Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner

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Monday saw DocoDomsy and I in London, for the exciting premiere of a brand new movie.

No, not that one.

We were at the ICA for the press screening of a film by Ivan Massow, entrepreneur and the ex-chairman of said august organisation. It’s his first movie, a riff on reality TV and celebrity called Banksy’s Coming For Dinner. The screening was perfectly timed, of course, with Banksy’s takover of the Bristol City Museum making headlines everywhere.

The concept is simple, yet becomes increasingly mind-bending as soon as you put a little pressure on it. Massow has organised a dinner party, hosted by Joan Collins, with guests including past-it girl Tamara Beckwith, and comedian Stephen K Amos. The guest of honour, and the whole point to the film, is Banksy, showing up for the first time on camera. He is pixellated and subtitled throughout, and his voice is put through a voice-changer. The fun of the movie and the idea comes out of this clash of personalities – and the fact that the main star of the movie is the guy that is never properly seen or heard, and would normally not be seen dead at these kinds of events.

So does it work? Well, for the most part, yes. It’s very, very funny for a start. It’s cut to a typical reality show template, where one event is covered in a multi-camera shoot and then carefully bolted together afterwards. You get a lot of pregnant pauses, faux pas, and reactions that are clearly taken out of context. But this all adds to the fun of the thing.

And I should say before I go any further that it’s a mockumentary. Everyone here is playing to type, off a script, and to a certain extent also playing a caricature of themselves. The fact that they all do it so convincingly is part of the film’s charm.

There are extensive clues throughout that the film is not a document of a real event. The staff, for example, are played by quite recognisable actors, including Nickolas Grace and Helen Lederer in a cracking turn as a slightly batty chef. It’s rather telling that Banksy is very derogatory towards Tracey Emin – spouting opinions that are pretty much identical to Massow’s own on the subject. And don’t get me started on openly gay comedian Stephen Amos suddenly having a model girlfriend called Naomi…

As time goes on, you become increasingly aware that the whole thing is an elaborate trick, a Russian dollhouse of ideas nesting together, layers of meaning popping into view, constantly surprising and amusing.

I’d recommend Banksy’s Coming To Dinner, especially if you’re a fan of toe-curling reality shows, and the kind of improv comedy that Christopher Guest does so well. It’s smart, thought-provoking and laugh-out-loud hilarious.

I think Massow’s missed a chance though. He’s offering it as a download or DVD, when surely it’s ideal home would be one of the smaller BBC channels, or More/E4. At just over an hour, it
would need trimming to fit into the broadcast hour slot, but that could be pretty easily done, to my mind. Perhaps he’s tried, without success. In which case, I think that it’s the broadcasters that are missing the opportunity.

And does Banksy really come to dinner? Well, that would be telling…

Why It’s OK to have Nazi MEPs

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(Pic by hughsmuse, via the #fathitler topic foaming away on Twitter).

1.
We have an actual, honest-to-god unreconstructed bogeyman in mainstream politics now. A real, proper, out-and-out hate figure. Someone we can really get behind as a nation and thoroughly despise. This is a VERY GOOD THING.

2.
Hate figures make the best funny. In under twelve hours, the #fathitler thread on Twitter has gone ballistic. It’s A VERY GOOD THING. Check it out.

3.
Wake up calls are never pleasant, but they are necessary. When was the last time you were pleased to hear your alarm clock go off? A good, hard shock to the system about the state of the country’s political landscape is just what’s needed right now. The sooner that people realise that voting a villainous fucktard into power as a protest vote is tantamount to pissing on your chips because the fish was a bit overdone, the better. A stupid, pointless and wasteful gesture.

4.
We now get a chance to take photos of ourselves looking grim, noble and defiant, and post them to a petition. It’s one sure way to make ourselves feel better. And in case you think I’m sneering here…

5.
Believe it or not, it could be worse. MEPs can’t be elected as members of parliament, so there’s no chance of seeing Griffin or Brons in the House anytime soon. Plus, at least we’re not the Netherlands, where Geert Wilder’s PVV is now the second biggest party in government. Imagine the BNP as the official party of opposition. Sends shudders through you, don’t it? We’re a loooong way away from that yet.

6. So, this is not our proudest moment. But let’s face it, Readership. This country is in the midst of the biggest political shitstorm in decades. Weird things happen in this kind of environment. Basically, Griffin and Brons have exploited our anger and frustration at a truly screwed-up state of affairs for their own purposes. That’s wrong, but it doesn’t have to stand, and they are going to find that being in the full glare of the public eye will bring some very unpleasant truths about who they are and what they stand for out into the light. I say, let’s give them the chance to talk themselves out of a job. In some cases, the oxygen of publicity can be downright poisonous.

Straight 8: The Word Is Out, And The News Is Good.

Excited texting from DocoDomsy this weekend, with a piece of very good news. Our Straight 8 short, Time Out, has been selected to be screened as part of this year’s Rushes Soho Shorts Festival, sometime in late July. Venue and screening time are yet to be confirmed, but be assured you’ll hear as soon as I do.

Obviously, I’m insanely chuffed. I was worried about this one, as it offered so many new challenges. I was working with a crew and cast I didn’t know that well, and Dom and I had never worked together on a Straight 8. Camera glitches and squiffy timings didn’t add to my piece of mind. However, it seems to have worked out, and I am now desperately eager to see how the film has come out. And I would happily work with Kiki, Lewis and Hayley again, who were inventive, cheerful and bloody hard-working. The perfect crew. 

 

Congrats also go out to other Friends of X&HT who will be screened: Fiona Brownlie, whose film features Leading Man Clive in a cheeky cameo, first time 8er Andrew Bradley and of course Nick Scott, the man by which all our humble efforts are judged. Props, hugs and sturdy handshakes to all who have done the do and snagged a screening this year. You’re all stars!

Here’s to July. More news as I get it.