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Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children Trailer


Jake has always been an ordinary boy but when he finds himself on a small island, things begin to happen that few people would be able to explain. His new friend, a beautiful young girl named Emma seems to be able to perform miraculous occurrences start to happen. 

Things become a little clearer - yet utterly more baffling - when he's taken to meet Miss Peregrine at her exceptional orphanage for children. As Jacob is quick to learn, each of Miss Peregrine's kids has a special ability, something unique to them. Emma can control oxygen and must wear hefty boots to keep her feet firmly attached to the ground, whilst Bronwyn is a little girl with incredible physical strength. 

Miss Peregrine is the protector of the children and acts as their matriarch. To keep them safe she's formulated a way of manipulating time to keep the kids away from dangerous monsters who hunt them down - however, as the dark forces become stronger the Children are placed in more and more danger - unbeknownst to Jacob, perhaps he holds the key to keeping his new friends safe. 

Is Bill Murray's Performance Strong Enough To Save 'St. Vincent' From Critics' Sneers?


Bill Murray Melissa McCarthy Naomi Watts Chris O'Dowd

Critics have plenty to say about St. Vincent, the soon-to-be-released comedy drama written and directed by Theodore Melfi, but not all of it is as positive as the film.

Bill Murray and Melissa McCarthy
Bill Murray and Melissa McCarthy star in St. Vincent.

Read More: Guess What Bill Murray Went And Did?

Continue reading: Is Bill Murray's Performance Strong Enough To Save 'St. Vincent' From Critics' Sneers?

National Theater Live To Bring 'Of Mice & Men', Starring James Franco, To US Cinemas


James Franco Chris O'Dowd Leighton Meester

Missed out on James Franco starring as George in the recent Broadway adaptation of John Steinbeck's 1937 tale Of Mice and Men? Don't despair as the National Theater Live is bringing the show from the stage to the screen and broadcasting recorded performances at cinemas around the US and Canada.

James Franco
James Franco at the photocall for Of Mice and Men.

Read More: James Franco Uses Venice Film Festival To Shoot Scenes For New Movie Sporting A Shaven, Tattooed Head.

Continue reading: National Theater Live To Bring 'Of Mice & Men', Starring James Franco, To US Cinemas

The Geek TV Shows We're Not Afraid To Love


Adam Brody Game Of Thrones Chris O'Dowd Richard Ayoade Doctor Who Peter Capaldi George Takei Zachary Levi Mary McDonnell Judd Hirsch

Geeks: once the deeply awkward and much-maligned members of society- ridiculed by Jocks and long stereotyped on TV and film as socially inept weaklings with a love of bow ties, thick-rimmed glasses and high-waisted slacks. But oh how things have changed. Ever since Adam Brody’s intensely loveable Seth Cohen appeared on screens in the mid noughties as the lonely, quick-witted, Death Cab For Cutie loving geek on The O.C, the tables have been well and truly turned. ‘Geek Chic’ prevails, the once laughable clothing choices of society’s most brainy and introverted have been re-appropriated by the masses. Everyone is falling over themselves to replicate a look that twenty years ago would have posited the wearer of such garments as a human punch-bag for meat-headed bullies.

Adam Brody Attends Premiere Adam Brody has been credited with helping makes geeks cool through his O.C character Seth Cohen

In the world of TV, sci-fi shows such as Star Trek and Stargate are geek staples but the recent role reversal of geeks as the cultural vanguard posits fantastical shows that would have more likely been derided several years ago as universally acclaimed hits. Game Of Thrones is arguably the biggest TV show in the world whilst The Big Bang Theory, which maintains the long-held geek stereotypes has made veritable superstars of its cast. Here then, is a list of those geeky TV shows that we just can’t get enough of.

Continue reading: The Geek TV Shows We're Not Afraid To Love

James Franco To Direct 'The Long Shrift' At Rattlesticks Playwrite Theatre


James Franco Chris O'Dowd

Clearly James Franco is not busy enough currently starring in the Broadway revival of Of Mice and Men. The actor/film director/writer/producer/lecturer/social media fiend has now decided to become a theatre director.

James Franco The Long Shrift Franco is currently starring alongside Chris O'Dowd in a Broadway production of Of Mice and Men

Franco is set to direct Robert Boswell’s The Long Shrift in New York this summer. The play, which is about a man who is released from jail after he was accused of rape in his teens, will launch the 20th anniversary of the Rattlestick Playwrights theatre, which is based in the West Village. The production will star Ahna O’Reilly, Brian Lally, Scott Haze, Allie Gallerani and Ally Sheedy. Haze appeared in Franco’s 2013 film As I Lay Dying, based on William Faulkner’s 1930 novel.

Continue reading: James Franco To Direct 'The Long Shrift' At Rattlesticks Playwrite Theatre

"Gentleman's Guide", "Hedwig" Lead Tony Nominations


Neil Patrick Harris Hugh Jackman Chris O'Dowd Idina Menzel Bryan Cranston

It’s Tony season!  The night of gratuitous musical numbers is almost upon us. The nominations were announced on Tuesday and this year, they feature a couple of new names. The nominees list includes Tony vets Neil Patrick Harris and Audra McDonald, but one of the biggest new names on the list is Bryan Cranston.

Bryan Cranston
Bryan Cranston is moving from the Emmys straight into the Tonys.

 

Continue reading: "Gentleman's Guide", "Hedwig" Lead Tony Nominations

The Double - 2 Snakes Clip


Simon is already running the risk of seeing his life crash and burn around him, with his reticent personality forcing away any love interests (or even friends), attracting much disappointment from his mother and losing him support in his career, but things are about to go further downhill very soon. A new employee named James has taken up a position at his workplace but, to Simon's horror, he looks and sounds identical to him - only with a more extroverted disposition and captivating character. Simon's too afraid to try and change things in his life, feeling comfortable (if a little depressed) with remaining in the shadows, but when James starts to take over everything he holds most dear, he is forced to try. But can he battle his demons while remaining sane at the same time?

Continue: The Double - 2 Snakes Clip

Cuban Fury - Alternative Trailer


Bruce Garrett is a self-doubting, overweight office worker who has very little luck with women - as his co-worker never fails to remind him. When his new boss shows up and he finds that she is a beautiful woman named Julia, he desperately wants to impress her but can't see himself having any assets that she could want in a man - that is until he sees her displaying her moves at a salsa dancing event. It sparks an old passion within Bruce, who used to be a budding dancer aiming for the UK Junior Salsa Championships when he was 13-years-old before some severe bullying ruined his performance confidence forever. He decides to take up the sport again by attending salsa dancing lessons ahead of an upcoming show, however his co-worker also has his heart set on Julia and his moves could seriously threaten Bruce's wooing plans.

This charming British comedy is about love, passion and following your dreams and has been produced by the producers of Hot Fuzz' and 'Shaun Of The Dead'. 'Cuban Fury' has been directed by James Griffiths ('Free Agents', 'Episodes') and written by Jon Brown ('Mongrels', 'After You've Gone'), and is set for release this Valentine's Day, February 14th 2014.

Click here to read - Cuban Fury Movie Review

The Double - Teaser Trailer


Being diffident, introverted and generally awkward in social situations, Simon finds his life increasingly difficult as he feels unappreciated in his work life, disparaged by his disappointed mother and rejected by his only love interest. Unable to find the courage to turn his life around, things are about to get much, much worse as a new employee at his company named James shows up. James is Simon's ultimate doppelganger, and his appearance only serves to make Simon increasingly more nervous as, although they are identical in looks, they are total opposites in personalities with James possessing a much more confident and magnetic character. Gradually, James starts to infiltrate Simon's life, taking over everything he holds most dear with Simon being driven completely insane in the process.

Continue: The Double - Teaser Trailer

New Dark Comedy 'Calvary' Features A Stellar Irish Cast [Trailer + Pictures]


Brendan Gleeson Chris O'Dowd Dylan Moran Kelly Reilly John Michael McDonagh

The trailer for dark Irish drama Calvary (with black comedy twists) has hit the net, giving us a better look at John Michael McDonagh’s follow up to The Guard. Featuring an immensely talented cast, weaved into a compelling, dangerous plot, it’s got us excited for sure.

Brendan Gleeson and Kelly ReillyBrendan Gleeson, Kelly Reilly and dog in Calvary

The story follows good natured and widely-liked priest James Lavelle (Brendan Gleeson) who receives an odd confession, in which a man says he will kill him, a week on Sunday, once he has his house in order. The rules of the 'Seal of the Confessional' mean he can’t go to the police with his newfound information, and must embark on a quest to discover who has murderous intentions for him – if anyone at all.

Continue reading: New Dark Comedy 'Calvary' Features A Stellar Irish Cast [Trailer + Pictures]

Calvary Trailer


Father James Lavelle is a good-natured priest whose life is thrown into confusion and disarray when an anonymous man tells him in confession that he will kill him in a week's time - the only reason being because Lavelle is an innocent man. Of all the shocking things he's ever heard in confession, none have thrown him quite as much as this. Unable to go to the police under the rules of the 'Seal of the Confessional', Lavelle consults his church peers pondering whether it was merely an idle threat, or whether his life really is in danger. In his apparent last week in existence, he scrutinises the corrupt individuals of his sin-filled parish, wondering along the way why people seem to focus more on their vices than their virtues, but when his beloved church is burnt to the ground, his views on good and evil become distorted.

'Calvary' is the darkly comic drama about the timeless story of good and evil, and guilt and innocence. It has been directed and written by BAFTA nominated John Michael McDonagh ('The Guard', 'Ned Kelly') and is set in Ireland's beautiful West Coast countryside. The film is set to be released on April 11th 2014.

Click here to read - Calvary Movie Review

Leighton Meester And James Franco In 'Of Mice And Men' Is Broadway's Hottest Ticket


James Franco Leighton Meester Chris O'Dowd

The former Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester will make her Broadway debut alongside James Franco and Chris O'Dowd in the revival of John Steinbeck's classic drama Of Mice and Men.

Leighton MeesterLeighton Meester Filming 'Gossip Girl' in New York

In what is shaping up to be the hottest Broadway ticket of 2013, Of Mice and Men will see Franco and O'Dowd take the leads in the Depression-era tale.

Continue reading: Leighton Meester And James Franco In 'Of Mice And Men' Is Broadway's Hottest Ticket

Sean Bean Triumphs At International Emmys For Transvestite Teacher In 'Accused'


Sean Bean Chris O'Dowd

It was a good night for British & Irish actors at the 41st International Emmys last night, as Sean Bean, Rhys Thomas and Chris O'Dowd all picked up awards for their respective work.

Sean BeanSean Bean was delighted with his International Emmy win

Bean, best known for his roles in fantasy dramas like Lord of The Rings and Game of Thrones, was delighted to win, thanking his father as he picked up his award. The Yorkshire-born actor starred as Simon Gaskell/Tracie Tremarco in the anthology series.

Continue reading: Sean Bean Triumphs At International Emmys For Transvestite Teacher In 'Accused'

Cuban Fury Trailer


Bruce Garrett may not have much going for him being overweight, low in confidence and only attractive to the right sort of girl, but there was a time when he had passion and drive - as a 13-year-old dancer with dreams of winning the UK Junior Salsa Championships. However, that all changed after suffering at the hands of bullies who ground him so far down that he abandoned his performing future. Things take a desperate turn when his beautiful new boss Julia catches his eye and it so happens that she has a passion for salsa dancing too; seizing what could possibly be his only chance at true love, he brushes off his dancing shoes and sets out to fulfil his dream once again and win her heart.

'Cuban Fury' is a heartwarming British comedy from the producers of 'Hot Fuzz' and 'Shaun Of The Dead'. Directed by James Griffiths ('Free Agents', 'Episodes') and written by Jon Brown ('Mongrels', 'After You've Gone'), it's the story of how love can ignite long-buried passions in an instant - no matter what is there to hold you back. Very appropriately, it is set to hit UK cinemas on Valentine's Day next year (February 14th 2014).

 

Thor: The Dark World Review


Excellent

Marvel can't help itself: these movies have to get bigger and crazier. And this one leaves us wondering where they can possibly go next, as it spirals into a madly funny-scary thriller that threatens the existence of the whole universe. But it also feels like a story children would make up as they go along. Still, the sparky characters and wildly cataclysmic approach are hugely entertaining.

The action picks up right after the Battle of New York (see 2012's The Avengers), and scientist Jane (Portman) is miffed that Thor (Hemsworth) didn't call when he was back on Earth. She has just started dating a nebbish Londoner (O'Dowd) when her assistant Darcy (Dennings) stumbles into a spatial anomaly that draws Jane right into the middle of a 5,000-year-old struggle between Thor's home-realm Asgard and the dark elf Malekith (Eccleston), who wants to use a swirling goo called the Aether to plunge all of existence into blackness just as the universe aligns itself. As this convergence approaches, Thor defies his father Odin (Hopkins) and turns to his disgraced, malicious brother Loki (Hiddleston) for help.

The film is overcrowded with small but pivotal characters, including stern but helpful gatekeeper Heimdall (Elba), mad-doctor Erik (Skarsgard) and Odin's wise wife Frigga (Russo). All of them help distract us from the movie's wildly shifting tone as it darts from sardonic comedy to Lord of the Rings-style battles to silly romance to dark emotion. But the best thing is the tense, unpredictable relationship between Thor and Loki, an enjoyable mixture of sibling rivalry and brotherly love that's well-played by Hemsworth and especially Hiddleston. None of the other characters really has a chance to develop around them. But at least the actors have fun with their roles, including a number of hilarious cameos along the way (there are also two post-credit stings).

Continue reading: Thor: The Dark World Review

Channel 4 To Air 'The IT Crowd' Farewell Episode Later This Month


Richard Ayoade Chris O'Dowd Matt Berry

Graham Linehan's beloved Channel 4 sitcom The IT Crowd is sadly coming to an end after seven years and four seasons. Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson, Chris O'Dowd, Matt Berry and the rest of Denholm Industries will be saying goodbye for good at the end of this month, when a special, feature-length episode airs as part of C4's 'A Night of the IT Crowd.'

Chris O'DowdRichard Ayoade
Stars Chris O'Dowd (L) and Richard Ayoade (R) have found success outside the show

Originally scheduled for an October air, and having been filmed earlier in the year, the show will come to air a few days earlier as per a tweet made by series creator Graham Lineham this week. He tweeted on Wednesday (4 September) that the final ever episode of the hit series will "be on telly at the end of this very month."

Continue reading: Channel 4 To Air 'The IT Crowd' Farewell Episode Later This Month

Thor: The Dark World Trailer


Marvel's Thunder God, Thor returns in the latest superhero blockbuster, Thor: The Dark World (sequel to self titled film: Thor) where he must face his greatest battle to save Earth and all nine realms 'from a Darkness known only to one' lead by the feared Malekith. Thor must risk everything by reuniting with his brother and Avengers Villian: Loki in order to protect his beloved Jane Foster in what promises to be the most thrilling Thor adventure yet. 

The film see's the Return of stars: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman and Tom Hiddleston with the introduction of acclaimed actor Christopher Eccleston as Malekith and Alan Taylor replacing Kenneth Branagh as director. Stan Lee remains Executive Producer alongside Alan Fine, Nigel Gostelow, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso and Craig Kyle.

Click here to read: Thor: The Dark World Movie Review

Epic Review


Good

Although this adventure's premise will appeal to children, and the child within us, the film itself is far too simplistic to be a classic. But at least the animation looks terrific, with swooping action and an inventive use of nature imagery. The result is relatively engaging, consistently entertaining and never remotely suspenseful.

The story begins as teen Mary Katherine, better known as MK (voiced by Seyfried), returns home to live with her mad-inventor dad (Sudeikis) after her mother dies. Dad's house is on the edge of the forest, where he is obsessed with discovering a miniature world of beings who keep the natural world running. But his focus on work has alienated everyone in his life, and MK is still struggling to break through to him. Then she has a freak encounter with the tiny Queen Tara (Knowles), who shrinks her to two inches tall. Suddenly she's working with the Queen's chief leafman Ronin (Farrell), a rogue soldier Nod (Hutcherson), and a goofy slug and snail duo (Ansari and O'Dowd) to save the forest from the evil Mandrake (Waltz).

The script eliminates all complexity in its depiction of good and evil. Mandrake is bent on destroying the forest for no real reason, trying to bring his creeping grey decay to what is otherwise an idyllic, magical world drenched in colourful flowers, verdant ferns and trickling brooks. In other words, it's so obvious who is going to win this battle that we never for a moment worry about our rag-tag group of heroes, no matter what violence they face. So we sit back and enjoy the animators' work. While the humans look like plastic dolls, the bugs, birds, plants and critters are simply astounding, and some of the action scenes are genuinely exhilarating.

Continue reading: Epic Review

Video - Amanda Seyfried, Judah Friedlander And Aziz Ansari Are Snapped At The 'Epic' NY Premiere - Part 2


As Blue Sky Studios' new animated movie 'Epic' comes to New York for the premiere, several of the film's stars are snapped on their arrival. The set up for photographs includes several cardboard cut-outs of characters, a grassy carpet and a collection of bracken and tree stumps.

Continue: Video - Amanda Seyfried, Judah Friedlander And Aziz Ansari Are Snapped At The 'Epic' NY Premiere - Part 2

Video - Stars Including Colin Farrell And Chris O'Dowd Arrive At The 'Epic' NY Premiere - Part 1


The stars of the new Blue Sky Studios animated movie 'Epic' arrive on the red carpet at the New York premiere and pose for photos among the various cardboard cut-outs of the different characters which litter the arrival area.

Continue: Video - Stars Including Colin Farrell And Chris O'Dowd Arrive At The 'Epic' NY Premiere - Part 1

Ctrl Alt Explode With Joy! The IT Crowd Back For New One-Off Episode!


Chris O'Dowd

Everything’s coming back now, some worse than others so we should be thankful that the latest ‘thing’ to announce its return is something very good indeed – The IT Crowd! No before you all get excited it is just coming back for a one-off special, but apart from that you can all get very excited indeed because Channel 4 have confirmed that the show’s creator Graham Linehan will be writing the script (something he’s also Tweeted), while the main stars of the show will all be back too – Chris O’Down, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson and Matt Berry. Cor!

"Only the power of Graham's magical writing could bring back together four of the UK's brightest comedy stars," said Nerys Evans, deputy head of comedy of Channel 4, according to the BBC. The show originally ran between 2006 and 2010 before finishing, but ever since it has there have been rumours that a reunion was imminent. O'Dowd – who has since gone to star in the film Bridesmaids and US series Girls – has been among the voices who’ve wanted a comeback, arguing that the characters need closure.

Linehan had revealed in 2012 that he’d written a script for a new IT Crowd but had been waiting for the finish of his BBC2 sitcom Count Arthur Strong to finish. It looks like the time is finally right.

Continue reading: Ctrl Alt Explode With Joy! The IT Crowd Back For New One-Off Episode!

Thor: The Dark World Trailer


Following the dramatic events of 'Thor' and 'The Avengers' which saw Thor battling not only his double-crossing adoptive brother Loki but a series of other nemeses, the hammer wielding hero returns to Earth to reunite with his beloved Jane Foster and whisk her away to his home in Asgard. Unfortunately, he ends up bringing her towards terrible danger that he himself could not fathom. A dark race that predates even the oldest corners of the universe; a race of elves led by the ruthless Malekith who plans to plunge the entire universe back into oblivion in a vengeful pursuit that will destroy everything that Thor and Odin have fought to protect. In desperation, Thor confronts his imprisoned brother and asks for help in exchange for his freedom with the promise that he will destroy Loki if he dares betray him again. Can Thor and the rest of Asgard defeat the latest dark force that threatens them? Or will such a primitive power prove impossible to overcome?

Here is the new sequel to Kenneth Branagh's 2011 movie 'Thor' that is set some time after the events of Joss Whedon's 'The Avengers'. 'Thor: The Dark World' is based on the comic books by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby and sees a new  director, Alan Taylor ('Game Of Thrones', 'Mad Men', 'The Emperor's New Clothes'), with the return of screenwriter Don Payne ('Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer') alongside Christopher Yost ('The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes') and Stephen McFeely ('The Chronicles of Narnia', 'Captain America: The First Avenger'). It is set to hit the UK on October 30th 2013.

Click here to read: Thor: The Dark World Movie Review

Family Tree: New Comedy From Spinal Tap Star Christopher Guest


Christopher Guest Chris O'Dowd

Christopher Guest, the king of improv comedy and best known for hit movies such as Spinal Tap and Best In Show, returns to our screens with Family Tree, a show that he has created along with Jim Piddock and which stars Chris O’Dowd, Tom Bennett and Nina Conti. O’Dowd plays the central character Tom Chadwick, who loses his job and his girlfriend and starts to look into his family tree after he receives a surprise box from a great aunt that he has never met. As he delves deeper into his family history, he gains a greater understanding of who his family really is.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly back in January, Guest explained that each episode of the new HBO series was crafted with just eight pages of script, or plot guidelines and the rest was improvised. “Each of these episodes is an eight-page outline,” he explained. “But we've written a huge back history for every character, which took us six or eight months to come up with. We've done an entire family tree going back to the 1700s. So when I talk to the actors prior to shooting, everyone knows who they are. It's not just ‘Hey, let's start yapping here.'”

A trailer for the show has been released online and it shows O’Dowd’s character arriving in California to uncover some of his relatives. 

Continue reading: Family Tree: New Comedy From Spinal Tap Star Christopher Guest

This Is 40 Review


Very Good

This overlong comedy is so episodic that watching it is exactly like sitting through five episodes of a sitcom back-to-back. It's funny and enjoyable, with characters we enjoy watching, but they continually spiral back to where they started, and in the end we feel like there's been a lot of fuss about nothing. Even so, the script offers plenty of hilarious observational humour, and the cast is thoroughly entertaining.

Reprising their roles from Knocked Up, Rudd and Mann play Debbie and Pete, who turn 40 within a week of each other. But Debbie isn't coping very well with it, and her emotions swing wildly from steamy lust to fiery rage while Pete just tries to hang on. Their daughters (played by Apatow and Mann's real daughters Maude and Iris) each have their own issues to stir into the mix. And then Pete's needy father (Brooks) turns up with problems of his own, forcing Debbie to think about her own distant father (Lithgow). Meanwhile, the economic crunch is causing problems for both of their businesses.

Yes, both of them own businesses. This is not the typical struggling 40-something couple, so it's not easy to sympathise with many of their issues. Fortunately, Apatow's dialog is packed with brazen honesty and an appreciation for rude gags that keep us laughing even in the absence of an actual storyline we can get involved in (although there's one major plot point along the way). Rudd and Mann were arguably the best thing in Knocked Up, so it's great to let them take the spotlight here, making the most of their sparky interaction. And aside from experts like Brooks and Lithgow, there is a continual stream of superb side roles, including Fox as Debbie's oversexed and possibly embezzling employee and McCarthy as a furious school parent (her big scene is expanded into a brilliantly improvised outtake riff in the closing credits).

Continue reading: This Is 40 Review

The Sapphires Review


Excellent

Shamelessly crowd-pleasing, this warmly engaging film is based on a remarkable true story. And since it's topped off by Chris O'Dowd's most engaging performance yet (which is saying a lot), resistance is futile. Surprisingly for a comedy, there are also some startlingly serious moments along the way, as the film touches on racial issues and war violence without getting too heavy.

It's set in 1968, which was just as turbulent in Australia as in America and Europe. In the rural Outback, music promoter Dave (O'Dowd) is looking for new talent while slowly pickling himself in alcohol. Then he discovers three sisters - Gail, Cynthia and Julie (Mailman, Tapsell and Mauboy) - who can actually sing. They call themselves the Cummeraganja Songbirds, but as Aboriginals they're shunned by bigoted white society. So Dave takes them on, giving them a crash-course in soul and helping them secure a gig singing for the troops in Vietnam. Joined by their lighter-skinned cousin Kay (Sebbens), they head into the war zone rebranded as The Sapphires.

Where this goes is both hilarious and unexpectedly intense, and credit should go to the filmmakers for resisting the usual movie structures. Everything comes and goes as it would on the frontline of battle: romances begin and end without big movie climaxes, people are suddenly separated and there isn't time to get too melodramatic even in life-or-death situations. Meanwhile, the filmmakers also stir in an underlying current exploring the civil rights protests of the period in both the US and Australia. All of this adds up to a breezy, enjoyable journey with serious points along the way. And a lot of fabulous music.

Continue reading: The Sapphires Review

Fake It Till You Make It: Chris O’Dowd’s Approach To Singing In The Sapphires


Chris O'Dowd The Supremes

‘Fake it ‘til you make it’: that was the approach that Chris O’Dowd took to singing when he was cast in his latest movie The Sapphires. Set in Australia in 1968, movie tells the tale of four talented young singers, whose girl group The Sapphires (think an Aussie version of The Supremes) are tasked with entertaining the US troops in Vietnam.

The Bridesmaids star O’Dowd belts out a few numbers of his own in the movie but insists that he was winging it – even when it came down to the piano playing. “I learned a few tunes when I got cast,” he told ITN at the movie’s premiere, “but it’s really piano by numbers. I didn’t really have long enough to learn it properly, so I think of it as ‘I know what I’m doing works, but I have no idea why.’

So far, the movie seems to have won over the critics. It may look like a lightweight take on a number of similar movies, such as Dreamgirls or The Runaways but it’s gone down well with the likes of the Hollywood Reporter – who described it as “A jewel-bright charmer about four spunky indigenous women whose powerhouse voices catapulted them onto the 60s-era world stage as Australia's answer to the Supremes” and the Daily Telegraph, who praise Chris O’Dowd’s performance, saying “A jewel-bright charmer about four spunky indigenous women whose powerhouse voices catapulted them onto the 60s-era world stage as Australia's answer to The Supremes.”


The Sapphires Trailer


Four indigenous Australian women, sisters Gail, Cynthia and Julie and their cousin Kay, are ambitious country and western musicians in 1968 that set out to become stars in the wake of a political bill that increased the rights of the Aborigine people. Following a singing contest in rural Australia, a whiskey drinking Irish musician Dave Lovelace sees their potential and sets out to turn the girls into soul singing global sensations. Although apprehensive at first, the group (known as The Sapphires) soon begin to warm to Lovelace, especially when he manages to secure them a gig performing for US soldiers in Vietnam. It soon becomes a life-changing journey for them as they learn the true importance of friendship, family and bravery.

Continue: The Sapphires Trailer

Friends With Kids Review


Excellent
With a hilariously smart script and a terrific cast, this romantic comedy rises far above the pack, engaging us emotionally and intellectually while offering some telling observations on the state of modern relationships.

Jason (Scott) and his best friend Julie (Westfeldt) are a bit horrified when their coupled pals Leslie and Alex (Rudolph and O'Dowd) and Ben and Missy (Hamm and Wiig) have children. So they decide to have a child without the baggage of a relationship, freeing them to find the right person once they're already single parents. Their baby son is adorable, and raising him brings them closer as friends while allowing them to pursue romances with the hot Mary Jane (Fox) and the sexy Kurt (Burns). But no one else is buying it.

Continue reading: Friends With Kids Review

Friends With Kids Trailer


Jason and Julie are single thirty-something Manhattanites. They've been best friends since college but aren't remotely attracted to each other.

Continue: Friends With Kids Trailer

Bridesmaids Trailer


When Annie's best friend Lillian tells her that she's getting married, she's more than obliged to act as maid of honour. There's certain duties any maid of honour must fulfil and Annie is about to learn the hard way.

Continue: Bridesmaids Trailer

Chris O'dowd

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Chris O'Dowd

Date of birth

9th October, 1979

Occupation

Actor

Sex

Male

Height

1.91




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Chris O'Dowd Movies

Loving Vincent Trailer

Loving Vincent Trailer

Explore the life of one of the world's greatest visionary artists, Vincent Van Gogh, in...

Molly's Game Trailer

Molly's Game Trailer

To most of the world, Molly Bloom is a beautiful young skiing extraordinaire, but behind...

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Movie Review

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Movie Review

Ransom Riggs' bestselling novel is appropriately adapted into a movie by Tim Burton, the gothic...

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children Trailer

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children Trailer

Jake has always been an ordinary boy but when he finds himself on a small...

The Program Movie Review

The Program Movie Review

A whooshing pace and snappy dialogue help bring this true story to life, tracing the...

The Program Trailer

The Program Trailer

Lance Armstrong was an athlete the entire world loved to support. Having beaten testicular cancer...

The Program - First Look Trailer

The Program - First Look Trailer

Lance Armstrong is a cycling legend, with seven Tour De France wins under his belt...

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St. Vincent Movie Review

St. Vincent Movie Review

Bill Murray shines in this story of a cynical grump whose life is changed by...

St. Vincent - Clips Trailer

St. Vincent - Clips Trailer

Vincent is living a life of hedonism in his retirement from the army. An avid...

St. Vincent Trailer

St. Vincent Trailer

St. Vincent de Van Nuys is a broke former soldier with a serious alcohol and...

Calvary Movie Review

Calvary Movie Review

After the 2011 black comedy The Guard, Brendan Gleeson reteams with writer-director John Michael McDonagh...

The Double Movie Review

The Double Movie Review

After his acclaimed drama Submarine, actor-turned-filmmaker Richard Ayoade applies his considerable visual skills to this...

The Double Trailer

The Double Trailer

Simon is a timid, uncharismatic and largely forgettable man who doesn't seem to be getting...

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