Film, Comedy, Niki Boyle

Anchorman 2: 5 things we’d like to see

In honour of the sequel's new teaser trailers, we speculate on what should be in the final film

1 Champ’s struggle with his sexuality Sports presenter Champ Kind (David Koechner) obviously had a thing for Ron (Will Ferrell) in the first film – he broke down when Ron started spending more time with Veronica than the news team, and was visibly…

New trailer for Not Another Happy Ending starring Karen Gillan

The Glasgow-shot romcom features the Doctor Who star as an author suffering from writer's block

Following the announcement that quirky indie romcom Not Another Happy Ending will be the closing gala film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, we've just been given a first glance at the trailer. Not Another Happy Ending features the big…

Edinburgh International Film Festival 2013: the best comedies

Frances Ha, Oh Boy and Old Stock among our top picks for comedy at EIFF 2013

Frances Ha This being a film by Noah Baumbach (Greenberg, The Squid and the Whale), you'd probably expect this to be a comedy of the 'bittersweet and poignant' vein rather than, say, all-out slapstick. And you'd probably be right to a certain extent…

New trailer and stills for Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Steve Coogan's comic creation is caught up in a siege in his first big screen adventure

The trailer for Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa has just dropped, giving us the first glimpse of the comedy character’s first big screen outing - and from the trailer it appears he has a lot of work to do. The bumbling Norfolk radio DJ (played by Steve…

A Few Best Men

Risible UK/Australian comedy rife with missed opportunities

David (the improbably named Xavier Samuel) returns to London following a backpacking jaunt down under. It’s only temporary though – while abroad he met the love of his life, Mia (Laura Brent), and impulsively proposed to her. He’s come back to ask his…

Dylan Moran discusses RockNess, stand-up and his next film, Calvary

The Irish comic headlines the comedy stage at RockNess 2013

You’re one of the headliners in the RockNess comedy tent this year – are you much of a festival-goer? I have been over the years – I mean I’ve been to loads of them but it’s generally because I’m on, you know? You can’t really generalise about them…

Ross Noble stars in killer clown comedy-horror Stitches - interview

The comedian discusses gory prosthetics, gruesome effects and Edwina Currie

Actors often complain about how long they have to spend in the make-up chair – how was that for you on the Stitches set? Oh, that does my head in! It absolutely does my head in! When people go, ‘Oh, god knows, I had to sit there and have prosthetic…

Blancanieves

1920s set silent take on the Snow White story, with seven bullfighting dwarves

It’s going to be difficult to get through a review of Blancanieves without mentioning The Artist, so let’s get it out of the way now. Both films are European, black and white, reduced format silent films in romanticised 20th century period settings.

Spring Breakers

Harmony Korine's ludicrously bad drama about four girls gone wild on spring break

Incoherent, brash and self-consciously 'arthouse' in execution, Harmony Korine's Spring Breakers is an intriguing cinematic spectacle: an awful film that seems aware – nay, aggressively boastful – of its own awfulness. It follows a quartet of…

Spring culture preview 2013

Nick Evans: Solar Eyes Evans' forthcoming solo show features a new set of his striking amorphic white plaster sculptures. The most ambitious is a large architectural complex which mimics the geometry of an Aztec temple. Evans' fascination with motifs…

Hot 100 2012: 29-20

Chvrches, Cora Bissett and Grant Morrison among Scotland's hottest cultural contributors in 2012

The Hot 100 is our list of Scotland’s 100 hottest individuals and groups who’ve made a splash this year, from comic book writers to comedians, artists to actors. If they've contributed to Scotland's cultural landscape in 2012, you'll find them here.

Stitches

Poorly handled killer clown comedy-horror starring Ross Noble

Teenager Tom (Tommy Knight) is an uptight, nervous wreck. After a traumatic experience at a childhood birthday party, at which a scuzzy kids’ entertainer named Stitches (Ross Noble) was accidentally killed, he’s grown up to be a pill-popping neurotic…

Keith Lemon: The Film

Atrocious feature-length character comedy from Leigh Francis

Keef Lemon (his real name’s Leigh Francis, innit?) is ‘avin’ this dream where he’s shaggin’ Kelly Brook (bang tidy!) right but then he wakes up and realises it was just a dream an’ he’s actually in that London to sell his invention, the SecuriPole…

Rent-a-Cat

Charming but occasionally repetitive comedy from Japan

Sayoko (Mikako Ichikawa) has a knack for attracting cats. She has so many around her house that she starts renting them out to lonely fellow citizens in need of a little companionship. What nobody knows about Sayoko (except for her exceptionally blunt…

New Hope Springs trailer appeals to the older cinema-goer

Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones star in this romcom

There's been a shift in Hollywood in recent years towards films which appeal to the older cinema-goer - the likes of The Artist showed that the classic ways of filmmaking are still relevant; The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was teeming with venerable…

The History of Future Folk

Charming but slight sci-fi music comedy in the vein of Flight of the Conchords

Cosmic-folk twosome Future Folk started life on the underground New York music scene, playing acoustic guitar-and-banjo tunes with sci-fi lyrics to crowds of bemused punters. The gentle whimsy and a focus on music rather than jokes puts their foot…

John Dies at the End

Self-conciously bizarre cult comedy offering from director Don Coscarelli

Penned by Senior Editor at Cracked.com David Wong (real name Jason Pargin), the 2009 novel John Dies at the End was a comedy-horror tornado of cultural references, paranormality and winking self-awareness. Cult filmmaker Don Coscarelli (Phantasm, Bubba…

Hot 100 2012: 49-40

FOUND, Paul Brannigan and Kerry Hudson among Scotland's hottest cultural contributors in 2012

The Hot 100 is our list of Scotland’s 100 hottest individuals and groups who’ve made a splash this year, from comic book writers to comedians, artists to actors. If they've contributed to Scotland's cultural landscape in 2012, you'll find them here.

Starbuck

Likeable but flawed comedy drama about a prolific sperm donor

David Wozniak (Patrick Huard) is a loser. He works – barely – at his dad’s butcher shop; he neglects his girlfriend Valerie (Julie LeBreton); he’s borrowed money from gangsters to start his own domestic pot farm, and is unable to pay it back. On top of…

Grassroots

Eminently dislikeable political comedy starring Jason Biggs

There’s a lot of things going for Grassroots. It’s a political comedy timed for release when US election fervour is at its peak; it focuses on the same type of community-led campaigning that won Barack Obama his first term; it has the feelgood status of…

5 Things - Masks

We select our five favourite mask wearers, including MF Doom, Daft Punk, Zorro and Rubberbandits

Phantom of the Opera An interesting choice of shape – surely it takes more effort to buy a whole mask and cut a bit out? Is your cheek that attractive?

Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie

The comic duo’s first film is a brutal satire of Hollywood but sadly lacks laughs

Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie is perhaps the worst comedy since Tom Green’s Freddy Got Fingered. Like Freddy, Billion Dollar Movie features a cult TV comedy act directing a feature film for the first time, and going overboard with bad taste…

New trailer for Danish comedy Klown

Filthy, funny antics that diverge from Scandinavia's current reputation for serious TV drama

Every now and then, something comes along that makes you laugh, wince and sneeze coffee through your nostrils, in that order. Today, that experience comes courtesy of the trailer for Danish comedy Klown. The film follows Frank (Frank Hvam) and Casper…

Little Miss Sunshine directors re-team for Ruby Sparks - trailer

The film features performances from Paul Dano, Elliot Gould and Steve Coogan

Directing partners Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris are re-uniting with Little Miss Sunshine star Paul Dano for new movie, Ruby Sparks. In it, Dano plays Calvin, an author who somehow manages to create his latest protagonist in real life. Big name…

Watch the trailer for US indie American Animal

A dark comedy from writer/director/star Matt D'Elia

This one looks interesting... Matt D'Elia writes, directs and stars in the story of Jimmy, a terminally ill (and, from the evidence available, totally unhinged) young man who discovers his best friend and roommate James (Brendan Fletcher) is getting a…