Across The Atlantic: Eighth Edition, 10th February 2012

Every fortnight (that is two weeks in case you are reading this hung-over) I will collect, evaluate and release all the film-tastic news that may or may not have made your radar due to it being UK/European specific. Some of it you may read, the majority of it however will probably leave you scratching feverishly at your skull wondering “Who is this? And why am I reading this balderdash!”

In two days’ time the British equivalent of the Academy Awards takes place in the form of the British Academy Film and Television Awards on Sunday 12^th February 2012. But, to keep you busy until then, there is plenty of beautiful film news to follow below, as the year has finally got past the post-Christmas rut and the news is now (thankfully) flowing fast and freely.

Visions of Ecstasy, a 19-minute film which was banned by the BBFC for being “blasphemous,” has finally had the ban lifted after a mere twenty-three years! [BBC]

Naomi Watts has landed the role of Princess Diana in Oliver Hirschbiegel’s upcoming picture. The film is due to focus upon the beloved Royal’s relationship with the heart surgeon Hasnat Khan. [BBC]

New figures have shown that Hollywood and Independent film productions gave the Glaswegian economy a healthy £20million boost last year. [BBC]

Scottish comedian Billy Connolly (left) has landed himself a role as a dwarf warrior in Peter Jackson’s two upcoming Hobbit films. [BBC]

While, according to the BFI, the British Box Office passed the £1billion mark last year, with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 topping the list with a monumental £73million. [BBC]

Gary Oldman has taken home the Best Actor award and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy has been awarded the Best British Film award at the Richard Attenborough Regional Film Awards. [BBC]

Good news for the fans (are there any on here?) of the Bridget Jones franchise, Hugh Grant has come out and said that he would be “on board” for the third film, which is ever so-slowly coming together. [BBC]

John McDonagh’s (brother of Martin) brilliant dark Irish comedy The Guard, starring Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle, has been chosen by the The Guardian as the winner of their annual First Film Award. [TheGuardian]

Released a mere two months before the thirtieth anniversary of the Falklands War which took place off the coast of Argentina, the The Iron Lady was always going to come under fire from the critics and citizens of the South American country. [Guardian]

Lynne Ramsay’s We Need To Talk About Kevin took home the Best Film award at the London Evening Film Standard Awards a few nights ago, while Michael Fassbender and Olivia Colman (right) were both acknowledged with the Best Actor and Actress awards for their portrayals of a sex addict and a battered wife, respectively. [Independent] 

David Wnendt’s German neo-Nazi film Kriegerin may have been classed as an exaggerated construct by some, but the Independent concentrates upon how the film may be closer to real life events than first originally thought. [Independent]

The Independent looks at young British actors and actresses who have gone from nothing, to be plucked into something, before hitting the hard road of unemployment again, focusing heavily upon Katie Jarvis from Fish Tank and James Howson from Wuthering Heights. [Independent] 

Jane Goldman is not writing the sequel to X-Men: First Class, but Simon Kinberg (X-Men: The Last Stand) is. [BleedingCool]

British Comedian Harry Hill (left) currently has a few projects lined up, but a source has said that he “fancies doing something different…especially his own film.” [BleedingCool]

In honour of Kill List getting a theatrical release last weekend, here is an interview with the film’s director Ben Wheatley covering everything from Kill List, to his short film in The ABCs of Death and his claymation feature Megaevilmotherf*ckers. [BloodyDisgusting]

Oh and here’s another interview from Fangoria with Mr Wheatley (yes, maybe I am taking the Ben Wheatley love a little too far now…). [Fangoria]

Here is the first trailer for the UK psychological horror film Community, which follows two student filmmakers as they investigate a lawless estate which represents the darker, forgotten side of society. [DreadCentral]

The Shrine which follows a group of journalists as they investigate reports of missing tourists in a remote village in Poland is due to get a UK release at the end of February. Oh, and check the YouTube link for a look at the trailer. [DreadCentral / Youtube]

Here are a couple of photos of Daniel Craig as a stern looking James Bond on the set of Bond 23, also known as Skyfall. [Blogomatic3000]

British gangster film involving the beautiful Kelly Brook, sure why not! But also starring reality TV alum Mark Wright, Danny Dyer and Tamer Hassan? No thank you. [Metro]

Could another film role be on the horizon for Russell Brand? Recent reports are suggesting that Brand is currently the front-runner to star as the classic British children’s character Worzel Gummidge in a film adaptation of the 1979 ITV television series. [Metro]

iLL Manors, the directorial debut of the artist Plan B (real name Ben Drew), is already gaining a little bit of notoriety as critics who have seen the film have been quoted as saying it is “really harrowing, gross stuff.” Starring Riz Ahmed, iLL Manors is set to be released theatrically on May 4th in the United Kingdom. [TheSun]

John Hurt will receive the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema award at the BAFTA Awards ceremony in two days’ time. [TheSun]

Ray Winstone christened the artist Plan B with the nickname The Wolf after they worked together on the set of the cinematic remake of the television show The Sweeney. [TheSun]

England footballing legend Sir Geoff Hurst (left) has taken up his first acting role in the crime-drama Payback Season starring Adam Deacon. There’s a trailer attached and it looks like the three-hundred other British crime-drama’s that have been released this year already. [TheSun]