The Girls on the Bus is a political comedy-drama series created by Amy Chozick and Julie Plec. Inspired by Chozick’s 2018 memoir Chasing Hillary, the Max series follows the story of 4 journalists on different sides of political isles as they follow a parade of flawed presidential candidates while bonding with each other. The Girls on the Bus stars Melissa Benoist, Carla Gugino, Christina Elmore, and Natasha Behnam in the lead roles with Brandon Scott, Griffin Dunne, Hettienne Park, Mark Consuelos, Scott Cohen, Kyle Vincent Terry, and P.J. Sosko starring in supporting roles. If you loved all the political satire and friendships in The Girls on the Bus here are some similar shows you could watch next.
Veep (Max & Prime Video Add-On) Credit – HBO
Veep is a political satire and dark comedy series created by Armando Iannucci. The HBO series follows the political career of Selina Meyer as she goes from...
Veep (Max & Prime Video Add-On) Credit – HBO
Veep is a political satire and dark comedy series created by Armando Iannucci. The HBO series follows the political career of Selina Meyer as she goes from...
- 5/12/2024
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
Characters from Twenty Twelve and W1A will reportedly return in a spin-off centred around FIFA. Here are the details.
Sarah Parish, who played Anna Rampton in the original comedy series W1A, has revealed on That Gaby Roslin Podcast that a spin-off show based on the FIFA international football association. was in the works. She also revealed that W1A co-star Hugh Bonneville would be reprising his role.
Though Parish said the show was being written according to the British Comedy Guide, she said she would not be in it, but that she suspected Hynes would return. There has been no official confirmation from the BBC, but it would fit with the previous series precedent of writing a comedy about a real forthcoming event, in this case the FIFA World Cup in 2026.
W1A was written by John Morton, who made his name with the radio and subsequent television adaptation of People Like Us,...
Sarah Parish, who played Anna Rampton in the original comedy series W1A, has revealed on That Gaby Roslin Podcast that a spin-off show based on the FIFA international football association. was in the works. She also revealed that W1A co-star Hugh Bonneville would be reprising his role.
Though Parish said the show was being written according to the British Comedy Guide, she said she would not be in it, but that she suspected Hynes would return. There has been no official confirmation from the BBC, but it would fit with the previous series precedent of writing a comedy about a real forthcoming event, in this case the FIFA World Cup in 2026.
W1A was written by John Morton, who made his name with the radio and subsequent television adaptation of People Like Us,...
- 5/9/2024
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
An intense and often funny drama starring the best fake news anchor and created by the guy who has made too many legal dramas and all of them are brilliant. A Man in Full is a drama miniseries created by David E. Kelley. Based on a 1998 novel of the same name by Tom Wolfe, it follows a real estate mogul Charlie Croker as he faces bankruptcy and his enemies circle him to gain something from his misfortune. A Man in Full stars Jeff Daniels in the lead role with Sarah Jones, Diane Lane, Lucy Liu, Tom Pelphrey, Evan Roe, Jon Michael Hill, Josh Pais, and Jerrika Hinton starring in supporting. So, if you loved Daniels’ incredible performance and the story of a man’s fall from grace and too much arrogance in A Man in Full here are some similar shows you could watch next.
Dynasty (Netflix & Rent on Prime...
Dynasty (Netflix & Rent on Prime...
- 5/3/2024
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
Play the music, light the lights… and slap on the disclaimer?
Select episodes of The Muppet Show — which began streaming on Disney+ on Friday, Feb. 19 — have been hit with a disclaimer citing “negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures.”
More from TVLineThe Muppet Show Headed to Disney+: All 5 Seasons of the Jim Henson Classic Will Begin Streaming in FebruaryMighty Ducks: Lauren Graham and Emilio Estevez Make Hockey Dreams Come True in Disney+ Series' TeaserThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier: New Photos Tease Sam and Bucky's Mismatched Team-Up in Disney+ Series
“These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now,...
Select episodes of The Muppet Show — which began streaming on Disney+ on Friday, Feb. 19 — have been hit with a disclaimer citing “negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures.”
More from TVLineThe Muppet Show Headed to Disney+: All 5 Seasons of the Jim Henson Classic Will Begin Streaming in FebruaryMighty Ducks: Lauren Graham and Emilio Estevez Make Hockey Dreams Come True in Disney+ Series' TeaserThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier: New Photos Tease Sam and Bucky's Mismatched Team-Up in Disney+ Series
“These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now,...
- 2/21/2021
- by Nick Caruso
- TVLine.com
“The Muppet Show” made its much-anticipated debut on Disney+ on Friday, but not with all of the 120 episodes from Jim Henson’s iconic variety series.
Currently, Disney+ features 118 of those episodes, with two episodes from Season 5 omitted. That’s a particular shame since Seasons 4 and 5 of “The Muppet Show” have never been made available for home entertainment. The episodes in question were the ones that guest-starred Brooke Shields and British comedian Chris Langham. Additionally, one Season 2 episode that features Don Knotts is edited down (one Reddit user tracked all of the changes here).
According to a Disney+ spokesperson, it came down primarily to music rights issues.
As for the Langham one, that’s a bit trickier. In 2007, the comic (who replaced Richard Pryor as the guest at the last minute) was found guilty of possessing child pornography and served a six-month prison sentence. Disney declined to comment on that part.
Currently, Disney+ features 118 of those episodes, with two episodes from Season 5 omitted. That’s a particular shame since Seasons 4 and 5 of “The Muppet Show” have never been made available for home entertainment. The episodes in question were the ones that guest-starred Brooke Shields and British comedian Chris Langham. Additionally, one Season 2 episode that features Don Knotts is edited down (one Reddit user tracked all of the changes here).
According to a Disney+ spokesperson, it came down primarily to music rights issues.
As for the Langham one, that’s a bit trickier. In 2007, the comic (who replaced Richard Pryor as the guest at the last minute) was found guilty of possessing child pornography and served a six-month prison sentence. Disney declined to comment on that part.
- 2/20/2021
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
Stars: Will Sharpe, Tiani Ghosh, Joe Thomas, Sophia Di Martino, Raph Shirley, Chris Langham, Sharon D. Clarke, Ewan Bailey, Helen Cripps, Jamie Demetriou, Simon Bird | Written by Tiani Ghosh, Will Sharpe | Directed by Tom Kingsley, Will Sharpe
Talk about a movie where you just don’t know where to start! With The Darkest Universe, co-directors Tom Kingsley and Will Sharpe have crafted what I can only describe as my favorite, completely surreal, yet right down to earth, drama I have watched in 2016… Wait, no, in years.
As I have said previously, I am on a real Indie “hidden gem” kick right now and I was asked to review this movie suspecting that it would be right up my street. And it is. The Darkest Universe is an absolute gem of a movie for more reasons than I can explain, but I will try.
Co-director and co-writer Will Sharpe plays highly...
Talk about a movie where you just don’t know where to start! With The Darkest Universe, co-directors Tom Kingsley and Will Sharpe have crafted what I can only describe as my favorite, completely surreal, yet right down to earth, drama I have watched in 2016… Wait, no, in years.
As I have said previously, I am on a real Indie “hidden gem” kick right now and I was asked to review this movie suspecting that it would be right up my street. And it is. The Darkest Universe is an absolute gem of a movie for more reasons than I can explain, but I will try.
Co-director and co-writer Will Sharpe plays highly...
- 12/28/2016
- by Kevin Haldon
- Nerdly
Richard John Taylor had no problem attracting investors to his films. After all, he was a senior editor on EastEnders, ran a production company with Louis Theroux and had a lucrative deal with ITV. There was only one problem…
At the end of Tina Renton's book, You Can't Hide, she thanks her friend Richard John Taylor for everything he's done for her. Taylor, a film-maker, had become a saviour of sorts. He had met her through Rape Crisis in August 2011 when she was at her most vulnerable, befriended her, gave her a job as his personal assistant and made her feel worthwhile again.
Renton's story was as inspirational as it was shocking. She had been abused by her stepfather from the age of six. At 14, she told her mother, but her mother said if she went to the police, the family would be left homeless. She threw her partner out of the house,...
At the end of Tina Renton's book, You Can't Hide, she thanks her friend Richard John Taylor for everything he's done for her. Taylor, a film-maker, had become a saviour of sorts. He had met her through Rape Crisis in August 2011 when she was at her most vulnerable, befriended her, gave her a job as his personal assistant and made her feel worthwhile again.
Renton's story was as inspirational as it was shocking. She had been abused by her stepfather from the age of six. At 14, she told her mother, but her mother said if she went to the police, the family would be left homeless. She threw her partner out of the house,...
- 3/22/2014
- by Simon Hattenstone
- The Guardian - Film News
Principal photography has wrapped on Archer’s Mark’s The Darkest Universe, Will Sharpe and Tom Kingsley’s follow-up to their BAFTA-nominated Black Pond.
Joe Thomas of The Inbetweeners fame stars alongside co-writer Tiani Ghosh.
The supporting cast includes Simon Bird, Chris Langham, Nick Mohammed and Johnny Sweet.
Sharpe and Kingsley say the film is “a romantic comedy set in space, or – to be more specific – on planet Earth.”
Jo-Jo Ellison produces for Archer’s Mark, alongside the company’s executive producers, Mike Brett and Steve Jamison.
Archer’s Mark also produced the forthcoming documentary feature Next Goal Wins and upcoming political thriller War Book, co-produced with Sixteen Films.
Sharpe said: “We’ve been really inspired by Archer’s Mark and their can-do attitude to film-making. They are intelligent, resourceful and creatively ambitious. We haven’t met a more forward thinking company and I’d be very surprised if they don’t play a crucial role in...
Joe Thomas of The Inbetweeners fame stars alongside co-writer Tiani Ghosh.
The supporting cast includes Simon Bird, Chris Langham, Nick Mohammed and Johnny Sweet.
Sharpe and Kingsley say the film is “a romantic comedy set in space, or – to be more specific – on planet Earth.”
Jo-Jo Ellison produces for Archer’s Mark, alongside the company’s executive producers, Mike Brett and Steve Jamison.
Archer’s Mark also produced the forthcoming documentary feature Next Goal Wins and upcoming political thriller War Book, co-produced with Sixteen Films.
Sharpe said: “We’ve been really inspired by Archer’s Mark and their can-do attitude to film-making. They are intelligent, resourceful and creatively ambitious. We haven’t met a more forward thinking company and I’d be very surprised if they don’t play a crucial role in...
- 2/27/2014
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Best Live Action Short Film semi-finalists: Oscar 2014 (Tom Hollander and Martin Freeman in ‘The Voorman Problem’) Last week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that 10 live action short films remained in the running for the 2014 Academy Awards. Among the semi-finalists, topics and characters include African child soldiers (That Wasn’t Me), a troubled Italian boy who refuses to take off a wrestler’s mask (Tiger Boy), romance and time travel (Sundance entry Record/Play, slated to become a feature), an abused Inuit wife (Throat Song), and a (possible) lunatic who believes he’s god (The Voorman Problem). One hundred and twenty shorts had originally qualified for the Best Live Action Short Film category. The 10 short films still in contention for the 2014 Oscar in the Best Live Action Short Film category are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies: Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn’t Me), Esteban Crespo,...
- 11/25/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The Thick of It Series 4, Episode 7
Written by Simon Blackwell, Sean Gray, Ian Martin, Tony Roche, Will Smith
Directed by Tony Roche
Original airdate October 27, 2012
For four seasons and two specials, The Thick of it, acted as a strange hybrid between The West Wing and The Office. Some might argue that The Thick of it is technically better than either of those shows (this writer included), and the final episode proves why.
With bullet fast dialogue and intensely good acting (you’ll always be Malcolm Tucker to us Peter Capaldi), The Thick of it thrust viewers into a behind the scenes look at British government, often focusing on the barely functioning fictional Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship and the two ministers that run the department, first Hugh Abbot (Chris Langham) and later Nicola Murray (the painfully funny Rebecca Front). They are “helped” by aides Ollie Reeder (Chris Addison), Terri...
Written by Simon Blackwell, Sean Gray, Ian Martin, Tony Roche, Will Smith
Directed by Tony Roche
Original airdate October 27, 2012
For four seasons and two specials, The Thick of it, acted as a strange hybrid between The West Wing and The Office. Some might argue that The Thick of it is technically better than either of those shows (this writer included), and the final episode proves why.
With bullet fast dialogue and intensely good acting (you’ll always be Malcolm Tucker to us Peter Capaldi), The Thick of it thrust viewers into a behind the scenes look at British government, often focusing on the barely functioning fictional Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship and the two ministers that run the department, first Hugh Abbot (Chris Langham) and later Nicola Murray (the painfully funny Rebecca Front). They are “helped” by aides Ollie Reeder (Chris Addison), Terri...
- 10/3/2013
- by Tressa
- SoundOnSight
The director reveals he is a 'great fan' of the Us standup comic. Meanwhile, Geri Halliwell looks set to star in her own TV comedy show and London's Glee Club isn't happy
This week's comedy news
Woody Allen has been talking to the New York Times about his desire to make a film with standup comic Louis Ck. The latter has a small role in Allen's forthcoming feature Blue Jasmine, but the part isn't "commensurate with his talent", says Allen. "[So] when I finished this picture, I went into my room and thought, what would be a fun picture? My first thought was: can I come up with something that I could do with Louis Ck? … Some day, I will get something that we could do together, because I do think it would be fun. I'm such a great fan of his."
Elsewhere in Hollywood, Mike Myers in hatching a directorial...
This week's comedy news
Woody Allen has been talking to the New York Times about his desire to make a film with standup comic Louis Ck. The latter has a small role in Allen's forthcoming feature Blue Jasmine, but the part isn't "commensurate with his talent", says Allen. "[So] when I finished this picture, I went into my room and thought, what would be a fun picture? My first thought was: can I come up with something that I could do with Louis Ck? … Some day, I will get something that we could do together, because I do think it would be fun. I'm such a great fan of his."
Elsewhere in Hollywood, Mike Myers in hatching a directorial...
- 7/23/2013
- by Brian Logan
- The Guardian - Film News
British comedian Mel Smith died Friday, after suffering a heart attack at his London home. He was 60. Smith made his television debut in a bit part in Stephen Frears’ controversial 1979 TV film Bloody Kids. Later that year, he got his big break when he joined the cast of Not The Nine O’Clock News, the celebrated and star-making topical sketch-comedy series that also featured Rowan Atkinson, Chris Langham, and future Saturday Night Live cast member Pamela Stephenson. Griff Rhys Jones, who had pitched in on the show’s first season, became a full cast member in the second ...
- 7/22/2013
- avclub.com
Comedian, actor, writer and director who came to prominence in satirical TV sketch show Not the Nine O'Clock News
Mel Smith was once upstaged by a talking gorilla. He was playing a zoologist in a sketch on his hit comedy show Not the Nine O'Clock News and the gorilla suit contained Rowan Atkinson. "When I caught Gerald in 68 he was completely wild," said Smith. "Wild?" retorted the gorilla. "I was absolutely livid!"
If the gorilla had the best line, Smith had the more expressive countenance, mugging with a deadpan virtuosity rarely seen since Oliver Hardy in his pomp. That face – as hangdog as his childhood hero Tony Hancock's – made Smith, who has died of a heart attack aged 60, one of the most recognisable of postwar British comedians.
Smith's face was only part of his fortune. He was a writer and editor of some of the most redoubtable British TV...
Mel Smith was once upstaged by a talking gorilla. He was playing a zoologist in a sketch on his hit comedy show Not the Nine O'Clock News and the gorilla suit contained Rowan Atkinson. "When I caught Gerald in 68 he was completely wild," said Smith. "Wild?" retorted the gorilla. "I was absolutely livid!"
If the gorilla had the best line, Smith had the more expressive countenance, mugging with a deadpan virtuosity rarely seen since Oliver Hardy in his pomp. That face – as hangdog as his childhood hero Tony Hancock's – made Smith, who has died of a heart attack aged 60, one of the most recognisable of postwar British comedians.
Smith's face was only part of his fortune. He was a writer and editor of some of the most redoubtable British TV...
- 7/21/2013
- by Stuart Jeffries
- The Guardian - Film News
Best known for roles in Alas Smith and Jones and Not the Nine O'Clock News, the comic also reached No 3 in the music charts
The classic image of Mel Smith was head to head in conversation with Griff Rhys Jones, discussing anything from politics to sex, on Alas Smith and Jones.
Sometimes, in variety show or charity events, either the part of Smith or Jones was played by a celebrity. The show was broadcast from 1984-89 as Alas Smith and Jones and from 1989-98 as Smith and Jones.
Here Smith and Rhys Jones discuss the 60s and the Beatles.
In 1986, Smith parodied the monotonous broadcast of the football results, which were an essential and lengthy part of many news broadcasts at the time.
Smith's career was launched alongside that of Jones, Rowan Atkinson, Pamela Stephenson and Chris Langham in Not the Nine O'Clock News, which ran from 1979-82. It featured...
The classic image of Mel Smith was head to head in conversation with Griff Rhys Jones, discussing anything from politics to sex, on Alas Smith and Jones.
Sometimes, in variety show or charity events, either the part of Smith or Jones was played by a celebrity. The show was broadcast from 1984-89 as Alas Smith and Jones and from 1989-98 as Smith and Jones.
Here Smith and Rhys Jones discuss the 60s and the Beatles.
In 1986, Smith parodied the monotonous broadcast of the football results, which were an essential and lengthy part of many news broadcasts at the time.
Smith's career was launched alongside that of Jones, Rowan Atkinson, Pamela Stephenson and Chris Langham in Not the Nine O'Clock News, which ran from 1979-82. It featured...
- 7/20/2013
- by Conal Urquhart
- The Guardian - Film News
Black Pond
Directed by Tom Kingsley and Will Sharpe
Written by Will Sharpe
U.K., 2011
Comedy, in its nature and its presentation, has morphed dramatically over the past decade or so, both in North America and in Europe, in particular the United Kingdom. From the more overt, on the nose comedy of yesteryear we have now live in an era in which the comedy is delivered with a completely different version of wit. Jokes can be extremely situational or rely on dialogue delivered in manners which presume to be subtle but at the same are not really subtle at all. Even the stories which writers and directors have shared in the past few years have experienced with new framing devices. Oftentimes the films and television shows present them in a way so as to replicate the documentary style, hence the stories carry a degree of believability all the while the...
Directed by Tom Kingsley and Will Sharpe
Written by Will Sharpe
U.K., 2011
Comedy, in its nature and its presentation, has morphed dramatically over the past decade or so, both in North America and in Europe, in particular the United Kingdom. From the more overt, on the nose comedy of yesteryear we have now live in an era in which the comedy is delivered with a completely different version of wit. Jokes can be extremely situational or rely on dialogue delivered in manners which presume to be subtle but at the same are not really subtle at all. Even the stories which writers and directors have shared in the past few years have experienced with new framing devices. Oftentimes the films and television shows present them in a way so as to replicate the documentary style, hence the stories carry a degree of believability all the while the...
- 8/3/2012
- by Edgar Chaput
- SoundOnSight
We are now a week into the three week long Fantasia Film Festival, and while we admittedly have been a little behind due to some technical issues with our website, we still managed to get a dozen film reviews published. Keep coming back to our site as we promise twice the amount of articles by the end of week two. In the meantime, here is a round-up of what we’ve seen and written about so far.
Black Pond
Directed by Tom Kingsley and Will Sharpe
Written by Will Sharpe
U.K., 2011
Comedy, in its nature and its presentation, has morphed dramatically over the past decade or so, both in North America and in Europe, in particular the United Kingdom. From the more overt, on the nose comedy of yesteryear we have now live in an era in which the comedy is delivered with a completely different version of wit.
Black Pond
Directed by Tom Kingsley and Will Sharpe
Written by Will Sharpe
U.K., 2011
Comedy, in its nature and its presentation, has morphed dramatically over the past decade or so, both in North America and in Europe, in particular the United Kingdom. From the more overt, on the nose comedy of yesteryear we have now live in an era in which the comedy is delivered with a completely different version of wit.
- 7/28/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Black Pond
Directed by Tom Kingsley and Will Sharpe
Written by Will Sharpe
U.K., 2011
Comedy, in its nature and its presentation, has morphed dramatically over the past decade or so, both in North America and in Europe, in particular the United Kingdom. From the more overt, on the nose comedy of yesteryear we have now live in an era in which the comedy is delivered with a completely different version of wit. Jokes can be extremely situational or rely on dialogue delivered in manners which presume to be subtle but at the same are not really subtle at all. Even the stories which writers and directors have shared in the past few years have experienced with new framing devices. Oftentimes the films and television shows present them in a way so as to replicate the documentary style, hence the stories carry a degree of believability all the while the...
Directed by Tom Kingsley and Will Sharpe
Written by Will Sharpe
U.K., 2011
Comedy, in its nature and its presentation, has morphed dramatically over the past decade or so, both in North America and in Europe, in particular the United Kingdom. From the more overt, on the nose comedy of yesteryear we have now live in an era in which the comedy is delivered with a completely different version of wit. Jokes can be extremely situational or rely on dialogue delivered in manners which presume to be subtle but at the same are not really subtle at all. Even the stories which writers and directors have shared in the past few years have experienced with new framing devices. Oftentimes the films and television shows present them in a way so as to replicate the documentary style, hence the stories carry a degree of believability all the while the...
- 7/27/2012
- by Edgar Chaput
- SoundOnSight
Like it or not, filmmaking is undeniably a director's medium. It wasn't always like that, of course: it was only the coming of the auteur theory in the 1950s and 1960s that popularized the idea of the director as the person responsible for all that was great and terrible about a picture. And while anyone who's worked in film knows that it's a collaborative medium, there's still no better way of seeing where the form might be going in the next few years than by looking at the directors who've been making splashes of late.
So, hot on the heels of our On The Rise pieces focusing on actors, actresses and screenwriters, we've picked out ten directors who've arrived in a big way in the last year or so, and look set for even greater things in the near future. Any tips of your own? Let us know in the comments section below.
So, hot on the heels of our On The Rise pieces focusing on actors, actresses and screenwriters, we've picked out ten directors who've arrived in a big way in the last year or so, and look set for even greater things in the near future. Any tips of your own? Let us know in the comments section below.
- 5/15/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo; Dream House; Black Pond; Acts of Godfrey
When Rooney Mara picked up an Oscar nomination for her punchy central performance in David Fincher's American remake of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011, Sony, 18), one question hung awkwardly in the air: how come Noomi Rapace wasn't similarly honoured for her equally impressive turn as cyberpunk Lisbeth Salander in the original Scandinavian movie a couple of years earlier? Adapted from the first of Stieg Larsson's posthumously bestselling Millennium trilogy, Niels Arden Oplev's modestly budgeted thriller made a European star of the mercurial Rapace, who went on to feature in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and is soon to be seen headlining Ridley Scott's eagerly anticipated sci-fi epic Prometheus. It's hard not to conclude that, while Rapace delivered her dialogue in Swedish, Mara was feted for performing essentially the same role in...
When Rooney Mara picked up an Oscar nomination for her punchy central performance in David Fincher's American remake of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011, Sony, 18), one question hung awkwardly in the air: how come Noomi Rapace wasn't similarly honoured for her equally impressive turn as cyberpunk Lisbeth Salander in the original Scandinavian movie a couple of years earlier? Adapted from the first of Stieg Larsson's posthumously bestselling Millennium trilogy, Niels Arden Oplev's modestly budgeted thriller made a European star of the mercurial Rapace, who went on to feature in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and is soon to be seen headlining Ridley Scott's eagerly anticipated sci-fi epic Prometheus. It's hard not to conclude that, while Rapace delivered her dialogue in Swedish, Mara was feted for performing essentially the same role in...
- 4/14/2012
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
Black Pond
Directed by Tom Kingsley & Will Sharpe
Screenplay by Will Sharpe
UK, 2012
Black Pond heralds an incredibly original, startlingly mature, and completely inscrutable new film-making duo. It’s unclear what exactly they have made with Black Pond; suffice it to say it is equal parts profound and hilarious while refusing classification.
Part mockumentary, part family drama, but mostly outrageously surreal British comedy, Black Pond provides the smallest of foundations before ascending into oddball lunacy. The mockumentary aspects here act as a flash-forward in which it is revealed that the Thompson Family has been accused of murder after a stranger dies at their dinner table. From there, directors Kingsley and Sharpe present a richly detailed profile of an upperclass British family. The complexity, and care, of which suggest several more films worth of material buried in this restrained farce.
Tom (Chris Langham) and Sophie (Amanda Hadingue) Thompson are an empty...
Directed by Tom Kingsley & Will Sharpe
Screenplay by Will Sharpe
UK, 2012
Black Pond heralds an incredibly original, startlingly mature, and completely inscrutable new film-making duo. It’s unclear what exactly they have made with Black Pond; suffice it to say it is equal parts profound and hilarious while refusing classification.
Part mockumentary, part family drama, but mostly outrageously surreal British comedy, Black Pond provides the smallest of foundations before ascending into oddball lunacy. The mockumentary aspects here act as a flash-forward in which it is revealed that the Thompson Family has been accused of murder after a stranger dies at their dinner table. From there, directors Kingsley and Sharpe present a richly detailed profile of an upperclass British family. The complexity, and care, of which suggest several more films worth of material buried in this restrained farce.
Tom (Chris Langham) and Sophie (Amanda Hadingue) Thompson are an empty...
- 3/16/2012
- by Emmet Duff
- SoundOnSight
"I had a dream about ham sandwiches and broadband." Mixing lovely poetic ramblings with self-consciously quirky comedy sounds like a recipe for disaster, and, truth to tell, there are enough half-baked sequences in Black Pond to keep it from being a complete success. Yet the parts that work outweigh those that don't, and the dry, deadpan presentation -- or, what we unenlightened Americans tend to think of as "typical British humour" -- helps to make the film consistently engaging. Framed by documentary-style interviews with members of the Thompson family, interspersed with brief snippets of tabloid newspapers identifying them as "a family of killers," the film proper commences with Tom Thompson (Chris Langham) meeting Blake (Colin Hurley). Blake is an odd fellow, who tells Tom...
- 3/12/2012
- Screen Anarchy
While Sundance still gets the headlines, the last few years have seen the film strand of South By Southwest, the Austin, Texas cultural conference, become just as vital to the movie world as Robert Redford's baby. The past few festivals alone witnessed some of the best movies of their respective years debut, from low-budget indies like "The Puffy Chair," "Beeswax," "Tiny Furniture" and "Cold Weather" to more mainstream fare like "I Love You Man," "Adventureland" and "Bridesmaids," to international genre hits like "Kill List," "Attack The Block" and "Monsters."
It's certainly one of the highlights of our cinematic calendar, and there's no reason to think that the 2012 installment, which kicks off on Friday with the world premiere of Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard's eagerly anticipated horror-comedy "The Cabin In The Woods," will disappoint. From looking through the program, we could be here all day talking about the films that are piquing our interest,...
It's certainly one of the highlights of our cinematic calendar, and there's no reason to think that the 2012 installment, which kicks off on Friday with the world premiere of Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard's eagerly anticipated horror-comedy "The Cabin In The Woods," will disappoint. From looking through the program, we could be here all day talking about the films that are piquing our interest,...
- 3/6/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
Sound On Sight will once again be covering the SXSW Film Festival this year, making it our second time attending. 130 feature films will screen at the Austin, Texas fest taking place March 9-17, including 65 World Premieres, 17 North American Premieres and 10 U.S. Premieres. As previously announced, Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon’s The Cabin in the Woods will have the honours of opening the festival, and now they have released the full list of films – and it’s looking pretty amazing. Enjoy!
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths,...
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths,...
- 2/3/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Iggy Pop and Debbie Harry, shot by Bob Gruen in 1977
Rock 'N' Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen
screens as part of 24 Beats per Second
SXSW Film has just announced its features lineup for the 2012 edition, running March 9 through 17. We already knew that the Opening Night Film would be Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods. For its Closing Night Film, the festival will host the world premiere of of Emmett Malloy’s documentary Big Easy Express (more below). The lineup, with descriptions from the festival:
Narrative Feature Competition
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin. When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted. Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail. (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths, Screenwriters: Richard B. Phillips, Megan Griffiths, Story by: Richard B. Phillips & Chong Kim.
Rock 'N' Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen
screens as part of 24 Beats per Second
SXSW Film has just announced its features lineup for the 2012 edition, running March 9 through 17. We already knew that the Opening Night Film would be Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods. For its Closing Night Film, the festival will host the world premiere of of Emmett Malloy’s documentary Big Easy Express (more below). The lineup, with descriptions from the festival:
Narrative Feature Competition
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin. When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted. Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail. (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths, Screenwriters: Richard B. Phillips, Megan Griffiths, Story by: Richard B. Phillips & Chong Kim.
- 2/1/2012
- MUBI
With Sundance 2012 Film Festival over, the next big one on the horizon is South by Southwest, which we’ll be heavily covering. The biggest chunk of the line-up has been announced today, which has some great premieres including 21 Jump Street, Tiff and Sundance hit The Raid, Will Ferrell‘s Casa de mi Padre, the documentary Girl Model (which we liked at Tiff), as well as the next from Broken Lizard, The Babymakers. There are many other promising titles included and you can see them all below. Check back for our coverage for the fest, kicking off March 9th.
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
- 2/1/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Attendees of South by Southwest 2012 are in for a treat. 130 feature films will screen at the Austin, Texas festival taking place March 9-17. Among them are 65 World Premieres, 17 North American Premieres and 10 U.S. Premieres. The organization already announced [1] Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon's The Cabin in the Woods would open the festival (the movie is phenomenal [2]) and today the majority of the remaining line up has been revealed. One of the highlights is the unbelievably smart and hilarious 21 Jump Street, directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller. Both of those are World Premieres. Other highlights include The Hunter, Killer Joe, The Babymakers, frankie goes boom, God Bless America, The Imposter, The Raid, Bernie and Casa de mi Padre just to name a few. After the jump, read descriptions of all the films that have been announced so far. Before I copy and paste the rest of the list, a few minor notes.
- 2/1/2012
- by Germain Lussier
- Slash Film
Langham Cancels School Event Over Child Porn Past
Disgraced British actor Chris Langham has pulled out of a movie event at a school after parents launched a protest over his conviction for possessing child porn.
The award-winning star was booked for a question-and-answer session at a boys' college in Kent, England in March to promote his comeback film Black Pond.
But he has reportedly cancelled his appearance at the event after a group of parents complained it was inappropriate.
Langham was jailed for 10 months in 2007 after he was found guilty of 15 counts of possessing child porn. He won a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award in 2006 for his role as a hapless government minister in BBC political comedy The Thick of It, but has not worked since his release.
The award-winning star was booked for a question-and-answer session at a boys' college in Kent, England in March to promote his comeback film Black Pond.
But he has reportedly cancelled his appearance at the event after a group of parents complained it was inappropriate.
Langham was jailed for 10 months in 2007 after he was found guilty of 15 counts of possessing child porn. He won a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award in 2006 for his role as a hapless government minister in BBC political comedy The Thick of It, but has not worked since his release.
- 1/27/2012
- WENN
Meryl Streep looks set to continue her awards run at this year's Baftas while The Artist and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy have been showered with nominations.
The Iron Lady is up for four prizes, including best actress for Golden Globe winner Streep for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher and supporting actor for Jim Broadbent as Denis.
Despite being shunned at the Golden Globes, Cold War thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy has 11 Orange British Academy Film Award nods, including best film, director, British film and leading actor for Gary Oldman.
Black and white silent film The Artist is the frontrunner, cementing its reputation as an awards heavyweight with 12 nominations, competing for best film, director, leading actress (Berenice Bejo) and actor (Jean Dujardin). The cast and crew are pictured above at this year's Golden Globes, where The Artist won four awards.
Hugo, Martin Scorsese's first children's film, has nine nominations, including best director.
The Iron Lady is up for four prizes, including best actress for Golden Globe winner Streep for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher and supporting actor for Jim Broadbent as Denis.
Despite being shunned at the Golden Globes, Cold War thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy has 11 Orange British Academy Film Award nods, including best film, director, British film and leading actor for Gary Oldman.
Black and white silent film The Artist is the frontrunner, cementing its reputation as an awards heavyweight with 12 nominations, competing for best film, director, leading actress (Berenice Bejo) and actor (Jean Dujardin). The cast and crew are pictured above at this year's Golden Globes, where The Artist won four awards.
Hugo, Martin Scorsese's first children's film, has nine nominations, including best director.
- 1/17/2012
- by David Bentley
- The Geek Files
The best of your comments on the latest films and music
Can a middle-aged, balding white man write about young black women rapping? Or should he write solely about other middle-aged, balding white men? That, incredibly, was what some of you felt was the main issue around the piece Paul Lester (he's the middle-aged, balding white man) wrote last week about Azealia Banks, Dominique Young Unique and Lady Leshurr (I'll let you work out which side of the equation they are). Even leaving aside the politics of race and gender, Feedback reckoned: "It's the equivalent of seeing your granny doing the macarena on the dancefloor. While it may give you a warm glow of affection, everyone else in the room is thinking: 'Who's that crazy old dingbat?'" To which we counter with untold's reaction: "There are thousands of bald, middle-aged, white hip hop heads. I sometimes think it's about half the global audience.
Can a middle-aged, balding white man write about young black women rapping? Or should he write solely about other middle-aged, balding white men? That, incredibly, was what some of you felt was the main issue around the piece Paul Lester (he's the middle-aged, balding white man) wrote last week about Azealia Banks, Dominique Young Unique and Lady Leshurr (I'll let you work out which side of the equation they are). Even leaving aside the politics of race and gender, Feedback reckoned: "It's the equivalent of seeing your granny doing the macarena on the dancefloor. While it may give you a warm glow of affection, everyone else in the room is thinking: 'Who's that crazy old dingbat?'" To which we counter with untold's reaction: "There are thousands of bald, middle-aged, white hip hop heads. I sometimes think it's about half the global audience.
- 1/13/2012
- by Michael Hann
- The Guardian - Film News
Will children reared on CGI fall for felt-and-foam animals and bad puns? Ellen E Jones on the lasting genius of the Muppets
The Jim Henson Company studio lot on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles is one of the few remaining original lots in Hollywood. As if to acknowledge its history – it was built in 1917 and was originally the home of Charlie Chaplin's production company – a 12-foot statue of Kermit the Frog dressed as Chaplin's Tramp stands atop the gatehouse, tipping his bowler hat towards the Sunset Strip. Behind Kermit, in the Tudor-style bungalows where Modern Times was filmed, something even more exciting is happening; the unveiling of the first theatrically released Muppets film for more than a decade, since 1999's Muppets from Space.
The new Muppets movie is all about reclaiming past glories. In depicts the titular puppets disbanded and their studio in a state of bad repair,...
The Jim Henson Company studio lot on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles is one of the few remaining original lots in Hollywood. As if to acknowledge its history – it was built in 1917 and was originally the home of Charlie Chaplin's production company – a 12-foot statue of Kermit the Frog dressed as Chaplin's Tramp stands atop the gatehouse, tipping his bowler hat towards the Sunset Strip. Behind Kermit, in the Tudor-style bungalows where Modern Times was filmed, something even more exciting is happening; the unveiling of the first theatrically released Muppets film for more than a decade, since 1999's Muppets from Space.
The new Muppets movie is all about reclaiming past glories. In depicts the titular puppets disbanded and their studio in a state of bad repair,...
- 1/6/2012
- by Ellen E Jones
- The Guardian - Film News
Despite the UK Film Council's golden age, 2011 was very much a mixed bag of events
In some ways, 2011 was the strangest year in living memory for British cinema. The UK Film Council was officially wound up at the end of March, a showy act from this coalition government, annulling a Labour creation on the grounds of high salaries and cronyism, but transferring much of its budget and responsibilities to the British Film Institute. And this at a time when the Film Council was having a golden age: a bag of Oscars for The King's Speech and a feeling that it had fostered real talent. Something was going very right for British cinema. Lynne Ramsey's We Need to Talk About Kevin premiered at Cannes; Steve McQueen's Shame and Andrea Arnold's Wuthering Heights made waves at Venice.
Two film-makers from Iran showed that cinema was able to address...
In some ways, 2011 was the strangest year in living memory for British cinema. The UK Film Council was officially wound up at the end of March, a showy act from this coalition government, annulling a Labour creation on the grounds of high salaries and cronyism, but transferring much of its budget and responsibilities to the British Film Institute. And this at a time when the Film Council was having a golden age: a bag of Oscars for The King's Speech and a feeling that it had fostered real talent. Something was going very right for British cinema. Lynne Ramsey's We Need to Talk About Kevin premiered at Cannes; Steve McQueen's Shame and Andrea Arnold's Wuthering Heights made waves at Venice.
Two film-makers from Iran showed that cinema was able to address...
- 12/5/2011
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Black Pond (15)
(Tom Kingsley, Will Sharpe, 2011, UK) Chris Langham, Colin Hurley, Amanda Hadingue, Will Sharpe, Simon Amstell. 82 mins
First-time films are traditionally youthful coming-of-age stories, but this delightful little oddity revolves around a miserable middle-aged couple and the deaths of first their three-legged dog, then a very strange stranger they invite to dinner. Everything about it is pretty eccentric, in fact, with surreal animated interludes, an absurd cameo from Amstell and plenty of off-balance domestic comedy, not to mention the risky return of Langham. But in its own idiosyncratic way, it all fits together perfectly.
Wuthering Heights (15)
(Andrea Arnold, 2011, UK) Kaya Scodelario, James Howson, Shannon Beer. 129 mins
Discarding the usual niceties of costume drama, Arnold rolls Brontë's saga in the muck for this provocative, sensuous interpretation. Sublime to start with, it never quite recovers from a second-half change of cast.
The Rum Diary (15)
(Bruce Robinson, 2011, Us) Johnny Depp, Aaron Eckhart,...
(Tom Kingsley, Will Sharpe, 2011, UK) Chris Langham, Colin Hurley, Amanda Hadingue, Will Sharpe, Simon Amstell. 82 mins
First-time films are traditionally youthful coming-of-age stories, but this delightful little oddity revolves around a miserable middle-aged couple and the deaths of first their three-legged dog, then a very strange stranger they invite to dinner. Everything about it is pretty eccentric, in fact, with surreal animated interludes, an absurd cameo from Amstell and plenty of off-balance domestic comedy, not to mention the risky return of Langham. But in its own idiosyncratic way, it all fits together perfectly.
Wuthering Heights (15)
(Andrea Arnold, 2011, UK) Kaya Scodelario, James Howson, Shannon Beer. 129 mins
Discarding the usual niceties of costume drama, Arnold rolls Brontë's saga in the muck for this provocative, sensuous interpretation. Sublime to start with, it never quite recovers from a second-half change of cast.
The Rum Diary (15)
(Bruce Robinson, 2011, Us) Johnny Depp, Aaron Eckhart,...
- 11/12/2011
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
A first time British feature that is a deeply eccentric, haunting marvel
If Syd Barrett had ever written and directed a movie, it might well have looked like this: an indie tragicomedy from the dark heart of rural suburbia, by newcomers Tom Kingsley and Will Sharpe. Black Pond is funny, dreamily lyrical, armour-plated with eccentric self-confidence and also intensely English. It also, I have to say, has one of the most disturbing dream sequences I have seen for a while. Looking around for recent comparisons, I find myself reaching for Nick Whitfield's Skeletons, or Ben Wheatley's Kill List, possibly Joanna Hogg's Unrelated, or even John Morton's TV mockumentary series People Like Us.
This last reference is, of course, due to the powerful, even sensational presence of Chris Langham, making his first professional appearance since his recent disgrace. He creates a portrait of bourgeois midlife crisis that...
If Syd Barrett had ever written and directed a movie, it might well have looked like this: an indie tragicomedy from the dark heart of rural suburbia, by newcomers Tom Kingsley and Will Sharpe. Black Pond is funny, dreamily lyrical, armour-plated with eccentric self-confidence and also intensely English. It also, I have to say, has one of the most disturbing dream sequences I have seen for a while. Looking around for recent comparisons, I find myself reaching for Nick Whitfield's Skeletons, or Ben Wheatley's Kill List, possibly Joanna Hogg's Unrelated, or even John Morton's TV mockumentary series People Like Us.
This last reference is, of course, due to the powerful, even sensational presence of Chris Langham, making his first professional appearance since his recent disgrace. He creates a portrait of bourgeois midlife crisis that...
- 11/11/2011
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Weekend (18)
(Andrew Haigh, 2011, UK) Tom Cullen, Chris New. 97 mins
You could easily label this a gay Before Sunrise or suchlike, with its 48-hour, boy-meets-boy premise, but it deserves to be judged on its own merits. There's a beautiful naturalism to the way these two Londoners progress from random one-night stand to something deeper, through sex, drugs and revealing conversation. Despite the narrow focus, it speaks volumes about love, art and gay identity.
Tower Heist (12A)
(Brett Ratner, 2011, Us) Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Alan Alda. 104 mins
With Murphy's coaching, an all-star cast storms the high-rise fortress of Ponzi tyrant Alda in what could have been a great comedy for our times, but ends up just a mildly enjoyable one.
In Time (12A)
(Andrew Niccol, 2011, Us) Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy. 109 mins
Stylish, if logic-stretching, adventure set in a future where time is money and nobody looks older than 25.
The Future (12A)
(Miranda July,...
(Andrew Haigh, 2011, UK) Tom Cullen, Chris New. 97 mins
You could easily label this a gay Before Sunrise or suchlike, with its 48-hour, boy-meets-boy premise, but it deserves to be judged on its own merits. There's a beautiful naturalism to the way these two Londoners progress from random one-night stand to something deeper, through sex, drugs and revealing conversation. Despite the narrow focus, it speaks volumes about love, art and gay identity.
Tower Heist (12A)
(Brett Ratner, 2011, Us) Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Alan Alda. 104 mins
With Murphy's coaching, an all-star cast storms the high-rise fortress of Ponzi tyrant Alda in what could have been a great comedy for our times, but ends up just a mildly enjoyable one.
In Time (12A)
(Andrew Niccol, 2011, Us) Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy. 109 mins
Stylish, if logic-stretching, adventure set in a future where time is money and nobody looks older than 25.
The Future (12A)
(Miranda July,...
- 11/5/2011
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
An ordinary family are accused of murder when a stranger dies at their dinner table.
Will Sharpe and Tom Kingsley’s Black Pond is a savvy slice of debilitated middle-class family life. The film and its characters may not quite tally up to more than their quirky parts, but this is still an intriguingly idiosyncratic debut.
We start with mockumentary-style interviews with Tom Thompson (Chris Langham), his wife Sophie (Amanda Hadingue), their two late-teen daughters and their shy friend Tim (Sharpe). Snippets from each hint at some ruinous event that has riven them apart, while...
Will Sharpe and Tom Kingsley’s Black Pond is a savvy slice of debilitated middle-class family life. The film and its characters may not quite tally up to more than their quirky parts, but this is still an intriguingly idiosyncratic debut.
We start with mockumentary-style interviews with Tom Thompson (Chris Langham), his wife Sophie (Amanda Hadingue), their two late-teen daughters and their shy friend Tim (Sharpe). Snippets from each hint at some ruinous event that has riven them apart, while...
- 10/10/2011
- by Paul Griffiths
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Chris Langham has landed his first movie role since his arrest for downloading child pornography. The Thick of It actor, who was found guilty of the offence in 2007, will feature alongside Simon Amstell in Black Pond. Langham told the Radio Times: "I was just grateful for the opportunity to work. That the script was brilliant and the creative team so talented was an unbelievable bonus. "If people think I should do longer of not being allowed back in the room, as it were, then that's not my choice, it's their choice, and I have to respect it. Some people will think (more)...
- 9/29/2011
- by By Paul Millar
- Digital Spy
Director Defends Role For Disgraced Langham
A British moviemaker has defended his decision to cast Chris Langham in a comeback role, insisting the disgraced actor is "perfect" for the part.
Award-winning Langham was jailed for 10 months in 2007 after he was found guilty of 15 counts of possessing child porn, and he has not landed a single acting role since his conviction.
Now it has emerged he has been cast in low-budget movie Black Pond - and the film's directors Will Sharpe and Tom Kingsley are adamant it is the right decision.
Sharpe says, "We thought, 'Chris is perfect for the part, so why not?' Presumably he's not been inundated with offers and he'll do it for a modest fee."
However, Langham admits some viewers may be angered by his return to the big screen, telling British newspaper The Observer, "If people think I should do longer of not being allowed back in the room, as it were, then that's not my choice, it's their choice, and I have to respect it. Some people will think it's probably not an idea to be in my orbit until the dust settles and it's all right."
Langham won a BAFTA Award in 2006 for his performance as a hapless government minister in BBC political comedy The Thick of It.
Award-winning Langham was jailed for 10 months in 2007 after he was found guilty of 15 counts of possessing child porn, and he has not landed a single acting role since his conviction.
Now it has emerged he has been cast in low-budget movie Black Pond - and the film's directors Will Sharpe and Tom Kingsley are adamant it is the right decision.
Sharpe says, "We thought, 'Chris is perfect for the part, so why not?' Presumably he's not been inundated with offers and he'll do it for a modest fee."
However, Langham admits some viewers may be angered by his return to the big screen, telling British newspaper The Observer, "If people think I should do longer of not being allowed back in the room, as it were, then that's not my choice, it's their choice, and I have to respect it. Some people will think it's probably not an idea to be in my orbit until the dust settles and it's all right."
Langham won a BAFTA Award in 2006 for his performance as a hapless government minister in BBC political comedy The Thick of It.
- 9/28/2011
- WENN
Chris Langham has apologised to the people he offended by downloading child pornography. The Thick of It star was found guilty of the offence in 2007 and sentenced to ten months in prison, reduced to six on appeal. He served just over three months. Langham has maintained that he downloaded the 15 graphic videos as research for a character in Help!, his two-hander with Paul Whitehouse. He later revealed that he had been raped by a family friend when he was 8 years old. Langham told The Guardian: "I feel like a lot of the time I'm talking I'm justifying myself but I'm very sorry that I offended people by what I did. And particularly sorry to have offended other victims of child abuse. "That was the last thing I'd have ever wanted to do. And I'm really sorry that because of my thoughtless, wilful, arrogant behaviour, I created enormous (more)...
- 9/26/2011
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
The Thick of It star hasn't worked since he was arrested on child pornography charges in 2005. Now he's back with a terrific performance in a new low-budget British film, and he says he just wants to get past the lies that have been told about him and do more acting
To be perfectly honest, Chris Langham's new film was the last thing on my mind when this interview was first arranged. The drama of his private life has eclipsed his identity as an actor so entirely that I barely gave the film a thought – except to wonder whether it would ever be possible to watch him again without being distracted by memories of the scandal that banished him from our screens. What cinematic tale could ever hope to compete with the true story of Langham's crime and punishment? If an actor can't persuade his audience to suspend disbelief, then...
To be perfectly honest, Chris Langham's new film was the last thing on my mind when this interview was first arranged. The drama of his private life has eclipsed his identity as an actor so entirely that I barely gave the film a thought – except to wonder whether it would ever be possible to watch him again without being distracted by memories of the scandal that banished him from our screens. What cinematic tale could ever hope to compete with the true story of Langham's crime and punishment? If an actor can't persuade his audience to suspend disbelief, then...
- 9/26/2011
- by Decca Aitkenhead
- The Guardian - Film News
Raindance Film Festival, London
Indie cinema means so many different things to so many different people, it's barely a useful category any more, but the sheer breadth of movies made under the studio radar here (nearly 100 features) can only be encouraging. At the opening end you get a resourceful Us sci-fi drama (the self-explanatory Another Earth, pictured); at the close, an offbeat Chilean slacker romance (Bonsai). And in between, everything from Balkan youth movies (Tilva Rosh is described as "Jackass meets Stand By Me") to gamblers for Jesus (documentary Holy Rollers) to top-notch Japanese ghost stories (Kaidan Horror Classics). There's a healthy British contingent, too, with 10 premieres including Simon Callow and Harry Enfield talking in rhyming couplets (Acts Of Godfrey) and black comedy Black Pond, starring Simon Amstell and Chris Langham.
Apollo Piccadilly, SW1, Wed to 9 Oct
Contrast/brilliance – North Yorkshire On Film, North Yorkshire
This is the sort of...
Indie cinema means so many different things to so many different people, it's barely a useful category any more, but the sheer breadth of movies made under the studio radar here (nearly 100 features) can only be encouraging. At the opening end you get a resourceful Us sci-fi drama (the self-explanatory Another Earth, pictured); at the close, an offbeat Chilean slacker romance (Bonsai). And in between, everything from Balkan youth movies (Tilva Rosh is described as "Jackass meets Stand By Me") to gamblers for Jesus (documentary Holy Rollers) to top-notch Japanese ghost stories (Kaidan Horror Classics). There's a healthy British contingent, too, with 10 premieres including Simon Callow and Harry Enfield talking in rhyming couplets (Acts Of Godfrey) and black comedy Black Pond, starring Simon Amstell and Chris Langham.
Apollo Piccadilly, SW1, Wed to 9 Oct
Contrast/brilliance – North Yorkshire On Film, North Yorkshire
This is the sort of...
- 9/23/2011
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
Yesterday morning saw the unveiling of the line-up for the 19th annual Raindance Film Festival. 98 features from 38 countries will be screened from the 28th of September to the 9th of October at the Apollo Cinema in Piccadilly, making this the largest Raindance to date, and well worthy of the title of Europe’s leading independent film festival.
Specialising in edgy and alternative films, many of which are by first-time filmmakers, the festival received over 3000 submissions this year, with less than 100 making the cut. As the organisers put it, “it’s not that those other 2900+ films weren’t good; they just weren’t good enough. Raindance continues to grow, with the calibre of films and filmmakers improving every year and this year’s batch are the best yet”
The festival opens with Another Earth. This haunting indie sci-fi that has already been pounced on by Fox Searchlight was a hit at...
Specialising in edgy and alternative films, many of which are by first-time filmmakers, the festival received over 3000 submissions this year, with less than 100 making the cut. As the organisers put it, “it’s not that those other 2900+ films weren’t good; they just weren’t good enough. Raindance continues to grow, with the calibre of films and filmmakers improving every year and this year’s batch are the best yet”
The festival opens with Another Earth. This haunting indie sci-fi that has already been pounced on by Fox Searchlight was a hit at...
- 9/7/2011
- by Adam Rayner
- Obsessed with Film
The insanitary origins of much of popular culture stretches far beyond wretched Gary Glitter
Watching Gwyneth Paltrow performing Do You Wanna Touch Me? on Glee, it is striking how a woman prowling about in black leather, making crazed "I'm hot!" faces, could still end up reminding one of Cath Kidston via Auto-Tune. Gwyneth Paltrow is not a convincing badass rock'n'roller. Who'd have guessed?
A more pressing issue is that this is a Gary Glitter song. Glitter, who was always a fifth-rate pop star, constantly making faux-shocked "ooh" faces, as if a bulldog had suddenly clamped its jaws into his silver sparkly derriere. Glitter, aka Paul Gadd, 66, the convicted paedophile, possessor of child pornography, currently banned from 19 countries.
This is the artist whose work the makers of Glee decided would be appropriate to feature on a show about singing, dancing schoolchildren, in a scene about sex education. No wonder children's charities were horrified.
Watching Gwyneth Paltrow performing Do You Wanna Touch Me? on Glee, it is striking how a woman prowling about in black leather, making crazed "I'm hot!" faces, could still end up reminding one of Cath Kidston via Auto-Tune. Gwyneth Paltrow is not a convincing badass rock'n'roller. Who'd have guessed?
A more pressing issue is that this is a Gary Glitter song. Glitter, who was always a fifth-rate pop star, constantly making faux-shocked "ooh" faces, as if a bulldog had suddenly clamped its jaws into his silver sparkly derriere. Glitter, aka Paul Gadd, 66, the convicted paedophile, possessor of child pornography, currently banned from 19 countries.
This is the artist whose work the makers of Glee decided would be appropriate to feature on a show about singing, dancing schoolchildren, in a scene about sex education. No wonder children's charities were horrified.
- 3/13/2011
- by Barbara Ellen
- The Guardian - Film News
From Hannibal Lecter to Frasier Crane, psychoanalyst Anouchka Grose chooses her 10 favourite celluloid shrinks
The Sopranos (1999-2007)
Dr Melfi (played by Lorraine Bracco) is the shrink most beloved of the American Psychoanalytic Association. Unlike so many of her made-up colleagues, she's consistently kind and professional. At least she was until the penultimate episode, where she ditched Tony after reading a study on the negative impact of therapy on the sociopath. Still, for the most part, she managed to remain a "broad, generic, sympathetic woman", to borrow the words she used to describe herself when Tony suddenly declared his love for her.
Shrink (2010)
Kevin Spacey's new movie sees him playing a compelling celluloid psychologist. He goes into meltdowns on chat shows, "self-medicates" with street drugs, and punches people in the face. While the point of most fictional therapists is to show the public that shrinks are generally flakier than they look,...
The Sopranos (1999-2007)
Dr Melfi (played by Lorraine Bracco) is the shrink most beloved of the American Psychoanalytic Association. Unlike so many of her made-up colleagues, she's consistently kind and professional. At least she was until the penultimate episode, where she ditched Tony after reading a study on the negative impact of therapy on the sociopath. Still, for the most part, she managed to remain a "broad, generic, sympathetic woman", to borrow the words she used to describe herself when Tony suddenly declared his love for her.
Shrink (2010)
Kevin Spacey's new movie sees him playing a compelling celluloid psychologist. He goes into meltdowns on chat shows, "self-medicates" with street drugs, and punches people in the face. While the point of most fictional therapists is to show the public that shrinks are generally flakier than they look,...
- 6/12/2010
- The Guardian - Film News
Chris Langham's involvement in a West End musical based on the life of Ian Dury is not a secret, the show's producer has insisted. The former Thick Of It actor, who was found guilty of downloading child pornography two years ago, has been advising the cast and crew of Hit Me! The Life And Rhymes Of Ian Dury. "Chris Langham's contribution was minimal. He merely sat in on a few of rehearsals and has given help and advice on the play's transfer to a larger theatre," said producer (more)...
- 1/9/2009
- by By Michael Thornton
- Digital Spy
Gandolfini To Star In Big Screen Sitcom
Actor James Gandolfini is to star in the big screen version of BBC sitcom The Thick Of It.
The Sopranos tough guy has signed on to play the lead role in the film, which has been renamed In The Loop.
The satirical British TV show originally starred disgraced actor Chris Langham, who was jailed last year on child porn charges.
In The Loop will focus on the inner workings of the U.S. and U.K. governments and will be filmed in both Britain and Washington, D.C.
A BBC source tells British newspaper The Sun, "We can't believe we've got James - it's his first major role since The Sopranos.
"But Chris Langham will not appear in the film, it would be too controversial."...
The Sopranos tough guy has signed on to play the lead role in the film, which has been renamed In The Loop.
The satirical British TV show originally starred disgraced actor Chris Langham, who was jailed last year on child porn charges.
In The Loop will focus on the inner workings of the U.S. and U.K. governments and will be filmed in both Britain and Washington, D.C.
A BBC source tells British newspaper The Sun, "We can't believe we've got James - it's his first major role since The Sopranos.
"But Chris Langham will not appear in the film, it would be too controversial."...
- 5/2/2008
- WENN
BBC won't work with Langham again
LONDON -- The BBC said Friday that it will sever all links with BAFTA award-winning comedian and actor Chris Langham after he was sentenced to 10 months in jail for downloading images and videos of sexual abuse on his computer.
In a statement, the pubcaster said the actor's career with the BBC is over. "We have no plans to work with Chris Langham in the future," it said.
The star of BBC political satire "The Thick of It" was convicted last month of 15 counts of making indecent photographs of a child and downloading Internet pornography featuring underage children.
The Crown Prosecution Service said that material found on Langham's computer included images of sadism and nonconsensual sex between adults and children, including the most severe grade of what are termed "category five" sexual abuse images.
"Some of the children viewed are clearly prepubescent, others are fully developed, some of the children are clearly of Filipino extract," said judge Philip Statman, passing sentence at Maidstone crown court.
In a statement, the pubcaster said the actor's career with the BBC is over. "We have no plans to work with Chris Langham in the future," it said.
The star of BBC political satire "The Thick of It" was convicted last month of 15 counts of making indecent photographs of a child and downloading Internet pornography featuring underage children.
The Crown Prosecution Service said that material found on Langham's computer included images of sadism and nonconsensual sex between adults and children, including the most severe grade of what are termed "category five" sexual abuse images.
"Some of the children viewed are clearly prepubescent, others are fully developed, some of the children are clearly of Filipino extract," said judge Philip Statman, passing sentence at Maidstone crown court.
- 9/15/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Langham on suicide watch in prison
LONDON -- BAFTA Award-winning comedian Chris Langham was on suicide watch in prison Friday after being found guilty of downloading pornographic images of children.
Langham, who has won numerous plaudits for his portrayal of bungling government minister Hugh Abbott on the BBC political satire The Thick of It, has found himself splashed across all the papers here for all the wrong reasons, with industry insiders predicting an end to his career.
He will be sentenced Sept. 14 and faces up to 10 years imprisonment for viewing indecent videos and photographs at his home outside London.
The jury did clear the 58-year-old actor of any involvement in six indecent assaults and two charges of buggery of a teenager.
The BBC Web site described the actor as one "at the pinnacle of his career" in television while industry observers predicted the conviction "could spell the end of a television career."...
Langham, who has won numerous plaudits for his portrayal of bungling government minister Hugh Abbott on the BBC political satire The Thick of It, has found himself splashed across all the papers here for all the wrong reasons, with industry insiders predicting an end to his career.
He will be sentenced Sept. 14 and faces up to 10 years imprisonment for viewing indecent videos and photographs at his home outside London.
The jury did clear the 58-year-old actor of any involvement in six indecent assaults and two charges of buggery of a teenager.
The BBC Web site described the actor as one "at the pinnacle of his career" in television while industry observers predicted the conviction "could spell the end of a television career."...
- 8/4/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Langham denies sexual assault charges
LONDON -- BAFTA Award-winning comedian Chris Langham denied eight counts of indecent assault against an underage girl and one charge of a serious sexual account when he appeared in court Thursday.
Langham, who has won numerous plaudits for his portrayal of bungling government minister Hugh Abbott in the BBC political satire "The Thick of It", is also accused of 15 counts of making an indecent photograph of a child between September and November 2005.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. A trial date has not been set.
Langham said last year he had opted to suspend work with the BBC and other broadcasters until the matter was resolved.
The BBC declined comment on the news.
Langham, who has won numerous plaudits for his portrayal of bungling government minister Hugh Abbott in the BBC political satire "The Thick of It", is also accused of 15 counts of making an indecent photograph of a child between September and November 2005.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. A trial date has not been set.
Langham said last year he had opted to suspend work with the BBC and other broadcasters until the matter was resolved.
The BBC declined comment on the news.
- 2/16/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Langham charged over Net child porn
LONDON -- Double BAFTA award- winner Chris Langham has been charged on 15 counts of making indecent images of children, it was announced Thursday. Langham, who was awarded the best television comedy performance BAFTA award last Sunday for his performance as a hapless government minister in BBC political satire The Thick of It, will appear in court next week in Sevenoaks, Kent. The actor was first arrested in connection with a police investigation into Internet crime in December and posted bail after questioning.
- 5/11/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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