News

Billy’s On Top!

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:00:00 EST

Billy Connolly the most influential British stand-up comedian of all time!

The poll canvassed over 2,000 comedy fans and 100 of the UK’s top stand-up comics, including Miranda Hart, Jo Brand, Rhod Gilbert, Jason Manford, Stewart Lee, Barry Cryer and Stephen Merchant.

Comedy duo Morecambe & Wise came in second place while Victoria Wood took out third.

"Blending stark observational humour and edgy stand-up routines, Connolly has tickled the nation pink for over 40 years and is often cited as the comic most comedians look up to,” read a statement from the poll’s organisers.

“His free use of language and unorthodox topics often landed him in controversy but he never fails to keep his audience laughing."

Do you agree with Billy nabbing the number one spot? Let us know by commenting below!

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Who’s Hosting SNL?

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 06:00:00 EST

Alec Baldwin has spilled the beans on who’s slated to host 'Saturday Night Live' this year, revealing a slew of celebrity names in a podcast for WNYC.

Reuters reports that while chatting with SNL creator Lorne Michaels in his office, Baldwin honed in on a bulletin board that lists the names of SNL hosts for the upcoming season.

"You have Ben Stiller, Melissa McCarthy, (who) won the Emmy award, and Katy Perry's coming and Jimmy Fallon, who's obviously double-dipping on your payroll, Jonah Hill, and I don't want to ruin any other names. Bieber's confirmed, he's the music and the (host)".

"Yeah," Michaels replies.

And Jonah Hill might not have to wait - according to Entertainment Weekly the star is set to take the stage for the March 10 episode.

Who would you like to see nab a hosting gig on SNL this year? Let us know by commenting below!

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Balls Of Steel Australia!

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:00:00 EST

‘Balls of Steel Australia’ premieres tonight at 9pm on Comedy Central!

Hosted by Craig Reucassel from ‘The Chaser’s War on Everything’, ‘Balls of Steel Australia’ features a stack of guest comedians and cheeky characters performing stunts on unsuspecting members of the public. Whoever impresses the studio audience and gains the most votes on the night takes home the coveted Balls of Steel Australia trophy!

The rotating cast of quirky characters includes Nude Girl, who just can’t seem to keep her clothes on, James Kerley, the game show host from Hell, Fame Whore the Paris Hilton wannabe, confused gay newbie Just Come Out, the boyfriend hunting Bunny Boiler and everyone’s nemesis The Annoying Devil.

And joining the cast Down Under is original British ‘Balls of Steel’ cast member and public aggravator Neg the Urban Cowboy!

So what can you expect in this week’s episode? Well, Neg creates a new urban sport involving hot chips and Seagulls, Fame Whore unveils her celebrity sex tape at an inappropriate location and Nude Girl surprises a series of sports instructors…

Don’t miss the madness when ‘Balls of Steel Australia’ premieres tonight @ 9pm!

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Bret's Oscar Nom!

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 06:00:00 EST

'Flight of the Conchords' star Bret McKenzie woke to some good news this morning - he's up for an Oscar!

His track 'Man or Muppet' from the Muppets movie has been nominated for 'Best Original Song' alongside just one other track, giving him a 50/50 shot at bringing home the hardware.

"I'm having a great day. It's a great way to start a day with news you've been nominated for an Oscar," McKenzie told Stuff.co.nz.

He described the Academy Awards as "the ultimate Hollywood event."

"This feels like a whole new world is opening up."

The 84th Academy Awards will kick-off on Sunday February 26 at Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre - good luck Bret!

Check out the full list of ‘2012 Oscar’ nominations below…

Best Picture
War Horse
The Artist
Moneyball
The Descendants
The Tree of Life
Midnight in Paris
The Help
Hugo
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Director
Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Alexander Payne (The Descendants)
Martin Scorsese (Hugo)
Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris)
Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life)

Best Actor
Demián Bichir (A Better Life)
George Clooney (The Descendants)
Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
Brad Pitt (Moneyball)

Best Actress
Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs)
Viola Davis (The Help)
Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)

Best Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn)
Jonah Hill (Moneyball)
Nick Nolte (Warrior)
Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
Max Von Sydow (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close)

Best Supporting Actress
Berenice Bejo (The Artist)
Jessica Chastain (The Help)
Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids)
Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs)
Octavia Spencer (The Help)

Adapted Screenplay
The Descendants (Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash)
Hugo (John Logan)
The Ides of March (George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon)
Moneyball (Steven Zallian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Bridget O'Conner, Peter Straughan)

Original Screenplay
The Artist (Michel Hazanavicius)
Bridesmaids (Annie Mumolo, Kristin Wiig)
Margin Call (J.C. Chandor)
Midnight in Paris (Woody Allen)
A Separation (Asghar Farhadi)

Animated Feature
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

Best Foreign Language Film
Bullhead
Footnote
In Darkness
Monsieur Lazhar
A Separation

Art Direction
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
War Horse

Cinematography
The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life
War Horse

Costume Design
Anonymous
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.

Documentary Feature
Hell And Back Again
If A Tree Falls Short: A Story Of The Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated

Documentary Short
The Barber Of Birmingham: Foot Soldier Of The Civil Rights Movement
God Is The Bigger Elvis
Incident In New Baghdad
Saving Face
The Tsunami And The Cherry Blossom

Editing
The Artist
The Descendants
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball

Makeup
Albert Nobbs
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
The Iron Lady

Original Score
The Adventures Of Tintin
The Artist
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

Original Song
'Man or Muppet' from The Muppets Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
'Real in Rio' from Rio Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Sound Editing
Drive
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers: Dark Of The Moon
War Horse

Sound Mixing
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball
Transformers: Dark Of The Moon
War Horse

Visual Effects
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Real Steel
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
Transformers: Dark Of The Moon

Animated Short
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books Of Mr Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

Live Action Short
Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic

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Kristen: No Sequel!

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:00:00 EST

Wilson Phillips cool again and had us all thinking twice before stepping foot in a Brazilian BBQ restaurant – but in news that’s sure to disappoint fans worldwide, ‘Bridesmaids’ creator and star Kristen Wiig has revealed she won’t be doing a sequel!

"We're not planning on doing one," Wiig told E! at the Golden Globes, speaking on behalf of herself and writing partner Annie Mumolo.

"We had a special time making the first one, but we're really excited to try something else."

But it’s not all bad news – the duo is currently working on a script for a brand new film!

"It's going to be a little bit of a different tone, but it's going to be a comedy, for sure."

Check out our red carpet chat with the stars of 'Bridesmaids' in the video below!

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Golden Globe Winners!

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 06:00:00 EST

'Modern Family' went home a winner, beating out tough competition from new series' ‘New Girl’ and ‘Episodes’ to take out the 'Best Series - Musical or Comedy' category.

But 'Episodes' star Matt Le Blanc didn't go home empty-handed. He took away the gong for 'Best Performance in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy' ahead of tough competition from ‘30 Rock's Alec Baldwin, David Duchovny of ‘Californication’, Johnny Galecki of ‘The Big Bang Theory’ and Thomas Jane from ‘Hung.’

Meanwhile Laura Dern came out on top for the ladies, beating Tina Fey of ‘30 Rock’, Zooey Deschanel of ‘New Girl’, Laura Linney of 'The Big C' and Amy Poehler of ‘Parks and Recreation’

Check out the full list of winners below!

Motion Pictures

Picture, Drama: "The Descendants."

Picture, Musical or Comedy: "The Artist."

Actor, Drama: George Clooney, "The Descendants."

Actress, Drama: Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady."

Director: Martin Scorsese, "Hugo."

Actor, Musical or Comedy: Jean Dujardin, "The Artist."

Actress, Musical or Comedy: Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn."

Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, "Beginners."

Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, "The Help."

Foreign Language: "A Separation."

Animated Film: "The Adventures of Tintin."

Screenplay: Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris."

Original Score: Ludovic Bource, "The Artist."

Original Song: "Masterpiece" (music and lyrics by Madonna, Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry), "W.E."

Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award: Morgan Freeman.

Television

Series, Drama: "Homeland," Showtime.

Series, Musical or Comedy: "Modern Family," ABC.

Actor, Drama: Kelsey Grammer, "Boss."

Actress, Drama: Claire Danes, "Homeland."

Actress, Musical or Comedy: Laura Dern, "Enlightened."

Actor, Musical or Comedy: Matt LeBlanc, "Episodes."

Miniseries or Movie: "Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)," PBS.

Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Kate Winslet, "Mildred Pierce."

Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Idris Elba, "Luther."

Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Jessica Lange, "American Horror Story."

Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Peter Dinklage, "Game of Thrones."

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Ricky Takes Aim!

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 06:00:00 EST

Ricky Gervais was still a winner at the ‘2012 Golden Globes’!

The Brit comic once again brought his A-game to the event, skewering celebs with his unique brand of humour.

Gervais couldn't resist taking another dig at Johnny Depp as he introduced him at the podium.

"I want to ask you a question. And be honest,” said Ricky.

“Are you on recreational drugs? I’m joking. That’s not the question. And we all know the answer.

“Have you seen The Tourist yet?”

“Ah, no!” was Depp's response, before pretending to chase Ricky off the stage.

But of course, Depp wasn't the only target...

Gervais also took aim at fellow comedian Eddie Murphy, who recently pulled out of his Oscars hosting gig.

"When the man who said yes to 'Norbit' says no to you, you know you're in trouble."

And Ricky being Ricky, he had no problem biting the hand that feeds him, saying "the Golden Globes are to the Oscars what Kim Kardashian is to Kate Middleton. Bit louder, bit trashier, bit drunker, and more easily bought."

But one celeb who gave as good as she got was the one and only Material Girl!

Introduced by ‘The Office’ star as “just like a virgin,” Madonna quickly teased back,

“If I'm still just like a virgin, Ricky, then why don't you come over here and do something about it?

"I haven't kissed a girl in a few years"

Did you catch the 2012 Golden Globes? Let us know what you thought of Ricky by commenting below!

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Seann Talks Reunion!

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 06:00:00 EST

Steve Stifler in the smash hit comedy flicks, but it seems actor Seann William Scott played a pretty active role in getting the new ‘American Reunion’ film off the ground!

Scott revealed to Digital Spy that he pitched the concept for a reunion movie back in 2009.

“It was a long time in the making because I pitched the movie three years ago, the idea of bringing everybody back for a high school reunion” he said.

“I had three years to go, ‘Wow, how much fun is it going to be to play Stifler in his 30s’. It was a blast.”

The actor also spilled a few details on how his character Stifler has developed.

“He's regressed...I was like, ‘He's gotta be just weird! He's older now, so he's got to be weirder and crazier’. I don't eat dog sh*t in the movie, though, not like in the last one. Some weird stuff happens.”

'American Reunion’ also stars original cast members Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Jennifer Coolidge and Alyson Hannigan and is slated for release in New Zealand on April 5!

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Ab Fab Movie!

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 06:00:00 EST

After months of rumours, Jennifer Saunders, creator and star of wildly successful Brit comedy series 'Absolutely Fabulous,' has confirmed that a movie is in the works!

When asked about a possible move to the big screen by New York Magazine, Saunders replied,

"Yes, I’m definitely going to do it. I’m aiming to shoot this in a beautiful part of the Riviera. I fancy the south of France in the spring."

The announcement comes off the back of a successful three-episode twentieth-anniversary Ab Fab special which aired in the UK over the Christmas break.

Time to crack open the Bolly, love!

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Funny Flicks In 2012

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 06:00:00 EST

Comedy Central we live and breathe comedy. We watch countless hours of humourous television, listen to comedian’s albums, read their books and autobiographies, and when we find time we like to treat ourselves to a trip to the movies as well. So we compiled a little list of our top picks for the funniest comedy flicks to see at the cinema in 2012...

‘SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS’ - JANUARY 5

The banter between Sherlock (Robert Downey Jr) and Watson (Jude Law) warrants ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows’ a place in our must see comedy films for 2012. The sequel to director Guy Ritchie’s (‘Snatch’, ‘Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels’) 2009 hit ‘Sherlock Holmes’, he again reignites the classic story of the unintentionally comical detective and his quirky ways. It also stars Stephen Fry as Sherlock’s brother and one “satanic pony”!

‘THE SITTER’ - MARCH 1

From the director of ‘Pineapple Express’ and 'Your Highness’ comes ‘The Sitter’ starring pre-weight loss Jonah Hill. Hill plays Noah, a suspended college student who gets coaxed into babysitting his neighbour's unruly kids. But Noah has promised to score some drugs for a girl he likes, so naturally he decides to take the kids with him to his dealer's house setting off a chain of unpredictable events...

‘TWO LITTLE BOYS’ - MARCH 29

The stars of this Kiwi black comedy make it a must-see movie as Bret McKenzie ('Flight of the Concords') continues his rise to the top both here and in Hollywood. Nige (McKenzie) runs over and accidently kills a Scandinavian soccer star in an unfortunate incident involving a hot meat pie, a ginger cat and a policeman. He chucks the body in a nearby road works hole and runs to his best mate of fifteen years, Deano (Hamish Blake). But Deano's not the guy anyone should turn to in a crisis...

‘AMERICAN REUNION’ - APRIL 5

The full cast of the original ‘American Pie’ (1999) head back to East Great Falls for their high-school reunion. Returning as adults there will be plenty of reminiscing about that one time, when they were hormonal teens who aspired to lose their virginity in the summer of ’99. How have their lives changed? What have Jim's dad and Stifler's mom been up to? We can't wait to find out!

‘OUR IDIOT BROTHER’ - COMING SOON IN 2012

A story about an idealistic, unlucky guy who turns to his sisters for help in his time of need - but it might just turn out that he's the one helping them. Full of cringe-worthy, forehead-slapping moments and featuring an all-star cast including Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel and Emily Mortimer PLUS a couple of big name country stars.

Which comedy movie are you most looking forward to seeing in 2012? Let us know by commenting below...

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