I've just finished reading the second collected Locas stories from Jaime Hernandez, one half of the talented brothers behind Love & Rockets, so it was good timing that this interview with writer/artist Jaime Hernandez came up.

Labels: comics, heroes, interviews

Richard Feynman is one of the geniuses of the 20th century, not only winning the Nobel prize for Physics, but also for being able to explain complex physics theories in a manner that even dumb Physics degree students (like me) can understand. Feynman was also involved with developing the bomb at Los Alamos that later went on to destroy Hiroshima, and hearing him talk of his and everyone's elses' reaction at the time is somewhat chilling.

This video is only part one of six, all of which should should up in the related videos if you go direct to youTube.

Labels: Genius, heroes, Physics, Richard Feynman, videos

Steve Lamacq over at BBC Radio 6 has an interview with Radiohead this coming Monday - 19th November*. This should be interesting listening, as its their first interview since In Rainbows was released online for the wonderful price of 'whatever you feel like paying'. Also on that page is a great cover of The Smiths from the Radiohead boys which I've embedded below:

* Don't worry if you miss it on the 19th, you can listen to it on the BBC's player for a week after that.

Labels: Brit Stuff, heroes, Music, Upcoming

Many years ago the Monty Python chaps cames over to the US o' A to publicize their show for PBS. Luckily for us, an enterprising TV chap kept a small snippet of the interview - featuring Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam and a mildly inebriated Graham Chapman, all with wonderful 70s hair. Enjoy.

Labels: Genius, heroes, tv, videos

Many years ago back at school I founded 'The Monty Python Appreciation Society', which impressive as it sounds was in fact just an excuse for a gang of us to borrow the school video and watch episodes of Python at lunchtimes. Ah, the joys of being a geek. To be fair we had more reason than many people, as Terry Jones used to be Head Boy at our school, so there was a tenuous link which was exploited to full, lazy effect.

Now thanks to my birthday present from mum I get to relive those school highlights, since I now have the complete box set of Monty Python to enjoy. Amazingly, aside from a few sketches, it stands the test of time admirably and still makes me laugh out loud. Plus there are the quotes. Mmmm... quoteage.

Labels: heroes, Television

However wonderful David Tennant is as the latest incarnation of Dr Who, and he is wonderful, for many of us there will only be Tom Baker. Or as Tom himself implies in this great interview he did a few years ago - he didn't know that other people were playing him still. A very funny man indeed.

Labels: heroes, Television

The BBC has tapped Harry Enfield to play Dirk Gently in the Radio 4 adaptation of Douglas' Adams book. Other stars include Andrew Sachs, still mostly famous for playing Manuel in Fawlty Towers - no, he's not Spanish. Really. If this adaptation is as good as the then it'll be worth staying glued to your internet radio for.

Labels: Brit Stuff, Genius, heroes

Oh my frikkin' lord... I just found out that Eddie Izzard is playing Montreal's Just for Laughs festival this year!! Huzah! Go get tickets now!!

This was also as Arcade Fire suddenly released a few tickets to their New York gigs tonight & tomorrow, but having managed to get one held in TicketMaster's evil clutches I then decided that $15 in fees on a $35 ticket was excessive given I don't really want their children. Eddie on the other hand... well. I think most folks know how I feel about Eddie.

Labels: comedy, gigs, heroes, Montreal

Last night I finally got to see one of my favourite comedians play live, as David Cross was a guest at last night's Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre's (UCBT) 'Un-sanctioned Tribeca Film Festival F%ck Around'. Having never been to the UCBT or seen many improvisational shows it was an interesting and fun experience. The theatre is small but well organised, and they have their line mechanics highly tuned - you sign up on an RSVP list before the show, when you get there you pay downstairs then go stand in the line with your tickets and 10/15 minutes before the show they start letting you in 20 people at a time. Oh, and they have beer. Sweet.

The show itself was based around the Tribeca Film Festival that's currently taking over most New York cinemas. All the comedians play characters related to film, including an over-angry Harvy Weinstein and a dog loving Paul Bogdonavich (no relation). The two show comperes, Jackie Clarke and Seth Morris carry on a talk show format with the other guests - mostly based around movies, but also bizarrely around dog food - giving them questions to respond around. For his bit David Cross played a movie marketer ("not marketeer!") and expounded on how the film industry relies on its box office figures - "Hey, you just saw Rocky and it was really great. Can you see any more? No! Because without numbers there's no Rocky 2, or 3". Great stuff.

Labels: comedy, heroes, New York Shows

It's been a weekend for catching up with mindless video style enjoyment, in between back breaking sessions on a 3000 piece jigsaw. My colour blindness and the jigsaw's bad colour printing (and indeed their trimming the edge of the image on the box lid) is certainly making that more challenging than I'd like. Definately getting value for money from it.

First up was Stranger Than Fiction - the new Will Ferrell film widely touted as a Ferrell's first effective cross over into 'serious' movies. I was a little bit apprehensive about this as some commentators had classed it as a Charlie Kaufman movie, without Charlie Kaufman writing it, luckily it came into its own and was a highly enjoyable romp. All the players were outstanding, with the exception of Queen Latifah who was just wasted, and Emma Thompson excelled as the neurotic writer for whom Ferrell is just a character in her latest novel. Strange, but entertaining - go see.

Continuing in the Charlie Kaufman vein, I finally got to see the wonderful Human Nature - Kaufman's first collaboration with Michel Gondrey (before the excellent Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind). This beautiful film, which I had somehow managed to miss even though I'm a fan of both Gondrey and Kaufamn, didn't do so well in the cinema - even after getting pretty good reviews - but it certainly should have. Great performances from all the principal actors, especially Rhys Ifans as the 'ape' man trained in manners by Tim Robbins' repressed, and saved by Patricia Arquette's hirsute nature writer. On top of the usual Kaufman script forging, Gondrey gets to extend and evolve his nature filming from the Bjork videos of old, plus introduce some beautiful CGI mice. Not sure how I missed it, but hoping I find some more wonders like this again.

Finally, another TV series I've been avoiding for a while for some unknown reason, Arrested Development. This now, unfortunately cancelled, series is pure genius - following the antics of a rich, orange county family whose patriarch has just been arrested for improper financial dealings and his second oldest son Michael's attempts to keep the dysfunctional family functioning and save the company. With the likes of David Cross in the mix you know you're in for a treat, but everyone else in the cast also excels to produce a laugh out loud comedy that reminds you however bad your family is - they're your family.

Next stop.. the new James Bond movie, which everyone is calling superb which is good news indeed.

Labels: film reviews, heroes, tv