Author Topic: Four Lions to premiere at Sundance (Read 21901 times) Tweet Share

glitch · « **Reply #60 on:** January 18, 2010, 11:59:34 pm »

Quote from: purlieu on January 15, 2010, 05:50:46 pm

All jokes should be punctuated with j/k.

Like that kind of idea will gain any traction

placeholder · « **Reply #61 on:** January 21, 2010, 02:00:27 pm »

Mark Herbert at Sundance

An tSaoi · « **Reply #62 on:** January 21, 2010, 03:19:23 pm »

Quote from: the CM-relevant bit

Chris Morris arrived last night and we had a couple of beers and discussed Sundance. He flew to Salt Lake this morning.

Fascinating.

The Boston Crab · « **Reply #63 on:** January 21, 2010, 03:21:27 pm »

FOUR LIONS? FUCK THAT SHIT! ODDSAC!

Zoetrope · « **Reply #64 on:** January 22, 2010, 10:17:25 am »

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/video/2010/jan/21/chris-morris-four-lions-sundance

Jemble Fred · « **Reply #65 on:** January 22, 2010, 10:21:28 am »

I laughed.

The Boston Crab · « **Reply #66 on:** January 22, 2010, 10:37:37 am »

Some funny stuff, some awkward flab, some distracting My Wrongs/Barley-isms to the direction/editing/performances.

Now rather looking forward to this, just less than I was before the clip.

Lee · « **Reply #67 on:** January 22, 2010, 10:56:53 am »

Quote from: Zoetrope on January 22, 2010, 10:17:25 am

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/video/2010/jan/21/chris-morris-four-lions-sundance

Wow, that's....... actually very funny. In a two minute clip he's made me laugh more than two and a half hours of Nathan Barley.

I was skeptical about this, now I actually can't wait. Great stuff.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley · « **Reply #68 on:** January 22, 2010, 11:02:44 am »

Quote from: Jemble Fred on January 22, 2010, 10:21:28 am

I laughed.

So did I. But then I always enjoy painstaking interplay between deeply stupid characters and quietly disbelieving straightmen - it's a bedrock of comedy!

rudi · « **Reply #69 on:** January 22, 2010, 11:10:02 am »

Ooh that made oi larf. Excited now.

mattjjh · « **Reply #70 on:** January 22, 2010, 11:28:17 am »

Very much a Vince/Errol dynamic. In a good way, of course.

Little Hoover · « **Reply #71 on:** January 22, 2010, 11:52:20 am »

Really? Are we all that enthusiastic about it?

There's a couple of decent lines in there, but I'm just not quite sure I like the tone this is going for. If there's going to be that kind of stupid character and straightman dynamic running through the film then it'll probably just be a lightweight comedy and it won't really be saying much of value about it's subject matter.

Too early to say though of course.

Jemble Fred · « **Reply #72 on:** January 22, 2010, 11:58:38 am »

Quote from: Little Hoover on January 22, 2010, 11:52:20 am

it won't really be saying much of value about it's subject matter

My worry was that such things would be put before laughs, which is why that clip is so encouraging.

It's supposed to be 'Dad's Army with terrorists', and that looks like what we're going to get.

Little Hoover · « **Reply #73 on:** January 22, 2010, 12:14:44 pm »

It wouldn't be good the other way round either, I agree, but to spend all this time and research on it, but just making a something that's just very silly would be a bit dissapointing as well. A good balance between the two would be ideal. I suppose I wouldn't mind so much if I found the clip funnier, but it was just ok.

EEEEE EEE EEEE · « **Reply #74 on:** January 22, 2010, 12:15:10 pm »

I found that clip really funny

An tSaoi · « **Reply #75 on:** January 22, 2010, 01:08:26 pm »

I thought it was alright. Hard to tell either way to be honest. Bits of it made me chuckle, bits of it made me feel unsure. And I'm disappointed he didn't try a funny Belfast accent ;)

I have no problem with the Barley-esque camera style, and I'm glad that CM's trying to actually do jokes and not make it completely po-faced. Overall... potential.

Johnny Townmouse · « **Reply #76 on:** January 22, 2010, 01:31:03 pm »

I was relieved to finally have a handle on the tone of the film, after months/years of confusion about how it would play. It looks to be more Barley than anything else Morris has done, which is a shame. But I did enjoy the clip, and have to once again praise Morris for bravely tackling something that could get him into a whole lot of trouble and bother.

Neil · « **Reply #77 on:** January 22, 2010, 01:48:17 pm »

Laughed out loud, but now feel bleak about the fact that I am vaguely surprised by the fact. Watching something by Chris Morris and thinking 'but is it going to be funny? Will I laugh?' is something you think would never occur.

I LOVE stupid comedy characters, so this was right up my alley. Looking forward to it.

The serious fellow has a brilliant voice and presence.

kittens · « **Reply #78 on:** January 22, 2010, 01:57:59 pm »

It was definitely a bit funny, but not laugh out loud funny. But it's left me feeling optimistic about the film, which is a good thing.

Shoulders?-Stomach! · « **Reply #79 on:** January 22, 2010, 01:58:40 pm »

Oh my, this is going to be great! I loved that clip.

Marvin · « **Reply #80 on:** January 22, 2010, 02:00:21 pm »

That was very funny, am hopeful.

Shoulders?-Stomach! · « **Reply #81 on:** January 22, 2010, 02:08:57 pm »

Quote from: Jemble Fred on January 22, 2010, 11:58:38 am

My worry was that such things would be put before laughs, which is why that clip is so encouraging.

It's supposed to be 'Dad's Army with terrorists', and that looks like what we're going to get.

Yep. Also it's a continuation of comedy films farces in the grand British tradition, akin to something like The Ladykillers where an evil plan is thwarted by their own incompetencies and rendered ridiculous when shown alongside the drudgery of everyday existence. There is an inherent ridiculousness about certain elements of that makes it ripe for parody, and it looks like it's coming from just the right angle.

purlieu · « **Reply #82 on:** January 22, 2010, 02:29:47 pm »

Oh, that was wonderful. The last line made me do a big snort. Fabulous.

Cheeky Monkey · « **Reply #83 on:** January 22, 2010, 02:43:54 pm »

It looks very promising. That scene reminded me of a Christopher Morris and Peter O'Hanraohanrahan exchange, and certainly made me laugh more than the first clip from In the Loop did, for example.

It will be interesting to see how the tone is managed in the full version. I certainly think the emphasis should be put on laughs first, but I also think that the film needs to have a clearly defined satirical vision in order to justify its existence, or it'll just come across as Morris playing Taboo Du Jour.

It needs to be in the Strangelove/In the Loop mould of being a laugh out loud funny and eye-opening 90 minutes before punching you in the gut in the end, because as that brilliant MC Riz video from a few pages back demonstrates, there are few things scarier right now than the next generation of suicide bombers. They're an inherently ludicrous bunch (led by cartoon villians like Hamza et al) and ripe for parody, sure, but that doesn't stop the fact that they exist from being inately terrifying.

That clip seems to be looking a bit more like Blackadder Goes To Guantanemo at the moment, which is obviously great but I'd definitely expect the finished film to have a bit more bite. Which I'm sure it will, as it was a only a two minute clip after all.

In summary: lolz

vrailaine · « **Reply #84 on:** January 22, 2010, 02:46:22 pm »

It's funny, not flat-out genius or anything(it's basically that crystal meth joke that's been done loadsa times), but funny. I'd be more than happy with a full film of that calibre.

The Boston Crab · « **Reply #85 on:** January 22, 2010, 02:53:05 pm »

You guys must be SMOKING FUCKING CRACK.

Ja'moke · « **Reply #86 on:** January 22, 2010, 03:08:24 pm »

Quote from: mattjjh on January 22, 2010, 11:28:17 am

Very much a Vince/Errol dynamic. In a good way, of course.

That's what I was going to say. The peroxide buying guy definitely reminded me of Errol. Very funny.

Tiny Poster · « **Reply #87 on:** January 22, 2010, 03:10:27 pm »

The script for the clip seems OK, but the direction is just abysmal. That sort of stuff needs to be done with proper comedy timing, not Office-derived mumbling-and-pausing.

The Boston Crab · « **Reply #88 on:** January 22, 2010, 03:12:12 pm »

Those fidgety zooms...[shudder]

Tiny Poster · « **Reply #89 on:** January 22, 2010, 03:14:51 pm »

Quote from: The Boston Crab on January 22, 2010, 03:12:12 pm

Those fidgety zooms...[shudder]

Yeah - note how the shots through the character's camera are actually more steady and less fussy than the main ones. Get a tripod, Morris!