way thru but a great watch. Highly recommend already!
warning: there is some non-British bands on this DVD (ha. yeah, i kill myself). ..Anyways, try not to let it corrupt you. ) You’ve been warned!
http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/news.aspx?id=187

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Part II

Update on Glastonbury DVD Set: Finished it Finally! 2006. Directed by Julien Temple.

DVD 1: A retro of 30yrs of Glasto. Early days (and the noble intentions…) of its instigator and a few thousand participants, to the later years of gatecrashers (the world is full of crashing bores..ha..ok, inside Moz joke) bringing attendance into the 100′s of thousands. Great clips of bands performing. Overall, great fun. It’s even better than I thought it was.. wanna go even more than i did before now!

DVD 2: So-So. It’s interviews with some artists, the creator, and some stupidly drunk spectators. This could’ve been better.