Mel out for Justice: Edge of Darkness Review

By Stephen Bain

11th February 2010 | 0 comments | 0 votes yet, click here to agree or disagree

He has chased after his kidnapped son, watched his wife murdered by English soldiers and become one, unstable, half of a cop duo. Now, after seven years absent from the big screen Mel Gibson (or “Mad Mel” as he has been named) returns as cop father Thomas Craven investigating the brutal murder of his young daughter (Bojana Novakovic). Read more »

Congratulations Raty

By Matt Fricker

6th January 2010 | 2 comments | 3 people like this

This time last year Russell Brand was the name on everyone’s lips for all the wrong reasons.

The actor and comedians’ ill- timed prank phone call on Jonathan Ross’ Radio 2 show developed into the now infamous Sachsgate scandal and a number of outraged members of the public hoped the scandal would prove the final straw and see the end of Brand’s career.

In the 12 months since the Sachsgate scandal, Russell Brand has undergone a transformation of sorts from being a comedian and lothario, whose fame was equally split between fame and infamy. To becoming one half of the hottest celebrity couple on the planet and arguably as revered a British export as Robert Pattinson and the Harry Potter franchise.

So what’s caused this change in opinion?

I would argue that this change in opinion is caused by Russell Brand’s real talent, he is effortlessly charming.

I have never met Russell personally and when he first came to prominence as a comedian I didn’t find him funny, however recently (mainly thanks to Channel 4 screening the Big Fat Quiz of the Year – to which Russell is a panellist) I have discovered the effortless ability in which he can encapsulate an audience and then convert him to his Twilight-esque team. (Formerly Team Russell, now Team Raty)

It also helps that Russell has been tamed in his allegedly wild ways by one of the most talked about pop stars in the world, Ms Katy Perry.

Together the singer of ‘I kissed a girl’ and the self proclaimed “S & M Willy Wonka” have sent Hollywood and entertainment media in general into a frenzy that hasn’t been seen since the early weeks of Brangelina.

But after 3 ½ months of dating are the couple truly in love? Or does this romance cast the spell of Hollywood once more?

With Katy rumoured to release her 3rd album this year and Russell’s new movie Get Him to the Greek (a spin off from Forgetting Sarah Marshall) coming out in the summer one thing is for certain.

2010 is almost certain to see Russell crowned as the new king of star land, and Raty confirmed as the new Brangelina.

Know your enemy…

By Jonathan Campbell

22nd December 2009 | 3 comments | 1 person likes this

It’s that time of year again. The weather outside is most certainly frightful, advertisements sugary enough to induce diabetic coma’s plague our airwaves and Oxford Street is once again overrun with the damned, desperately on the prowl for precious trinkets to bestow upon their loved ones.

Can I hear an Hallelujah for Christmas? Read more »

2012 Review: Its The End of the Blockbuster (As We Know It!)

By Stephen Bain

16th November 2009 | 7 comments | 1 person likes this

BBC film critic Jonathan Ross described 2012 as ‘insultingly lazy’. Nothing could be more accurate.

This apocalyptic tale is the latest effort from Ronald Emmerich, director of Independence Day, Godzilla and The Day After Tomorrow. As you may expect it is laden with special effects (the budget reportedly being around the $260 million mark). Read more »

Going down like a Lead Balloon…

By Michael Somerville

5th November 2009 | 1 comments | 1 person likes this

Britain’s answer to Curb Your Enthusiasm has perhaps not surprisingly, been heavily influenced by the “paradigm shift” of the emergence of “The Office” that made everyday conversation funny, without the need for a canned laughter studio audience.

Embarrassment, social humiliation and exasperation are high on the agenda in Jack Dee’s sitcom, about a failed TV personality who tries to cobble bits and bobs of out not much at all. Teaming up with condescending American writing partner Marty, (Sean Power) the pair trundle through life hoping for their big break. This being Dee, if never really comes. Although the show doesn’t do anything particularly groundbreaking and does nothing to dispel the “myth” that Dee is a grumpy old sod in real life; it still remains a wonderfully entertaining show.

The cast are nigh on perfect and go about their daily business with subtlety and aplomb alike. Comparisons have been made to other sitcoms across the water such as “Seinfield” and “Curb Your Enthuiasm” as Dee looks to steal Larry David’s crown of understated situational comedy from him.

Jack Dee has made the step from stand up comedy to sitcom, a hurdle where many British comedians have failed at, such as Baddiel, Skinner, Rhona Cameron and Lee Mack. Dee is happy to share the limelight with his co-stars, something that goes against the grain of the stand -up psyche. It’s just as well he does, because his co-stars are absolutely terrific.

Series Four is due to land on British screen in late 2010

Nick Griffin vs the BBC

By Stephen Bain

26th October 2009 | 2 comments | 0 votes yet, click here to agree or disagree

Infamous BNP leader Nick Griffin has finally appeared on Question Time amidst all the protestors. Well, it wasn’t so much “Question Time” as “Condemn Time”.

First of all let me say that I have no time for the BNP as a party, their so-called policies lack any sort of substance and you often only have to look at members to see the so-called minds behind the name. However it can be said that the programme was nothing short of a circus, which depended on cheap sensationalism and shock tactics to gain viewers. Knives were clearly at the ready from the outset. Any notion of a political debate disappeared within the first five minutes and I, unfortunately, almost felt sorry for the man. Read more »

Why the BNP should be given a second chance

By Matt Fricker

26th October 2009 | 2 comments | 7 people like this

Personally I can’t think of many things worse than a BNP government and would love to do everything possible to stop them… hence this article.

So, I hear you ask. Why such a controversial headline?

Well, in my opinion the answer is simple, by having Nick Griffin on Question Time last night, the British media, achieved one goal, to expose this being for what he really is, a bigoted idiot. Thankfully every newspaper and most websites have joined forces in displaying their disgust to Mr Griffin’s opinions. Read more »

Last Night’s TV: Jimmy’s Food Factory

By Jon Cooper

22nd October 2009 | 4 comments | 1 person likes this

Science! Gotta love it. The striving progression of human development through technological endeavour, the expansion of intellect and comfort, the bettering of life, or so we hope, for all mankind. That’s how I like to think about Science. It’s about wowing ourselves with our ingenuity (“My toaster has wi-fi? Awesome!”), breaking boundaries and generally re-asserting our chipper little selves as the smartest carbon blobs on the planet. Read more »

When comedy isn’t funny

By Matt Fricker

20th October 2009 | 0 comments | 7 people like this

Last week the BBC released their draft editorial guidelines for the future of the corporation. Among this document, Section 5.4.31 to be precise, there is a passage which raised some questionable eyebrows towards the future of comedy at the BBC.

The paragraph in question reads;

“BBC content must respect human dignity. Intimidation, humiliation, intrusion, aggression and derogatory remarks are all aspects of human behaviour that may be discussed or included in BBC output. Some comedy can be cruel but unduly intimidatory, humiliating, intrusive, aggressive or derogatory remarks must not be celebrated for the purposes of entertainment.”   

If we were to take these guidelines and apply them to the BBC’s rich history of comedy, how many examples can be found that would be in contravention of these rules?

It turns out quite a few; here is an example for each guideline…

Humiliating: lowering the pride, self-respect, or dignity of a person; mortifying: Such a humiliating defeat was good for his overblown ego.

1:  The Office

The Scene: Gareth discovers with distaste that someone (Tim) has encased his stapler in jelly.

The Problem: Tim humiliates Gareth in front of David and the rest of the office by making fun of Gareth’s views towards office supplies.

Hilarious yes, but this scene could be seen as and example of bullying in the workplace and therefore not allowed. 
Intimidatory: to make timid; fill with fear.

2: Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em

The Scene: Frank Spencer attempts to learn to drive.

The Problem: Frank’s sweet natured incompetence drives his instructor up the wall, in response; the instructor becomes annoyed and begins to intimidate Frank by yelling at him. Causing Frank to make even more mistakes.

Intrusive: tending or apt to intrude; coming without invitation or welcome: intrusive memories of a lost love.

3. Just For Laughs 

The Scene: A sketch called the Royal Boot during which one actor, dressed as a Grenadier Guardsman, proceeds to kick another actor, dressed as a business man, up the backside as he walks by. The business man then proceeds to blame the member of the general public that had been walking alongside him at the time.

The Problem: In order to perform this sketch, the actors have to be able to intrude on the everyday life of commuters, tourists and people just going about their daily business, it’s also likely that none of the participants were asked if they would like to be in the sketch before it took place either.

Aggressive: characterized by or tending toward unprovoked offensives, attacks, invasions, or the like; militantly forward or menacing: aggressive acts against a neighbouring country.

4. Fawlty Towers

The Scene: Upon being told by Manuel that a spoon is clean, Basil proceeds to rub the spoon through Manuel’s hair before hitting him over the head with it in anger.

The Problem: The joke of this scene is simple, undue aggression towards a staff member, many other times in Fawlty Towers we see Basil in fits of rage towards his waiter for a vast number of reasons. Nearly all of which are unfair… poor Manuel.

Derogatory:  tending to lessen the merit or reputation of a person or thing; disparaging; depreciatory: a derogatory remark.

5: Mock the week

The Scene: Frankie Boyle, while talking about the Beijing Olympics, makes a number of derogatory remarks about Double Gold winning swimmer Rebecca Adlington.

The Problem: Although Frankie Boyle is known for his dour and cutting style of humour, he is just one of a number of comedians who have formed jokes based around derogatory remarks.

Mock The Week was in fact reprimanded for this particular incident on Monday, as the original broadcast received 75 complaints from viewers.

The main question these new guidelines raise is simple, will the scenes exampled be deemed unsuitable in the future? If so, will that mean that any comedian who wants to make content that could be deemed controversial will have to leave the BBC in order to achieve their intended result.

If that is the case, how will BBC comedy compete as a provider of humour in the future? Or are these new guidelines just another sign of the Beeb’s reaction to the Sachsgate scandal that covered the media at the end of last year.