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The Death Of Stalin Review

Very Good

Fans of the film In the Loop and the TV series Veep will definitely not want to miss this raucously hilarious political satire from the same creator, Armando Iannucci. This time he has gone back in history to 1953, giving his snappy dialogue to the Russians jostling for control after the Soviet leader's sudden demise. The setting makes it a lot darker than Iannucci's previous work, but it's packed with unforgettable one-liners, visual gags and pointed observations on politics today.

 

In the wake of Stalin's death, his successors aren't sure whether they should continue with his campaign of terror against Russian citizens. Dopey deputy Malenkov (Jeffrey Tambor) wants to maintain the status quo, while more progressive Krushchev (Steve Buscemi) is looking for change. Their main rival is Beria (Simon Russell Beale), a thug who likes young girls. Then the enthusiastic General Zhukov (Jason Isaacs) charges in, deciding that they need to push Beria out and go in another direction. Meanwhile, Stalin's spoiled children (Rupert Friend and Andrea Riseborough) are determined that they should have a say in any new government, but everyone else knows that their days are numbered.

Continue reading: The Death Of Stalin Review

The Death Of Stalin Trailer


It's 1953 and our story takes place in Russia - then known as the Soviet Union - a nation terrorised by their communist leader Joseph Stalin (Adrian McLoughlin). But this is not a story about the inhumane acts of oppression and cruelty in his regime that resulted in the death of millions, it's about the events that occurred both immediately prior and following his shocking death from an apparent stroke at the age of 74.

Of course, this movie is as loosely based on the real events as it possibly could be - but it's certainly how we'd want to imagine events transpiring. There becomes an intense power struggle between several members of the Council of Ministers including Nikita Khrushchev (Steve Buscemi) - who would later go on to be the First Secretary of the Communist Party - Georgy Malenkov (Jeffrey Tambor), Lavrentiy Beria (Simon Russell Beale), Vyacheslav Molotov (Michael Palin), Lazar Kaganovich (Dermot Crowley), Anastas Mikoyan (Paul Whitehouse) and Nicolai Bulganin (Paul Chahidi).

Meanwhile, Marshal Georgy Zhukov (Jason Isaacs) is throwing a spanner in the works - not being the best of friends with Malenkov - and of course Joseph Stalin's renegade son Vasily (Rupert Friend) needs to be kept a close eye on. But nothing compares the chaos that they face from the public when they find out that their 'great' leader is dead.

Continue: The Death Of Stalin Trailer

Armando Iannucci Defends The BBC From Government Attacks


Armando Iannucci

Armando Iannucci, the award-winning creator of political comedies such as ‘Veep’ and ‘The Thick of It’, has accused British government ministers of effectively trying to kill the BBC, also saying that to get rid of the national broadcaster would be “bad capitalism”.

The 51 year old comedian and writer was giving the 40th annual MacTaggart lecture at the Edinburgh International Television Festival on Wednesday (August 26th) in front of leading TV executives when he urged people to defend the Beeb as an institution.

“If the BBC were a weapons system, half the cabinet would be on a plane to Saudi Arabia to tell them how brilliant it was,” said Iannucci, who won an OBE in 2013.

Continue reading: Armando Iannucci Defends The BBC From Government Attacks

HBO Renews 'Veep' - The Most Underrated Comedy On TV?


Julia Louis-Dreyfus Armando Iannucci

Julia Louis-Dreyfus will be back as Selina Meyer on 'Veep', with HBO renewing the comedy for a fourth season this week. The network also said that news series 'Silicon Valley' has been renewed for season two.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus PaleyfestJulia-Louis Dreyfus at Paleyfest

Veep has emerged as one of HBO's most popular series, with Seinfeld star Dreyfus playing the confident but ultimately clueless vice president of the United States of America. The actress won an Emmy award for the role last year.

Continue reading: HBO Renews 'Veep' - The Most Underrated Comedy On TV?

Emmys 2013 Round-Up: Clare Danes & Jeff Daniels Crowned King & Queen [Pictures]


Jeff Daniels Claire Danes Neil Patrick Harris Bryan Cranston Julia Louis-Dreyfus Armando Iannucci Aaron Paul

Last night's Emmy Awards rounded off one of the most addictive and successful years in television for quite some time. Whether you've hooked on Homeland, mad about Mad Men, devoted to Downton Abbey or hyped about House of Cards, the annual TV industry awards dished out some dazzlingly deserved gongs.

Jeff Daniels
Jeff Daniels' Unexpected Best Drama Actor Win Was One Of The Evening's Highlights.

How I Met Your Mother's Neil Patrick Harris acted as this year's compère and although his show wasn't nominated for the best 'Comedy Series,' Neil kept the jokes coming, making fun of how deceptively unpredictable some of this year's awards were.

Continue reading: Emmys 2013 Round-Up: Clare Danes & Jeff Daniels Crowned King & Queen [Pictures]

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa Review


Extraordinary

In bringing his iconic 1990s radio and TV character to the big screen, Coogan refreshingly refuses to play to American audiences: this film is purely British in its story, setting and characters. And as it gleefully redefines almost every action movie cliche imaginable, it's also one of the funniest films of the year. This is party due to the hilariously astute script, but also because Alan Partridge is both riotously embarrassing and utterly loveable.

As we meet him this time , Alan (Coogan) is trying to save his job at North Norfolk Digital when the radio station is bought by a corporation and turned in to Shape ("The way you want it to be"). In the process, Alan gets his colleague Pat (Meaney) sacked, and at the Shape launch party Pat goes postal with a shotgun, taking the staff hostage. As the police close in around the station, Alan becomes the chief negotiator, realising that this can only help boost his fame. But as he works on increasing his own publicity, Pat is menacing his on-air sidekick Simon (Key), while his offbeat security guard friend Michael (Greenall) finds a place to hide and his assistant (Montagu) has her own encounter with the media.

After all these years, Coogan is able to completely vanish into Alan's distinctive personality, saying all the wrong things at the wrong times while constantly getting distracted by irrelevant details. He only ever does the right thing by mistake. Yes, Alan is a buffoon, but he isn't stupid. Coogan plays him so perfectly that we can't help but like Alan even with his distinctive flaws. And the film actually generates a real sense of menace in this mini-Die Hard siege scenario, blending real danger with inspired physical comedy. And virtually every line of dialog has a joke in it.

Continue reading: Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa Review

New Trailer For Alan Partridge Movie Goes Viral; But Does The Film Look Any Good?


Steve Coogan Colm Meaney Armando Iannucci

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa will see Steve Coogan's most famous comic creation take to the big screen for the first ever time and earlier this week we got our second glimpse at the long-awaited jump from Tv to movie screen from Norwich's most famous fictional son. Unlike the first trailer for Alpha Papa, which was more of a behind-the-scenes look at the think-tank who eventually came up with the title Alpha Papa (we still think Colossal Velocity was a better name), the new trailer is your typical, all-the-best-parts-of-the-movie scenario, that doesn't leave too much to the imagination, but should cause a few laughs.

The movie continues the Partridge story where the former golden boy of light-hearted chat on the Bbc is now one of the big names at North Norfolk Digital - North Norfolk's premier digital radio station - however a move by a new media conglomerate to take over the station sets in motion a series of hilarious events that see's fellow a Dj (Colm Meaney) take the station hostage, and will only use Partridge as his lackey to communicate with the police. It is up to Alan and the police to stop the violent siege for good, before things get ugly. And don't worry, Lynn and Michael are in the movie too.

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa hits cinemas 7 August 2013. The film was written by Coogan and Armando Iannucci, Neil Gibbons and Rob Gibbons (who regularly work on Partridge material together) as well as Peter Baynham and Patrick Marber. Declan Lowney is directing.

Continue reading: New Trailer For Alan Partridge Movie Goes Viral; But Does The Film Look Any Good?

Armando Iannucci

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Armando Iannucci Movies

The Death of Stalin Movie Review

The Death of Stalin Movie Review

Fans of the film In the Loop and the TV series Veep will definitely not...

The Death Of Stalin Trailer

The Death Of Stalin Trailer

It's 1953 and our story takes place in Russia - then known as the Soviet...

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa Movie Review

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa Movie Review

In bringing his iconic 1990s radio and TV character to the big screen, Coogan refreshingly...

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