Tom's Films of 2006

It’s time for my films of the year.

1. United 93

Argue about the precise events or the political implications of the story all you want, but this is a brilliant piece of cinema. It captures the realism of the day as well as can be expected and Greengrass’s direction is spot on. There's also not a single known face in the entire cast.

Completely gripping, it’s a film that stays with you long after you’ve walked out of the cinema. It narrowly beats into number two...

Original review.

2. Capote

A tight script and note perfect performances by the entire cast. Philip Seymour Hoffman turns in the performance of his career so far.

Original review.

3. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

The funniest film of the year. I wasn’t sure I was going to like it, but I went to see it twice, so I guess I did.

Original review.

4. Little Miss Sunshine

A film that seems to have become a little cult smash this year and well it should. A great ensemble cast work well together with a cracking script. A heart warming story without being schmaltzy or indeed looking for a happy ending.

Original review.

5. Grizzly Man

A fascinating documentary, more of one man’s descent into madness than his life with wild animals. It’s really a tragic story, but very well told.

Original review.

6. The Devil and Daniel Johnston

Another documentary, this time it's the story of the musician and artist Daniel Johnston. It has it all it's funny, exciting, sad and moving.

Original review.

7. The Magician

An Australian film about an amoral hitman, it's never less than entertaining all the way through.

Original review.

8. Thank You For Smoking

A funny and clever look at the dark side of the advertising industry. Aaron Eckhart leads a great cast that includes Robert Duvall, Rob Lowe and Sam Elliott.

Original review.

9. The Prestige

Two of the best actors around at the moment Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman excel as rival magicians.

Original review.

10. Dave Chappelle’s Block Party

Comedy and hip-hop team up for this look at the block party Dave Chappelle threw.

Original review.

11. Good Night, and Good Luck

George Clooney gives us Edward R. Murrow and his battle against McCarthyism.

Original review.

12. Once In A Lifetime - The Extraordinary Story Of The New York Cosmos

The entertaining story of the rise and fall of the New York Cosmos and US soccer.

Original review.

Other notable films this year included Down in the Valley where Edward Norton stars as Harlan, a good ole cowboy that’s not all he seems. David Morse is the stand out though as a loving father consumed with bitterness and rage. Munich wasn't as good as it perhaps could have been, but was still a good watch. Transamerica, Junebug and The Squid and the Whale were all good, solid films with some star turns. Walk the Line and 36 Quai des Orfevres also entertained.

A couple of films I found overrated were Hidden and The Departed. I enjoyed both of them up to a point, but they both let me down in the last 30 minutes or so. Pan's Labyrinth didn't really do much for me either, despite a lot of people putting it as their number one film of the year. Red Road too I thought was all right, but not the masterpiece it was being hailed as. Although that was mainly by the Scottish media.

Biggest disaster of the year was without a doubt The Black Dahlia. I urge Mr. De Palma to turn in the megaphone. The Family Stone isn't far behind although as it was released on Boxing Day last year it's technically last year's disaster.

Tom's Films of 2004

Tom's Films of 2005

Writing Blogs

Here are some writing blogs to take a look at.

Creative Screenwriting Magazine has a blog that features several podcasts including interviews with writers and directors such as Steve Zaillian, David Lynch, Jason Reitman and Peter Morgan.

Benjamin Yeoh is a playwright for radio and theatre. Fin Kennedy is another plauywright and this is his website/blog. Lance Wright is another playwright with an interesting blog.

Finally, this is The Guardian’s theatre blog.

Night at the Museum

Last night I went to see Night at the Museum (***). Littered with special effects I found it reasonably entertaining. There is however no characterisation to Ben Stiller’s character, where he plays The Guy Ben Stiller Plays in Films.

Ricky Gervais seems to portray a slightly more pompous David Brent. Robin Williams is pretty understated considering his normal hyperactive performances. Steve Coogan and Owen Wilson don’t really get to do all that much with their roles as warring exhibits. Dick van Dyke and Mickey Rooney feature as bitter security guards.

For the most part I quite enjoyed it, daft holiday film that it is.

What was probably more exciting was that we were treated to a trailer for The Simpsons Movie. I’d seen it online, but it was good to see it on the big screen. "Uh...the bunny’s not breathin'."

McLibel

Again back at my Mum’s for Christmas I wandered into the local branch of Blockbuster, where they were selling a shed load of ex-rental DVDs for a few pounds.

In my haul I picked up McLibel for £1. It tells the story of what became known as McLibel trial, where two protesters Helen Steel and Dave Morris were taken to court for libel by McDonald’s over a handful of leaflets they had distributed in London.

It was originally released in 1997, but this version takes the story right up to 2005, when they took their case to the European Court of Human Rights.

Denied legal aid the pair defended themselves against McDonald’s and their team of big fuck-off lawyers. It’s a very interesting story filmed over ten years, which shows the pair throughout the trial with occasional dramatic re-enactments of what went on in the courtroom.

Since Super Size Me I literally haven’t set foot inside a McDonald’s but when I saw inside the McDonald’s chicken farm during McLibel it started to put me off meat completely.

Here are a couple of interviews with the films’ director Franny Armstrong. First from the BBC’s Storyville site then from Shooting People.

You can read the whole story on McSpotlight the website Dave and Helen set up to highlight their battle.

As a footnote the courtroom scenes were directed by Ken Loach, who in the 1980s, when he couldn’t get work as a filmmaker, directed an advert for McDonalds.

YCB No. 1

I was at my Mum’s for Christmas and while we were waiting at the bus stop to go to my brother’s on Christmas Day I took this picture.

It’s good to know that Young Teams now have an advertising budget.

James Brown 1933-2006

James Brown has died.

Here he is doing It's a Man's Man's Man's World.

Have You Seen a Handsome Hun?

This is a post the boys at This Place is Dead will most appreciate. As regular readers to this blog will be aware Fraser and I were on Scotsport a couple of years ago. It was mainly Fraser, who gave his thoughts on an upcoming Rangers European tie, while I scoffed prawn sandwiches and skulked in the background.

Anyway, a month or so after that Fraser was asked to provide yet more Rangers patter on Rangers TV's weekly show. He duly did so along with a collection of other oddities...er good Rangers supporters.

I've just dug out the video tape of it he lent me and before I hand it back to him I thought I would share some visuals of his and his co-fans appearance.

Tom Goes to the Christmas Movies

Some people have lots to do over the Christmas holidays. Not me. I've been to the cinema. Here's what I've seen.

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (***) - JB and KG meet fall in rock 'n' roll love and set off to find the pick of destiny that will enable them to win the local talent contest and set them on the road to fame and fortune. It's pretty flimsy, but there are several laugh out loud moments along the way.

Look out for the handful of cameos from the usual suspects (if you've seen Anchorman you know who I'm talking about). If you're not a fan of The D best to stay away, if you are you'll probably enjoy it, though there was a lot more they could have done.

Grounded (**) - Directed by Freaks and Geeks creator Paul Feig, this tells the story of a bunch of kids who get left unattended at an airport on Christmas Eve. It's sort of Home Alone in an airport as the airport security chief, played by Lewis Black chases them all over the airport.

The film really doesn't have enough jokes to sustain as a comedy. At best it's simply likeable, it has enough charm not to be tedious, but it's best avoided. Tyler James Williams from Everybody Hates Chris, is probably the stand out kid, although he seems more to be showing off than putting in a performance.

The only things I can really say I laughed at were the all too short appearances of Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney and Kevin MacDonald from The Kids in the Hall and a closing scene cameo from Tony Hale, Arrested Development's Buster Bluth.

Black Christmas (***) - A remake of a 1974 horror film of the same name this serves up all the hallmarks we've come to expect from the recent batch of knowingly cliched horrors.

A bunch of sexy teens attempt to fight off a spree killer in their sorority house. They are hampered by the usual pitfalls such as power cuts and blizzard conditions. Director Glen Morgan produced Final Destination and this film shares a lot of the same sensibilties as that picture. Morgan's wife Kristen Cloke also appears in both.

You can probably guess what's coming a mile away, but it's reasonable fun watching it happen. My enjoyment was spoiled slightly by the young couple sitting behind me who talked all the way through it. The guy also kicked the back of my chair repeatedly. When finally I had no option but to turn round and politely tell him to stop doing it I almost felt bad about it as he looked so terrified, I never heard another word out of him either.

Flags of Our Fathers (****) - Can this Clint Eastwood, the one who has knocked out class picture, (Million Dollar Baby), after class picture, (Mystic River) be the same Clint Eastwood who made The Rookie? Apparently so.

Flags of Our Fathers was everything I've come to expect from Clint, a solid picture, dramatic and moving. It tells the story of the Americans at the Battle of Iwo Jima and in particular the raising of the US flag there.

There are some excellent battle scenes, most easily compared to Saving Private Ryan. The film is told in flashbacks and flash forwards as the three men who raised the flag and lived to come home struggle to deal with their status as US heroes and poster boys for the war effort.

The cast are all really good, Ryan Phillipe shows yet again, after Crash, that he can act, Adam Beach gives a great performance as Ira Hayes and there's also a solid turn by Saving Private Ryan's Barry Pepper.

I'm sure Flags of Our Fathers will be in the running come Oscar time. Eastwood's next film is Letters From Iwo Jima, which tells the story of the battle from the perspective of Japanese soldiers.

Do Stay Awake, Love

This really has nothing to do with anything, but I'm sat at Hillhead Library and the woman next to me is literally nodding off to sleep every 5 seconds.

To keep her awake instead of reading about 'The New Age of Oil' she should head over to This Place is Dead where Tommy and Ronnie have been busy over the last couple of days posting about saving the neighbourhood, geeks who get arrested and shopping in Glasgow, among other topics.

Undercover Racist

The Guardian have infiltrated the BNP.

"BNP activists are also now discouraged from using any racist or anti-semitic language in public, in order to avoid possible prosecution. In a BNP rulebook, issued only to activists and organisers, they are instructed that they should avoid acting in a way which fits stereotypes of the far right, and "act only in a way that reflects credit on the Party."

Do You Know Who I Am?

It's always nice to read a story like this about alcoholic wife beater Jim Davidson.

The Closet Of Hilarity

Folks, drop whatever you are doing.

Head over to YouTube and do yourself the mother of all favours. Watch R Kelly's "Trapped In The Closet Chapters 1-12". It's all there.

You may even want to buy this remarkable gem - it's available on Amazon at just over seven bucks. Not bad for the funniest music film since "This is Spinal Tap".

Head over to This Place Is Dead for Ronnie's take on this undisputed classic.

And You Though Pauly Shore Was Desperate...

This is as good as it gets , and would be much funnier, were the claimant not a psychopathic scumbag.

Let the Blood Run Free

Here’s how I’m spending my Christmas holidays. Yesterday I was awoken by a text message asking me if I ‘wanna give blood?’ although it’s obviously a good thing to do, I declined, needing several weeks to work up to the idea.

However I did accompany Nicola as she gave blood. I scored 2 biscuits, a coffee and an orange juice in the process. Although Nicola specifically told the nurse not to give me anything.

The centre was pretty busy and we waited in line for about an hour before Nicola could go on the table. Unfortunately, although they found a vein, Nicola’s body gave up on her and refused to give a full pint.

This is the third time she’s attempted to donate blood but failed. First her count was too low, then they couldn’t find a vein, now this. Although she declined to take a sticker proclaiming her good deed, she did still get the satisfaction of being better than me.

I think we did agree that we would both give when she was allowed to go back at the end of March. Watch this space.

From there we went to the cinema, where Nicola refused to see Black Christmas cos she hates horror films. So we opted for Pan’s Labyrinth, which Nicola eventually declared was even bloodier than the film she didn’t want to see.

Set in post Civil War Spain it mixes a brutal war story with fantasy as a young girl forced to live with her evil Army general stepfather discovers through fairies and fauns that she is the heir to an underground kingdom.

For the most part it was quite enjoyable, although it never really hit home for me either as a dark fantasy or as a horrific war story. Sergi Lopez however, is excellent as the evil stepfather and sadistic army captain.

Why? I Mean Really, Why?

Did anyone observe the pointless tragedy that was “Born Equal” last night?

I tuned in, conned into the notion that I might get some decent adult drama, instead, I got what can only be described as one of the most clichéd and poorly written things I’ve ever seen on TV.

It was astonishing tripe.

Here’s a list of characters and their chief characteristics.

The ex-con Scotsman – nice at heart, but just can’t control the volcanic violence within him.

The Homeless Pregnant Lassie – this lassie can’t cope because her man (who appeared to be Ray Winstone judging by the voice on the phone) is battering her and her wean. She’s not the brightest though, so ends up losing her oldest to care and well, you know what’s going to happen to the baby, eh? A shame, but that’s what happens to thick poor folk.

The Black Folk Who Steal - They’re not evil of course, just thieves, driven by desperation.

The Rich Guy Who Cares – a rich guy gets the jitters about becoming a Dad, and starts ladling out cash to the homeless. When things get a bit tough though, he runs back to his oblivious twit wife and mumbles pish about “making a mistake” while greetin’.

That’s your main cast – of course there are other horribly two dimesional character in there, the wise jackey, the cruelly efficient social worker etc, but that’s your main whack.

So there you have it, the poor are dafties and have horrible lives (isn’t it a shame?), Scots are violent, black folk steal (but only because they sort of have to) and rich folk are either oblivious, thick or don’t have the guts to get their hands dirty.

I’d like to add another character at this point; that of an overweight TV fan who finds his time has been wasted by patronising crap written by a middle-class tosspot with nary a clue.

The point of this unnecessarily bleak tosh please?

It’s about time to knock pointlessly grim rubbish like this on the head, especially when it turns out like a 5th year play based on “Crash”.

I’m all for “hard hitting drama”, but “Born Equal” should be held up as a textbook example of how not to write it.

Christmas Radio Plays

I almost forgot, I’m doing the Christmas Radio Plays at the Ramshorn Theatre this week. It opened to a full house last night. The performance features Miracle on 34th Street and It’s a Wonderful Life.

I’m only in Miracle on 34th Street. I have about half a dozen parts, all in different American accents. I’m not sure I can really do one convincing American accent, much less six.

I think I stumbled over the part of the Judge last night, making him sound like he had gone to Eaton instead of Harvard at various points.

The one thing I was most concerned with last night was my mix and match appearance. While everyone else wore good suits, I chose not to cart mine into work with me, so opted for the jacket I wore during Beyond Therapy from the costume department, along with dark trousers and trainers. I have at least brought shoes with me tonight.

The show is sold out tonight and runs until Saturday with BBC’s Radio Café programme coming to record it on the last night.

The two of them in the photo are in it as well.

A Glesca Bus Driver Writes

I got this from the comments on This Place is Dead, it’s pretty amusing. One of Glasgow’s whinging bus drivers has got a blog, full of stories about how passengers are going out of their way to bam him up.

'At the Clydebank terminus I was busy rummaging through a muppet's hand bag which had been left on the bus when a drunken chuffer wearing a white T-shirt banged on the door.

"When you leavin', big man?"

"A couple of minutes," I said and printed his ticket.

"Cheers, mucker! I'm not pissed, by the way," he said and sat down.

I'm not Columbo but I would have to say that the smell of stale beer that clung to his every word did not corroborate this. Just as long as he kept his mouth shut I could get back to my hand bag rummaging. I intended giving the bag in to the depot but I just wanted a sneaky peeky before I did.'

No Smoke...

Here is Shane McGowan writing in The Guardian about playing Glasgow and how he’s dealing with the smoking ban.

“… In Glasgow the police really go for the ban in strength. Some of us were smoking onstage on account it being part of our time-honoured performance, as it were, but the audience was clearly feeling the eyes of the ban upon them. It was tangible.”

Hot Puppies in The Skinny

My review of The Hot Puppies is now on The Skinny's website. In the best traditions of editing reviews, they have chopped one star off my glowing praise.

Peter Boyle 1935-2006

American actor Peter Boyle has died aged 71. Boyle starred in a number of films and TV series including Young Frankenstein, Taxi Driver and The X-Files.

After three years in a monastery he moved to New York to study acting with Uta Hagen and had an early stage appearance in 1961 in Shadow of Heroes. He toured with The Odd Couple from 1965-67 as an Oscar Madison understudy, dropping out in Chicago to join the legendary improvisational comedy troupe Second City.

"He used to read the newspaper on stage every night and he would improvise on things that were in the newspaper on the spot," said Second City producer Joyce Sloan.

He may well be best remembered as the curmudgeonly Father in Everybody Loves Raymond. His co-stars from that show give their reactions to his death in this article. There’s a good little bit about him and his casting in Raymond here.

Ken Levine has a nice tribute to him. Mark Evanier also has a short tribute on his site.

Below is his famous scene in Young Frankenstein.

Comedy Videos

Here is a hat-trick of comedy video treats for you.

First up is the last recorded interview with Bill Hicks. He talks about Waco and being bumped from his final Letterman appearance. It lasts for an hour and 13 minutes.



Next we have what has become known as ‘The Austin Incident’. Doug Stanhope allowed conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to open for him. Jones makes no attempt to tell jokes in his ten minute spot. Instead he incites the audience. When Doug comes on he tries, in his own fashion, to calm the crowd down. “No one leaves the bar fight to watch the band.” Just watch to see the rest.



At 8 minutes a good bit shorter than the other two here’s Steven Wright.

Pauly Shore Isn't Dead Just Desperate

This smacks of a publicity stunt to me as Pauly Shore tries to get some Michael Richards style exposure for his career. Andy Kaufman he’s not.



UPDATE: The incident has been exposed as a hoax. Or a 'skit'. And Monique was getting ready with a full Pauly Shore product boycott as well.

All Mac All the Time

Katie has just told me that when she goes back to to New York at Christmas she will be going here. An All-Macaroni Cheese Resturant.

The US Vs. John Lennon

Over the weekend I went to see the documentary The US Vs. John Lennon. It centres on Lennon’s political campaigning and the US Government’s desire to silence him.

On the whole it’s quite entertaining, speaking to Yoko Ono and several other campaigners and journalists who knew Lennon at the time.

It’s very one sided of course, portraying Lennon as a 100% good guy who only wanted to use his fame for good and not to score drugs, cadge free drinks and whoremonger.

The film is slightly heavy handed and treats us to a series of gunshots that perforate what seems to be a happy ending. There’s no one alive that doesn’t know how John Lennon met his end and the tacked on bit about his murder gave the doc a slightly sour aftertaste.

It doesn’t really tell you much that you don’t know if you’re a Beatles fan though remains entertaining throughout.

$19.79

I was reading about Little Miss Sunshine today and discovered that the directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris previously directed the promo for Smashing Pumpkins’ 1979. I always liked that video, so here it is.

Soon it'll All be Done by Machine

On my way to the internet cafe I'm currently sitting in I noticed that a couple of doors down in Offshore, BBC Scotland are doing some filming. I think it's for The Music Show, so someone in here said anyway.

The thing that amused me though was that they have a rain machine set up outside the cafe. I spent 40 minutes waiting on a bus to get here instead of walking, because it's raining.

Comic Artist Blogs

You comic fans should like these additions to the blogoshpere. Blogs by Josh Middleton, D'Israeli and Mike McMahon.

Links via.

Guns 'N' Bubbles

This post is for Graeme, who has left us here in Glasgow and gone back to Canada before moving on to Oxford. This is Bubbles, Ricky and Julian from Trailer Park Boys performing ‘Liquor and Whores’ with Guns ‘N’ Roses.

The Next 'Next Michael Richards'

John Ridley, novelist, writer of films such as Three Kings and Undercover Brother, and television shows such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, has been criticised for writing this controversial article in the December issue of Esquire.

Auld Yin

As some of you may remember both Fraser and I were big fans of Scott Agnew's blog. He stopped doing it about 18 months or so ago. Just last night outside The Stand I pulled him up for his lack of blogging since then, only to be informed that he's just resumed a blog on his MySpace site. And it doesn't disappoint.

Check Profile Before Clicking Yes

I used to be quite fussy over accepting 'friends' on MySpace. I've generally stopped accepting bands on my own page, cos I can't be bothered with people trying to punt me stuff.

For the Glue page I usually just accept people. However today I accepted someone thinking they were someone I know (having looked again, it's only a slightly similar, though unusual, name).

I clicked on our new friend's profile and was met by this statement.

"I am excited to meet and share my sexy body

The best reason to add me as a friend is that I may be able to rock your world.

As you can see I am a wild young college girl, looking to let out some of the animal inside me.

I love to party and flirt around. College has been the best experience for me so far. I have met so many hot guys and fun people.

Everybody needs some sexy fun lovin.

Im a young college babe always looking for cute or rich men for good fun."

Having hit 'delete' Glue now has one less online buddy.

It reminded me of Patton Oswalt's bit on 'the poetry of pornography'. I don't think that's the bit (cos I have no sound) below, but have a look anyway.

More Glue at The Stand

It was an odd experience for me playing The Stand with You Owe Me Glue last night, because I had nothing more than a cameo role in our four sketches. I could only have been on stage for about 3 minutes and I think I had only three lines.

In fact I managed to go out into the audience to stand with YOMG’s Biggest Fan to watch a bit of a sketch.

It was a tough crowd but I think it’s fair to say that we won them over. It was a bit of a one man band with Fraser taking centre stage for every sketch.

I’ll let our No. 1 Fan add her comments.

The 'New Kramer' and More

Here’s the latest on the Michael Richards media circus.

Eddie Murphy is baffled by the whole thing.

Andy Dick has got himself into bother, by becoming ‘the new Kramer’.

He has since apologised.

The Laugh Factory, scene of the original incident, has banned black comic Damon Wayans, for guess what, using ‘the N word’.

How Frasier Came to Be

Ken Levine has some good stuff up at his blog. He has enlisted Peter Casey, co-creator of Frasier to write a detailed account of how the show came into being. He promises to give us the origin of Niles by tomorrow.

M*A*S*H Up

There is a very interesting discussion about MASH over on the blog of Lance Mannion. He discusses the ways Hawkeye failed to develop as a character for him and Radar’s angry exit.

There’s also some good stuff in the comments, including one commenter who points out how offensive Koreans found the show.

It also contains some links to other MASH related articles and features.

The Richards ‘N’ Word Debate Rumbles On

Michael Richards news has been pretty thin on the ground for the last couple of days, but here’s a couple of updates.

Christopher Hitchens writes an article on the attempts to ban ‘the N Word’.

Everybody Loves Raymond’s Brad Garrett advises Richards to stay off the stage. John O’ Hurley, Seinfeld’s Peterman, also chimes in. Both also seem to be publicising things they’re doing as well.

Obviously His First Day

This amused me on my way into the cinema last night. One of Glasgow’s many panhandlers stopped me and said, “Any spare change, mate...I mean, sir. Sorry, my heed’s up my arse the night.” I almost wanted to give him money after that. Until I realised that he was better dressed than I was. Who knew that there was some sort of begging protocol?

Tom at the Movies

Over the weekend I saw a few films. First up was Casino Royale. I am generally not a Bond fan, however this is the first time that they’ve cast a Bond that I like as an actor. I’ve been a fan of Daniel Craig ever since his portrayal of Geordie in Our Friends in the North.

So finally a Bond that can actually act, there’s every reason to expect the film to be good. And it actually is. There’s the traditional ‘cold open’ and big credits sequence at the beginning which is pretty good, then there’s an excellent stunt sequence.

From there on it’s good stuff until the final half hour or so, which sags heavily, but picks up for the last few minutes.

It lacks a really good Bond villain and I kept wondering why, when he’s this special, super trained agent, he seemed to have bother kicking folk in.

Anyway over the piece it’s pretty entertaining and for my money Daniel Craig makes for a good James Bond.

Next up is Stranger Than Fiction. Will Ferrell plays a dull man going about his daily business, until one day he hears a narrator’s voice and he realises he’s a character in a novel. And a character about to be killed off at that.

The film is clever and witty, if not laugh out loud funny. Ferrell is never less than compelling, even when he’s not playing up to his over the top comedy strengths, as this is a pretty dry and understated role for the most part.

There’s a good supporting cast in Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman and Maggie Gylenhall, but I most enjoyed seeing Tony Hale, Buster from Arrested Development, in his small part.

It’s certainly an enjoyable film, even if it feels a bit ‘so what?’ at the end of it all.

Finally it’s Big Nothing, a British film set in America. It stars Simon Pegg, so I was always going to go see it, no matter how many bad reviews it got.

It also stars Friends’ David Schwimmer, my least favourite of that cast. Natasha McElhone, Mimi Rodgers and Jon Polito all have small supporting roles.

The double-cross comedy/thriller is a genre that the Coen Brothers have made their own, but not everyone can do it like the Coens.

There are holes aplenty in this script. One of the rules for writing this type of film is never make your characters stupider than you are. If you wouldn’t go in to the old abandoned warehouse on your own after dark, then don’t make your character do it. No one followed that rule here.

Characters do needlessly silly things that go completely against the character they’ve established, just to drive the plot on. So I spent a lot of time thinking, ‘why’s he doing that?’

It also struggled to walk that difficult tightrope between comedy and thriller. Are people making these big mistakes because it’s a farce or because we need stuff to go wrong to up the stakes. There also comes a point where it’s got to either get serious or go out and out funny, and the film isn’t sure what to do when that point comes.

That’s not to say that it isn’t watchable. There are a few laugh-out-loud lines, and Simon Pegg, although hampered by an American accent is perfectly decent in his part.

The ending is pretty disappointing, it’s not clever like the writers might think, but just disappointing.

It’s by no means the worst crime caper movie I’ve ever seen, but unless you’re a big fan of either Simon Pegg or David Schwimmer, you should probably stay away.

Michael Richards to Apologise in Person

In the latest in the Michael Richards saga, the actor will meet the men he insulted with a retired judge present.

From the BBC

Gloria Allred said her clients would use the meeting to convey "the pain they suffered" as a result of his racist tirade on 17 November.

"We are happy about Mr Richards' decision and we commend him for accepting our challenge," she added.

The patrons welcomed his overtures at a press conference on Friday
"We look forward to sitting down face to face with Mr Richards," said Kyle Doss.

Or more accurately "We look forward to him handing over a big chunk of cash."

What the fuck did Michael Richards do to warrant all this nonsense? He lost the plot, said a good few things he never should have, but the way these guys are carrying on like Richards is holding their kids hostage is shameful.

Self confessed Seinfeld 'fanatic' Gov. Jim Doyle is refusing to celebrate Festivus, so ashamed is he of Michael Richards.

Here's a link to Craig Fergsuon doing a bit on Richards and Mel Gibson.

One Neck in an Instant

Talking Pish's favourite cartoonist One Neck is featured in the latest edition of Instant Magazine. Click on the link and go to 'current issue' for a PDF.

The Latest on that Crazy Kramer

The Jewish Journal insists that Michael Richards can’t be Jewish just because he feels like it.

However, according to his publicist, Michael Richards is no longer a mason, as he still has that Jewish feeling.

Black America Web wants $3.5M of Kramer cash to go to the United Negro College Fund.