By Alexa Milan

3.5/5 stars

The U.S. release of “Pirate Radio” has been delayed for months, and when it was finally released Nov. 13, it was dumped quietly at the beginning of awards season. So given its release date issues, I was worried the second film from director Richard Curtis (after 2003’s “Love Actually”) would be a disappointment. But though the film has its flaws, it’s actually quite enjoyable.

“Pirate Radio,” originally titled “The Boat that Rocked,” is a period comedy set against the backdrop of 1960s rock n’ roll. Mainstream British radio stations refuse to play rock music, and pirate stations like Radio Rock broadcast 24 hours a day from boats. When young, inquisitive Carl (Tom Sturridge) gets expelled from school, his mother (Emma Thompson) sends him aboard the Radio Rock ship to stay with his godfather Quentin (Bill Nighy).

Aboard the ship, Carl meets the station’s popular DJs like flamboyant Gavin (Rhys Ifans), flirtatious Dr. Dave (Nick Frost) and rebellious American broadcaster The Count (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Along with the rest of the station’s crew, the men introduce Carl to the rock n’ roll lifestyle.

The movie chronicles Carl’s coming of age experience on the ship and the eclectic gang’s day-to-day misadventures. All the while a conservative government official, Alistair Dormandy (Kenneth Branagh), tries desperately to shut down Radio Rock.

Overall, I really liked this film. The music in fantastic (ranging from The Who to Dusty Springfield), and Curtis captures the rock n’ roll atmosphere of the 1960s very well.

Everyone involved gives great comedic performances, but the standout of the bunch is Hoffman, who, since “Capote,” has quickly become recognized as one of the best actors around. He could sit in front of a camera for two hours with a paper bag over his head and I would still watch it. But the entire ensemble works well together, each character hilariously unique as individuals and as a group.

One of my biggest complaints actually has little to do with the film itself and more to do with its U.S. marketing campaign. The poster and trailers prominently state “inspired by true events.” Elements are loosely based on actual pirate radio stations that existed in 1960s Britain, but other than that, the story is completely fictional. It’s a great story, but it shouldn’t be marketed as fact when most of it is fiction.

Another complaint is the film’s running time, which at 2 hours and 15 minutes is a bit lengthy, especially for a comedy. It’s bearable because the characters are all so much fun to watch, but it nevertheless feels too lengthy at times. The story is also a bit incoherent sometimes, but overall it’s a fun time at the movies.

To all our listeners, this is what I have to say – God bless you all. And as for you bastards in charge, don’t dream it’s over. Years will come, years will go, and politicians will do fuck all to make the world a better place. But all over the world, young men and young women will always dream dreams and put those dreams into song. Nothing important dies tonight, just a few ugly guys on a crappy ship. The only sadness tonight is that, in future years, there’ll be so many fantastic songs that it will not be our privilege to play. But, believe you me, they will still be written, they will still be sung and they will be the wonder of the world.

– The Count

Pirate Radio is Americanized version of the British film, The Boat That Rocked that was released earlier this year across the pond. The television trailer advertised this movie as a single American deejay taking a stand to the British government. That is not entirely true. So much have been cut out that it makes the story boring. It did.

In 1966, radio stations in Britain play less than forty minutes of rock and roll music a day. There is a single boat called Radio Rock in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean that broadcasts 24 hours of rock and roll.

A young man, Carl (Tom Sturridge) is sent to the boat, because he was expelled from school for smoking some grass. His godfather, Quentin (Bill Nighy) is the owner of the pirate radio station. Carl is introduced to the various deejays there like The Count (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Angus (Rhys Darby), Dave (Nick Frost), Simon (Chris O’Dowd), Mark (Tom Wisdom) and Bob (Ralph Brown).

Carl becomes one of the helpers with News John (Will Adamsdale), Thick Kevin (Tom Brooke), Felicity (Katherine Parkinson) and Harold (Ike Hamilton). The pirates want to stand up to the status quo.

The British government wants to shut down the pirate radio station by Sir Alistair Dormandy (Kenneth Branaugh). He thinks that the music is corrupting the youth to drink, fornicate, and experiment with drugs. His only mission is to shut down the radio station within a year.

Alistair enlists Twatt (Jack Davenport) to help shut down the station. First, they have it to illegal to advertise on the station. It seems to work, but the station brings back a retired deejay, Gavin (Rhys Ifans) to woo the advertisers back. The Count is threatened by Gavin’s arrival.

Alistair has grown impatient with Twatt “going for the jugular”. Twatt finds a way to shut them down when a fisherman’s distress call is blocked. They try to get the public on their side by January 1; pirate radio will be illegal because the endangerment of fisherman on the open seas, The Marine Offenses Act.

I thought that the movie was be about the the government trying to shut down the pirate radio station, but it’s not. I had to have these twists and turns about coming of age and paternity determination. It’s like a dead fish wrapped in the newspaper sitting on the deck for a week. PSH tries so hard to recapture his Lester Bangs persona, but it falls short here. The classic rock & roll music was the redeeming quality this movie.

Judgment: A watered down movie that doesn’t keep your attention afloat.

Rating: ***

From the mind that brought us Love Actually, comes Pirate Radio.  I feel that this is worth mentioning, because Love Actually is a film that I actually love.  I have watched it a number of times, simply because it holds up in a way that I can’t see Pirate Radio holding up. 

Pirate Radio (or The Boat That Rocked, depending on what side of the pond you’re on) has the dream team of actors, from all walks of life, just as Love Actually did.  Sure we’re missing Colin Firth and Hugh Grant, but this ensemble has the chops to pull it off. Nick Frost, Rhys Darby, Chris O’Dowd, Bill Nighy, and Philip Seymour Hoffman bring the funny, and never miss a beat along the way.  Do they, however, reach the same synchronistic Nirvana that  was achieved by the Love Actually crew?   

Horn rim glasses. Austere look. Must be a 1960's British bureaucrat.

Lamentably,  they come close to the mark, but never quite hit.  The talent is immeasurable on this film, but they all act out their roles as if they are vying for the spotlight, rather than working as the ensemble cast they were meant to be.  Which, honestly, seems strange to me being that so many of the actors come from the ensemble television comedy circuit.  Many of the performances seem almost self contained and given for the benefit of an audience (and yes I realize they are broadcasting to an unseen audience, some of the time) rather than having that natural, conversational flow.  And maybe this is meant to show us a facet of the Disc Jockey, wherein they have this talent to perform and never really shut it off, but to me it seemed more like a lack of cohesion. 

Notable performances that are unaffected by the lack of unity, come from Jack Davenport as Mr. Twatt (that is not a mistake…his name was Twatt) the assistant to Sir Alistair Dormandy played by Kenneth Branagh.  Plus, noteworthy cameos from the resplendently kittenish January Jones and  the incomparable Emma Thompson.

The story is exactly as it’s presented in the synopsis or as seen in the preview.  It progresses as expected, with few surprises for the audience.  Up until the last fifteen minutes it’s easy to be on board with the pirates, and then the film takes a turn for the absurd.   Events transpire, which are not all that unexpected.  What is a bit divergent is the manner in which the main characters react to the events and the ultimate outcome.  Again, not that surprising, but the end really does err on the side of unbelievable absurdity. 

The movie had a real comedic edge to it, which I enjoyed.  It’s very linear in it’s style of storytelling, which allows the audience to focus more on the comedic elements and less on “who is doing what again and with who.”  I mentioned my love of Love Actually, which made it difficult to separate the two films regardless of the fact that they are two completely different beasts.   Pirate Radio didn’t reach that same pinnacle, but it does, in fact, give us a well told story, some memorable moments, all while utilizing a very funny cast of characters.     

So this will be short and sweet. With Oscar season approaching with lightning speed, people gotta lighten up. Every movie is not gonna be a contender, it just isn’t.  This movie will not be at the Oscars, however it is just plain fun. Pirate Radio brings us back to a time when rock and roll was outlawed.

Floating in the North Sea these men would pump Rock and Roll music into the stuffy homes of England. It was back in those days that the BBC had a monopoly over what made it on the airwaves. They played rock for 2 hours a day. These outlaws played it 24 -7. Rocking faces off that needed to be rocked. The funniest part about the story is had they lightened the hell up and played a bit more music, these guys would never have made headlines.

The cast is great, rounding out some people I don’t really know with some great actors. Kenneth Branagh and Philip Seymour Hoffman to name a few.  There is also a character who is named Twatt.  Not really important, it just makes me laugh. That’s what this movie did, it was a good time. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes Rock and Roll music. In my opinion it succeeded where Taking Woodstock failed. (Check out my review of that: http://damrb.wordpress.com/2009/08/31/taking-woodstock/)

Was the plot good?  Not really.  However, I stress again it was fun. Just check it out.

I give it 3 pitchforks:

If I had to do a stuffy review I would give it 1 and a half. However I don’t, so I’m leaving it at that.  Rock on, and damn the man…and such.

A competência de Nicholas Angel (policial londrino) é tanta que até faz os outros policias parecerem inúteis e com tamanha competência seus superiores resolvem mudar Angel de Londres à uma pequena cidade com festas tradicionais e encontros na vizinhança.
Lá Angel conhece o policial Danny Butterman,policial bobo e bem intencionado,quando tudo parecia perdido uma série de acidentes ediondos motiva Angel a entrar em ação.Convencido que há algo errado , ele percebe que Sanford não é tão tranquila assim.

Na década vemos trocentos filmes americano porcos fazendo paródia de certos filmes e gêneros,mas foi na Inglaterra e com somente dois filmes onde nós encontramos os melhores fazedores de paródias da década.
É impossível falar de Chumbo Grosso sem antes falar do maravilhoso Todo mundo Quase morto,sendo que Chumbo Grosso vai ainda mais além.
Quando todos pensávamos que Chumbo Grosso era só mais um filme fazendo paródia de filmes policiais,vemos que o filme vai além e nos apresenta uma trama um pouco parecida com o filme A Vila,a sociedade totalmente utópica do filme faz o filme de Shyamalan parece só mais um.
O roteiro e a direção são certeiras,sem falhas,alguns momentos previsíveis e alguns surpresos,a mistura de ação e comédia é perfeita e pra ajudar ainda mais temos a absurdamente competente edição.
Fotografias,locações e trilha sonora são também ótimas e notáveis e pra falar do filme é impossível não comentar nas referências engraçadíssimas á Caçadores de emoção,perfeito.As atuações são impecáveis Simon Pegg tá incrível (pra variar) mas quem rouba a cena é Nick Frost que mistura inocência com idiotice na medida certa,ainda temos os ótimos Thimothy Dalton,Jim Broadbent e Paddy Considine espetaculares.

Por fim o filme é impecável,uma das melhores comédias da década e concerteza a mais mal distribuída no Brasil e a mais subestimada de todas é o tipo de filme que se existe algum tipo de erro,me indiquem que eu não enxergo.

Nota:10/10

Chumbo Grosso (Hot Fuzz,2007)
Diretor:Edgar Wright
Roteiro:Edgar Wright e Simon Pegg
Elenco:Simon Pegg,Martin Freeman,Bill Nighy,Nick Frost,Thimoty Dalton,Paddy Considine,Jim Broadbent

Suck on that, Pirates Of The Carribean!!!!!

In 1966, a group of rogue British DJs set up a radio station on a tiny boat in the North Sea to broadcast generation-defining — and banned — music to millions. The crew includes boss Quentin (Bill Nighy), the Count (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Gavin (Rhys Ifans) and Dave (Nick Frost). But eager to sink the party is persnickety Sir Alistair Dormandy (Kenneth Branagh).

Now this was released in Britain a long time ago entitled The Boat That Rocks. I know they bummed down that film from 135 minutes to now a 115 minutes, and to be truly honest I was glad to know this.

The one thing I liked first about this film going in was that it was directed by Richard Curtis, who did British classics Four Weddings and a Funeral and Love Actually both are great comedies, and this one is a nice add to his resume. He makes sure that all the strong points within this film are brought up and resolved by the end, and make sure every little person on board gets enough face-time.

The film also does have many moments that are genuinely funny, just not hilarious as I would be expecting from a grade-A crew and cast like this. Too many jokes are played out to where they are funny, and then just out of nowhere become annoying. There are also too many jokes about lesbians, since there is a lesbian on board.

Also, I feel like this film could’ve been a lot more daring and raunchier with it’s material. I don’t know if this is weird or not but I was just expecting since this is a film about rock, I would expect a lot more rock stuff to be happening, but hey that’s just me.

The film has a great ensemble cast with some of the best British and notably one of the best American acts in it’s film, but it doesn’t quite capitalize on that. The cast is funny and the chemistry is good between them, but I felt like some of the screen time could have been given to more people like Seymour Hoffman and Nighy. They didn’t quite get a huge chance to show off their comedy, and at times are rarely seen.

The soundtrack to this film is what is the best part of this film. In some cases I would say but the soundtrack forget the movie, but for this I’m saying do both. The soundtrack is electrifying and what really keeps this film entertaining. Some cool elements to this film is that many of the songs actually do fit in with the scenes that are going on, so it did create a good and powerful mood for that one scene.

Consensus: Pirate Radio may be a little uneven at points and at times disappointing, but it has some good funny moments with an exciting soundtrack which makes this film exciting throughout.

7.5/10=Rentall!!!!

Gavin makes the young ladies of the United Kingdom quiver in "Pirate Radio".

(Richard Curtis, 2009)

November 14, 2009

by Joel Crary

Watching “Pirate Radio” is like taking part in a 135-minute high school cafeteria food fight. At first, you can’t believe everyone’s getting away with it, but at around the 30-minute mark you kind of become desensitized to the dessert-flinging and start to realize what a giant mess everything is.

A shame, because there is some great talent in the film. In an early scene, young Carl (Tom Sturridge) is introduced to the crew of the Radio Rock, and my grin widened as the character actors stepped forward: Nick Frost, Rhys Darby, Chris O’Dowd, Katherine Parkinson. These are people I know and love from television and film and to see them all gathered in one place gave me high hopes for “Pirate Radio”. As if things couldn’t be looking better, Rhys Ifans and Bill Nighy were on board, and the one and only Philip Seymour Hoffman looked to be performing a role akin to Lester Bangs in “Almost Famous”. One of the simple joys in life is watching Hoffman rock out to late 60’s era rock n’ roll music, an extensive playlist of which is present in “Pirate Radio”.

Unfortunately, these terrific actors spend almost absolutely no time at all talking about the music. We see them on their boat in the North Sea, broadcasting The Who and The Rolling Stones to millions of listeners, much to the chagrin of the British government. Each DJ has his own shtick in place to build a cult of personality and tempt scores of women onto the boat for a quick shag. We understand quickly that the pirate’s life is hedonistic and desirable and cool. But what about the songs? Why do these people feel it necessary to spend their lives at sea, other than the fact that rock n’ roll allows them to take advantage of their lifestyles?

Hoffman’s character, the Count, is a total lite version of Bangs. He’s an American DJ who came aboard the ship in the absence of Gavin (Ifans), a Brit who left for greener pastures in America. For whatever unexplained reason, Gavin has decided to come back and a rivalry grows between the two. It is a competition that should blossom out of a mutual respect, but respect for what? Where do these men come from? Besides a desire to ruffle the feathers of the powers that be, what fuels their drive to get rock n’ roll out to the masses? “These are the best days of our lives,” the Count tells Carl as the ship’s time at sea seems to be drawing to an end. Carl doesn’t believe him, and it’s no wonder.

The powers that be are tightly encased within Sir Alistair Dormandy (Kenneth Branagh), a government minister with a very precise haircut. Branagh puts in the film’s sharpest comedic performance. His second in command is Twatt (Jack Davenport), who digs up as much ammunition against the rogue DJs as he can to shut their operation down. It is a testament to Branagh’s brilliance that I laughed every single time he offered a bit of dialogue that played on his subordinate’s name (“Well done, Twatt”).

The film contains several storylines involving the loss of Carl’s innocence, the identity of his real father, the short-lived marriage of one character to a fan, and Dormandy’s efforts to shut the radio station down. Director Richard Curtis periodically gives us shots of young people tuning in to the broadcasts and eating up the words and music of the DJs, sneaking radios under their pillows and into bathrooms to indulge in their rock n’ roll fantasies. Things turn a bit hectic for the ship in the film’s conclusion with some nice camerawork and harrowing action.

“Pirate Radio” embellishes a lot on the practices of pirate radio stations of the era including Radio Caroline, but not a lick of this story is true. I liked the film’s energy, but it’s only sporadically funny and it doesn’t have an affection for the songs and records that a story like this should have. Released overseas as “The Boat that Rocked”, “Pirate Radio” suffers from editing problems that leave its characters to flounder. The DJs don’t seem to be serving any sort of socially important function, but are instead living selfishly for the glorification of their immature egos. Near the end of the Radio Rock’s short-lived seafaring career, each crew member throws their hands in the air and salutes rock n’ roll. They all know the moves, but no one knows the music.

So, I caught a free screening of Pirate Radio last night (today is its opening day in the states). I don’t want to dishearten Richard Curtis fans who treasure Four Weddings and a Funeral and Love Actually (neither of which I’ve seen), but he dropped a big bloody bollock with this movie (known as The Boat That Rocked in the UK).

How can that be, you ask? It’s about a British pirate radio station during the mid-1960s. Its soundtrack boasts choice cuts from the British Invasion. And it’s got a charming cast. How can a movie be bad when it has Philip Seymour Hoffman and Bill Nighy and Nick Frost and Rhys Ifans and Rhys Darby and cast members from The IT Crowd, along with cameos from Emma Thompson and January Jones? Kenneth Branagh even goes all campy villain on us as the station’s bureaucratic nemesis (see also Wild Wild West, a terrible movie where he chews some scenery as the bad guy). That sounds great on paper. Even if it’s saddled with boomer era clichés about free love and rock music changing the world, it’s gotta be fun, right? Who doesn’t want to run a pirate radio station on a boat with these folks?

There’s so much wrong with this hack job of a movie. There’s a lot left unexplained. How did this ragtag group get a boat? Why is rock music illegal to broadcast in 1960s Great Britain? How are these radio personalities so famous? There’s also lots of truncated plot points and weird tonal shifts and nonsensical character motivations which I don’t think would have been aided by the original cut’s three-hour running time. The protagonist is a bloke named Carl (played by Tom Sturridge) who may or may not have been put on the boat by his mother to meet his dad, but I’m too bored to care. And that’s saying something, as his dad is played by Ralph Brown, who was Danny the Dealer in Withnail and I.

I’d also mention that it’s kinda disheartening to see Hoffman — who plays a crusty American deejay named the Count — spout rockist catchphrases like “a whop bam boo” and “young men and young women will always dream dreams and put those dreams into song” with stealy-eyed import. But it’s also kinda amazing. A lesser actor couldn’t pull it off. But Hoffman makes Count’s turn of phrase sound like some kind of rock deejay John McClane. Oh, and he almost drowns when the boat sinks. Except he doesn’t and emerges victoriously (and ridiculously) from the North Sea. Such is the power of rock. 

But I think you know what my big problem is. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the roles for women and girls are marginal and insultingly one-dimensional. While I think there may have been an effort to keep their presence ornmanental so as to make a commentary on the era’s regressive attitude toward gender and sexual politics, I think the movie exacerbates the problem rather than rectify it.

There are groovy birds (re: prostitutes, groupies, and moms) who board the ship to “service” the talent, sometimes pretending to love one crew member to get closer to another and wounding their pride. Awesome. 

There’s one woman in the crew — a lesbian named Felicity (played by Katherine Parkinson) who basically serves as the ship’s put-upon housewife. She does get a girlfriend, but this is given for too obvious, peripheral treatment to seem as real progress.

There are no musicians, except for women like Dusty Springfield, Skeeter Davis, and Sandy Shaw who function as playlist selections.

There are also huddles of simpering female fans who listen attentively to the radio — students, flight attendants, secretaries, cleaning ladies, mothers, wives, single women, waitresses, and shopgirls. None of them speak, though many giggle. They also lack names. Oh, correction. Kenneth Branaugh’s secretary Miss C (played by Sinead Matthews) sort of gets one.

Anyway, this sucks, and a likeable cast can’t salvage its suckitude. So I suggest instead of seeing this movie that you watch Jane Campion’s A Girl’s Own Story instead. Here’s a scene. Wish I could post the whole thing.

Made in 1984 and available on the Criterion Collection edition of Campion’s debut feature, Sweetie, this short focuses on a group of Australian schoolgirls who came of age during Beatlemania. It showcases the complex relationships girls have with their fandom, along with their homosocial friendships and burgeoning sexuality. It’s pretty awesome, and actually suggests what it may have been like to be a teenaged girl during rock’s golden era. Pirate Radio couldn’t be bothered.

However, it is only for a Total Film Comedy of the Decade shoot presumably for Shaun of the Dead. Still we have Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim film to look forward to along with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in Greg Mottola’s Paul and Spielberg’s Tintin.

It wouldn’t be exactly right to say that Pirate Radio, loosely based on the real off-shore pirate radio stations that were the only places to hear rock music in the UK in the ’60s, has a rock ‘n’ roll spirit. If anything, it’s more of a shaggy and half-assed one, I’d say closer to charming slacker than balls-out rocker.

Though ostensibly a lot happens, very little of it develops into much of anything. We’ll see a shy DJ get married, only to find out 17 hours later that his “wife” is actually after one of his coworkers, though we don’t really dwell on it. A young guy attempts to lose his virginity a few times, though even his eventual success is tossed aside onto a leaving tugboat. A feud develops between the two superstar DJs, though it will finish with a high-dive and is never further commented on. The ship they broadcast from will sink, but no one ever really seems to be in much peril, or at least not enough to rumple their impeccable suits or kill their dry wit. Throughout it all, a comically uptight bureaucrat will go through the book trying to find a way to shut down the whole outfit, although we’re never given much of a reason why, besides the fact the authorities will always hate rock ‘n’ roll, and even when he manages to succeed, there’s not a whole lot to worry about.
And yet, even for all that, Pirate Radio is still a pretty, well, ripping good time, thanks to a literal boatload of outsized personalities and top-drawer actors bringing them to life. It seems as though writer/director Richard Curtis was a lot more concerned with capturing the free-for-all mood than actually getting anywhere, but he manages to do it well enough that it’s just a good time hanging out on a rusty old fishing ship with the kind of people who love rock enough to live on a rusty old fishing ship just to ensure people hear it.

We’re introduced to this motley crew by way of Young Carl (Tom Sturridge), a schoolboy whose mom sends him out to Radio Rock in the hopes that his godfather Quentin (Bill Nighy) might straighten him out a bit after some trouble with cigarettes and drugs. “Spectacular mistake,” fops Nighy into an espresso cup—this after he makes sure he hasn’t met Carl before, as he had a lost decade there—and his loud suits and breezily affected swinging Britishness give us a pretty good indication of what’s to come.

There’s The Count (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a hard-driving American who seems to live and die rock ‘n’ roll and acts as a kind of spiritual figurehead for everyone on board, and eventually Gavin (Rhys Ifans), the rock-star dandy of rock DJs. There’s Doctor Dave (Shaun of the Dead’s Nick Frost), a portly charmer who’ll both help and foil Carl’s attempts to get a little, and Simon (The IT Crowd’s Chris O’Dowd), possibly the only person onboard as unlucky in love as Carl. Comedic relief comes in the form of beleaguered, relatively unfunny funny-man Angus the Nut (Flight of the Conchords‘ Rhys Darby) and the appropriately named Thick Kevin (Tom Brooke), who can’t quite figure out why he’s got the nickname he has. The crew is rounded out by the lesbian cook, the perpetually stoned early morning DJ and the effortlessly sexy midnight man, who rarely says much of anything, even on air, and of course the music, which is sharply chosen and shifts between very comfortable hits and a few slightly less-used Brit-rock gems.

We’re occasionally taken away from their antics by the uptight MP’s (Kenneth Branagh) attempts to get them off the air, but except for a rabble-rousing, good-time conclusion, it mostly just serves to dampen the fun on board, which is considerable. By the end of it all, it’s not much more than just an hour-and-a-half of occasionally ribald good times, but the cast and the subject matter are charming enough that we don’t much care, which is maybe as close to the rock ‘n’ roll experience as we’re going to get.

In the US, most people know Tom Sturridge as Robert Pattinson’s best pal. He’s had small roles in Vanity Fair and Being Julia, but beyond being by his vampire buddy’s side in tabloid photos, is widely unknown. It’s time you get to know Tom a little better because it’s his turn to prevail on the big screen, as a pirate.

In Pirate Radio Tom plays Carl, a kid who’s expelled from school and forced to work with his godfather. Lucky for him, his godfather is Quentin (Bill Nighy), the owner of Radio Rock, the ship responsible for bringing millions in Britain the music the government restricts.

Check out what Tom told me about getting his role, being naked in a bathroom with Nick Frost and his hopes to bring the play Punk Rock, for which he was just nominated for the Evening Standard Award for Outstanding Newcomer, to the US.

Click here to watch the interview.

Every time I walk into a one-on-one interview with my Flip camera, the interviewee always takes note of it. It was a gift for my mother and, naturally, it had to have a pretty design on it. From there, we get to talking about what she uses it for and I’ve got to explain that the only ones in front of its lens are my dogs. Well, it’s time to not only aim the camera at someone who’s got something to say beyond barking, but the extremely talented writer and director, Richard Curtis.

Curtis is responsible for writing Notting Hill and Bridget Jones’s Diary. He wrote and directed Love Actually and now he’s pulling double duty, yet again, to set Pirate Radio afloat. Take a look at what Curtis told me about the filming process, his uproarious cast and hope to eventually bring the extended cut of the film to DVD.

Click here to watch the interview.

According to Pirate Radio’s trailer, rock and roll played loudly throughout Britain until the government said no more. Okay, that sounds about right. The whole “until one American DJ and a band of renegades launched a radio station on the high seas” this? Well, not entirely. Philip Seymour Hoffman may be the most well known actor in Pirate Radio, particularly in the US, but he’s certainly not the star of this film and is eager to set the promotional material straight.

His character, The Count, is the sole American DJ aboard Radio Rock, a boat floating in the North Sea just outside the British government’s authority. It provides 24 hours of pop and rock a day until the government decides it’s time to sink their ship and outlaw them completely. The Count was just one of eight DJs determined to, in The Count’s words, “broadcast from this ship 24 hours a day until the day I die. And then for a couple days after that.”

Click here to read the interview.

☺☺☺☺☺

Mitici anni 60′, una nave pirata solca i mari diffondendo il panico nella bigotta Inghilterra, diaboliche onde sonore rock irrompono nelle case dei giovani inglesi corrompendo le loro anime e saziandole di libertà ed evasione. La mannaia del governo cerca di porre un freno a questa situazione a tutti i costi ma alla fine epicamente il vascello contro il sistema entrerà nei cuori del mondo intero per restarci per sempre.

Il Conte (l’onnipotente Philip Seymour Hoffman), Quentin (Bill Nighy, heil!), Gavin (Rhys Ifans), Dave (Nick Frost), Carl (Tom Sturridge) sono i componenti di questa strepitosa ciurma che ci accompagnerà per tutta la durata del film.

Quando si parla di anni 60′ io non riesco ad essere obiettivo , sia chiaro, ma richiamandomi al dovere e cercando di esserlo almeno in parte il film è assolutamente godibilissimo ma vista la natura del soggetto poteva riuscire qualcosa di ancor più epico ne sono sicuro (mai farsi aspettative troppo alte,ahimè). La colonna sonora è azzeccata ovviamente (come poteva non esserlo visto l’universo di canzoni papabili ,ebbè), eccone uno stralcio:

The Kinks – “All Day And All Of The Night”
Van Morrison – “Here Comes The Night”
Donovan – “Sunshine Superman”
Rolling Stones – “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”
The Yardbirds – “For Your Love”
Leonard Cohen – “So Long Marinane”
Cream – “I Feel Free”
Paul Jones – “”I’ve Been A Bad Bad Boy”
The Who – “My Generation”
Beach Boys – “Little Saint Nick”
Jimi Hendrix – “The Wind Cries Mary”
Rolling Stones – “Let’s Spend The Night Together”
David Bowie – “Let’s Dance”
Cat Stevens – “Father And Son”
Dusty Springfield – “You Don’t Have…”
The Seekers – “Georgy Girl”
The Hollies – “I’m Alive”
The Troggs – “Stay With Me Baby”
Steve Price – “Amy’s Song”
The Who – “Won’t Get Fooled Again”

Alla prossima pillola!

November is a time of year to ruminate on all the things that we’re thankful for, and as we close in on the end of 2009, I find myself with a list containing innumerable pieces of my life that I’m grateful of. I have a wonderful fiancée with whom I have a fulfilling relationship; I have a good home which I share with her and our two mischievous cats. I’ve got friends who care about me and family that loves me. And in our uncertain job market, I have a solid and stable job, which in turn lends me the financial stability that so many people in our country have been bereft of. In short, I’m happy and comfortable and secure; if that’s not reason enough to be thankful, I don’t know what is.

But of course, you don’t read this blog because you’re terribly interested in how great my life is; this is a blog about movies, and that’s ostensibly what you’re here for. You see, while thinking about those personal elements of my life, I got to thinking about my passion for the cinema, which in turn got me reflecting on the films that I’m thankful for, the movies that have influenced or affected my love for all things cinematic directly or in more clandestine ways. And so, keeping with the theme of this month’s holiday, I wound up putting together a list of ten such films for your reading pleasure.

As a note, this is not supplementary reading for my top ten list; it’s also not a generic “top X most influential films” list, though in some cases it is precisely the influence of the film in question that I appreciate. That appreciation will only be examined on a personal level– as much as some of these movies have had broad and far-reaching impact on cinema as a whole, here I’m only interested in how they have effected films that have specific significance to me. These aren’t necessarily the movies that I could watch from start to finish any day of the week, any time of day, but rather the movies that helped shape and change my perception of cinema. So with that in mind, please enjoy!

Shiri/Swiri– Shiri (spelled Swiri inside Korea) is often credited as being the film that jump-started the Korean New Wave back in 1999. While under even distant examination this isn’t totally the case, Shiri‘’s success did much to cause a resurgence in interest toward Korean cinema; as the film became an instant smash, local companies became more willing to risk their money on genre films with larger budgets, and the sales of Korean films overseas increased. On its own it’s a tight and energetic espionage thriller about a North Korean terrorist plot to target and destroy South Korean landmarks, but in the broader context of South Korean cinema, Shiri’s existence may largely be responsible for the boom the SK film industry has enjoyed since its release– and therefore, films like Oldboy might never have been made without it.

Watchmen– I wasn’t one hundred percent enthused by Zack Snyder’s adaptation of Alan Moore’s classic graphic novel (read my review here), but it’s hard for me not to crack an appreciative smile when I sit back and think about it in retrospect. Watchmen is a crackling, pulsing, living and breathing piece of glorious pop-art, flawed for certain but also filled with crackling performances and eye-popping attention to detail. It’s also a challenge to other super hero movies to attempt to achieve similar faithfulness to their source material. Watchmen is also the kind of against-the-mainstream property that one would never expect a major studio to back, and yet that’s precisely what Warner Brothers did. It wasn’t a box office winner, but it also hasn’t added up to a total failure for the studio just yet (thanks to the ancillary market), and if anything its existence should give the movie geeks faith in the studios; if Watchmen can get made, anything can get made. But most of all, even if the end result wasn’t as good as it should have been, I’m just happy that someone had the chutzpah to even attempt to translate this “unadaptable” story to the big screen.

The 40 Year Old Virgin– The Judd Apatow train got its start with the TV series Freaks and Geeks, but it picked up the most steam upon the release of this 2005 hit comedy. Since then, it’s helped shape the face of American comedy, leading films to place greater emphasis on character and plot development instead of leaving those elements to the wayside in favor of more fart jokes; it’s this focus on heart and story in addition to belly laughs (which leads to more robust and fulfilling comedies) that makes Virgin’s existence so richly deserving of our gratitude. Of course, no one does it better than the master himself; the best comedies of the last half a decade have come out of the Apatow camp, and no imitators have come close to replicating what makes those films great. (Though amusingly enough, many of those seeming imitators are actually part of the Apatow family, as Judd’s arm has grown so long that he has his hands in untold numbers of contemporary comedies.) And aside from being a comedy game-changer, Virgin is responsible for helping establish Steve Carell’s presence as a leading man, as well as introducing actors like Romany Malco and Seth Rogen to wider audiences; if that’s not enough reason to tip your hat to it, then I don’t know what is.

Kikujiro–  From my experience, filmmakers like Japanese auteur Takeshi Kitano get an unfair rap in the US for working in very narrow and specific genres of cinema. Here, Kitano is popularly thought of as a director of crime thrillers, and while I can understand why– much of his creative output that has reached the States consists of gangster films like Brother, Sonatine, and Hana-bi– the reputation is grossly unjust given his comedic roots and surprising penchant for the poignant. During my years in college, I found myself defending Kitano against just such accusations from my friend; the argument ended when I popped Kitano’s 1999 film Kikujiro in my DVD player. I’ll always be grateful  for this film’s existence as a counter-point against the idea that Kitano, as a filmmaker, knows only violence; here, he tells a story that’s artful and moving and entirely relatable despite examining its themes through a specific cultural lens. The movie follows the journey of a young boy as he travels across Japan to find his mother; Kitano plays the gruff, curmudgeonly eponymous character who accompanies the child on his quest. It’s a colorful and beautifully shot movie that’s perhaps more touching than Kitano’s better-known gangster films are violent, a road movie that closely explores isolation and alienation in Japanese society.

Shaun of the Dead– As a foreign property, Shaun of the Dead introduced me (and many, many others) to a bevy of English talent: Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, Jessica Hynes and Nick Frost. Wright, Hynes, and Pegg had worked together prior to Shaun on the wonderful TV series, Spaced, while Frost had starred on his program Danger! 5000 Volts! (wherein he advised his audience on how to best handle volcanic eruptions and hippo attacks). For this alone, I’m indebted to the film; the fact that it not only schooled me on these fantastic talents but also surprised me by turning out to be one of the best zombie movies of all time was icing on the cake. Or perhaps it’s the other way around? Either way, Shaun of the Dead makes up for decades of terrible imitations and blatant rip-offs of the films of Romero and Fulci and also stands up to them in sheer quality (I honestly believe that Shaun’s script might be one of the best scripts written in the last decade). The film’s secret to success? Shaun can be described as a zombie parody or an homage to the films of the greats, but the truth is that it eschews the chance to be cute, coy, and tongue-in-cheek and instead chooses to stand on its own as an honest-to-God zombie movie filled with laughter, fantastic effects and make-up, and a whole lot of heart. Like Virgin (both films are, after all, tastemakers in their respective genres), many films have tried to imitate what makes Shaun work, and none have succeeded; it’s a wholly unique film, something that can’t be replicated, and that makes it truly special and worthy of adulation.

***

What films are you thankful for? What are the movies that you appreciate in a broader context outside of their individual quality? Feel free to share your thoughts here. Enjoy the season, everyone!

Lataa Ohjelma (MP3)

Fuskausjaksot jatkuvat, tällä kertaa sukellamme palautteiden ihmeelliseen maailmaan.

Hare & Hounds, lovely. Beth Jeans Houghton, fascinating, witty and brilliant. Tim though Nick Frost was there but it wasn’t him, it wasn’t him. Bit of a Five Ways reunion by all accounts.

“Pirate Radio/The Boat That Rocked”
a review by Darby O’Gill

Hands down, the feel good movie of the year! Before Howard Stern, and even before Wolfman Jack, a band of rogue deejays rocked the airwaves. In 1966, at the height of the British Invasion, rock and roll was only allowed to be played on British radio stations for barely two hours a week. The only way people in the U.K. could listen to rock or pop music was by tuning into pirate radio stations broadcasting from boats just off the coast of Britain in the North Sea. In Pirate Radio, previously released as The Boat That Rocked, earlier this year in the U.K., writer/director Richard Curtis tells a fictional story based on the true events of Britain’s rock and roll revolution. Broadcasting live 24/7 from an old tanker turned makeshift radio station, anchored just outside British jurisdiction, is a band of misfit deejays known as Radio Rock.

The story begins when Young Carl is sent by his mother to the ship known as Radio Rock, to spend time with his godfather Quentin, the owner of the radio station, who is played by the always brilliant Bill Nighy. It’s very much a coming of age story, and I think the British equivalent to Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous. Once on board, Young Carl meets the motley crew of deejays. There’s The Count, the flagship American deejay that is constantly pushing the envelope and crossing the line, masterfully portrayed by Philip Seymour Hoffman. There’s the always charismatic, and at times narcissistic Doctor Dave, played by the extremely funny Nick Frost. Another familiar face is that of Flight of the Concords’ manager Brian, actor Rhys Darby, who plays the self proclaimed funny man Angus “the nut” Nutsford. Even though all the faces may not be familiar, this is truly an all-star cast. Each performance is so masterfully executed that you can’t help but feel the authenticity of this film. However, I think one of the most unsung heroes of this film is Ike Hamilton, who plays Harold, the ship’s booth technician. If you watch Ike’s performance throughout the film, I guarantee that you will be totally blown away. Every little nuance that he brings to the character of Harold just radiates brilliantly off the screen. If you’re reading this after you have already seen the film, I highly recommend seeing it again for Ike’s performance alone. But, if you’re anything like me you’ll already want to see this movie again regardless.

The other side of this story is that of the British government and their efforts to stop the pirate radio ships from broadcasting. This task is helmed by Sir Alistair Dormandy, played by Kenneth Branagh, and his new assistant Mr. Twatt. I’m not kidding, his last name is Twatt. And, yes Richard Curtis takes full advantage of it. Twatt is played by Coupling’s Jack Davenport. Now, don’t worry. The political stuff doesn’t weigh down the story at all. Mostly because it’s not an overpowering plotline and it also lends itself to some of the film’s funnier scenes. I dare you not to laugh or at least snicker every time Dormandy says, “Twatt.”

Richard Curtis has, as always, done a masterful job telling this story. His unique vision, and heart warming style of storytelling, makes Pirate Radio/The Boat That Rocked a must see film. Every part of this film oozes 1966. The wardrobe is fantastic, the soundtrack is to die for, and even the look of the film itself sets the tone. It’s almost as if the film was shot and processed in 1966. Adding to the film’s authenticity, the bulk of the movie was shot onboard an actual ship, just off the south coast of England. Richard Curtis’ first cut of the film had a running time that was just over three hours. The final cut of The Boat That Rocked had a two hours and fifteen minute running time, where as the final cut for Pirate Radio has a one hour and fifty-six minute running time. I’ve seen the U.K. version of the film and enjoy both cuts, but I have to say this film is so enjoyable that I wouldn’t mind sitting though the three hour cut at some point. Most of the missing scenes from the first cut of the film appear on the U.K. DVD release of The Boat That Rocked. (U.K. DVD review will be posted soon) The two major scenes that were cut from The Boat That Rocked for the U.S. release of Pirate Radio consists of a visit to the Radio Rock ship from a large group of contest winners, and the other is the unseen stag party in London. The scenes aren’t necessarily needed, but this movie is so, as I said before, enjoyable that I don’t think you could ever get enough of these characters.

I realize this review is quickly becoming a mini-novel, but I think I would be crucified if I didn’t at least talk about the music in the film. As you would imagine, this movie is chock-full of classic rock from the likes of The Who, The Kinks, The Turtles, and so many more. Both the U.K. release, and the U.S. release of the soundtrack feature a two disc edition with 36 tracks to take you back. Also, the opening credit graphics are fantastic! The use of the radio tuner dial transitioning from scene to scene, as The Kinks’ “All Day and All of the Night” blares, instantly sucks you into the world of the movie. But, I think one of my favorite things was the use of the album covers in the end credits. It not only instills you with a fantastic sense of the history of rock and roll, but it also makes you want to listen to some great albums you might not have listened to in awhile. The bottom line here should be obvious at this point, but needless to say I highly recommend this movie no matter which version you see.

Rating:

The Boat That Rocked U.K. DVD Special Features: COMING SOON

by The Great White Gypsy

The Box – Written and Directed by Richard Kelly
The premise of this film sounds like a bad teenage horror story. A strange man gives a box to a couple having money problems. They will get money every time they push the button, but every time, someone they don’t know will die. Though it’s riding on Cameron Diaz’s acting skills (um…), if anyone can make it cool, writer/director Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko, Southland Tales) will have no problem.
Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella, James Rebhorn
November 6

Endgame – Directed by Pete Travis, Written by Paula Milne
Another slow, patient South African political film? Meh. I mean, I really like Hurt and Ejiofor, but Pete Travis directed Vantage Point, which sucked asshole. I really, really want it to be good, I’m just scared it’s going to be really, really bad.
William Hurt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Johnny Lee Miller, Mark Strong, Derek Jacobi
November 6

The Men Who Stare at Goats – Directed by Grant Heslov, Written by Peter Straughan
Actor Grant Heslov hasn’t done much directing. Same goes for Peter Straughan and writing. But if you look at this cast, you really can’t go wrong in a story about Telekenisis/Psychic programs in the army. Hell yes.
George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, Robert Patrick, Stephen Root
November 6

Precious – Directed by Lee Daniels, Written by Geoffrey Fletcher
I hate the fact that the full title of this film is “Precious: Based on a novel by Sapphire”. I also hate the fact that Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey are “presenting” this one. However, cliché and cheesy as it most likely is, I seriously almost cried watching the preview. This has the potential for two hours of raw emotion that leaves you speechless. Or two hours of horrible acting and bullshit storyline. I’ll wait for cable.
Gabourey Sidibe, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz
November 6

The Fantastic Mr. Fox – Written and Directed by Wes Anderson
I hate, I hate, I hate Wes Anderson. However, there are always a couple elements of his films that impress me, and his attempts at stop motion animation intrigue me. Will I like it? Probably not. Will I see it? Of course.
George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson, Michael Gambon
November 13

Pirate Radio – Written and Directed by Richard Curtis
When I saw the preview for this, I thought, “Hey, that looks exactly like that movie advertised last year called “The Boat that Rocked”. Wait… I have no idea why this film took so long to release, or why they changed the title, but after waiting so long, I’ve built it up to possible “Almost Famous” level in my head. I really hope I’m not disappointed.  About a boatful of radio DJ’s who broadcast banned music over British airwaves in the ‘60’s. Curtis directed Love Actually.
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Emma Thompson, Kenneth Branagh, Nick Frost
November 13

The Messenger – Written and Directed by Oren Moverman
Foster and Harrelson play a very overlooked part of the military in this new drama about the officers who deliver the horrible news to KIA soldiers’ families. Foster starts to care too much…you see where this is going. Moverman’s first film, looks good.
Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone
November 13

2012 – Directed by Roland Emmerich, Written by Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser
When I want to see an action packed explosion film with weak story, I’ll catch the new Michael Bay flick. When I want to see a really entertaining film with great special effects that will leave me dumber for having watched it, I’ll go see a Roland Emmerich film (Independence Day, Stargate, Godzilla, 10,000 BC). If you don’t know what this film is about, you should probably look into it, cause we’re kinda running out of time, dude…
John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, Woody Harrelson, Danny Glover, Oliver Platt
November 13

That Evening Sun – Written and Directed by Scot Teems
I think Clint Eastwood had a scheduling conflict playing a grumpy old man in Gran Turino, so Holbrook stepped in. This is a perfect example of a cookie-cutter Midwest drama starring a senior citizen afraid of change that might not be very good, but will definitely get nominated for at least 2 Oscars. Don’t get me wrong, Hal is great, but the story has the potential to be full of holes.
Hal Holbrook, Ray McKinnon, Mia Wasikowska, Carrie Preston
November 13

Uncertainty – Written and Directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel
At the risk of sounding like a douchebag, I am very uncertain about this movie. Part romantic comedy, part drama, part action thriller? So confused. McGehee and Siegel have written and directed three other films together, and I’ve never heard of any of them. But Gordon-Levitt hasn’t let me down so far, and Thirlby and Collins are sexy. I’ll flip a coin.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lynn Collins, Olivia Thirlby
November 13

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans – Directed by Werner Herzog, Written by William M. Finkelstein
Controverial old-school director Werner Herzog (Encounters at the End of the World, Grizzly Man) is remaking the 1992 drama (starring Harvey Keitel) about a gambling/drug addict cop, and he’s setting it in post-Katrina New Orleans. They say it’s Cage’s best performance since Leaving Las Vegas (not really hard), and Kilmer’s presence is reassuring. Looking forward to it.
Nicholas Cage, Val Kilmer, Eva Mendes, Michael Shannon, Fairuza Balk, Xzibit, Shawn Hatosy
November 20

Chi Bi (Red Cliff) – Directed by John Woo, Written by John Woo and Khan Chan
This is an epic film in the style of Hero and House of Flying Daggers. John Woo started out with some good films (A Better Tomorrow, Killer, Hard Boiled), he even had some good American movies (Hard Target, Face/Off), though there were bullshit ones too (Windtalkers, Paycheck). However, his dramas, like Last Hurrah for Chivalry, have gone largerly unnoticed by American audiences. And, of course, it’s been out in China for two years, and we’re just getting it now. Tarantino needs to step his game up.
Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Wei Zhao
November 20

Fix – Directed by Tao Ruspoli, Written by Charles Castaldi and Paul Duran
Documentary filmmaker Ruspoli blends styles in this fictional documentary about a convicted drug dealer and his friends, who are attempting to raise enough money to put him in rehab before 8pm so he can avoid jail time. I can already tell that Andrews’ over-the-top personality is going to steal the show, and Wilde is kinda cute. When’s it coming to Netflix?
Olivia Wilde, Tao Ruspoli, Dedee Pfeiffer, Shawn Andrews
November 20

The Missing Person – Written and Directed by Noah Buschel
Modern noir about a private detective (Shannon in a lead role…nice) searching for a missing person after 9/11. Elements of drama and comedy make it appear a little disjointed, but Shannon and Ryan are solid. Kinda surprised it didn’t go straight to DVD, but whatever.
Michael Shannon, Amy Ryan, Frank Wood
November 20

Me and Orson Welles – Directed by Richard Linklater, Written by Holly Gent Palmo
I can’t see Efron’s name on anything without thinking Highschool Musical, which makes me want to punch everyone under the age of 17 in the eye. However, this film is a little more dramatic, a lot less musical, and Christian McKay looks like the best Orson Welles since D’onofrio in Ed Wood. And if that still doesn’t convince you to see this period film about Welles directing stage plays, I have three words for you: Richard motherfucking Linklater (Scanner Darkly, Waking Life, Dazed and Confused). There you go.
Zac Efron, Claire Danes, Christian McKay, Ben Chaplin
November 25

Ninja Assassin – Directed by James McTeigue, Written by Matthew Sand and J. Michael Straczynski
The directors of The Matrix are producing this balls-to-the-wall violence-fest about…are you ready? A Ninja Assassin. Crazy right? Just think blades, bullets, blood, and nonstop special effects. I can’t freaking wait.
Sung Kang
November 25

The Road – Directed by John Hillcoat, Written by Joe Penhall
I must admit, I didn’t care for Cormac McCarthy’s award winning novel. The fact that writer and director are inexperienced worries me. Whether the acting, cinematography and effects can save it or not, the story makes me think no one will like this no matter what.
Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce, Garret Dillahunt
November 25

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN

Metropia – Directed by Tarik Saleh, Written by Fredrik Edin
Anything with Vincent Gallo attatched generally gets my attention (Buffalo 66 was fucking weird). In this animated social commentary, Gallo’s character goes nuts when he starts hearing voices in the expansive underground tunnels Europe was forced to build after gas prices went too high. The animation looks pretty damn cool, so we’ll see.
Vincent Gallo, Udo Kier, Juliette Lewis, Stellan Skarsgard, Alexander Skarsgard
November 6 (Sweden)

Harry Brown – Directed by Daniel Barber, Written by Gary Young
Michael Caine hasn’t really been a badass since Get Carter, but this one may change that. Granted, it’s another cranky old man pissed off at street hooligans, but they did kill his friend…and he is ex-military. Comes out in the UK this month, possible limited releases in US.
Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Iain Glen
November 11 (UK)

Los abrazos rotos (Broken Embraces) – Written and Directed by Pedro Almodovar
Almodovar is huge in Spain, and the last time he teamed with Cruz was Volver, which was damn good. This film is about a writer/director telling a young man the story of why he changed his name after an accident took the life of his true love 14 years prior. Limited release this month, but expect it to be everywhere in time for the Oscars.
Penelope Cruz, Lluis Homar
November 20 (Limited)

Mammoth – Written and Directed by Lukas Moodysson
Husband and wife with a “perfect” life are put to the test when he takes a business trip to Thailand and decides to let loose a little. It looks very similar to parts of Babel, but more focused. Bernal and Williams have grown on me the last couple years, and Moodysson has done good work in Sweden.
Michelle Williams, Gael Garcia Bernal
November 20 (Limited)

Moviegoing isn’t always about deep meanings, life changing concepts or even just sending someone home with a theory to consider. Sometimes it’s just about having fun and the men of Radio Rock will help you do just that. Pirate Radio is just as much of a party as the daily lives of the crew on the ship. No morals, no shame and good music; who wouldn’t want to climb aboard Radio Rock?

Click here to read more.

I hadn’t realized before but hulu does that amazon thing where they suggest other shows you might like based on whatever show you happen to be watching. Same way amazon does with books, although I have to say I often find amazon’s suggestions suspect, at least for my taste. Anyhoo… one of the suggestions associated with Green Wing, a show that I’m still watching obsessively, is Spaced,  a half-hour comedy. (Do the call them sit-coms in England?) And I figured, oy, why not give it a go, then.

[this is where the video of the first episode of Spaced via hulu.com would appear if I could just get it to work - dammit!]

Glad I did.

Spaced is about two twenty-something Londoners. Tim (Simon Pegg aka Shaun from Shaun of the Dead) and Daisy (Jessica Stevenson, who has a bit role in Shaun as Yvonne) who both suddenly find themselves in need of new lodgings and decide to pose a professional couple so that they can rent a nice flat, clearly an allusion to the 70s sit-com Three’s Company.

The show is chock-full of pop culture references, especially TV and movies. And, a la Scrubs, it employs fantasy sequences to great effect (or is it affect?). Also like Scrubs it is a single-camera show, but I don’t know how unique that is to British TV.

Other GenX-ieties  include: Tim is a skateboarding graphic artist who wants to work for a comic book company but is currently working part-time at a comic book shop; while Daisy is a journalist who is on the dole.

Simon Pegg does much of the writing and the director is Edgar Wright, who collaborated with Pegg to make Shaun of the Dead. Also, Nick Frost, who plays Shaun’s best friend Ed in the romantic-comedy-zombie flick plays Tim’s best friend, Mike, who is described as a “weapons expert.” Much of what appears in Shaun of the Dead was first portrayed in Spaced. Some of it practically verbatim.

Another treat for me is that the character of Brian, the quirky, twitchy, semi-reclusive artist who lives upstairs from Tim and Daisy, who is played by Mark Heap, the actor that portrays the wonderfully pompous Dr. Alan Staythem in Green Wing.  Clearly Heap has a talent for infusing his characters with all kind of interesting traits and foibles that make them a little creepy and endearing at the same time, no small accomplishment.

At this point I can’t say which show I like better. It’s difficult to decided. Green Wing has way more swearing and sexual references. But Spaced has loads more pop culture stuff. In the end it hardly matters. What I can say is that I’d like to own both shows on DVD. I think Spaced is available for Region 1 where as Green Wing still is not.

In any case, both shows are more than valid GenX vehicles. Spaced is about younger GenXers, of the kind featured in Douglas Coupland’s novel, Generation X. While Green Wing is about older GenXers who have matriculated into the workforce.

And both shows are funny and sarcastic and surreal and ultimately very touching and human.