Alpha review – a heartwarming survival tale and a visual spectacle

Alpha is a beautifully crafted survival movie that puts a focus on mood and visuals. It’s spellbinding and easily the best blockbuster of the summer.

In photos: on the set of Václav Marhoul’s ‘The Painted Bird’

Recently, I had the privilege of visiting the set of one of the most exciting film projects shooting in the Czech Republic in recent years, WWII thriller The Painted Bird, based on the controversial WWII novel by Polish author and Jerzy Kosiński, and starring Harvey Keitel, Stellan Skarsgard, Julian Sands and the young Petr Kotlar as the Jewish boy forced to wander a war torn Eastern Europe.

10 photos of stunning Glencoe – filming locations for Harry Potter and Skyfall

I recently spent some time in Scotland and went to one of my favourite places in the world, and probably one of the most beautiful filming locations in the world. Yes, New Zealand makes a nice Middle Earth, but I like Glencoe so much more. Nestled deep in the Scottish Highlands, these misty and moody mountains have starred in the Harry Potter films, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Braveheart (boo), Skyfall, and many more.