Stephen Graham may have been nominated for seven television Baftas, but that doesn’t mean everyone in the industry knows who he is.
As the actor revealed on the new episode of The Graham Norton Show, he was recently mistaken for someone else on the set of his latest drama, The Walk-In.
In the ITV series based on a true story, Graham plays Matthew Collins, a far-right activist turned antifascist campaigner and journalist.
Despite Graham being the lead actor in the show, one co-star didn’t know who he was.
“One of the supporting artists thought I was someone else and said, ‘You are doing really well for yourself,’” recalled Graham.
“And I thought she was being really kind. But then she said, ‘I never thought it would happen to you after Big Brother’ – she thought I was Craig!”
Graham seemed to be referring to Craig Phillips, a bricklayer who...
As the actor revealed on the new episode of The Graham Norton Show, he was recently mistaken for someone else on the set of his latest drama, The Walk-In.
In the ITV series based on a true story, Graham plays Matthew Collins, a far-right activist turned antifascist campaigner and journalist.
Despite Graham being the lead actor in the show, one co-star didn’t know who he was.
“One of the supporting artists thought I was someone else and said, ‘You are doing really well for yourself,’” recalled Graham.
“And I thought she was being really kind. But then she said, ‘I never thought it would happen to you after Big Brother’ – she thought I was Craig!”
Graham seemed to be referring to Craig Phillips, a bricklayer who...
- 10/21/2022
- by Ellie Harrison
- The Independent - TV
In the words of Davina McCall, “fancy another one”?
Shortly before announcing this year’s winners of “Love Island” on Monday night, U.K. broadcaster ITV2 caused goosebumps as they played out the iconic “Big Brother” theme tune while revealing that the iconic reality show is to return for a six-week run in 2023.
When you think about it, a “Big Brother” revival makes perfect sense. I mean, the show has been so significant to the history of British television, from redefining what it means to be a celebrity, to giving viewers the power through a public vote, that it hardly needs any introduction at all. Even though it hasn’t been on air for the past four years, after being ditched by Channel 5 in 2018, it’s hardly felt like it’s been off air at all thanks to the online generation frequently sharing memories of their favorite scenes (Craig Phillips...
Shortly before announcing this year’s winners of “Love Island” on Monday night, U.K. broadcaster ITV2 caused goosebumps as they played out the iconic “Big Brother” theme tune while revealing that the iconic reality show is to return for a six-week run in 2023.
When you think about it, a “Big Brother” revival makes perfect sense. I mean, the show has been so significant to the history of British television, from redefining what it means to be a celebrity, to giving viewers the power through a public vote, that it hardly needs any introduction at all. Even though it hasn’t been on air for the past four years, after being ditched by Channel 5 in 2018, it’s hardly felt like it’s been off air at all thanks to the online generation frequently sharing memories of their favorite scenes (Craig Phillips...
- 8/2/2022
- by Scott Bryan
- Variety Film + TV
Rob Leane Oct 18, 2017
We interview Craig Charles, Chris Barrie, Robert Llewellyn, Danny John-Jules and Doug Naylor about Red Dwarf Xii and more...
It’s a good time to be a Red Dwarf fan. After years off our screens, and talk of a movie that ultimately came to naught, the show made its return with Back To Earth in 2009. UKTV Freeview channel Dave was revealed as the new home of the show, and it’s fair to say that they’ve treated the small rouge one very well in the years since the big comeback.
See related Geeks Vs Loneliness: belonging Geeks Vs Loneliness: coming out Geeks Vs Loneliness: don't give up Geeks Vs Loneliness: face-blindness Geeks Vs Loneliness: self-definition Geeks Vs Loneliness: just saying hello
Red Dwarf X followed in 2012, and Red Dwarf XI in 2016. Both series gave fans what they wanted to see: character-driven episodes, stuffed with creative insults,...
We interview Craig Charles, Chris Barrie, Robert Llewellyn, Danny John-Jules and Doug Naylor about Red Dwarf Xii and more...
It’s a good time to be a Red Dwarf fan. After years off our screens, and talk of a movie that ultimately came to naught, the show made its return with Back To Earth in 2009. UKTV Freeview channel Dave was revealed as the new home of the show, and it’s fair to say that they’ve treated the small rouge one very well in the years since the big comeback.
See related Geeks Vs Loneliness: belonging Geeks Vs Loneliness: coming out Geeks Vs Loneliness: don't give up Geeks Vs Loneliness: face-blindness Geeks Vs Loneliness: self-definition Geeks Vs Loneliness: just saying hello
Red Dwarf X followed in 2012, and Red Dwarf XI in 2016. Both series gave fans what they wanted to see: character-driven episodes, stuffed with creative insults,...
- 10/16/2017
- Den of Geek
Stave off the government, save the world?
That is presumably the plan for Salvation’s Harris, Grace, Darius and Liam as CBS’ new summertime drama launches its freshman finale tonight at a special time, 10/9c. Having discovered that President MacKenzie was A) indeed targeted for assassination by a treasonous cabal but B) actually survived and has been holed away by trusted allies, Harris is getting in bed with the enemy (so to speak?) by cozying up to the White House chief of staff as part of a plan to overthrow newly installed President Bennett’s ruthless, asteroid-sympathetic regime and get...
That is presumably the plan for Salvation’s Harris, Grace, Darius and Liam as CBS’ new summertime drama launches its freshman finale tonight at a special time, 10/9c. Having discovered that President MacKenzie was A) indeed targeted for assassination by a treasonous cabal but B) actually survived and has been holed away by trusted allies, Harris is getting in bed with the enemy (so to speak?) by cozying up to the White House chief of staff as part of a plan to overthrow newly installed President Bennett’s ruthless, asteroid-sympathetic regime and get...
- 9/20/2017
- TVLine.com
Craig Lines Jun 28, 2017
Craig is in love with love island and he doesn't care who knows it. Here's why he thinks it's the best thing on TV...
Yeah. I know what you’re thinking already. I have to admit, I never thought I’d watch Love Island either. I knew the premise and it sounded weird. Creepy even. For those who aren’t familiar, it’s a reboot of the cringe-tastic Celebrity Love Island show from the mid-2000s, but with regular people. It’s recently started its third season and its popularity is at an all-time high, rising from 0.46 million viewers in 2015 to 1.96 million last week.
See related Super Troopers 2 filming begins, Rob Lowe added to cast
The idea is simple. They take a group of beautiful young people, stick them in a Majorcan villa for a few months, film them daily and encourage them to “couple up”. Each week,...
Craig is in love with love island and he doesn't care who knows it. Here's why he thinks it's the best thing on TV...
Yeah. I know what you’re thinking already. I have to admit, I never thought I’d watch Love Island either. I knew the premise and it sounded weird. Creepy even. For those who aren’t familiar, it’s a reboot of the cringe-tastic Celebrity Love Island show from the mid-2000s, but with regular people. It’s recently started its third season and its popularity is at an all-time high, rising from 0.46 million viewers in 2015 to 1.96 million last week.
See related Super Troopers 2 filming begins, Rob Lowe added to cast
The idea is simple. They take a group of beautiful young people, stick them in a Majorcan villa for a few months, film them daily and encourage them to “couple up”. Each week,...
- 6/26/2017
- Den of Geek
Four of the top cinematography contenders— “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story,” “Sherlock: The Abominable Bride,” “The Man in the High Castle” and the “Downton Abbey” finale — play with period in ways that are eye-catching and often unusual.
Cinematographer Nelson Craig (“Homeland”), nominated in the limited series/movie category for the “O.J.” opener (“From the Ashes of Tragedy”) , wanted a naturalistic look that made it contemporary and brought us closer to the players from “The Trial of the Century.” That is why he’s the favorite to win the Emmy.
What Craig had in mind was Michael Mann’s “The Insider”: not stylistically showy because the drama and performances were sufficiently heightened already. In fact, director Ryan Murphy initially wanted to shoot on film for the grain and the period look, but Craig found it too cumbersome shooting four or five cameras (for navigating...
Cinematographer Nelson Craig (“Homeland”), nominated in the limited series/movie category for the “O.J.” opener (“From the Ashes of Tragedy”) , wanted a naturalistic look that made it contemporary and brought us closer to the players from “The Trial of the Century.” That is why he’s the favorite to win the Emmy.
What Craig had in mind was Michael Mann’s “The Insider”: not stylistically showy because the drama and performances were sufficiently heightened already. In fact, director Ryan Murphy initially wanted to shoot on film for the grain and the period look, but Craig found it too cumbersome shooting four or five cameras (for navigating...
- 8/24/2016
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Aaron Birch Jul 13, 2016
The Crystal Maze, Cyber Zone, Fort Boyard... We look back at the UK game shows that dared to ask more than just quiz questions...
If the idea of yet another TV game show with an uninspiring presenter and ever so slight spin on the tried and tested Q&A formula fills you with apathy, you're not alone. Although TV quiz shows often rake in the viewers for a relatively low production budget, hence their popularity with TV studios, the whole genre feels a little stagnant. Perhaps it's the rise of the Internet, a general change in viewer culture, and the changing tastes that come with it. While many shows of the past delighted audiences with images of shiny new appliances, cars, and holidays to far-off destinations, today's shows mostly award cold, hard, and boring cash. Great for the winner, but not too interesting for the viewer. Give...
The Crystal Maze, Cyber Zone, Fort Boyard... We look back at the UK game shows that dared to ask more than just quiz questions...
If the idea of yet another TV game show with an uninspiring presenter and ever so slight spin on the tried and tested Q&A formula fills you with apathy, you're not alone. Although TV quiz shows often rake in the viewers for a relatively low production budget, hence their popularity with TV studios, the whole genre feels a little stagnant. Perhaps it's the rise of the Internet, a general change in viewer culture, and the changing tastes that come with it. While many shows of the past delighted audiences with images of shiny new appliances, cars, and holidays to far-off destinations, today's shows mostly award cold, hard, and boring cash. Great for the winner, but not too interesting for the viewer. Give...
- 5/23/2016
- Den of Geek
Amanda Bynes made an official return to social media on Wednesday, sharing a photo from a recent night out with friend and makeup artist, Troy Jensen. Bynes wished her followers a "happy holidays!" on her official Twitter account and shared a photo of herself smiling with Jensen. In the image, the star, 29, wore a black lace dress with a nude underlay and a black leather jacket. Her long blond hair was worn down as she embraced Jensen, who she dubbed her "bestie." Jensen had previously shared the photo on his own Instagram account last weekend. The actress, who was once active on Twitter,...
- 12/17/2015
- by Lindsay Kimble, @lekimble
- PEOPLE.com
Amanda Bynes made an official return to social media on Wednesday, sharing a photo from a recent night out with friend and makeup artist, Troy Jensen. Bynes wished her followers a "happy holidays!" on her official Twitter account and shared a photo of herself smiling with Jensen. In the image, the star, 29, wore a black lace dress with a nude underlay and a black leather jacket. Her long blond hair was worn down as she embraced Jensen, who she dubbed her "bestie." Jensen had previously shared the photo on his own Instagram account last weekend. The actress, who was once active on Twitter,...
- 12/17/2015
- by Lindsay Kimble, @lekimble
- PEOPLE.com
The parameters, mutually agreed upon by my editor Danny Kasman and myself, are these: A bi-weekly (every two weeks) column, entitled "On Mubi / Off," covering two films—one currently available on the Mubi streaming platform in the United States, the other screening offsite (in theaters, on VOD, Blu-ray/DVD, etc). The movies may share some similarities in approach, execution and theme, or they may not. Mostly, my own interests and curiosity will dictate what films are covered and in what way, and I hope you'll find the prose, the pairings, and/or the analysis compelling enough to follow along.On MUBITerminal Island (Stephanie Rothman, 1973)Sight unseen, I thought Stephanie Rothman's 1973 exploitation cheapie Terminal Island would make for a good inaugural article lead-off—something Z-grade disreputable to complement the A-level sleaze (not necessarily a criticism) of the other movie covered in this column. (We'll get to you momentarily, Mr. Bond.
- 11/23/2015
- by Keith Uhlich
- MUBI
Spectre
Written by John Logan, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade & Jez Butterworth
Directed by Sam Mendes
UK/USA, 2015
After the critical and commercial success of 2012’s Skyfall, expectations were soaring for the latest Bond adventure, Spectre. Whether or not it meets those lofty standards probably depends upon your affinity for the franchise. General audiences attracted to the simple, action-driven engines of Daniel Craig’s previous efforts will be disappointed by the methodical pacing. Disciples of Bond, however, will love director Sam Mendes’ tribute to the franchise’s more classical elements. Spectre succeeds as a complete story rather than standing on the shoulders of innovative set pieces. Not only is it Craig’s best Bond film, it’s the most definitive artistic statement on the super-spy since On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
**Possible spoilers ahead**
The events following Skyfall have left MI6 in ruins, the 00-Division in flux, and the international...
Written by John Logan, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade & Jez Butterworth
Directed by Sam Mendes
UK/USA, 2015
After the critical and commercial success of 2012’s Skyfall, expectations were soaring for the latest Bond adventure, Spectre. Whether or not it meets those lofty standards probably depends upon your affinity for the franchise. General audiences attracted to the simple, action-driven engines of Daniel Craig’s previous efforts will be disappointed by the methodical pacing. Disciples of Bond, however, will love director Sam Mendes’ tribute to the franchise’s more classical elements. Spectre succeeds as a complete story rather than standing on the shoulders of innovative set pieces. Not only is it Craig’s best Bond film, it’s the most definitive artistic statement on the super-spy since On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
**Possible spoilers ahead**
The events following Skyfall have left MI6 in ruins, the 00-Division in flux, and the international...
- 11/3/2015
- by J.R. Kinnard
- SoundOnSight
Roger Moore has joked that he would love to play James Bond again.
The actor played the 007 agent for seven movies in the '70s and '80s, beginning in Live and Let Die and ending in A View to a Kill.
Daniel Craig is the current Bond and will appear in Spectre this month.
When asked who he thinks could replace Craig, Moore told the Loose Women panel that he would love to suit up for the role once more.
"Why don't they have a geriatric 007? I'll come back!" he said.
But Moore also reserved praise for Craig, commenting: "I think he's terrific. He's a great Bond. He looks like a killer, he really does. Frightens me!"
Loose Women airs weekdays at 12.30pm on ITV. Spectre opens in UK cinemas on October 26.
Watch a trailer for the movie below:...
The actor played the 007 agent for seven movies in the '70s and '80s, beginning in Live and Let Die and ending in A View to a Kill.
Daniel Craig is the current Bond and will appear in Spectre this month.
When asked who he thinks could replace Craig, Moore told the Loose Women panel that he would love to suit up for the role once more.
"Why don't they have a geriatric 007? I'll come back!" he said.
But Moore also reserved praise for Craig, commenting: "I think he's terrific. He's a great Bond. He looks like a killer, he really does. Frightens me!"
Loose Women airs weekdays at 12.30pm on ITV. Spectre opens in UK cinemas on October 26.
Watch a trailer for the movie below:...
- 10/19/2015
- Digital Spy
Celebrity Big Brother is back on our screens and social media typically went into meltdown as 13 new housemates were introduced.
Gail Porter, Fatman Scoop and Daniel Baldwin are amongst the famous faces taking part in this series and Twitter had lots to say about all of them.
Meet the new Celebrity Big Brother housemates: Queen of Porn Jenna Jameson, Fatman Scoop, Sherrie Hewson and more
Celebrity Big Brother: Bobby Davro and Janice Dickinson are entering the house tomorrow
Digital Spy rounds up the best Twitter reactions below:
Scoop caused a stir after entering the house
Scoop??? I think he's had one too many scoops if you ask me #Cbbuk #CelebrityBigBrother pic.twitter.com/5vgrWqOED2
— Auntie Pegg (@AuntiePegg) August 27, 2015
Ok I love Fatman Scoop! #Cbbuk
— Vogue Williams (@VogueWilliams) August 27, 2015
Fat Man Scoop is looking for the elevator. Stairs aren't his thing #Cbbuk
— Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) August 27, 2015
#Cbbuk
Fat Man Scoop!
Gail Porter, Fatman Scoop and Daniel Baldwin are amongst the famous faces taking part in this series and Twitter had lots to say about all of them.
Meet the new Celebrity Big Brother housemates: Queen of Porn Jenna Jameson, Fatman Scoop, Sherrie Hewson and more
Celebrity Big Brother: Bobby Davro and Janice Dickinson are entering the house tomorrow
Digital Spy rounds up the best Twitter reactions below:
Scoop caused a stir after entering the house
Scoop??? I think he's had one too many scoops if you ask me #Cbbuk #CelebrityBigBrother pic.twitter.com/5vgrWqOED2
— Auntie Pegg (@AuntiePegg) August 27, 2015
Ok I love Fatman Scoop! #Cbbuk
— Vogue Williams (@VogueWilliams) August 27, 2015
Fat Man Scoop is looking for the elevator. Stairs aren't his thing #Cbbuk
— Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) August 27, 2015
#Cbbuk
Fat Man Scoop!
- 8/27/2015
- Digital Spy
Big Brother's Brian Belo believes that the other housemates are "petrified" of Helen Wood.
The eighth series winner left the house on Tuesday (June 23) by jumping over the wall, following further arguments with Helen and Marc O'Neill.
Speaking to Digital Spy and others, Brian said that more people in the house would have stood up to Helen if she wasn't so intimidating.
"I think the only other person to do it really was Danny," he commented. "That was the only other person.
"The other housemates are scared of Helen. They're absolutely petrified of her, so that's why they won't do it. And not only that - they're constantly thinking, 'Oh god, she might get to nominate and she might nominate me'. I knew it was my place because they were all too timid, really."
Brian continued: "More than anything, I was happy that Danny stuck up for me, and...
The eighth series winner left the house on Tuesday (June 23) by jumping over the wall, following further arguments with Helen and Marc O'Neill.
Speaking to Digital Spy and others, Brian said that more people in the house would have stood up to Helen if she wasn't so intimidating.
"I think the only other person to do it really was Danny," he commented. "That was the only other person.
"The other housemates are scared of Helen. They're absolutely petrified of her, so that's why they won't do it. And not only that - they're constantly thinking, 'Oh god, she might get to nominate and she might nominate me'. I knew it was my place because they were all too timid, really."
Brian continued: "More than anything, I was happy that Danny stuck up for me, and...
- 6/25/2015
- Digital Spy
Big Brother got pretty intense last night, as one argument too far pushed legendary housemate Brian Belo to climb over the wall and escape from the compound.
Brian got on the phone to chat to reporters this morning, so read on to find out what he had to say about his big escape, why he had to go, what he thinks of Helen and Marc (and the special treatment they're getting), his romance with Jade and why his Big Brother journey is now over...
Brian's Big Exit
Brian, do you regret walking out of the house?
"No, I don't regret leaving there. I think it got to the point where it was like a pressure cooker and I couldn't get away from the obvious two so I knew it was my time to leave, really. I didn't want the situation to escalate and I didn't feel myself there so I...
Brian got on the phone to chat to reporters this morning, so read on to find out what he had to say about his big escape, why he had to go, what he thinks of Helen and Marc (and the special treatment they're getting), his romance with Jade and why his Big Brother journey is now over...
Brian's Big Exit
Brian, do you regret walking out of the house?
"No, I don't regret leaving there. I think it got to the point where it was like a pressure cooker and I couldn't get away from the obvious two so I knew it was my time to leave, really. I didn't want the situation to escalate and I didn't feel myself there so I...
- 6/25/2015
- Digital Spy
Big Brother's Time Warp week has already given us three ex-housemates in Helen Wood, Brian Belo and Nikki Grahame - but that wasn't quite enough, so as part of yesterday's shopping task, a whole bunch of other ones popped in for a party.
Yesterday's task demanded that the housemates freeze whenever instructed to do so - and conveniently, that's just when Big Brother decided to send in some familiar faces. But how many do you remember?
First up was Pete Bennett, who swung by the house to try to distract his former flame Nikki Grahame - and it looks like he managed to get her giggling.
But he was far from the only ex-housemate to pop in, as Big Brother 1's Craig Phillips led a whole host of familiar faces in for a bit of a party.
And there were loads of them, too: Jack and Joe, Mark and Matthew,...
Yesterday's task demanded that the housemates freeze whenever instructed to do so - and conveniently, that's just when Big Brother decided to send in some familiar faces. But how many do you remember?
First up was Pete Bennett, who swung by the house to try to distract his former flame Nikki Grahame - and it looks like he managed to get her giggling.
But he was far from the only ex-housemate to pop in, as Big Brother 1's Craig Phillips led a whole host of familiar faces in for a bit of a party.
And there were loads of them, too: Jack and Joe, Mark and Matthew,...
- 6/18/2015
- Digital Spy
If your Saturday nights are looking a bit... quiet, well, fear not - because BBC One has a brand new game show it's hoping will suck you in! Prized Apart sees ten pairs competing for a huge £100,000 prize - one of them gets flown off to Morocco to take part in all sorts of death-defying challenges, while their partner back in the studio tries to keep them in the game with their general knowledge prowess. Something for everyone, in other words!
It's all hosted by Emma Willis and Reggie Yates, but they're not the ones dangling off cliffs and puzzling over tricky questions, so we caught up with all the duos taking part to find out a bit more about them. Read on for your complete guide!
1. Aaron & Sat
Relationship: Mother & son
From: West Midlands
Adventurer: Aaron
Studio player: Sat ("I couldn't do the challenges... I'm scared of heights!")
Previous...
It's all hosted by Emma Willis and Reggie Yates, but they're not the ones dangling off cliffs and puzzling over tricky questions, so we caught up with all the duos taking part to find out a bit more about them. Read on for your complete guide!
1. Aaron & Sat
Relationship: Mother & son
From: West Midlands
Adventurer: Aaron
Studio player: Sat ("I couldn't do the challenges... I'm scared of heights!")
Previous...
- 6/12/2015
- Digital Spy
Things are really heating up on Big Brother now, as last night's highlights show brought our first round of actual nominations. Yes, we now have housemates facing the public vote and everything. It's properly begun!
But as always, some housemates came out of the episode better than others, so in our daily verdict it's time to find out who had a good day, and who had a bad day...
Good Day
Cristian Mjc
We're feeling a bit guilty. We didn't think much of Cristian up until this point, but we're starting to think we might have misjudged him a bit.
Outwardly, Cristian seems like your typical confident lad - but now we think about it, he hasn't engaged much in the 'banter' of the likes of Kieran and Danny, has he? And actually, if anything last night's show suggested that he's actually a bit shy and unsure of himself. And...
But as always, some housemates came out of the episode better than others, so in our daily verdict it's time to find out who had a good day, and who had a bad day...
Good Day
Cristian Mjc
We're feeling a bit guilty. We didn't think much of Cristian up until this point, but we're starting to think we might have misjudged him a bit.
Outwardly, Cristian seems like your typical confident lad - but now we think about it, he hasn't engaged much in the 'banter' of the likes of Kieran and Danny, has he? And actually, if anything last night's show suggested that he's actually a bit shy and unsure of himself. And...
- 5/19/2015
- Digital Spy
Rob Leane Louisa Mellor Sep 13, 2016
Red Dwarf XI enjoyed its Bafta launch last night. Here's the cast discussing their favourite episodes from almost thirty years...
A very fun, lively Q&A followed the Bafta screening of Red Dwarf's first two series XI episodes this week, which demonstrated the bubbling chemistry between the central cast members who were full of gags, inside jokes and collectively remembered anecdotes from almost three decades of working together.
Asked that perennial Q&A question, to name their favourite episode across every series, here's what the cast said:
Chris Barrie: It’s easier to pick out shows from my own point of view that maybe weren’t so… Stasis Leak, to this day I still can’t work out what went on there! [Laughs] ‘Just come out of the table Chris and say your lines!’
Craig Charles: To be fair, I can’t even remember being in that one!
Red Dwarf XI enjoyed its Bafta launch last night. Here's the cast discussing their favourite episodes from almost thirty years...
A very fun, lively Q&A followed the Bafta screening of Red Dwarf's first two series XI episodes this week, which demonstrated the bubbling chemistry between the central cast members who were full of gags, inside jokes and collectively remembered anecdotes from almost three decades of working together.
Asked that perennial Q&A question, to name their favourite episode across every series, here's what the cast said:
Chris Barrie: It’s easier to pick out shows from my own point of view that maybe weren’t so… Stasis Leak, to this day I still can’t work out what went on there! [Laughs] ‘Just come out of the table Chris and say your lines!’
Craig Charles: To be fair, I can’t even remember being in that one!
- 5/3/2015
- Den of Geek
Chloe Jasmine has revealed that she and Stevi Ritchie were romantically involved with one another.
The singer also admitted that she had cheated on her then-boyfriend Craig Wiffen with Ritchie while they were both contestants on The X Factor.
Chloe Jasmine told The Sun: "Stevi's a great guy. Our romance happened organically - we were talking about spiritual plains and then we kissed."
Speaking about her brief affair with Ritchie and its effect on her relationship, she said: "It was very innocent. But to me, love should be unconditional. I made a mistake. You should be able to make a mistake and be forgiven."
She added: "I'm not ashamed of what I did, because I believe it was part of God's divine plan. It probably didn't help that I didn't tell Craig straight away, but I didn't really have a chance to."
Ritchie was sent home after a sing-off with...
The singer also admitted that she had cheated on her then-boyfriend Craig Wiffen with Ritchie while they were both contestants on The X Factor.
Chloe Jasmine told The Sun: "Stevi's a great guy. Our romance happened organically - we were talking about spiritual plains and then we kissed."
Speaking about her brief affair with Ritchie and its effect on her relationship, she said: "It was very innocent. But to me, love should be unconditional. I made a mistake. You should be able to make a mistake and be forgiven."
She added: "I'm not ashamed of what I did, because I believe it was part of God's divine plan. It probably didn't help that I didn't tell Craig straight away, but I didn't really have a chance to."
Ritchie was sent home after a sing-off with...
- 11/24/2014
- Digital Spy
In a few short hours, one of six housemates will go down in the Big Brother history books as the 15th winner of the show (alright, so it's not like they'll be studied in schools or anything, but it's something, right?). But where will they fit in the record? Will they be a worthy winner, or a disappointment? Will they be looked back on with glee or with grimaces?
That remains to be seen, but in the meantime we have 14 winners to rank. Who is the best? Who is the worst? We're not going to claim this is definitive - we switched our own minds around about 27 times just while compiling our running order - but take to the comments to give us your views. And so, in order from worst to best, here we go...
14. Nadia Almada
Oh dear. Well, someone had to be at the bottom of the list,...
That remains to be seen, but in the meantime we have 14 winners to rank. Who is the best? Who is the worst? We're not going to claim this is definitive - we switched our own minds around about 27 times just while compiling our running order - but take to the comments to give us your views. And so, in order from worst to best, here we go...
14. Nadia Almada
Oh dear. Well, someone had to be at the bottom of the list,...
- 8/15/2014
- Digital Spy
"Open it." Those two words on their own are so innocent. Bland, even. But we will never be able to hear them again and not feel a little bit nauseous - thanks, Big Brother couple Steven and Kimberly. We don't want to go into it too much on a family website, but the duo got into some heated 'under-duvet' action on last night's show, prompting Steven to whisper those two words and the internet to explode.
But it's not the only filthy moment we've seen on Big Brother - we'd give it four stars for effort. Below, we round up just some of the most "don't watch it with your mum" moments we've been 'treated' to over the years on the non-celebrity series...
Tom gets an erection - Big Brother 1
Poor Tom. The first series of Big Brother saw a bunch of the housemates getting in the nuddy, covering themselves...
But it's not the only filthy moment we've seen on Big Brother - we'd give it four stars for effort. Below, we round up just some of the most "don't watch it with your mum" moments we've been 'treated' to over the years on the non-celebrity series...
Tom gets an erection - Big Brother 1
Poor Tom. The first series of Big Brother saw a bunch of the housemates getting in the nuddy, covering themselves...
- 7/8/2014
- Digital Spy
BBC One has announced the 10 celebrities to compete in new gymnastics reality show Tumble.
Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding, former EastEnders actor John Partridge, Towie's Lucy Mecklenburgh and Sugababe Amelle Berrabah will all be taking part.
Current super middleweight boxing champion Carl Froch, Dynasty icon Emma Samms, Wolfblood actor Bobby Lockwood and Loose Women host Andrea McLean will also feature.
The lineup is completed by Steps singer Ian 'H' Watkins and '90s TV star Mr Motivator.
Alex Jones will present the primetime Saturday night series, while British Olympian Beth Tweddle will act as a mentor for the celebrities.
The judging panel will be made up of Olympic gymnastics legend Nadia Comaneci, London 2012 hero and Strictly Come Dancing champion Louis Smith, Team Gb gymnastics captain turned sports broadcaster Craig Heap, and cirque artist Sebastien Stella.
Tumble will see the famous faces learning and mastering gymnastic skills across six weeks of live TV shows.
Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding, former EastEnders actor John Partridge, Towie's Lucy Mecklenburgh and Sugababe Amelle Berrabah will all be taking part.
Current super middleweight boxing champion Carl Froch, Dynasty icon Emma Samms, Wolfblood actor Bobby Lockwood and Loose Women host Andrea McLean will also feature.
The lineup is completed by Steps singer Ian 'H' Watkins and '90s TV star Mr Motivator.
Alex Jones will present the primetime Saturday night series, while British Olympian Beth Tweddle will act as a mentor for the celebrities.
The judging panel will be made up of Olympic gymnastics legend Nadia Comaneci, London 2012 hero and Strictly Come Dancing champion Louis Smith, Team Gb gymnastics captain turned sports broadcaster Craig Heap, and cirque artist Sebastien Stella.
Tumble will see the famous faces learning and mastering gymnastic skills across six weeks of live TV shows.
- 6/13/2014
- Digital Spy
We have a full set of housemates in Big Brother 2014 now - and they had their fair share of ridiculous audition videos (hello Helen, whose extended cut on Bit On The Side included the charming phrase: "I'm hotter than a steaming pile of s**t.") But all of this just got us reminiscing about some of our favourite VTs from over the years. We've picked out just ten of our most memorable below...
1. Bonnie Holt (Big Brother 7)
Without question, the best audition video of all time. Bonnie turned out to be shy and quieter than a mouse in the house - which she put down to not having her suitcase - but her audition video is so ridiculous and hilarious that it's almost a work of art. We don't know if we'll ever tire of watching it - from Bon's declaration that she is "sexy, and funny, and everything,...
1. Bonnie Holt (Big Brother 7)
Without question, the best audition video of all time. Bonnie turned out to be shy and quieter than a mouse in the house - which she put down to not having her suitcase - but her audition video is so ridiculous and hilarious that it's almost a work of art. We don't know if we'll ever tire of watching it - from Bon's declaration that she is "sexy, and funny, and everything,...
- 6/7/2014
- Digital Spy
Big Brother contestant Sam Evans, a 23-year-old partially deaf Welsh footballer, has been named the early favourite to win after the first show of this year's double launch last night (June 13).
But with a good three months or so still to come and six more housemates going in tonight, should we even bother listening to the bookmakers? Intrigued, Digital Spy went back over the last five years of Big Brother to see how the launch night odds matched up with the eventual results of the series - and found some surprising results...
Big Brother 2012
Launch night favourite: Luke Anderson (5/1)
Eventual finish: Winner
Congratulations bookmakers, last year you got it spot on by naming eventual winner Luke Anderson as the early favourite. But don't go slapping yourselves on the back too soon - reports claimed that the South African-born chef was an outsider at 16/1 before the game-changing revelation that he was born a woman.
But with a good three months or so still to come and six more housemates going in tonight, should we even bother listening to the bookmakers? Intrigued, Digital Spy went back over the last five years of Big Brother to see how the launch night odds matched up with the eventual results of the series - and found some surprising results...
Big Brother 2012
Launch night favourite: Luke Anderson (5/1)
Eventual finish: Winner
Congratulations bookmakers, last year you got it spot on by naming eventual winner Luke Anderson as the early favourite. But don't go slapping yourselves on the back too soon - reports claimed that the South African-born chef was an outsider at 16/1 before the game-changing revelation that he was born a woman.
- 6/14/2013
- Digital Spy
Big Brother producers Endemol UK and Channel 5 have signed a deal to keep the show on air until at least 2014. The broadcaster, who relaunched the show in 2011, has picked up some of its highest ever ratings with the celebrity edition of the reality TV series. Channel 4 dropped the format in 2010, after hosting the programme for a decade and making stars out of contestants such as Jade Goody, Craig Phillips and Brian Dowling. Since moving to Channel 5, the show has helped the broadcaster regularly beat its rivals in the ratings. Celebrity Big Brother has averaged over three million viewers during its two runs, while the classic series last autumn picked up over 1.7 million viewers on a regular basis. Frankie Cocozza, Denise Welch, Paddy Doherty and Jedward have been among the stars who have entered the famous compound, (more)...
- 4/3/2012
- by By Alex Fletcher
- Digital Spy
Reviewer: Craig Phillips
Rating (out of five): *** 1/2
Ill Met By Moonlight (a.k.a. Night Ambush) is about the only Michael Powell/Emeric Pressburger collaboration I'd never seen. Why this is important: they are among my favorite filmmakers of all time. At their creative peak, the fruitful collaboration in the 1940s and '50s -- Powell was generally the director/co-writer and Pressburger co-writer/producer, and they dubbed their team “The Archers” -- gave us such lovely gems as The Red Shoes, (my personal favorite) I Know Where I'm Going, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, Black Narcissus and A Matter of Life and Death.
Rating (out of five): *** 1/2
Ill Met By Moonlight (a.k.a. Night Ambush) is about the only Michael Powell/Emeric Pressburger collaboration I'd never seen. Why this is important: they are among my favorite filmmakers of all time. At their creative peak, the fruitful collaboration in the 1940s and '50s -- Powell was generally the director/co-writer and Pressburger co-writer/producer, and they dubbed their team “The Archers” -- gave us such lovely gems as The Red Shoes, (my personal favorite) I Know Where I'm Going, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, Black Narcissus and A Matter of Life and Death.
- 10/11/2011
- by weezy
- GreenCine
Reviewer: Craig Phillips
Rating (out of five): ***
Mexican director Jorge Michel Grau's undeniably creepy if tonally uneven We Are What We Are (Somos los que hay) is on the one hand a melancholy dysfunctional family tale, and on the other hand, well... they'd like to eat it.
After their father perishes in a heap on a city sidewalk, the two sons, Alfredo (Francisco Barreiro) and Julian (Alan Chávez*), help their haggard mother (Carmen Beato) with the family finances as well as the family appetite, despite not being especially equipped for either role. The most important thing? Continuing the family "ritual" -- the unpleasant task the patriarch done for them for years. Meanwhile, two curious cops, after seeing the coroner find a finger in the man's stomach, decide to investigate further -- at their own risk.
Rating (out of five): ***
Mexican director Jorge Michel Grau's undeniably creepy if tonally uneven We Are What We Are (Somos los que hay) is on the one hand a melancholy dysfunctional family tale, and on the other hand, well... they'd like to eat it.
After their father perishes in a heap on a city sidewalk, the two sons, Alfredo (Francisco Barreiro) and Julian (Alan Chávez*), help their haggard mother (Carmen Beato) with the family finances as well as the family appetite, despite not being especially equipped for either role. The most important thing? Continuing the family "ritual" -- the unpleasant task the patriarch done for them for years. Meanwhile, two curious cops, after seeing the coroner find a finger in the man's stomach, decide to investigate further -- at their own risk.
- 8/1/2011
- by weezy
- GreenCine
We’ve been waiting all day and at 9.55pm this evening, this year’s first full length Big Brother promo aired on Channel 5.
It was like a who’s who of famous Bb faces from years gone by and we had quite a lot of fun spotting and naming some of our favourite (and also most annoying) housemates.
We have compiled most of them in a list below, though we know there are some names missing, so feel free to leave a comment below if you can identify any more.
The video starts out with Makosi on the phone and leads into various cast members dancing and miming to an adaptation of David Guetta’s popular dance track – When Love Takes Over renamed When Bruv Takes Over and at the end, as all the Bb stars gathered in what looked like a massive field, Marcus Bentley exclaimed:
‘It’s back...
It was like a who’s who of famous Bb faces from years gone by and we had quite a lot of fun spotting and naming some of our favourite (and also most annoying) housemates.
We have compiled most of them in a list below, though we know there are some names missing, so feel free to leave a comment below if you can identify any more.
The video starts out with Makosi on the phone and leads into various cast members dancing and miming to an adaptation of David Guetta’s popular dance track – When Love Takes Over renamed When Bruv Takes Over and at the end, as all the Bb stars gathered in what looked like a massive field, Marcus Bentley exclaimed:
‘It’s back...
- 7/29/2011
- by Lisa McGarry
- Unreality
Channel 5 launches its 'When Bruv Takes Over' Big Brother advertising campaign tonight. Former housemates and celebrities who have appeared on the show over the past decade filmed a celebratory promo for the reality programme's new series, which will debut at 9.55pm this evening. New host Brian Dowling, winners Craig Phillips and Brian Belo, Nikki Grahame and celebrities John McCririck and Mutya Buena are among the ex-contestants involved in the 60-second ad campaign. Devised by Channel 5's in-house agency C5 Creative, the ad is designed to "remind viewers of some of the unforgettable TV characters that have passed through the house". Channel 5 director of programmes Jeff Ford commented: "As the countdown to the return of Big Brother (more)...
- 7/29/2011
- by By Alex Fletcher
- Digital Spy
It has been a big week for Big Brother UK fans!
In the last two days we have discovered that Brian Dowling will present the new series, Emma Willis will take on it’s comedic spin off, Marcus Bentley will return as ‘the voice’ and today, Channel 5 has revealed it’s all new Big Brother logo, ahead of the show’s launch on the channel this August.
The show will be making it’s return to it’s old home at Elstree Studios – just beside the local Tesco store – and it’s move between terrestrial channels will be marked by a celebrity packed series on August 18th, directly followed by a season of ‘classic’ Big Brother, featuring members of the public.
The new logo will be used for both series and will first appear on air from today in ‘teases’ during commercial breaks on Channel 5.
Jeff Ford, Channel 5, Director of...
In the last two days we have discovered that Brian Dowling will present the new series, Emma Willis will take on it’s comedic spin off, Marcus Bentley will return as ‘the voice’ and today, Channel 5 has revealed it’s all new Big Brother logo, ahead of the show’s launch on the channel this August.
The show will be making it’s return to it’s old home at Elstree Studios – just beside the local Tesco store – and it’s move between terrestrial channels will be marked by a celebrity packed series on August 18th, directly followed by a season of ‘classic’ Big Brother, featuring members of the public.
The new logo will be used for both series and will first appear on air from today in ‘teases’ during commercial breaks on Channel 5.
Jeff Ford, Channel 5, Director of...
- 7/23/2011
- by Lisa McGarry
- Unreality
Nick Bateman has been in touch with Unreality TV this morning, sharing the below video of him and Victor Ebuwa at yesterday’s Big Brother ad shoot.
In the clip, the former Bb housemates admitted that they are in the middle of filming the new advert for the upcoming series of Big Brother, which Channel 5 confirmed yesterday would be presented by two time winner Brian Dowling.
Also featured in their clip was crazy Science (remember him?) and the men revealed some names of other former Bb stars who would be starring in their soon to air advertisement. These include Craig Phillips, Saskia Howard-Clarke, Pete Bennett, Nikki Grahame, Samanda and Makosi Musambasi.
Nick and Victor also revealed that Celebrity Big brother will kick off on the 18th of August and if you enjoyed their little show below, then you’ll be glad to hear that they will be making it a...
In the clip, the former Bb housemates admitted that they are in the middle of filming the new advert for the upcoming series of Big Brother, which Channel 5 confirmed yesterday would be presented by two time winner Brian Dowling.
Also featured in their clip was crazy Science (remember him?) and the men revealed some names of other former Bb stars who would be starring in their soon to air advertisement. These include Craig Phillips, Saskia Howard-Clarke, Pete Bennett, Nikki Grahame, Samanda and Makosi Musambasi.
Nick and Victor also revealed that Celebrity Big brother will kick off on the 18th of August and if you enjoyed their little show below, then you’ll be glad to hear that they will be making it a...
- 7/22/2011
- by Lisa McGarry
- Unreality
Marcus Bentley has revealed that he has made the leap to Channel 5 and will continue to do all voice-over work on the new Big brother series.
The 43 year old broadcaster and voice-over artist has narrated the reality TV show ever since it started in 2000 and we had our suspicions that he would be following the format to Channel 5, when he announced that he was leaving Channel 4 last week.
This morning, just hours after it was confirmed that Brian Dowling and Emma Willis would be this year’s Bb presenters, Marcus took to Twitter once more to reveal:
Right guys! I’ve waited since April to say this … So here goes, I Am The Voice Of Big Brother!
Bentley has started work on Bb already, and explained that today he was travelling to his new office, to start working on a new ad which will promote the celebrity version of the show,...
The 43 year old broadcaster and voice-over artist has narrated the reality TV show ever since it started in 2000 and we had our suspicions that he would be following the format to Channel 5, when he announced that he was leaving Channel 4 last week.
This morning, just hours after it was confirmed that Brian Dowling and Emma Willis would be this year’s Bb presenters, Marcus took to Twitter once more to reveal:
Right guys! I’ve waited since April to say this … So here goes, I Am The Voice Of Big Brother!
Bentley has started work on Bb already, and explained that today he was travelling to his new office, to start working on a new ad which will promote the celebrity version of the show,...
- 7/22/2011
- by Lisa McGarry
- Unreality
Channel 5 has finally announced some Big Brother news and has started supplying some hard facts and details about the upcoming series.
This morning it has been confirmed that Brian Dowling will present the main show, with Emma Willis as the host of it’s nightly spinoff and on the cover of today’s Daily Star a whole host of former housemates have been featured in a photo shoot to promote the new series.
In the photo splashed across the front of the newspaper are Pete Bennett, Craig Phillips, Nikki Grahame, Victor Ebuwa, Samanda, Glyn Wise and Nichola Holt and a few more familiar faces.
Michelle Bass also confirmed recently that she worked on a new ad for Big brother’s return, she tweeted:
“long day filming today but so lovely to see old faces again! excited for the new bb series to start!”
The ad is said to feature around 500 extras,...
This morning it has been confirmed that Brian Dowling will present the main show, with Emma Willis as the host of it’s nightly spinoff and on the cover of today’s Daily Star a whole host of former housemates have been featured in a photo shoot to promote the new series.
In the photo splashed across the front of the newspaper are Pete Bennett, Craig Phillips, Nikki Grahame, Victor Ebuwa, Samanda, Glyn Wise and Nichola Holt and a few more familiar faces.
Michelle Bass also confirmed recently that she worked on a new ad for Big brother’s return, she tweeted:
“long day filming today but so lovely to see old faces again! excited for the new bb series to start!”
The ad is said to feature around 500 extras,...
- 7/21/2011
- by Lisa McGarry
- Unreality
Reviewer: Craig Phillips
Rating (out of five): * * *
Max Manus: Man of War is a WWII epic based on a true story of Norwegian resistance fighter Max Manus. With a DVD release title and cover art that makes it sound like a comic book straight to video, the film from Bandidas directors Espen Sandberg and Joachim Roennin looks good and is exciting enough to hold attention, especially for war history buffs, but the script doesn't break any especially new ground.
Max Manus opens with an obligatory and probably unnecessary "how we got here" WWII background montage before starting in a 1940 Finland snow-covered battlefield then flashing back a few months earlier to when Germany has taken over Finland. Manus, our hero (played by Aksel Hennie), says "I was embarrassed to be from Finland." And thus we get the story of how Manus bravely became part of an unheralded resistance movement in his native country.
Rating (out of five): * * *
Max Manus: Man of War is a WWII epic based on a true story of Norwegian resistance fighter Max Manus. With a DVD release title and cover art that makes it sound like a comic book straight to video, the film from Bandidas directors Espen Sandberg and Joachim Roennin looks good and is exciting enough to hold attention, especially for war history buffs, but the script doesn't break any especially new ground.
Max Manus opens with an obligatory and probably unnecessary "how we got here" WWII background montage before starting in a 1940 Finland snow-covered battlefield then flashing back a few months earlier to when Germany has taken over Finland. Manus, our hero (played by Aksel Hennie), says "I was embarrassed to be from Finland." And thus we get the story of how Manus bravely became part of an unheralded resistance movement in his native country.
- 7/18/2011
- by weezy
- GreenCine
As we reported last week, the Daily Star has been offering readers the chance to win a place in this year’s Big Brother house via their Golden Ticket promotion, and if you’ve not got around to entering yet, today is your last chance!
To be in with a chance of winning, you need to buy the paper and take a look inside the Bb Wallet to see if there’s a Golden Ticket inside.
If you find one, you’ll get an audition in front of the Bb selection panel.
The paper adds, “And if you impress TV bosses then you could end up in the final line-up and follow in the footsteps of winners such as Brian Dowling, 32, Craig Phillips, 39, and Josie Gibson, 26.”
Big Brother will be back on our screens on Channel 5 next month starting off with a celebrity edition which will be followed by the...
To be in with a chance of winning, you need to buy the paper and take a look inside the Bb Wallet to see if there’s a Golden Ticket inside.
If you find one, you’ll get an audition in front of the Bb selection panel.
The paper adds, “And if you impress TV bosses then you could end up in the final line-up and follow in the footsteps of winners such as Brian Dowling, 32, Craig Phillips, 39, and Josie Gibson, 26.”
Big Brother will be back on our screens on Channel 5 next month starting off with a celebrity edition which will be followed by the...
- 7/9/2011
- by Sarah
- Unreality
Reviewer: Craig Phillips
Rating (ouf of 5): ***
In American: The Bill Hicks Story, British filmmakers Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas set out to tell the tale of the influential comedian who was underappreciated in his time and then taken from us too soon. The Texas-raised Hicks was a remarkable comic who dared tell truths in this country in a time (the 1980s and into the 90s) when a lot of Americans lived in a trance and didn't want to hear them told so bluntly--or at all. The film will probably be more of a revelation to the uninitiated than to longtime fans (such as myself), but fans of the cult comic will also find much to appreciate here.
Rating (ouf of 5): ***
In American: The Bill Hicks Story, British filmmakers Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas set out to tell the tale of the influential comedian who was underappreciated in his time and then taken from us too soon. The Texas-raised Hicks was a remarkable comic who dared tell truths in this country in a time (the 1980s and into the 90s) when a lot of Americans lived in a trance and didn't want to hear them told so bluntly--or at all. The film will probably be more of a revelation to the uninitiated than to longtime fans (such as myself), but fans of the cult comic will also find much to appreciate here.
- 6/28/2011
- by weezy
- GreenCine
Reviewer: Craig Phillips
Rating (out of 5): **½
Argentinean filmmaker Gabriel Medina's offbeat first feature The Paranoids (Los paranoicos) moves a bit slow, but it's still inventive and occasionally enchanting enough to make one curious about what the filmmaker may do next. Essentially a character study, the film follows Luciano (Whisky's talented Daniel Hendler, looking a bit like a Uruguayan Paul Schneider), a quirkily neurotic, procrastinating screenwriter who earns a living entertaining at kids' parties (garbed in a Smoochy-like suit as his character "Cachito"). He spends a lot of time brooding in his apartment because he's, well, paranoid and sociophobic. He's such the perfectionist that he's spent years struggling over one script, and unsurprisingly, all his anxieties make it hard for him to have a girlfriend. (In the midst of a fling, he's terrified of contracting an Std because the condom breaks.)...
Rating (out of 5): **½
Argentinean filmmaker Gabriel Medina's offbeat first feature The Paranoids (Los paranoicos) moves a bit slow, but it's still inventive and occasionally enchanting enough to make one curious about what the filmmaker may do next. Essentially a character study, the film follows Luciano (Whisky's talented Daniel Hendler, looking a bit like a Uruguayan Paul Schneider), a quirkily neurotic, procrastinating screenwriter who earns a living entertaining at kids' parties (garbed in a Smoochy-like suit as his character "Cachito"). He spends a lot of time brooding in his apartment because he's, well, paranoid and sociophobic. He's such the perfectionist that he's spent years struggling over one script, and unsurprisingly, all his anxieties make it hard for him to have a girlfriend. (In the midst of a fling, he's terrified of contracting an Std because the condom breaks.)...
- 5/9/2011
- by GreenCineStaff
- GreenCine
By Craig Phillips
Continuing on from my previous Critic's Notebook piece here on Gc Daily, a few more films of interest that have screened and are screening at the San Francisco International Film Festival. For more random thoughts and comments you can follow me on Twitter: @craigary.
Hospitalité
This droll black comedy from Japanese director Koji Fukada is about a printer named Kobayashi and his much younger second wife (and their two little children) whose lives are altered when they take in an odd stranger Kagawa (Furutachi Kanji), who claims to be the son of a former patron of Kobayashi's father, to live and work with them. Kobayashi's divorced sister Seiko (Kumi Hyodo), newly returned herself. is instantly wary of him and life gets even more complicated when Kagawa's wife turns up unannounced -- she's either from Brazil or Bosnia or somewhere else entirely, depending on who she is telling,...
Continuing on from my previous Critic's Notebook piece here on Gc Daily, a few more films of interest that have screened and are screening at the San Francisco International Film Festival. For more random thoughts and comments you can follow me on Twitter: @craigary.
Hospitalité
This droll black comedy from Japanese director Koji Fukada is about a printer named Kobayashi and his much younger second wife (and their two little children) whose lives are altered when they take in an odd stranger Kagawa (Furutachi Kanji), who claims to be the son of a former patron of Kobayashi's father, to live and work with them. Kobayashi's divorced sister Seiko (Kumi Hyodo), newly returned herself. is instantly wary of him and life gets even more complicated when Kagawa's wife turns up unannounced -- she's either from Brazil or Bosnia or somewhere else entirely, depending on who she is telling,...
- 5/2/2011
- GreenCine Daily
Updated through 4/30.
The San Francisco International Film Festival (Sfiff), the longest one running in the Americas, opens tonight with Mike Mills's Beginners and closes on May 5 with Mathieu Amalric's On Tour. Among the 150 films screening in between, give or take, will be the centerpiece, Azazel Jacobs's Terri.
"In terms of artistic achievement, it's safe to say no producer has contributed to independent American cinema over the last two decades like Christine Vachon," writes Dennis Harvey, introducing his interview. Vachon will be delivering the State of Cinema address on Sunday evening (it's a busy time for her; she's also on Tribeca's Documentary and Student Short Film Competitions jury). Also at SF360, Michael Fox has cinema studies professor Bill Nichols give him a preview of the discussion he'll be leading on the Social Justice Documentary and talks with Bay Area filmmakers who have work in the lineup.
Max Goldberg...
The San Francisco International Film Festival (Sfiff), the longest one running in the Americas, opens tonight with Mike Mills's Beginners and closes on May 5 with Mathieu Amalric's On Tour. Among the 150 films screening in between, give or take, will be the centerpiece, Azazel Jacobs's Terri.
"In terms of artistic achievement, it's safe to say no producer has contributed to independent American cinema over the last two decades like Christine Vachon," writes Dennis Harvey, introducing his interview. Vachon will be delivering the State of Cinema address on Sunday evening (it's a busy time for her; she's also on Tribeca's Documentary and Student Short Film Competitions jury). Also at SF360, Michael Fox has cinema studies professor Bill Nichols give him a preview of the discussion he'll be leading on the Social Justice Documentary and talks with Bay Area filmmakers who have work in the lineup.
Max Goldberg...
- 4/30/2011
- MUBI
By Craig Phillips
There's an ice cream parlor down the street from me that is locally famous for its giant spinning wheel aimed at the indecisive or risk-taking customer. A plethora of flavors are listed on the wheel as well as several "free" spaces. You could end up with marmalade-tobacco crunch (okay, I exaggerate) but you could also really score. No, films are not like ice cream, but this is kind of how I've approached deciding which films to see at this year's San Francisco International Film Festival, while also trying to focus even more than in past years on films that may not have wide distribution. The temptations are there: Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Meek's Cutoff, Beginners - which I did see - are among the distributed films playing at Sfiff 54. But director Graham Legget and his team of programmers (Rachel Rosen, Rod Armstrong, Sean Uyehara and Audrey Chang...
There's an ice cream parlor down the street from me that is locally famous for its giant spinning wheel aimed at the indecisive or risk-taking customer. A plethora of flavors are listed on the wheel as well as several "free" spaces. You could end up with marmalade-tobacco crunch (okay, I exaggerate) but you could also really score. No, films are not like ice cream, but this is kind of how I've approached deciding which films to see at this year's San Francisco International Film Festival, while also trying to focus even more than in past years on films that may not have wide distribution. The temptations are there: Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Meek's Cutoff, Beginners - which I did see - are among the distributed films playing at Sfiff 54. But director Graham Legget and his team of programmers (Rachel Rosen, Rod Armstrong, Sean Uyehara and Audrey Chang...
- 4/29/2011
- GreenCine Daily
Reviewer: Craig Phillips
Rating (out of 5): ****
After nearly dying from a vicious attack that left him brain damaged, Mark Hogancamp had to learn to walk, talk and write again—only finding solace in the building of a small-scale WWII European village in his backyard. Named for this fictional, war-torn town, Marwencol is filmmaker Jeff Malmberg's four-year chronicle of Hogancamp's life and project, a film as much about the restoration of a human psyche as it is the story of an intricate art form rising out of tragedy.
Rating (out of 5): ****
After nearly dying from a vicious attack that left him brain damaged, Mark Hogancamp had to learn to walk, talk and write again—only finding solace in the building of a small-scale WWII European village in his backyard. Named for this fictional, war-torn town, Marwencol is filmmaker Jeff Malmberg's four-year chronicle of Hogancamp's life and project, a film as much about the restoration of a human psyche as it is the story of an intricate art form rising out of tragedy.
- 4/11/2011
- by underdog
- GreenCine
by Craig Phillips
Live Action:
It's noteworthy that four out of the five Oscar-nominated live shorts center around children or adolescents, and the 5th around immature adults. I'm not sure what this means, exactly—coming-of-age slices of life tales are easy fodder for films in brief. Each of these nominees seems eerily old-fashioned in their perspectives, though there's enough freshness in their style and presentation to make them worth watching.
At first glance, God of Love looks like it stars the Williamsburg imports from the "Look at This Fucking Hipster" website, but Luke Matheny's humorously neurotic, black-and-white variation on the Cupid story is quite enjoyable. The filmmaker stars as sad-sack, lounge-singer and dart-thrower Raymond Goodfellow; his fast-talking, curly haired, clownish demeanor makes him seem the love child of Jeff Goldblum and Elya Baskin. The character's amusing, though he has so many quirks and tics and manipulative means (who can blame him?...
Live Action:
It's noteworthy that four out of the five Oscar-nominated live shorts center around children or adolescents, and the 5th around immature adults. I'm not sure what this means, exactly—coming-of-age slices of life tales are easy fodder for films in brief. Each of these nominees seems eerily old-fashioned in their perspectives, though there's enough freshness in their style and presentation to make them worth watching.
At first glance, God of Love looks like it stars the Williamsburg imports from the "Look at This Fucking Hipster" website, but Luke Matheny's humorously neurotic, black-and-white variation on the Cupid story is quite enjoyable. The filmmaker stars as sad-sack, lounge-singer and dart-thrower Raymond Goodfellow; his fast-talking, curly haired, clownish demeanor makes him seem the love child of Jeff Goldblum and Elya Baskin. The character's amusing, though he has so many quirks and tics and manipulative means (who can blame him?...
- 2/25/2011
- GreenCine Daily
Reviewer: Craig Phillips
Rating (out of 5): ***½
HBO's Ricky Gervais Show is basically an animated version of British comedian-actor-writer Gervais' hugely popular podcast--previously a radio show--and while calling it the funniest cartoon series ever based on a radio show/podcast may sound like damning with very faint praise, what's important is that it is indeed funny. Sometimes screamingly so.
(Sometimes screechingly so, if you count their running "Monkey News" segment.)
The premise of the show is simple: Gervais sits in a radio studio with his frequent cohort, Stephen Merchant (a frequent creative partner in crime, including co-writer and co-director of the UK Office and the series Extras, in which Merchant also appeared). They are joined by their producer Karl Pilkington, who Gervais dubs the "round-headed buffoon," and they chat and muse on various odd news, thoughts, history and so on.
Rating (out of 5): ***½
HBO's Ricky Gervais Show is basically an animated version of British comedian-actor-writer Gervais' hugely popular podcast--previously a radio show--and while calling it the funniest cartoon series ever based on a radio show/podcast may sound like damning with very faint praise, what's important is that it is indeed funny. Sometimes screamingly so.
(Sometimes screechingly so, if you count their running "Monkey News" segment.)
The premise of the show is simple: Gervais sits in a radio studio with his frequent cohort, Stephen Merchant (a frequent creative partner in crime, including co-writer and co-director of the UK Office and the series Extras, in which Merchant also appeared). They are joined by their producer Karl Pilkington, who Gervais dubs the "round-headed buffoon," and they chat and muse on various odd news, thoughts, history and so on.
- 1/11/2011
- by underdog
- GreenCine
By Craig Phillips
An interesting year for film, to be sure -- even if there were few out and out indisputable classics, there were a great number of remarkably interesting films, both American independent and documentary, and from abroad. And even Hollywood gave us a few groundbreaking, if flawed, blockbusters. All in all a hard year to pin down, but cinema was full of life. As always, I'm attracted to the films that were consistent in presenting their vision from start to finish, and whether or not the general concept was unique, gave us a work that stayed with you long after the lights went back up. These films all did that for me.
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- 1/4/2011
- by underdog
- GreenCine
Reviewer: Craig Phillips
Rating (out of 5): ***
A John Lennon mini-revival is underway, with Sam Taylor Wood's recent theatrical release Nowhere Boy focusing more on the enigmatic Beatle's adolescent struggles and this 2010 BBC TV production Lennon Naked, which whips forward through a few seminal moments in Lennon's life from 1964 to 1971, as both the world at large and Lennon's own world went through extreme changes. The BBC film explores how Lennon dealt with that rocky upbringing and ways it affected his relationships as an adult, with friends and family (including his sensitive son Julian). The sudden death of manager Brian Epstein, often called "the Fifth Beatle" for his importance to the band, is another event that, as depicted in the film, made Lennon resentful and empty. And Lennon's long-estranged father (played by British telly mainstay Christopher Fairbank) comes back into his life to attempt to make amends -- or to glom on to his wealth.
Rating (out of 5): ***
A John Lennon mini-revival is underway, with Sam Taylor Wood's recent theatrical release Nowhere Boy focusing more on the enigmatic Beatle's adolescent struggles and this 2010 BBC TV production Lennon Naked, which whips forward through a few seminal moments in Lennon's life from 1964 to 1971, as both the world at large and Lennon's own world went through extreme changes. The BBC film explores how Lennon dealt with that rocky upbringing and ways it affected his relationships as an adult, with friends and family (including his sensitive son Julian). The sudden death of manager Brian Epstein, often called "the Fifth Beatle" for his importance to the band, is another event that, as depicted in the film, made Lennon resentful and empty. And Lennon's long-estranged father (played by British telly mainstay Christopher Fairbank) comes back into his life to attempt to make amends -- or to glom on to his wealth.
- 11/30/2010
- by underdog
- GreenCine
Big Brother star Craig Phillips has landed a new celebrity Diy series on Home. The reality TV star will tackle Diy dilemmas in the homes of famous faces including Linda Robson, Frankie Dettori, Christine Hamilton and Nancy Sorrell. Phillips will provide insights into the homes of the celebrities and also offer viewers handy tips for looking after your homes. Speaking to Digital Spy earlier this year, Phillips claimed that the programme was "a cross between Cribs and Through The Keyhole". UKTV's Jane Rogerson said: "Celebrity Diy With Craig Phillips is a great way to get a sneaky peak of how the famous live, as well as an informative and entertaining way of learning how to tackle those household repairs." Head of Home Clare Laycock commented: "Craig's the perfect (more)...
- 10/15/2010
- by By Alex Fletcher
- Digital Spy
Reviewer:Craig Phillips
Rating (out of 5): ***
I find Splice maddening, provocative, erratic, brave enough to suggest something greater, hard to dismiss, but ultimately frustrating. It's an intriguing film that touches on hot-button issues involving bioethics and corporate science, things that not only "could happen" but are happening. The early David Cronenberg influence in the new film byCube director Vincenzo Natali is clear, and that's both a compliment and a burden. I say this not just because it's a Canadian production, but because the film manages to weave in the gross out with the cold and clinical, with a distinctly wry Canadian sense of humor that is sometimes overlooked in Cronenberg's best work, too. Essentially a modernized take on the age old mad scientist creating a monster tale, as well as cautionary tale on genetic engineering, Splice has its effectively scary moments, but it is not quite on a level with The Fly.
- 10/5/2010
- by underdog
- GreenCine
Reviewer: Craig Phillips
Rating (out of 5): ***½
(Untitled) sends up the pretensions of the art world, which seems an easy target, but while there are quite a few comical moments, director/writer Jonathan Parker (Bartleby) doesn't take the low road. [I like what Roger Ebert wrote: "It's easy to take cheap shots at conceptual art. '(Untitled)' doesn't do that. It takes expensive shots."] Character-driven, Parker's script (with Catherine Dinapoli) seems a slightly snarkier cousin to Jonathan Ames' HBO series Bored to Death, both New York-set and full of identifiable, flawed characters who are gently ribbed but not deeply mocked. In fact (Untitled) seems to take more delight in criticizing critics - portrayed here as rude and unfeeling - than in skewering artists.
Rating (out of 5): ***½
(Untitled) sends up the pretensions of the art world, which seems an easy target, but while there are quite a few comical moments, director/writer Jonathan Parker (Bartleby) doesn't take the low road. [I like what Roger Ebert wrote: "It's easy to take cheap shots at conceptual art. '(Untitled)' doesn't do that. It takes expensive shots."] Character-driven, Parker's script (with Catherine Dinapoli) seems a slightly snarkier cousin to Jonathan Ames' HBO series Bored to Death, both New York-set and full of identifiable, flawed characters who are gently ribbed but not deeply mocked. In fact (Untitled) seems to take more delight in criticizing critics - portrayed here as rude and unfeeling - than in skewering artists.
- 9/20/2010
- by underdog
- GreenCine
Highlight’s from tonight’s Ultimate Big Brother show – 10pm on Channel 4
9.37am
Brian lets Victor know that Makosi is about to have a shower in the garden. Victor thanks him for the heads up. Victor gets a chair and sits facing the out door shower to watch Makosi. Makosi says why don’t you have a shower as well to Victor. Victor jokes that’s a good idea because he cares about the environment and would be good to save water.
As Makosi finishes her shower Victor says “Thanks for the show, I got my money’s worth.”
10.41am
In the bedroom some of the housemate are moaning about the dirty state of the bathroom. Preston says “the floor is really hairy” and Ulrika says she’s been finding long black hairs that she thinks must be from Makosi’s weave “as it looks like pubic hair”, just...
9.37am
Brian lets Victor know that Makosi is about to have a shower in the garden. Victor thanks him for the heads up. Victor gets a chair and sits facing the out door shower to watch Makosi. Makosi says why don’t you have a shower as well to Victor. Victor jokes that’s a good idea because he cares about the environment and would be good to save water.
As Makosi finishes her shower Victor says “Thanks for the show, I got my money’s worth.”
10.41am
In the bedroom some of the housemate are moaning about the dirty state of the bathroom. Preston says “the floor is really hairy” and Ulrika says she’s been finding long black hairs that she thinks must be from Makosi’s weave “as it looks like pubic hair”, just...
- 8/31/2010
- by Lisa McGarry
- Unreality
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