To celebrate the release of The Wind in the Willows available on DVD from 13th May, we have a 2 DVDs to give away!
The story of Mole, Ratty and Badger as they try to help Mr. Toad, after he becomes obsessed with motorcars and gets into trouble.
The Wind in the Willows is brought to the TV screen by the award-winning animation team Cosgrove Hall Films, bringing to life the charming adventures of our four intrepid animal friends of Ratty, Mole, Badger and Toad in a truly magical experience for all the family. Featuring over 24 hours of the best of British animation, this box set is the definitive Wind in the Willows collection bringing together all four series of The Wind in the Willows, as well as the fifth season, also known as Oh, Mr Toad.
Cosgrove Hall Films made the animated film of The Wind in the Willows in...
The story of Mole, Ratty and Badger as they try to help Mr. Toad, after he becomes obsessed with motorcars and gets into trouble.
The Wind in the Willows is brought to the TV screen by the award-winning animation team Cosgrove Hall Films, bringing to life the charming adventures of our four intrepid animal friends of Ratty, Mole, Badger and Toad in a truly magical experience for all the family. Featuring over 24 hours of the best of British animation, this box set is the definitive Wind in the Willows collection bringing together all four series of The Wind in the Willows, as well as the fifth season, also known as Oh, Mr Toad.
Cosgrove Hall Films made the animated film of The Wind in the Willows in...
- 5/3/2024
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Aardman co-founder Peter Lord has revealed details about the plot of the new Wallace And Gromit film, which will be broadcast at Christmas 2024.
There are few franchises as universally beloved as Wallace And Gromit. What began as Nick Park’s student film project grew into two of Britain’s most iconic animated characters.
So far, the titular heroes have starred in four short films – A Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers – which won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film in 1994 and features arguably the best train chase sequence ever put on screen – A Close Shave and A Matter Of Loaf And Death. There’s also the 2005 feature film The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit, a series of even shorter films called Cracking Contraptions and a videogame, Wallace And Gromit: Project Zoo.
A new film has been in the works for a number of years, owing to the arduous production process of stop motion animation.
There are few franchises as universally beloved as Wallace And Gromit. What began as Nick Park’s student film project grew into two of Britain’s most iconic animated characters.
So far, the titular heroes have starred in four short films – A Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers – which won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film in 1994 and features arguably the best train chase sequence ever put on screen – A Close Shave and A Matter Of Loaf And Death. There’s also the 2005 feature film The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit, a series of even shorter films called Cracking Contraptions and a videogame, Wallace And Gromit: Project Zoo.
A new film has been in the works for a number of years, owing to the arduous production process of stop motion animation.
- 2/20/2024
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
Picture: Aardman Animations
Wallace and Gromit are returning to the big screen. Almost 20 years after their 2005 feature film Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Netflix and the BBC will release a brand new entry in 2024.
This will mark Aardman Animation’s seventh major project with Netflix, following Robin Robin and the sequel to Chicken Run. Netflix also distributed the 2019 movie A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon and two Shaun the Sheep series. The studio is also very much involved in the upcoming mobile Netflix game called Chicken Run: Eggstraction.
The project was first announced in January 2022, with the BBC and Netflix boarding the project.
We should note at this point that the movie has yet to get an official name. The majority of places referring to the movie refer to is as “Wallace & Gromit Feature Film” or “Untitled Wallace & Gromit”.
According to several people attached to the project,...
Wallace and Gromit are returning to the big screen. Almost 20 years after their 2005 feature film Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Netflix and the BBC will release a brand new entry in 2024.
This will mark Aardman Animation’s seventh major project with Netflix, following Robin Robin and the sequel to Chicken Run. Netflix also distributed the 2019 movie A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon and two Shaun the Sheep series. The studio is also very much involved in the upcoming mobile Netflix game called Chicken Run: Eggstraction.
The project was first announced in January 2022, with the BBC and Netflix boarding the project.
We should note at this point that the movie has yet to get an official name. The majority of places referring to the movie refer to is as “Wallace & Gromit Feature Film” or “Untitled Wallace & Gromit”.
According to several people attached to the project,...
- 1/5/2024
- by Kasey Moore
- Whats-on-Netflix
Halloween is spine-chilling in general, but especially so if you’re a parent.
The amount of calories you consume while stealing your children’s hard-won candy? Gasp. Running out of sweets when there’s a minibus worth of spooky kids at your front door? Whimper. The price of Halloween costumes they’ll grow out of by Christmas? Scream.
You’d be better off extinguishing the pumpkin, barricading the door and curling up with one of these family-friendly Halloween movies instead – from animated delights to cult classics – which all fall under the ooky-spooky rather than blood-and-guts end of the scale.
(All streaming info correct as of September 2023)
For Pre-school Kids Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of The Were-Rabbit (2005)
This Oscar-winning stop-motion classic was the fourth film for classic British double-act Wallace and Gromit, a cheese-loving inventor and his silent anthropomorphic dog, and like their previous short films (such as The Wrong...
The amount of calories you consume while stealing your children’s hard-won candy? Gasp. Running out of sweets when there’s a minibus worth of spooky kids at your front door? Whimper. The price of Halloween costumes they’ll grow out of by Christmas? Scream.
You’d be better off extinguishing the pumpkin, barricading the door and curling up with one of these family-friendly Halloween movies instead – from animated delights to cult classics – which all fall under the ooky-spooky rather than blood-and-guts end of the scale.
(All streaming info correct as of September 2023)
For Pre-school Kids Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of The Were-Rabbit (2005)
This Oscar-winning stop-motion classic was the fourth film for classic British double-act Wallace and Gromit, a cheese-loving inventor and his silent anthropomorphic dog, and like their previous short films (such as The Wrong...
- 10/8/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Hulu’s acclaimed “Only Murders in the Building,” currently vying for 11 Emmys, has gone all razzle dazzle in its third season. Make that rattle dazzle! Beleaguered Broadway director Oliver (Martin Short) was hoping for a comeback on the Great White Way with the mystery thriller “Death Rattle.” But when his leading man (Paul Rudd) is murdered, he decides to turn the straight play into a musical, “Death Rattle Dazzle!” And in the third episode, Meryl Streep’s nervous journeyman actress and Ashley Park’s leading lady performed the show-stopping ballad “Look for the Light” co-written by Sara Bareilles. One almost forgot the prime suspects in “Death Rattle Dazzle!” are the infant Pickwick triplets.
The 1959 multiple Tony winner “Redhead” also has a rather strange plot for a musical: a serial killer is stalking women in London in the 1880s during the time Jack the Ripper was terrorizing the city. Sounds like a real toe-tapper.
The 1959 multiple Tony winner “Redhead” also has a rather strange plot for a musical: a serial killer is stalking women in London in the 1880s during the time Jack the Ripper was terrorizing the city. Sounds like a real toe-tapper.
- 8/29/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Jerome Coopersmith, who received a Tony nomination for writing a 1965 Sherlock Holmes musical and penned more than two dozen episodes of the original Hawaii Five-o during the series’ first nine seasons, has died. He was 97.
Coopersmith died peacefully Friday in Rochester, New York, his family announced.
After earning a Purple Heart for his service during World War II, Coopersmith broke into television writing for quiz shows and historical programs. In the early 1950s, he and Horton Foote worked on the kids-focused Gabby Hayes Show and Johnny Jupiter, and the future Pulitzer Prize and Oscar winner behind To Kill a Mockingbird would become his mentor.
Coopersmith wrote 30 regular installments and two feature-length episodes of CBS’ Hawaii Five-o from 1968-76. Among those was the notable 1975 eighth-season installment Retire in Sunny Hawaii … Forever, which featured Helen Hayes in an Emmy-nominated guest-starring stint as the aunt of her real-life son, James MacArthur.
He then...
Coopersmith died peacefully Friday in Rochester, New York, his family announced.
After earning a Purple Heart for his service during World War II, Coopersmith broke into television writing for quiz shows and historical programs. In the early 1950s, he and Horton Foote worked on the kids-focused Gabby Hayes Show and Johnny Jupiter, and the future Pulitzer Prize and Oscar winner behind To Kill a Mockingbird would become his mentor.
Coopersmith wrote 30 regular installments and two feature-length episodes of CBS’ Hawaii Five-o from 1968-76. Among those was the notable 1975 eighth-season installment Retire in Sunny Hawaii … Forever, which featured Helen Hayes in an Emmy-nominated guest-starring stint as the aunt of her real-life son, James MacArthur.
He then...
- 7/27/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
With a long and successful career spanning genres, Mia Farrow may not be considered a horror icon, but she’s certainly deserving of the title in terms of quality over quantity. The two genre efforts in which she starred are exemplary horror movies of their respective eras; while Rosemary’s Baby has been widely lauded since its release in 1968 (Roman Polanski’s personal life controversies notwithstanding), The Haunting of Julia – known internationally as Full Circle – is a hidden gem ripe for rediscovery.
Based on Peter Straub’s 1975 novel Julia, the 1977 British film is directed by Richard Loncraine and written by Dave Humphries (Quadrophenia), with Xtro filmmaker Harry Bromley Davenport receiving a “based on an adaptation by” credit. Although ostensibly a haunted house tale, its ambiguity also allows it to be viewed as a dramatic character study. Scream Factory shines a well-needed light on the atmospheric chiller with a new 4K Uhd + Blu-ray edition.
Based on Peter Straub’s 1975 novel Julia, the 1977 British film is directed by Richard Loncraine and written by Dave Humphries (Quadrophenia), with Xtro filmmaker Harry Bromley Davenport receiving a “based on an adaptation by” credit. Although ostensibly a haunted house tale, its ambiguity also allows it to be viewed as a dramatic character study. Scream Factory shines a well-needed light on the atmospheric chiller with a new 4K Uhd + Blu-ray edition.
- 4/27/2023
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
Click here to read the full article.
While this year’s animated feature contenders include three films that employ stop-motion animation — Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Marcel the Shell With Shoes On and Wendell & Wild — the animation technique that dates back to the mid-1800s received very little love in the category until 2005.
That’s when Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit became the first (and only) stop-motion animated film to win best animated feature (stop-motion shorts are a different story, with Were-Rabbit creator Nick Park alone garnering three Oscars, for 1989’s Creature Comforts, 1993’s The Wrong Trousers and 1995’s A Close Shave, the latter two also starring Wallace and Gromit). It’s also almost certainly the only “vegetarian horror film,” as Park described Were-Rabbit, to win any Oscars at all.
Wallace and Gromit’s adventures began in 1982 as a film-school graduation project, created with 2,200 pounds of...
While this year’s animated feature contenders include three films that employ stop-motion animation — Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Marcel the Shell With Shoes On and Wendell & Wild — the animation technique that dates back to the mid-1800s received very little love in the category until 2005.
That’s when Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit became the first (and only) stop-motion animated film to win best animated feature (stop-motion shorts are a different story, with Were-Rabbit creator Nick Park alone garnering three Oscars, for 1989’s Creature Comforts, 1993’s The Wrong Trousers and 1995’s A Close Shave, the latter two also starring Wallace and Gromit). It’s also almost certainly the only “vegetarian horror film,” as Park described Were-Rabbit, to win any Oscars at all.
Wallace and Gromit’s adventures began in 1982 as a film-school graduation project, created with 2,200 pounds of...
- 12/2/2022
- by Seth Abramovitch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Queen Elizabeth II apparently loved Twin Peaks so much that she once turned down a private Paul McCartney performance to instead catch a new episode of the David Lynch drama.
Following the death of the Queen on Thursday (8 September), a past interview resurfaced in which Twin Peaks composer Angelo Badalamenti recalled the incident.
“Back when Twin Peaks was kicking off around the world, I flew by Concorde to London, to work with Paul McCartney at Abbey Road,” Badalamenti explained in an interview included in a Twin Peaks DVD box set .
Then he retold the story that The Beatles musician told him back in the 1990s.
“[McCartney] said, ‘I was asked by the Queen’s office to perform 35 minutes of my music to celebrate her birthday at Buckingham Palace. I’m very excited about it, and here comes the night, and I’m about to go on and the Queen kind of walks by me and says,...
Following the death of the Queen on Thursday (8 September), a past interview resurfaced in which Twin Peaks composer Angelo Badalamenti recalled the incident.
“Back when Twin Peaks was kicking off around the world, I flew by Concorde to London, to work with Paul McCartney at Abbey Road,” Badalamenti explained in an interview included in a Twin Peaks DVD box set .
Then he retold the story that The Beatles musician told him back in the 1990s.
“[McCartney] said, ‘I was asked by the Queen’s office to perform 35 minutes of my music to celebrate her birthday at Buckingham Palace. I’m very excited about it, and here comes the night, and I’m about to go on and the Queen kind of walks by me and says,...
- 9/9/2022
- by Inga Parkel
- The Independent - TV
Queen Elizabeth II lived a remarkable life – but not everyone knows she made time to watch TV too.
The Royal Family announced that the Queen died peacefully at Balmoral on Thursday (8 September), aged 96.
In the wake of her death, fans are remembering the Queen’s rather eclectic taste in television.
According to reports, the Queen received selected shows from the BBC, who would occasionally add in unrequested items they thought she may enjoy.
Other reports have suggested that she once asked that a Doctor Who DVD box set be sent to Balmoral, and that she told actor Peter Sallis that she loved Last of the Summer Wine.
She also visited the set of EastEnders in 2001.
It would seem that even royals aren’t above a hate-watch either, as she is said to have once commented on police procedural series The Bill: “I don’t like The Bill but I just can’t help watching it.
The Royal Family announced that the Queen died peacefully at Balmoral on Thursday (8 September), aged 96.
In the wake of her death, fans are remembering the Queen’s rather eclectic taste in television.
According to reports, the Queen received selected shows from the BBC, who would occasionally add in unrequested items they thought she may enjoy.
Other reports have suggested that she once asked that a Doctor Who DVD box set be sent to Balmoral, and that she told actor Peter Sallis that she loved Last of the Summer Wine.
She also visited the set of EastEnders in 2001.
It would seem that even royals aren’t above a hate-watch either, as she is said to have once commented on police procedural series The Bill: “I don’t like The Bill but I just can’t help watching it.
- 9/9/2022
- by Isobel Lewis
- The Independent - TV
When I was a kid, I somehow inherited an 8mm film projector and managed to convince my mom to buy me a handful of movies on the format. Now when I say “movies,” I mean these little spools of 8mm celluloid that basically took various motion pictures and condensed them down to silent 10-minute highlight reels, mostly in black and white.
They were in many ways the earliest precursor of home video, and one of the films I convinced my mom to purchase was Hammer Films’ Taste the Blood of Dracula. While the format really prevented me from making much sense of the narrative, certain imagery–Dracula’s face emerging from beneath a cracking caul of dust, two beautiful young women driving a stake into the heart of an older gentleman, a younger man drinking a cup of blood and choking as it poured out of his mouth–stayed firmly with me.
They were in many ways the earliest precursor of home video, and one of the films I convinced my mom to purchase was Hammer Films’ Taste the Blood of Dracula. While the format really prevented me from making much sense of the narrative, certain imagery–Dracula’s face emerging from beneath a cracking caul of dust, two beautiful young women driving a stake into the heart of an older gentleman, a younger man drinking a cup of blood and choking as it poured out of his mouth–stayed firmly with me.
- 6/8/2020
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
Nick Park loves going back to the world of Britain's beloved "Wallace and Gromit" franchise. The four-time Oscar-winning multi-hyphenate talent says he is working on expanding the universe.
The creator of the franchise says he is writing some more "Wallace and Gromit" stories.
"Wallace and Gromit are good old friends of mine and they are my family. I love to come back to them," Nick told over the phone.
"So, yes I do have more Wallace and Gromit ideas. And I am actually writing more Wallace and Gromit stories," added the animator, refusing to divulge more information about it.
Nick's cheese-loving inventor Wallace and his pet dog Gromit first found their way onto the silver screen with the short film "A Grand Day Out" in 1989. The first Wallace and Gromit feature-length movie were "The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit", which was released in 2005. The animated characters have become cultural icons in the UK.
The creator of the franchise says he is writing some more "Wallace and Gromit" stories.
"Wallace and Gromit are good old friends of mine and they are my family. I love to come back to them," Nick told over the phone.
"So, yes I do have more Wallace and Gromit ideas. And I am actually writing more Wallace and Gromit stories," added the animator, refusing to divulge more information about it.
Nick's cheese-loving inventor Wallace and his pet dog Gromit first found their way onto the silver screen with the short film "A Grand Day Out" in 1989. The first Wallace and Gromit feature-length movie were "The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit", which was released in 2005. The animated characters have become cultural icons in the UK.
- 5/10/2019
- GlamSham
One of the key figures responsible for the creation of some of the most expressive and existentially relatable characters of the last four decades, Nick Park has spent his career innovating on the possibilities of claymation. Never mind the achievement that one of his most well-known characters is a mute canine who’s more slyly verbose than most motormouths in any medium. Mining liberally from the slapstick calamities of golden age Looney Tunes and the freewheeling absurdity of Monty Python, Park reimagined claymation’s populist appeal, paving the way for everyone from Laika to Wes Anderson.
That’s perhaps why it’s so gut-wrenching that Aardman Animation’s latest effort, Early Man, feels so anonymous and warmed over in every aspect other than its signature visual zeal. Park’s first return to directing since the excellent Peter Sallis swan song, A Matter of Loaf and Death, is filled with the expected studio touches.
That’s perhaps why it’s so gut-wrenching that Aardman Animation’s latest effort, Early Man, feels so anonymous and warmed over in every aspect other than its signature visual zeal. Park’s first return to directing since the excellent Peter Sallis swan song, A Matter of Loaf and Death, is filled with the expected studio touches.
- 2/16/2018
- by Michael Snydel
- The Film Stage
Aardman have been producing lovable characters with their distinctive stop-motion animation utilising clay for nearly 50 years now. Whether it be the old-school days of the original Wallace and Gromit TV shorts or even the cheeky Morph character from the 70s, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t fallen for one of their characters. With the upcoming release of their latest instalment Early Man, we have decided to look at some of the best characters Aardman have created since their clay creations hit the big screen…
6. Mr Bobo – The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (2012)
The studio clearly has a soft spot for animated animals as in all of their feature films they are depicted with human levels of intelligence. In fact, as with Mr Bobo in The Pirates!, our furry friends are often given a superior level of wits and capability than their human counterparts. As the...
6. Mr Bobo – The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (2012)
The studio clearly has a soft spot for animated animals as in all of their feature films they are depicted with human levels of intelligence. In fact, as with Mr Bobo in The Pirates!, our furry friends are often given a superior level of wits and capability than their human counterparts. As the...
- 1/28/2018
- by Olivia Haines
- The Cultural Post
Following the sad news that Peter Sallis has taken his last grand day out, the folks behind “Wallace and Gromit” have paid tribute to the departed actor. Sallis voiced the human half of the duo from its inception until 2010, including four short films (“A Grand Day Out,” “The Wrong Trousers,” “A Close Shave” and “A Matter of Loaf and Death”) and the feature film “Curse of the Were-Rabbit”; his gentle voice is one of the beloved stop-motion series’ most distinctive traits. Watch the video below.
Read More: Peter Sallis, Voice of Wallace in ‘Wallace and Gromit’ Series, Dead at 96
“At the time when I did it, I didn’t think this is going to make cinema history” he says as clips of the cheese-loving Wallace play. “But six years later in 1989, when the phone went and he said, ‘I finished it,’ I thought, ‘Oh, it’s only taken him six years.
Read More: Peter Sallis, Voice of Wallace in ‘Wallace and Gromit’ Series, Dead at 96
“At the time when I did it, I didn’t think this is going to make cinema history” he says as clips of the cheese-loving Wallace play. “But six years later in 1989, when the phone went and he said, ‘I finished it,’ I thought, ‘Oh, it’s only taken him six years.
- 6/24/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Aardman’s Nick Park pays tribute to ‘great storyteller and raconteur’.
Peter Sallis, the British actor who voiced Wallace from Aardman Animation’s Wallace & Gromit franchise and starred in TV show Last of The Summer Wine, has died. He was 96.
Sallis was born on February 1, 1921, in Twickenham, England. After a successful TV and stage career that had also brought great acclaim for the timbre of his voice, he signed on for his longest role as Norman Clegg alongside Brian Wilde and Bill Owen in the sitcom Last Of The Summer Wine. He appeared in all 295 episodes from 1973 until 2010.
He partnered with Bristol-based Aardman in 1993 and voiced Wallace for 15 years over various feature, short and video game iterations. He was awarded the OBE in 2007.
Sallis died at his home in London on June 2. Shortly after the news broke on Monday, Wallace & Gromit director and Aardman partner Nick Park (pictured at right with Sallis) led the tributes.
“I’m so sad...
Peter Sallis, the British actor who voiced Wallace from Aardman Animation’s Wallace & Gromit franchise and starred in TV show Last of The Summer Wine, has died. He was 96.
Sallis was born on February 1, 1921, in Twickenham, England. After a successful TV and stage career that had also brought great acclaim for the timbre of his voice, he signed on for his longest role as Norman Clegg alongside Brian Wilde and Bill Owen in the sitcom Last Of The Summer Wine. He appeared in all 295 episodes from 1973 until 2010.
He partnered with Bristol-based Aardman in 1993 and voiced Wallace for 15 years over various feature, short and video game iterations. He was awarded the OBE in 2007.
Sallis died at his home in London on June 2. Shortly after the news broke on Monday, Wallace & Gromit director and Aardman partner Nick Park (pictured at right with Sallis) led the tributes.
“I’m so sad...
- 6/6/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Peter Sallis, the famous British voice actor and sitcom star, has died at 96, The Guardian reports. His agents issued the following statement: “It is with sadness that we announce that our client Peter Sallis died peacefully, with his family by his side, at Denville Hall on Friday, June 2.”
Read More: 5 Secrets Behind Aardman’s Stop-Motion Animation, from ‘Wallace & Gromit’ to ‘Early Man’
Sallis is most famous for playing the role of Norman Clegg on BBC’s “Last of Summer Wine,” which is the longest-running sitcom in British history. American audiences are probably more familiar with his work as the voice of Wallace, the cheese-loving inventor at the center of Aardman Animations’ “Wallace and Gromit” franchise. He won the Annie Award for Voice Acting in a Featured Production for his work in 2005’s “Curse of the Were-Rabbit.” The film also won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
In tributes being posted across the internet today,...
Read More: 5 Secrets Behind Aardman’s Stop-Motion Animation, from ‘Wallace & Gromit’ to ‘Early Man’
Sallis is most famous for playing the role of Norman Clegg on BBC’s “Last of Summer Wine,” which is the longest-running sitcom in British history. American audiences are probably more familiar with his work as the voice of Wallace, the cheese-loving inventor at the center of Aardman Animations’ “Wallace and Gromit” franchise. He won the Annie Award for Voice Acting in a Featured Production for his work in 2005’s “Curse of the Were-Rabbit.” The film also won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
In tributes being posted across the internet today,...
- 6/5/2017
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Peter Sallis, who voiced Wallace in the “Wallace & Gromit” films and co-starred on the British comedy series “Last of the Summer Wine,” died on Friday. He was 96. His agents said in a statement: “It is with sadness that we announce that our client Peter Sallis died peacefully, with his family by his side, at Denville Hall on Friday, June 2.” Sallis portrayed Norman Clegg as part of the original cast on “Summer Wine,” Britain’s longest-running sitcom. He played the role from the show’s first episode in 1973 through its finale in 2010. Also Read: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2017 (Photos) He is also known.
- 6/5/2017
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Wrap
Peter Sallis, the English actor best known for the BBC sitcom Last of the Summer Wine and lending his voice to Wallace in Aardman Animations’ Wallace and Gromit films, has passed away at the age of 96. Born on February 1, 1921 in Twickenham, Middlesex, Sallis got his start as an actor while working as a mechanic in […]
The post ‘Wallace and Gromit’ Voice Actor Peter Sallis Dead at 96 appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Wallace and Gromit’ Voice Actor Peter Sallis Dead at 96 appeared first on /Film.
- 6/5/2017
- by Jacob Hall
- Slash Film
Peter Sallis, the actor best-known for voicing Wallace in Aardman Animation's Wallace & Gromit and starring in long-running BBC sitcom Last Of The Summer Wine, has died at the age of 96. "It is with sadness that we announce that our client Peter Sallis died peacefully, with his family by his side, at Denville Hall on Friday, June 2," his agents Jonathan Altaras Associates said. London-born Sallis had 25 years of acting experience under his belt, appearing opposite Orson…...
- 6/5/2017
- Deadline TV
Peter Sallis, the actor best-known for voicing Wallace in Aardman Animation's Wallace & Gromit and starring in long-running BBC sitcom Last Of The Summer Wine, has died at the age of 96. "It is with sadness that we announce that our client Peter Sallis died peacefully, with his family by his side, at Denville Hall on Friday, June 2," his agents Jonathan Altaras Associates said. London-born Sallis had 25 years of acting experience under his belt, appearing opposite Orson…...
- 6/5/2017
- Deadline
Peter Sallis, a much-loved face on British TV and known internationally as the voice of Wallace in the Wallace & Gromit animated films, has died. He was 96.
The actor's agent announced the news Monday, saying Sallis had died peacefully with his family by his side on June 2.
In the U.K., Sallis was known for decades as the flat-capped and mild-mannered Norman Clegg from the long-running comedy series Last of the Summer Wine. He starred on the show from its very first episode in 1973 right up until its end in 2010, the only actor to appear in all 295...
The actor's agent announced the news Monday, saying Sallis had died peacefully with his family by his side on June 2.
In the U.K., Sallis was known for decades as the flat-capped and mild-mannered Norman Clegg from the long-running comedy series Last of the Summer Wine. He starred on the show from its very first episode in 1973 right up until its end in 2010, the only actor to appear in all 295...
- 6/5/2017
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Peter Sallis, the voice of Wallace in Wallace and Gromit, has died.
The actor died in his sleep on Friday, reports The Guardian. He was 96.
“It is with sadness that we announce that our client Peter Sallis died peacefully, with his family by his side, at Denville Hall on Friday 2 June,” Sallis agent’s said in a statement.
Sallis shot to stardom in the U.K. as Norman Clegg in the BBC1 comedy Last of the Summer Wine. The show would go on to become Britain’s longest-running sitcom, airing from 1973-2010. Sallis was the only actor to appear in...
The actor died in his sleep on Friday, reports The Guardian. He was 96.
“It is with sadness that we announce that our client Peter Sallis died peacefully, with his family by his side, at Denville Hall on Friday 2 June,” Sallis agent’s said in a statement.
Sallis shot to stardom in the U.K. as Norman Clegg in the BBC1 comedy Last of the Summer Wine. The show would go on to become Britain’s longest-running sitcom, airing from 1973-2010. Sallis was the only actor to appear in...
- 6/5/2017
- by Jodi Guglielmi
- PEOPLE.com
There’s something inherently remarkable about the field of animation: that, with just a paper and pen, one can use infinite imagination to create a world unbound by physical restrictions. Of course, in today’s age it goes far beyond those simple tools of creation, but it remains the rare patience-requisite medium in which a director’s vision can be perfected over years until applying that final, necessary touch.
With Pixar’s 17th feature arriving in theaters, we’ve set out to reflect on the millennium thus far in animation and those films that have most excelled. In picking our 50 favorite titles, we looked to all corners of the world, from teams as big as thousands down to a sole animator. The result is a wide-ranging selection, proving that even if some animation styles aren’t as prevalent, the best examples find their way to the top.
To note: we only stuck with feature-length animations of 60 minutes or longer — sorry, World of Tomorrow, and even Pixar’s stunning Piper — and to make room for a few more titles, our definition of “the 21st century” stretched to include 2000. We also stuck with films that don’t feature any live-action (for the most part) and that have been released in the U.S. thus far, so The Red Turtle and Phantom Boy will get their due on a later date. Check out our top 50 below and let us know your favorites in the comments.
50. The Lego Movie (Phil Lord and Christopher Miller)
Admit it: When The Lego Movie was announced, you did not expect it to wind up any best-of-the-year lists. But, against all odds, Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s first smash hit of 2014 is an unadulterated pleasure. This bold, original film has a wildly clever script (by the directors) with a message of creativity that made it a glorious surprise. It is also well-cast: Lego is the first movie to fully make use of Chris Pratt’s essential sweetness, and offered Elizabeth Banks, Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, and Morgan Freeman their freshest parts in years. It is not often that a “kids” film entertains adults as much as their children, but The Lego Movie is far more than a piece of entertainment for the young ones. What could have been a headache-inducing, cynical creation is instead a pop treat. Everything is, indeed, awesome. – Christopher Schobert
49. 5 Centimetres per Second (Makoto Shinkai)
Makoto Shinkai’s emotional tour de force is the embodiment of the Japanese term “mono no aware,” which describes a wistful awareness of life’s transience. In the way its characters are haunted by bygone moments in the face of a vast and shapeless future, 5 Centimetres per Second could function as a spiritual companion to the oeuvre of Wong Kar-wai, but whereas Wong’s lovelorn protagonists are stuck in the past, Shinkai’s move forward, steadily, in a state of melancholic acceptance. Time is itself a character here, a fact brought to our attention by shots of clocks, the evolution of technology alongside the characters’ aging, and scenes where narrative stakes ensure that the passing of each second is palpably felt. And yet it is precisely the ephemerality of these seconds that lends them elevated significance —fittingly, the film’s animation is breathtakingly detailed and tactile, allowing us to identify with the characters by having us inhabit each, vivid moment before it vanishes. – Jonah Jeng
48. The Adventures of Tintin (Steven Spielberg)
Leave it to Steven Spielberg to eke more thrills out of an animated feature than most directors could with every live-action tool at their disposal. The Adventures of Tintin is colored and paced like a child’s fantastical imagining of how Hergé’s comics might play in motion, and the extent to which viewers buy it depends largely on their willingness to give themselves over to narrative and technical flights of fancy. Me? Four-and-a-half years later, I’m still waiting for a follow-up with bated breath. – Nick Newman
47. Titan A.E. (Don Bluth, Gary Goldman and Art Vitello)
It’s the movie that took down Don Bluth, netted Fox a $100 million loss, and starred the young voices of Matt Damon and Drew Barrymore. From a script by Joss Whedon, John August, and Ben Edlund, Titan A.E. is a swashbuckle-y tale with stirring visuals and moments of sheer originality that now feels like a more-accomplished precursor to something such as Guardians of the Galaxy. If you’re going to go down, this is an impressive picture to sink with. – Dan Mecca
46. Metropolis (Rintaro)
Metropolis has more than a little in common with the apocalyptic orgy of violence of 1988 anime touchstone Akira, as the story follows the tragic inevitability of mans’ relationship with overwhelming power. But Rintaro’s Metropolis — which is based on Osama Tezuka’s manga and Fritz Lang’s canonical film — is also a story of overwhelming kindness in its central relationship between Kenichi, a well-intentioned and naïve child, and Tima, a cyborg capable of immense destruction. Distinguished by its washed-out watercolor character designs and its inventive cast of characters, Metropolis is a distinctly lighter take on the characteristically dreary dystopia genre. – Michael Snydel
45. Song of the Sea (Tomm Moore)
Animation has never shied away from grief. It’s the bedrock of everything from Grave of the Fireflies to the majority of Pixar’s filmography, but it’s rarely been as unbearably beautiful as in 2014’s unfairly overlooked Song of the Sea. Animated with a mythic tableau style, steeped in Celtic folklore, and filled with a cast of characters worthy of Hayao Miyazaki, Tomm Moore’s work is the rare heartwarming family film that knows it doesn’t need to compromise genuine emotion with fake-outs or Hollywood endings. – Michael Snydel
44. The Secret World of Arrietty (Hiromasa Yonebayashi)
While much of Studio Ghibli’s popularity focuses on the adored writer-director Hayao Miyazaki, some works from other directors deserve equal praise. One of them — which, yes, cheats a bit because Miyazaki scripted it — is The Secret World of Arrietty by first-time helmer Hiromasa Yonebayashi. The film follows a little boy’s fascination with the Borrowers — small humans that live in our world — and weaves the story of him and his family with Arrietty, one of the Borrowers. There are intensely dramatic moments as the Borrowers are constantly striving to survive amidst this world of luxury and easy life that the larger humans enjoy. Much like some of the best of Ghibli’s work, the film works on multiple levels and layers and thus becomes one of the studio’s most beautiful, enjoyable, and enduring works. – Bill Graham
43. ParaNorman (Chris Butler and Sam Fell)
A story of bullies and the bullied, Laika Studios’ second stop-motion film, ParaNorman, was unfortunately overshadowed by their astounding previous effort, Coraline. But time has been kind, and ParaNorman feels ahead of its time in both the exploration of darker themes (witch hunts, child murder, bigotry) and its juxtaposition of a Puritan New England ghost story and a vividly supernatural present. Buoyed by Jon Brion’s characteristically thoughtful score and an inventive reconfiguration of horror movie iconography, ParaNorman is a coming-of-age story that recognizes that even the “bad guys” have their reasons. – Michael Snydel
42. Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were Rabbit (Nick Park and Steve Box)
Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were Rabbit, Aardman Animation’s second feature collaboration with DreamWorks, brings Nick Park‘s brilliant claymation series about an absentminded inventor and his mute canine companion to the big screen. Working as humane pest removal specialists, Wallace and Gromit have hatched a plan to brainwash every hungry rabbit in town to dislike vegetables, preventing Gromit’s prized melon from being ruthlessly devoured. But the experiment backfires and the Were-Rabbit, a monstrous beast with an unquenchable appetite for veggies, is unleashed on the lush gardens of Tottington Holl. On par with the most uproarious shorts of Park’s career (working this time out with co-director Steve Box), the film slyly evokes fond memories of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein in never treating its goofy leads as seriously as its surprisingly effective scares. It’s a shame that Park has announced the titular duo are likely retired, due to the failing health of voice actor Peter Sallis. Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were Rabbit is a light-hearted and whimsically clever gem that also works as a charming introduction to the horror genre for young cinema-lovers. – Tony Hinds
41. Lilo & Stitch (Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois)
What other film can pull off starting with an all-out sci-fi adventure and transition into a heartful ode to culture and family? Before they delivered an even more impactful variation on a similar sort of creature-human bond with How to Train Your Dragon, Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois created this touching tale. Featuring a return to watercolor-painted backgrounds for Disney, as well as a reliance on 2D animation, it’s one of the company’s last in this era to have that long-missed tangibility. As often repeated in the film, “Family means nobody gets left behind,” and, by the end credits, you’ll feel like you’ve added a few new members to your own. – Jordan Raup
Continue >>...
With Pixar’s 17th feature arriving in theaters, we’ve set out to reflect on the millennium thus far in animation and those films that have most excelled. In picking our 50 favorite titles, we looked to all corners of the world, from teams as big as thousands down to a sole animator. The result is a wide-ranging selection, proving that even if some animation styles aren’t as prevalent, the best examples find their way to the top.
To note: we only stuck with feature-length animations of 60 minutes or longer — sorry, World of Tomorrow, and even Pixar’s stunning Piper — and to make room for a few more titles, our definition of “the 21st century” stretched to include 2000. We also stuck with films that don’t feature any live-action (for the most part) and that have been released in the U.S. thus far, so The Red Turtle and Phantom Boy will get their due on a later date. Check out our top 50 below and let us know your favorites in the comments.
50. The Lego Movie (Phil Lord and Christopher Miller)
Admit it: When The Lego Movie was announced, you did not expect it to wind up any best-of-the-year lists. But, against all odds, Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s first smash hit of 2014 is an unadulterated pleasure. This bold, original film has a wildly clever script (by the directors) with a message of creativity that made it a glorious surprise. It is also well-cast: Lego is the first movie to fully make use of Chris Pratt’s essential sweetness, and offered Elizabeth Banks, Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, and Morgan Freeman their freshest parts in years. It is not often that a “kids” film entertains adults as much as their children, but The Lego Movie is far more than a piece of entertainment for the young ones. What could have been a headache-inducing, cynical creation is instead a pop treat. Everything is, indeed, awesome. – Christopher Schobert
49. 5 Centimetres per Second (Makoto Shinkai)
Makoto Shinkai’s emotional tour de force is the embodiment of the Japanese term “mono no aware,” which describes a wistful awareness of life’s transience. In the way its characters are haunted by bygone moments in the face of a vast and shapeless future, 5 Centimetres per Second could function as a spiritual companion to the oeuvre of Wong Kar-wai, but whereas Wong’s lovelorn protagonists are stuck in the past, Shinkai’s move forward, steadily, in a state of melancholic acceptance. Time is itself a character here, a fact brought to our attention by shots of clocks, the evolution of technology alongside the characters’ aging, and scenes where narrative stakes ensure that the passing of each second is palpably felt. And yet it is precisely the ephemerality of these seconds that lends them elevated significance —fittingly, the film’s animation is breathtakingly detailed and tactile, allowing us to identify with the characters by having us inhabit each, vivid moment before it vanishes. – Jonah Jeng
48. The Adventures of Tintin (Steven Spielberg)
Leave it to Steven Spielberg to eke more thrills out of an animated feature than most directors could with every live-action tool at their disposal. The Adventures of Tintin is colored and paced like a child’s fantastical imagining of how Hergé’s comics might play in motion, and the extent to which viewers buy it depends largely on their willingness to give themselves over to narrative and technical flights of fancy. Me? Four-and-a-half years later, I’m still waiting for a follow-up with bated breath. – Nick Newman
47. Titan A.E. (Don Bluth, Gary Goldman and Art Vitello)
It’s the movie that took down Don Bluth, netted Fox a $100 million loss, and starred the young voices of Matt Damon and Drew Barrymore. From a script by Joss Whedon, John August, and Ben Edlund, Titan A.E. is a swashbuckle-y tale with stirring visuals and moments of sheer originality that now feels like a more-accomplished precursor to something such as Guardians of the Galaxy. If you’re going to go down, this is an impressive picture to sink with. – Dan Mecca
46. Metropolis (Rintaro)
Metropolis has more than a little in common with the apocalyptic orgy of violence of 1988 anime touchstone Akira, as the story follows the tragic inevitability of mans’ relationship with overwhelming power. But Rintaro’s Metropolis — which is based on Osama Tezuka’s manga and Fritz Lang’s canonical film — is also a story of overwhelming kindness in its central relationship between Kenichi, a well-intentioned and naïve child, and Tima, a cyborg capable of immense destruction. Distinguished by its washed-out watercolor character designs and its inventive cast of characters, Metropolis is a distinctly lighter take on the characteristically dreary dystopia genre. – Michael Snydel
45. Song of the Sea (Tomm Moore)
Animation has never shied away from grief. It’s the bedrock of everything from Grave of the Fireflies to the majority of Pixar’s filmography, but it’s rarely been as unbearably beautiful as in 2014’s unfairly overlooked Song of the Sea. Animated with a mythic tableau style, steeped in Celtic folklore, and filled with a cast of characters worthy of Hayao Miyazaki, Tomm Moore’s work is the rare heartwarming family film that knows it doesn’t need to compromise genuine emotion with fake-outs or Hollywood endings. – Michael Snydel
44. The Secret World of Arrietty (Hiromasa Yonebayashi)
While much of Studio Ghibli’s popularity focuses on the adored writer-director Hayao Miyazaki, some works from other directors deserve equal praise. One of them — which, yes, cheats a bit because Miyazaki scripted it — is The Secret World of Arrietty by first-time helmer Hiromasa Yonebayashi. The film follows a little boy’s fascination with the Borrowers — small humans that live in our world — and weaves the story of him and his family with Arrietty, one of the Borrowers. There are intensely dramatic moments as the Borrowers are constantly striving to survive amidst this world of luxury and easy life that the larger humans enjoy. Much like some of the best of Ghibli’s work, the film works on multiple levels and layers and thus becomes one of the studio’s most beautiful, enjoyable, and enduring works. – Bill Graham
43. ParaNorman (Chris Butler and Sam Fell)
A story of bullies and the bullied, Laika Studios’ second stop-motion film, ParaNorman, was unfortunately overshadowed by their astounding previous effort, Coraline. But time has been kind, and ParaNorman feels ahead of its time in both the exploration of darker themes (witch hunts, child murder, bigotry) and its juxtaposition of a Puritan New England ghost story and a vividly supernatural present. Buoyed by Jon Brion’s characteristically thoughtful score and an inventive reconfiguration of horror movie iconography, ParaNorman is a coming-of-age story that recognizes that even the “bad guys” have their reasons. – Michael Snydel
42. Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were Rabbit (Nick Park and Steve Box)
Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were Rabbit, Aardman Animation’s second feature collaboration with DreamWorks, brings Nick Park‘s brilliant claymation series about an absentminded inventor and his mute canine companion to the big screen. Working as humane pest removal specialists, Wallace and Gromit have hatched a plan to brainwash every hungry rabbit in town to dislike vegetables, preventing Gromit’s prized melon from being ruthlessly devoured. But the experiment backfires and the Were-Rabbit, a monstrous beast with an unquenchable appetite for veggies, is unleashed on the lush gardens of Tottington Holl. On par with the most uproarious shorts of Park’s career (working this time out with co-director Steve Box), the film slyly evokes fond memories of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein in never treating its goofy leads as seriously as its surprisingly effective scares. It’s a shame that Park has announced the titular duo are likely retired, due to the failing health of voice actor Peter Sallis. Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were Rabbit is a light-hearted and whimsically clever gem that also works as a charming introduction to the horror genre for young cinema-lovers. – Tony Hinds
41. Lilo & Stitch (Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois)
What other film can pull off starting with an all-out sci-fi adventure and transition into a heartful ode to culture and family? Before they delivered an even more impactful variation on a similar sort of creature-human bond with How to Train Your Dragon, Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois created this touching tale. Featuring a return to watercolor-painted backgrounds for Disney, as well as a reliance on 2D animation, it’s one of the company’s last in this era to have that long-missed tangibility. As often repeated in the film, “Family means nobody gets left behind,” and, by the end credits, you’ll feel like you’ve added a few new members to your own. – Jordan Raup
Continue >>...
- 6/16/2016
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Patricia Neal ca. 1950. Patricia Neal movies: 'The Day the Earth Stood Still,' 'A Face in the Crowd' Back in 1949, few would have predicted that Gary Cooper's leading lady in King Vidor's The Fountainhead would go on to win a Best Actress Academy Award 15 years later. Patricia Neal was one of those performers – e.g., Jean Arthur, Anne Bancroft – whose film career didn't start out all that well, but who, by way of Broadway, managed to both revive and magnify their Hollywood stardom. As part of its “Summer Under the Stars” series, Turner Classic Movies is dedicating Sunday, Aug. 16, '15, to Patricia Neal. This evening, TCM is showing three of her best-known films, in addition to one TCM premiere and an unusual latter-day entry. 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' Robert Wise was hardly a genre director. A former editor (Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons...
- 8/16/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Last of the Summer Wine may be revived in the form of a spinoff series.
Actors Ken Kitson and Louis Emerick are developing a pilot episode for a potential new comedy, along with former series producer and director Alan Jw Bell.
The duo paid hapless policemen Cooper Walsh for several years on the show, before it came to an end in 2010.
They are seeking funding to film either a feature-length film or a short series, and have hinted that other former stars may return.
Associate producer Terry Bartlam said: "When the BBC decided they didn't want to make any more episodes of Last of the Summer Wine it was a double blow for the two actors.
"People were anxious that the series should have a proper ending, with perhaps a feature-length episode to bring it all together.
"There is also thinking that in Cooper and Walsh there was scope for...
Actors Ken Kitson and Louis Emerick are developing a pilot episode for a potential new comedy, along with former series producer and director Alan Jw Bell.
The duo paid hapless policemen Cooper Walsh for several years on the show, before it came to an end in 2010.
They are seeking funding to film either a feature-length film or a short series, and have hinted that other former stars may return.
Associate producer Terry Bartlam said: "When the BBC decided they didn't want to make any more episodes of Last of the Summer Wine it was a double blow for the two actors.
"People were anxious that the series should have a proper ending, with perhaps a feature-length episode to bring it all together.
"There is also thinking that in Cooper and Walsh there was scope for...
- 10/15/2014
- Digital Spy
Stars: Patricia Gozzi, Dean Stockwell, Melvyn Douglas, Gunnel Lindblom, Leslie Sands, Murray Evans, Sylvia Kay, Peter Sallis, Ellen Pollock | Written by Stanley Mann | Directed by John Guillermin
John Guillermin, the London-born director of the classic disaster film The Towering Inferno directed this moving drama set in France called Rapture in 1965. I am familiar with some of Guillermin’s catalogue, from the aforementioned Towering Inferno to his ’76 version of King Kong to his 60’s war film The Blue Max. I hadn’t seen this though, so it was a treat to see that Masters of Cinema, Eureka’s brilliant line of classic titles, was putting a new version of the film out.
The first thing that struck me upon watching the film was the cinematography. It is just beautiful, and with the new transfer it looks even better than I can imagine it did when it was released those many years ago.
John Guillermin, the London-born director of the classic disaster film The Towering Inferno directed this moving drama set in France called Rapture in 1965. I am familiar with some of Guillermin’s catalogue, from the aforementioned Towering Inferno to his ’76 version of King Kong to his 60’s war film The Blue Max. I hadn’t seen this though, so it was a treat to see that Masters of Cinema, Eureka’s brilliant line of classic titles, was putting a new version of the film out.
The first thing that struck me upon watching the film was the cinematography. It is just beautiful, and with the new transfer it looks even better than I can imagine it did when it was released those many years ago.
- 8/4/2014
- by Chris Cummings
- Nerdly
Nick Park has revealed that Wallace and Gromit may not return for another adventure.
The Oscar-winning animator has said that he is not sure if the series would continue without Wallace voice actor Peter Sallis.
Park said that the 93-year-old actor is "not too well", and suffers from the eye condition macular degeneration. He has not voiced Wallace in four years.
Sallis has Ben Whitehead as an understudy for Wallace, but Park has yet to decide if he would make another project without Sallis.
Speaking at the 25th anniversary of Leith School of Art, Park said: "He's not too well. It's a big question for us, whether to keep going. We have got an understudy who has stepped in sometimes, Ben Whitehead, a young actor in London.
"He actually started off doing the stuff Peter didn't want to do, like video games, or if we needed a voice for an exhibition.
The Oscar-winning animator has said that he is not sure if the series would continue without Wallace voice actor Peter Sallis.
Park said that the 93-year-old actor is "not too well", and suffers from the eye condition macular degeneration. He has not voiced Wallace in four years.
Sallis has Ben Whitehead as an understudy for Wallace, but Park has yet to decide if he would make another project without Sallis.
Speaking at the 25th anniversary of Leith School of Art, Park said: "He's not too well. It's a big question for us, whether to keep going. We have got an understudy who has stepped in sometimes, Ben Whitehead, a young actor in London.
"He actually started off doing the stuff Peter didn't want to do, like video games, or if we needed a voice for an exhibition.
- 5/16/2014
- Digital Spy
Nick Park has revealed that Wallace and Gromit may not return for another adventure.
The Oscar-winning animator has said that he is not sure if the series would continue without Wallace voice actor Peter Sallis.
Park said that the 93-year-old actor is "not too well", and suffers from the eye condition macular degeneration. He has not voiced Wallace in four years.
Sallis has Ben Whitehead as an understudy for Wallace, but Park has yet to decide if he would make another project without Sallis.
Speaking at the 25th anniversary of Leith School of Art, Park said: "He's not too well. It's a big question for us, whether to keep going. We have got an understudy who has stepped in sometimes, Ben Whitehead, a young actor in London.
"He actually started off doing the stuff Peter didn't want to do, like video games, or if we needed a voice for an exhibition.
The Oscar-winning animator has said that he is not sure if the series would continue without Wallace voice actor Peter Sallis.
Park said that the 93-year-old actor is "not too well", and suffers from the eye condition macular degeneration. He has not voiced Wallace in four years.
Sallis has Ben Whitehead as an understudy for Wallace, but Park has yet to decide if he would make another project without Sallis.
Speaking at the 25th anniversary of Leith School of Art, Park said: "He's not too well. It's a big question for us, whether to keep going. We have got an understudy who has stepped in sometimes, Ben Whitehead, a young actor in London.
"He actually started off doing the stuff Peter didn't want to do, like video games, or if we needed a voice for an exhibition.
- 5/16/2014
- Digital Spy
Any old iron? Geezer Jack Bauer is back in London, and lots of people don't like him. Here's our review of Live Another Day's latest...
Review
This review contains spoilers.
I learned a lot about London from watching the third episode of 24: Live Another Day. I'm not a Londoner, although end up visiting the place fairly regularly, and there are some elements of London life I've clearly overlooked.
Firstly, I learned when entering a seemingly empty pub, a cockney geezer of a landlord will instantly greet me and tell me that "I'll be with you in a minute, mate". I half expected the camera to pan round and zoom in on Chas and Dave enjoying a shandy.
Perhaps of more use is what 24: Live Another Day teaches us about the London transportation system. Foolishly, I'd assumed that the quickest way to get from one underground station to another was on an underground train.
Review
This review contains spoilers.
I learned a lot about London from watching the third episode of 24: Live Another Day. I'm not a Londoner, although end up visiting the place fairly regularly, and there are some elements of London life I've clearly overlooked.
Firstly, I learned when entering a seemingly empty pub, a cockney geezer of a landlord will instantly greet me and tell me that "I'll be with you in a minute, mate". I half expected the camera to pan round and zoom in on Chas and Dave enjoying a shandy.
Perhaps of more use is what 24: Live Another Day teaches us about the London transportation system. Foolishly, I'd assumed that the quickest way to get from one underground station to another was on an underground train.
- 5/14/2014
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
Gromit was a cat, Wallace had a moustache, and their first adventure was meant to be like Star Wars – but with cheese. Nick Park and Peter Lord on creating a British classic
Nick Park, creator
As soon as I started filming A Grand Day Out, the first Wallace and Gromit animation, I realised I was making a film about my dad. He loved tinkering about in the shed. He didn't look like Wallace, but somehow I could see him in his eyes – although my dad's eyes didn't meet in the middle, of course.
It was 1982 and, back then, Wallace had no eyebrows, hardly any cheeks and a moustache. And Gromit was embarrassing: he had a nose like a banana, or a cross between a banana and a pear. When Peter Sallis, who voices Wallace, said "No cheeeese, Gromit" for the first time, I realised how wide and toothy I was...
Nick Park, creator
As soon as I started filming A Grand Day Out, the first Wallace and Gromit animation, I realised I was making a film about my dad. He loved tinkering about in the shed. He didn't look like Wallace, but somehow I could see him in his eyes – although my dad's eyes didn't meet in the middle, of course.
It was 1982 and, back then, Wallace had no eyebrows, hardly any cheeks and a moustache. And Gromit was embarrassing: he had a nose like a banana, or a cross between a banana and a pear. When Peter Sallis, who voices Wallace, said "No cheeeese, Gromit" for the first time, I realised how wide and toothy I was...
- 3/4/2014
- by Kate Abbott
- The Guardian - Film News
With I, Frankenstein in theatres, The Creature is sure to be on a lot of people's minds; and if you're in the UK, you'll soon get a chance to check out Michael Sarrazin in the role when 1970's TV movie Frankenstein: The True Story finally arrives to your shores.
One of the most acclaimed versions of Mary Shelley’s classic tale, Frankenstein: The True Story, featuring a stellar all-star cast including James Mason and Leonard Whiting, makes its UK DVD debut on 10 March 2014 thanks to Second Sight Films.
Originally airing on NBC in 1973, this much lauded film also stars David McCallum ("The Man From U.N.C.L.E."), Jane Seymour ("Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman"), Tom Baker ("Doctor Who"), Ralph Richardson (Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes), John Gielgud (Ghandi), Peter Sallis (Last of the Summer Wine), and Michael Sarrazin (They Shoot Horses, Don't They?; Feardotcom) as The Creature.
Synopsis:
In 19th century England,...
One of the most acclaimed versions of Mary Shelley’s classic tale, Frankenstein: The True Story, featuring a stellar all-star cast including James Mason and Leonard Whiting, makes its UK DVD debut on 10 March 2014 thanks to Second Sight Films.
Originally airing on NBC in 1973, this much lauded film also stars David McCallum ("The Man From U.N.C.L.E."), Jane Seymour ("Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman"), Tom Baker ("Doctor Who"), Ralph Richardson (Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes), John Gielgud (Ghandi), Peter Sallis (Last of the Summer Wine), and Michael Sarrazin (They Shoot Horses, Don't They?; Feardotcom) as The Creature.
Synopsis:
In 19th century England,...
- 1/27/2014
- by Debi Moore
- DreadCentral.com
Kieran Kinsella
Appropriately enough for this time of year, Acorn Media’s latest batch of DVD releases includes The Fall. It’s a Belfast based psychological crime drama in which Dsi Stella Gibson attempts to hunt down a sadistic serial killer who seems to delight in deviousness. Somewhat unusually for a crime drama, the killer is identified fairly early on as Paul Spector. Thereafter, Spector and Gibson become embroiled in a game of cat and mouse that lasts through five suspensful episodes. The relationship between Spector and Gibson is similar to the one involving Hannibal Lector and Clarice except for the fact that Lector was banged up while Spector is on the loose.
X-Files actress Gillian Anderson takes on the role of Gibson and she seems quite at home on British TV these days having enjoyed success in recent hits such as Great Expectations. Her nemesis is the rather less...
Appropriately enough for this time of year, Acorn Media’s latest batch of DVD releases includes The Fall. It’s a Belfast based psychological crime drama in which Dsi Stella Gibson attempts to hunt down a sadistic serial killer who seems to delight in deviousness. Somewhat unusually for a crime drama, the killer is identified fairly early on as Paul Spector. Thereafter, Spector and Gibson become embroiled in a game of cat and mouse that lasts through five suspensful episodes. The relationship between Spector and Gibson is similar to the one involving Hannibal Lector and Clarice except for the fact that Lector was banged up while Spector is on the loose.
X-Files actress Gillian Anderson takes on the role of Gibson and she seems quite at home on British TV these days having enjoyed success in recent hits such as Great Expectations. Her nemesis is the rather less...
- 10/18/2013
- by Edited by K Kinsella
By Gary Young
Doctor Who - The Ice Warriors (Rrp £20.42, released August 26, 2013)
With the Doctor Who publicity juggernaut grinding remorselessly towards the 50th anniversary celebrations, the programme's past is being highlighted like never before.
The latest classic story to be dusted off and lovingly restored is the Patrick Troughton epic The Ice Warriors.
With two episodes missing from the BBC archives, previous releases have always been unsatisfying - but the sterling work of the Doctor Who restoration team in animating the missing segments to the surrounding soundtrack result in an effect similar to replacing a missing tooth in a much-loved smile.
Patrick Troughton has always been the Doctor's Doctor - all subsequent actors who have taken on the role seem to fall over themselves to praise his performance.
Following the irascible anti-hero first Doctor William Hartnell, Troughton set the template of the kindly, gentle but morally-driven Time Lord - and...
Doctor Who - The Ice Warriors (Rrp £20.42, released August 26, 2013)
With the Doctor Who publicity juggernaut grinding remorselessly towards the 50th anniversary celebrations, the programme's past is being highlighted like never before.
The latest classic story to be dusted off and lovingly restored is the Patrick Troughton epic The Ice Warriors.
With two episodes missing from the BBC archives, previous releases have always been unsatisfying - but the sterling work of the Doctor Who restoration team in animating the missing segments to the surrounding soundtrack result in an effect similar to replacing a missing tooth in a much-loved smile.
Patrick Troughton has always been the Doctor's Doctor - all subsequent actors who have taken on the role seem to fall over themselves to praise his performance.
Following the irascible anti-hero first Doctor William Hartnell, Troughton set the template of the kindly, gentle but morally-driven Time Lord - and...
- 8/25/2013
- by David Bentley
- The Geek Files
Hollywood has often been described as "The Dream Factory," but when it comes to animated movies cartoonists can fudge the line between a dream romantic coupling and a laughable OkCupid date gone wrong.
Be it chunky monkey Ray Winstone sexing up Angelina Jolie in "Beowulf" or Meryl Streep winding up Mrs. George Clooney in "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" (which even she admitted was hilarious), there are many examples of said pairings — and here are ten more for you to fantasize about.
1. Ray Romano and Queen Latifah, "Ice Age: The Meltdown" (2006)
With her sassy boisterousness and his whiney timidity, Latifah and Romano are a match made in … well, somewhere. Their portrayal of wooly mammoths Manny and Ellie in the last three "Ice Age" movies produced not only brilliant chemistry but also a cartoon daughter, Peaches. Whether that vocal chemistry could translate to live-action success remains to be seen … "Bringing Down the House...
Be it chunky monkey Ray Winstone sexing up Angelina Jolie in "Beowulf" or Meryl Streep winding up Mrs. George Clooney in "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" (which even she admitted was hilarious), there are many examples of said pairings — and here are ten more for you to fantasize about.
1. Ray Romano and Queen Latifah, "Ice Age: The Meltdown" (2006)
With her sassy boisterousness and his whiney timidity, Latifah and Romano are a match made in … well, somewhere. Their portrayal of wooly mammoths Manny and Ellie in the last three "Ice Age" movies produced not only brilliant chemistry but also a cartoon daughter, Peaches. Whether that vocal chemistry could translate to live-action success remains to be seen … "Bringing Down the House...
- 7/10/2012
- by Max Evry
- NextMovie
Chicago – Befuddled inventor Wallace and his trusted, oft-exasperated canine companion Gromit deserve to be ranked alongside the greatest comic duos in cinema history. Brought to life by Nick Park’s exuberantly inventive stop-motion animation, Wallace and Gromit are best known for their series of short subjects, including 1993’s “The Wrong Trousers,” which is surely one of the best films ever made.
Audiences hoping to find new adventures for the duo contained within this disc may be initially disappointed by its content. Wallace (voiced again by the inimitable Peter Sallis) and his wordlessly wise pup serve as hosts for this family friendly educational program exploring the modern world of wacky inventions. Consumers leery that this show merely uses bookended skits featuring the popular characters as bait to sell dry scientific lectures can rest easy. “World of Invention” is an excellent six-part series that all ages can embrace.
Blu-ray Rating: 4.5/5.0
It’s...
Audiences hoping to find new adventures for the duo contained within this disc may be initially disappointed by its content. Wallace (voiced again by the inimitable Peter Sallis) and his wordlessly wise pup serve as hosts for this family friendly educational program exploring the modern world of wacky inventions. Consumers leery that this show merely uses bookended skits featuring the popular characters as bait to sell dry scientific lectures can rest easy. “World of Invention” is an excellent six-part series that all ages can embrace.
Blu-ray Rating: 4.5/5.0
It’s...
- 3/28/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Here’s great holiday news: our good friends over at BBC America have given us a ridiculously generous and wonderful prize pack to give away to one of our lucky readers. We want it for ourselves, but since we have to give it away, we hope you win! This prize pack includes Doctor Who Series Six, Part 1 & Series Six, Part 2, The Hour, BBC Holiday Gift Set, a Doctor Who Tardis Mini Set, Doctor Who Suit Shirt, Doctor Who Talking Pen, and a Guinness Baseball Cap. No, we’re not kidding.
Check out all the details on the prizes, and learn how to enter for your chance to win below, and good luck!
SciFiMafia.com & BBC America Holiday Prize Pack
Doctor Who: Series 6 Part 1
Starring: Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, Alex Kingston
Directed by: Julian Simpson, Toby Haynes, Jeremy Webb, Richard Clark
Written by: Steven Moffat, Matthew Graham, Neil Gaiman...
Check out all the details on the prizes, and learn how to enter for your chance to win below, and good luck!
SciFiMafia.com & BBC America Holiday Prize Pack
Doctor Who: Series 6 Part 1
Starring: Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, Alex Kingston
Directed by: Julian Simpson, Toby Haynes, Jeremy Webb, Richard Clark
Written by: Steven Moffat, Matthew Graham, Neil Gaiman...
- 12/5/2011
- by Erin Willard
- ScifiMafia
A merchant witnesses the death of Dracula and scoops up some of his remains, his cloak and an amulet for safe keeping. Years later a trio of respectable gentlemen who are fed up of their bourgeois lifestyle decide to indulge in a bit of black arts.
They meet up with Lord Courtley, one of Dracula’s disciples and together they set about resurrecting the Count. But during the ceremony the gentlemen lose their nerve and bottle it but are unaware that Count Dracula has been brought back to life anyway. Dracula sets out to get revenge on them by targeting their children.
The late 60′s and early 70′s was a testing time for Hammer. With 1968′s Night of the Living Dead bringing a more realistic and downright scary approach to horror, The Exorcist just around the corner and their own films becoming stagnant after hardly changing their formula since the late 50′s,...
They meet up with Lord Courtley, one of Dracula’s disciples and together they set about resurrecting the Count. But during the ceremony the gentlemen lose their nerve and bottle it but are unaware that Count Dracula has been brought back to life anyway. Dracula sets out to get revenge on them by targeting their children.
The late 60′s and early 70′s was a testing time for Hammer. With 1968′s Night of the Living Dead bringing a more realistic and downright scary approach to horror, The Exorcist just around the corner and their own films becoming stagnant after hardly changing their formula since the late 50′s,...
- 8/21/2011
- by Andrew Smith
- DailyDead
The Wallace & Gromit digital comic has a hit a million downloads worldwide, publishers Titan have announced.
The comic was launched as a free iPhone app in November 2009 and has taken the charts by storm, hitting No1 in the UK, Us and Canada free books app store and No3 overall in the free apps chart.
Titan comics editor Andrew James said: "We are really proud that we are the first UK comics publisher to get a million downloads on iTunes, but we aren't stopping there. The new Titan Comics app for iPhone and iPad demonstrates our cutting-edge technology and our diverse range of top-quality comics."
To celebrate this, Titan is releasing new Wallace & Gromit comic adventures via its iPhone and iPad app, including the Wallace & Gromit daily strips originally printed in The Sun.
To download the free app, go to the iTunes store then search Titan Comics.
Wallace & Gromit are the...
The comic was launched as a free iPhone app in November 2009 and has taken the charts by storm, hitting No1 in the UK, Us and Canada free books app store and No3 overall in the free apps chart.
Titan comics editor Andrew James said: "We are really proud that we are the first UK comics publisher to get a million downloads on iTunes, but we aren't stopping there. The new Titan Comics app for iPhone and iPad demonstrates our cutting-edge technology and our diverse range of top-quality comics."
To celebrate this, Titan is releasing new Wallace & Gromit comic adventures via its iPhone and iPad app, including the Wallace & Gromit daily strips originally printed in The Sun.
To download the free app, go to the iTunes store then search Titan Comics.
Wallace & Gromit are the...
- 6/24/2011
- by David Bentley
- The Geek Files
Last of the Summer Wine ended on a series high of 5.5m last night, early viewing figures indicate. 'How Not To Cry At Weddings', which starred Peter Sallis in his 295th episode, attracted 5.31m (23.4%) to BBC One at 8pm, and a further 138k on BBC HD, making the long-running sitcom the second most-watched programme of the night. Not far behind was Heartbeat, which delivered 4.92m (21.5%) to ITV1, benefitting from a Coronation Street lead-in. Martin Clunes's Horsepower followed at 9pm with 4.05m (17.7%) and 104k on ITV1 HD, keeping the majority of its audience from last week. However, it was comprehensively beaten by fellow factual programme Secret Britain on BBC One, which interested 5.03m (22%). Prior to that, a repeat of The Antiques Roadshow gathered up 4.06m (17.5%). BBC Two held up well, as Mountain Gorilla took 1.93m (more)...
- 8/30/2010
- by By Paul Millar
- Digital Spy
Peter Sallis has revealed that The Queen likes watching Last Of The Summer Wine. Sallis, who plays Clegg, revealed that he discovered the news when he was awarded an OBE. "I was tickled pink," he told the Radio Times. "The Queen has something to say to everyone. And as she was sticking the medal on me, she said, 'I love Last Of The Summer Wine. And Waiting For Godot'. "That was all she said. But it was enough, you know. I've been lucky, (more)...
- 8/24/2010
- by By Catriona Wightman
- Digital Spy
The BBC has confirmed that it is axing comedy series Last Of The Summer Wine after 37 years. BBC One controller Jay Hunt promised that the last series, which will air this summer, will provide a "fitting farewell" for the Roy Clarke-penned sitcom. Following the adventures of characters such as Compo (Bill Owen), Nora Batty (Kathy Staff) and Edie Pegden (Thora Hird), the programme has survived for nearly four decades, despite a large number of the cast members passing away and frequent rumours that the show would be pulled off air. The final run will feature long-time cast member Peter Sallis as Norman Clegg, alongside Russ Abbott (Hobbo) and Brian Murphy (Alvin). "It is a testimony to the wit and warmth of the characters (more)...
- 6/2/2010
- by By Alex Fletcher
- Digital Spy
Chicago – In a year where commercial products and prefabricated award bids are being celebrated, it’s refreshing to see two Oscar categories uncorrupted by popular taste. While the short film nominees of 2010 are a mixed bag at best, they offer a splendid variety of fresh artistic visions from around the world. There isn’t a Pixar film in the bunch, though a certain beloved British comedy duo make a welcome return to the category they’ve won twice before.
“The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2010” will have a one-week run at Chicago’s Landmark Century Centre Cinema, beginning Friday, February 19th. They are all well worth checking out, though the animated shorts are considerably more polished and rewarding than the live-action shorts, which often play like teasers for a feature-length work. Each group of five competing shorts will be shown in separate programs, with the animated nominees accompanied by three additional shorts: Poland’s “Kinematograph,...
“The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2010” will have a one-week run at Chicago’s Landmark Century Centre Cinema, beginning Friday, February 19th. They are all well worth checking out, though the animated shorts are considerably more polished and rewarding than the live-action shorts, which often play like teasers for a feature-length work. Each group of five competing shorts will be shown in separate programs, with the animated nominees accompanied by three additional shorts: Poland’s “Kinematograph,...
- 2/19/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
They.ve been to the moon, avoided a thieving penguin, had a close shave, and currently are avoiding demise at the hand of a deranged baker killer. Those to whom I refer are the dim Wallace and his intelligent pooch Gromit. They.re delightful adventures and fans can only glory at them in high definition. Wallace (Peter Sallis) is an absent minded inventor with a penchant for cheese, especially Wensleydale. His constant companion is his dog Gromit, who appears to be the brains of the operation. In their first adventure (A Grand Day Out, 1989), the duo was in need of a holiday and Wallace can.t think of a place to go. That is until he recalls that the moon...
- 9/22/2009
- by Jeff Swindoll
- Monsters and Critics
Last Of The Summer Wine star Peter Sallis has said that a row over politics almost ended the series before it even got started. Sallis told Radio 4's Desert Island Discs that his co-stars Michael Bates and Bill Owen were at odds with each other when they met because of their political alignments. "Michael was slightly to the right of Margaret Thatcher and Bill was slightly to the left of Lenin. Within minutes they were shouting at each other," he said. "Not (more)...
- 5/18/2009
- by By Adam Silverstein
- Digital Spy
The BBC has denied rumours that Last Of The Summer Wine is going to be axed. Producer Alan Jw Bell sparked reports the long-running comedy series may be coming to an end after he was interviewed about the death of cast member Kathy Staff. Staff was one of three remaining members of the original cast alongside Peter Sallis and Jane Freeman. However, a spokesperson for the broadcaster insisted that plans for further (more)...
- 12/18/2008
- by By Alex Fletcher
- Digital Spy
Last Of The Summer Wine actor Peter Sallis has paid tribute to co-star Kathy Staff. Staff, who played battleaxe Nora Batty for 243 episodes of the BBC comedy, died last week at the age of 80. Sallis is now one of only two remaining original cast members. Jane Freeman, who plays Ivy, is the second. Speaking about the late actress, he said: "I'm terribly upset that she's not with us, and I don't know quite for sure whether we are going to do any more [episodes]. (more)...
- 12/16/2008
- by By Alex Fletcher
- Digital Spy
Wallace And Gromit star Peter Sallis has admitted that he had initial misgivings about the famous runaway train chase in The Wrong Trousers. Sallis said that he struggled to understand the appeal of the sequence, which sees Gromit furiously putting down train tracks as he pursues a criminal penguin. He recalled that he confronted creator Nick Park about his concerns, saying: "I remember when I was recording the voice and watching this sequence with Gromit lying down in front of the train laying the track as he went along. I said, 'Look, Nick, this isn't going to work. We can't have him laying the track as it's going along, (more)...
- 11/18/2008
- by By Simon Reynolds
- Digital Spy
Nick Park has revealed that he and Wallace And Gromit star Peter Sallis almost missed out on collecting the Best Animated feature Oscar for Curse Of The Were-Rabbit. The pair attended the 2006 Los Angeles ceremony but found themselves locked out of the Kodak Theatre with Mickey Rooney. "We went to the loo just before our award was announced," Park explained. "We actually got locked out and they wouldn't let us back in. I was panicking with the door person, trying [to get him] to let us in - Peter was having a good chat with Mickey Rooney, who was also locked out." Sallis said that Rooney enquired about doing voice work in (more)...
- 11/17/2008
- by By Simon Reynolds
- Digital Spy
Claymation hit Wallace & Gromit: Curse Of The Were-Rabbit was the big winner at the Annie Awards on Saturday, picking up 10 trophies at the annual animation ceremony. British animator Nick Park and co-director Steve Box picked up a collection of accolades, including Best Animated Feature, Character Design in an Animated Feature Production, Directing in an Animated Feature Production and Writing in an Animated Feature Production, while Peter Sallis was honored for Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production for providing the voice to barmy inventor Wallace. TV cartoon Family Guy picked up two awards, including Directing in an Animated Television Production for the "North by North Quahog" episode for Peter Shin and Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production for Seth MacFarlane, who voiced tormented tot Stewie. Other winners chosen by the International Animated Film Society at the Glendale, California ceremony, included Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has A Glitch for Best Home Entertainment Program; Star Wars: Clone Wars, Chapters 21-2 for Best Animated Television Production and Ultimate Spider-Man for Best Animated Video Game.
- 2/6/2006
- WENN
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