Welsh actor, writer and director Celyn Jones has set “Madfabulous” as his next directorial venture.
The British indie is based on the true story of Henry Cyril Paget, fifth Marquess of Anglesey, who was once one of the richest men in Britain but died penniless and forgotten at the age of 29 in France.
“It’s full of pathos and humanity, it’s very much a character who wants to get the attention of his family who don’t want him and he keeps upping the ante with his spending, his flamboyance and his dancing,” Jones told Variety about the 1890s-set film. “What happens if you are a theatrical, and you are very gender fluid at a time when when people didn’t even know what that was? And you’ve got all the money in the world to do that. Well, of course, you buy a theater company, you buy...
The British indie is based on the true story of Henry Cyril Paget, fifth Marquess of Anglesey, who was once one of the richest men in Britain but died penniless and forgotten at the age of 29 in France.
“It’s full of pathos and humanity, it’s very much a character who wants to get the attention of his family who don’t want him and he keeps upping the ante with his spending, his flamboyance and his dancing,” Jones told Variety about the 1890s-set film. “What happens if you are a theatrical, and you are very gender fluid at a time when when people didn’t even know what that was? And you’ve got all the money in the world to do that. Well, of course, you buy a theater company, you buy...
- 5/8/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Zany caper follows Jo Hartley as a big-veg enthusiast defending her patch from elaborate ill-doings
Chaos reigns in this strange, funny and amiably anarchic mockumentary about dirty tricks in the cutthroat world of competitive marrow-growing, written and co-directed by film-maker Brook Driver. Maybe the script could have gone through another couple of drafts, but that might have removed some of the flavour. As it is, it feels like Thomas Pynchon had emailed Ricky Gervais an idea he’d had for a British comedy, and the result certainly has some laughs.
Jo Hartley (a stalwart of Shane Meadows’s movies Dead Man’s Shoes and This Is England) is Caroline, a marrow-grower and a divorcee who pretends her ex-husband is dead and is now in a kind of Nsa relationship with her needy neighbour Willy (Celyn Jones); they are both mates with conspiracy theorist and fanatically competitive prize-veg enthusiast Paul (Richard Lumsden...
Chaos reigns in this strange, funny and amiably anarchic mockumentary about dirty tricks in the cutthroat world of competitive marrow-growing, written and co-directed by film-maker Brook Driver. Maybe the script could have gone through another couple of drafts, but that might have removed some of the flavour. As it is, it feels like Thomas Pynchon had emailed Ricky Gervais an idea he’d had for a British comedy, and the result certainly has some laughs.
Jo Hartley (a stalwart of Shane Meadows’s movies Dead Man’s Shoes and This Is England) is Caroline, a marrow-grower and a divorcee who pretends her ex-husband is dead and is now in a kind of Nsa relationship with her needy neighbour Willy (Celyn Jones); they are both mates with conspiracy theorist and fanatically competitive prize-veg enthusiast Paul (Richard Lumsden...
- 4/17/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
"I can't believe you shot me!" Belstone Pictures, Picnik Ent., & Deadbeat Studios have revealed the official trailer for an indie comedy titled Swede Caroline, made by the filmmakers Finn Bruce & Brook Driver. This mockumentary about farming first premiered in 2022 at the Raindance Film Festival, and is getting a UK release in select theaters this April. The mock doc film explores the highly competitive and murky world of giant vegetable growing! As Caroline readies herself for the big championship with the help of her trusty partners Willy & Paul, she sets off in search of the truth. On the way enduring kidnappings, car chases and – worst of all – courgettes. But will the culprit(s) ever be caught? The film bounces from one quintessential British location to the next, as Caroline's quest leads her from allotments to service stations, by way of chip shops & the odd lay-by. Starring a bumper crop of acting talent including Jo Hartley,...
- 2/27/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Exclusive: Swede Caroline, a British mockumentary starring Jo Hartley (After Life) and Aisling Bea from Nicola Pearcey, formerly President, Lionsgate UK & Europe, and now CEO of Picnik Entertainment, has landed both a theatrical and digital release.
Belstone Pictures, Deadbeat Studios, and Pearcey’s Picnik Entertainment will jointly send the pic into cinemas on April 19, with Sky Cinema set to premiere the film later this year. The deal with Sky was closed by Finn Bruce of Belstone on behalf of the filmmakers and by Rachel Trawicki and Alexander Wright for Sky.
Swede Caroline is the debut feature of directing duo Brook Driver and Finn Bruce, who previously collaborated on SXSW Special Jury Prize-winning Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break. Swede Caroline was penned by Driver. The story is centered around the eccentric world of competitive vegetable growing. The plot follows Caroline as she readies herself for the big championship when the...
Belstone Pictures, Deadbeat Studios, and Pearcey’s Picnik Entertainment will jointly send the pic into cinemas on April 19, with Sky Cinema set to premiere the film later this year. The deal with Sky was closed by Finn Bruce of Belstone on behalf of the filmmakers and by Rachel Trawicki and Alexander Wright for Sky.
Swede Caroline is the debut feature of directing duo Brook Driver and Finn Bruce, who previously collaborated on SXSW Special Jury Prize-winning Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break. Swede Caroline was penned by Driver. The story is centered around the eccentric world of competitive vegetable growing. The plot follows Caroline as she readies herself for the big championship when the...
- 2/23/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: UK production company Mad As Birds (Mab) — best known for pics such as Six Minutes to Midnight, Poms, The Vanishing, and The Almond And The Seahorse — has landed a major cash injection from a private investor as it sets out a diverse slate of projects for the Cannes market.
We understand the investment is around the seven-figure mark. The investor, whose identity has been kept private, approached the UK-based indie headed by Celyn Jones, Andy Evans, and Sean Marley with the unique deal, which is set to supercharge the company’s work across film and TV, with several Mab projects heading to the Cannes market this week.
New Mab film projects hitting the market include:
Call Girls
Directed by veteran British filmmaker Catherine Morshead, the film comes from a screenplay by writers Paul Coleman and Brennan Reece. Coleman is the BAFTA-winning writer behind the BBC comedy Car Share,...
We understand the investment is around the seven-figure mark. The investor, whose identity has been kept private, approached the UK-based indie headed by Celyn Jones, Andy Evans, and Sean Marley with the unique deal, which is set to supercharge the company’s work across film and TV, with several Mab projects heading to the Cannes market this week.
New Mab film projects hitting the market include:
Call Girls
Directed by veteran British filmmaker Catherine Morshead, the film comes from a screenplay by writers Paul Coleman and Brennan Reece. Coleman is the BAFTA-winning writer behind the BBC comedy Car Share,...
- 5/15/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
There are times when the prognostication world anoints a presumed Oscar winner, only to have the film or the performance fall flat when actually seen. Then, there are other times when the movie or performer meets expectations and the victor should begin writing up their speech for the Academy Awards. More often than not, the former winds up being true. Gary Oldman is a case of the latter, as his turn in Darkest Hour is 100% going to win him the Oscar for Best Actor. It’s just a done deal, Academy wise. Beginning its theatrical run today, it’s also a quality biopic that’s more than simply shameless awards bait. The film is a look at British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Oldman), how he came to power during the early days of World War II, and his agonizing decision over whether to negotiate with Hitler or fight on. The...
- 11/22/2017
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
"You cannot reason with a tiger when your head is in its mouth!" Focus Features has unveiled the first trailer for Joe Wright's Darkest Hour, the second film this year about Winston Churchill (the other one is called Churchill starring Brian Cox). This is the film that stars the very talented Gary Oldman under heavy prosthetic as Winston Churchill, giving a powerful, commanding cigar-chomping performance. The focus in this film is on Churchill's first few days as Prime Minister, deciding whether or not to agree to a peace treaty with Nazi Germany or fight back and rally the troops. The cast includes Lily James, Ben Mendelsohn, Stephen Dillane, Kristin Scott Thomas, Charley Palmer Rothwell, Ronald Pickup, Nicholas Jones, Hannah Steele, Richard Lumsden, and Jeremy Child. This looks much, much better than the other Churchill film. And hopefully this will get Oldman an Oscar nomination - it definitely seems possible.
- 7/13/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Emma Thompson both wrote and stars in this latter-day Jane Austen adaptation, blessed with fine locations and costumes, a congenial cast and attentive direction by Ang Lee. Kate Winslet consolidates her newfound stardom as a second Austen husband-seeker, lost in a maze of family intrigues and betrayals. But none are so severe as to prevent faith, hope and charity from prevailing in the end. Sense and Sensibility Blu-ray Twilight Time Limited Edition 1995 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 136 min. / Ship Date November 10, 2015 / available through Twilight Time Movies / 29.95 Starring Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Gemma Jones, Tom Wilkinson, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Greg Wise, Lucy Steele, Harriet Walter, Imelda Staunton, Emilie François, Robert Hardy, Hugh Laurie. Cinematography Michael Coulter Original Music Patrick Doyle Written by Emma Thompson from the book by Jane Austen Produced by Lindsay Doran Directed by Ang Lee
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Jane Austen is certainly back in the chips these days,...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Jane Austen is certainly back in the chips these days,...
- 12/1/2015
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
To mark the release of Downhill on 16th June, we’ve been given 3 copies to give away on DVD.
Gordon (Richard Lumsden – Sightseers, TV’s The Catherine Tate Show) is determined that he and best friend Keith (Karl Theobald – TV’s 2012, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa) will conquer Wainright’s Coast to Coast Walk from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay in North Yorkshire. He also believes that having his film student son document the adventure is the perfect way to commemorate their achievement, but when a stray conversation determines that old school friends Steve (Jeremy Swift – Jupiter Ascending, TV’s Downton Abbey) and Julian (Ned Dennehy – Tyrannosaur, TV’s Luther) join them on the trip, best laid plans lead straight to multiple mid-life crises.
Combining keenly observed situational comedy; some of Britain’s finest comedy talent and a breathtaking journey through some of the best of British countryside,...
Gordon (Richard Lumsden – Sightseers, TV’s The Catherine Tate Show) is determined that he and best friend Keith (Karl Theobald – TV’s 2012, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa) will conquer Wainright’s Coast to Coast Walk from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay in North Yorkshire. He also believes that having his film student son document the adventure is the perfect way to commemorate their achievement, but when a stray conversation determines that old school friends Steve (Jeremy Swift – Jupiter Ascending, TV’s Downton Abbey) and Julian (Ned Dennehy – Tyrannosaur, TV’s Luther) join them on the trip, best laid plans lead straight to multiple mid-life crises.
Combining keenly observed situational comedy; some of Britain’s finest comedy talent and a breathtaking journey through some of the best of British countryside,...
- 6/23/2014
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
As a style of filmmaking that has been severely overcooked in the horror genre, spawning a variety of unoriginal, hackneyed productions, handheld footage has certainly served comedy somewhat more favourably. It simply has so much scope to it in such a department, provoking realism and encouraging improvisation. With the likes of This Is Spinal Tap illuminating the sub-genre, and The Office and The Thick of It also triumphing on the smaller screen, James Rouse has followed on in their footsteps with his amiable debut production, Downhill.
The film explores four old school friends and now middle-aged men, reuniting to embark on a coast to coast walk. Gordon (Richard Lumsden) is the ringleader, bringing together Keith (Karl Theobald), Steve (Jeremy Swift) and Julian (Ned Dennehy) for this arduous, yet enlightening adventure, while his young son documents the entire journey on film.
Where Downhill truly shines, is within the naturalistic approach taken,...
The film explores four old school friends and now middle-aged men, reuniting to embark on a coast to coast walk. Gordon (Richard Lumsden) is the ringleader, bringing together Keith (Karl Theobald), Steve (Jeremy Swift) and Julian (Ned Dennehy) for this arduous, yet enlightening adventure, while his young son documents the entire journey on film.
Where Downhill truly shines, is within the naturalistic approach taken,...
- 5/27/2014
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Sightseers
Stars: Alice Lowe, Steve Oram, Eileen Davies, Richard Glover, Monica Dolan, Jonathan Aris, Richard Lumsden | Written by Alice Lowe, Steve Oram | Directed by Ben Wheatley
Kill List director Ben Wheatley returns with his latest opus, Sightseers, a very British black comedy which is penned by its stars Alice Lowe and Steve Oram and tells the story of Chris (Oram) who wants to show Tina (Lowe) his world and he wants to do it his way – on a journey through the British Isles in his beloved Abbey Oxford Caravan. Tina’s led a sheltered life and there are things that Chris needs her to see – the Crich Tramway Museum, the Ribblehead Viaduct, the Keswick Pencil Museum and the rolling countryside that accompanies these wonders in his life. But it doesn’t take long for the dream to fade. Litterbugs, noisy teenagers and pre-booked caravan sites, not to mention Tina’s meddling mother,...
Stars: Alice Lowe, Steve Oram, Eileen Davies, Richard Glover, Monica Dolan, Jonathan Aris, Richard Lumsden | Written by Alice Lowe, Steve Oram | Directed by Ben Wheatley
Kill List director Ben Wheatley returns with his latest opus, Sightseers, a very British black comedy which is penned by its stars Alice Lowe and Steve Oram and tells the story of Chris (Oram) who wants to show Tina (Lowe) his world and he wants to do it his way – on a journey through the British Isles in his beloved Abbey Oxford Caravan. Tina’s led a sheltered life and there are things that Chris needs her to see – the Crich Tramway Museum, the Ribblehead Viaduct, the Keswick Pencil Museum and the rolling countryside that accompanies these wonders in his life. But it doesn’t take long for the dream to fade. Litterbugs, noisy teenagers and pre-booked caravan sites, not to mention Tina’s meddling mother,...
- 11/26/2012
- by Phil
- Nerdly
Sightseers Trailer. Ben Wheatley‘s Sightseers (2012) movie trailer stars Steve Oram, Alice Lowe, Sara Stewart, Lucy Russell, and Richard Lumsden. Sightseers‘ plot synopsis: “Chris (Steve Oram) wants to show Tina (Alice Lowe) his world and he wants to do it his way – on a journey through this sceptred isle in his beloved Abbey Oxford Caravan. [...]
Continue reading: Sightseers (2012) Movie Trailer: Ben Wheatley, Steve Oram, Alice Lowe...
Continue reading: Sightseers (2012) Movie Trailer: Ben Wheatley, Steve Oram, Alice Lowe...
- 8/29/2012
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
English director Ben Wheatley has made quite a reputation for himself in the indie film circuit over the last few years with his offbeat thriller Kill List, getting many people interested in what he chose to work on next, which turned out to be the horror comedy Sightseers. Wheatley relinquishes writing duties this time to Steve Oram and Alice Lowe, who also take on acting duties in the film, which previously screened at the Cannes film festival, and will be making its North American debut at Tiff 2012. Oram and Lowe are joined in the cast by Lucy Russell, Richard Lumsden, Sara Stewart, Jonathan Aris, and Monica Dolan. A trailer for the movie has now been released, which you can see below.
-...
-...
- 8/28/2012
- by Deepayan Sengupta
- SoundOnSight
Although it's easy to forget, the 90's were a hugely influential era, so much so that many of our modern day necessities were invented within it. In 1990, Tim Berners-Lee developed the Internet and its subsequent language (HTML); in 1995, the VHS welcomed its main rival and subsequent successor, the Digital Versatile Disc (DVD); and in 1998, male impotency met its match through the mass-production of Viagra. However, while the 90's marked an impressive era for technology, it was the evolution of television - especially comedy shows - that we should be most thankful for. Men Behaving Badly, The Vicar of Dibley, The Fast Show, Mr. Bean, Goodness Gracious Me, Never Mind the Buzzcocks - the list really does go on and on.
Is it Legal? was first shown on British television in 1995 on ITV and was the brainchild of Simon Nye, the original creator of Men Behaving Badly. The series - which...
Is it Legal? was first shown on British television in 1995 on ITV and was the brainchild of Simon Nye, the original creator of Men Behaving Badly. The series - which...
- 1/9/2011
- Shadowlocked
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.