American Idol was announced to be coming to an end after 15 seasons yesterday (May 12), but did you know that Ryan Seacrest used to have a co-host?
Brian Dunkleman hosted the Fox competition's first season alongside Ryan Seacrest, before the latter took sole control. History has not been kind to poor old Brian since, with Fox TV CEO Dana Walden joking about a possible reunion for the pair.
"Where is Brian Dunkleman? If you give me his number, I will call and invite him," she joked, though Dunkleman gave as good as he got last night:
I knew American Idol would never last without me #Cancelled
— brian dunkleman (@briandunkleman) May 11, 2015
To honour Dunkleman, we have collected a few hosts of massive shows that you may have cruelly forgotten, starting with the man himself.
1. Brian Dunkleman (American Idol)
The comedian co-hosted the Fox series with Ryan Seacrest for its first season, which...
Brian Dunkleman hosted the Fox competition's first season alongside Ryan Seacrest, before the latter took sole control. History has not been kind to poor old Brian since, with Fox TV CEO Dana Walden joking about a possible reunion for the pair.
"Where is Brian Dunkleman? If you give me his number, I will call and invite him," she joked, though Dunkleman gave as good as he got last night:
I knew American Idol would never last without me #Cancelled
— brian dunkleman (@briandunkleman) May 11, 2015
To honour Dunkleman, we have collected a few hosts of massive shows that you may have cruelly forgotten, starting with the man himself.
1. Brian Dunkleman (American Idol)
The comedian co-hosted the Fox series with Ryan Seacrest for its first season, which...
- 5/12/2015
- Digital Spy
Skins Fire was one of the most-watched programmes on the multichannels on Monday (July 1), according to overnight figures.
Kaya Scodelario's return to the E4 drama's final series attracted 668,000 (3.8%) at 10pm, with a further 115k (1.3%) tuning in on +1. This is around 100k more than the sixth series finale in March 2012.
On BBC One, Fake Britain was seen by 2.46 million (11.9%) at 7.30pm, while Panorama interested 1.71m (7.5%) at 8.30pm. A New Tricks repeat brought in 3.18m (14.0%) at 9pm.
BBC Two's Today at Wimbledon featuring Andy Murray's fourth round win scored 2.01m (9.0%) at 8pm. Rick Stein's India cooked up 2.17m (9.6%) at 9pm.
On ITV, The Dales continued with 2.96m (13.6%) at 8.30pm (149k/0.7% on +1). Long Lost Family was the most-watched show outside of soaps, gaining 200k from last week to 4.96m (21.9%) at 9pm (250k/1.4%).
Channel 4's Undercover Boss returned for a new series with 1.64m (7.2%) at 9pm (231k/1.3%). Daisy Donovan's...
Kaya Scodelario's return to the E4 drama's final series attracted 668,000 (3.8%) at 10pm, with a further 115k (1.3%) tuning in on +1. This is around 100k more than the sixth series finale in March 2012.
On BBC One, Fake Britain was seen by 2.46 million (11.9%) at 7.30pm, while Panorama interested 1.71m (7.5%) at 8.30pm. A New Tricks repeat brought in 3.18m (14.0%) at 9pm.
BBC Two's Today at Wimbledon featuring Andy Murray's fourth round win scored 2.01m (9.0%) at 8pm. Rick Stein's India cooked up 2.17m (9.6%) at 9pm.
On ITV, The Dales continued with 2.96m (13.6%) at 8.30pm (149k/0.7% on +1). Long Lost Family was the most-watched show outside of soaps, gaining 200k from last week to 4.96m (21.9%) at 9pm (250k/1.4%).
Channel 4's Undercover Boss returned for a new series with 1.64m (7.2%) at 9pm (231k/1.3%). Daisy Donovan's...
- 7/2/2013
- Digital Spy
Davina McCall's Long Lost Family dropped nearly 500,000 viewers for its second episode, according to overnight figures.
However, the ITV series was still the most-watched programme outside of soaps on Monday, with 4.76 million (20.8%) at 9pm, with a further 268k (1.5%) on +1. Earlier, The Dales was seen by 3.01m (13.6%) at 8pm (135k/0.6% on +1).
On BBC One, Panorama interested 2.24m (9.9%) at 8.30pm, followed by a repeat of New Tricks with 2.86m (12.5%) at 9pm.
BBC Two's Today At Wimbledon scored 1.95m (8.7%) at 8pm, while Rick Stein's India cooked up 2.31m (10.1%) at 9pm.
Channel 4 documentary The Man with the 10-stone Testicles grabbed 3.05m (13.3%) at 9pm (818k/4.6%). Daisy Donovan's The Greatest Shows on Earth brought in 603k (3.5%) at 10pm (146k/1.7%).
On Channel 5, The Gadget Show entertained 770k (3.4%) at 8pm. Traveller Feuds secured 955k (4.2%) at 9pm, followed by Big Brother with 1.22m (6.9%) at 10pm.
BBC Three's new documentary series Don't Call Me Crazy opened with 590k (2.6%) at 9pm.
However, the ITV series was still the most-watched programme outside of soaps on Monday, with 4.76 million (20.8%) at 9pm, with a further 268k (1.5%) on +1. Earlier, The Dales was seen by 3.01m (13.6%) at 8pm (135k/0.6% on +1).
On BBC One, Panorama interested 2.24m (9.9%) at 8.30pm, followed by a repeat of New Tricks with 2.86m (12.5%) at 9pm.
BBC Two's Today At Wimbledon scored 1.95m (8.7%) at 8pm, while Rick Stein's India cooked up 2.31m (10.1%) at 9pm.
Channel 4 documentary The Man with the 10-stone Testicles grabbed 3.05m (13.3%) at 9pm (818k/4.6%). Daisy Donovan's The Greatest Shows on Earth brought in 603k (3.5%) at 10pm (146k/1.7%).
On Channel 5, The Gadget Show entertained 770k (3.4%) at 8pm. Traveller Feuds secured 955k (4.2%) at 9pm, followed by Big Brother with 1.22m (6.9%) at 10pm.
BBC Three's new documentary series Don't Call Me Crazy opened with 590k (2.6%) at 9pm.
- 6/25/2013
- Digital Spy
Long Lost Family returned for a new series to top Monday night's ratings on ITV, according to overnight figures.
Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell's third run was seen by 5.25 million viewers (23.5%) at 9pm, with a further 328,000 (1.9%) tuning in on +1. Earlier, The Dales attracted 3.13m (14.3%) at 8pm.
On BBC One, The One Show entertained 3.97m (20.9%) at 7pm, while Panorama interested 2.16m (9.3%). A repeat of New Tricks brought in 3.09m (13.8%) at 9pm.
BBC Two's Airport Live was seen by 2.59m (11.4%) at 8pm. Rick Stein's series India secured 2.33m (10.4%) at 9pm.
On Channel 4, Food Unwrapped cooked up 1.32m (5.7%) at 8.30pm, followed by documentary Scientologists At War with 1.33m (5.9%) at 9pm (259k/1.5% on +1).
Daisy Donovan's new series The Greatest Shows on Earth was watched by 720k (4.3%) at 10pm (105k/1.3%).
Channel 5's The Gadget Show amazed 552k (2.4%), while documentary series Extraordinary People returned with 989k (4.4%) at 9pm.
Big Brother gained 200k...
Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell's third run was seen by 5.25 million viewers (23.5%) at 9pm, with a further 328,000 (1.9%) tuning in on +1. Earlier, The Dales attracted 3.13m (14.3%) at 8pm.
On BBC One, The One Show entertained 3.97m (20.9%) at 7pm, while Panorama interested 2.16m (9.3%). A repeat of New Tricks brought in 3.09m (13.8%) at 9pm.
BBC Two's Airport Live was seen by 2.59m (11.4%) at 8pm. Rick Stein's series India secured 2.33m (10.4%) at 9pm.
On Channel 4, Food Unwrapped cooked up 1.32m (5.7%) at 8.30pm, followed by documentary Scientologists At War with 1.33m (5.9%) at 9pm (259k/1.5% on +1).
Daisy Donovan's new series The Greatest Shows on Earth was watched by 720k (4.3%) at 10pm (105k/1.3%).
Channel 5's The Gadget Show amazed 552k (2.4%), while documentary series Extraordinary People returned with 989k (4.4%) at 9pm.
Big Brother gained 200k...
- 6/18/2013
- Digital Spy
Daisy Donovan is to make her TV comeback later this month.
The presenter became one of the UK's top new broadcasters in the late 1990s as part of Channel 4's The 11 O'Clock Show, which helped launch the careers of Ricky Gervais and Sacha Baron Cohen.
She went on to present the Channel 4 travel-sketch series Daisy Daisy in 2003 and the Us show Daisy Does America in 2005.
However, Donovan explained that she decided to turn her back on fame, describing herself as a "low-grade celebrity". She later started a new career as a screenplay writer and part-time actress.
"I was tired," she told The Daily Telegraph. "It's hard to put that much of yourself into something and not get the results you want. I was happier writing and being at home and mooching. I was not interested in going on telly.
"You may sense an air of laziness, but...
The presenter became one of the UK's top new broadcasters in the late 1990s as part of Channel 4's The 11 O'Clock Show, which helped launch the careers of Ricky Gervais and Sacha Baron Cohen.
She went on to present the Channel 4 travel-sketch series Daisy Daisy in 2003 and the Us show Daisy Does America in 2005.
However, Donovan explained that she decided to turn her back on fame, describing herself as a "low-grade celebrity". She later started a new career as a screenplay writer and part-time actress.
"I was tired," she told The Daily Telegraph. "It's hard to put that much of yourself into something and not get the results you want. I was happier writing and being at home and mooching. I was not interested in going on telly.
"You may sense an air of laziness, but...
- 6/10/2013
- Digital Spy
The Movie Pool offers condolences for the Blu-ray release of Death at a Funeral!
Blu-ray Specs
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 enhanced for widescreen televisions
Running Time: 91 minutes
Rating: R
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-hd Master Audio, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English Subtitles for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired, Spanish
Audio Commentary: Two commentaries, one with director Frank Oz, one with writer Dean Craig and actors Alan Tudyk and Andy Nyman.
Special Features: Gag reel
The Set-up
A dysfunctional family reuniting for their father's funeral must face their personal issues, an angry little person, selfish relatives, and a naked man.
Starring: Ewen Bremner, Keeley Hawes, Peter Dinklage, Matthew MacFadyen, Kris Marshall, Alan Tudyk, Daisy Donovan
Director: Frank Oz
Screenplay: Dean Craig
The Delivery
Director Frank Oz has had an uneven history with comedies: for every Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, we got a Bowfinger. While Death at a Funeral has some nice moments,...
Blu-ray Specs
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 enhanced for widescreen televisions
Running Time: 91 minutes
Rating: R
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-hd Master Audio, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English Subtitles for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired, Spanish
Audio Commentary: Two commentaries, one with director Frank Oz, one with writer Dean Craig and actors Alan Tudyk and Andy Nyman.
Special Features: Gag reel
The Set-up
A dysfunctional family reuniting for their father's funeral must face their personal issues, an angry little person, selfish relatives, and a naked man.
Starring: Ewen Bremner, Keeley Hawes, Peter Dinklage, Matthew MacFadyen, Kris Marshall, Alan Tudyk, Daisy Donovan
Director: Frank Oz
Screenplay: Dean Craig
The Delivery
Director Frank Oz has had an uneven history with comedies: for every Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, we got a Bowfinger. While Death at a Funeral has some nice moments,...
- 6/30/2011
- Cinelinx
Big Talk Pictures, the company behind Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, has optioned the true-life story of Britain’s most successful cheerleading squad, the Ascension Eagles.
Producer Damian Jones (Sex&drugs&rock&roll) brought the story to Big Talk. This will be the first project to be developed from scratch through Big Talk’s development and financing deal with Optimum Releasing and Film4.
The company has optioned the life story of a young Texan woman who moved to one of East London’s poorest neighbourhoods as the young wife of a British vicar. Dismayed at the lack of opportunity, Shara Brice set about transforming an initially reluctant group of local kids into a cheerleading squad who now rank 6th in the world — the most successful co-ed squad outside of the States. Yes, it’s an inspirational story we’ve all heard before but a hardy box office perennial.
Producer Damian Jones (Sex&drugs&rock&roll) brought the story to Big Talk. This will be the first project to be developed from scratch through Big Talk’s development and financing deal with Optimum Releasing and Film4.
The company has optioned the life story of a young Texan woman who moved to one of East London’s poorest neighbourhoods as the young wife of a British vicar. Dismayed at the lack of opportunity, Shara Brice set about transforming an initially reluctant group of local kids into a cheerleading squad who now rank 6th in the world — the most successful co-ed squad outside of the States. Yes, it’s an inspirational story we’ve all heard before but a hardy box office perennial.
- 6/4/2010
- by Tim Adler in London
- Deadline Film + TV
I loved the original "Death at a Funeral." That sounds like it was ages ago, but it wasn't. The winning first film directed by Frank Oz from MGM opened in 2007. A hilarious offering with a colorful and effective cast lead by Matthew Macfadyen, Keeley Hawes, Andy Numan, Ewen Bremner, Daisy Donovan and Alan Tudyk. Now, three years later, we have a U.S. version. It is another sign of how starved Hollywood is at times for good material. Still, it will definitely gross more than the original film so that's the reason. I'll be curious to see how it's butchered the original or, in a Very rare case, could come off as a winner. It's doubtful, but I do wish it luck. Directed by Neil Labute, Death at a Funeral is a hilarious day in the life of an American family come together to put a beloved husband and father to rest.
- 3/26/2010
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, and Tracy Morgan have signed on to star in the American remake of Death At A Funeral. Yes, that Death At A Funeral. The British black comedy directed by Frank Oz that came out not even two years ago.It was charming enough, and good enough to garner a three-star Empire review, but tanked in the States, with audiences unmoved by the prospect of a dark farce starring Matthew Macfadyen, his missus Keely Hawes, Alan Tudyk and Daisy Donovan.There should be no fears about the remake suffering the same fate – although Rock has never really had a massive solo hit as a movie star (he took supporting roles in the likes of Lethal Weapon 4 and The Longest Yard), he’s still a huge attraction. Morgan, so wonderful as batshit insane superstar Tracy Jordan on 30 Rock, is making a concerted effort to break into the...
- 3/9/2009
- EmpireOnline
Chris Rock will work with Sidney Kimmel Entertainment (Ske) on a new version of British comedy Death At A Funeral. The American comic will produce, star and co-write the movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Franz Oz's original film made $$46.5 million worldwide on its release in 2007. It starred Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes and Daisy Donovan. Rock's film is being switched to an urban American setting, but will retain (more)...
- 11/10/2008
- by By Alex Fletcher
- Digital Spy
- For the fifth year Screen International has put out their annual list of the next big things in UK Cinema. The UK Stars of Tomorrow is considered a major launching pad for fresh talent both in front and behind the camera. Past honorees include the wanted James McAvoy, the irresistible Emily Blunt, and the prince himself Ben Barnes. Unfortunately the only equivalent we have here in the states is the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, but I digress. This year’s list features some 40 actors, directors, animators, writers and producers vying for industry glory. Four names I think you should keep an eye on: Carey MulliganAfter making her debut in Joe Wright's Pride & Prejudice, she will be seen in both Jim Sheridan's upcoming Brothers and alongside Christian Bale and Johnny Depp in Michael Mann's gangster flick Public Enemies – not bad! Christian McKayHe’ll be playing a young Orson Welles for Richard Linklater…
- 7/10/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
This review was written for the theatrical release of "Death at a Funeral".At its best, British farce should seem effortless. In "Death at a Funeral", the effort shows. Subplots are contrived and relationships pat. Yet this topsy-turvy funeral produces a number of smiles, giggles, pleasant guffaws and several solid, sustained laughs. Not a bad batting average as comedies go.
Director Frank Oz always has been adept at building a comedy when he has the right script, and young Dean Craig has given him, in his first produced screenplay, a loony dark comedy that jibes well with Oz's comic sensibility.
Other than Peter Dinklage, the mostly British cast is unfamiliar to most American moviegoers, which might hamper boxoffice a tad. But the spirited effort should pick up steam in North American cinemas as reviews and word-of-mouth slowly build an over-25 audience who appreciates comic jabs at British decorum, upper-class manners and thoroughly embarrassing situations.
The film tips its comic hand right away when a funeral home delivers the wrong body to the household of the dearly departed. No, things will not go well at the final rites for the paterfamilias of a large and somewhat divided British family. From that point on, Oz and Craig tiptoe through a minefield of taboos and traditions that do not so much mock the dead as the foibles and follies of the living.
Daniel (Matthew Macfadyen), son of the deceased, still lives in his parents' comfortable country home with his wife, Jane (Keeley Hawes), who chafes under the not-always-subtle thumb of her mother-in-law, Sandra (screen veteran Jane Asher). She desperately wants to move out. Now.
Daniel, who has been writing and rewriting the same novel for several years, suffers in the shadow of brother Robert (Rupert Graves), a wildly successful novelist who has flown in from his New York penthouse for the funeral.
First cousin Martha (Daisy Donovan) is bringing her fiance, Simon (Alan Tudyk, actually an American), who is anxious to make a good impression on her disapproving doctor father, Victor (Peter Egan). But Martha's brother Troy (Kris Marshall), a Chemistry Student with a penchant for making designer drugs, has created a powerful hallucinogen that Martha -- believing the pill to be Valium -- gives to the nervous Simon. By the time he reaches the funeral, he is blissed out and prone to shedding clothes.
Daniel's mate Howard (Andy Nyman), an uptight hypochondriac with an obsession over physical ailments, arrives with two fairly unwelcome guests: His friend Justin (Ewen Bremner), who is equally obsessed with Martha, with whom he had a one-night fling, and Uncle Alfie (Peter Vaughan), a cantankerous antique who has lost all sense of social decorum.
But who is that strange little fellow Peter Dinklage) who shows up with a peculiar expression on his face and a secret that could tear the already estranged family apart?
Revelations and physical comedy arrive on an escalating schedule that reserves its more outrageous developments for the third act. The film at times does feel a bit airless, like a play caught on film, even though Oz moves the scenes of the many crimes and misdemeanors in and around the spacious house and its well-manicured gardens. One gag in particular might test the patience of those unamused by potty humor.
While there is no standout performance -- meaning that everyone has splendidly performed his character's faults to the comic hilt -- one most enjoys Macfadyen for bringing subtle drama and melancholy to the comic center of the tale and Tudyk for his bravery in performing in a state of delirium and quite often in the nude for so much of the movie.
Oz benefits from a solid crew of British craftsmen, who afford him sharp, well-composed cinematography (Oliver Curtis), a rich yet homey setting (Michael Howells) and stylish costumes (Natalie Ward).
DEATH AT A FUNERAL
MGM
MGM and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment present a Parabolic Pictures/Stable Way Entertainment production
Credits:
Director: Frank Oz
Screenwriter: Dean Craig
Producers: Diana Phillips, Share Stallings, Laurence Malkin, Sidney Kimmel
Executive producers: William Horberg, Bruce Toll, Andreas Grosch, Philip Elway
Director of photography: Oliver Curtis
Production designer: Michael Howells
Music: Murray Gold
Co-producers: Josh Kesselman, Alex Lewis
Costume designer: Natalie Ward
Editor: Beverly Mills
Cast:
Daniel: Matthew Macfadyen
Jane: Keeley Hawes
Howard: Andy Nyman
Justin: Ewen Bremner
Martha: Daisy Donovan
Simon: Alan Tudyk
Robert: Rupert Graves
Peter: Peter Dinklage
Sandra: Jane Asher
Victor: Peter Egan
Running time -- 90 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Director Frank Oz always has been adept at building a comedy when he has the right script, and young Dean Craig has given him, in his first produced screenplay, a loony dark comedy that jibes well with Oz's comic sensibility.
Other than Peter Dinklage, the mostly British cast is unfamiliar to most American moviegoers, which might hamper boxoffice a tad. But the spirited effort should pick up steam in North American cinemas as reviews and word-of-mouth slowly build an over-25 audience who appreciates comic jabs at British decorum, upper-class manners and thoroughly embarrassing situations.
The film tips its comic hand right away when a funeral home delivers the wrong body to the household of the dearly departed. No, things will not go well at the final rites for the paterfamilias of a large and somewhat divided British family. From that point on, Oz and Craig tiptoe through a minefield of taboos and traditions that do not so much mock the dead as the foibles and follies of the living.
Daniel (Matthew Macfadyen), son of the deceased, still lives in his parents' comfortable country home with his wife, Jane (Keeley Hawes), who chafes under the not-always-subtle thumb of her mother-in-law, Sandra (screen veteran Jane Asher). She desperately wants to move out. Now.
Daniel, who has been writing and rewriting the same novel for several years, suffers in the shadow of brother Robert (Rupert Graves), a wildly successful novelist who has flown in from his New York penthouse for the funeral.
First cousin Martha (Daisy Donovan) is bringing her fiance, Simon (Alan Tudyk, actually an American), who is anxious to make a good impression on her disapproving doctor father, Victor (Peter Egan). But Martha's brother Troy (Kris Marshall), a Chemistry Student with a penchant for making designer drugs, has created a powerful hallucinogen that Martha -- believing the pill to be Valium -- gives to the nervous Simon. By the time he reaches the funeral, he is blissed out and prone to shedding clothes.
Daniel's mate Howard (Andy Nyman), an uptight hypochondriac with an obsession over physical ailments, arrives with two fairly unwelcome guests: His friend Justin (Ewen Bremner), who is equally obsessed with Martha, with whom he had a one-night fling, and Uncle Alfie (Peter Vaughan), a cantankerous antique who has lost all sense of social decorum.
But who is that strange little fellow Peter Dinklage) who shows up with a peculiar expression on his face and a secret that could tear the already estranged family apart?
Revelations and physical comedy arrive on an escalating schedule that reserves its more outrageous developments for the third act. The film at times does feel a bit airless, like a play caught on film, even though Oz moves the scenes of the many crimes and misdemeanors in and around the spacious house and its well-manicured gardens. One gag in particular might test the patience of those unamused by potty humor.
While there is no standout performance -- meaning that everyone has splendidly performed his character's faults to the comic hilt -- one most enjoys Macfadyen for bringing subtle drama and melancholy to the comic center of the tale and Tudyk for his bravery in performing in a state of delirium and quite often in the nude for so much of the movie.
Oz benefits from a solid crew of British craftsmen, who afford him sharp, well-composed cinematography (Oliver Curtis), a rich yet homey setting (Michael Howells) and stylish costumes (Natalie Ward).
DEATH AT A FUNERAL
MGM
MGM and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment present a Parabolic Pictures/Stable Way Entertainment production
Credits:
Director: Frank Oz
Screenwriter: Dean Craig
Producers: Diana Phillips, Share Stallings, Laurence Malkin, Sidney Kimmel
Executive producers: William Horberg, Bruce Toll, Andreas Grosch, Philip Elway
Director of photography: Oliver Curtis
Production designer: Michael Howells
Music: Murray Gold
Co-producers: Josh Kesselman, Alex Lewis
Costume designer: Natalie Ward
Editor: Beverly Mills
Cast:
Daniel: Matthew Macfadyen
Jane: Keeley Hawes
Howard: Andy Nyman
Justin: Ewen Bremner
Martha: Daisy Donovan
Simon: Alan Tudyk
Robert: Rupert Graves
Peter: Peter Dinklage
Sandra: Jane Asher
Victor: Peter Egan
Running time -- 90 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 6/11/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
At its best, British farce should seem effortless. In Death at a Funeral, the effort shows. Subplots are contrived and relationships pat. Yet this topsy-turvy funeral produces a number of smiles, giggles, pleasant guffaws and several solid, sustained laughs. Not a bad batting average as comedies go.
Director Frank Oz always has been adept at building a comedy when he has the right script, and young Dean Craig has given him, in his first produced screenplay, a loony dark comedy that jibes well with Oz's comic sensibility.
Other than Peter Dinklage, the mostly British cast is unfamiliar to most American moviegoers, which might hamper boxoffice a tad. But the spirited effort should pick up steam in North American cinemas as reviews and word-of-mouth slowly build an over-25 audience who appreciates comic jabs at British decorum, upper-class manners and thoroughly embarrassing situations.
The film tips its comic hand right away when a funeral home delivers the wrong body to the household of the dearly departed. No, things will not go well at the final rites for the paterfamilias of a large and somewhat divided British family. From that point on, Oz and Craig tiptoe through a minefield of taboos and traditions that do not so much mock the dead as the foibles and follies of the living.
Daniel (Matthew Macfadyen), son of the deceased, still lives in his parents' comfortable country home with his wife, Jane (Keeley Hawes), who chafes under the not-always-subtle thumb of her mother-in-law, Sandra (screen veteran Jane Asher). She desperately wants to move out. Now.
Daniel, who has been writing and rewriting the same novel for several years, suffers in the shadow of brother Robert (Rupert Graves), a wildly successful novelist who has flown in from his New York penthouse for the funeral.
First cousin Martha (Daisy Donovan) is bringing her fiance, Simon (Alan Tudyk, actually an American), who is anxious to make a good impression on her disapproving doctor father, Victor (Peter Egan). But Martha's brother Troy (Kris Marshall), a Chemistry Student with a penchant for making designer drugs, has created a powerful hallucinogen that Martha -- believing the pill to be Valium -- gives to the nervous Simon. By the time he reaches the funeral, he is blissed out and prone to shedding clothes.
Daniel's mate Howard (Andy Nyman), an uptight hypochondriac with an obsession over physical ailments, arrives with two fairly unwelcome guests: His friend Justin (Ewen Bremner), who is equally obsessed with Martha, with whom he had a one-night fling, and Uncle Alfie (Peter Vaughan), a cantankerous antique who has lost all sense of social decorum.
But who is that strange little fellow Peter Dinklage) who shows up with a peculiar expression on his face and a secret that could tear the already estranged family apart?
Revelations and physical comedy arrive on an escalating schedule that reserves its more outrageous developments for the third act. The film at times does feel a bit airless, like a play caught on film, even though Oz moves the scenes of the many crimes and misdemeanors in and around the spacious house and its well-manicured gardens. One gag in particular might test the patience of those unamused by potty humor.
While there is no standout performance -- meaning that everyone has splendidly performed his character's faults to the comic hilt -- one most enjoys Macfadyen for bringing subtle drama and melancholy to the comic center of the tale and Tudyk for his bravery in performing in a state of delirium and quite often in the nude for so much of the movie.
Oz benefits from a solid crew of British craftsmen, who afford him sharp, well-composed cinematography (Oliver Curtis), a rich yet homey setting (Michael Howells) and stylish costumes (Natalie Ward).
DEATH AT A FUNERAL
MGM
MGM and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment present a Parabolic Pictures/Stable Way Entertainment production
Credits:
Director: Frank Oz
Screenwriter: Dean Craig
Producers: Diana Phillips, Share Stallings, Laurence Malkin, Sidney Kimmel
Executive producers: William Horberg, Bruce Toll, Andreas Grosch, Philip Elway
Director of photography: Oliver Curtis
Production designer: Michael Howells
Music: Murray Gold
Co-producers: Josh Kesselman, Alex Lewis
Costume designer: Natalie Ward
Editor: Beverly Mills
Cast:
Daniel: Matthew Macfadyen
Jane: Keeley Hawes
Howard: Andy Nyman
Justin: Ewen Bremner
Martha: Daisy Donovan
Simon: Alan Tudyk
Robert: Rupert Graves
Peter: Peter Dinklage
Sandra: Jane Asher
Victor: Peter Egan
Running time -- 90 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Director Frank Oz always has been adept at building a comedy when he has the right script, and young Dean Craig has given him, in his first produced screenplay, a loony dark comedy that jibes well with Oz's comic sensibility.
Other than Peter Dinklage, the mostly British cast is unfamiliar to most American moviegoers, which might hamper boxoffice a tad. But the spirited effort should pick up steam in North American cinemas as reviews and word-of-mouth slowly build an over-25 audience who appreciates comic jabs at British decorum, upper-class manners and thoroughly embarrassing situations.
The film tips its comic hand right away when a funeral home delivers the wrong body to the household of the dearly departed. No, things will not go well at the final rites for the paterfamilias of a large and somewhat divided British family. From that point on, Oz and Craig tiptoe through a minefield of taboos and traditions that do not so much mock the dead as the foibles and follies of the living.
Daniel (Matthew Macfadyen), son of the deceased, still lives in his parents' comfortable country home with his wife, Jane (Keeley Hawes), who chafes under the not-always-subtle thumb of her mother-in-law, Sandra (screen veteran Jane Asher). She desperately wants to move out. Now.
Daniel, who has been writing and rewriting the same novel for several years, suffers in the shadow of brother Robert (Rupert Graves), a wildly successful novelist who has flown in from his New York penthouse for the funeral.
First cousin Martha (Daisy Donovan) is bringing her fiance, Simon (Alan Tudyk, actually an American), who is anxious to make a good impression on her disapproving doctor father, Victor (Peter Egan). But Martha's brother Troy (Kris Marshall), a Chemistry Student with a penchant for making designer drugs, has created a powerful hallucinogen that Martha -- believing the pill to be Valium -- gives to the nervous Simon. By the time he reaches the funeral, he is blissed out and prone to shedding clothes.
Daniel's mate Howard (Andy Nyman), an uptight hypochondriac with an obsession over physical ailments, arrives with two fairly unwelcome guests: His friend Justin (Ewen Bremner), who is equally obsessed with Martha, with whom he had a one-night fling, and Uncle Alfie (Peter Vaughan), a cantankerous antique who has lost all sense of social decorum.
But who is that strange little fellow Peter Dinklage) who shows up with a peculiar expression on his face and a secret that could tear the already estranged family apart?
Revelations and physical comedy arrive on an escalating schedule that reserves its more outrageous developments for the third act. The film at times does feel a bit airless, like a play caught on film, even though Oz moves the scenes of the many crimes and misdemeanors in and around the spacious house and its well-manicured gardens. One gag in particular might test the patience of those unamused by potty humor.
While there is no standout performance -- meaning that everyone has splendidly performed his character's faults to the comic hilt -- one most enjoys Macfadyen for bringing subtle drama and melancholy to the comic center of the tale and Tudyk for his bravery in performing in a state of delirium and quite often in the nude for so much of the movie.
Oz benefits from a solid crew of British craftsmen, who afford him sharp, well-composed cinematography (Oliver Curtis), a rich yet homey setting (Michael Howells) and stylish costumes (Natalie Ward).
DEATH AT A FUNERAL
MGM
MGM and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment present a Parabolic Pictures/Stable Way Entertainment production
Credits:
Director: Frank Oz
Screenwriter: Dean Craig
Producers: Diana Phillips, Share Stallings, Laurence Malkin, Sidney Kimmel
Executive producers: William Horberg, Bruce Toll, Andreas Grosch, Philip Elway
Director of photography: Oliver Curtis
Production designer: Michael Howells
Music: Murray Gold
Co-producers: Josh Kesselman, Alex Lewis
Costume designer: Natalie Ward
Editor: Beverly Mills
Cast:
Daniel: Matthew Macfadyen
Jane: Keeley Hawes
Howard: Andy Nyman
Justin: Ewen Bremner
Martha: Daisy Donovan
Simon: Alan Tudyk
Robert: Rupert Graves
Peter: Peter Dinklage
Sandra: Jane Asher
Victor: Peter Egan
Running time -- 90 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 6/11/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Screened at the Toronto International Film Festival
TORONTO -- Millions finds Danny Boyle, one of Britain's most stylish filmmakers, in a fanciful mood, open to a story about saints and miracles and the way a child's imagination can help sort out the mysteries of life. It's a modern-day fable told in semirealistic terms, only with the understanding that a boy can believe in miracles just as another might put his faith in a star athlete.
This Fox Searchlight release will need imagination in its marketing, for this is no easy sell in specialty venues. Critical reception may pay a large role in its boxoffice success.
In all his films, Boyle loves to take the view that reality is what you make of it. He's not a surrealist, but rather believes that film like dreams can transport us to realms not immediately apparent to the naked eye.
In Millions, scripted by 24 Hour Party People writer Frank Cottrell Boyce, we follow the emotional journey of two brothers, 7-year-old Damian (Alex Etel) and 9-year-old Anthony (Lewis McGibbon), who move to the suburbs in northern England with their dad (James Nesbitt) after their mom dies. Anthony is a practical-minded kid who covers up his emotions, but Damian is more of a dreamer. He has studied the lives of the saints and experiences visitations by several of his favorites, whose stories help him deal with life's perplexities.
When a large bag jammed with money falls off a train and virtually lands on top of Damian, he accepts this as a gift from God. Anthony says it's best not to tell Dad because of the taxes; the government will take 40%. Behind his brother's back, Damian goes on a rescue mission: He tries to give much of the money away to poor people.
Then the boys learn the money was actually stolen by a gang of thieves. This is a crushing blow to Damian since he can no longer consider the cash to be a gift from God. Soon one nasty-looking thief (Christopher Fulford) comes looking for his loot. When Dad and his new girlfriend (Daisy Donovan) learn of the money, the boys are disappointed that the adults show a more mercenary attitude toward the windfall.
Using digital effects and sharp camera angles and movements that treat the adult world as a kind of huge playground, Boyle maneuvers the fragile tale through a colorful, fairy-tale-like milieu. At times, style seems on the verge of triumphing over substance, but Boyle's firm hand and astute, natural acting by the two youngsters keep the film on track. And by avoiding sentimentality, Millions emerges as a simple tale told with sympathy for a child's point of view.
MILLIONS
Fox Searchlight
Fox Searchlight and Pathe Features present in association with U.K. Film Council and BBC Films a Mission Pictures production
Credits:
Director: Danny Boyle
Writer: Frank Cottrell Boyce
Producer: Andrew Hauptman
Graham Broadbent, Damian Jones
Executive producers: Francois Ivernel, Cameron McCracken, Duncan Reid, David M. Thompson
Director of photography: Anthony Dop Mantle
Production designer: Mark Tildesley
Costumes: Susannah Buxton
Music: John Murphy
Editor: Chris Gill.
Cast:
Damian: Alex Etel
Anthony: Lewis McGibbon
Ronnbie: James Nesbitt
Dorothy: Daisy Donovan
Man: Christopher Fulford
MPAA rating: PG-13
Running time -- 97 minutes...
TORONTO -- Millions finds Danny Boyle, one of Britain's most stylish filmmakers, in a fanciful mood, open to a story about saints and miracles and the way a child's imagination can help sort out the mysteries of life. It's a modern-day fable told in semirealistic terms, only with the understanding that a boy can believe in miracles just as another might put his faith in a star athlete.
This Fox Searchlight release will need imagination in its marketing, for this is no easy sell in specialty venues. Critical reception may pay a large role in its boxoffice success.
In all his films, Boyle loves to take the view that reality is what you make of it. He's not a surrealist, but rather believes that film like dreams can transport us to realms not immediately apparent to the naked eye.
In Millions, scripted by 24 Hour Party People writer Frank Cottrell Boyce, we follow the emotional journey of two brothers, 7-year-old Damian (Alex Etel) and 9-year-old Anthony (Lewis McGibbon), who move to the suburbs in northern England with their dad (James Nesbitt) after their mom dies. Anthony is a practical-minded kid who covers up his emotions, but Damian is more of a dreamer. He has studied the lives of the saints and experiences visitations by several of his favorites, whose stories help him deal with life's perplexities.
When a large bag jammed with money falls off a train and virtually lands on top of Damian, he accepts this as a gift from God. Anthony says it's best not to tell Dad because of the taxes; the government will take 40%. Behind his brother's back, Damian goes on a rescue mission: He tries to give much of the money away to poor people.
Then the boys learn the money was actually stolen by a gang of thieves. This is a crushing blow to Damian since he can no longer consider the cash to be a gift from God. Soon one nasty-looking thief (Christopher Fulford) comes looking for his loot. When Dad and his new girlfriend (Daisy Donovan) learn of the money, the boys are disappointed that the adults show a more mercenary attitude toward the windfall.
Using digital effects and sharp camera angles and movements that treat the adult world as a kind of huge playground, Boyle maneuvers the fragile tale through a colorful, fairy-tale-like milieu. At times, style seems on the verge of triumphing over substance, but Boyle's firm hand and astute, natural acting by the two youngsters keep the film on track. And by avoiding sentimentality, Millions emerges as a simple tale told with sympathy for a child's point of view.
MILLIONS
Fox Searchlight
Fox Searchlight and Pathe Features present in association with U.K. Film Council and BBC Films a Mission Pictures production
Credits:
Director: Danny Boyle
Writer: Frank Cottrell Boyce
Producer: Andrew Hauptman
Graham Broadbent, Damian Jones
Executive producers: Francois Ivernel, Cameron McCracken, Duncan Reid, David M. Thompson
Director of photography: Anthony Dop Mantle
Production designer: Mark Tildesley
Costumes: Susannah Buxton
Music: John Murphy
Editor: Chris Gill.
Cast:
Damian: Alex Etel
Anthony: Lewis McGibbon
Ronnbie: James Nesbitt
Dorothy: Daisy Donovan
Man: Christopher Fulford
MPAA rating: PG-13
Running time -- 97 minutes...
- 9/16/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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