David Tennant: Life and Fate digital download / Charity auction of Much Ado underwear

Radio 4 production of Life and Fate released next month
Radio 4′s ambitious eight-hour dramatisation of Vasily Grossman’s Life and Fate will be available as a digital download from October 10th.
The production features an all-star cast including Kenneth Branagh, David Tennant, Greta Scacchi, Janet Suzman, Kenneth Cranham, Eleanor Bron, Harriet Walter and Philip Madoc.
This powerful work, completed in 1960, charts the fate of both a nation and a family in the turmoil of war.
Its comparison of Stalinism with Nazism was considered by Soviet authorities to be so dangerous that the KGB placed the manuscript under arrest and Grossman was informed his book would not be published for at least 200 years.
Having been a household name as one of Russia’s most distinguished war correspondents, Grossman died aged 58 – the banning of his book hastening the end of his life – and he would never know the fate of his masterpiece: smuggled out of the Soviet Union on microfilm, to freedom and eventual publication in the West.
The production is available exclusively as an download and can be ordered via audiogo.co.uk
Source: Seen It

In the meantime, Life and Fate episodic downloads are available at Anglotopia



David Tennant's undies charity hit as they fetch £252
A pair of boxer shorts signed by David Tennant and the rest of the West End cast of Much Ado About Nothing was sold for £252 on 24 September. The underwear had to be withdrawn from auction previously after they were found not to include the former Doctor Who's signature. They were among other undies put up for auction on eBay to raise money for the Make A Difference foundation.
The charity raises funds to support people living with HIV and AIDS, and those in the entertainment industry facing hardship as a result of long-term medical conditions.
After Bathgate-born Tennant put pen to pants, 41 bids were lodged. Other actors who signed their own pair of briefs included Matt Lucas, Rupert Everett, Richard Blackwood, Kara Tointon and Natalie Casey.
Steven Inman, director of the Make A Difference Trust, said: "This is a novel and fun way to raise money for good causes and we are fortunate to have the support of so many big names backing the Pants Project and its aims to help sick people in hardship.
"The pants are destined to become must-have mementos and are sure to attract a lot of interest from fans."
Source: Daily Record

Alan Cumming to star in Travis Fine's film

Alan Cumming, Garret Dillahunt, Isaac Leyvastar and Frances Fisher will be starring in the period drama Any Day Now, written, produced and directed by Travis Fine.

The film completed principal photography in Los Angeles and is in post-production. Produced by Kristine Hostetter Fine and Chip Hourihan, the film is produced by Anne O'Shea and Maxine Makover.

Set in the 1970s and inspired by a true story, the film chronicles a gay couple who take in a teenage boy with Down Syndrome who has been abandoned by his drug addicted mother. As the teen discovers the strong bonds of family for the first time in his life, disapproving authorities step in to tear the boy from the stable environment he has known. As the gay men fight to adopt this special needs child, they wage a battle against a system stacked against them.

“I'm a fan of the gritty, character-driven dramas that were made during the 1970's. Any Day Now offers me an opportunity to revisit that time period cinematically, address social issues that are just as relevant today as they were 35 years ago and explore characters who discover love in the most unlikely of places,” said Fine.

Cumming plays Rudy Donatello, a drag performer who makes the decision to take the abandoned child into his life. Dillahunt portrays Paul Fleiger, a Deputy District Attorney, who risks his career to fight for the men he loves. Fisher plays a family court judge who is tasked with rendering a decision in the adoption case. Any Day Now introduces Isaac Levya, an actor with Down Syndrome, who makes a debut as Marco, a boy abandoned by his mother only to be taken in by two strangers who provide a safe, stable and loving home.

Set in 1979 and based upon a script written over 30 years ago by George Arthur Bloom, the film explores a wide canvas of issues that are l relevant today from caring for special needs children to gay adoption and equality.

The film is executive-produced by Wayne Smith & Dan Skahan, a gay couple who have fostered more than 30 children and spent ten years fighting the Florida ban on gay adoption.

Source: Business of Cinema

Same story, more info at Hollywood News

Billy Connolly shares his ‘securities and insecurities’ to help beat blood cancer

The following was received by email at ScottishActors HQ, and is reproduced here verbatim:

Billy Connolly comedian, musician, presenter and actor, will share highlights from his life in a special 'Audience with' event to support Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, at London's Criterion Theatre on Sunday 6 November.

Billy, whose new series Route 66 is currently on ITV1, will talk about his upbringing in a Glasgow tenement, his early life as a welder in Scottish shipyards, and how in the early 1970s he made the transition to stand-up comedian.

Now well established as an actor and presenter, Billy is known for his forthright views and has promised not to hold back. He will be interviewed by BBC Creative Director Alan Yentob in the intimate Criterion Theatre and the audience will be able to put their own questions directly to Billy during the evening.

The event follows the huge success of 'A Special Audience' evenings with Mel Brooks, Michael Palin, Stephen Fry and Kevin Spacey, which have raised over £160,000 for the charity’s life-saving research into better treatments and cures for all blood cancers.

Leading literary agent and leukaemia survivor Ed Victor will host the event. Ed still undergoes undergoes regular treatment and is very open about the fact that he owes his life to research. He created the "Special Audience" idea for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research.

Director of Fundraising Kate White says: "It’s brilliant to have the support of Billy Connolly for this year's event. Our 'Audience With' events are extremely popular so we recommend booking early. Please come along for a great night out and help us beat blood cancers."

'A Special Audience with Billy Connolly' will take place at the Criterion Theatre on Sunday 6 November at 8pm. There are a limited number of tickets which include an exclusive champagne reception hosted by Alastair and Ed from 6.30pm available for £120 each. Tickets for show only are £25, £50 or £60 each. To book, please contact Criterion Theatre box office 0844 8471 778 or www.ticketmaster.com.

For further information, please contact Chris Gerrard at Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research Press Office on 020 7685 1043 or email: cgerrard@beatingbloodcancers.org.uk Mobile 07824 375880

About Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research
Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research is the only UK charity solely dedicated to research into blood cancers, including leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma. These cancers are diagnosed in around 28,500 children, teenagers and adults in the UK every year.

We receive no government funding and rely entirely on voluntary support and need to raise £120 million in the next five years to continue this life-saving research. Further information, including patient information booklets, is available from www.beatbloodcancers.org or on 020 7405 0101.

Father & Son debuts in Australia

It is a good thing Father's Day has come and gone because this is not what you would call a 'heart-warming' story about a boy and his dad. As a young man, Michael (Dougray Scott) was a violent thug who led a crime ring on a Manchester estate. Ill-gotten gains paid for the good life until an enemy murdered Michael's wife, sparing his son, Sean (Reece Noi). Flash forward and Michael is living the quiet life in Ireland with a new wife and a baby on the way, while 15-year-old Sean, in the care of Connie, his late mother's sister (a great performance by Sophie Okonedo), finds himself a suspect in a murder case. Still notorious, Michael returns to discover his violent legacy continues and old enemies never die. Created by the team behind Wallander and The Queen, this is a superbly plotted, four-part thriller with an outstanding cast.

The miniseries debuted on Australia's ABC2 on 19 September

Read more at Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian

Ewan McGregor rumored for ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’

A few days ago, Film Stage brought the news that Ryan Gosling, Alexander Skarsgård, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt were of interest to Warner Bros. when it comes to Steven Soderbergh‘s The Man from U.N.C.L.E. It seems as if the casting process has gone an extra step, with word now coming in on actors that might replace the departed George Clooney, as well as more contenders for the Russian spy Illya Kuryakin.

ThePlaylist managed to snag some details on who’s catching the attention of the studio and the director — and, boy, it’s a pretty wide-ranging list. (Granted, most of them are white men between 30 and 40, but they’re from all over the map.) One big name is Michael Fassbender, who recently worked with Soderbergh on the forthcoming Haywire; he’s in contention for the lead role of Napoleon Solo. Another actor from that film, Ewan McGregor, is also in the mix, but as Kuryakin — the same part the three previously mentioned thespians are being considered for.

Read more at The Film Stage

James McAvoy to play Elton John?

If the rumours are to believed, then Scottish actor James McAvoy might be set to take on the role of legendary singer Elton John, in a movie following the story of the star’s rise to fame.

The upcoming movie, titled ”Rocketman”, is reportedly being written by the man who penned the screenplay for ”Billy Elliot”, Lee Hall. Elton John himself will act as executive producer on the project, whilst a number of his hit songs are thought to be being included within the narrative itself.

This will be the second time that John has worked alongside Hall, as he was also involved in composing the score for the West End theatre adaptation of ”Billy Elliot”, which took place in 2000. Indeed, the soundtrack for the show proved so popular than many fans enjoyed it as more of a standalone album, listening while commuting to work or playing online partypoker. However, it has not get been announced whether any original music will feature in this upcoming biopic movie.

Still, there are plenty of Elton John classics for Hall to choose from, and it is thought that the movie will not be without big hits like ‘Candle In The Wind’ and, of course, ‘Rocket Man’. It has not yet been confirmed who will take on the role of the eccentric singer, but McAvoy is certainly tipped to be one of the preferred choices.

Read more at Movie Hole and Entertainment Wise

Cruise 30th Anniversary T-Shirts

To commemorate their landmark 30th year anniversary, Cruise has collaborated with celebrity friends Ant and Dec, Paulo Nutini, Sharleen Spiteri, Robert Carlyle, Lorraine Kelly, Michelle Mone and Tali Lennox to design a collection of exclusive t-shirts to help raise valuable funds for children’s charity Cash for Kids.

The limited edition t-shirts feature original designs inspired by a happy memory from the celebrities’ own childhood to help highlight the plight of disadvantaged children, ultimately sending a message of empowerment and hope.

The t-shirts evoke blissful memories from the celebrities; Lorraine Kelly remembers singing along to Dusty Springfield songs with her Mother and Sharleen Spiteri reminisces about past times and activities that still make her smile. Michelle Mone remembers her love for Monopoly and dreams of owning a small piece of Mayfair, Tali Lennox was inspired by her favourite childhood toy, a rocking horse given to her by her mother, while Ant & Dec recall fond memories of football matches watched at St James’ Park Newcastle.

The image above was designed by Robert Carlyle.

Only 30 of each design will be produced and sold in-store for a minimum donation of £30 on Thursday 29th September. All proceeds from the t-shirts will go to Cash for Kids Charity.

More information and t-shirt designs at The Style Raconteur

Weekly schedule for Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

Mo 9/26: Jonah Hill, Chris Young
Tu 9/27: Mary Lynn Rajskub, Jackie Collins, Trombone Shorty
We 9/28: Rashida Jones, Jonathan Ames
Th 9/29: Carson Kressley, Michelle Monaghan
Fr 9/30: Seth Rogen, Judy Greer

Mo 10/3: Lily Tomlin, Ioan Gruffudd
Tu 10/4: Jessica Lange, Jacques Steinberg

David Tennant - new projects, awards

Best Actor - David Tennant
Having waved goodbye to the TARDIS, David Tennant had been keen to move on, and his win tonight – over current Timelord Matt Smith, Sherlock’s Benedict Cumberbatch and Merlin’s Colin Morgan - shows that fans still love the Scottish star. Single Father, about a man struggling to care for his kids following his wife’s tragic death, teamed him with former Corrie favourite Suranne Jones.

‘I’m really pleased it won, because Single Father wasn’t one of the big, show-off pieces. We were on opposite Downton Abbey, so we were never going to be celebrated in terms of millions of viewers. I’m biased, but I think it was rightly appreciated because it was a quality piece of writing,’ says David Tennant.

[NB David is misquoted here, as 'Single Father' lost out in the Best New Drama category to 'Sherlock']
Source: TV Choice Magazine


‘Postman Pat’ feature film on the way - David Tennant & Rupert Grint to star
If you have ever lived in England since 1981, when he first appeared, there is a very good chance that you know of the animated character Postman Pat. And if you do know who he is, you are probably singing the theme tune as you read this! Well today it was announced that Pat along with his black and white cat, Jess will be heading to the big screen, in glorious 3D!

Postman Pat: The Movie – You Know You’re the One, will see Pat’s Royal Mail Van packed full of stars on its way to the local multiplex. Stephen Mangan (Episodes, Green Wing, Dirk Gently) will play the Greendale postie, while Jim Broadbent (Iris, Moulin Rouge!), Rupert Grint, (Harry Potter) and David Tennant (Doctor Who, Harry Potter) have already signed on to voice characters.

According to the official press release, the film finds Pat, everyone’s favourite postman, coming face-to-face with the temptations of money, status and a shiny new suit when he enters a national TV talent show competition that threatens to tear him away from his hometown of Greendale and the friends he loves. What happens when kindness meets selfishness? When local fame meets global notoriety? A nice cup of tea is kicked aside by a frappacappucino? Pat is set to find out as he falls for the age old temptation of the grass being greener…
Source: Brit Scene


Scots actor to host Children In Need gig
Scottish actor David Tennant will be among the stars turning out for a huge Children In Need concert organised by Gary Barlow.

The former Doctor Who star will be one of three hosts introducing such acts Lady Gaga, Coldplay and Elbow at Manchester's MEN Arena on 17 November. Children In Need Rocks Manchester will be broadcast on BBC1 and Radio 1.

[NB Tickets have already sold out]
Source: The Scotsman

Danny Boyle confirms the Trainspotting Sequel: Porno, is on the way

If you’re a big fan of Danny Boyle, then you’ll know that a Trainspotting sequel has been on the cards for a while. He’s certainly talked it up in interviews saying that he really wanted to do it. But now in another interview, he has confirmed that the film is going ahead, with the original cast and writer behind it.

The film will be based on the book Porno, written by Irvine Welsh as a sequel to Trainspotting. It is set ten years after the events of Trainspotting and focuses on the main characters Begbie, Renton, Spud and Sick Boy, only this time set against the porn industry as opposed to heroin addiction.

Boyle confirms that the original cast are on board and keen to get going. Robert Carlyle was quoted elsewhere saying he would do it “tomorrow for nothing” and even Ewan McGregor who was more skeptical, saying a sequel would be a “terrible shame”, is reportedly on for it.

Read more at We Got This Covered

Alan Cumming among artists who support Global Fund health efforts

A diverse group of actors and artists has come out in support of a global charity that fights some of the world’s deadliest diseases.

In an open letter published online, the group called on government officials and the public to do more for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which pays for treatment in poor countries. The agency provides two-thirds of the global financing for efforts against tuberculosis and malaria, and helps cover treatment for more than half of the world’s AIDS patients.

Because of the group’s work, about 5.2 million people around the world who have AIDS are now getting antiretroviral drugs, which help stem the progression of the disease. To support the agency’s cause, 15 actors, musicians, artists and writers signed a letter urging more financing for the group. Among those who put their names on the letter were Jeremy Irons, Annie Lennox, Alan Cumming, Minnie Driver, Deepak Chopra and Morgan Freeman.

“By 2015, together we can almost eliminate mother-to-child transmission of H.I.V. as a public health problem, and dramatically cut the number of deaths worldwide due to tuberculosis and malaria,” the artists wrote. “However, if we do not raise widespread support the momentum we have already built will be lost and we will miss this historic opportunity.

“We who sign this letter,” they added, “join the chorus of voices across the planet asking for support in the fight to turn the tide against these diseases by 2015.”

The agency said the letter came at a particularly crucial time because a number of milestones in global health are “within reach, such as no deaths from malaria, control of tuberculosis and a massive reduction in the number of AIDS deaths worldwide.”

Source: New York Times

First trailer for We Bought A Zoo

Check out the first trailer for We Bought A Zoo below, or head over to Apple to see it in HD.




The film is set to be released on December 23rd.

Read more at Cinema Blend

Billy Connolly to star in Hoffman-directed 'Quartet'

With many top actors also directing films, from George Clooney to Clint Eastwood, Dustin Hoffman has remained on the other side of the camera - until now, with the filming of Quartet, the actor will finally take on directing for the big screen, it was announced by the BBC Films and other producers on September 12.

Oscar-winning Hoffman will adapt the stage play Quartet by Ronald Harwood, who also wrote the screenplay, and is best-known for his scripts of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and his Oscar winner The Pianist.

Hoffman assembled a venerable cast of British actors, including Dame Maggie Smith and Michael Gambon, both of Gosford Park and Harry Potter films, Tom Courtenay (Billy Liar, The Dresser) and Billy Connolly (Gulliver's Travels, Mrs. Brown).

The story about aging and mortality follows ex-opera stars living in a retirement home who gather each year to celebrate the birthday of Giuseppe Verdi. When an ex-diva arrives, old conflicts arise to jeopardize the annual concert.

Quartet began shooting this week in England for release in theaters in 2012.

Read more at The Independent

Lovely new trailer for Perfect Sense with Ewan McGregor and Eva Green

Director David Mackenzie (Young Adam, Spread) has two very different love story films coming out in the next month, the festival-set You Instead and the pandemic-apocalyptic Perfect Sense.

A brilliant new trailer for the latter has now arrived, courtesy of Empire, and it gives us a lovely look at the budding romance between Ewan McGregor’s Michael, a chef, and Eva Green’s Susan, a scientist.

“The story of two people who begin to fall in love as the world begins to fall apart.

Susan is a scientist. Michael is a chef. He takes a break from the kitchen heat in the alleyway below her apartment; she smokes a cigarette at the window above. He calls up for a light – the first spark in their passionate affair.

But the world is about to change dramatically. As love turns Susan and Michael’s lives upside down, people across the globe begin to experience
strange symptoms, which first affect the emotions then the senses, one by one.

Everything changes. But people laugh, they cry, they eat and drink, they go about their daily business. They adapt, they change, they cope, they live and they love – because life must go on. And so it does.”

Parts of the synopsis admittedly read a little like Steven Soderbergh’s next film, Contagion, and some of the scenes in this new trailer even feel quite like it. But when you have two films that have a globally-spreading virus at their centre, at least some of the scenes are bound to look similar, and we shouldn’t hold that against either of them. Both are set to be excellent projects, and both should be very much worth watching.

Perfect Sense unites McGregor and Mackenzie after working together on Young Adam back in 2003, and McGregor is also united with fellow Trainspotting co-star Ewen Bremner, seen alongside him in the kitchen in the trailer.

Read more at Hey U Guys

Weekly schedule for Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

Mo 9/12: Hugh Laurie, Saffron Burrows (R 8/22/11)
Tu 9/13: Lauren Graham, Chris Young
We 9/14: Dancers from the Moulin Rouge, Danny DeVito, Olivia Munn
Th 9/15: Sigourney Weaver, Ted Alexandro
Fr 9/16: James Woods, Kathryn Hahn

Mo 9/19: Keith Olbermann, Kelly Macdonald
Tu 9/20: Harry Connick Jr.
We 9/21: James Spader
Th 9/22: Chris Hardwick, Billy Gardell
Fr 9/23: Gerard Butler, Kat Dennings

David Tennant - radio, TV, DVD, public appearances

Life and Fate
BBC Radio 4, 18 - 25 September 2011
Kenneth Branagh and David Tennant star in an eight-hour dramatisation of Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman. Thirteen episodes will be broadcast from 18 to 25 September on Radio 4.
This epic masterpiece, centred around the bloody battle of Stalingrad, charts the fate of both a nation and a family in the turmoil of war. Completed in 1960, the novel was deemed so dangerous by the KGB that the book itself was arrested.
All the episodes are available to download.
More info at BBC Radio 4


Video Source: YouTube



The Entertainment Media Show
Having clearly enjoyed himself at the San Diego Comic Con in 2009, David will be appearing on Sunday 2 October at this year's Entertainment Media Show in Earl's Court. He will be available for photographs and autographs.
More information at The Entertainment Media Show



This Is Jinsy: Interview with David Tennant
Former Doctor Who star David Tennant is guest starring as Mr Slightlyman in the first episode of Sky Atlantic's new comedy series, This Is Jinsy.
An outrageously camp wedding planner with a penchant for plastic surgery, Mr Slightlyman is a local celebrity and 'Master of Balls' in charge of the marriage lottery.
Written by and starring newcomers Chris Bran and Justin Chubb, the channel's first original comedy commission is directed by Matt Lipsey (Psychoville, Little Britain).
Episode 1, 'Wedding Lottery', airs at 10.10pm on Monday 19th September on Sky Atlantic.
What attracted you to Jinsy?
"My very good friend is the second assistant director and I had a call from her saying she was working on something very exciting and that I should get involved. They were approaching people to do guest spots and I think my name had been mentioned.
"I read the script and it's so unusual - it's difficult to get your head round because you're constantly trying to figure out what it is! Until you get on set, you have no idea how extraordinary this world is, the way that Justin and Chris have created it, the way Matt has directed it, and how it all comes together."
How's the experience been?
"I've had a blast. I'm so glad I was invited to get involved, to meet Justin and Chris."
You play Mr Slightlyman, can you tell me a bit about him?
"Mr Slightlyman is a Jinsy celebrity. He's the host of the wedding lottery show and has been for a lot longer than you'd imagine. He's older than he looks and is clearly a fan of plastic surgery. Without giving anything away, Mr Slightlyman may be paying for those treatments through slightly less than honourable means..."
How lengthy is the make-up process?
"It's intentionally low tech - it's a very old-fashioned facelift where they literally stick your face back. That's not to say it's not nice to get it all off at the end of the day though."
And your costume isn't exactly for the shy and retiring. Has it made you rethink your own sense of style?
"Not really - it's actually quite similar to what I wear on a daily basis."
Watch a clip of David Tennant in the show here
Source: Cult Box



Fright Night
The DVD is not yet available for pre-order, but you can sign up for news of its release (and add it to your Wish List) on Amazon

The Guardian announces ten new Guardian Shorts ebooks

The Guardian is to release a new e-book entitled Who's Who? The Resurrection of The Doctor

This collection charts how the Guardian has covered Britain's most popular Saturday tea-time drama since it was revived by the BBC in 2005.
Who's Who? The Resurrection of The Doctor features interviews with the three men to tackle the leading role - Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, and Matt Smith - and the two men who have been in charge of the show's fortunes: Russell T. Davies and Steven Moffat.
The book also includes interviews with a host of other Doctor Who actors who have played companions, allies and villains, including Billie Piper, Freema Agyeman, John Barrowman, and writers including Neil Gaiman and Mark Gatiss.
The book forms part of a range of titles from the publisher, Guardian Shorts, the first of which, Phone Hacking: How the Guardian broke the story, was published last month; other subjects include How to Write: Children's Books, The Rise and Rise of Facebook, and Rioting in our cities: A century of civil unrest.
Who's Who? The Resurrection of The Doctor will be released in the next few months for the Kindle and in the iBookstore.

Source: Doctor Who News

Photography starts for 'Theatre of Dreams' football film

Principle photography for ‘Britflick’ Theatre of Dreams, starring Brian Cox as Sir Matt Busby, has started in Manchester.

Shooting will take place across Manchester, Salford and Bolton during September and October 2011 for the film, which tells the fictional story of Sir Matt Busby who helps 11-year-old tearaway Georgie (played by 10-year-old Jack Smith from Tameside, pictured) fulfil his footballing dream, whilst putting his own demons of the Busby Babes to rest.

Directed by Manchester-born David Scheinmann, the film will be distributed in the UK in 2012 by Trinity Films, who are also co-financing.

At Easter, the BBC aired a drama about Manchester United's Busby Babes and Bobby Charlton, starring Dougray Scott and David Tennant.

Source: The Drum

Dougray Scott - A Thousand Kisses Deep premiere

19th Raindance Film Festival Line-Up Announced
Yesterday morning saw the unveiling of the line-up for the 19th annual Raindance Film Festival. 98 features from 38 countries will be screened from the 28th of September to the 9th of October at the Apollo Cinema in Piccadilly, making this the largest Raindance to date, and well worthy of the title of Europe’s leading independent film festival.
Specialising in edgy and alternative films, many of which are by first-time filmmakers, the festival received over 3000 submissions this year, with less than 100 making the cut. As the organisers put it, “it’s not that those other 2900+ films weren’t good; they just weren’t good enough. Raindance continues to grow, with the calibre of films and filmmakers improving every year and this year’s batch are the best yet”
The festival opens with Another Earth. This haunting indie sci-fi that has already been pounced on by Fox Searchlight was a hit at this year’s Sundance and receives its European Premier at Raindance. This is just one of 21 films receiving their European bow; an additional 8 are world premieres and a staggering 49 will be shown for the first time in the UK.
Other hotly anticipated titles include Black Pond, which stars the potentially hilarious pairing of Chris Langham and Simon Amstell. While Acts of Godfrey promises to be just as humorous with Harry Enfield and Simon Callow starring.
On a more serious note we have A Thousand Kisses Deep; a star studded cast including Dougray Scott, Jodie Whittaker and Emilia Fox star in a film about passion and betrayal.
Read more at What Culture
Read more about the film at Goldcrest Films



New project for Dougray? Journo’s novel slated for movie
A former The Standard journalist is set to hit the big screen, with one of his novels picked up for development as a movie.
Tony Black, who worked at the Warrnambool newspaper from 2002-03, has published five books since returning to his native Scotland and gained acclaim in the crime genre.
Four of his books centre on alcoholic ex-journalist Gus Dury, who regularly finds himself drawn into investigating crimes that reveal the dark underbelly of Edinburgh.
It’s the Dury character that has attracted the attention of film-makers, with director Richard Jobson signing on to bring Long Time Dead — the fourth Dury book — to the big screen.
Jobson, who was a member of punk band The Skids before becoming a director, had success in 2008 with his festival-selected film New Town Killers.
Black confirmed that one of the stars of that film — Dougray Scott — is in talks to portray his anti-hero Dury.
Scott is best known for roles in such movies as Mission: Impossible II, Enigma and Ever After.
Black’s books have drawn positive reviews. Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh proclaimed Black to be “my favourite British crime author”. He has been named as one of the leading writers of “Tartan Noir” — the name bestowed upon the grim Scots crime tales he writes.
His latest book Truth Lies Bleeding was released to great acclaim at the Edinburgh Book Festival, according to the Edinburgh Evening News.
It’s unknown when the film version of Long Time Dead will see the light of day, but Jobson is believed to be starting work on the project once he completes his current movie.
Source: The Standard

John Barrowman - new projects

John Barrowman heads guest star line-up for Watson and Oliver
Stars from backgrounds as diverse as the Full Monty, Alan Partridge and Torchwood have been lined up to guest in new BBC Two sketch show Watson and Oliver.

John Barrowman, best known as Captain Jack in the Whoniverse, is due to appear on the show.

Other guests will include Hugo Speer, best known for parts in Full Monty and Bleak House, and Adrian Scarborough, who most recently played Mr Pritchard in the Upstairs Downstairs remake. Sophie Thompson (Harry Potter, Stella in EastEnders) and Felicity Montagu (Lynn from I'm Alan Partridge), will also appear. The list is rounded out by Bond co-star Colin Salmon and Perry Benson (Meggy from This Is England).

The BBC is touting Ingrid Oliver and Lorna Watson's sketch show as a successor to both Morecambe & Wise and French & Saunders. The show is due for transmission on BBC Two in early 2012.
Source: Such Small Portions




John Barrowman launches fragrance range
John Barrowman is launching a line of male grooming products called HIM on QVC UK on September 12th. No word on a U.S. launch.

Mr. Barrowman will also be seen in the UK as a guest on two shows very soon. He is taping appearances for Hustle and the sketch show Watson and Oliver. He also has released a new CD, The Very Best of John Barrowman.

Source: Anglotopia

More about the fragrance launch at John Barrowman's official site

First Clip from MACHINE GUN PREACHER starring Gerard Butler

The first clip from the “based on a true story” actioner Machine Gun Preacher has landed online. Starring Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan and Michael Shannon, the film tells the story of Sam Childers (Butler), a converted drug-dealer who makes it his personal responsibility to save hundreds of kidnapped and orphaned children in Sudan. Like I said when the trailer was released, I think Butler is in his element here (i.e. not starring opposite Katherine Heigl in a romantic comedy) and I’m looking forward to checking it out.

Watch the clip, which features some words of inspiration from Monaghan, after the jump. Directed by Marc Forster, Machine Gun Preacher will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival before hitting select U.S. theaters on September 23rd and the U.K. on November 18th. Also, with TIFF beginning tomorrow, be on the lookout for a slew of clips from films premiering at the festival.

Here’s the clip courtesy of Yahoo!:

If the clip doesn't display, it can be viewed at Yahoo Movies

Read more at Collider

Kevin McKidd on his hectic summer for charity

Kevin McKidd has just had the busiest summer of his life.

Whether it was visiting sick children in Africa, fasting for charity, launching fundraising campaigns or spending every spare minute enduring the toughest physical training he can ever remember, the superstar Scot has been run off his feet.

The Elgin-born Grey’s Anatomy actor, 38, has raised thousands for the Save the Children East Africa famine appeal.

And as a father himself, he is delighted to be able to do something to help starving families suffering in the worst drought to hit the continent in almost 30 years.

He has engaged thousands of fans of his hit medical drama show to generate funds and has taken on a series of challenges for the cause.

Currently filming his fourth series of Grey’s, and making his own steps into directing, Kevin will take time out next week to compete in Tough Mudder, a Commando assault course.

He said: “I’ve been working with Save the Children for a few years now, but a couple of months ago they called me directly regarding the famine in East Africa and asked if I would use my name to help raise awareness and money for this tragedy.

“I first got involved a few years ago. I hate to name drop but Ben Stiller approached me at the time of the disaster in Haiti. He has an organisation called Stiller Strong, affiliated with Save the Children, so I helped out at a few events and I got to know the Save the Children people.

“I’ve got kids myself and I’d always wanted to do charity work so I decided to continue doing things for them.

“When they got in touch recently, I was happy to do whatever I could.

“It’s terrible, there are millions of kids affected. The famine is as bad as things were back in the Live Aid days but is less publicised, and with so much going on politically around the world, people forget about it.”

After recording TV public service announcements for the campaign, Kevin decided to do his bit directly with his own set of sacrifices.

He teamed up with fan website kevinmckiddonline.com for a series of events, starting with a 24-hour fast-a-thon last month, which he chronicled live via Twitter, raising thousands of dollars.

He posted pictures from the set of Grey’s Anatomy, including ones of co-stars like Patrick Dempsey and Jessica Capshaw, as rewards for fans reaching certain cash milestones.

That also included posing with a kilt on set after a deluge of fan requests, in return for $5000.

Kevin said: “I got my kilt out but couldn’t find my sporran, so I had to borrow one from a lighting pal from the show who is of Scottish descent.”

He has become one of the biggest stars on US television in his four years on the emotional melodrama, playing action surgeon Dr Owen Hunt, the Seattle hospital head of trauma.

After his first major success aged 23 as the tragic Tommy in Trainspotting 15 years ago, Kevin has enjoyed steady film and TV success for most of his career, with his Stateside break coming courtesy of HBO hit Rome.

But Grey’s, where he has also started directing episodes, has made him one of the biggest names in the US.

In addition to his work with Save the Children, Kevin also visited Mozambique in June to see the work being done by the charity Partners for Pediatric Progress, who are run by an LA friend, Dr Lee Martin.

Kevin visited the charity’s stations in Mozambique to see the work for himself.

“I spent a lot of time visiting schools and hospitals just outside of Maputo, and it’s amazing the work being done there under difficult circumstances and with limited funding.” With a short summer break between charity trips and filming, Kevin is now fully back into the swing of his show.

His next big charity challenge is a crazy military-style assault course in Squaw Valley, northern California, called Tough Mudder.

Designed by the Royal Marines, the event is one of the fastest growing fund-raisers in the US, and Kevin signed up with a team of pals to help boost their various charitable causes.

“It’s a mad 12-mile hike up a mountain on a course designed by the marines. It’s very hard work,” he said.

“I’m doing a session a day of mental military-style workouts so I’m pretty tired just now. The cast are even talking about getting together a Grey’s Anatomy team to do a Tough Mudder near LA next year.

“This one is really bad timing though, as it’s right in the middle of an episode I’m directing. So I’m working all week on the episode, then I fly up to Squaw Valley on Saturday and do this mental race, then fly back on the Sunday to do another week of directing. Exhausting.

“My wife Jane and the kids are coming up so they can have a laugh at their dad making a fool of himself. It’ll be hard going but very well worth it.”

● To donate to Kevin’s appeal go to www.kevinmckidd online.com, www.savethechildren.org.uk or ring 020 7012 6400. For more about Partners for Pediatric Progress charity, visit www.p4pp.org

Source: Daily Record

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: 'Sons of Anarchy' Season 4 Cast Interviews

Premiering on FX (September 6th) was the fourth season of the network's hit motorcycle-gang series Sons of Anarchy. Season 3, which is currently available on DVD and Blu-ray, saw the boys from SAMCRO slapped with a 14 month jail sentence that will just be ending as the new season begins, while Jax (Charlie Hunnam) and his buddies will find out that a lot has changed in their home town of Charming since they went away over a year ago.

Sons of Anarchy stars an exceptional cast of actors that includes Charlie Hunnam (Children of Men), Ron Perlman (Hellboy), Katey Sagal (Lost), Mark Boone Jr. (Batman Begins), Dayton Callie (Deadwood), Kim Coates (Resident Evil: Afterlife), Tommy Flanagan (Smokin' Aces), Ryan Hurst (Remember the Titans), Johnny Lewis (Alien vs. Predator: Requiem), William Lucking (The Limey), Theo Rossi (Cloverfield), and Maggie Siff (Mad Men).

IAR's managing editor Jami Philbrick recently had a chance to attend the Boot Rally Motorcycle Drive, a 65 mile motorcycle ride through the streets of Los Angeles benefiting active military members and veterans returning home, that several members of the cast of Sons of Anarchy participated in. While there, he had an opportunity to speak with SOA stars Katey Sagal (Gemma Teller Marrow), Kim Coates (Alex "Tig" Trager), Theo Rossi (Juan-Carlos "Juice" Ortiz), and Tommy Flanagan (Filip "Chibs" Telford) about the show, their characters, and what fans can expect from the upcoming new season.


To watch what Katey Sagal, Kim Coates, Theo Rossi, and Tommy Flanagan had to say about Season 4 of Sons of Anarchy, please click on the video player above.

SYNOPSIS:
Sons of Anarchy is the story of the Teller-Marrow family of Charming, California, as well as the other members of Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original (SAMCRO), their families, various Charming townspeople, and the rivals and associates who undermine or support SAMCRO's legal and illegal enterprises.

Sons of Anarchy Season 4 premieres on FX September 6th.
Sons of Anarchy Season 3 is available now on DVD and Blu-ray.

Source: I Am Rogue

'Moby Dick (2011)' Blu-ray Announced

The latest retelling of Herman Melville's whale of a tale will splash down on Blu-ray next month. In an early announcement to retailers, Vivendi is working on 'Moby Dick (2011)' for Blu-ray on October 4.

With the famous words, “Call me Ishmael,” begins the spectacular adaptation of Herman Melville’s novel, considered the greatest work of American literature, 'Moby Dick.' A two-part original miniseries event that premiered August 1 & 2 on Encore, the New York Times calls it “an ambitious, beautifully made adventure tale that seeks to be respectful of the book while still making the characters and story accessible to modern viewers,” and the Wall Street Journal adds, “there is much to marvel at in this production.”

Led by a “persuasive and compelling” (New York Times) performance from Academy Award® winner William Hurt ('Children Of A Lesser God'), the miniseries features powerful dramatic performances by a cast of celebrated actors including Golden Globe® winner Donald Sutherland ('Citizen X'), Academy Award® nominee Ethan Hawke ('Daybreakers'), Gillian Anderson (“The X-Files”), Eddie Marsan ('Sherlock Holmes') and Billy Boyd ('The Lord Of The Rings').

A psychological thriller of one man’s decent into madness, the story begins when inexperienced sailor Ishmael (Charlie Cox, 'Stardust') joins the crew of the whaling ship Pequod helmed by the mysterious and tortured Captain Ahab (Hurt). Though the journey at first appears to be a routine whaling quest, the crew soon is unwittingly forced to join Ahab in his singular purpose – to hunt and kill the enigmatic white whale, which nearly killed him years before. As they sail across the desolate ocean, Ahab’s obsession to seek the deadly whale they call Moby Dick, no matter the cost, soon proves fatal. Never straying from his quest to hunt and kill the monstrous whale, the crew realizes that their captain is so blinded by vengeance that he may soon lead them all to an ultimate peril.

Read more at High Def Digest

Weekly schedule for Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

Mo 9/12: Lauren Graham, Chris Young
Tu 9/13: James Woods, Kathryn Hahn
We 9/14: Dancers from the Moulin Rouge, Danny DeVito
Th 9/15: Sigourney Weaver
Fr 9/16: Kunal Nayyar, Anthony Head

David Tennant hopes for Fright Night sequel

If you enjoyed watching David Tennant in Fright Night, you’ll be pleased to know that he’s more than willing to reprise his role as a vampire slayer. If the film does well, there is talk of making a sequel or two – and David is happy to stick around for as long as they are being produced. Although he points out that, as the years go by, he will want to keep more clothes on.

“There might be another couple of films,” he says. “I’ll still be there at 75, hopefully keeping my shirt on by then. I would be a fool to say no to a sequel, especially as I had such a good time on this one. I’d love to see Peter Vincent and Charley Brewster together again. By the end of the movie there’s a rather unconventional but charming friendship between the two of them. It would be nice to see where that could go next. And although we uncover some of Vincent’s dark history, I’m sure there’s more where that came from.”

David is full of praise for his co-stars, but they are even more effusive about the joy of working with him.

“David’s wonderful,” gushes Anton Yelchin who plays fellow vampire hunter Charley Brewster. “He’s the nicest man, just charming and funny and really, really bright and just a pleasure to be around and work with.”

David is currently on the West End stage with Catherine Tate in Much Ado About Nothing.
NB Much Ado About Nothing ended on 3 September

“I’m quite greedy for the variety, I think,” he muses. “I love the fact I’m doing Shakespeare and then talking about vampires. That’s what I’d always hoped I’d manage to do, to mix things up like that. It’s ideal really, if I can do a film and then a play and then a bit of telly and then a radio play and then an audio book. I love the fact I’m in a job where I get to do all those different things.”

Source: Sunday Mercury

David Tennant on the Absolute Radio Breakfast Show

David Tennant co-hosted the Absolute Radio Breakfast Show with Christian O'Connell on Friday 2 September.

Videos and photos of the show can be found at the Absolute Radio site here and further information and MP3 downloads can be found at DavidTennantOnTwitter.com

Wannabe Scots stars Mary Wells & Elizabeth Adamczyk tell how they have landed on their feet in Hollywood

The cast of Divine White's Introduction to Hollywood featuring Elizabeth, far left, and Mary, far right


It's the place most actors usually end up only after years of hard work and toil.
But, while Hollywood is the final destination for many young stars reaching the big time, two talented Scots actresses have decided to do things the other way around.

Lossiemouth-born blonde Elizabeth Adamczyk and Mary Wells, from Glasgow, decided it would be much more fun to learn their craft and make their name by ditching the traditional Scottish or London-based audition circuits.

Instead, they joined thousands of wannabe stars lining the Sunset Strip. And while many Scots spend years dreaming about life in la-la land, they have both worked steadily since making the jump and star in a hip new web-based sitcom.

Elizabeth and Mary are both stars of the LA cult web series Divine White's Introduction to Hollywood, an Office-style spoof documentary series about young British actors trying to make it big in LA, starring a group of hopeful British actors all trying to make it big in LA for real.

The programme, which was created and produced by English actress Alison Winter, was nominated for Best Web Series at the LA Comedy Awards and Elizabeth and Mary are hoping the programme can help them continue their progress.

Mary said: "It's been tremendous fun working out here. I miss Glasgow a lot but it's been a fantastic adventure here.

"I've been working on a couple of feature films and some shows, such as Gene Simmons Family Jewels and a Discovery Channel programme, I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant. It has been really great fun.

"For most actors it's a natural progression. You get to be famous in the UK and then LA is the next calling. But it wasn't like that for me.

"I had just about given up acting when I got the call for a touring show that went to the US and I visited a friend in Hawaii (Scots star Henry Ian Cusick of Lost) and ended up getting some theatre work there.

"I moved out in October 2009 and have been here ever since. It's still like a dream."

RSAMD graduate Mary, who appeared in British programmes such as Half Moon Investigations for BBC Scotland before she made the jump west, has enjoyed steady work and now enjoys a sunshine lifestyle just a few blocks from the beach in Santa Monica.

Having studied acting at a performing arts school in Lossiemouth, Elizabeth, 28, ventured to London.

She enjoyed bit part work in films such as Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus with Heath Ledger and then played a secretary in the British-based sequel Basic Instinct 2 followed by a small part as a boozy reveller in EastEnders.

Last year, she decided to swap her London audition circuit for the sunshine lifestyle and moved to Los Angeles. And she is loving every minute of life in her West Hollywood apartment.

Mary said: "I've always wanted to live in America and since I was a little girl, I've wanted to be an actress.

"One day, I just decided to go for it and got a visa.

"The weather is amazing and the lifestyle has been great. It's also funny how different it is to what you expect.

"People are a lot more normal looking than you might imagine. I thought everyone here would be skinny and blonde, but they're not."

Elizabeth has managed to support herself during the last few months with a mixture of small projects including Divine White and then background or audience work on chat shows and reality TV.

"They do so much filming out here that they pay actors to fill out the audience on some programmes, and you get paid $70-80 a day.

"I've got some interest from agents and have some other work coming up. Divine White has been a great thing to be a part of, especially being nominated for the award."

The series is based on a crazed drama teacher taking advantage of some fresh-off-the-boat wannabes desperate for acting work, as she leads them through some insane acting techniques.

Mary said: "I met the director, Alison, at a Women in Film brunch meeting and we are both British so we were talking about being actresses trying to get work out here and got on really well, and she asked me to be in it.

"Out here there are plenty of teachers happy to impose their egos on younger, more vulnerable people, and it's not very well regulated. Anyone can set up and rip you off. A lot of the things in the programme, we've all done in real life so it's easy to relate to."

Elizabeth said: "It's great the show has been nominated for an LA Comedy Award. We all went to the red carpet party and that's the first time I've done anything like that."

You can watch Mary and Elizabeth in action at www.divine-white.com

Source: Daily Record

Rising star Jayd Johnson on leaving River City for the bright lights of Hollywood

Actress Jayd Johnson is used to being in the news. She starred with Gerard Butler in Dear Frankie when she was just 11 and spent six years in soap River City as Nicki Cullen.

Playing a feisty young reporter in BBC Scotland drama The Field Of Blood, however, she has written headlines of her own.

Jayd, 20, was the star of the show in the critically acclaimed adaptation of crime writer Denise Mina's book - despite a cast which included David Morrissey, Peter Capaldi, Jonas Armstrong and Ford Kiernan.

Now she is off to London to capitalise on the network screening of the critically acclaimed drama, which will be repeated in Scotland.

Jayd was studying at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Art (AADA) in New York when she was hand-picked for the role.

She said: "I was into the second month of my second year in New York when I left - they said I could defer and go back any time.

"But now I want to keep working. I have made my mind up and I'm heading down to London in two weeks time.

"I have tried to coincide going down with the network screening of The Field Of Blood. I have a few meetings set up and here's hoping something happens from it."

Her role is Paddy Meehan, a copy girl who is determined to become an investigative journalist for the Glasgow Daily News despite the 1982 backdrop where smoking, drinking and casual sexism are rife.

She gets her chance to prove herself when a 10-year-old boy is accused of murder and she sets out to find the real killer.

The Field Of Blood is one of a trilogy of books featuring Paddy Meehan and Jayd is hoping she will get the chance to reprise the role.

She said: "A lot of people have been asking if they are going to make more and a lot of were disappointed it was only two parts and there wasn't more. There are more books, the storylines are out there.

"Everyone is hoping it does well and gets good ratings. That will be when a decision about others is made."

Whether she continues in the role or not, Jayd is grateful she was persuaded to take it in the first place. She was reluctant to give up her course at the AADA, whose former students include Spencer Tracy, Grace Kelly, Robert Redford and Kim Cattrall.

But writer-director David Kane, who created Sea of Souls, had seen her in River City and was convinced she was the perfect fit for Paddy.

She said: "The casting director kept in touch and asked if I would I read the scripts and consider coming back for an audition. I said no again because I wanted to graduate.

Finally Jayd was persuaded to read the script.

She said: "Then they started telling me who was going to be in it and I was sold."

Her research for the role watching a documentary about a 1980s newsroom, watching All The President's Men "about 40 times" and reading Denise Mina's book, which initially spooked her.

She counts herself lucky she could turn to her established co-stars to help draw out the performance of her life.

She said: "It was more exciting than intimidating. The first day I was on set with Peter Capaldi, who has won an Oscar, I was in total awe of him but he couldn't have done more for me.

"They were some of the easiest scenes I had to do because he was good, it all came naturally.

"Ford Kiernan also gave me a lot of advice about the other side of the industry.

"He is actually my hero. I am such a big fan of Still Game. Every time he was on set, I could hardly keep a straight face because he is so funny naturally.

"Denise Mina was so helpful to me as well and she really liked it which meant a lot to me."

Having been in New York, London feels close to home and her family, parents Connie and Johnny, sister Jordana and brother John Paul. And, having worked in the industry since she was 11, she is aware she may have to bide her time before work comes up.

She said: "After The Field of Blood I was really quiet for a few months but I realise this is the way it could be for a while so I am happy to go down and get a bar job or be a waitress and pay my dues."

The Field Of Blood: BBC1, Monday, 10.15pm

Source: Daily Record

Weekly schedule for Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

Mo 9/5: Julie Chen, Annie Duke
Tu 9/6: Lisa Kudrow, Richard Engel
We 9/7: James Marsden, Wolfgang Puck
Th 9/8: Bill Bailey
Fr 9/9: Alfred Molina, Brie Larson