High-Rise and Ben Wheatley Q&A | Overnight film festival
You could say that Ben Wheatley’s career has been a lift ride to the top floor of British film. From origins in internet virals and cult TV such as Modern Toss, his features have become progressively more ambitious: Brighton shocker Down Terrace, horror Kill List, black comedy Sightseers, trippy civil war piece A Field In England – each of them seemed to scream, “Give this guy a bigger budget!” Now he’s got it, teaming up with heavyweight producer Jeremy Thomas for a cool, dark take on Jg Ballard’s dystopian tower-block classic. Beginning with a barbecued dog, it’s a twisted study of societal breakdown, with a top-flight cast led by Tom Hiddleston, Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons and Elisabeth Moss. How Wheatley did it, and what he’s doing next, will be revealed at these special preview screenings, ahead of High-Rise’s release on 18 March.
You could say that Ben Wheatley’s career has been a lift ride to the top floor of British film. From origins in internet virals and cult TV such as Modern Toss, his features have become progressively more ambitious: Brighton shocker Down Terrace, horror Kill List, black comedy Sightseers, trippy civil war piece A Field In England – each of them seemed to scream, “Give this guy a bigger budget!” Now he’s got it, teaming up with heavyweight producer Jeremy Thomas for a cool, dark take on Jg Ballard’s dystopian tower-block classic. Beginning with a barbecued dog, it’s a twisted study of societal breakdown, with a top-flight cast led by Tom Hiddleston, Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons and Elisabeth Moss. How Wheatley did it, and what he’s doing next, will be revealed at these special preview screenings, ahead of High-Rise’s release on 18 March.
- 2/26/2016
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
One of Britain's best young film directors on the music, books and art currently catching his eye
Considered by many critics to be one of Britain's most significant young directors, Essex-born Ben Wheatley's career began when his short films went viral. After directing comedy series Modern Toss for Channel 4, he wrote, produced and directed his first feature film, Down Terrace (2009), shot it in eight days, and won numerous awards. Following his horror film Kill List (2011), Wheatley directed Sightseers (2012), a dark comedy about a couple on a caravan trip, which enjoyed international critical acclaim. His fourth film, A Field in England, will be released this summer.
Technology: Spotify
I use Spotify tons, it's totally opened my mind to music. I've always thought that music was expensive; back in the days of CDs I'd buy maybe one a year and feel very resentful about it. But now, through the wonders of Spotify,...
Considered by many critics to be one of Britain's most significant young directors, Essex-born Ben Wheatley's career began when his short films went viral. After directing comedy series Modern Toss for Channel 4, he wrote, produced and directed his first feature film, Down Terrace (2009), shot it in eight days, and won numerous awards. Following his horror film Kill List (2011), Wheatley directed Sightseers (2012), a dark comedy about a couple on a caravan trip, which enjoyed international critical acclaim. His fourth film, A Field in England, will be released this summer.
Technology: Spotify
I use Spotify tons, it's totally opened my mind to music. I've always thought that music was expensive; back in the days of CDs I'd buy maybe one a year and feel very resentful about it. But now, through the wonders of Spotify,...
- 3/24/2013
- by Corinne Jones
- The Guardian - Film News
Making a killing
Collaborating with his wife Amy Jump, Ben Wheatley is an award-winning director of internet virals, commercials and television comedies (Modern Toss, Ideal, Wrong Door), who has recently turned his talents to feature films. His arresting ultra-low-budget debut Down Terrace revitalised the crime genre by throwing in some kitchen sink dramedy and his second feature Kill List is a confounding blend of domestic dysfunction, paranoid conspiracy, trauma and madness.
The story...
Collaborating with his wife Amy Jump, Ben Wheatley is an award-winning director of internet virals, commercials and television comedies (Modern Toss, Ideal, Wrong Door), who has recently turned his talents to feature films. His arresting ultra-low-budget debut Down Terrace revitalised the crime genre by throwing in some kitchen sink dramedy and his second feature Kill List is a confounding blend of domestic dysfunction, paranoid conspiracy, trauma and madness.
The story...
- 9/2/2011
- by Anton Bitel
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they’re seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: I celebrate all levels of trailers and hopefully this column will satisfactorily give you a baseline of what beta wave I’m operating on, because what better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising? Some of the best authors will tell you that writing a short story is a lot harder than writing a long one, that you have to weigh every sentence. What better medium to see how this theory plays itself out beyond that than with movie trailers? Pearl Jam Twenty Trailer I'll admit it: My interest in Pearl Jam has been waning. Don't get me wrong, I own all their albums, have...
- 7/30/2011
- by Christopher Stipp
- Slash Film
An Assassin stumbles across a ritualistic cult in writer-director Ben Wheatley's upcoming horror film Kill List.
It will hit cinema screens on September 2, via Optimum Releasing. The story sees ex-soldier turned contract killer Jay pressured by his partner Gal into taking a new assignment, eight months after a disastrous job in Kiev left him physically and mentally scarred. As they descend into the dark and disturbing world of the contract, Jay begins to unravel once again - his fear and paranoia sending him deep into the heart of darkness.
In his first starring role, Neil Maskell plays Jay. His previous credits include It's All Gone Pete Tong, Basic Instinct 2, Atonement and The Football Factory. Michael Smiley (Burke and Hare, The Other Boleyn Girl) plays Gal, MyAnna Buring (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, The Descent, Lesbian Vampire Killers) is Shel and - in her first major film role - Emma Fryer plays Fiona.
It will hit cinema screens on September 2, via Optimum Releasing. The story sees ex-soldier turned contract killer Jay pressured by his partner Gal into taking a new assignment, eight months after a disastrous job in Kiev left him physically and mentally scarred. As they descend into the dark and disturbing world of the contract, Jay begins to unravel once again - his fear and paranoia sending him deep into the heart of darkness.
In his first starring role, Neil Maskell plays Jay. His previous credits include It's All Gone Pete Tong, Basic Instinct 2, Atonement and The Football Factory. Michael Smiley (Burke and Hare, The Other Boleyn Girl) plays Gal, MyAnna Buring (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, The Descent, Lesbian Vampire Killers) is Shel and - in her first major film role - Emma Fryer plays Fiona.
- 7/27/2011
- by David Bentley
- The Geek Files
Winning accolades and fans across the festival circuit for the past year, and comparisons to material as far and wide as Ken Loach and The Sopranos (although in all fairness it is neither of those things, more like deader-than-deadpan Coen Brothers absurdity) Down Terrace has been playing in limited release for a month, and is opening in Canada commercially at the Carlton Theatre in Toronto (before expanding out to Vancouver) November 12th. I have been shamelessly been sitting on a lengthy chat with writer/director Ben Wheatley while the film played at the Fantasia Film Festival back in July. He left his copy of Sight & Sound behind as he took off to the airport after our conversation, which I scored (snack-cake!) but don't tell him. A prolific advertisement and TV director, he is as film literate and verbose has one would expect from a genre-mashing drama/comedy/gangster picture with literate and verbose characters.
- 11/11/2010
- Screen Anarchy
[Here begins a trio of Toronto-centric posts and, yes, I apologize to those of you who don't live here.]
Fans of bleaker than bleak comedy in Canada, give a nice round of applause to Evokative Films because they're about to give Ben Wheatley's award winning black comedy Down Terrace a theatrical release on these shores. Here's the official word:
Montreal, Thursday October 21st, 2010 - After screenings at the Fantasia and Vancouver International Film Festivals, Down Terrace will be opening at the Carlton Theatre in Toronto on November 12th. This is the first English-speaking film release for Evokative Films, having concentrated its releases on International, subtitled films over the last two years.
Father and son Bill and Karl have just been released from jail, but all is not well at Down Terrace. Patriarchs of a small crime family, their business is plagued with infighting: Karl has had more than he can take of his old man's philosophizing and preaching; Bill thinks Karl's dedication to the family is seriously compromised...
Fans of bleaker than bleak comedy in Canada, give a nice round of applause to Evokative Films because they're about to give Ben Wheatley's award winning black comedy Down Terrace a theatrical release on these shores. Here's the official word:
Montreal, Thursday October 21st, 2010 - After screenings at the Fantasia and Vancouver International Film Festivals, Down Terrace will be opening at the Carlton Theatre in Toronto on November 12th. This is the first English-speaking film release for Evokative Films, having concentrated its releases on International, subtitled films over the last two years.
Father and son Bill and Karl have just been released from jail, but all is not well at Down Terrace. Patriarchs of a small crime family, their business is plagued with infighting: Karl has had more than he can take of his old man's philosophizing and preaching; Bill thinks Karl's dedication to the family is seriously compromised...
- 10/21/2010
- Screen Anarchy
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.