Lifes Too Short.
An elusive show for me, first read a review in the Metro prior to its airing - a comedy in a docusoap style written by Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais - I meant to record it, but failed, then forgot again, then by accident caught (a repeat I think) of episode 2, but strangely can't find the next show on the same day or time, wheres it gone?
Anyhow, I digress, it was a funny episode, Warwick Davis stars as a 'showbiz dwarf' and his personal life experience is the inspiration for the comedy, the invented plot supposedly about his career as a jobbing actor, this of course is a device for Merchant and Gervais to recreate the style of previous show
Extras and explore cringe-making situations, which for Warwick are those that a vertically challenged man sometimes has to put up with from the rest of us. Johnny Depp starred as himself, researching for his part in yet another Tim Burton film in order to better understand what its like to be 'one of the little people'. Warwick also attended a Star Wars convention and was later duped into becoming an Ewok at a wedding and obliged to wear a tatty bear costume.
Anyone remember Warwick Davis from his most famous leading role? - Willow !!!
Yes, it went all sword and sorcery back in 1988 with a post-Star Wars career high for George Lucas after previous career high of Howard The Duck (supposedly one of the worst films made), I however enjoyed both those films!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-P03NGSP6YAnd Willow provides me with a convenient link to -
Game Of Thrones.
Presently having a re-run on Sky and I'm watching it again. Being a hard sci-fi fan I've never for a moment been a sorcery-fantasy fan, so when this show appeared during Sky Atlantic's launch earlier this year I'd no intention of tuning in, thought I'd hate it. But I was curious, and after a few episodes it turned out to be compulsive viewing due to its great characters, one of which is Tyrion Lannister the dwarf played by Peter Dinklage, I'd only seen him before in a short lived sci-fi show called Threshold, here he is superb in his role of the crafty (but mostly good) smartest member of the corrupt Lannister clan.
I'd expected Game Of Thrones to be predictably dungeons and dragons with over-used CGI making up for banality, but it is entirely the opposite (and its so not the Beebs laughable 'Merlin' either), there's a few unwieldly words bandied about and some instances of genre sexism - balanced out by the many strong female leads - however, its a real character-driven drama played like a 'colourful' historical-style event, with lots of devious goings-on, I was surprised to learn it was based on a series of books, which explains the depth of its construction. A large British cast take part in the action, filmed in a beautifully cinematic style convincing in its visual world, on the surface there's a complex story involving various families/nations in a power struggle, but meanwhile a long endless winter is rapidly approaching bringing with it the threat of an ancient dark and sinister force. Its a credit to the plot of the show that nothing blatantly 'fantastic' needed to emerge onscreen until the end of the last episode, and it was only then that I remembered that I was supposed to be watching a fantasy. I can't wait for season two.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwMZIyNaPsA
