Retrospective 2014 – A Year in Film

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December

Wrapping-up the year

Image sources: Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox & Universal Pics.

The lead-up to the festive season always signals the release of at least one huge blockbuster epic as well as a variety of smaller films and this year is no exception.

This December saw the hugely anticipated conclusion to Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy with the release of the epic The Battle of the Five Armies, as we write this we are also awaiting director Ridley’s Scott’s take on the biblical story of Moses in Exodus: Gods & Kings due to be released on Boxing Day in the UK.

December also saw a mix of films from the Jude Law submarine action/thriller Black Sea to big comedy sequels like Dumb and Dumber To and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb , we also await the Angelina Jolie directed drama/biopic Unbroken in Christmas.

Bond 24

Image sources: Getty Images

December saw the announcement of the new cast and name of the 24th Bond film in the classic movie franchise, Spectre as it will be called clearly denotes a return of the Spectre global terrorist organization originally led by classic cat-stroking evil villain Blofeld in From Russia With Love and Thunderball, time will only tell what treatment returning director Sam Mendes give Spectre in this film.

The cast this time around features Daniel Craig returning as Bond and several Skyfall alumni including Ralph Fiennes as M, Naomie Harris as Moneypenny and Ben Whishaw as Q.

New cast members include Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained, Inglorious Basterds) as presumably a villain named Oberhauser, “Bond Ladies” Monica Bellucci (Malèna, The Matrix Reloaded) and Léa Seydoux (Blue Is the Warmest Color, Robin Hood) as Sciarra and Swann, plus Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy) as henchman Mr. Hinx.

Watch the Spectre announcement:

Spectre is released in the UK and worldwide on the 6th of November 2015.

Those We Lost

Image sources: Getty Images, 20th Century Fox

The final month of the year saw the passing of British stage and screen actress Billie Whitelaw (The Omen, Hot Fuzz) at the age of 82 as well as the death of British actor Tom Adams (The Great Escape, Doctor Who) at the age of 76 from cancer.