Louisa Mellor Jan 26, 2017
BBC Four’s Time Commanders is joyful, nerdy, educational fun. We’d like a million new episodes commissioned please…
1) A dog carrying an unwieldy but clearly excellent stick.
See related Upstart Crow: Shakespeare sitcom gets a second series 24 great comedy shows that deserve more love Peep Show: saluting a cynical, honest, brilliant sitcom Bridget Jones’s Baby review Raised By Wolves: saluting a witty, hugely likeable sitcom
2) A child being presented with an ice-cream that’s bigger than their face.
3) Me whenever somebody falls into a paddling pool on You’ve Been Framed!
Until December 2016, those were the purest examples of joy I could name. Now? There’s a new addition to the list. Ladies and gentlemen I give you: the joy of BBC Four’s Time Commanders.
Engage skirmish
Time Commanders aired its first sixteen-episode series on BBC Two in 2003. Devised by Adam Macdonald,...
BBC Four’s Time Commanders is joyful, nerdy, educational fun. We’d like a million new episodes commissioned please…
1) A dog carrying an unwieldy but clearly excellent stick.
See related Upstart Crow: Shakespeare sitcom gets a second series 24 great comedy shows that deserve more love Peep Show: saluting a cynical, honest, brilliant sitcom Bridget Jones’s Baby review Raised By Wolves: saluting a witty, hugely likeable sitcom
2) A child being presented with an ice-cream that’s bigger than their face.
3) Me whenever somebody falls into a paddling pool on You’ve Been Framed!
Until December 2016, those were the purest examples of joy I could name. Now? There’s a new addition to the list. Ladies and gentlemen I give you: the joy of BBC Four’s Time Commanders.
Engage skirmish
Time Commanders aired its first sixteen-episode series on BBC Two in 2003. Devised by Adam Macdonald,...
- 1/25/2017
- Den of Geek
Happy imps are pitted against hideous ogres in this knowing DayGlo kids’ film
Not since The Magic Roundabout has an animation had me so urgently wondering: “What exactly are these people on?” A shameless merchandising and franchising opportunity, DreamWorks’ neo-psychedelic Trolls is based on the once ubiquitous range of repellently cute homunculi with rubbery faces and gravity-defying DayGlo coiffures. But, co-directed by Shrek and SpongeBob franchise hand Mike Mitchell and written by the Kung Fu Panda team of Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, Trolls proves an immensely entertaining, highly savvy piece that always has a sardonic wink to remind us that we’re not in Smurfland any more.
Mocking its own glittery cheer something rotten, Trolls pits the pathologically happy, rainbow-coloured imps against a tribe of hideous ogre malcontents, the Bergens, who seem to owe some of their CGI DNA to Fungus the Bogeyman. Justin Timberlake – who’s also executive...
Not since The Magic Roundabout has an animation had me so urgently wondering: “What exactly are these people on?” A shameless merchandising and franchising opportunity, DreamWorks’ neo-psychedelic Trolls is based on the once ubiquitous range of repellently cute homunculi with rubbery faces and gravity-defying DayGlo coiffures. But, co-directed by Shrek and SpongeBob franchise hand Mike Mitchell and written by the Kung Fu Panda team of Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, Trolls proves an immensely entertaining, highly savvy piece that always has a sardonic wink to remind us that we’re not in Smurfland any more.
Mocking its own glittery cheer something rotten, Trolls pits the pathologically happy, rainbow-coloured imps against a tribe of hideous ogre malcontents, the Bergens, who seem to owe some of their CGI DNA to Fungus the Bogeyman. Justin Timberlake – who’s also executive...
- 10/23/2016
- by Jonathan Romney
- The Guardian - Film News
Quirky is possibly the best word to describe Emma Thompson‘s BAFTA Screenwriters’ Lecture, hilariously delivered tonight in London. It included a physical demonstration of her writing process; pearls of wisdom shared with the filmmaker attendees; and an anecdote about how a period sketch she wrote featuring a Victorian-era virgin encountering a penis led to her penning Sense And Sensibility.
The event, a Thompson-directed variation on a regular series of screenwriter conversations, continued a mini-season of high-wattage names visiting the British Academy, which started with James Schamus on Thursday and David Fincher on Friday. And Thompson tapped her acting and sketch comedy background to give the sell-out crowd a good show.
She was already on stage as the audience started filing in, dressed down in denim overalls and a thick navy coat so that few noticed her at first. She sat barefoot at a tiny writing desk, and in between scribbling on a notepad,...
The event, a Thompson-directed variation on a regular series of screenwriter conversations, continued a mini-season of high-wattage names visiting the British Academy, which started with James Schamus on Thursday and David Fincher on Friday. And Thompson tapped her acting and sketch comedy background to give the sell-out crowd a good show.
She was already on stage as the audience started filing in, dressed down in denim overalls and a thick navy coat so that few noticed her at first. She sat barefoot at a tiny writing desk, and in between scribbling on a notepad,...
- 9/20/2014
- by Joe Utichi, Special To Deadline
- Deadline
Remember that thing you loved from your childhood? It's coming back. We're not talking specifics here, we're talking everything.
New movies or TV shows revolving around everything from Scooby Doo to Ninja Turtles, Danger Mouse and Bananaman are on the horizon - you could accuse producers of running out of new ideas, but how long before they run out of old ideas?
Nostalgia can give you a warm and fuzzy feeling, but sometimes it isn't always a good thing. Digital Spy suggests 9 instances when looking back to the past resulted in a questionable present:
The Saint (1997)
A movie adaptation of popular TV series The Saint had been mooted for some time. It finally limped into cinemas in 1997 with Val Kilmer as Simon Templar - he was no Roger Moore, but let's face it, who is?
The film, which is a relatively low-key (if somewhat eccentric) spy caper, suffered because it...
New movies or TV shows revolving around everything from Scooby Doo to Ninja Turtles, Danger Mouse and Bananaman are on the horizon - you could accuse producers of running out of new ideas, but how long before they run out of old ideas?
Nostalgia can give you a warm and fuzzy feeling, but sometimes it isn't always a good thing. Digital Spy suggests 9 instances when looking back to the past resulted in a questionable present:
The Saint (1997)
A movie adaptation of popular TV series The Saint had been mooted for some time. It finally limped into cinemas in 1997 with Val Kilmer as Simon Templar - he was no Roger Moore, but let's face it, who is?
The film, which is a relatively low-key (if somewhat eccentric) spy caper, suffered because it...
- 6/18/2014
- Digital Spy
Remember that thing you loved from your childhood? It's coming back. We're not talking specifics here, we're talking everything.
New movies or TV shows revolving around everything from Scooby Doo to Ninja Turtles, Danger Mouse and Bananaman are on the horizon - you could accuse producers of running out of new ideas, but how long before they run out of old ideas?
Nostalgia can give you a warm and fuzzy feeling, but sometimes it isn't always a good thing. Digital Spy suggests 9 instances when looking back to the past resulted in a questionable present:
The Saint (1997)
A movie adaptation of popular TV series The Saint had been mooted for some time. It finally limped into cinemas in 1997 with Val Kilmer as Simon Templar - he was no Roger Moore, but let's face it, who is?
The film, which is a relatively low-key (if somewhat eccentric) spy caper, suffered because it...
New movies or TV shows revolving around everything from Scooby Doo to Ninja Turtles, Danger Mouse and Bananaman are on the horizon - you could accuse producers of running out of new ideas, but how long before they run out of old ideas?
Nostalgia can give you a warm and fuzzy feeling, but sometimes it isn't always a good thing. Digital Spy suggests 9 instances when looking back to the past resulted in a questionable present:
The Saint (1997)
A movie adaptation of popular TV series The Saint had been mooted for some time. It finally limped into cinemas in 1997 with Val Kilmer as Simon Templar - he was no Roger Moore, but let's face it, who is?
The film, which is a relatively low-key (if somewhat eccentric) spy caper, suffered because it...
- 6/18/2014
- Digital Spy
Stars: Seamus O’Brien, Luis De Jesus, Viju Krem, Niles McMaster, Alan Dellay, Dan Fauci, Helen Thompson, Ellen Faison, Ernie Pysher, Lynette Sheldon | Written and Directed by Joel M. Reed
Bloodsucking Freaks opens with a woman strapped to a wooden chair and having a torture device attached to her hand before a metal rod is driven through her thumb, causing her to scream out loudly as her left hand becomes crimson. The scene then continues and we see an audience watching as the woman is tortured further. The audience applaud, calling it a magic show, some of them even saying it is a poor one. This is how we are introduced to Sardu (Seamus O’Brien), the master of the Theatre of the Macabre, and his dwarf sidekick and assistant Ralphus (Luis De Jesus).
Directed by New Yorker Joel M. Reed (Blood Bath, Night of the Zombies), who also wrote...
Bloodsucking Freaks opens with a woman strapped to a wooden chair and having a torture device attached to her hand before a metal rod is driven through her thumb, causing her to scream out loudly as her left hand becomes crimson. The scene then continues and we see an audience watching as the woman is tortured further. The audience applaud, calling it a magic show, some of them even saying it is a poor one. This is how we are introduced to Sardu (Seamus O’Brien), the master of the Theatre of the Macabre, and his dwarf sidekick and assistant Ralphus (Luis De Jesus).
Directed by New Yorker Joel M. Reed (Blood Bath, Night of the Zombies), who also wrote...
- 6/2/2014
- by Chris Cummings
- Nerdly
Feature Alex Westthorp 9 Apr 2014 - 07:00
In the next part of his series, Alex talks us through the film careers of the second and fourth Doctors, Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker...
Read Alex's retrospective on the film careers of William Hartnell and Jon Pertwee, here.
Like their fellow Time Lord actors, William Hartnell and Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker also shared certain genres of film. Both appeared, before and after their time as the Doctor, in horror movies and both worked on Ray Harryhausen Sinbad films.
Patrick George Troughton was born in Mill Hill, London on March 25th 1920. He made his film debut aged 28 in the 1948 B-Movie The Escape. Troughton's was a very minor role. Among the better known cast was William Hartnell, though even Hartnell's role was small and the two didn't share any scenes together. From the late Forties, Troughton found more success on the small screen,...
In the next part of his series, Alex talks us through the film careers of the second and fourth Doctors, Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker...
Read Alex's retrospective on the film careers of William Hartnell and Jon Pertwee, here.
Like their fellow Time Lord actors, William Hartnell and Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker also shared certain genres of film. Both appeared, before and after their time as the Doctor, in horror movies and both worked on Ray Harryhausen Sinbad films.
Patrick George Troughton was born in Mill Hill, London on March 25th 1920. He made his film debut aged 28 in the 1948 B-Movie The Escape. Troughton's was a very minor role. Among the better known cast was William Hartnell, though even Hartnell's role was small and the two didn't share any scenes together. From the late Forties, Troughton found more success on the small screen,...
- 4/8/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Bagpuss and Mr Benn are among the classic children's TV characters that appear on a new stamp set.
Characters from 12 shows feature in the new series, including Postman Pat, Paddington Bear and Bob the Builder.
The stamps are part of the Royal Mail's celebration of 60 years of children's television, and have been released today (January 7).
Old favourites such as Dougal from the The Magic Roundabout and Andy Pandy also appear, along with current stars Peppa Pig and Shaun the Sheep.
The lineup is completed by Ivor the Engine, Great Uncle Bulgaria from The Wombles, and Windy Miller from Camberwick Green.
"For over 60 years, Britain's children's TV characters have brought cheer to generations of viewers," said Royal Mail Stamps' Andrew Hammond.
"It feels appropriate to celebrate all of these unforgettable characters on a set of very special stamps."
The Magic Roundabout celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2014, while Bagpuss turns 40.
Postman Pat...
Characters from 12 shows feature in the new series, including Postman Pat, Paddington Bear and Bob the Builder.
The stamps are part of the Royal Mail's celebration of 60 years of children's television, and have been released today (January 7).
Old favourites such as Dougal from the The Magic Roundabout and Andy Pandy also appear, along with current stars Peppa Pig and Shaun the Sheep.
The lineup is completed by Ivor the Engine, Great Uncle Bulgaria from The Wombles, and Windy Miller from Camberwick Green.
"For over 60 years, Britain's children's TV characters have brought cheer to generations of viewers," said Royal Mail Stamps' Andrew Hammond.
"It feels appropriate to celebrate all of these unforgettable characters on a set of very special stamps."
The Magic Roundabout celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2014, while Bagpuss turns 40.
Postman Pat...
- 1/7/2014
- Digital Spy
My former colleague Dave Borthwick, who has died of pneumonia after a long illness, aged 65, was one of the world's leading animation directors. He pioneered a unique style mixing stop-frame models and pixilated live actors.
Dave was born in Bristol, and graduated in graphic design from the West of England College of Art (now the University of the West of England) in 1969. He went on to design and operate light shows and multimedia lighting which made extensive use of 2D animation techniques. Six years with the Crystal Theatre, a Bristol-based experimental theatre company, were followed by a postgraduate radio film and television course in 1977 at Bristol University, during which he made Recent Fiction, a live action film.
Dave worked as a cameraman in the film and TV industry in Britain and Denmark. He directed a music video for the Korgis in 1979 and short films for the BBC and Danish TV.
Dave was born in Bristol, and graduated in graphic design from the West of England College of Art (now the University of the West of England) in 1969. He went on to design and operate light shows and multimedia lighting which made extensive use of 2D animation techniques. Six years with the Crystal Theatre, a Bristol-based experimental theatre company, were followed by a postgraduate radio film and television course in 1977 at Bristol University, during which he made Recent Fiction, a live action film.
Dave worked as a cameraman in the film and TV industry in Britain and Denmark. He directed a music video for the Korgis in 1979 and short films for the BBC and Danish TV.
- 2/12/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
Kermit, Miss Piggy and pals are back with a new film and a TV series in the works. Hadley Freeman fondly remembers the satirical puppets and the massive role they played in her childhood
Some of us, for the record, have always played the music. And some of us, also just to clarify, never stopped lighting the lights. That's because, for us in the cultural elite, we are always ready to meet the Muppets on The Muppet Show tonight.
When it was announced on Tuesday that Us TV broadcaster NBC has commissioned a script for a new series of the Muppets, the reaction among critics, commentators and tweeters was, frankly, remarkable. It is rare that a four-decades old franchise can announce a return to TV and prompt such unabashed enthusiasm as well as a total lack of cynicism about quality control. Everyone loves the Muppets – that goes without saying. More...
Some of us, for the record, have always played the music. And some of us, also just to clarify, never stopped lighting the lights. That's because, for us in the cultural elite, we are always ready to meet the Muppets on The Muppet Show tonight.
When it was announced on Tuesday that Us TV broadcaster NBC has commissioned a script for a new series of the Muppets, the reaction among critics, commentators and tweeters was, frankly, remarkable. It is rare that a four-decades old franchise can announce a return to TV and prompt such unabashed enthusiasm as well as a total lack of cynicism about quality control. Everyone loves the Muppets – that goes without saying. More...
- 11/24/2011
- by Hadley Freeman
- The Guardian - Film News
What’s your take on the state of modern movies? Mark Kermode has put his thoughts down in his latest book, and he’s been chatting to us about it...
Mark Kermode isn’t a man to shy away from opinions, and his new book, The Good, The Bad And The Multiplex, is chock-full of them. It’s an overview of his thoughts on the state of modern cinema, and where it’s going right and wrong. And as he embarked on his promotional tour for the book, he spared us some time for a chat about it...
Your book talks about what’s wrong with modern movies, and I wonder if DVD is one that you missed.
Appreciating that DVD has been a positive thing in many ways, I do wonder if it’s exposed studios to too much money that they didn’t have in the VHS days.
Mark Kermode isn’t a man to shy away from opinions, and his new book, The Good, The Bad And The Multiplex, is chock-full of them. It’s an overview of his thoughts on the state of modern cinema, and where it’s going right and wrong. And as he embarked on his promotional tour for the book, he spared us some time for a chat about it...
Your book talks about what’s wrong with modern movies, and I wonder if DVD is one that you missed.
Appreciating that DVD has been a positive thing in many ways, I do wonder if it’s exposed studios to too much money that they didn’t have in the VHS days.
- 9/26/2011
- Den of Geek
As Postman Pat turns 30, he and Jess are making a move to the big screen. But what explains the television postman's enduring appeal?
It's 30 years today since Postman Pat delivered his first letter – and now the animated children's television show is graduating to the big screen as Pat and his black and white cat Jess star in their own animated film.
Pat will be voiced by Episodes and Green Wing actor Stephen Mangan, while the cast also includes Jim Broadbent, Rupert Grint and David Tennant. Rather than just several hours of letter delivery, the storyline will focus on what happens when Pat enters a TV talent show that threatens to tear him away from village life in Greendale.
Postman Pat: The Movie – You Know You're the One begins production this month and is due for release in spring 2013.
Pat, Jess, postmistress Mrs Goggins and friends have captivated children across...
It's 30 years today since Postman Pat delivered his first letter – and now the animated children's television show is graduating to the big screen as Pat and his black and white cat Jess star in their own animated film.
Pat will be voiced by Episodes and Green Wing actor Stephen Mangan, while the cast also includes Jim Broadbent, Rupert Grint and David Tennant. Rather than just several hours of letter delivery, the storyline will focus on what happens when Pat enters a TV talent show that threatens to tear him away from village life in Greendale.
Postman Pat: The Movie – You Know You're the One begins production this month and is due for release in spring 2013.
Pat, Jess, postmistress Mrs Goggins and friends have captivated children across...
- 9/16/2011
- by Sophie Robehmed
- The Guardian - Film News
We hadn’t seen much of Enchantment before they took to the Britain’s Got Talent stage tonight.
The circus stage troupe hadn’t been featured heavily on previous audition shows and we didn’t hold out high hopes for them when they made their appearance on the second semi final of the week.
However, as soon as their routine started we were gripped by the mystique, then the vocals and as a performance, it really had everything. Talented singers, amazing trapeze artists, dancers and much more. We were surprised then when Simon Cowell, quickly followed by Amanda Holden buzzed the group at their halfway point. We actually thought they were very good!
Judges Comments:
David Hasselhoff: I don’t think you were bad enough to get buzzed. It started off a little weak, it started off with ‘what are you doing’, it didn’t come and get our attention right away.
The circus stage troupe hadn’t been featured heavily on previous audition shows and we didn’t hold out high hopes for them when they made their appearance on the second semi final of the week.
However, as soon as their routine started we were gripped by the mystique, then the vocals and as a performance, it really had everything. Talented singers, amazing trapeze artists, dancers and much more. We were surprised then when Simon Cowell, quickly followed by Amanda Holden buzzed the group at their halfway point. We actually thought they were very good!
Judges Comments:
David Hasselhoff: I don’t think you were bad enough to get buzzed. It started off a little weak, it started off with ‘what are you doing’, it didn’t come and get our attention right away.
- 5/31/2011
- by Lisa McGarry
- Unreality
A man has completed the London Marathon in 26 days by crawling. Instead of running the 26.2-mile course, Lloyd Scott, 49, moved on his hands and knees dressed as Brian the Snail in the old children's television series The Magic Roundabout. He was supporting Action for Kids, a charity which helps children with mobility issues. "I have chosen to make this difficult for myself, but these kids don't have that choice," he said. "Every day they're confronted with mobility issues." According to Sky News, (more)...
- 5/13/2011
- by By Ben Lee
- Digital Spy
Highlights of tonight’s show 10pm on Channel 4
9.30am
The housemates are woken up by the theme tune to The Magic Roundabout. Sam suggests they all try to think about what horrible things Big Brother will do to them this morning via the Magic Roundabout. Josie says “a never-ending roundabout and we have to stay on it all day.” Jj says to Sam “Lets hope the magic roundabout makes you shut the f*** up for 5 minutes.” Sam says Jj is a prick.
10.36am
Last Night Josie played a prank on Sam and put nail varnish on his toothbrush.
Sam asks Josie if she is scared about his revenge. Josie says she is s******* herself.
In the Diary Room Andrew says he was down on Friday because Ben left and Sam came in. Andrew says Sam needs to “watch what he says”, and that he “goes after Josie”. “I understand friendly banter,...
9.30am
The housemates are woken up by the theme tune to The Magic Roundabout. Sam suggests they all try to think about what horrible things Big Brother will do to them this morning via the Magic Roundabout. Josie says “a never-ending roundabout and we have to stay on it all day.” Jj says to Sam “Lets hope the magic roundabout makes you shut the f*** up for 5 minutes.” Sam says Jj is a prick.
10.36am
Last Night Josie played a prank on Sam and put nail varnish on his toothbrush.
Sam asks Josie if she is scared about his revenge. Josie says she is s******* herself.
In the Diary Room Andrew says he was down on Friday because Ben left and Sam came in. Andrew says Sam needs to “watch what he says”, and that he “goes after Josie”. “I understand friendly banter,...
- 8/2/2010
- by Lisa McGarry
- Unreality
Since a tiny role as the Green Fairy in 2001’s Moulin Rouge, Kylie Minogue has largely concentrated on maintaining her pop career (and staying healthy after her battle with cancer) rather than film. She’s cropped up voicing Florence in The Magic Roundabout film, and of course co-starred on the 2007 Doctor Who Christmas special. But now it looks like she’s ready to return to the big screen, snatching a role in Bradley Rust Gray's Jack and Diane.An unusual tale of two lesbian teenagers (Juno Temple and Riley Keough) who fall for each other in New York, but must face the prospect of one of them leaving and, er, becoming a werewolf (metaphorically rather than literally. We think.), Jack & Diane is not your standard romantic drama.Minogue, according to the New York Post (via The Playlist), will join the film to play Tara, a heavily tattooed lady who loves ladies herself.
- 7/19/2010
- EmpireOnline
Emma Thompson vowed to use adult humour in the Nanny McPhee movies as a tribute to her late father's quirky children's show The Magic Roundabout.
The British actress adapted the Nanny McPhee stories from Christianna Brand's Nurse Matilda books and they have become firm favourites for kids, with the 2005 original grossing $122 million (£76 million) at the international box office.
Thompson confesses she took inspiration for the film - as well as the current sequel Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang - from her writer/producer father Eric, who courted controversy with his scripts for the U.K. version of The Magic Roundabout.
And the star admits she always aims to write stories which make herself laugh first and foremost.
She tells British chatshow host Jonathan Ross, "(Nanny McPhee) is an homage to my dad and to The Magic Roundabout and to the fact he'd done these funny cartoons for kids and he'd get letters from mothers saying, 'How dare you use phrases like this for children, they'll never understand it,' and he said, 'Well, why would you write differently for children? They're just children who haven't lived as long as we have, what's the point in talking down to them?'
"I have to write something that makes me laugh that I like and then hope everybody else is going to like it."...
The British actress adapted the Nanny McPhee stories from Christianna Brand's Nurse Matilda books and they have become firm favourites for kids, with the 2005 original grossing $122 million (£76 million) at the international box office.
Thompson confesses she took inspiration for the film - as well as the current sequel Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang - from her writer/producer father Eric, who courted controversy with his scripts for the U.K. version of The Magic Roundabout.
And the star admits she always aims to write stories which make herself laugh first and foremost.
She tells British chatshow host Jonathan Ross, "(Nanny McPhee) is an homage to my dad and to The Magic Roundabout and to the fact he'd done these funny cartoons for kids and he'd get letters from mothers saying, 'How dare you use phrases like this for children, they'll never understand it,' and he said, 'Well, why would you write differently for children? They're just children who haven't lived as long as we have, what's the point in talking down to them?'
"I have to write something that makes me laugh that I like and then hope everybody else is going to like it."...
- 3/29/2010
- WENN
Not sure what to watch? We can help with our comprehensive guide to the best films on TV this Christmas and new year
Choose a date
Saturday 19 December | Sunday 20 December | Monday 21 December | Tuesday 22 December | Wednesday 23 December |Christmas Eve | Christmas Day | Boxing Day | Sunday 27 December | Monday 28 December | Tuesday 29 December | Wednesday 30 December | New Year's Eve | New Year's Day
Saturday 19 December
Yes Man (Peyton Reed, 2008)
10am, 8pm, Sky Movies Premiere
Remember Jim Carrey in Liar, Liar, where he forces himself to tell the truth for 24 hours? Well, here Jim Carrey forces himself to answer yes to any request, for a year. Which is upping the ante somewhat, but doesn't make it a better film. This is a return to the manic, gurning, not-very-funny Carrey, as if The Truman Show, Eternal Sunshine etc hadn't happened. Just say no.
The Golden Compass (Chris Weitz, 2007)
11.40am, 8pm, Sky Movies Family
What with Harry Potter, Narnia, Lemony Snicket and all,...
Choose a date
Saturday 19 December | Sunday 20 December | Monday 21 December | Tuesday 22 December | Wednesday 23 December |Christmas Eve | Christmas Day | Boxing Day | Sunday 27 December | Monday 28 December | Tuesday 29 December | Wednesday 30 December | New Year's Eve | New Year's Day
Saturday 19 December
Yes Man (Peyton Reed, 2008)
10am, 8pm, Sky Movies Premiere
Remember Jim Carrey in Liar, Liar, where he forces himself to tell the truth for 24 hours? Well, here Jim Carrey forces himself to answer yes to any request, for a year. Which is upping the ante somewhat, but doesn't make it a better film. This is a return to the manic, gurning, not-very-funny Carrey, as if The Truman Show, Eternal Sunshine etc hadn't happened. Just say no.
The Golden Compass (Chris Weitz, 2007)
11.40am, 8pm, Sky Movies Family
What with Harry Potter, Narnia, Lemony Snicket and all,...
- 12/18/2009
- by Paul Howlett
- The Guardian - Film News
John Boorman (The Tailor of Panma, Excalibur) is attached to direct The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, a CG-animated flick based on L. Frank Baum’s classic children’s book. Oz follows Dorothy, who is swept away to a magical land in a tornado and embarks on a quest to see the Wizard who can help her return home. Along the way she befriends the Scarecrow, the Tin man and the Cowardly Lion, all of whom are convinced by Dorothy that the Wizard can help them too. The adaptation, which will be Boorman’s first animated film, maintains the tale's main characters and settings, but, unlike MGM’s 1939 film, it's not a musical. Produced by Laurent Rodon (Doogal) and Claude Gorvsky (The Magic Roundabout), Oz was adapted by Boorman, Ron Mita (S.W.A.T) and Jim McClain (Robots). It's scheduled for release summer 2010.
- 11/6/2008
- by James Cook
- TheMovingPicture.net
Filed under: Animation, RumorMonger, Family Films, Remakes and Sequels
When The Magic Roundabout opened in the UK in 2005, it won general approval as a big-screen adaptation of the small-screen '60s cartoon series of the same name. When the film was then dubbed over with an American voice cast and no shortage of puns and pop culture references, it opened Stateside under the name of Doogal in 2006 to overwhelming (and rightful) disdain. (Seriously, even for a kid's movie, this had my eyes doing laps in their sockets.)
So, whilst perusing Variety earlier today, up popped an advertisement for films in production that were to be featured at this year's American Film Market (or some such), and among the titles listed was what you see to your right: The Magic Roundabout: The Beginning. While I'm sure this'll never make it to the Us in any incarnation, I bring it up...
When The Magic Roundabout opened in the UK in 2005, it won general approval as a big-screen adaptation of the small-screen '60s cartoon series of the same name. When the film was then dubbed over with an American voice cast and no shortage of puns and pop culture references, it opened Stateside under the name of Doogal in 2006 to overwhelming (and rightful) disdain. (Seriously, even for a kid's movie, this had my eyes doing laps in their sockets.)
So, whilst perusing Variety earlier today, up popped an advertisement for films in production that were to be featured at this year's American Film Market (or some such), and among the titles listed was what you see to your right: The Magic Roundabout: The Beginning. While I'm sure this'll never make it to the Us in any incarnation, I bring it up...
- 11/1/2008
- by William Goss
- Cinematical
- Those Weinstein fellas are surprisingly no strangers to kiddie flicks. The Weinstein Company released Hoodwinked! in 2005, the all-star Shrek-a-like; an anachronistic and satirical telling of the classic fairy tale, "Little Red Riding Hood." Then in 2006, the company released The Magic Roundabout (released in North America as Doogal), a CGI pic about the adventures of a candy-loving dog. Also in 2006, the Weinsteins released the British-produced Lassie pic to Americans on DVD. And lastly, they were responsible for the 2007 American distribution of that highly memorable pic I'm sure you've all seen, Thunderpants, about a boy who is born with two stomachs, thus stricken with uncontrollable and absolutely devastating flatulence. Classic. According to Variety, the next kiddie flick the Weinsteins are going to handle will be a feature length, live-action musical based on the Jim Henson series Fraggle Rock. Cory Edwards, who also directed Hoodwinked!, will helm the project in addition to writing the screenplay.
- 5/13/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
BERLIN -- Germany's X Filme, the team behind art house hits Good bye, Lenin! and Andreas Dresen's Summer in Berlin, have joined forces with the U.K. producers behind British children's classic The Magic Roundabout for a stop-motion animation feature based on Gilbert Shelton's cult comic Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. The project, titled Grassroots, was announced Monday at the Berlin International Film Festival. Celluloid Dreams will handle world sales. Shelton has written the script with Paul Davies. Dave Borthwick (Roundabout) is attached to direct. Bruce Higham, Andy Leighton and David Lascelles will produce on the U.K. side with X Filme's Andro Steinborn.
- 2/13/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
LONDON -- British comedian and actor Lee Evans has signed to the voice cast of The Magic Roundabout, the production company Pathe Pictures said Monday. Evans, currently starring in London's West End production of The Producers, joins a star-studded cast including Jim Broadbent, Ian McKellen, Bill Nighy and Joanna Lumley for the CGI animated feature.
- 12/21/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
LONDON -- Ian McKellen has signed to voice the wizard Zebedee in Pathe's CGI-animated version of the children's television classic The Magic Roundabout, the company said Tuesday. McKellen joins a voice cast that includes Jim Broadbent, Joanna Lumley and pop stars Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue. Other voices lined up for the Pathe project include Ray Winstone and Tom Baker, a former star of the television series Doctor Who. The movie, backed by London-based and French-owned Pathe Pictures, is scheduled to begin filming in February. The original TV series was created in the late 1960s by French author Serge Danot and adapted into English by Eric Thompson.
- 8/18/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Kylie Minogue is set to move more into movie-making - she's set to produce on the forthcoming Australian film Clancy Of The Overthrow. The Red Blooded Woman singer, 36, is one of the financiers on the big- budget film adaptation of Banjo Patterson's classic poem - which currently has Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman vying for the lead role. While it is unclear whether Minogue will also take an acting role in the movie - she is definitely providing the voice of Florence in the forthcoming animated version of the classic British TV show the Magic Roundabout.
- 6/25/2004
- WENN
LONDON -- Cash flowing into the British film sector from overseas rocketed last year, with movies tallying £729.5 million ($1.3 billion), more than doubling the previous year's £265.9 million, according to figures due to be released today by the government-backed strategy and financing body the U.K. Film Council. The dramatic rise in inward investment came on the back of several high-budget films shot during 2003, including "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," Troy and The Magic Roundabout. According to the Film Council, total film production spend across all categories -- taking in co-productions, U.K. features and inward investment -- hit £1.2 billion (£2.2 billion) last year, up from 2002's adjusted figure of £550.5 million.
- 1/12/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
LONDON -- Pop stars Kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams have joined an all-star voice cast for Pathe Pictures' upcoming CGI-animated movie The Magic Roundabout, Pathe said Wednesday. The pop heavyweights join a galaxy of British thesps in the voice cast, among them Jim Broadbent, Ray Winstone, Joanna Lumley, Richard O'Brien and Tom Baker. Williams is signed to play the furry dog Dougal, while Minogue will lend her voice to Florence in the $20 million film, which will be directed by Dave Borthwick, of the Bristol, England-based animation studio bolexbrothers. Based on the cult TV series created in the late '60s, the feature began production in Bristol and Marseilles, France, late last month and is expected to last 18 months. Pathe Pictures, operated and run by French giant Pathe Entertainment, is co-financing the film with the United Kingdom's Film Council and Sky Movies. A co-production for Pathe Pictures by France's Films Action and bolexbrothers SPZ, Magic is from a screenplay by Paul Davies, Raoff Sanoussi and Stephane Sanoussi. The project will be distributed in the United Kingdom and France by Pathe Distribution. Pathe International will sell the film throughout the rest of the world.
- 10/10/2002
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.