Paul Potts - The Movie

What Next Su-Bo the opera? well Simon Cowell is on board as producer...

According to Risky Business Paramount are going to try to rush through production in time for next summer's Britain's got talent final. They're describing it in "Rocky" terms as a triumph of the undergdog type schtick.

Frankly I think it's a load of nonsense. We don't need a film of this man's triumph, it's already been blanket documented! What more could a film possibly offer? who will they cast to play Potts? if he's to play himself can the fucker act? probably not.

Good news is, it's to be shot in England with English accents, I'm just not sure how well mawkish sentimentality with cheeky chappy awraight luv? englishness (i'm looking at you Matthew Vaughn...). At Least mooted director Julian Jarrold has some decent films under his belt (Red Riding most notably).

Besides all this, nothing's going to top his first audition. You can't remake that shit. That first audition is a climax that can't be stretched out over 90 minuets.

Paul Merton on Hollywood (?)

Paul Merton is to front a series of documentaries for the beeb to coincide with the 100 year anniversary of Hollywood industry. The series will focus on the influence of early cinema on today's movies, and in particular on comedy.


Paul Merton is a genius, and I'll watch anything he does. I haven't seen his previous work on cinema, 'Paul Merton looks at Alfred Hitchcock', and 'Silent Clowns', but now I want to. The Hitchcock piece focusses on the late great's early British work, a body of films sadly much ignored. The work that would come to define Hitchcock was so quintessentially Hollywood, many people forget he was English. Watch The Lodger: London Fog, Blackmail, 39 Steps, or Sabotage, and the great man's status is cemented beyond the familiarity of Psycho or Rebecca or Rear Window.


It should be interesting to see what Merton makes of Hollywood's early days, if he goes beyond the mythologising and cliche, whether he takes on the industrial wrangling as well as the sparkly stars and scandal. 

Raindance is coming up,

And it's looking good. Much as I love the BFI London Film Festival, and shall be endeavouring to attend as much as possible, Raindance has a special place in my heart as the first film festival I ever attended. I worked there as a volunteer in 2004 (I think...) and it was an awesome experience, I got to hang out around loads of cool people, see loads of great films for free, and learn a ton about the film/festival industry. 

Raindance was set up in 1992 to support British independent film making, and since then they've been running courses, offering advice and support, and showcasing the best work around in the annual film festival. 

This year's lineup looks awesome, I wand to see, in no particular order: 

'Colin' a horror movie shot on 45 pounds, 

'Exam' a movie about the worst job interview you can imagine, 

'Hotaru' a Japanese movie about a love affair between a stripper and a potter (oh Barney where are you to guide me through this film?), 

'I think We're Alone Now' looks like a pretty disturbing documentary about two stalkers of the 1980s teen sensation Tiffany, 

'Philosopher Kings' is about the things seen and heard by the janitors of Ivy League.

'A Necessary Death' has garnered a LOT of attention. About a documentary film maker who puts out an advert for a person who wants to commit suicide, then documents the lead up and event.

'The Girlfriend Experience' closes the festival, so I probably won't be able to get a ticket, i'll still find a way to see it though...

Go see.

This film makes me want to sell shit.

Looks awesome.