Words: Jody Raynsford

Film piracy could destroy the UK film industry: that’s the stark warning from Callum McDougall, executive producers of the latest Bond movie, Quantum Of Solace. Speaking at a recent film industry event, he said: “In the UK, we are often referred to as a cottage industry – and I just think this is a total misconception. Three out of the four Indiana Jones films and 20 out of 22 of the James Bond films were made in the UK with British studios, facilities, crew and talent.” According to McDougall, buying counterfeit discs and illegally downloading films threatens the cash that’s needed to keep investing in new film projects. He added: “Films like Bond fund training schemes for film technicians of the future, and working on films themselves provides a great training ground for budding directors and cinematographers… if there’s no money there for films to be made, it’s like a house of cards, it all comes tumbling down…”

With a one in three people in the UK believed to have been involved in some sort of copyright theft in the last year, could whoever's doing it please refrain (until at least the next couple of Bond films are out). It's not big and it's not clever...

Words: Jody Raynsford

Can you hear that creaking? Well, that’s the sound of the DVD market straining under the weight of Woolworths collapse, which apart from the fact one of the UK’s oldest and biggest brands is going to disappear from the high street, is likely to bring both good and bad tidings.

Bad news first: with fewer places to buy DVDs it could hand greater power to those that remain which is rubbish for competition in the long term (but we’ll think about that later). There may also be issues in the festive run up getting the DVDs you want on the high street or supermarket as the Woolworths-owned supplier Entertainment UK which supplies Asda, Morrisons, Borders, Zavvi, Sainsbury’s and WHSmith is also in administration. Chances are, things will be ok this side of Christmas, as trading is going to continue until at least after Christmas. Phew!

And the really good news: it looks like Woolies will be slashing their prices and that could spark a price war among its competitors. Go on treat yourself, pick up a Blu-ray bargain before Christmas. You deserve it…

Incest, murder and misery! We've got a fab DVD giveaway for you - a copy of Savage Grace starring Julianne Moore on DVD for five lucky winners. Enter for free via our online form here....

We're going to start publishing the names of winners on our online comps on the blog so the winners can celebrate and the non-winners can curse their names!!!

So here's who's getting a lovely copy of Asylum, discs in the post this afternoon:

Jim Donald
kim Hoskins
Katheen Connolly
Jonathan Price
Liz Brammall

And here are the lucky, lucky winners of the Leprechaun box sets, on their way over to you:

Tom Gorringe
Andrew Ward

Congrats guys! More comps in DVD & Blu-ray Review and online soon...

This is a documentary film by Gary Hustwit about visual culture and the proliferation of the ubiquitous type-face, Helvetica. The film explores urban spaces and the typography that inhabits them. Interviews include some of the most illustrious names in the design world: Erik Spiekermann, Matthew Carter, Massimo Vignelli, Wim Crouwel and Neville Brody to name a few.

Meet the DVD & Blu-ray Review Team!

From left to right, Emma, Mike, Rosie, Dan, Patrick, Ali.

Here we are being all serious. Further less serious, more comedy pictures will be appearing in future issues of DVD & Blu-ray Review.

We thought we might start a band - jury's still out on our band name suggestions over at the forum please. You've got me (Rosie) and Emma on keyboards, Mike's the drummer, Patrick on bass, Ali lead guitar and Dan on vocals. We're clearly going to 'Rawk'. In an indie sort of way.