Or, to be more precise, is not a funny one. It strikes me of all that “gang” mentioned last week when I talked about Anchorman, he is the only one who is not really a comedian. Or at least did not start that way (the Wilson brothers may b[…]

David Thomson says it might be a fault of his that he can’t find too much enthusiasm for Ken Loach, despite his obvious merits, and the same no doubt extends to the Great British public at large, or certainly to me. In a certain pessimistic per[…]

In the fullness of time (ie after I’ve finished reading the whole book) I will write a (probably very favourable) review of Planet Simpson. However, possibly in the style of Comic Book Guy, I have to Report Back straight away on a howler of an[…]

But can Noam Chomsky play jazz flute?[…]

FT Top 100 Films
27: JAWS
There are probably a lot of people of my generation who have never seen Jaws. It was true of me until a couple of years ago. It was a horror movie after all, a bloody shark slasher, so it was always on TV too late for me to […]

Alone in the crowd (for once) — it was interesting, finally seeing Mike Judge’s Office Space for the first time the other week, and I actually talk more about my reaction to the film over on ILE. Here, though, I want to talk about somethi[…]

FT Top 100 Films
28: LEON
Known in the US as The Professional, a title passed over in the UK due to the long running British thriller series called The Professionals. Whilst Luc Besson’s gun happy bang bang flick had little to do with said C1-5[…]

FT Top 100 Films
29: CASABLANCA
First, the film would not work if it was called White House. Obv.
Second, for bald-faced propagandist politics, you cannot get better than Casablanca. The subtext is “them crap Europeans always need us Yanks to s[…]

Green Wing: COUNTERPOINT
I have to say I’m surprised and pleased to find myself in an apparent majority on Green Wing. But I have to cede a fair few points to Pete – Green Day is bold, different, experimental, uncompromising TV and to res[…]

Green Wing: POINT (I am expecting a counter-point to come along from about everyone else). I like Green Wing. I admit, it did not leap on me instantly. The sped up, slowed down, trip-hop stylings which will be the meat and potatoes of any criticism o[…]