Friday 29 December 2006

Tom's Films of 2006

It’s time for my films of the year.

1. United 93

Argue about the precise events or the political implications of the story all you want, but this is a brilliant piece of cinema. It captures the realism of the day as well as can be expected and Greengrass’s direction is spot on. There's also not a single known face in the entire cast.

Completely gripping, it’s a film that stays with you long after you’ve walked out of the cinema. It narrowly beats into number two...

Original review
.

2. Capote

A tight script and note perfect performances by the entire cast. Philip Seymour Hoffman turns in the performance of his career so far.

Original review.

3. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

The funniest film of the year. I wasn’t sure I was going to like it, but I went to see it twice, so I guess I did.

Original review
.

4. Little Miss Sunshine

A film that seems to have become a little cult smash this year and well it should. A great ensemble cast work well together with a cracking script. A heart warming story without being schmaltzy or indeed looking for a happy ending.

Original review.

5. Grizzly Man

A fascinating documentary, more of one man’s descent into madness than his life with wild animals. It’s really a tragic story, but very well told.

Original review.

6. The Devil and Daniel Johnston

Another documentary, this time it's the story of the musician and artist Daniel Johnston. It has it all it's funny, exciting, sad and moving.

Original review.

7. The Magician

An Australian film about an amoral hitman, it's never less than entertaining all the way through.

Original review.

8. Thank You For Smoking

A funny and clever look at the dark side of the advertising industry. Aaron Eckhart leads a great cast that includes Robert Duvall, Rob Lowe and Sam Elliott.

Original review.

9. The Prestige

Two of the best actors around at the moment Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman excel as rival magicians.

Original review.

10. Dave Chappelle’s Block Party

Comedy and hip-hop team up for this look at the block party Dave Chappelle threw.

Original review.

11. Good Night, and Good Luck

George Clooney gives us Edward R. Murrow and his battle against McCarthyism.

Original review.

12. Once In A Lifetime - The Extraordinary Story Of The New York Cosmos

The entertaining story of the rise and fall of the New York Cosmos and US soccer.

Original review.

Other notable films this year included Down in the Valley where Edward Norton stars as Harlan, a good ole cowboy that’s not all he seems. David Morse is the stand out though as a loving father consumed with bitterness and rage. Munich wasn't as good as it perhaps could have been, but was still a good watch. Transamerica, Junebug and The Squid and the Whale were all good, solid films with some star turns. Walk the Line and 36 Quai des Orfevres also entertained.

A couple of films I found overrated were Hidden and The Departed. I enjoyed both of them up to a point, but they both let me down in the last 30 minutes or so. Pan's Labyrinth didn't really do much for me either, despite a lot of people putting it as their number one film of the year. Red Road too I thought was all right, but not the masterpiece it was being hailed as. Although that was mainly by the Scottish media.

Biggest disaster of the year was without a doubt The Black Dahlia. I urge Mr. De Palma to turn in the megaphone. The Family Stone isn't far behind although as it was released on Boxing Day last year it's technically last year's disaster.

Tom's Films of 2004

Tom's Films of 2005

Thursday 28 December 2006

Writing Blogs

Here are some writing blogs to take a look at.

Creative Screenwriting Magazine has a blog that features several podcasts including interviews with writers and directors such as Steve Zaillian, David Lynch, Jason Reitman and Peter Morgan.

Benjamin Yeoh is a playwright for radio and theatre. Fin Kennedy is another plauywright and this is his website/blog. Lance Wright is another playwright with an interesting blog.

Finally, this is The Guardian’s theatre blog.

Night at the Museum

Last night I went to see Night at the Museum (***). Littered with special effects I found it reasonably entertaining. There is however no characterisation to Ben Stiller’s character, where he plays The Guy Ben Stiller Plays in Films.

Ricky Gervais seems to portray a slightly more pompous David Brent. Robin Williams is pretty understated considering his normal hyperactive performances. Steve Coogan and Owen Wilson don’t really get to do all that much with their roles as warring exhibits. Dick van Dyke and Mickey Rooney feature as bitter security guards.

For the most part I quite enjoyed it, daft holiday film that it is.

What was probably more exciting was that we were treated to a trailer for The Simpsons Movie. I’d seen it online, but it was good to see it on the big screen. "Uh...the bunny’s not breathin'."

Wednesday 27 December 2006

McLibel

Again back at my Mum’s for Christmas I wandered into the local branch of Blockbuster, where they were selling a shed load of ex-rental DVDs for a few pounds.

In my haul I picked up McLibel for £1. It tells the story of what became known as McLibel trial, where two protesters Helen Steel and Dave Morris were taken to court for libel by McDonald’s over a handful of leaflets they had distributed in London.

It was originally released in 1997, but this version takes the story right up to 2005, when they took their case to the European Court of Human Rights.

Denied legal aid the pair defended themselves against McDonald’s and their team of big fuck-off lawyers. It’s a very interesting story filmed over ten years, which shows the pair throughout the trial with occasional dramatic re-enactments of what went on in the courtroom.

Since Super Size Me I literally haven’t set foot inside a McDonald’s but when I saw inside the McDonald’s chicken farm during McLibel it started to put me off meat completely.

Here are a couple of interviews with the films’ director Franny Armstrong. First from the BBC’s Storyville site then from Shooting People.

You can read the whole story on McSpotlight the website Dave and Helen set up to highlight their battle.

As a footnote the courtroom scenes were directed by Ken Loach, who in the 1980s, when he couldn’t get work as a filmmaker, directed an advert for McDonalds.

YCB No. 1

I was at my Mum’s for Christmas and while we were waiting at the bus stop to go to my brother’s on Christmas Day I took this picture.

It’s good to know that Young Teams now have an advertising budget.

Monday 25 December 2006

James Brown 1933-2006

James Brown has died.

Here he is doing It's a Man's Man's Man's World.

Saturday 23 December 2006

Have You Seen a Handsome Hun?

This is a post the boys at This Place is Dead will most appreciate. As regular readers to this blog will be aware Fraser and I were on Scotsport a couple of years ago. It was mainly Fraser, who gave his thoughts on an upcoming Rangers European tie, while I scoffed prawn sandwiches and skulked in the background.

Anyway, a month or so after that Fraser was asked to provide yet more Rangers patter on Rangers TV's weekly show. He duly did so along with a collection of other oddities...er good Rangers supporters.

I've just dug out the video tape of it he lent me and before I hand it back to him I thought I would share some visuals of his and his co-fans appearance.








Tom Goes to the Christmas Movies

Some people have lots to do over the Christmas holidays. Not me. I've been to the cinema. Here's what I've seen.

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny
(***) - JB and KG meet fall in rock 'n' roll love and set off to find the pick of destiny that will enable them to win the local talent contest and set them on the road to fame and fortune. It's pretty flimsy, but there are several laugh out loud moments along the way.

Look out for the handful of cameos from the usual suspects (if you've seen Anchorman you know who I'm talking about). If you're not a fan of The D best to stay away, if you are you'll probably enjoy it, though there was a lot more they could have done.

Grounded (**) - Directed by Freaks and Geeks creator Paul Feig, this tells the story of a bunch of kids who get left unattended at an airport on Christmas Eve. It's sort of Home Alone in an airport as the airport security chief, played by Lewis Black chases them all over the airport.

The film really doesn't have enough jokes to sustain as a comedy. At best it's simply likeable, it has enough charm not to be tedious, but it's best avoided. Tyler James Williams from Everybody Hates Chris, is probably the stand out kid, although he seems more to be showing off than putting in a performance.

The only things I can really say I laughed at were the all too short appearances of Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney and Kevin MacDonald from The Kids in the Hall and a closing scene cameo from Tony Hale, Arrested Development's Buster Bluth.

Black Christmas (***) - A remake of a 1974 horror film of the same name this serves up all the hallmarks we've come to expect from the recent batch of knowingly cliched horrors.

A bunch of sexy teens attempt to fight off a spree killer in their sorority house. They are hampered by the usual pitfalls such as power cuts and blizzard conditions. Director Glen Morgan produced Final Destination and this film shares a lot of the same sensibilties as that picture. Morgan's wife Kristen Cloke also appears in both.

You can probably guess what's coming a mile away, but it's reasonable fun watching it happen. My enjoyment was spoiled slightly by the young couple sitting behind me who talked all the way through it. The guy also kicked the back of my chair repeatedly. When finally I had no option but to turn round and politely tell him to stop doing it I almost felt bad about it as he looked so terrified, I never heard another word out of him either.

Flags of Our Fathers (****) - Can this Clint Eastwood, the one who has knocked out class picture, (Million Dollar Baby), after class picture, (Mystic River) be the same Clint Eastwood who made The Rookie? Apparently so.

Flags of Our Fathers was everything I've come to expect from Clint, a solid picture, dramatic and moving. It tells the story of the Americans at the Battle of Iwo Jima and in particular the raising of the US flag there.

There are some excellent battle scenes, most easily compared to Saving Private Ryan. The film is told in flashbacks and flash forwards as the three men who raised the flag and lived to come home struggle to deal with their status as US heroes and poster boys for the war effort.

The cast are all really good, Ryan Phillipe shows yet again, after Crash, that he can act, Adam Beach gives a great performance as Ira Hayes and there's also a solid turn by Saving Private Ryan's Barry Pepper.

I'm sure Flags of Our Fathers will be in the running come Oscar time. Eastwood's next film is Letters From Iwo Jima, which tells the story of the battle from the perspective of Japanese soldiers.

Thursday 21 December 2006

Do Stay Awake, Love

This really has nothing to do with anything, but I'm sat at Hillhead Library and the woman next to me is literally nodding off to sleep every 5 seconds.

To keep her awake instead of reading about 'The New Age of Oil' she should head over to This Place is Dead where Tommy and Ronnie have been busy over the last couple of days posting about saving the neighbourhood, geeks who get arrested and shopping in Glasgow, among other topics.

Undercover Racist

The Guardian have infiltrated the BNP.

"BNP activists are also now discouraged from using any racist or anti-semitic language in public, in order to avoid possible prosecution. In a BNP rulebook, issued only to activists and organisers, they are instructed that they should avoid acting in a way which fits stereotypes of the far right, and "act only in a way that reflects credit on the Party."

Wednesday 20 December 2006

Do You Know Who I Am?

It's always nice to read a story like this about alcoholic wife beater Jim Davidson.

The Closet Of Hilarity


Folks, drop whatever you are doing.

Head over to YouTube and do yourself the mother of all favours. Watch R Kelly's "Trapped In The Closet Chapters 1-12". It's all there.

You may even want to buy this remarkable gem - it's available on Amazon at just over seven bucks. Not bad for the funniest music film since "This is Spinal Tap".

Head over to This Place Is Dead for Ronnie's take on this undisputed classic.

And You Though Pauly Shore Was Desperate...


This is as good as it gets , and would be much funnier, were the claimant not a psychopathic scumbag.

Tuesday 19 December 2006

Let the Blood Run Free

Here’s how I’m spending my Christmas holidays. Yesterday I was awoken by a text message asking me if I ‘wanna give blood?’ although it’s obviously a good thing to do, I declined, needing several weeks to work up to the idea.

However I did accompany Nicola as she gave blood. I scored 2 biscuits, a coffee and an orange juice in the process. Although Nicola specifically told the nurse not to give me anything.

The centre was pretty busy and we waited in line for about an hour before Nicola could go on the table. Unfortunately, although they found a vein, Nicola’s body gave up on her and refused to give a full pint.

This is the third time she’s attempted to donate blood but failed. First her count was too low, then they couldn’t find a vein, now this. Although she declined to take a sticker proclaiming her good deed, she did still get the satisfaction of being better than me.

I think we did agree that we would both give when she was allowed to go back at the end of March. Watch this space.

From there we went to the cinema, where Nicola refused to see Black Christmas cos she hates horror films. So we opted for Pan’s Labyrinth, which Nicola eventually declared was even bloodier than the film she didn’t want to see.

Set in post Civil War Spain it mixes a brutal war story with fantasy as a young girl forced to live with her evil Army general stepfather discovers through fairies and fauns that she is the heir to an underground kingdom.

For the most part it was quite enjoyable, although it never really hit home for me either as a dark fantasy or as a horrific war story. Sergi Lopez however, is excellent as the evil stepfather and sadistic army captain.

Monday 18 December 2006

Why? I Mean Really, Why?


Did anyone observe the pointless tragedy that was “Born Equal” last night?

I tuned in, conned into the notion that I might get some decent adult drama, instead, I got what can only be described as one of the most clichéd and poorly written things I’ve ever seen on TV.

It was astonishing tripe.

Here’s a list of characters and their chief characteristics.

The ex-con Scotsman – nice at heart, but just can’t control the volcanic violence within him.

The Homeless Pregnant Lassie – this lassie can’t cope because her man (who appeared to be Ray Winstone judging by the voice on the phone) is battering her and her wean. She’s not the brightest though, so ends up losing her oldest to care and well, you know what’s going to happen to the baby, eh? A shame, but that’s what happens to thick poor folk.

The Black Folk Who Steal - They’re not evil of course, just thieves, driven by desperation.

The Rich Guy Who Cares – a rich guy gets the jitters about becoming a Dad, and starts ladling out cash to the homeless. When things get a bit tough though, he runs back to his oblivious twit wife and mumbles pish about “making a mistake” while greetin’.

That’s your main cast – of course there are other horribly two dimesional character in there, the wise jackey, the cruelly efficient social worker etc, but that’s your main whack.

So there you have it, the poor are dafties and have horrible lives (isn’t it a shame?), Scots are violent, black folk steal (but only because they sort of have to) and rich folk are either oblivious, thick or don’t have the guts to get their hands dirty.

I’d like to add another character at this point; that of an overweight TV fan who finds his time has been wasted by patronising crap written by a middle-class tosspot with nary a clue.

The point of this unnecessarily bleak tosh please?

It’s about time to knock pointlessly grim rubbish like this on the head, especially when it turns out like a 5th year play based on “Crash”.

I’m all for “hard hitting drama”, but “Born Equal” should be held up as a textbook example of how not to write it.

Friday 15 December 2006

Christmas Radio Plays

I almost forgot, I’m doing the Christmas Radio Plays at the Ramshorn Theatre this week. It opened to a full house last night. The performance features Miracle on 34th Street and It’s a Wonderful Life.

I’m only in Miracle on 34th Street. I have about half a dozen parts, all in different American accents. I’m not sure I can really do one convincing American accent, much less six.

I think I stumbled over the part of the Judge last night, making him sound like he had gone to Eaton instead of Harvard at various points.

The one thing I was most concerned with last night was my mix and match appearance. While everyone else wore good suits, I chose not to cart mine into work with me, so opted for the jacket I wore during Beyond Therapy from the costume department, along with dark trousers and trainers. I have at least brought shoes with me tonight.

The show is sold out tonight and runs until Saturday with BBC’s Radio Café programme coming to record it on the last night.

The two of them in the photo are in it as well.

A Glesca Bus Driver Writes

I got this from the comments on This Place is Dead, it’s pretty amusing. One of Glasgow’s whinging bus drivers has got a blog, full of stories about how passengers are going out of their way to bam him up.

'At the Clydebank terminus I was busy rummaging through a muppet's hand bag which had been left on the bus when a drunken chuffer wearing a white T-shirt banged on the door.

"When you leavin', big man?"

"A couple of minutes," I said and printed his ticket.

"Cheers, mucker! I'm not pissed, by the way," he said and sat down.

I'm not Columbo but I would have to say that the smell of stale beer that clung to his every word did not corroborate this. Just as long as he kept his mouth shut I could get back to my hand bag rummaging. I intended giving the bag in to the depot but I just wanted a sneaky peeky before I did.'

Thursday 14 December 2006

No Smoke...

Here is Shane McGowan writing in The Guardian about playing Glasgow and how he’s dealing with the smoking ban.

“… In Glasgow the police really go for the ban in strength. Some of us were smoking onstage on account it being part of our time-honoured performance, as it were, but the audience was clearly feeling the eyes of the ban upon them. It was tangible.”

Hot Puppies in The Skinny

My review of The Hot Puppies is now on The Skinny's website. In the best traditions of editing reviews, they have chopped one star off my glowing praise.

Peter Boyle 1935-2006

American actor Peter Boyle has died aged 71. Boyle starred in a number of films and TV series including Young Frankenstein, Taxi Driver and The X-Files.

After three years in a monastery he moved to New York to study acting with Uta Hagen and had an early stage appearance in 1961 in Shadow of Heroes. He toured with The Odd Couple from 1965-67 as an Oscar Madison understudy, dropping out in Chicago to join the legendary improvisational comedy troupe Second City.

"He used to read the newspaper on stage every night and he would improvise on things that were in the newspaper on the spot," said Second City producer Joyce Sloan.

He may well be best remembered as the curmudgeonly Father in Everybody Loves Raymond. His co-stars from that show give their reactions to his death in this article. There’s a good little bit about him and his casting in Raymond here.

Ken Levine has a nice tribute to him. Mark Evanier also has a short tribute on his site.

Below is his famous scene in Young Frankenstein.

Wednesday 13 December 2006

Comedy Videos

Here is a hat-trick of comedy video treats for you.

First up is the last recorded interview with Bill Hicks. He talks about Waco and being bumped from his final Letterman appearance. It lasts for an hour and 13 minutes.



Next we have what has become known as ‘The Austin Incident’. Doug Stanhope allowed conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to open for him. Jones makes no attempt to tell jokes in his ten minute spot. Instead he incites the audience. When Doug comes on he tries, in his own fashion, to calm the crowd down. “No one leaves the bar fight to watch the band.” Just watch to see the rest.



At 8 minutes a good bit shorter than the other two here’s Steven Wright.

Tuesday 12 December 2006

Pauly Shore Isn't Dead Just Desperate

This smacks of a publicity stunt to me as Pauly Shore tries to get some Michael Richards style exposure for his career. Andy Kaufman he’s not.



UPDATE: The incident has been exposed as a hoax. Or a 'skit'. And Monique was getting ready with a full Pauly Shore product boycott as well.

All Mac All the Time

Katie has just told me that when she goes back to to New York at Christmas she will be going here. An All-Macaroni Cheese Resturant.

Monday 11 December 2006

The US Vs. John Lennon

Over the weekend I went to see the documentary The US Vs. John Lennon. It centres on Lennon’s political campaigning and the US Government’s desire to silence him.

On the whole it’s quite entertaining, speaking to Yoko Ono and several other campaigners and journalists who knew Lennon at the time.

It’s very one sided of course, portraying Lennon as a 100% good guy who only wanted to use his fame for good and not to score drugs, cadge free drinks and whoremonger.

The film is slightly heavy handed and treats us to a series of gunshots that perforate what seems to be a happy ending. There’s no one alive that doesn’t know how John Lennon met his end and the tacked on bit about his murder gave the doc a slightly sour aftertaste.

It doesn’t really tell you much that you don’t know if you’re a Beatles fan though remains entertaining throughout.

$19.79

I was reading about Little Miss Sunshine today and discovered that the directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris previously directed the promo for Smashing Pumpkins’ 1979. I always liked that video, so here it is.

Sunday 10 December 2006

Soon it'll All be Done by Machine

On my way to the internet cafe I'm currently sitting in I noticed that a couple of doors down in Offshore, BBC Scotland are doing some filming. I think it's for The Music Show, so someone in here said anyway.

The thing that amused me though was that they have a rain machine set up outside the cafe. I spent 40 minutes waiting on a bus to get here instead of walking, because it's raining.



Saturday 9 December 2006

Comic Artist Blogs

You comic fans should like these additions to the blogoshpere. Blogs by Josh Middleton, D'Israeli and Mike McMahon.

Links via.

Friday 8 December 2006

Guns 'N' Bubbles

This post is for Graeme, who has left us here in Glasgow and gone back to Canada before moving on to Oxford. This is Bubbles, Ricky and Julian from Trailer Park Boys performing ‘Liquor and Whores’ with Guns ‘N’ Roses.

Thursday 7 December 2006

The Next 'Next Michael Richards'

John Ridley, novelist, writer of films such as Three Kings and Undercover Brother, and television shows such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, has been criticised for writing this controversial article in the December issue of Esquire.

Wednesday 6 December 2006

Auld Yin

As some of you may remember both Fraser and I were big fans of Scott Agnew's blog. He stopped doing it about 18 months or so ago. Just last night outside The Stand I pulled him up for his lack of blogging since then, only to be informed that he's just resumed a blog on his MySpace site. And it doesn't disappoint.

Check Profile Before Clicking Yes

I used to be quite fussy over accepting 'friends' on MySpace. I've generally stopped accepting bands on my own page, cos I can't be bothered with people trying to punt me stuff.

For the Glue page I usually just accept people. However today I accepted someone thinking they were someone I know (having looked again, it's only a slightly similar, though unusual, name).

I clicked on our new friend's profile and was met by this statement.

"I am excited to meet and share my sexy body

The best reason to add me as a friend is that I may be able to rock your world.

As you can see I am a wild young college girl, looking to let out some of the animal inside me.

I love to party and flirt around. College has been the best experience for me so far. I have met so many hot guys and fun people.

Everybody needs some sexy fun lovin.

Im a young college babe always looking for cute or rich men for good fun."


Having hit 'delete' Glue now has one less online buddy.

It reminded me of Patton Oswalt's bit on 'the poetry of pornography'. I don't think that's the bit (cos I have no sound) below, but have a look anyway.

More Glue at The Stand

It was an odd experience for me playing The Stand with You Owe Me Glue last night, because I had nothing more than a cameo role in our four sketches. I could only have been on stage for about 3 minutes and I think I had only three lines.

In fact I managed to go out into the audience to stand with YOMG’s Biggest Fan to watch a bit of a sketch.

It was a tough crowd but I think it’s fair to say that we won them over. It was a bit of a one man band with Fraser taking centre stage for every sketch.

I’ll let our No. 1 Fan add her comments.

The 'New Kramer' and More

Here’s the latest on the Michael Richards media circus.

Eddie Murphy is baffled by the whole thing.

Andy Dick has got himself into bother, by becoming ‘the new Kramer’.

He has since apologised.

The Laugh Factory, scene of the original incident, has banned black comic Damon Wayans, for guess what, using ‘the N word’.

How Frasier Came to Be

Ken Levine has some good stuff up at his blog. He has enlisted Peter Casey, co-creator of Frasier to write a detailed account of how the show came into being. He promises to give us the origin of Niles by tomorrow.

Tuesday 5 December 2006

M*A*S*H Up

There is a very interesting discussion about MASH over on the blog of Lance Mannion. He discusses the ways Hawkeye failed to develop as a character for him and Radar’s angry exit.

There’s also some good stuff in the comments, including one commenter who points out how offensive Koreans found the show.

It also contains some links to other MASH related articles and features.

The Richards ‘N’ Word Debate Rumbles On

Michael Richards news has been pretty thin on the ground for the last couple of days, but here’s a couple of updates.

Christopher Hitchens writes an article on the attempts to ban ‘the N Word’.

Everybody Loves Raymond’s Brad Garrett advises Richards to stay off the stage. John O’ Hurley, Seinfeld’s Peterman, also chimes in. Both also seem to be publicising things they’re doing as well.

Obviously His First Day

This amused me on my way into the cinema last night. One of Glasgow’s many panhandlers stopped me and said, “Any spare change, mate...I mean, sir. Sorry, my heed’s up my arse the night.” I almost wanted to give him money after that. Until I realised that he was better dressed than I was. Who knew that there was some sort of begging protocol?

Tom at the Movies

Over the weekend I saw a few films. First up was Casino Royale. I am generally not a Bond fan, however this is the first time that they’ve cast a Bond that I like as an actor. I’ve been a fan of Daniel Craig ever since his portrayal of Geordie in Our Friends in the North.

So finally a Bond that can actually act, there’s every reason to expect the film to be good. And it actually is. There’s the traditional ‘cold open’ and big credits sequence at the beginning which is pretty good, then there’s an excellent stunt sequence.

From there on it’s good stuff until the final half hour or so, which sags heavily, but picks up for the last few minutes.

It lacks a really good Bond villain and I kept wondering why, when he’s this special, super trained agent, he seemed to have bother kicking folk in.

Anyway over the piece it’s pretty entertaining and for my money Daniel Craig makes for a good James Bond.

Next up is Stranger Than Fiction. Will Ferrell plays a dull man going about his daily business, until one day he hears a narrator’s voice and he realises he’s a character in a novel. And a character about to be killed off at that.

The film is clever and witty, if not laugh out loud funny. Ferrell is never less than compelling, even when he’s not playing up to his over the top comedy strengths, as this is a pretty dry and understated role for the most part.

There’s a good supporting cast in Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman and Maggie Gylenhall, but I most enjoyed seeing Tony Hale, Buster from Arrested Development, in his small part.

It’s certainly an enjoyable film, even if it feels a bit ‘so what?’ at the end of it all.

Finally it’s Big Nothing, a British film set in America. It stars Simon Pegg, so I was always going to go see it, no matter how many bad reviews it got.

It also stars Friends’ David Schwimmer, my least favourite of that cast. Natasha McElhone, Mimi Rodgers and Jon Polito all have small supporting roles.

The double-cross comedy/thriller is a genre that the Coen Brothers have made their own, but not everyone can do it like the Coens.

There are holes aplenty in this script. One of the rules for writing this type of film is never make your characters stupider than you are. If you wouldn’t go in to the old abandoned warehouse on your own after dark, then don’t make your character do it. No one followed that rule here.

Characters do needlessly silly things that go completely against the character they’ve established, just to drive the plot on. So I spent a lot of time thinking, ‘why’s he doing that?’

It also struggled to walk that difficult tightrope between comedy and thriller. Are people making these big mistakes because it’s a farce or because we need stuff to go wrong to up the stakes. There also comes a point where it’s got to either get serious or go out and out funny, and the film isn’t sure what to do when that point comes.

That’s not to say that it isn’t watchable. There are a few laugh-out-loud lines, and Simon Pegg, although hampered by an American accent is perfectly decent in his part.

The ending is pretty disappointing, it’s not clever like the writers might think, but just disappointing.

It’s by no means the worst crime caper movie I’ve ever seen, but unless you’re a big fan of either Simon Pegg or David Schwimmer, you should probably stay away.

Saturday 2 December 2006

Michael Richards to Apologise in Person

In the latest in the Michael Richards saga, the actor will meet the men he insulted with a retired judge present.

From the BBC

Gloria Allred said her clients would use the meeting to convey "the pain they suffered" as a result of his racist tirade on 17 November.

"We are happy about Mr Richards' decision and we commend him for accepting our challenge," she added.

The patrons welcomed his overtures at a press conference on Friday
"We look forward to sitting down face to face with Mr Richards," said Kyle Doss.


Or more accurately "We look forward to him handing over a big chunk of cash."

What the fuck did Michael Richards do to warrant all this nonsense? He lost the plot, said a good few things he never should have, but the way these guys are carrying on like Richards is holding their kids hostage is shameful.

Self confessed Seinfeld 'fanatic' Gov. Jim Doyle is refusing to celebrate Festivus, so ashamed is he of Michael Richards.

Here's a link to Craig Fergsuon doing a bit on Richards and Mel Gibson.

One Neck in an Instant

Talking Pish's favourite cartoonist One Neck is featured in the latest edition of Instant Magazine. Click on the link and go to 'current issue' for a PDF.

Friday 1 December 2006

The Latest on that Crazy Kramer

The Jewish Journal insists that Michael Richards can’t be Jewish just because he feels like it.

However, according to his publicist, Michael Richards is no longer a mason, as he still has that Jewish feeling.

Black America Web wants $3.5M of Kramer cash to go to the United Negro College Fund.

Thursday 30 November 2006

When is it Time to Walk Away?

John August has some good advice for writers who are beginning to think that the project they've got involved with is nuts and it might be time to walk away.

More From Stanhope on Michael Richards

Normally I just update all the day's Michael Richards news and views into the original post. I thought I'd chuck this one into a separate post.

Doug Stanhope has more to say on the subject, or the media furore about it at least. Again, he has a fair point and nothing that Fraser for one hasn't said in the comments.

"Jesse Jackson - and if you are black and don't consider him or any other human being to be your leader or spokesman, please be vocal about it - is on CNN to discuss Michael Richards outburst as though it were as significant as MLK's assassination on the same day that a 92 year-old black woman was murdered by police in a drug raid and an unarmed black man was killed by police on his wedding day."


I should say though, scroll down for it. Stanhope has developed some sort of serious problem with his penis, and if you don't want to read about it or see diagrams, scroll down quick.

"I'm Going to Kill You, and I'll do the Time"

It will never end. Here is the latest on Michael Richards.

Sam Simon is one of the producers on The Simpsons. He alleges in this interview with Howard Stern that Michael Richards is the "angriest," "craziest," and "worst" star in the business.

Don’t worry Michael, you have another celebrity defending you. It’s Mel Gibson. “My heart went out to the guy.”

Earl Ofari Hutchinson in The Huffington Post attempts to get Richards to take part in a roundtable discussion with black community leaders, residents, and activists

Some good news. According to this article sales of Seinfeld season 7 in Britain are up by almost 7,000 per cent in Britain and 75 per cent in America.

Gothamist reports that Tom's Restaurant, the establishment that doubled for 'Monk's' in Seinfeld, is keeping up its poster of Kramer.

Wednesday 29 November 2006

Can That Place Do Nothing Right?

When I went into the nearby cafe this lunchtime I initially walked back out because I didn't fancy my lunch cooked by a spotty youth wearing a Celtic top with his nickname on the back.

Faced with only the office snack machine as my lunch choice I went back down to the cafe and chose a sandwich.

It was only halfway through eating it when I noticed it was half white and half brown bread.

They cocked up fish and chips, they've cocked up burgers, they've cocked up pasta, they've cocked up bacon rolls, they've cocked up rolls and sausage, they've even cocked up toast. Now they've cocked up a simple sandwich. I think I should make more effort to make my own lunch in future.

A Fool Too Far

I love Only Fools and Horses. For my money it’s the best British sitcom ever made. The scripts, characters and acting were all top drawer. Situations, one-liners, pratfalls, the show had every type of gag imaginable over the course of its run.

From its debut in 1981 to when Del and Rodney became millionaires in 1996 it had maybe only one or two weak episodes. And even they still had more laughs in them than the majority of the UK’s current crop of sitcoms.

Then a few years back they returned to our screens in a Christmas special, which was followed up by another then another. They were nowhere near as good as the show’s glory days. In fact by the very final episode I think they had slightly tainted a great show.

John Sullivan is perhaps Britain’s most talented solo sitcom writer. Practically ever other great show I can think of has been written by duos. Clement and Le Frenais, Galton and Simpson, Croft and Perry, Linehan and Matthews. The last thing that Sullivan had on our screens was The Green Green Grass, a Fools and Horses spin-off where Boycie and Marlene go to live in the country.

This is surely one step too far. He’s now planning a Fools and Horses prequel. As much as I could see the potential in that and I’m sure it could have some funny moments, I hate the idea of John Sullivan becoming UK TV’s George Lucas, peddling one good idea for 30 years.

I think a prequel would have been great years ago, for a Christmas special, but now I just wish he would move on and give us something fresh and new. Quite rightly the BBC will jump at whatever he turns in, I just wish it wasn’t a re-hash of his best idea.

It's Your Money or Your Career, Kramer

The Michael Richards debate rolls on.

His publicist has now been forced to offer a garbled explanation of why the Catholic Freemason Michael Richards can consider himself Jewish.

“Technically, not having been born by blood as Jewish and not formally going into a conversion, it was purely his interpretation of having adopted Judaism as his religion."


In the New York Observer, founder of the ‘Can’t Stand Seinfeld Society’, Ron Rosenbaum offers five theories on Michael Richards.

At Counterpunch, Richards has now been lumped in with the New York cops who shot dead a black man at the weekend. Karen Finley in the Huffington Post does the same thing.

On Court TV lawyer Gloria Allred’s daughter, Lisa Bloom, discusses the merits of her mother’s possible case against Richards and comes to the conclusion that racism is nothing a little bit of Seinfeld cash can’t sort out.

“A jury of Doss and McBride's peers might have acquitted them had they lashed out in violence after such vile provocation. Instead, they took the nonviolent high road and consulted an attorney.”


Ken Levine enters the Richards debate, though his post is more about how improv is ruining comedy.

As for an update on Mo’nique’s career, she’s still been in fuck all since Mo’nique’s F.A.T. Chance where aspiring plus size models attempt to lose weight.

WWE stars JTG and Shad Gaspard (aka Cryme Tyme) ‘kicked the crap’ out of a Michael Richards lookalike to show their displeasure with the situation.

One of the stars of Chappelle’s Show, Paul Mooney, has also called for a ban on ‘the N word’, claiming that Michael Richards has ‘cured him from it’.

”We’re gonna stop using the “N” word,” said Mooney during a recent broadcast on CNN. “I’m not gonna use it again and I’m not gonna use the “B” word. Just say no to the “N” word, we want all human beings throughout the world to stop using the “N” word.”


Fraser and I were talking about this as a sketch only this morning, but it appears that National Lampoon have gone and done it. Here is their Lost Seinfeld Episode.

New Neck

One Neck’s site has undergone a major overhaul, with lots of new illustrations, a bio and odds and ends.

Tommy appears to have been working on it for several months (or at least has given it as an excuse for not doing anything else for several months) and now that work has borne fruit.

So go check out the Neck and let him know what you think of his artwork.

5/4 Time

So, who knew what math rock was? Not me. I learned last night when I went to see Don Caballero at ABC2. Completely instrumental, it’s not usually my kind of thing, but I did enjoy them. They were more melodic than perhaps I was expecting.

Of course we were stood beside the gig bam who frequently shouted things like “Fuck off and play”, “This is Glasgow, cunts” and “Gettyfuck”. He was quite annoying.

Tuesday 28 November 2006

Clint Flicker

Here's an interesting (if you're into comics) thing about the lettering of dialogue balloons.

No Seinfeld For You!

Here’s your latest fix of Michael Richards news.

Jesse Jackson has called for a boycott of Seinfeld Season 7. Sorry Jesse, my Christmas will be spent watching George squirm out of his relationship with Susan, Jerry mug an old woman for a marble rye and The Soup Nazi denying George soup.(Incidentally I titled this post before I noticed the headline in that article.)

Michael Richards and Jesse Jackson both feel ‘the N word’ should be banned and Richards’ publicist confirms that he has sought psychiatric help.

Robin Williams is the latest comedian to defend Kramer the daft racist.

The Laugh Factory are insisting that Richards pays up $6 million to charity. That seems like a cheap PR exercise by the club to me. You wouldn't pay that much money if you were convicted in a civil trial for murdering a black man, far less insulting one.

Actress and comedian Monique is on a complete Michael Richards boycott.

Monday 27 November 2006

The Best TV Show You've Never Seen

Through the wonder of the World Wide Web I have just finished watching season 4 of The Wire. I think Fraser did a post a while ago about how good the season was, but I’m going to add my tuppence worth.

I think the fact that I watched this season in 3 and 4 hour blocks tells you everything you need to know about how addictive it is. I’ve said it before, but here it comes again, this is easily one of the best shows ever to have been on television. I’ve even went for a hyperbolic NME style headline to convey my opinion.

This has more character development in one episode than a full series of any British drama you could care to mention. Characters have grown over the course of the 4 seasons like none I have ever seen in any other drama, and I include my other favourites shows The Sopranos, The Shield and The West Wing in that.

For example the fuck-up of series one is a total star in season 4, having found his niche and worked his heart out for it.

The show’s subtle and clever, having many important scenes play out without dialogue or having one line sum up what other shows would have taken a scene to do.

It’s also not afraid to be hard hitting, having shocking endings for some of the characters we’ve ridden along with for so long.

In the first season it was about the cops and the gangsters on the street. By season 4 the net has widened to include politicians and local government, the police hierarchy, the schools, social services, drug suppliers, dealers and users as well as parents and reformed gangsters and retired cops.

You wouldn’t think that they could do justice to so many characters, so many different plotlines, so many different personalities, but they so can.

If you haven’t before now get started on watching The Wire.

Some More Scraps of Michael Richards News

In the wake of the Michael Richards debacle some American comics discuss nights when they’ve been heckled. John Caponera tells of the time he bombed when opening for Night Ranger.

Thug Life Army says that, “Michael Richards can never be my ‘nigga’ no matter what Jessie says.”

In the Huffington Post RJ Eskow tells Richards to stop apologising, less he lose a lucrative gig as a CNN right-wing racist correspondent.

I’m Giving This Post 110%

In our day job, as most of you know, we get to tart up the language and phrasing salespeople scribble down on behalf of customers. This means we are faced with phrases such as “What makes our business stand out from the competition is that we are not cowboys.”

Or

“We do the job to completion” as if not fucking off in the middle of the work is a selling point.

We also get a lot of people saying that they “Give 110%” or occasionally “120%”. I think that’s been the highest percentage giving I’ve seen.

Anyway, Limmy started an amusing thread about the subject of “110%” over at his blog. Some of the comments are pretty funny.

Dave Cockrum 1943 - 2006


Comic book legend Dave Cockrum has died today, following complications arising from diabetes.

Although responsible for a veritable mountain of work in the 60s and 70s including groundbreaking work on DC’s “Legion of Superheroes”, he will principally be remembered for co-creating the “new” X Men, a hugely successful series of characters designed to re-vamp the original roster in the then ailing title.

Among his co-creations (with Len Wien) were Storm, Colossus and Nightcrawler.

He collaborated on several X Men issues with writer Chris Claremont, doing the groundwork for the classic X Men run by Claremont and John Byrne that would cement the success of the comic.

Typically, Marvel failed to compensate Cockrum for his massive contribution to their success until shortly before his death.

He will be sadly missed by all those who enjoyed his work.

From the creator of Fake Dilberts...

I still plan to stick up some more of those Dilberts I faked, but at the moment frankly can’t be bothered.

Have this mash up of the very first Charlie Brown strip instead.

The Hot Puppies and Hey Willpower

In my guise as sometime live gig reviewer for The Skinny, I was at King Tuts last night to see The Hot Puppies. What I expected from the two support acts, was your standard local bands and a packed room that then empties before the main act, when the crowd, there to see their pals, leave.

The first support, Racingreen, fitted this bill. Local act who were all right, if nothing special. The main support though was unexpected.

Hey Willpower are a dance act from San Francisco. When they started off with some choreographed dance moves I knew they’d be worth watching. Even although the singer was clearly miming through most of the songs they were highly entertaining.

I couldn’t help but feel however, that they would be more suited to an appearance at a gay club than supporting a Welsh indie-rock band. They invited the audience onto the stage to dance with them for one number and got no shortage of takers.

There was really nothing to do but enjoy them, their energy and the fact that they were obviously having a good time was just infectious. And it helped that the songs were for the most part quite good too.

Their set closer ‘Everybody Get on the Floor’ has hit single stamped all over. After they finished, folk from the crowd came up to hug them and get them to sign CDs. And no, they weren’t taking the piss.

As for The Hot Puppies, they were as good a rock band as I’ve seen this year. They have cracking songs, a great stage presence and a charismatic singer. That’s about all you need really. I’ll let you know if and when my glowing 150 word review appears in the magazine.

There are more photographs than are strictly necessary of both bands, over at my Flickr site.

Bus Bams

A couple of classic bams on the buses home from work on Friday night.

The number 40 certainly is in the running for the most bamtastic bus in the city and it served up a right heed-the-baw on Friday.

A lad and his young lady got on along Maryhill Road. Already wound up, by a guy in the pub ‘staring at the burd’ it was pretty clear that it wouldn’t take much to get him started.

And start he did, on a couple up the back, claiming that the girl had been talking big about some ‘kid-on hardman’ that he knew. Of course she hadn’t, and she attempted to explain this to him, in her Kelvinside accent.

Our bam preferred to treat this as a Maryhill-Parkhead dispute. They were from Maryhill he insisted and Parkhead boys could fight like fuck and would sort them out. He even went through the motions of taking his jacket off as his skanky ladyfriend held him back while also mouthing off at the couple.

It thankfully came to nothing as they got off a bit further up Maryhill Road. As Fraser pointed out though, someone was getting off him that night, most likely the bird.

On the bus from town back home there was a far more entertaining bam. The driver. From his accent he was obviously a Scouser. He attempted to rip the pish out of every second passenger.

He started off by dishing our general cheek to folk, about how many stops they intended travelling or how slowly he felt they were getting on the bus.

A young lad approached the driver clutching two tickets for Pink. Obviously heading for the SECC, he attempted to ask our boy where to get off.

“I don’t read Chinese mate.”

At the stop before the SECC, the driver gets out his carriage.

“Where are those boys for the Sec? Right get off here. You see that roundabout? Yeah? Okay, now walk round it three times. No mate. No mate. I’m joking.”

Every time he passed a girl he tooted his horn. However he was prepared to go further than that. “You’re not getting off now love are you?” he asked of one female passenger. “Cos I was going to ask you out.” He then printed out a ticket. “Stick yer number on that.” Amazingly she did.

“Have you been drinking?” he asked of one girl as she got off.

“Naw. But I think you have,” was her, probably quite accurate, reply.

“I’m only going to Partick station,” he told a bunch of women as they got on, when in fact the bus was destined for Drumchapel.

“Aw right,” they said as they got off the bus.

“I’m only jokin’ yer!”

Across the road from Kelvingrove, folk get on the bus, another guy asks, “What number are you?”

“61 mate.”

Except he wasn’t. It was a 9.

Instead of putting on the brakes at each red light, he chose to slow down, while activating whatever system they have for rocking the bus up and down.

“If you’re gonnie dae that, at least pit some music on,” shouted one of the women who had almost been duped by his Partick ploy.

“No bother,” said the driver as we were treated to a dance tune at full bung. “I’ve got some dirty ones as well. A bit early for that though.”

He made for a lot more entertainment that the nutter on the 40 that’s for sure.

Apologies, Reparations and the Michael Richards Thing


Good post by Doug Stanhope about the Michael Richards affair, talking about something we’ve discussed – the fact that Richards isn’t a comedian and tried to pull off something he simply wasn’t capable of.

He also made a few good points about the ridiculous “power” of the word nigger. He is quite right to say that anyone who believes one particular word is somehow “worse” than any other is, as he puts it, an idiot.

Black people in America have been sold a bill of goods on “the n word”. Living in a country where the only thing going into black communities are drugs and army recruitment officers, black people have been denied an equal stake in society and have instead been palmed off with the “magic beans” of a taboo word no-one can call them.

It’s ironic that the people Richards abused are now seeking financial remuneration for the incident. They do so of course because they are nothing more than callow opportunists, seeking to profit from the oppression borne by their forefathers.

But money and lots of it should be exactly what the black community in America are demanding. Not in some reparatory gesture of apology or guilt but simply as a matter of common sense, decency and necessity. It is imperative to America’s very survival that the endemic practice of simply writing off generations of people to poverty, crime and drug abuse are ended sooner rather than later. Otherwise, the cancer of the ghetto will eventually destroy the whole nation.

We have our own race debate here of course, with the bi-centenary of the abolition of slavery coming up next year.

There have been faint stirrings of discontent following the Prime Minister’s “expression of deep regret” regarding the slave trade with some calling for a formal apology.

Really, what’s the point? Weak point-scoring by the loony left it may be, but it’s a perfect illustration of the calibre of politician we have at our disposal these days, people concerned more with posturing than delivering genuine improvement in peoples lives.

Besides, surely asking someone to apologise for something they are not responsible for simply because they are the same colour as those who centuries before enslaved black people is in itself racist.

You’d think the abolition commemorations would be an issue we could all get on board with and plan a meaningful, united and reflective series of events around.

The bi-centennial should be a measure of how far we have come and a time to discuss what remains to be done, not grist for political opportunists.

Of course the Government can’t apologise for a historical wrong, otherwise they’d never have time to do anything. They’d be too busy apologising for those who died securing the right to vote, to women, for continuing to deny that right until 1918, for setting the police on the working classes in the 80’s, for the poll tax and for prosecuting a hugely expensive, un-winnable racist war in the Middle East.

Hmm. Maybe it’s not such a bad idea after all…

Sunday 26 November 2006

Richards on Jesse Jackson Show

Still creating great column inches for everyone in America (and posts for me), Michael Richards has appeared on Jesse Jackson's radio programme.

"That's why I'm shattered by it. The way this came through me was like a freight train. After it was over, when I went to look for them, they had gone. And I've tried to meet them, to talk to them, to get some healing."

Saturday 25 November 2006

Stanhope's Take on Richards Racism Row

No Michael Richards stuff for a couple of days, you must be worried. Here is Doug Stanhope's take on the subject. As you may imagine Doug defends him, and gives the most intelligent defence of him I've read yet. In fact it's probably the most intelligent assesment of the incident I've read yet. Oh and he also hates him.

The guys involved want a personal apology.

Bob Parks has quite a good, humorous look at the fiasco on Mens' News Daily.

"Gimme a break. Those men could have walked out any time they wanted, but as insulting as it was, they were involved in that train wreck everyone wanted to watch. It’s not like this traumatic experience was the first time those men ever heard the word directed at them. For Gloria Allred to act like it was and demand a monetary payoff is shameless."


Kenny Kramer is finding his phone ringing off the hook.

Tom Green is another to defend Richards.

Friday 24 November 2006

The Re-Addiction of Fizzy


One of the most irritating things about getting back into comics after about 10 years is the plethora of cool stuff I’ve missed. It’s costing me a fortune to catch up.

Thankfully, there are torrents available on most popular comics so I’ve been able to catch up with a few long running titles I otherwise would never have read.

The availability of these torrents for me at least give the lie to the notion that copyright “piracy” for want of a better expression kills the medium it shares with other users.

I have spent a significant amount of cash recently on titles I would never have bought had it not been for the availability of early issues on the net.

In many ways, comics are the ideal medium for internet sharing. Small and easy to download, comics are also hard to track down if they’ve been out for a while.

A factor that puts people off comics is that fact that when they come to the medium, they feel they’ve missed too much to just dive into most titles – they’ve missed the beginning of the story.

This is a fact acknowledged by Marvel, who deliberately “re-launched” a number of heroes, (most successfully Spiderman) in the “Ultimate” series, a title specifically designed for more casual comic readers. The idea is you can pick any issue up and you won’t have missed too much.

But most titles really have to be read from the beginning, so it’s either expensive trade paperback collections or the even more expensive practice of collecting back issues.

Well, not anymore. I’m sure the availability of comics online is of concern especially to the larger publishers, but as I’ve said about TV in the past, it’s as much an opportunity as it is a problem.

Most of the people in comics who are any good are also fairly prolific. One of the busiest over the last 10 years has been 30 year old writer Brian K. Vaughan.

A film school graduate, Vaughan manages to do all the things that are difficult to pull off effectively in comics extremely well.

Vaughan has exposed the myth that there is nowhere left to go in super-hero comics and has created three best selling titles with simple yet ingenious high concept premises which illustrate this perfectly.

“Ex Machina” asks the question: “What if a superhero felt he could do more good as a politician?”

“Runaways” asks: “What if a bunch of teenagers found out that their parents were an evil cabal of super-villains?”

And “Y: The Last Man” asks: “What if you really were the last man on earth?”

All these fun ideas could still be shit as comics of course, but Vaughan is also an adept and witty writer of dialogue and has been blessed with the rare skill of being able to genuinely develop individual characters in the pacy manner the limited pallet of the 24 page regular comic book demands.

I haven’t read many comics books where all the bases have been covered quite so well.

Media icon Joss Whedon agrees with me there and is set to take over writing duties on “Runaways” in the near future after his successful stint on his own X title, “Astonishing X Men”.

I’ve also just finished reading an impressive run of “Powers” by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming.

I’ve said before I was a bit non-plussed by this much-hyped title when I read it initially, but the scope and imagination involved in the “Forever” storyline blew me away. The writing in this instance more than matches the clever stylistic touches it always had and took the whole series on to a new level.

I’ve recently finagled a bunch of Bendis’ “Daredevil” run which I’m looking forward to reading now all the more.

Thursday 23 November 2006

Hocemo Li Na Kafu?

Moving away from Michael Richards for a moment, and we probably should, I have been meaning to direct you all to Graeme’s blog Hocemo Li Na Kafu? Filled with discussion on politics and books among other things, it should give you something meatier to read that my look at what the US are saying about a former sitcom actor.

His co-blogger Anna wrote this excellent piece about the Holocaust.

The Richards Race Debate Continues

For some reason this still seems to be the biggest story in the US at the moment. Michael Richards has hired New York publicist Howard Rubenstein, a man with ‘deep contacts in the black community.’

Larry Thomas, The Soup Nazi from Seinfeld, cancelled a signing session yesterday.

More people have conveniently remembered another time when Michael Richards has been abusive. Apparently he hates Jews as well.

Ray Hanania again, this time in Arabisto, comparing the situation to Palestine and Israel.

Some people have been fast getting the Michael Richards merchandise out.

The Huffington Post invites us to watch Michael Richards, wearing face paint pretending to be black.

24 Hours Vancouver looks at how the outburst will affect people’s viewing of Seinfeld season 7.

Over on News From Me, Mark Evanier says he’s starting to feel sorry for Michael Richards.

Jamie Foxx and Tyrese sound off about Richards' remarks backstage at the American Music Awards on November 21, 2006



Naked Gord has an exclusive mp3 interview with Kenny Kramer about Michael Richards.

Have a look at Al Sharpton on television telling how he refused Michael Richards’ telephone apology.

This is Andy Kaufman’s infamous appearance on the sketch show Fridays. It features man of the moment Michael Richards.



This is Jerry Seinfeld and David Letterman talking after Michael Richards has apologised on Monday night.

Wednesday 22 November 2006

Why Would I Thank Hitler?

The fall out from Michael Richards’s racist diatribe continues. My view on it is that his outburst is indefensible, he lost his temper, and when he got going he couldn’t stop. Is he a racist? Well, what do racists do? Long for the days when ‘blacks were strung up’? Shout ‘n*****’ at black guys who annoy them?

His apology on Letterman seemed genuine enough though, he looked nervous, and seemed to have trouble articulating just why he did what he did. He didn’t read from a prepared statement he seemed sincere. When he states that he’s fine with the people involved in the incident to go to the papers he adds that this type of behaviour should be exposed. Sadly, for those of us who loved him as Kramer, he also looked like a bewildered old man, desperately hoping for a lifebelt with which to save his drowning career.

Perhaps he didn’t feel as bad as he seemed on Monday night when he woke up on Saturday morning, perhaps he only felt that way when footage of the incident appeared on Monday.

There’s a Kids in the Hall sketch where an actress accepting an Oscar sees her career end on the podium, as in among her thanks to managers, directors and parents, she absent-mindedly thanks Hitler. “I thanked Hitler?” she asks her manager as he leads her away from a stunned and silent audience. “I never! Why would I thank Hitler?” I can only assume Michael Richards had a similar conversation with his manager at the weekend.

Now let's have a look at what everyone else has been saying about him.

Jay Leno has been having a dig at him.

The New York Times has a good article on how Jerry Seinfeld got Richards on Letterman and how Richards might be able to recover.

This is another New York Times article analysing his apology.

Canadian comics condemn him in this article from CTV.ca. The article also highlights the fact that he repeatedly referred to ‘Afro-Americans’ in his Letterman interview.

This is an article in The Independent analysing the incident.

BetUS posts odds on what he will do next.

He will confess to being a KKK member- 50/1
He will write a book titled the Kramer Mein Kampf- 150/1
He will marry an African American man- 20/1
He will donate a million dollars to the NAACP- 10/1
He will attempt to start Kramer Arian youth groups- 150/1


Rev. Jesse Jackson speaks out on Richards in the Chicago Defender.

"I think number one, clearly it is obvious that Michael Richards engaged in a racist rant," Jackson Sr. said. "This is not the first time he has said these things, because he went beyond using the N-word. It seems to me that it's not enough that he should apologize and get treatment.


In the Huffington Post Earl Ofari Hutchinson thinks the incident marks a good time for everyone to take a look at the 'N' word.

The Chicago Tribune provides more analysis from a crisis management expert, as well as TMZ.com’s Managing Editor delight that the video of the incident had been viewed on their site more than 1.5 million times.

Oscar winner and stand-up Jamie Foxx says, "I would have whooped him on sight."

The New York Post digs up no shortage of people prepared to say that Michael Richards was a ‘ticking time bomb of rage’.

Melanie Chartoff, who worked with Richards on the sketch comedy show "Fridays" in the early '80s and had an appearance on "Seinfeld," said he becomes enraged "when someone disagrees with his point of view."


On a similar path, MoronLife.com says 'Kramer called me a c***'.

Someone prepared to defend Michael Richards is Chicago based columnist and stand-up Ray Hanania.

"But Richards isn’t a racist. His act doesn’t feature racist attacks against other races and ethnic groups.

Still, African Americans seem set on making an example of him, even though African Americans use the “N” word more often than others on and off comedy stages."


Dave McGurgan of Phillyburbs.com is another to come to the aid of the 57 year old actor.

“How much do you want to bet Jesse Jackson gets involved or even worse - sicks his posse on Richards over this?

Unfortunately Richards has already lost the battle.

Which is a shame because it's impossible to logically draw the conclusion that he's a racist from the incomplete and edited piece of tape that only runs two-and-a-half minutes.

Sure, he says "nigger" an awful lot, but without the entire context of the show, we don't know what factors led up to Richards' tirade against the heckler.”


Kyle Doss and Frank McBride, the two guys Michael Richards directed his anger at have spoken to NBC about it today. Funnily enough the word ‘compensation’ is now being bandied about.

They told "Today" show host Matt Lauer they did nothing to warrant Richards' racially charged invectives and called the comments hurtful and disrespectful. They said they can't accept the apology the comedian issued before cameras on the David Letterman Show because if Richards really wanted to apologize he would have sought them out.

Later in the show, celebrity attorney Gloria Allred, who now represents Doss and McBride, issued a challenge to Richards to meet with her clients to hear the pain his "racist" words caused.

She said he should take the recommendation of a retired judge to determine the compensation for Doss and McBride.


CBS News asks, Richards Facing Ruination Or Opportunity?