Applies Mikhail Bakhtin's idea of the carnivalesque to 1950's British comedy films. Carnivalesque as the atmosphere of satire and parody; Effects of the films on the politics of the period; Films include 'Passport to Pimlico' and 'Whiskey Galore.'Sobchak...
In 2000, Total Film readers voted it the third-best comedy of all time.That said, ‘Withnail & I’ was no instant success: it managed a paltry three-week run on its opening and, including its 2007 UK Film Council remastered re-release, has only grossed £1.5million in British cinemas...
Sir Norman Joseph Wisdom, (4 February 1915 – 4 October 2010) was an English actor, comedian and singer-songwriter best known for a series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966 featuring his hapless onscreen character that was often called Norman Pitkin. He was awarded the 1953 BAFTA...
Best comedy: The Ladykillers (1955) The outstanding Ealing comedy, that follows the hilarious capers of a group of small-time crooks, taking on more than they can handle in the form of sweet elderly landlady, is one the favourite comedy films of all time of author, actor and comedian David...
This is more than just a music promo. It's more than a pre-MTV attempt to market a band through film. It's an honest-to-god comedy with genuine wit and heart and also - not incidentally - some terrific tunes. A day in the life of the Fab Four at the height of Beatlemania, rush...
Hammer Films adapted all three 1950s BBC Quatermass serials as films. The Quatermass Xperiment was released in 1955, Quatermass 2 in 1957 and Quatermass and the Pit in 1967. This is our annual “spinoff” discussion about an adaptation of a British SF TV series into a different medium. Pl...
It’s a mostly chronological account, though interspersed with mini-essays on, for example, the “Grasshopper Group,” a society of animators who supported each other’s self-made films in the 1950s and 1960s.Reviewing Stewart’s book in Sight & Sound, Philip Kemp found this story dismal,...
The remaining tracks are for American films and television programmes, and prove Addison's adaptability. Swashbuckler (1976) is sprightly and colourful, as befits a pirate tale. Strange Invaders (1983) is a parody of 1950s sci-fi, set in an Illinois town occupied by aliens. It is an entert...
Member of the comedy group Monty Python, Michael Palin received a CBE in 2000. His portrayal of Ken Pile in A Fish Called Wanda earned him a BAFTA award. He ranked 30th in The Comedians' Comedian poll, was a Royal Geographical Society president, and later turned into a travel documentarian...
British Pathe, the world's leading multimedia resource with a history stretching back over a century. The finest and most comprehensive archive of fabulous footage and stunning stills.