Starting with “Rebel-‘Rouser” in 1958, Duane Eddy’s instrumental hits from the early rock & roll era made the guitar the star of the show. On that song and those to follow, like “Peter Gunn,” “Cannonball,” and “Forty Miles of Bad Road,” Eddy used vibrato and lent his guitar a deep sound by emphasizing bass strings. In doing so, he influenced an entire incoming generation of guitar players — including Bruce Springsteen, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, and John Fogerty. After the news of Eddy’s death was announced on Wednesday — he died...
- 5/2/2024
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
It’s certainly a good time to be a Taskmaster fan. Series 15 had one of the best casts yet, becoming an instant fan favourite (and making the top 5 of our series ranking), and series 16 has a seriously promising line-up. Channel 4 has confirmed we’re getting at least six more series of Taskmaster-y goodness over the next three years, and the show is even getting its first spin-off: Junior Taskmaster, fronted by former Taskmaster alumni Rose Matafeo and Mike Wozniak.
Now that Junior Taskmaster is confirmed, there’s been a rumour that there’s a second spin-off on the way: the culinary-themed Foodmaster. If rumours in The Sun are true (!), there’s a pilot in the works already for this foodie version of the show, but Greg Davies and Alex Horne aren’t on the menu.
What if this is true and – more importantly – what if this is just the start?...
Now that Junior Taskmaster is confirmed, there’s been a rumour that there’s a second spin-off on the way: the culinary-themed Foodmaster. If rumours in The Sun are true (!), there’s a pilot in the works already for this foodie version of the show, but Greg Davies and Alex Horne aren’t on the menu.
What if this is true and – more importantly – what if this is just the start?...
- 7/10/2023
- by Lauravickersgreen
- Den of Geek
Be Prepared to Get Mean at the Nitehawk Cinema
Ferdinando Baldi’s Get Mean (1975), which stars Tony Anthony, Lloyd Battista, Raf Baldassarre, Diana Lorys, David Dreyer, Mirta Miller, Sherman ‘Big Train’ Bergman, and Raul Castro, will screen Monday, October 26, 2015 at 7:30 pm at the Nitehawk Cinema in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Following the screening, there will be a scheduled Q&A with actor Tony Anthony and Executive ...
Hnn | Horrornews.net - Official News Site...
Ferdinando Baldi’s Get Mean (1975), which stars Tony Anthony, Lloyd Battista, Raf Baldassarre, Diana Lorys, David Dreyer, Mirta Miller, Sherman ‘Big Train’ Bergman, and Raul Castro, will screen Monday, October 26, 2015 at 7:30 pm at the Nitehawk Cinema in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Following the screening, there will be a scheduled Q&A with actor Tony Anthony and Executive ...
Hnn | Horrornews.net - Official News Site...
- 10/20/2015
- by Jonathan Stryker
- Horror News
Julia Davis has recorded a pilot for new Channel 4 comedy Morning Has Broken.
The star of the British Comedy Award-winning Hunderby and Nighty Night writes and stars in the show.
According to Radio Times, the dark comedy veteran plays a breakfast show host alongside co-writer Nick Mohammed.
The Morning Has Broken pilot is not expected to be broadcast.
Davis has also appeared in Gavin and Stacey, Big Train and contributed to Chris Morris's radio series Blue Jam and its TV spinoff Jam.
Watch the trailer for Hunderby below:...
The star of the British Comedy Award-winning Hunderby and Nighty Night writes and stars in the show.
According to Radio Times, the dark comedy veteran plays a breakfast show host alongside co-writer Nick Mohammed.
The Morning Has Broken pilot is not expected to be broadcast.
Davis has also appeared in Gavin and Stacey, Big Train and contributed to Chris Morris's radio series Blue Jam and its TV spinoff Jam.
Watch the trailer for Hunderby below:...
- 7/15/2014
- Digital Spy
Produced as a feature – 4 TV half-hours – and as a 13 episode web series, Sos: Save Our Skins is the tale of two hapless British geeks who wake up in New York City to discover that the entire human race has vanished. But as they explore the seemingly empty world before them, Ben (Nat Saunders) and Stephen (Chris Hayward) soon realize they’re not alone after all. This new comedy sci-fi adventure launched on FEARnet in the U.S. in April on its new “Twisted Comedy” block and on Blue Ant Media’s Bite TV in Canada. This U.K.-Canada coproduction was produced by Steve Coogan and Henry Normal’s Baby Cow Productions in the U.K. and by Duopoly in Canada.
“We discovered Sos: Save Our Skins in a pitch session at the Just For Laughs Conference and were determined to find a way to finance it,” said Catherine Tait , Executive Producer. “Co-productions are challenging but in the case of Sos, the talent and final results were entirely worth the effort!”
Sos: Save Our Skins was created, written by and stars two of Britain’s in-demand comedy writing teams, Nat Saunders and Chris Hayward. Together they have contributed to hit U.K. shows such as Big Train (BBC), Smack the Pony (Channel 4), Trollied (Sky) and Fit (Cbbc), and created the popular web series Misey Bear(BBC). Sos also stars Hannah Spear (Versus Valerie, Sexy Nerd Girl) as Kill the cannibal and Peter Serafinowicz (Shaun of the Dead, Guardians of the Galaxy) as the voice of Andrew the Alien.
A sci-fi, comedy and horror homage, Sos: Save Our Skins sends Ben and Stephen on a desperate journey to find their loved ones, escape the jaws of death and work out why they’re two of the few remaining people on Earth. But the answer to the mystery is bigger, crazier and more apocalyptic than they could ever have imagined, and it puts the fate of the planet into their very stupid hands.
“Sos: Save Our Skins is part road movie, part sci-fi fantasy, part buddy movie, and even has a twisted love story at its heart, even if one of the lovers is a mass-murderer,” said Director and Producer, Kent Sobey.
The film version of Sos: Save Our Skins premiered at the 39th Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival in February, where Sorespot Movies observed, “[it] does not hold back with the comedy or the wildness of the plot”. The film also screened at the International Horror and Sci-fi Film Festival in Phoenix and the Sci-Fi London Film Festival (April 24 – May 4, 2014). It will screen at the St. Tropez International Film Festival (May 12 – 16, 2014).
The film was produced in association with the Independent Production Fund and with the participation of BBC Worldwide in the UK, FEARnet in the U.S. and Blue Ant Media in Canada.
About Fearnet
As America’s leading television and digital programming service devoted to genre entertainment, Fearnet delivers a diverse array of original and acquired horror, thriller and suspense content as a cable TV movie network, a video-on-demand outlet and award-winning web portal. The year-round horror network features box-office hits and popular movies from major film studios, independents, and foreign producers, as the channel programs over 350-plus titles a year; many of which are world television and broadcast premieres. The Channel has been the number-one free VOD movie service for six straight months – Sept. 13 to Feb. ’14- (available in more than 28 million homes) and the website, Fearnet.com, currently ranks as the top site in the genre category for its original content, TV reviews, web shorts and exclusives. Fearnet is a partnership between Sony Pictures Television, Lionsgate Entertainment and Comcast Corporation and is widely distributed to U.S. cable subscribers across various systems. For more information about the company, visit www.Fearnet.com and stay connected on Facebook and Twitter (@Fearnet).
About Baby Cow Productions
Established in 1999 by award winning comedy creators Steve Coogan and Henry Normal, Baby Cow Productions Ltd has gained an enviable reputation for nurturing new British comedy talent, whilst teaming up with the best of the U.K.’s established writers, directors and producers. Baby Cow’s productions include award winning Gavin and Stacey, The Mighty Boosh, Nighty Night, Mid Morning Matters, Hunderby, Moone Boy, Hebburn and the Alan Partridge specials resulting in an array of nominations and awards including Bafta, Rts, Rose d’Or, Southbank Awards and International Emmys.
Baby Cow’s most recent television shows and films include Uncle for BBC 3, The Trip to Italy, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa and Philomena which received four Oscar nominations including Best Picture and won a BAFTA for Best Adapted Screenplay.
About Duopoly
Duopoly is an independent content company which develops, produces and acts as a sales agent to a range of feature film properties, television series and digital series. Recent feature titles repped by Duopoly include Velcrow Ripper’s Occupy Love and Andrew Bush’s Roller Town. Duopoly operates its own channel on Hulu and has distributed over 300 episodes of content to this platform including successful comedy series Odd Job Jack and Puppets Who Kill.
“We discovered Sos: Save Our Skins in a pitch session at the Just For Laughs Conference and were determined to find a way to finance it,” said Catherine Tait , Executive Producer. “Co-productions are challenging but in the case of Sos, the talent and final results were entirely worth the effort!”
Sos: Save Our Skins was created, written by and stars two of Britain’s in-demand comedy writing teams, Nat Saunders and Chris Hayward. Together they have contributed to hit U.K. shows such as Big Train (BBC), Smack the Pony (Channel 4), Trollied (Sky) and Fit (Cbbc), and created the popular web series Misey Bear(BBC). Sos also stars Hannah Spear (Versus Valerie, Sexy Nerd Girl) as Kill the cannibal and Peter Serafinowicz (Shaun of the Dead, Guardians of the Galaxy) as the voice of Andrew the Alien.
A sci-fi, comedy and horror homage, Sos: Save Our Skins sends Ben and Stephen on a desperate journey to find their loved ones, escape the jaws of death and work out why they’re two of the few remaining people on Earth. But the answer to the mystery is bigger, crazier and more apocalyptic than they could ever have imagined, and it puts the fate of the planet into their very stupid hands.
“Sos: Save Our Skins is part road movie, part sci-fi fantasy, part buddy movie, and even has a twisted love story at its heart, even if one of the lovers is a mass-murderer,” said Director and Producer, Kent Sobey.
The film version of Sos: Save Our Skins premiered at the 39th Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival in February, where Sorespot Movies observed, “[it] does not hold back with the comedy or the wildness of the plot”. The film also screened at the International Horror and Sci-fi Film Festival in Phoenix and the Sci-Fi London Film Festival (April 24 – May 4, 2014). It will screen at the St. Tropez International Film Festival (May 12 – 16, 2014).
The film was produced in association with the Independent Production Fund and with the participation of BBC Worldwide in the UK, FEARnet in the U.S. and Blue Ant Media in Canada.
About Fearnet
As America’s leading television and digital programming service devoted to genre entertainment, Fearnet delivers a diverse array of original and acquired horror, thriller and suspense content as a cable TV movie network, a video-on-demand outlet and award-winning web portal. The year-round horror network features box-office hits and popular movies from major film studios, independents, and foreign producers, as the channel programs over 350-plus titles a year; many of which are world television and broadcast premieres. The Channel has been the number-one free VOD movie service for six straight months – Sept. 13 to Feb. ’14- (available in more than 28 million homes) and the website, Fearnet.com, currently ranks as the top site in the genre category for its original content, TV reviews, web shorts and exclusives. Fearnet is a partnership between Sony Pictures Television, Lionsgate Entertainment and Comcast Corporation and is widely distributed to U.S. cable subscribers across various systems. For more information about the company, visit www.Fearnet.com and stay connected on Facebook and Twitter (@Fearnet).
About Baby Cow Productions
Established in 1999 by award winning comedy creators Steve Coogan and Henry Normal, Baby Cow Productions Ltd has gained an enviable reputation for nurturing new British comedy talent, whilst teaming up with the best of the U.K.’s established writers, directors and producers. Baby Cow’s productions include award winning Gavin and Stacey, The Mighty Boosh, Nighty Night, Mid Morning Matters, Hunderby, Moone Boy, Hebburn and the Alan Partridge specials resulting in an array of nominations and awards including Bafta, Rts, Rose d’Or, Southbank Awards and International Emmys.
Baby Cow’s most recent television shows and films include Uncle for BBC 3, The Trip to Italy, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa and Philomena which received four Oscar nominations including Best Picture and won a BAFTA for Best Adapted Screenplay.
About Duopoly
Duopoly is an independent content company which develops, produces and acts as a sales agent to a range of feature film properties, television series and digital series. Recent feature titles repped by Duopoly include Velcrow Ripper’s Occupy Love and Andrew Bush’s Roller Town. Duopoly operates its own channel on Hulu and has distributed over 300 episodes of content to this platform including successful comedy series Odd Job Jack and Puppets Who Kill.
- 5/6/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
BBC Two is 50 - the British Broadcasting Corporation's second eldest child hits the half-century mark today - Sunday, April 20.
Picking out the greatest shows from five decades of broadcasting seems like a near-impossible task, but never say that Digital Spy is easily cowed. These are - in our humble opinion - the channel's finest ever offerings.
BBC Two is 50: The Hour, Bottom and more shows to bring back
The rules are as follows: shows like Red Dwarf that originated on BBC Two are eligible, but shows better associated with another channel are not - say Top of the Pops, which aired on BBC One for the majority of its run but shifted to the sister channel for its final episodes.
Oh, and we're talking only original commissions - so no Us imports either. But even that barely narrows it down, so if you think there are any glaring omissions,...
Picking out the greatest shows from five decades of broadcasting seems like a near-impossible task, but never say that Digital Spy is easily cowed. These are - in our humble opinion - the channel's finest ever offerings.
BBC Two is 50: The Hour, Bottom and more shows to bring back
The rules are as follows: shows like Red Dwarf that originated on BBC Two are eligible, but shows better associated with another channel are not - say Top of the Pops, which aired on BBC One for the majority of its run but shifted to the sister channel for its final episodes.
Oh, and we're talking only original commissions - so no Us imports either. But even that barely narrows it down, so if you think there are any glaring omissions,...
- 4/20/2014
- Digital Spy
Running a successful television show is a bit like being in a relationship. Every time you achieve one significant milestone, the question immediately evolves into how will you achieve the next.
"You're dating? When are you getting engaged? You're engaged? When are you getting married? You're married? When are you having kids?
"You're greenlit? When are you going to series? You have a premiere date? When's your finale? You're renewed? How will your show end?"
That's the unavoidable question currently facing the cast and crew of AMC's Emmy-winning Breaking Bad, which returns with its final 8 episodes on August 11. All involved have been understandably mum on Walter White's final stand (although we do know it will involve a trunk full of weaponry), but in the August issue of GQ, coverboy Bryan Cranston -- and Bb creator Vince Gilligan -- open up, a bit, about their series finale.
Video - Behind Breaking Bad's Big Train Heist
"We sat around...
"You're dating? When are you getting engaged? You're engaged? When are you getting married? You're married? When are you having kids?
"You're greenlit? When are you going to series? You have a premiere date? When's your finale? You're renewed? How will your show end?"
That's the unavoidable question currently facing the cast and crew of AMC's Emmy-winning Breaking Bad, which returns with its final 8 episodes on August 11. All involved have been understandably mum on Walter White's final stand (although we do know it will involve a trunk full of weaponry), but in the August issue of GQ, coverboy Bryan Cranston -- and Bb creator Vince Gilligan -- open up, a bit, about their series finale.
Video - Behind Breaking Bad's Big Train Heist
"We sat around...
- 7/16/2013
- Entertainment Tonight
The BBC's remake of The Lady Vanishes distanced itself rather too well from Hitchcock's classic film
The Lady Vanishes (BBC1) | iPlayer
It's Kevin (BBC2) | iPlayer
Our Queen (ITV1) | ITV Player
Who can say why the BBC suddenly decided to remake The Lady Vanishes, though it must have seemed a fair bet that only film buffs – and perhaps not the ones in the habit of dropping by for Call the Midwife at this time on a Sunday night – would remember more than the opening credits of the original 1938 Hitchcock adaptation (scrolling jerkily over a railway hobbyist's layout of a station and hotel nestling in the snow-capped Balkans, which must have looked almost real at the time). In the event they avoided plot familiarity by cunningly going back to the forgotten 1936 novel (The Wheel Spins) by Ethel White, thus dispensing with Hitchcock's gunfight at the end, his comic characters and egregiously providential turns of fortune.
The Lady Vanishes (BBC1) | iPlayer
It's Kevin (BBC2) | iPlayer
Our Queen (ITV1) | ITV Player
Who can say why the BBC suddenly decided to remake The Lady Vanishes, though it must have seemed a fair bet that only film buffs – and perhaps not the ones in the habit of dropping by for Call the Midwife at this time on a Sunday night – would remember more than the opening credits of the original 1938 Hitchcock adaptation (scrolling jerkily over a railway hobbyist's layout of a station and hotel nestling in the snow-capped Balkans, which must have looked almost real at the time). In the event they avoided plot familiarity by cunningly going back to the forgotten 1936 novel (The Wheel Spins) by Ethel White, thus dispensing with Hitchcock's gunfight at the end, his comic characters and egregiously providential turns of fortune.
- 3/24/2013
- by Phil Hogan
- The Guardian - Film News
Kevin Eldon is a cult comedy legend. His CV is essentially a lengthy must-watch list of the funniest British TV from the last 20 years, which includes (to name just a few) Brass Eye, I'm Alan Partridge, Black Books, Big Train, Fist of Fun and Spaced.
Eldon has finally been granted his own solo sketch show by the BBC to allow his surreal comedy juices to run wild and the first clips showcase his unique, eye-catching style.
Watch two clips from It's Kevin:
The intro song to It's Kevin:
An gripping instalment of 'Shoe Shop' from It's Kevin:
It's Kevin, which features six episodes, starts on Sunday, March 17 at 10.30pm.
Eldon has finally been granted his own solo sketch show by the BBC to allow his surreal comedy juices to run wild and the first clips showcase his unique, eye-catching style.
Watch two clips from It's Kevin:
The intro song to It's Kevin:
An gripping instalment of 'Shoe Shop' from It's Kevin:
It's Kevin, which features six episodes, starts on Sunday, March 17 at 10.30pm.
- 3/13/2013
- Digital Spy
She's Anna, she's Katy, and together they are Anna and Katy!
A couple of years after their well-received Comedy Lab, Anna Crilly and Katy Wix have finally got their own full-length sketch show, which starts this Wednesday on Channel 4.
As big fans of sketch, Digital Spy were very excited to sit down with the duo to quiz them about comedy, controversy, and sharing an award nomination with Rylan Clark. Here's what they had to say.
When did you decide to start doing sketch together?
Anna: "We met doing stand-up in 2003 and we weren't very good at it! Either of us. We both thought each other were funny."
Katy: "Dreadful... I hadn't really seen any comedy, that was my problem."
Anna: "I certainly wasn't ready to do an hour of stand-up at Edinburgh the following year. So I said to old Wixy, 'Let's get together and do some sketches'. And the rest is herstory.
A couple of years after their well-received Comedy Lab, Anna Crilly and Katy Wix have finally got their own full-length sketch show, which starts this Wednesday on Channel 4.
As big fans of sketch, Digital Spy were very excited to sit down with the duo to quiz them about comedy, controversy, and sharing an award nomination with Rylan Clark. Here's what they had to say.
When did you decide to start doing sketch together?
Anna: "We met doing stand-up in 2003 and we weren't very good at it! Either of us. We both thought each other were funny."
Katy: "Dreadful... I hadn't really seen any comedy, that was my problem."
Anna: "I certainly wasn't ready to do an hour of stand-up at Edinburgh the following year. So I said to old Wixy, 'Let's get together and do some sketches'. And the rest is herstory.
- 3/4/2013
- Digital Spy
"I want your Psycho, your Vertigo shtick. Want you in my Rear Window, baby you're sick..."
Without a shadow of a doubt, those lyrics from Lady GaGa's megahit 'Bad Romance' show how The Master of Suspense's legacy continues to leave popular culture spellbound.
With new movie Hitchcock being released in the UK, starring Anthony Hopkins as the British director, we look at the best homages, imitations and parodies derived from the work of the man who inspired so much...
The Simpsons
Matt Groening's cartoon is renowned for its cinematic homages, which have included numerous nods to Hitchcock. The finest is this recreation of the iconic shower scene from Psycho...
Pulp Fiction
Contrast the sequence of Bruce Willis's boxer Butch driving and stopping at the traffic lights after pulling off a big money swindle, with Psycho's Marion Crane driving and stopping at the traffic lights after pulling off a big money swindle.
Without a shadow of a doubt, those lyrics from Lady GaGa's megahit 'Bad Romance' show how The Master of Suspense's legacy continues to leave popular culture spellbound.
With new movie Hitchcock being released in the UK, starring Anthony Hopkins as the British director, we look at the best homages, imitations and parodies derived from the work of the man who inspired so much...
The Simpsons
Matt Groening's cartoon is renowned for its cinematic homages, which have included numerous nods to Hitchcock. The finest is this recreation of the iconic shower scene from Psycho...
Pulp Fiction
Contrast the sequence of Bruce Willis's boxer Butch driving and stopping at the traffic lights after pulling off a big money swindle, with Psycho's Marion Crane driving and stopping at the traffic lights after pulling off a big money swindle.
- 2/7/2013
- Digital Spy
Not the kind you wear in the summer – check out five of the best short films from UK film-makers, and recommend your favourites
Laurence Boyce is a film journalist and programmer of various short film festivals in the UK and Europe. Follow him on Twitter @LaurenceBoyce or find him at laurenceboyce.weebly.com
"Short films eh? They're just practice before you make a real film."
In my career as a short film programmer, the above is a phrase I hear with depressing regularity. Sure, many directors make shorts before they make feature films (including Mike Leigh, Martin Scorsese and Stanley Kubrick) but to dismiss them as "practice" would seem a bit unfair. Nobody says Kafka's short stories are rubbish because they're not the length of a novel.
A short film is an art form in its own right and to make a great short requires innate skill and immense talent.
Laurence Boyce is a film journalist and programmer of various short film festivals in the UK and Europe. Follow him on Twitter @LaurenceBoyce or find him at laurenceboyce.weebly.com
"Short films eh? They're just practice before you make a real film."
In my career as a short film programmer, the above is a phrase I hear with depressing regularity. Sure, many directors make shorts before they make feature films (including Mike Leigh, Martin Scorsese and Stanley Kubrick) but to dismiss them as "practice" would seem a bit unfair. Nobody says Kafka's short stories are rubbish because they're not the length of a novel.
A short film is an art form in its own right and to make a great short requires innate skill and immense talent.
- 2/7/2013
- by Guardian readers
- The Guardian - Film News
Jungleboys’ A Moody Christmas
Production company Jungleboys is seeking writers for a new sketch show commissioned by the ABC.
Destined for ABC1, the as yet untitled sketch show follows the critical success of the company’s first long-form series A Moody Christmas, which has just finished airing on ABC1.
Founder and executive producer Jason Burrows told Encore: “Probably the closest reference is Big Train, a British sketch show based on good performances from actors rather than just writers getting in front of the camera.
“The idea is pure sketch with no device or themes and ideas that are clever and interesting. You won’t see parodies or impersonations, or topical issues. That being said comedy will always override any rules we’ve set.”
With the series still in development Burrows couldn’t confirm how many half-hour episodes have been ordered.
Burrows did add: “Obviously we’ve been doing sketches for...
Production company Jungleboys is seeking writers for a new sketch show commissioned by the ABC.
Destined for ABC1, the as yet untitled sketch show follows the critical success of the company’s first long-form series A Moody Christmas, which has just finished airing on ABC1.
Founder and executive producer Jason Burrows told Encore: “Probably the closest reference is Big Train, a British sketch show based on good performances from actors rather than just writers getting in front of the camera.
“The idea is pure sketch with no device or themes and ideas that are clever and interesting. You won’t see parodies or impersonations, or topical issues. That being said comedy will always override any rules we’ve set.”
With the series still in development Burrows couldn’t confirm how many half-hour episodes have been ordered.
Burrows did add: “Obviously we’ve been doing sketches for...
- 12/11/2012
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
Julia Davis is famous for creating some of the most uncomfortably bleak comedies of recent times. Now the star of Nighty Night is turning her dark powers to period drama in her new series Hunderby
The writer and performer Julia Davis is too good-natured to show it much, but she's plainly exasperated by descriptions of her work as "bleak" or "dark". They make it sound as if she's deliberately trying to be edgy, and this doesn't chime with her sense of herself. She enjoys watching old episodes of Friends, she insists; she's partial to 1980s movies and upbeat self-help books, and when she writes, she just writes what comes naturally. "I would never say, ooh, let's do something really dark," she says. Yet she is responsible for what are, without doubt, some of the most unsettling characters in contemporary comedy: smiling suburban sociopaths; meddlesome cold-eyed narcissists; horrifyingly mistreated spouses whose...
The writer and performer Julia Davis is too good-natured to show it much, but she's plainly exasperated by descriptions of her work as "bleak" or "dark". They make it sound as if she's deliberately trying to be edgy, and this doesn't chime with her sense of herself. She enjoys watching old episodes of Friends, she insists; she's partial to 1980s movies and upbeat self-help books, and when she writes, she just writes what comes naturally. "I would never say, ooh, let's do something really dark," she says. Yet she is responsible for what are, without doubt, some of the most unsettling characters in contemporary comedy: smiling suburban sociopaths; meddlesome cold-eyed narcissists; horrifyingly mistreated spouses whose...
- 8/10/2012
- by Oliver Burkeman
- The Guardian - Film News
The best Fast and Furious film is finally available on Blu-ray and has tons of things for action junkies to love. After four films about trading pinks with bad guys this latest installment, “Fast Five,” really took the franchise in a bigger, badder and ballsier direction. I have never been a huge fan of the other films, enjoying them as decent guilty pleasure fare, but this movie was an action film lovers dream. A heist film at its core it felt more like “Italian Job 2″ than a F&F film. I especially loved a car chase pulling a vault through Rio de Janeiro, a great fight between Diesel and the Rock and there of course is slight bits of comedy too.
Director Justin Lin and director of photography Stephen F. Windon did a phenomenal job transforming Puerto Rico into a feux version of Rio de Janeiro and the 1080p presentation of every car zooming,...
Director Justin Lin and director of photography Stephen F. Windon did a phenomenal job transforming Puerto Rico into a feux version of Rio de Janeiro and the 1080p presentation of every car zooming,...
- 10/13/2011
- by Kevin Coll
- FusedFilm
Tracy-Ann Oberman has expressed her frustration at being confused with fellow TV star Alex Kingston. The actress, who is known for her work on EastEnders, Big Train and Doctors, has seemingly been mistaken for Kingston by people on Twitter. "Ffs why oh why am I still being inundated with comments questions etc about River Song (sic)," Oberman said on the social networking site. "Altogether now :: I Am Not......" After a number of her followers joked about their physical resemblance, she later quipped: "And now I hear the beauteous Alex is going in to Upstairs Downton...*braces self for Mrs Bridges's (more)...
- 9/26/2011
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
Tracy-Ann Obermnan has expressed her frustration at being confused with fellow TV star Alex Kingston. The actress, who is known for her work on EastEnders, Big Train and Doctors, has seemingly been mistaken for Kingston by people on Twitter. "Ffs why oh why am I still being inundated with comments questions etc about River Song (sic)," Oberman said on the social networking site. "Altogether now :: I Am Not......" After a number of her followers joked about their physical resemblance, she later quipped: "And now I hear the beauteous Alex is going in to Upstairs Downton...*braces self for Mrs Bridges's (more)...
- 9/26/2011
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
The docuspoof/mockumentary format feels curiously old-fashioned suddenly. It’s the perfect approach to take with BBC4′s Twenty Twelve, which charts the efforts of an inept Olympic Deliverance Commission to promote London 2012, but there was something too safe and cozy about the whole endeavour. Almost like it’s a part of the Olympic marketing and, with a future cameo from Lord Sebastian Coe himself, that’s probably half-true. So, rather than deliver a scabrous and insightful criticism of the Olympic Games, Twenty Twelve is just a quietly mocking series that elicits the odd giggle.
“Matthew Pinsent? I don’t even know who that is.” — Siobhan
It’s a shame, because the performances and a good portion of the dialogue are very strong, and the show itself had an engaging momentum to it. Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey) gets to flex his comic muscles as formidable team leader Ian Fletcher, with...
“Matthew Pinsent? I don’t even know who that is.” — Siobhan
It’s a shame, because the performances and a good portion of the dialogue are very strong, and the show itself had an engaging momentum to it. Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey) gets to flex his comic muscles as formidable team leader Ian Fletcher, with...
- 3/15/2011
- by Dan Owen
- Obsessed with Film
Michael Winterbottom enjoyed TV success with his Rob Brydon/Steve Coogan faceoff. Now the promising London to Brighton director could follow a similar path
Could a tiny cultural trend be in the offing? Recently, the British feature director Michael Winterbottom made his debut in the world of television comedy with his wildly popular BBC TV series The Trip, starring Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan as lightly fictionalised versions of themselves, gossiping and squabbling on a huge restaurant-crawl across the north, a double-act spun off from their appearance in Winterbottom's Tristram Shandy movie A Cock And Bull Story.
I recently blogged about the fascinating career of David Gordon Green, the American director who began as a maker of lyrical movies in the manner of Terrence Malick, and now directs and produces the HBO TV comedy Eastbound And Down, starring Danny McBride and Will Ferrell. Now there is a third feature-film maker...
Could a tiny cultural trend be in the offing? Recently, the British feature director Michael Winterbottom made his debut in the world of television comedy with his wildly popular BBC TV series The Trip, starring Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan as lightly fictionalised versions of themselves, gossiping and squabbling on a huge restaurant-crawl across the north, a double-act spun off from their appearance in Winterbottom's Tristram Shandy movie A Cock And Bull Story.
I recently blogged about the fascinating career of David Gordon Green, the American director who began as a maker of lyrical movies in the manner of Terrence Malick, and now directs and produces the HBO TV comedy Eastbound And Down, starring Danny McBride and Will Ferrell. Now there is a third feature-film maker...
- 1/12/2011
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Back for its third year (see the 2010 edition) and bigger than ever, today kicks off the first in a fifteen-part look at the various cinematic releases hitting the U.S. in 2011. Each 'part' contains brief descriptions and editorial opinion/analysis of varying length covering twenty films. Expect the remaining ones to go up between now and the first major releases in mid-January.
Like all cinematic lists set within a timeframe, there's some overlap. Some films here have already opened worldwide but have yet to hit the U.S., some upcoming films you'd expect to be here aren't because they're either still in development or have already announced 2012 release dates, some were on last year's list but got delayed so have been included again (but with all new analysis).
I confined my list to films that have either set 2011 release dates or had begun/completed production, and only films that have...
Like all cinematic lists set within a timeframe, there's some overlap. Some films here have already opened worldwide but have yet to hit the U.S., some upcoming films you'd expect to be here aren't because they're either still in development or have already announced 2012 release dates, some were on last year's list but got delayed so have been included again (but with all new analysis).
I confined my list to films that have either set 2011 release dates or had begun/completed production, and only films that have...
- 12/13/2010
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Back for its third year (see the 2010 edition) and bigger than ever, today kicks off the first in a fifteen-part look at the various cinematic releases hitting the U.S. in 2011. Each 'part' contains brief descriptions and editorial opinion/analysis of varying length covering twenty films. Expect the remaining ones to go up between now and the first major releases in mid-January.
Like all cinematic lists set within a timeframe, there's some overlap. Some films here have already opened worldwide but have yet to hit the U.S., some upcoming films you'd expect to be here aren't because they're either still in development or have already announced 2012 release dates, some were on last year's list but got delayed so have been included again (but with all new analysis).
I confined my list to films that have either set 2011 release dates or had begun/completed production, and only films that have...
Like all cinematic lists set within a timeframe, there's some overlap. Some films here have already opened worldwide but have yet to hit the U.S., some upcoming films you'd expect to be here aren't because they're either still in development or have already announced 2012 release dates, some were on last year's list but got delayed so have been included again (but with all new analysis).
I confined my list to films that have either set 2011 release dates or had begun/completed production, and only films that have...
- 12/13/2010
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
In a time when gross-out comedies are the safe option for most writers Graham Linehan insists on creating what he calls 'Inclusive Comedy'. Iftn spoke with the man who has brought us the three best known members of the Irish parochial community to see what audiences can expect from the upcoming 'Father Ted' documentary, his various ways of writing sitcoms and what his favourite 'Father Ted' episode is. Graham has worked as a writer and director on series such as 'The It Crowd', 'Black Books' and 'Father Ted'. He has furthermore written and directed for sketch shows like 'Big Train', 'Little Britain', 'Jam' and 'The Fast Show'. The Ifta and BAFTA winner has come from his London base across the Irish Sea to take part in a Hat Trick documentary that will be shown on Channel 4 as part...
- 9/1/2010
- IFTN
James Corden has called the sketch show him and comic partner Matt Horne created for BBC Three a "mistake." The show started with strong viewing numbers but got panned by the critics after its debut last year.
In an interview with ShortList magazine the 31-year-old comic said, "I'm not good enough at writing sketches to write a sketch show." Corden also wrote the highly successful "Gavin and Stacey" series, which has become a beloved favorite in the U.K.
The BBC said in December of last year that the second season of the sketch show was on hold, however Corden has said that he wouldn't attempt to write another sketch show in the future. The comic actor explains: "The truth is, honestly, I'm not good enough at writing sketches to write a sketch show. It was a mistake. There's no point in doing something unless it's going to be as...
In an interview with ShortList magazine the 31-year-old comic said, "I'm not good enough at writing sketches to write a sketch show." Corden also wrote the highly successful "Gavin and Stacey" series, which has become a beloved favorite in the U.K.
The BBC said in December of last year that the second season of the sketch show was on hold, however Corden has said that he wouldn't attempt to write another sketch show in the future. The comic actor explains: "The truth is, honestly, I'm not good enough at writing sketches to write a sketch show. It was a mistake. There's no point in doing something unless it's going to be as...
- 3/4/2010
- icelebz.com
James Corden has called the sketch show him and comic partner Matt Horne created for BBC Three a "mistake." The show started with strong viewing numbers but got panned by the critics after its debut last year.
In an interview with ShortList magazine the 31-year-old comic said, "I'm not good enough at writing sketches to write a sketch show." Corden also wrote the highly successful "Gavin and Stacey" series, which has become a beloved favorite in the U.K.
The BBC said in December of last year that the second season of the sketch show was on hold, however Corden has said that he wouldn't attempt to write another sketch show in the future. The comic actor explains: "The truth is, honestly, I'm not good enough at writing sketches to write a sketch show. It was a mistake. There's no point in doing something unless it's going to be as...
In an interview with ShortList magazine the 31-year-old comic said, "I'm not good enough at writing sketches to write a sketch show." Corden also wrote the highly successful "Gavin and Stacey" series, which has become a beloved favorite in the U.K.
The BBC said in December of last year that the second season of the sketch show was on hold, however Corden has said that he wouldn't attempt to write another sketch show in the future. The comic actor explains: "The truth is, honestly, I'm not good enough at writing sketches to write a sketch show. It was a mistake. There's no point in doing something unless it's going to be as...
- 3/4/2010
- icelebz.com
Year: 2009
Directors: Tom Hall
Writers: Arthur Mathews
IMDb: link
Trailer: link
Review by: projectcyclops
Rating: 3 out of 10
I love Ardal O'Hanlon, his performance as Dougal in the sitcom 'Father Ted', is one of the best things about 90's, UK comedy. I love Ewan Bremner, his performance in Trainspotting as the junkie, Spud, is one of the best things about 90's, UK cinema. Why then would both actors agree to star in something that feels like the aborted pilot of the worlds most depressing buddy-comedy?
Myles (O'Hanlon) and Austin (Bremner) are best friends, who agree to work on Ireland's first, and only, famine themed adventure park. It's being run by a crooked businessman, who in turn is being funded by an eccentric, video-art obsessed, middle-aged vamp, who takes every opportunity to flirt with both him, and the two lads. They share a tin hut, in which a lot of the film is set,...
Directors: Tom Hall
Writers: Arthur Mathews
IMDb: link
Trailer: link
Review by: projectcyclops
Rating: 3 out of 10
I love Ardal O'Hanlon, his performance as Dougal in the sitcom 'Father Ted', is one of the best things about 90's, UK comedy. I love Ewan Bremner, his performance in Trainspotting as the junkie, Spud, is one of the best things about 90's, UK cinema. Why then would both actors agree to star in something that feels like the aborted pilot of the worlds most depressing buddy-comedy?
Myles (O'Hanlon) and Austin (Bremner) are best friends, who agree to work on Ireland's first, and only, famine themed adventure park. It's being run by a crooked businessman, who in turn is being funded by an eccentric, video-art obsessed, middle-aged vamp, who takes every opportunity to flirt with both him, and the two lads. They share a tin hut, in which a lot of the film is set,...
- 6/29/2009
- QuietEarth.us
Simon Pegg may be arriving as a bonafide Hollywood movie star this week with the release of How To Lose Friends And Alienate People, but it's been a long and diverse road to leading man status for the 38-year-old Brit. Beginning as a supporting player to Steve Coogan and Bill Bailey, he soon shifted to bigger roles with the sketch show Big Train and his acclaimed pop culture-infused sitcom Spaced. It was Brit comedies Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz, though, that alerted Hollywood to Simon's talents. Read on as we present ten fascinating facts about the British comic actor. 1. A Valentine's Day baby, Simon was born in Gloucester in 1970 to civil servant mum Gillian and jazz musician and keyboard salesman John. 2. Perhaps being influenced by his dad's musical background, Simon made an early bid for rock stardom, drumming in the (more)...
- 10/1/2008
- by By Simon Reynolds
- Digital Spy
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