Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Beautiful Images

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  • Craig Ranapia,

    7 Days was funny. It helped that, unlike Off the Wire in its Radio NZ incarnation, it clearly doesn't have a bunch of cardigan-wearing internal censors hovering over it.

    Awww... you don't give yourself enough credit. I remember one occasion where David and I were sitting in the car, politely gob-smacked that we'd just heard a rapid fire volley of anal sex gags on National Radio. :)

    There were parts of 7 Days that were cringe-inducing and not in a good way. Irene Pink certainly looked like she had her fill of dog-eating gags before anyone else, but on the whole I'd give it a solid first-series-of-__Outrageous Fortune__-style B+.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    I was mighty impressed by the first episode of Outrageous Fortune when they repeated it.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Andre,

    I especially like Karl Maughan's "Bunnythorpe" painting from the New Artland exhibition. It's just so Bunnythorpe. I can imagine my Aunty Freda out collecting flowers for the dining room table wearing an old cardy listening to the freight trains filing past while the men go duck-shooting...

    New Zealand • Since May 2009 • 371 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    7 Days actually reminded me most of the BBC Radio 4 Friday Night Comedy shows (The Now Show, The News Quiz, etc) only rather edgier - though that only worked in its favour sometimes, as Craig notes. But it definitely has potential, and once they've settled into the format and lost the urge to be offensive just because they can I think it should be a cracking good watch.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • andin,

    for Prime, produced by Touchdown and featuring Holmes and Hosking.

    Is that a recipe for comedic disaster or wot!

    raglan • Since Mar 2007 • 1891 posts Report Reply

  • Graeme Edgeler,

    I don't remember the CG film Delgo from last year either ... but somebody does.

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    Re Avatar - it certainly looks beautiful and technologically amazing, but I have a suspicion that I will prefer what Weta did with District 9 than this.
    I'm certainly glad it's folks like Cameron and Jackson leading this change though - as opposed to Bay or McG.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth de Walters,

    '7 Days' looked like a (very welcome) re-working of the BBC's / Hat Trick Production's 'Have I Got News For You'. The set certainly looked like a homage to the BBC version; at least the incarnation I remember from 2005.

    All it needs now is something approaching the intelligence and angry satire of Ian Hislop and the surrealism of Paul Merton.

    Auckland • Since Aug 2009 • 1 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    '7 Days' looked like a (very welcome) re-working of the BBC's / Hat Trick Production's 'Have I Got News For You'. The set certainly looked like a homage to the BBC version; at least the incarnation I remember from 2005.

    It has a bit of 'Mock the Week' too. But in the end, they're all based on BBC radio's comedy News Quiz.

    Along with good writing, clever premises and smart talent, these things rely on sharp editing, and I think the lads learned a lot about that from Off the Wire. I certainly learned a lot about comic timing from working with comedians on OTW.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    It's just so Bunnythorpe.

    Snap.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • philipmatthews,

    I have a suspicion that I will prefer what Weta did with District 9 than this.

    You should definitely have a look. I saw District 9 yesterday and strongly recommend it. Imagine a gritty-looking low-budget South African hybrid of The Office, Robocop, Cronenberg's The Fly and Starship Troopers and you're most of the way there. A clever and very surprising movie.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2007 • 656 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    '7 Days' looked like a (very welcome) re-working of the BBC's / Hat Trick Production's 'Have I Got News For You'.

    I had the same thought but local news makes for local wit (and as Steve Allen famously said "Imitation is the sincerest form of lelevision').

    Love the Bunnythorpe painting..if I had a spare eight or ten thousand! Incidentally, the original place name for Bunnythorpe was "Mugby Junction", which is more daft by far. I lived there for a time, when I was doing a Dip. Hort at Massey--on Stoney Creek Road, where we gave our farm house the temporary name of "The Pebbles".

    Anyone been to 'Inglorious Basterds' yet? It is indeed violent and amoral, but also a heap of fun. Sort of a revenge/fantasy for the thinking classes!

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • dc_red,

    I caught District 9 last night. Brilliant. It didn't even really occur to me until this morning how seamlessly integrated the aliens/prawns were. i.e., I completely forgot that they are less 'real' than the humans. A testament to good acting and good CGI, I guess. Stark contrast with some of the abominations inflicted on the viewing public by George Lucas.

    Oil Patch, Alberta • Since Nov 2006 • 706 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    philip - yeah I have seen it (and loved it), hence my suspicion about Avatar. Your film mixup analogy is very true!
    My cousin works for Weta and says they left quite a lot of very cool effect-driven stuff he did on the cutting room floor - surprising for the low budget they did with it.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I was mighty impressed by the first episode of Outrageous Fortune when they repeated it.

    So was I, but I think it's fair comment to say that OF's blend of broad "white trash gone boink" comedy and heart-squishing drama is extremely difficult to pull off and, for me, the first series didn't quite pull it off.

    Re Avatar - it certainly looks beautiful and technologically amazing, but I have a suspicion that I will prefer what Weta did with District 9 than this.

    To be honest, complex emotionally-engaging storytelling isn't James Cameron's strong point and what I saw of Avatar didn't make me think he's changed since Titanic -- brilliant disaster porn, but the story and characterisation? Ye Gods, the plot would have been written off as hoary melodrama back in 1912 and kudos to Kate Winslett for coming out the other end with her dignity (and acting cred) relatively intact.

    As for District 9 -- indecently enjoyable even if one major plot turn (on reflection) made my bullshit-o-meter break.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    You should definitely have a look. I saw District 9 yesterday and strongly recommend it.

    Me too. As Fiona pointed out to me, it has plenty of guns and things blowing up, but distinguishes itself from other movies like that by also being jam-packed with story.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Anyone been to 'Inglorious Basterds' yet? It is indeed violent and amoral, but also a heap of fun. Sort of a revenge/fantasy for the thinking classes!

    Jews Gone Wild! :) Haven't laughed so much, or felt quite so dirty for doing so, for years. Also rather disturbed to see Eli (__Hostel__) Roth without the usual desire to cut his sadistic, misogynistic torture pornographer arse up into dog food.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Me too. As Fiona pointed out to me, it has plenty of guns and things blowing up, but distinguishes itself from other movies like that by also being jam-packed with story.

    And while PJ deserves props for getting the film made (and working his arse off promoting it, which probably had a lot to do with the extremely impressive US$37 million opening weekend in the States) how about the actual writer/director Neil Blomkamp getting some more ink? :)

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Rogan Polkinghorne,

    Saw you at the Avatar screening yesterday RB - I have to admit that while the technology looks very clever, I much preferred District 9's use of special effects & CGI - it easily one of the best films I've seen at the cinema for a long, long time.

    Inglorious Basterds left me a bit disappointed...I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it just didn't quite deliver for me - not a bad watch at all, but certainly didn't live up to the hype (IMO).

    A-town • Since Nov 2006 • 105 posts Report Reply

  • Jonathan Maze,

    Yes Seven Days was outstanding, I was very impressed and a lot better than most of the BBC shows I have heard or seen. Somehow I had never seen Pulp Sport before either which also extremely funny.

    Auckland • Since Jul 2007 • 29 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    I particularly loved that the D9 lead actor (Wikus van der Mere) was the producer on Blokamp's short film that was the beginning of it (Alive in Joburg).

    Apparently when Halo fell over and Jackson decided that Alive would be a perfect vehicle for this director he rated, he had them expand the short with a rough pilot shoot. Thinking he might get a bit-role in the production team, the former-producer helped him out and fronted the Wikus character's in-the-office scenes. Jackson then refused to have anyone else play the character.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • octopusgrrl,

    I would have been willing to give "7 Days" a go except for the fact that both Dai Henwood and Jeremy Corbett make me break out in hives...

    Dunedin • Since May 2009 • 33 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Inglorious Basterds left me a bit disappointed...I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it just didn't quite deliver for me - not a bad watch at all, but certainly didn't live up to the hype (IMO).

    Someone said to me that Kill Bill felt like a movie about other movies, which is fun enough if you're a film-geek who shares Tarantino's omnivorous appetite for everything from Goddard to the more obscure corners of the grindhouse. (I was surprised to find that he's a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Not_Quite_Hollywood|big fan of the three-ring freakshow that is"Ozploitation"]). Otherwise, Tarantino since Jackie Brown (sinfully under-rated, IMO) is like being a tone-deaf blind man trying to make sense of Wagner's Ring Cycle.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Otherwise, Tarantino since Jackie Brown (sinfully under-rated, IMO) is like being a tone-deaf blind man trying to make sense of Wagner's Ring Cycle.

    Hear hear. Oh how we miss the person who made Reservoir Dogs.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Jon Briggs,

    Thanks so much for the 7 days link. Genius.

    Since Dec 2008 • 27 posts Report Reply

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