RE:View: Risk - The Script

Through an unlikely set of circumstances, I seem to have found myself in possession of a 3 page comedy sketch entitled Risk, with no clue as to who wrote it or how it ended up in a partly torn, partly burnt mess on my front door. With the possibility of this being a leak of a first class comedy writer's highly confidential new project, I had no other journalistic option but to provide an honest and objective review of the mysterious text...

At its core, Risk is based around the classic board/strategy game of the same name, employing tedious sketch tropes into two characters, who very much exist within a one dimensional range of personality. Whilst 'Josh' takes the game way too seriously (cliché war movie dialogue galore), 'Charlie' undermines his silliness with a dry and generally puzzled disposition.

Although peppered with a heavy handed slab of nauseating post-modernism, the actual pacing of Risk isn't too bad, and manages to weave from mediocre joke to mediocre joke with a decent control over escalation: a common sketch convention, which in this case sees us go from Josh walkie-talking with his troops on the board to him spouting lines from Apocalypse Now while being tied to a chair, prisoner-of-war style. From a writer's point of view, it demonstrates at the very least a potential of sustained humour, but from a production perspective, it's hardly a surprise that this script has yet to have been made. Sudden costume changes? Alternating lighting patterns? Precise dice throws? Whatever comedic credit it had built up is squandered by this frankly amateur approach to practicality.

As for the characters, Risk's anonymous writer chose not to stray far from the norm. The 'Sane Guy/Insane Guy' setup is undoubtedly a favourite among troupe legends such as Monty Python and The Kids in the Hall, and is used here in a predictable but no less humorous manner. The problem comes in trying to picture actual actors to bring the schizophrenic dialogue (i.e. sometimes zippy, other times clunky) to life. It's no mean feat, with lines like " I've lost too many damn men to give up now!" and "Dude! You just SPAT on my carpet!" requiring a certain tongue-in-cheek seriousness that only the likes of BriTANick are capable of delivering convincingly. And based on the inexperienced vibe of the writer, it's likely the actual sketch would have relied on hokey performances from disinterested friends.

It's a shame, because when I first read the script I'd thought it to be a quite decent first attempt from a budding writer who was destined for greatness. But upon reflection, it's no wonder I'd found it in the state of tear-stained ruins that it was -- an over eagerness for production and characters had obviously meant that no self-respecting human being in their right mind would want to be immortalised in such a mess, therefore causing the unknown writer to cry themselves into a beautiful metaphor of first-world depression.

1.5/5 Stars

ATR

Zach Braff's All New People

Zach Braff (or Dr John "JD" Dorian as some of us know him better in comedy-phenomenon Scrubs), has been touring his play, All New People, around the UK this year, starting in Manchester, then up to Glasgow, before finishing with a ten week run on the West End. Unlike the NY production that was put on Broadway last year, Zach is actually performing as the lead, giving theatre-goers the Brafftacular evening of both his sharp writing, and acting talents. And, being the sophisticated, play-watching, arts-appreciator that I am, (as well as a huge Scrubs fan), I was lucky enough to go see it... and more.

  The premise is a simple one: Four strangers (well, sort of) meet by chance at a desolate beach house in Long Island, NY, in the middle of Winter. What comes next is a display of the hardships of being young, the regret of the past, and the human curse of belonging vs loneliness. Braff is the bittered and cold Charlie, a guarded and sarcastic guy who we find in a pretty dark place at the start of the play. But he's not alone for long before Welsh actress and star of Torchwood, Eve Myles shows up as kooky-but-with-a-mysterious-past Emma, in a state of desperation to stay in work as to not get sent back to her native Britain. Soon what began as a peaceful "getaway" for Charlie turns into a madhouse as Byron the fire-chief/drug-dealer and Kim the prosti-- "Escort", round out this unlikely quad of varied, humourous and realistic (if a little quirky) characters.

 At its core, All New People is a Dramedy, mixing potent and contemporary themes with an edgy comedic balance slickly interwoven throughout. At various points we are treated to visual, pre-filmed back stories of the characters, which set in stone the freshness and post-modernity of the play, and allow a number of laughs to be had that stretches outside the limits of a one set piece, as well as connecting plot points and providing an emotional connection that the audience has with the characters, which they themselves may lack between each other.

Not surprisingly, Zach was great as down-in-the-dumps Charlie, teasing us only slightly with his morbid prologue, and pulling off a pained and tortured soul pushed to the edge. It's certainly a way off from the optimistic, goof-ball tones of JD, and I found it very weird to hear him drop numerous f-bombs throughout from his usually cheery voice. And then there's Eve Myles, who also shines outside of the badass Gwen Cooper of Torchwood, and gives a stand-out portrayal of a woman who's "Damaged goods", yet devotes her life trying to hide that fact.

And once the curtain's fallen and the terrific actors take their bow, letting the depth of the play sink in to the viewers mind, Zach just carries on giving. There was a quite a crowd to greet him outside by the stage door, all gratefully gathered to get a glimpse of the talented 37 year old. Like a true pro, he willingly signed programmes and tickets, and posed for photos with those camera-ready.

Thankfully, I'd picked up the show's script earlier, and so am now in possession of a signed copy from the writer/actor, as well as this very exciting picture:

Guy love?

The conversation between us went a little like this:

Zach: Hey thanks for coming.
Me: Yeah, it was really, really good.
Zach: Thank you so much.
Me: I'd ask you to Eagle with me, but it seems a little inappropriate here...
Zach: (Laughs) I get that request a lot, as you could imagine.
Me: Ha, yeah. Okay, thanks man.
Zach: No problem, thanks, take care buddy.

And yes, I totally had a fantasy where he said "There's no such thing as inappropriate!" and gracefully lifted me onto his back while we screamed "EAGLE!" to our hearts' content...

So in summary, this was an incredible night. Not only did I see an amazing new play, but got a picture with one of my favourite actors, as well as a signed script, which will all add to my collection of awesome, famous-people-related things. If you can get down to the Duke of York's Theatre in London before the end of April, and if there are any tickets left, then you really should consider going, even if it's just for a glimpse of the man himself.

ATR

Trailer Tuesday: Movie:The Movie

Technically not an actual movie, but a fun little jab at Hollywood's most popular genres, Movie:The Movie is a must see 9 Minute short featuring many, many familiar faces. Check it out:

Yup, that's that.

Stay tuned as I've caught wind that a new Avengers trailer is launching tomorrow, which is just begging for a breakdown...

More ACTUAL Trailers

ATR

The Sunday Supdate: 21/08/11

So I've been away for some time now, and while I could just easily write it off to you as me being on holiday or something, I won't because that would be lying. And you know what they say about liars... "That they will burn in a special kind of hell reserved for child molesters and people who talk in the cinema?" Uh, no I was more referring to - you know what, it doesn't matter... So no, I haven't been training with monks in the Himalayas or assembling a team of the greatest bloggers ever known or playing Volleyball in Tanzania with Rolf Harris or even hunting down Nazi sympathisers in Finland. However, if you really want to know why I haven't been blogging lately, then you can watch this rather pointless vlog I attempted yesterday, in which I murder myself. Or if you don't want to know, save us both the embarrassment and skip past this 3 and a half minute video of awkward silences and gargantuanated "Uhm"'s.

 
It's funny, whenever I have a great month of hits (>1000), the next is always a rapid decline. Perhaps I have this subconscious fear of not reaching there by trying, so I just naturally shy away. I should really stop paying so much attention to the Stats really, and that might stop this autonomous cycle.

Alright, enough about me, here are some new (I use that term loosely) movie stills:
SORT OF SPOILERS AHEAD... BUT NOTHING MAJOR... UNLESS YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE REALLY PEDANTIC FANBOYS... IF SO GET LOST... OR DON'T BECAUSE I'M DESPERATE... BESIDES, YOU'LL SEE IT ALL IN THE TRAILERS...

Henry Cavill stands... hunched as the new Superman in Zack Snyder's Man of Steel (2013). Looks like Snyder had some of the 300 costume parts leftover, with Supes' long, flowing cape. You can also see that his costume looks like the "Basket Ball" material that the new Spider-Man is sporting (The Amazing Spider-Man), which I've got no problem with (though some do). The classic S is still emblazoned nice and wide on the chest, but there's no sign of "over the tights" pants, although that could be a trick of the (utterly atrocious) lighting at work here. And hopefully his face won't be this menacing throughout the whole movie when it drops 14th June 2013...

And here with have the lovely Anne Hathaway as Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises.  The costume's looking very latex-y as per usual with such a character known for her tight leather duds. Seen here on the Bat-Pod, it would seem our feline friend has pinched it from good ol' Bats, either that or she's using it under his digression (perhaps he's in trouble?). Whether those goggles are part of the costume or just simply for when she's zipping round Gotham on the bike, has been the source of many an internet (read: fanboy) debate. I'm a little on the fence on this one... Although if there were alternatives for a face mask, I'd like to see them. Flowing hair's cool though, I'm down with that. For the most part, it looks like they're keeping the costume clean and simple, ditching the cleavage-y look that comes clichéd with Catwoman, and keeping Hathaway's boobs tucked away in there. (But if you happen to want to see them untucked, I suggest Love and Other Drugs). The Dark Knight shall Rise on 20th July 2012.

Yay! It's The Hunger Games! Nothing too overwhelming here, mind. You've got Jennifer Lawrence (X-Men: First Class) as our hero Katniss on the left there, a headstrong girl who must fight for her life in the savage Hunger Games against 23 over kids in this dark dystopian future. Then on the right is Liam Hemsworth (Uhm... He's the brother of Chris Hemsworth (Thor (Oh snap! Double bracket. Wait know it's a triple! This is like...(INCEPTION! Que the giant horn music! BWOARRRRRRRRRR!(Okay, getting a little off topic now... So how many close brackets do I need to put to end this now?))))) (I think that's enough...) as one of two romantic interests, Gale. Now Gale is Katniss's bud from back home, the guy she used to (illegally) hunt with, and both were crack shots with a bow. So this little scene must be before the games starts in their home "District" of 12. Both are very well interpreted from the books, particularly for how I pictured them. My only issue is that Gale looks too shiny, if you know what I mean. A guy who lives in near-poverty and spends his days running through forests shouldn't look so perfect. Where's the rugged edge to him? Anyway, The Hunger Games will be in cinemas March 23rd 2012 and may the odds be ever in your favour.

Well, I'm all "stilled out" after that (not to be confused with "stooled out"). Yeah they're 3 weeks old but who cares?! They're sweet aren't they? 

Happy 99th post by the way! The next one will be celebratory of course, although I've got no idea what it might include. 5000 hits would always be nice... But so would the knowledge that you're all happily reading this and being at least an inkling amused by my internet musings. Ta-rah for now friends, but come back soon, won't cha. Cause if you don't it'll be like leaving me hanging on a high five. Just standing there for hours, hand raised waiting for a sporting clap - that fractional touch that let's me know "Yeah, we cool.". So, are we cool?

ATR

Trailer Tuesday: Not Today, Folks...

No, "Not Today, Folks" is not a movie!

  Yeah, sorry about that, but I've got a couple valid reasons. Firstly, I'm pretty wasted after burning through the last 200 or so pages of Plague (RE:View imminent) which was heart-racingly awesome. And the other reason is that there are no decent recent trailers out. Seriously, IMDB is pretty barren at the moment, except maybe this incredibly blunt and in your face Hesher movie that looks kind of... different. Not really worth a break-down though, seeing as it's so painstakingly obvious. Some sweet actors in there though.

  But don't get too upset over this gut-wrenching revelation of suggested betrayal toward you, depriving you of your precious weekly trailer break-down, because patience may prevail. What I mean is, I might do a trailer some other time this week. And the universe is balanced again. Plus, I'm working on some contacts that could lead somewhere new and exciting... Stay tuned.

Movie Casting News

It's been a busy week for casting, with roles being designated left, right and centre. So I, being the generous type I am, thought I would share all the news with my fellow peers (that's you). First up, it's the two DC big hitters with the latest actor confirmations...

 Superman: Man of Steel, is Zack Snyder's upcoming reboot of the world most iconic superhero. Already in the role of Clark Kent himself, is English actor Henry Cavill, who you can see star alongside Mickey Rourke in the upcoming Immortals. But on Thursday, it was officially announced that the long rumoured Kevin Costner will play Jonathan "Pa" Kent in the ambitious new take on the Superman franchise. And, if you didn't know already, Diane Lane will be appearing with Costner as faithful wife and mother, Martha Kent. So that's the Kent family sorted, now how about the villain? Well, as a matter of fact it has been rumoured that LOTR star Viggo Mortensen could be in talks to play uber kryptonian baddie, General Zod, the same Zod responsible for the destruction of planet Krypton itself... I'll keep my eyes peeled for any more news on this one.

Kneel before Zod?

  Onto the much anticipated Dark Knight Rises now, Christopher Nolan's final piece of his Batman trilogy. With Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman and Tom Hardy already suiting up for the role of Bane, this is shaping up to be one hell of a cast, even without the newcomers I'm about to reveal. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who you may remember from Nolan's mind-boggling Inception, has now been officially cast in some sort of role after months of speculation. Could he be another villain? Azrael perhaps? Or, dare I say it, Robin? Also now being "eyed" for the role of "street smart Gotham Girl" is Indie sensation Juno Temple. Let more speculation reign as fans try to decipher what this mysterious role might mean. Harley Quinn, anyone? Maybe Batgirl (unlikely)? Or, dare I dare say it, a female Robin? ... Only time will tell, but one thing you can be sure of is that Nolan knows what he's doing, so just have faith, people.

Hmmm...

 Finally, the much anticipated (well for me anyway) protagonist role in the adaptation of The Hunger Games books has been confirmed. Jennifer Lawrence is officially Katniss Everdeen, the young penniless girl who must enter into a brutal tournament where kids are pitted against each other in this dystopian future sci-fi thriller. As a fan of the books myself, I was rooting for True Grit star, Hailee Steinfield for the role as I felt her look much more suited the novels description. However I will settle for Lawrence, as it seems she's quite the actress after her many nominations for her performance in Winter's Bone. But we'll have to wait until 2012 to see if it's any good. I've got my fingers crossed.

 That would be all for now it seems, but I'm sure to be doing something or other quite soon. Plus, only 5 more hits until the big 1K! Could this article pull it through to the first thousand views? Lets hope, now hit your F5's people! See you soon.

**********************UPDATE***********************

Hot off the press; the new villain for the Spidey reboot, The Amazing Spider-Man, has been confirmed as Lizard and is being played by Welsh actor Rhys Ifans. The news comes after an actor in a minor role in the film dropped a few too many hints on a radio show this morning.

Think "The Hulk", but with scales and sharper teeth...

 The minor actor, C.Thomas Howell (who may be in a bit of shit right now) revealed that *SPOILERS* he plays a man who's son gets caught up in between a battle with Lizard and Spider-Man on the Manhattan Bridge. Spidey then saves the boy and returns him to his father. However, Howell also said:

    "There is some payback there at the end of the movie. Spider-Man is kind of hurting. I help him when all of the other people won't. Part of the story is, the nation thinks he might be a bad guy. They don't know what to think. Because of my experience on the bridge with my kid, I know he is a good guy. I pitch in and help out at the end. That is the best way."
  
A few beans too many were spilt today, I fear... Oh well, it's always good to get some accidental but official leaks on what's coming up. The new Spider-Man comes out July 2012 in 3D with The Social Network's Andrew Garfield as the famous web-slinger, and by the sounds of it, it's going to rock.


********************************UPDATE******************************


  Joseph Gordon-Levitt's role in The Dark Knight Rises has now been officially confirmed. Robin? No. Riddler? Not quite. Azrael? Nope. Mafia and crime boss Alberto Falcone, ladies and gentlemen. 

Hold onto your seats, because this movie's going to be a hell of a ride!

Son of the infamous former mafia leader, Carmine Falcone, (who you may remember for Batman Begins), Alberto will be another "realistic" villain for Batman to face, and could potentially take the trilogy full circle as it was Carmine who initially triggered Bruce Wayne to go and train. So a nice little battle between the two would tie things up nicely in terms of overarching narratives. Well played, Mr Nolan, well played...