larks and sparks

WELCOME TO TOTAL FILM

THE SMARTER MOVIE MAGAZINE

Dialogue

Mail, rants, theories etc

RICHARD E. GRANT

Still beloved for his role in Withnail & I, Richard E. Grant has been on enviable form of late, landing awards nominations and bagging roles in huge franchises. Ahead of the “terror” of his latest role as a drag queen in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, he tells Total Film he can’t quite believe his luck. “I’m still amazed that I’m able to get work as an actor of my vintage…”

SCREEN

THE TOTAL FILM REVIEWS BIBLE

CREATIVE SPARKS

ANNETTE I The American pop duo meet French auteur Leos Carax for a movie musical like no other…

MICHAELA COEL

IS HEADING TO WAKANDA…

GORE BLIMEY

MALIGNANT I James Wan is back in the horror genre… and this time things are gonna get messy

AGE OF HEROES

ETERNALS I Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao calls the shots on the MCU’s newest and oldest superteam

YOU TALKIN’ TO ME?

Film quotes pose as questions. Film stars try to cope

CALL GUYS

GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE I There’s something strange in the latest sequel…

SOUND BYTES

Quotable dialogue from this month’s movies – and their stars

MAX HARWOOD

IS THE TALK OF THE TOWN

WATER WORLD

AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM I James Wan doubles down on spectacle and scares…

TEXT ADVENTURE

THE FRENCH DISPATCH I Wes Anderson’s latest nods to old-school print journalism…

LETTER OF NOTE

DEAR EVAN HANSEN I The award-winning stage phenomenon gets the movie treatment

JUDD NELSON

The Breakfast Club rebel on John Hurt, warm beer and ruining real-life breakfasts…

PARK LIFE

SWEETHEART I Get away with this summer’s must-see holiday romance…

BACK IN ACTION

CANNES I The must-see films from the returning French festival

IT SHOULDN’T HAPPEN TO A FILM JOURNALIST

Editor-at-Large JAMIE GRAHAM lifts the lid on film journalism

DEMOLITION MAN

GAGARINE I As his home crumbles to the ground, one man’s gaze turns to the stars…

BILLY CRYSTAL

The legendary comedian on his riotous screen career

A SPICE ODYSSEY

FRANK HERBERT’S SEMINAL SPACE OPERA DUNE INFLUENCED EVERYTHING FROM STAR WARS TO GAME OF THRONES, AND STOKED THE IMAGINATION OF A YOUNG DENIS VILLENEUVE. NOW, ALMOST 40 YEARS AFTER THE LAST, FAMOUSLY FLAWED ADAPTATION, DUNE IS FINALLY GETTING THE DO-OVER IT DESERVES. WITH EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO VILLENEUVE, TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET AND THE YEAR’S MOST STACKED CAST, TOTAL FILM RETURNS TO ARRAKIS FOR OUR BIGGEST COVER FEATURE EVER, AND DISCOVERS A WORLD SET TO RE-DEFINE SCREEN SCI-FI

Timothée Chalamet

PAUL ATREIDES

Rebecca Ferguson

What excited you about Lady Jessica? I remember

Oscar Isaac

How did Dune come your way? When it

Josh Brolin

Like Denis, you read science-fiction as a young

Jason Momoa

When Denis Villeneuve calls, is “yes” the only

STILGAR, FREMEN TRIBE LEADER

Who is Stilgar? Well, Stilgar is the head

Zendaya

What most excited you about playing Chani? This

Sharon Duncan-Brewster

Dr. Kynes is Dune’s ecological conscience. Was that

Stellan Skarsgård

Denis has said that one of the reasons

Dave Bautista

After Blade Runner 2049, were you keen to

KUNG FEUD

THE DIVERSITY OF THE MCU’S SUPERHERO ROSTER CONTINUES TO GROW WITH SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS, AN ORIGIN STORY FOR ITS FIRST ASIAN-AMERICAN HERO AND A FULL-ON MARTIAL ARTS EPIC. TOTAL FILM MEETS THE TEAM BEHIND THE NEXT PHASE FOUR MOVIE TO TALK REPRESENTATION, DADDY ISSUES AND KICK-ASS SPECTACLE

AWKWAFINA

How did you get involved with Shang-Chi? I

Fit for a Queen

Personally selected by Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, Jennifer Hudson fulfils another career ambition playing Franklin in the upcoming biopic Respect. Total Film meets the Oscar and Grammy-winning singer/actor/producer to talk about that terrifying honour, emerging from Cats unscathed, and her dream Disney role

"Aretha taught me about life"

The pair quickly became friends and would speak

SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP

AHE AD OF VE N OM’S MOVIE RE TURN IN SE QUE L LE T THE RE BE CARN AG E, THE CHARACTE R’S CRE ATOR S D AVID MICH E LIN IE AND TOD DMCFARLAN E DISCUSS HIS COMIC-B OOK ORIGIN S

Partners in Crime

THEY’RE COMEDY ICONS, REGULAR ONSCREEN COLLEAGUES AND BEST MATES, AND NOW STEVE MARTIN & MARTIN SHORT ARE TOGETHER AGAIN FOR SERIOUSLY FUNNY CRIME SERIES ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING. TF IS ON THE CASE, INTERROGATING THE DUO ON THE SECRETS OF COMEDY, FRIENDSHIP AND THE QUEEN’S VIEWING HABITS…

HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO

AFTER MULTIPLE DELAYS, JAMES BOND’S MILESTONE ADVENTURE NO TIME TO DIE IS FINALLY HEADING TO CINEMAS, BRINGING DANIEL CRAIG’S TIME AS 007 TO A SPECTACULAR CLOSE. THE END OF AN ERA? OR THE START OF SOMETHING NEW? TOTAL FILM SPEAKS TO THE POWER PLAYERS BEHIND THE FILM ABOUT BOND’S BIGGEST MISSION YET

Robin Hood

PRINCE OF THIEVES

ARRIVAL

Close encounters of the word kind…

ICELANDIC CINEMA

Stark industry…

KEY MOVIES

CHILDREN OF NATURE 1991 An ageing farmer flees

THE TF BR AIN

MOVIE SONGS

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

There are 10 to find…

well played

A BRAVE NEW OPEN WORLD…

SOUND OF VIOLENCE 18 TBC

FILM ★★★☆☆ OUT 31 AUGUST DVD, BD, DIGITAL

HERSELF 15

FILM ★★★★☆ OUT 10 SEPTEMBER CINEMAS The title

THE COURIER 12

FILM ★★★☆☆ OUT NOW CINEMAS A real-life spy

PEOPLE JUST DO NOTHING: BIG IN JAPAN 15

FILM ★★★☆☆ OUT NOW CINEMAS M C Grindah

THE COLLINI CASE TBC

FILM ★★★☆☆ OUT 10 SEPTEMBER CINEMAS L ess

THE LAST BUS TBC

FILM ★★☆☆☆ OUT 27 AUGUST CINEMAS T imothy

the way pack

DOC WILL THROW YOU FOR A LUPINE…

house broken

JUDE LAW IS IN AN ESTATE OF DENIAL…

EXTINCT TBC

FILM ★★★☆☆ OUT 20 AUGUST SKY CINEMA, NOW TV

THE TOLL TBC

FILM ★★★☆☆ OUT 27 AUGUST CINEMAS, DIGITAL HD The

BEASTS CLAWING AT STRAWS 15

FILM ★★★★☆ OUT NOW DIGITAL HD A n

on song

JENNIFER HUDSON SOCKS IT TO US…

WILDFIRE 15

FILM ★★★☆☆ OUT 3 SEPTEMBER CINEMAS D ealing

UNDERGROUND TBC

FILM ★★★☆☆ OUT 20 AUGUST CINEMAS, DIGITAL HD T

SHORTA 15

FILM ★★☆☆☆ OUT 3 SEPTEMBER CINEMAS, DIGITAL HD

cat people

MORE THAN JUST A FURRY TALE…

twist in the tail

CAGE HAMMING IT UP? NOT QUITE…

THE LAST LETTER FROM YOUR LOVER 12A

FILM ★★★☆☆ OUT NOW CINEMAS J ojo Moyes’

PARIS CALLIGRAMMES 15 TBC

FILM ★★★★☆ OUT 27 AUGUST CINEMAS Loosely framed

SOUAD TBC

FILM ★★★★☆ OUT 27 AUGUST CINEMAS S hot

SABAYA TBC

FILM ★★★★☆ OUT 20 AUGUST CINEMAS, DIGITAL HD

BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN PTS 1 & 2 15

FILMS ★★★★☆ EXTRAS ★★☆☆☆ OUT NOW DVD, BD,

COPILOT TBC

FILM ★★★★☆ OUT 10 SEPTEMBER CINEMAS G erman

deep cuts

RETRO-MODERN HORROR DEBUT GIVES PAUSE…

band of muthas

TEAMWORK MAKES FOR A DREAM RE-WORK…

growing pains

TWO HOURS YOU WON’T GET BACK…

THE PEBBLE & THE BOY TBC

FILM ★★☆☆☆ OUT 27 AUGUST CINEMAS G rieving

THE LOST LEONARDO TBC

FILM ★★★★☆ OUT 10 SEPTEMBER CINEMAS Stylishly shot

THE WONDERFUL: STORIES FROM THE SPACE STATION PG

FILM ★★★★☆ OUT 13 SEPTEMBER DIGITAL HD T

KIPCHOGE: THE LAST MILESTONE 12

FILM ★★★★☆ OUT 23 AUGUST DIGITAL HD P

RISE OF THE FOOTSOLDIER: ORIGINS TBC

FILM ★☆☆☆☆ OUT 3 SEPTEMBER CINEMAS T he

PLAN A TBC

FILM ★★☆☆☆ OUT 3 SEPT CINEMAS, DIGITAL HD

MAKE ROOM FOR REBECCA’S HAUNTED WIDOW...

THE NIGHT HOUSE 15 FILM ★★★☆☆ OUT

BLOMKAMP’S COMEBACK BID LOSES ITS HEAD…

DEMONIC 18 FILM ★★☆☆☆ OUT 27 AUGUST CINEMAS,

OUR LADIES 15

FILM ★★★☆☆ OUT 27 AUGUST CINEMAS A day

LUZ: THE FLOWER OF EVIL 18

FILM ★★★★☆ OUT NOW DIGITAL 23 AUG BLU-RAY

JUNGLE CRUISE 12A

FILM ★★★☆☆ OUT NOW CINEMAS, DISNEY+ W ith

THE PAWNBROKER 15

FILM ★★★★☆ EXTRAS ★★★★☆ 1964 OUT NOW DVD,

RAN 12

FILM ★★★★★ EXTRAS ★★★★★ 1985 OUT NOW

TRUE ROMANCE 18

FILM ★★★★☆ EXTRAS ★★★★★ 1993 OUT NOW

WHY LYNCH’S ‘FAILURES’ WON’T BE DISMISSED…

DUNE / TWIN PEAKS : FIRE WALK WITH

COLIN FARRELL GOES TO EXTREME LENGTHS IN THE NORTH WATER. ..

It could have been a car park in

JASON MOMOA OFFERS AN INSIDE LOOK AT SEE S2…

MAKING OF Jason Momoa returns as the formidable

WHY MONEY HEIST’S FINAL SEASON IS AN EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES…

MAKING OF NETFLIX, TAMARA ARRANZ SPOILER ALERT! GOING

DAVID MORRISSEY HERALDS THE RETURN OF BRITANNIA…

MAKING OF “And for my next trick, I

trap decision

ONE OF THE ’90S’ MOST CONTROVERSIAL CASES RE-OPENS IN DECEIT…

NORMAN REEDUS ON THE WALKING DEAD’S FINAL RUN…

MAKING OF Daryl and co. try to shine

parade: music from the motion picture under the cherry moon

PRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION | NPG RECORDS/WARNER

A DIVISIVE ENTRY REMASTERED: DOES IT HOLD UP?

GAMES THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: SKYWARD SWORD HD

DEATH’S DOOR

NINTENDO, DEVOLVER DIGITAL, ANNAPURNA INTERACTIVE, FELLOW TRAVELLER, BANDAI

LAST STOP

GAME ★★★★☆ OUT NOW | PC, PS4/5,

NO LONGER HOME

GAME ★★★★☆ OUT NOW | PC T

two more

Recent thumbtwiddlers… SCARLET NEXUS ★★★★☆ OUT NOW |

three more

Asphalt jungles and golden ponds… DARK CITY: THE

KEVIN SMITH’S SECRET STASH : THE DEFINITIVE VISUAL HISTORY

BOOKS BOOK ★★★★☆ KEVIN SMITH | INSIGHT EDITIONS

SNOWPIERCER: THE ART AND MAKING OF THE FILM

BOOK ★★★★☆ SIMON WARD | TITAN M ore

BLADE RUNNER ORIGINS: VOL 1

GRAPHIC NOVEL ★★★☆☆ VARIOUS | TITAN R anging

99.1% PURE : BREAKING BAD ART

INSIGHT EDITIONS, TITAN, RUNNING PRESS, TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES

IS IT BOLLOCKS?

Film Buff investigates the facts behind outlandish movie plots

ALTERNATIVE BOX OFFICE

THE BIGGEST MOVIES…

ON LOCATION

REEL SPOTS BEHIND THE CAMERA

RESIGNATIONS

Calling it quits…

BACKGROUND ARTISTRY

Celebrating the extras and bit parters stealing scenes…

HINDSIGHT CORNER !

Stars eat their words…

PLAIN TALKING

Learn the movie lingo

SPEED RACER

With their “live-action anime”, the Wachowskis hurtled off-road. Did it spend too much time grinding its gears for a kids’ movie?

OR IS MARGE GUNDERSON THE COEN BROS’ GREATEST CHARACTER?

asks Leila Latif