Richard Curtis had a death in the family. I’d flown in to London to do the interviews for my PIRATE RADIO coverage, and the director was at the top of my list. Some things, though, take precedence over spending fifteen minutes with a dumpy New York journalist, and for Curtis, this had to be one of ‘em. I had no argument there. I did my sessions with actors Tom Sturridge, Talulah Riley, and Nick Frost instead (you can hear them in Part 1 of this series) and silently wished Curtis well.
Three weeks later, he and I finally had our sit-down. Frankly, I’m not sure I could’ve scraped it all together in so short a time under such conditions, but I was grateful he did. That conversation wraps up this installment, along with my exclusive one-on-one with Bill Nighy — who plays the paternal, impeccably dressed, and seemingly gay (he’s one of the few characters who doesn’t get it on in the course of the film) proprietor of the pirate broadcaster Radio Rock — and the roundtable interview with “The Count” himself, Philip Seymour Hoffman. You’ll learn a little about Nighy’s inner wild man, Hoffman’s experiences as the sole American in a cast of Brits, and Curtis’ decision to trim PIRATE RADIO (nee THE BOAT THAT ROCKED) by some fifteen minutes (or more — reports vary) for its U.S. debut.
So here’s what I did on my class trip to London: shoot a video featuring people on the street discussing whether they preferred PIRATE RADIO or THE BOAT THAT ROCKED as the title of the latest Richard Curtis film; interview some of the stars of the film itself; and eat British airport pizza. Two of those things were a helluva lot of fun, and one of them was an ungodly plummet into the depths of Hell. I’ll leave it to you to figure out which is which (hint: glad I brought some Pepto tablets with me).
The three actors featured in this first installment of our special, two-part PIRATE RADIO coverage form something of a romantic triangle in the film. Tom Sturridge plays Carl, the teenager who is sent by his mother (Emma Thompson) to spend some time on Radio Rock, the notorious pirate radio ship that in 1966 was beaming rock and roll from international waters into a United Kingdom whose own BBC couldn’t be bothered with the form. Talulah Riley is Marianne, the young woman that Carl’s godfather and Pirate Radio owner and captain Quentin (Bill Nighy) brings on-board to alleviate some of the boy’s sense of isolation. And Nick Frost is Doctor Dave, the sexually unquenchable Radio Rock personality whose interference in the kids’ first meeting proves to be something of a distraction for Marianne — because true love may be forever, but getting nailed by a DJ nets you serious street cred.
The conversations in this ep ranged far beyond the topic of PIRATE RADIO itself, covering as they did the legendary 007 water tank, the Cirque du Soleil, Steven Spielberg’s on-set attitude, and Rupert Everett in drag (but, then, don’t all conversations eventually wind up there?). Click the link to hear the show:
Pirate Radio hits the airwaves and it’s a hysterical ride. This is based on a true story. These DJs were at sea and the British officials were after them. According to Richard Curtis (who spoke after the October 21, San Francisco pre-screening), the pirate radio station this film is based on, actually had about 20 million listeners. That kind of influence was likely a very big problem for the British government.
Sounds a lot like current.com/current TV today, huh?Pirate Radio hits the airwaves and it’s a hysterical ride. This is based on a true... more
So I figured, while I’m in London interviewing some of the people involved with PIRATE RADIO, Richard Curtis’ film about those intrepid souls who in the 60’s brought the UK their daily dose of rock when the BBC was loathe to, why not try a little experiment in whether one dude with a netbook, a pocket camcorder, a copy of QuickTime Pro, and his hotel’s complimentary WiFi service can beat the international news bureaus at their own game? Hence this episode of MMP, our first video episode, wherein some Londoners voice their preference for film’s original, British title, THE BOAT THAT ROCKED, or the title it’ll be carrying in the U.S.
A few technical notes: First, if you’re watching this ep on Sunday the 18th or Monday the 19th, then mission accomplished — I’m actually still in London conducting my interviews. Next, I have to admit that cutting in QuickTime doesn’t allow for the most elegant product (I believe the sage physician Leonard McCoy coined the most fitting analogy: “Threading a needle with a sledgehammer”). Finally, this ep may not play on an iPod. Sorry, I just didn’t have enough time to research the proper formats. I’d appreciate hearing if you were able to see this ep or not. Just use the comments form on the MMP website.
In any case, please enjoy my chiseled good looks, and a set of rather interesting opinions on one of the more pressing issues of the day. (Okay, maybe I have to get my priorities straight.)So I figured, while I’m in London interviewing some of the people involved with... more
*** Sorry guys, we have removed the link to the trailer for legal reasons***
Here's the trailer for Mr. Nice, which stars Welsh actor Rhys Ifans as the famous Welsh drug smuggler and possible spy Howard Marks.
The film is directed by Bernard Rose and based on Howard Marks' autobiography. At one time he was believed to have being connected to the CIA, MI6, the IRA, the Mafia, and the Mexican secret service.
The film is described as having a lot of globetrotting drama, adventure and big laughs in Marks' version of his life story, and Ifans leads a jaw dropping cast.*** Sorry guys, we have removed the link to the trailer for legal reasons***
Here's... more
Welsh actor Rhys Ifans has provoked outrage with comments made in a recorded interview that appear to make light of date rape.
Ifans, 40, who sprang to fame in the film Notting Hill, was asked by the station Q Radio to comment on a track by the band the Gutter Twins. The Welsh star expressed his enthusiasm for the act by saying: "It's kind of like being date raped, which I like."
When pressed further by the presenter on whether date rape was a good thing, Ifans added: "Well yeah, for guys."
Graham Rhodes of the Roofie Foundation, Britain's only helpline for victims of drug-related rape, was enraged by the comments. "If he wants to retract that, it would be nice for the 9,000 people who have been drug raped in the past 12 years. It shows a total lack of understanding and compassion for the issues. I hope everyone boycotts everything he does now."
The interview with Q Radio is part of Ifans's attempt to break into music. He has set up a band, the Peth, with Dafydd Ieuan of Super Furry Animals.
Earlier this year he made a joke about paedophilia at a concert organised to raise money to end child slavery and prostitution: "Why is paedophilia so popular?" he said at the event. "Because kids are so fucking sexy."
A dark sense of humour or a joke taken too far? Do 'celebrities' have a responsibility not to make jokes like this when people are horribly affected by the things they're laughing at?
Welsh actor Rhys Ifans has provoked outrage with comments made in a recorded interview... more
