Two of the UK’s top comedy stars, Richard Ayoade and Jonathan Ross, have received backlash on social media after reviewing The It Crowd writer Graham Linehan’s memoir.
Irish scribe Linehan has gone from the writer of much-loved Channel 4 comedies The It Crowd, Father Ted and Black Books to an outspoken anti-transgender activist in recent years, leading many in the UK and Ireland to boycott him.
His book, Tough Crowd, has gone on pre-sale on Amazon this week. Its reviews section displays favorable quotes from talk show host and writer Ross and actor-director Ayoade, who starred in The It Crowd between 2006 and 2013. Other advocates include author John Boyne, anti-trans journalist Helen Joyce, comic Simon Evans and British TV director Lissa Evans.
Ross was quoted saying the book is “one of the most compelling and unflinchingly honest memoirs I’ve read in many years. It’s also the funniest,...
Irish scribe Linehan has gone from the writer of much-loved Channel 4 comedies The It Crowd, Father Ted and Black Books to an outspoken anti-transgender activist in recent years, leading many in the UK and Ireland to boycott him.
His book, Tough Crowd, has gone on pre-sale on Amazon this week. Its reviews section displays favorable quotes from talk show host and writer Ross and actor-director Ayoade, who starred in The It Crowd between 2006 and 2013. Other advocates include author John Boyne, anti-trans journalist Helen Joyce, comic Simon Evans and British TV director Lissa Evans.
Ross was quoted saying the book is “one of the most compelling and unflinchingly honest memoirs I’ve read in many years. It’s also the funniest,...
- 9/14/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: It’s A Sin producer Red Production Company has optioned acclaimed British author Ayisha Malik’s The Movement just days prior to the book’s publication.
The Studiocanal-owned indie will develop an “ambitious TV series” from the book and is currently attaching an as-yet-unnamed writer to adapt. No network is attached as of yet.
Due to be published on July 21, The Movement is Malik’s fourth novel after Sofia Khan is not Obliged, The Other Half of Happiness and This Green and Pleasant Land.
The book follows protagonist Sara Javed, a well-known novelist who decides to stop speaking, triggering a worldwide silence movement that sends shockwaves through society.
The Movement joins a Red development slate that also includes John Boyne’s adaptation of his novel The Echo Chamber.
Red was behind Russell T Davies’ critically-acclaimed Channel 4/HBO drama It’s A Sin, along with a range of Harlan Coben...
The Studiocanal-owned indie will develop an “ambitious TV series” from the book and is currently attaching an as-yet-unnamed writer to adapt. No network is attached as of yet.
Due to be published on July 21, The Movement is Malik’s fourth novel after Sofia Khan is not Obliged, The Other Half of Happiness and This Green and Pleasant Land.
The book follows protagonist Sara Javed, a well-known novelist who decides to stop speaking, triggering a worldwide silence movement that sends shockwaves through society.
The Movement joins a Red development slate that also includes John Boyne’s adaptation of his novel The Echo Chamber.
Red was behind Russell T Davies’ critically-acclaimed Channel 4/HBO drama It’s A Sin, along with a range of Harlan Coben...
- 7/13/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Steps down just over 18 months after replacing Nicola Shindler.
Sarah Doole has stepped down as chief executive of It’s A Sin producer Red Production Company after just over 18 months.
Doole exited StudioCanal-backed Red this month, having taken over in October 2020, following the departure of founder and long-term chief Nicola Shindler.
Doole was previously Fremantle’s global drama director.
During her tenure at Red, Doole oversaw a company which delivered Netflix’s Harlan Coben mystery drama adaptation Stay Close, ITV thriller No Return and the second series of Alibi’s thriller Traces - though these projects were won and helmed by Shindler.
Sarah Doole has stepped down as chief executive of It’s A Sin producer Red Production Company after just over 18 months.
Doole exited StudioCanal-backed Red this month, having taken over in October 2020, following the departure of founder and long-term chief Nicola Shindler.
Doole was previously Fremantle’s global drama director.
During her tenure at Red, Doole oversaw a company which delivered Netflix’s Harlan Coben mystery drama adaptation Stay Close, ITV thriller No Return and the second series of Alibi’s thriller Traces - though these projects were won and helmed by Shindler.
- 6/1/2022
- by John Elmes Broadcast
- ScreenDaily
StudioCanal’s Red Production Company has secured the rights to Boy In The Striped Pyjamas author John Boyne’s latest novel The Echo Chamber, with Boyne set to adapt as a 10 x 30-minute series.
Red said the deal took place following a “highly competitive auction” for the book, which has already topped Irish bestseller lists after being published over the summer.
The Echo Chamber follows The Cleverley family, comprised of a TV interviewer dad, novelist mum and adult children, who live a privileged life but are just one Tweet away from disaster. A week may be a long time in politics, but five days is all it takes for the lives of the Cleverleys to be turned on their heads.
Boyne achieved global recognition for 2006 Holocaust YA novel The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, which was turned into a Mark Herman film starring Asa Butterfield, Vera Farmiga and David Thewlis.
Red said the deal took place following a “highly competitive auction” for the book, which has already topped Irish bestseller lists after being published over the summer.
The Echo Chamber follows The Cleverley family, comprised of a TV interviewer dad, novelist mum and adult children, who live a privileged life but are just one Tweet away from disaster. A week may be a long time in politics, but five days is all it takes for the lives of the Cleverleys to be turned on their heads.
Boyne achieved global recognition for 2006 Holocaust YA novel The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, which was turned into a Mark Herman film starring Asa Butterfield, Vera Farmiga and David Thewlis.
- 12/7/2021
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Studiocanal’s Red Production Company has secured the rights to Irish novelist John Boyne’s latest critically-acclaimed novel “The Echo Chamber,” after a competitive auction.
The novel will become a 10-part returnable series, which Boyne will adapt for screen. Boyne is the author of 2006 novel “The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas,” which has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide and has been adapted for cinema, theatre, ballet and opera.
“The Echo Chamber” follows five days in the gilded lives of the Cleverley family as their respective worlds come crashing down. The novel topped the bestseller charts in Ireland on publication earlier this year.
The deal was negotiated by Emily Hayward Whitlock and Robert Taylor at the Artists Partnership in association with Simon Trewin.
Sarah Doole, CEO Red Production Company said: “I have always loved John Boyne’s beautiful writing, but ‘The Echo Chamber’ was the most brilliant surprise. It is...
The novel will become a 10-part returnable series, which Boyne will adapt for screen. Boyne is the author of 2006 novel “The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas,” which has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide and has been adapted for cinema, theatre, ballet and opera.
“The Echo Chamber” follows five days in the gilded lives of the Cleverley family as their respective worlds come crashing down. The novel topped the bestseller charts in Ireland on publication earlier this year.
The deal was negotiated by Emily Hayward Whitlock and Robert Taylor at the Artists Partnership in association with Simon Trewin.
Sarah Doole, CEO Red Production Company said: “I have always loved John Boyne’s beautiful writing, but ‘The Echo Chamber’ was the most brilliant surprise. It is...
- 12/7/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
A Traveler at the Gates of Wisdom is the latest historical novel from Irish author John Boyne (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas). Telling tales from across the breadth of human history, it deals with a lot of stuff that was real and actually happened, as well as some stuff that has only happened if you’ve played The…...
- 8/3/2020
- by Luke Plunkett on Kotaku, shared by Erik Adams to The A.V. Club
- avclub.com
Max von Sydow’s death on Sunday at age 90 brings to a close one of the most illustrious acting careers in history, from his first credit in 1949’s Only a Mother to his collaborations with Ingmar Bergman to his later recent work in pop culture staples Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Game of Thrones.
In between were more than 100 film credits including iconic roles in Bergman’s The Seventh Seal, William Friedkin’s The Exorcist, and as Emperor Ming in Flash Gordon.
The Sweden-born von Sydow studied at Stockholm’s Royal Dramatic Theatre before getting his start in the film business through his work with Bergman, his mentor. He made the move to Hollywood in the mid-1960s, appearing in such varied roles as Jesus in George Stevens’ The Greatest Story Ever Told, a Nazi major in the soccer classic Victory and as Brewmaster Smith in Strange Brew.
The...
In between were more than 100 film credits including iconic roles in Bergman’s The Seventh Seal, William Friedkin’s The Exorcist, and as Emperor Ming in Flash Gordon.
The Sweden-born von Sydow studied at Stockholm’s Royal Dramatic Theatre before getting his start in the film business through his work with Bergman, his mentor. He made the move to Hollywood in the mid-1960s, appearing in such varied roles as Jesus in George Stevens’ The Greatest Story Ever Told, a Nazi major in the soccer classic Victory and as Brewmaster Smith in Strange Brew.
The...
- 3/9/2020
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Phillips joins from Tessa Ross and Juliette Howell’s House Productions.
Ray Pictures, the recently-launched UK and Us-based production company headed by Ink Factory alumni Alexei Boltho and Rhodri Thomas, has hired Ann Phillips as head of development.
Phillips joins from Tessa Ross’ and Juliette Howell’s House Productions, where she had been a development executive since 2016, working with filmmakers including Sean Durkin, Clio Barnard and Rebecca Lenkiewicz.
She previously worked as head of development at See-Saw Films, and before that as a creative executive at Film4 and head of development and acquisitions at sales and financing company WestEnd Films.
Ray Pictures, the recently-launched UK and Us-based production company headed by Ink Factory alumni Alexei Boltho and Rhodri Thomas, has hired Ann Phillips as head of development.
Phillips joins from Tessa Ross’ and Juliette Howell’s House Productions, where she had been a development executive since 2016, working with filmmakers including Sean Durkin, Clio Barnard and Rebecca Lenkiewicz.
She previously worked as head of development at See-Saw Films, and before that as a creative executive at Film4 and head of development and acquisitions at sales and financing company WestEnd Films.
- 5/15/2019
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Endeavor Content and MediaNet-backed Ray Pictures has hired former House Productions and Film4 exec Ann Phillips as Head Of Development, marking the fledgling outfit’s first senior hire.
Former Ink Factory partners Alexei Boltho and Rhodri Thomas, executive producers on The Night Manager, launched TV and film banner Ray earlier this year.
At Tessa Ross and Juliette Howell’s film and TV indie House Productions, Phillips worked with writers and directors such as Sean Durkin, Peter Straughan, Clio Barnard and Rebecca Lenkiewicz. She previously held posts at See-Saw Films, Film4 as Creative Executive and WestEnd Films as Head Of Development and Acquisitions.
Ray co-CEOs Rhodri Thomas and Alexei Boltho said of today’s hire, “We’re delighted that Ann has joined Ray to work across our fast growing film and TV slate. She has phenomenal taste and filmmaker relationships, and arrives having worked at some of the best companies in the business.
Former Ink Factory partners Alexei Boltho and Rhodri Thomas, executive producers on The Night Manager, launched TV and film banner Ray earlier this year.
At Tessa Ross and Juliette Howell’s film and TV indie House Productions, Phillips worked with writers and directors such as Sean Durkin, Peter Straughan, Clio Barnard and Rebecca Lenkiewicz. She previously held posts at See-Saw Films, Film4 as Creative Executive and WestEnd Films as Head Of Development and Acquisitions.
Ray co-CEOs Rhodri Thomas and Alexei Boltho said of today’s hire, “We’re delighted that Ann has joined Ray to work across our fast growing film and TV slate. She has phenomenal taste and filmmaker relationships, and arrives having worked at some of the best companies in the business.
- 5/15/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
He may have the same piercing baby blues as The End of the F***ing World's Alex Lawther and The Good Doctor's Freddie Highmore, but believe it or not, neither Lawther nor Highmore is the actor who plays Otis Milburn on the Netflix series Sex Education. Otis - an inexperienced high school student who decides to team up with a bad girl and open an underground sex therapy clinic at school, thanks to the advice bestowed on him by his sex therapist mother - is actually played by Asa Butterfield, and if you don't recognize his name, then you should. The 21-year-old English actor began his career at the ripe age of 9, and we have a feeling that Sex Education is not the first time you've seen him on the screen.
Related: Completely Baffled by When Sex Education Takes Place? Here's What We Think
After minor roles in a few UK drama series,...
Related: Completely Baffled by When Sex Education Takes Place? Here's What We Think
After minor roles in a few UK drama series,...
- 1/27/2019
- by Corinne Sullivan
- Popsugar.com
Projects on debut slate include Aquarium starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw.
Alexei Boltho and Rhodri Thomas, the former partners at UK production outfit The Ink Factory whose credits include The Night Manager, have officially launched their new production company Ray Pictures.
The company has backing from Us sales and packaging outfit Endeavor Content and private asset management firm MediaNet Partners. It will be based in London and Los Angeles.
Ray Pictures will develop, finance and produce work across multiple platforms, with a focus on premium scripted drama and feature films.
Boltho and Thomas are launching with a debut slate that includes Aquarium,...
Alexei Boltho and Rhodri Thomas, the former partners at UK production outfit The Ink Factory whose credits include The Night Manager, have officially launched their new production company Ray Pictures.
The company has backing from Us sales and packaging outfit Endeavor Content and private asset management firm MediaNet Partners. It will be based in London and Los Angeles.
Ray Pictures will develop, finance and produce work across multiple platforms, with a focus on premium scripted drama and feature films.
Boltho and Thomas are launching with a debut slate that includes Aquarium,...
- 1/25/2019
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
Former Ink Factory partners Alexei Boltho and Rhodri Thomas, executive producers on The Night Manager, have launched new production company Ray Pictures, we can reveal. Backed by Endeavor Content and MediaNet Partners the company will develop, finance and produce for film and TV but will focus on scripted drama.
The London and La-based company’s first projects include a feature film adaptation of John Boyne’s novel, A Ladder to the Sky, with filmmakers to be announced shortly, and a Tokyo-set TV series, Occupied City, written by Ben Hervey (Taboo) from the novel by David Peace. Currently casting is feature film Aquarium adapted from David Vann’s book by Marnie Dickens (Gold Digger), to be directed by debut feature director Lauren Caris Cohan and set to star Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Belle).
At The Ink Factory the duo worked on hit series The Night Manager (sold by Wme-img) and movies such as...
The London and La-based company’s first projects include a feature film adaptation of John Boyne’s novel, A Ladder to the Sky, with filmmakers to be announced shortly, and a Tokyo-set TV series, Occupied City, written by Ben Hervey (Taboo) from the novel by David Peace. Currently casting is feature film Aquarium adapted from David Vann’s book by Marnie Dickens (Gold Digger), to be directed by debut feature director Lauren Caris Cohan and set to star Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Belle).
At The Ink Factory the duo worked on hit series The Night Manager (sold by Wme-img) and movies such as...
- 1/24/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
John Boyne Has Written an Irish Epic with The Heart's Invisible Furies...
- 8/25/2017
- Pastemagazine.com
New York, NY—July 14, 2016—Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, will publish Philip Pullman’s first original graphic novel, illustrated by Fred Fordham in 2017. The full-color graphic novel, The Adventures of John Blake: Mystery of the Ghost Ship, for ages 8-12 will be published jointly by David Fickling Books and Graphix, both imprints of Scholastic, in North America in June 2017.
World rights for the book were acquired earlier this year by David Fickling Books in the UK, which currently is serializing the story in The Phoenix, a weekly children’s publication available in the UK via newsstands and by subscription. The serialized comic will be collected into the full-color graphic novel, to be published simultaneously in the UK, Us, and Canada in June 2017.
“John Blake is a story that’s close to my heart,” said Philip Pullman. “In Fred Fordham, John and the crew of the...
World rights for the book were acquired earlier this year by David Fickling Books in the UK, which currently is serializing the story in The Phoenix, a weekly children’s publication available in the UK via newsstands and by subscription. The serialized comic will be collected into the full-color graphic novel, to be published simultaneously in the UK, Us, and Canada in June 2017.
“John Blake is a story that’s close to my heart,” said Philip Pullman. “In Fred Fordham, John and the crew of the...
- 7/19/2016
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
Odd List Ryan Lambie Simon Brew 13 Feb 2014 - 06:39
Our voyage through history's underappreciated films arrives at the year 2008 - another great year for lesser-seen gems...
For some, 2008 will be memorable as the year of The Dark Knight, with its astonishingly unhinged turn from the late Heath Ledger. Alternatively, it could be remembered as the year a legion Indiana Jones fans left cinemas glum-faced, having sat through Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull.
Elsewhere, Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan sang and danced on a Greek island in Mamma Mia!, while Will Smith played an alcoholic superhero in Hancock. But as usual, 2008 offered plenty of watchable movies outside the top 10, which is where we swoop in - like Hancock after a bottle of gin.
So as usual, here's our selection of 25 underappreciated films from the year 2008 - starting with a British horror film starring Michael Fassbender...
25. Eden Lake
James Watkins had written...
Our voyage through history's underappreciated films arrives at the year 2008 - another great year for lesser-seen gems...
For some, 2008 will be memorable as the year of The Dark Knight, with its astonishingly unhinged turn from the late Heath Ledger. Alternatively, it could be remembered as the year a legion Indiana Jones fans left cinemas glum-faced, having sat through Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull.
Elsewhere, Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan sang and danced on a Greek island in Mamma Mia!, while Will Smith played an alcoholic superhero in Hancock. But as usual, 2008 offered plenty of watchable movies outside the top 10, which is where we swoop in - like Hancock after a bottle of gin.
So as usual, here's our selection of 25 underappreciated films from the year 2008 - starting with a British horror film starring Michael Fassbender...
25. Eden Lake
James Watkins had written...
- 2/12/2014
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Oscar nominees Dallas Buyers Club and 12 Years a Slave highlight how films often focus on a single unusual 'victim' rather than the suffering of many
When Rod Serling created the science-fiction suspense series The Twilight Zone in 1959, he did so partly as a way to smuggle stories of social injustice (particularly racism) under the cover of metaphor. Even he could not have wished for better outlines than the ones contained in two of this year's Oscar nominees for best picture. An African American wakes to find his rights and identity have vanished. A homophobic cowboy discovers he has Aids, and is subjected to a helping of his own foul-tasting medicine from those who assume him to be gay.
Both 12 Years a Slave and Dallas Buyers Club are worthy of an audience's time and admiration but they each play variations on the same calculating game. In using an outsider figure as...
When Rod Serling created the science-fiction suspense series The Twilight Zone in 1959, he did so partly as a way to smuggle stories of social injustice (particularly racism) under the cover of metaphor. Even he could not have wished for better outlines than the ones contained in two of this year's Oscar nominees for best picture. An African American wakes to find his rights and identity have vanished. A homophobic cowboy discovers he has Aids, and is subjected to a helping of his own foul-tasting medicine from those who assume him to be gay.
Both 12 Years a Slave and Dallas Buyers Club are worthy of an audience's time and admiration but they each play variations on the same calculating game. In using an outsider figure as...
- 1/31/2014
- by Ryan Gilbey
- The Guardian - Film News
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne. David Fickling Books.
Some small books cleverly conceal the magnitude of their contents, especially one that must be elusive in order to preserve the intricacies of the story. There is little about the blurb to suggest the scope concealed within these pages. Boyne is a young Irish writer, based in Dublin, who has chosen a setting distant in time but universal in impact, and the reader is simply informed that the novel is about a boy, Bruno, and a friendship, and it merits your attention. It is a brave attempt to undersell, because the very essence of the tale rests within a knowledge the child cannot own. It also betrays the publisher's justified assurance of the book's potency.
This could be viewed as a child's novel for adults, but it hits wide of that remit. The older the reader, the greater...
Some small books cleverly conceal the magnitude of their contents, especially one that must be elusive in order to preserve the intricacies of the story. There is little about the blurb to suggest the scope concealed within these pages. Boyne is a young Irish writer, based in Dublin, who has chosen a setting distant in time but universal in impact, and the reader is simply informed that the novel is about a boy, Bruno, and a friendship, and it merits your attention. It is a brave attempt to undersell, because the very essence of the tale rests within a knowledge the child cannot own. It also betrays the publisher's justified assurance of the book's potency.
This could be viewed as a child's novel for adults, but it hits wide of that remit. The older the reader, the greater...
- 8/25/2013
- by robert cochrane
- www.culturecatch.com
It is very rare these days that a film comes along that is so emotionally powerful and historically significant. Movies today just don’t seem to tackle important human issues and that is truly quite a shame. Released in theaters in 2008 and based on John Boyne’s 2006 novel, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is an extraordinary film that takes place during a very troubling time: the Holocaust. The story focuses on the relationship between two young boys; one the son of a Nazi commandant and the other an imprisoned Jew. Both boys befriend one another even though they are meant to be enemies.
Read more...
Read more...
- 7/24/2011
- by Randall Unger
- JustPressPlay.net
Chicago – Hot on the heels of the return of the DVD Round-Up, we’re back with its fraternal twin, the Blu-Ray Round-Up, a collection of recently-released HD titles that could easily go ignored while you deal with the heat wave blanketing the country. Get out to the store. Pick one of these up. Come back to your A/C. Enjoy.
The Blu-Ray Round-Up is primarily for informational purposes but two of these recent releases are two of our favorites — “Amelie” and “Brazil.” The latter is depressingly bare-bones, especially when compared to the hard-to-find Criterion DVD release. Criterion, get on this. Get the rights back and release a Blu-ray. Until then, pick up this edition just to own one of Terry Gilliam’s best.
“Wake Wood” was released on July 5th, 2011.
“Brazil” was released on July 12th, 2011.
“Amelie,” “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,” “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” and “Chocolat” were released on July 19th,...
The Blu-Ray Round-Up is primarily for informational purposes but two of these recent releases are two of our favorites — “Amelie” and “Brazil.” The latter is depressingly bare-bones, especially when compared to the hard-to-find Criterion DVD release. Criterion, get on this. Get the rights back and release a Blu-ray. Until then, pick up this edition just to own one of Terry Gilliam’s best.
“Wake Wood” was released on July 5th, 2011.
“Brazil” was released on July 12th, 2011.
“Amelie,” “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,” “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” and “Chocolat” were released on July 19th,...
- 7/19/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Your Weekly Source for the Newest Releases to Blu-Ray Tuesday, July 19th, 2011
Amelie (2001)
Synopsis: Bursting with imagination and having seen her share of tragedy and fantasy, Amélie is not like the other girls. When she grows up she becomes a waitress in a Montmartre bar run by a former dancer. Amelie enjoys simple pleasures until she discovers that her goal in life is to help others. To that end, she invents all sorts of tricks that allow her to intervene incognito into other people’s lives, including an imbibing concierge and her hypochondriac neighbor. But Amélie’s most difficult case turns out to be Nino Quicampoix, a lonely sex shop employee who collects photos abandoned at coin-operated photobooths. (blu-ray.com)
Special Features: The Look of Amelie featurette; Fantasies of Audrey Tatou; Q&A with the director and cast; Auditions; Storyboard to screen comparisons; An Intimate Chat With Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet...
Amelie (2001)
Synopsis: Bursting with imagination and having seen her share of tragedy and fantasy, Amélie is not like the other girls. When she grows up she becomes a waitress in a Montmartre bar run by a former dancer. Amelie enjoys simple pleasures until she discovers that her goal in life is to help others. To that end, she invents all sorts of tricks that allow her to intervene incognito into other people’s lives, including an imbibing concierge and her hypochondriac neighbor. But Amélie’s most difficult case turns out to be Nino Quicampoix, a lonely sex shop employee who collects photos abandoned at coin-operated photobooths. (blu-ray.com)
Special Features: The Look of Amelie featurette; Fantasies of Audrey Tatou; Q&A with the director and cast; Auditions; Storyboard to screen comparisons; An Intimate Chat With Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet...
- 7/18/2011
- by Travis Keune
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
This film is vesting a whole lot in the concept of the purity of the child's soul. The opening title card alone displays a quote by John Betjeman, and it reads, "Childhood is measured out by sounds and smells and sights, before the dark hour of reason grows." That's all well and good, but honestly it's a theory I never really stood behind myself. Have you ever met a kid? Have you ever witnessed the unabashed joy that comes over a kid's face as he's, I don't know, burning a line of ants to death with a magnifying glass? A lot of these so called pure beings are nothing more than tiny little sociopaths who have yet to learn the rules of society. And humanity, for that matter.
But hell, this movie won me over. It's kind of like a slightly tweaked, slightly more relevant version of Au Revoir les Enfants.
But hell, this movie won me over. It's kind of like a slightly tweaked, slightly more relevant version of Au Revoir les Enfants.
- 3/20/2009
- by Inna Mkrtycheva
- JustPressPlay.net
DVD Rating: 1.5/5.0 Chicago – The plot of “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,” new to DVD and based on a best-selling novel by John Boyne, may have worked on the page but a number of awful decisions on the way to the screen have taken a story with inherent emotional strength and turned it into misguided, manipulative drama.
People who rent or buy “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” will probably cry, but does that make it a good film? Of course not. Filmmakers who are willing to use children in peril stories just to make you shed a tear aren’t doing anything put pulling at your heartstrings. To what end? If it doesn’t feel real, it’s just manipulation.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas was released on DVD on March 10th, 2009.
Photo credit: Miramax Home Video
“The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” feels misguided from minute one.
People who rent or buy “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” will probably cry, but does that make it a good film? Of course not. Filmmakers who are willing to use children in peril stories just to make you shed a tear aren’t doing anything put pulling at your heartstrings. To what end? If it doesn’t feel real, it’s just manipulation.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas was released on DVD on March 10th, 2009.
Photo credit: Miramax Home Video
“The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” feels misguided from minute one.
- 3/16/2009
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Howdy Boxwishers and welcome to another week of film fun. We’re still busy scratching our Watchmen itch with our fortnight dedicated to the costumed heroes continuing into its second week today bringing you some of the best Watchmen-inspired merchandise. We’ve got everything from canvas art to deluxe collector’s figures and even the grappling gun and ink blot mask of everyone’s favourite vigilante Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley). And while Watchmen is packing them in at the cinemas, check out the new goodies heading your way today on DVD including a gruesome horror sequel, period drama opulence, World War II through the eyes of a child and Frances McDormand getting a much-needed makeover!
If you see… The Jigsaw Killer’s legacy live on in the fifth installment of the popular torture-porn flick, Saw 5.
Why Not Check out our rundown of the most fantastically gruesome horror movie merchandise here.
If you see… The Jigsaw Killer’s legacy live on in the fifth installment of the popular torture-porn flick, Saw 5.
Why Not Check out our rundown of the most fantastically gruesome horror movie merchandise here.
- 3/9/2009
- Boxwish.com
By Nick Schager
The Holocaust is a serious subject. And November and December is serious subject matter time in Hollywood. No surprise, then, that every awards season sees its fair share of dramas set in and around WWII concentration camps. But even in light of this predictable pattern, 2008 has, to put it diplomatically, lost its freakin' mind. In the last two months of this year, there will have been six -- Six?!? -- films released that, in one way or another, deal with Nazis. Part of the problem is simply quality, as all of these releases barely rise to the level of mediocre. Yet the issue of quantity seems just as troubling, as their basic, simultaneous existence calls into question not only the continuing viability of extracting drama from this most momentous (and, consequently, well-trod) of historical tragedies, but also, fundamentally, the growing absence of originality or ingenuity in mainstream cinema,...
The Holocaust is a serious subject. And November and December is serious subject matter time in Hollywood. No surprise, then, that every awards season sees its fair share of dramas set in and around WWII concentration camps. But even in light of this predictable pattern, 2008 has, to put it diplomatically, lost its freakin' mind. In the last two months of this year, there will have been six -- Six?!? -- films released that, in one way or another, deal with Nazis. Part of the problem is simply quality, as all of these releases barely rise to the level of mediocre. Yet the issue of quantity seems just as troubling, as their basic, simultaneous existence calls into question not only the continuing viability of extracting drama from this most momentous (and, consequently, well-trod) of historical tragedies, but also, fundamentally, the growing absence of originality or ingenuity in mainstream cinema,...
- 12/15/2008
- by Nick Schager
- ifc.com
In general, we think of David Thewlis as a thoroughly solid actor who is undoubtedly a good person, even when playing revolting (the pimp who serves neighborhood pedophiles in Prime Suspect 3). He has also played romantically obsessed (French poet Paul Verlaine in Total Eclipse), a bemused hero (Edward in1996's The Island of Dr. Moreau), and of course a patently good guy (Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter franchise). The British actor started his artistic life in a band but decided to study acting at London's Guildhall School of Music & Drama when his friends did so. His breakout performance came nearly 10 years into his career, as "rambling street philosopher" Johnny in Mike Leigh's 1993 film Naked, earning Thewlis awards and accolades for playing the fugitive rapist. But in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Thewlis may have given a milestone performance, delving so profoundly into the mind of a...
- 11/17/2008
- by Dany Margolies
- backstage.com
How’s this for a rude childhood awakening? You discover that your father, whom you adore and worship, is actually an evil Nazi stooge. And you discover this because he’s moving the whole family from Berlin to the countryside near Auschwitz, because there’s some important work for the war effort that needs to be done there, and he’s in charge of it. Of course, Auschwitz isn’t yet “Auschwitz,” in Germany in the early 1940s, isn’t yet a name to be dreaded and wept for, and to eight-year-old Bruno, “Nazi” just means “soldier,” and a sharp uniform for Dad to look handsome and important in. But we know what it all means, and the weight of it all hangs heavily on us as we watch Bruno starting to discover what it all means, too. It seems like a tough line to walk, approaching the Holocaust from...
- 11/14/2008
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
It's hard to believe that only two generations ago, bigotry and prejudice dominated the minds of most of the Western world. We at Boosh were lucky enough screen the movie The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and sit down with the writer and director for an interview that reminded us of just how much we have progressed in the last century.
The film, based off of John Boyne’s best selling novel, starts off in Berlin, Germany in the midst of WWII where a young boy named Bruno (Asa Hutchins) who is the son of a high ranking Nazi official, is running around the city, playing with his friends. The family leaves the city when Bruno’s father is relocated to the German countryside where he is placed in charge of a Nazi concentration camp. The move separates Bruno from his childhood friends and leaves him with only his mother,...
The film, based off of John Boyne’s best selling novel, starts off in Berlin, Germany in the midst of WWII where a young boy named Bruno (Asa Hutchins) who is the son of a high ranking Nazi official, is running around the city, playing with his friends. The family leaves the city when Bruno’s father is relocated to the German countryside where he is placed in charge of a Nazi concentration camp. The move separates Bruno from his childhood friends and leaves him with only his mother,...
- 11/7/2008
- BooshMagazine.com
John Boyne, writer of the book The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, details the friendship of two boys during WWII - one the son of a Nazi commander, the other a 12 year old prisoner in a concentration camp. The critically acclaimed novel has since been turned into a major motion picture directed by Mark Herman that is looking good in the eyes of those trying to call the Oscar race. Wehad the opportunity to sit down with both of them to find out what all the hype was about.
Boosh Magazine: Did you get to join Mark on the set much?
John Boyne: A couple times – on the second and last week of shooting. I was on a book tour in between and that was probably good for both of us – I’m sure I wouldn’t have helped too much on the set.
Bm: I read that you...
Boosh Magazine: Did you get to join Mark on the set much?
John Boyne: A couple times – on the second and last week of shooting. I was on a book tour in between and that was probably good for both of us – I’m sure I wouldn’t have helped too much on the set.
Bm: I read that you...
- 11/7/2008
- BooshMagazine.com
Release Date: Nov. 7
Director: Mark Herman
Writer: Mark Herman (screenplay), John Boyne (novel)
Cinematographer: Benoît Delhomme
Starring: Asa Butterfield, David Thewlis, Vera Farmiga, Amber Beattie, Jack Scanlon, David Hayman, Rupert Friend
Studio/Running Time: Miramax, 93 mins.
Given how horrific the events of the Holocaust were, it’s no surprise that the film world is still exploring how those events affected everyone involved. The Boy in Striped Pyjamas takes a new perspective, framing the story through the eyes of eight-year old Bruno (Asa Butterfield). His father is a Nazi officer, transferred into a position of oversight of a concentration camp (and later revealed in one of the movie’s strongest moments to be in charge of creating pro-camp propaganda films). Bruno and his sister spent their youth sheltered in Berlin, not picking up much of what had been going around Germany. Upon arrival, though, they find themselves secluded in the countryside.
Director: Mark Herman
Writer: Mark Herman (screenplay), John Boyne (novel)
Cinematographer: Benoît Delhomme
Starring: Asa Butterfield, David Thewlis, Vera Farmiga, Amber Beattie, Jack Scanlon, David Hayman, Rupert Friend
Studio/Running Time: Miramax, 93 mins.
Given how horrific the events of the Holocaust were, it’s no surprise that the film world is still exploring how those events affected everyone involved. The Boy in Striped Pyjamas takes a new perspective, framing the story through the eyes of eight-year old Bruno (Asa Butterfield). His father is a Nazi officer, transferred into a position of oversight of a concentration camp (and later revealed in one of the movie’s strongest moments to be in charge of creating pro-camp propaganda films). Bruno and his sister spent their youth sheltered in Berlin, not picking up much of what had been going around Germany. Upon arrival, though, they find themselves secluded in the countryside.
- 11/7/2008
- Pastemagazine.com
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Directed by: Mark Herman Cast: Asa Butterfield, Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, Jack Scanlon Running Time: 1 hr 35 mins Rating: PG-13 Opens in Chicago on November 7. Opens in Portland on November 14. Plot: Based on the John Boyne novel, and set during World War II, this is the story of Bruno (Butterfield), an 8-year-old and son of the commander in charge of a concentration camp. Bruno secretly explores the area and finds a friendship with a Jewish boy (Scanlon) who is inside the camp. Who’s It For? I looked it up ... and there are officially infinity different films about WWII. Just amazing. What's more impressive is that this is another original way to tell the horrendous story. If you are looking for a way to introduce your...
- 11/7/2008
- The Scorecard Review
The Boy In The Striped Pajamas' premise sounds like an overwrought movie parody of the type that shows up at the beginning of Tropic Thunder: During World War II, the 8-year-old son of a German concentration-camp commandant makes friends with an 8-year-old Jewish prisoner in his father's camp. They play ball and checkers though the barbed wire, with the German boy (Asa Butterfield) naïvely oblivious both to his father's role in imprisoning the Jewish boy (Jack Scanlon), and to the camp's nature and purpose. It sounds ridiculous, and yet thanks to a remarkable concatenation of talent, it's horrifying rather than risible. One key element: A talented ensemble of actors, including both kids and an adult cast that makes their stereotyped roles as real as possible. Also key: Writer-director Mark Herman, adapting John Boyne's novel, takes his time in setting the scene, beginning with the gorgeously rendered Berlin where Butterfield.
- 11/6/2008
- by Tasha Robinson
- avclub.com
By Neil Pedley
Those nursing a Halloween hangover can enjoy a little hair of the dog with some amusing takes on terror, a double bill featuring the greatly missed Bernie Mac and a trio of Fantastic Fest titles coming their way.
"The Alphabet Killer"
Eliza Dushku reunites with "Wrong Turn" director Rob Schmidt for this supernatural riff on the infamous Alphabet murders that took place in Rochester, NY in the early '70s. Dushku stars as the lead investigator in a series of brutal child killings who's struck down by a severe mental breakdown. Two years later, her career as a detective is ostensibly over, yet when the killings inexplicably start up again, so do her crippling hallucinations and she must find a way to track down the serial killer with or without the help of her former colleagues at the police department. Timothy Hutton, Cary Elwes and Michael Ironside...
Those nursing a Halloween hangover can enjoy a little hair of the dog with some amusing takes on terror, a double bill featuring the greatly missed Bernie Mac and a trio of Fantastic Fest titles coming their way.
"The Alphabet Killer"
Eliza Dushku reunites with "Wrong Turn" director Rob Schmidt for this supernatural riff on the infamous Alphabet murders that took place in Rochester, NY in the early '70s. Dushku stars as the lead investigator in a series of brutal child killings who's struck down by a severe mental breakdown. Two years later, her career as a detective is ostensibly over, yet when the killings inexplicably start up again, so do her crippling hallucinations and she must find a way to track down the serial killer with or without the help of her former colleagues at the police department. Timothy Hutton, Cary Elwes and Michael Ironside...
- 11/3/2008
- by Neil Pedley
- ifc.com
We have new images in from Miramax's drama "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" starring Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, Rupert Friend, Jim Norton, Sheila Nancock, Richard Johnson and Asa Butterfield. Mark Herman directs as well as adapting the screenplay based on the novel by John Boyne. Herman is known for his work on "Hope Springs" and "Blame It On the Bellboy" and is a BAFTA award nominee for "Little Voice" and "Brassed Off." This can be seen in limited areas on November 7th, 2008. Vera Farmigia, a dramatically powerful actress is up next in Rod Lurie's "Nothing But the Truth" alongside Alan Alda, Kate Beckinsale and David Schwimmer.
- 10/14/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
We have new images in from Miramax's drama "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" starring Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, Rupert Friend, Jim Norton, Sheila Nancock, Richard Johnson and Asa Butterfield. Mark Herman directs as well as adapting the screenplay based on the novel by John Boyne. Herman is known for his work on "Hope Springs" and "Blame It On the Bellboy" and is a BAFTA award nominee for "Little Voice" and "Brassed Off." This can be seen in limited areas on November 7th, 2008. Vera Farmigia, a dramatically powerful actress is up next in Rod Lurie's "Nothing But the Truth" alongside Alan Alda, Kate Beckinsale and David Schwimmer.
- 10/14/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
We have new images in from Miramax's drama "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" starring Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, Rupert Friend, Jim Norton, Sheila Nancock, Richard Johnson and Asa Butterfield.Mark Herman directs as well as adapting the screenplay based on the novel by John Boyne. Herman is known for his work on "Hope Springs" and "Blame It On the Bellboy" and is a BAFTA award nominee for "Little Voice" and "Brassed Off." This can be seen in limited areas on November 7th, 2008. Vera Farmigia, a dramatically powerful actress is up next in Rod Lurie's "Nothing But the Truth" alongside Alan Alda, Kate Beckinsale and David Schwimmer. See the images now! What's this about? The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a fictional story that offers a unique perspective on how prejudice, hatred and violence affect innocent people, particularly children, during wartime.Through the lens of an eight-year-old boy...
- 10/14/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
We have new images in from Miramax's drama "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" starring Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, Rupert Friend, Jim Norton, Sheila Nancock, Richard Johnson and Asa Butterfield. Mark Herman directs as well as adapting the screenplay based on the novel by John Boyne. Herman is known for his work on "Hope Springs" and "Blame It On the Bellboy" and is a BAFTA award nominee for "Little Voice" and "Brassed Off." This can be seen in limited areas on November 7th, 2008. Vera Farmigia, a dramatically powerful actress is up next in Rod Lurie's "Nothing But the Truth" alongside Alan Alda, Kate Beckinsale and David Schwimmer.
- 10/14/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Actor Rupert Friend initially turned down a role as a Nazi officer in new film The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas - because the character "scared" him.
The British star, 26, plays the vicious Nazi Lieutenant Kotler in the Holocaust movie, about the innocent friendship between young boys Bruno and Shmuel, who is a prisoner of a nearby concentration camp.
The film is based on the book of the same name by John Boyne.
But Friend admits he was shocked by the violent nature of his character - and almost missed out on the project as a result.
He says, "I mean, it's not particularly flattering to be associated with a group of people who attempted to exterminate an entire race.
"I'm not a shouty person, and I'm not violent either. The character scared me. But then I realised that that was probably the point. It was about putting a human face on these atrocities."
However, Friend struggled throughout filming and became withdrawn after shooting the more harrowing scenes.
He adds: "I just hid in the corner, like a dog, after those scenes."...
The British star, 26, plays the vicious Nazi Lieutenant Kotler in the Holocaust movie, about the innocent friendship between young boys Bruno and Shmuel, who is a prisoner of a nearby concentration camp.
The film is based on the book of the same name by John Boyne.
But Friend admits he was shocked by the violent nature of his character - and almost missed out on the project as a result.
He says, "I mean, it's not particularly flattering to be associated with a group of people who attempted to exterminate an entire race.
"I'm not a shouty person, and I'm not violent either. The character scared me. But then I realised that that was probably the point. It was about putting a human face on these atrocities."
However, Friend struggled throughout filming and became withdrawn after shooting the more harrowing scenes.
He adds: "I just hid in the corner, like a dog, after those scenes."...
- 9/2/2008
- WENN
We have the embedded trailer for the Miramax release "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" starring Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, Rupert Friend, Jim Norton, Sheila Nancock, Richard Johnson, Asa Butterfield. The film sees theatres on November 7, 2008 and is directed and adapted by Mark Herman based on the novel by John Boyne and was filmed in Hungary. The film's music is composed by veteran James Horner ("Titanic," "The New World," "Beyond Borders") Thjs is a fictional story that offers a unique perspective on how prejudice, hatred and violence affect innocent people, particularly children, during wartime. Through the lens of an eight-year-old boy largely shielded from the reality of World War II, we witness a forbidden friendship that forms between Bruno, the son of Nazi commandant, and Schmuel, a Jewish boy held captive in a concentration camp. Though the two are separated physically by a barbed wire fence, their lives become inescapably intertwined.
- 8/30/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
We have the embedded trailer for the Miramax release "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" starring Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, Rupert Friend, Jim Norton, Sheila Nancock, Richard Johnson, Asa Butterfield. The film sees theatres on November 7, 2008 and is directed and adapted by Mark Herman based on the novel by John Boyne and was filmed in Hungary. The film's music is composed by veteran James Horner ("Titanic," "The New World," "Beyond Borders") Thjs is a fictional story that offers a unique perspective on how prejudice, hatred and violence affect innocent people, particularly children, during wartime. Through the lens of an eight-year-old boy largely shielded from the reality of World War II, we witness a forbidden friendship that forms between Bruno, the son of Nazi commandant, and Schmuel, a Jewish boy held captive in a concentration camp. Though the two are separated physically by a barbed wire fence, their lives become inescapably intertwined.
- 8/30/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
We have the embedded trailer for the Miramax release "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" starring Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, Rupert Friend, Jim Norton, Sheila Nancock, Richard Johnson, Asa Butterfield. The film sees theatres on November 7, 2008 and is directed and adapted by Mark Herman based on the novel by John Boyne and was filmed in Hungary. The film's music is composed by veteran James Horner ("Titanic," "The New World," "Beyond Borders") This is a fictional story that offers a unique perspective on how prejudice, hatred and violence affect innocent people, particularly children, during wartime. Through the lens of an eight-year-old boy largely shielded from the reality of World War II, we witness a forbidden friendship that forms between Bruno, the son of Nazi commandant, and Schmuel, a Jewish boy held captive in a concentration camp. Though the two are separated physically by a barbed wire fence, their lives become inescapably intertwined.
- 8/30/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
We have the embedded trailer for the Miramax release "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" starring Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, Rupert Friend, Jim Norton, Sheila Nancock, Richard Johnson, Asa Butterfield. The film sees theatres on November 7, 2008 and is directed and adapted by Mark Herman based on the novel by John Boyne and was filmed in Hungary. The film's music is composed by veteran James Horner ("Titanic," "The New World," "Beyond Borders") Thjs is a fictional story that offers a unique perspective on how prejudice, hatred and violence affect innocent people, particularly children, during wartime. Through the lens of an eight-year-old boy largely shielded from the reality of World War II, we witness a forbidden friendship that forms between Bruno, the son of Nazi commandant, and Schmuel, a Jewish boy held captive in a concentration camp. Though the two are separated physically by a barbed wire fence, their lives become inescapably intertwined.
- 8/30/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
LONDON -- David Thewlis and Jack Scanlon have joined the cast of "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas", the tale of a German family living in the town of Auschwitz.
Based on John Boyne's novel of the same name, the film, written and directed by Mark Herman, is produced by David Heyman's Heyday Films for Miramax Films and began shooting on location in Hungary on Friday. Buena Vista International, the affilate company of Miramax, is set to distribute the film.
"Pajamas" details the story of a nine-year-old German boy, played by Asa Butterfield, who befriends a camp prisoner on the other side of the fence in Auschwitz. Thewlis plays Butterfield's Nazi father.
Herman said he was drawn to the story because it "is one family's story and yet it gets right to the heart of how the Final Solution could ever have happened."
The crucial difference between the original book and Mark Herman's adaptation is that the role of Bruno's mother Elsa, played by Vera Farmiga, has been expanded, a Buena Vista spokesperson said.
Based on John Boyne's novel of the same name, the film, written and directed by Mark Herman, is produced by David Heyman's Heyday Films for Miramax Films and began shooting on location in Hungary on Friday. Buena Vista International, the affilate company of Miramax, is set to distribute the film.
"Pajamas" details the story of a nine-year-old German boy, played by Asa Butterfield, who befriends a camp prisoner on the other side of the fence in Auschwitz. Thewlis plays Butterfield's Nazi father.
Herman said he was drawn to the story because it "is one family's story and yet it gets right to the heart of how the Final Solution could ever have happened."
The crucial difference between the original book and Mark Herman's adaptation is that the role of Bruno's mother Elsa, played by Vera Farmiga, has been expanded, a Buena Vista spokesperson said.
- 5/12/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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