Do you guys know about Deadloch on Amazon Prime? It’s an Aussie crime drama. Two female cops, one of them is gay (and the straight one is played by a lesbian), investigating gruesome murders in a town that’s “being overrun by gay women.” Also, fans of foreign editions of Taskmaster will enjoy seeing Madeleine Sami and Nina Oyama in main roles!
So if you’re keeping track, that’s three women as the main cast, and all three actresses are LGBT.
It’s very bleak but also very funny. Worth checking out!
There just isn't enough room on tumblr for the amount of crap that went down today, let me tell you.
Well, as many of you know, shit got real today with the #HoistTheAds campaign and #LubeAsACrew going live.
#HoistTheAds
Last night at 12 PM EST the 2 day , every 15 minute ad campaign that @renewasacrew set up with the money gathered from the ad fundraiser kicked off in timesquare. You can still view them here Expect our ad every hour at :00, :01, :02, :15, :38, :42, :50
Throughout the day you could see the plane messages:
The Trucks went by!
And probably the most exciting things were the reactions from the cast and crew over the billboard!
There were a LOT of reactions so bear with me, there will be a lot of pictures. Chaos Dad David Jenkins, Kristian Nairn, Samba Schutte, Madeleine Sami, Samba Schutte, Leslie Jones, Vico Ortiz, Linds Cantrell, Alex Sherman, Eroll Shand, David Fane and many more. Some sent messages, some just emojis.
One special one to point out was David Fane's adorable reactions:
Some good news too, apparently Chaos Dad was able to actually go to Time Square and see the billboard, but wasn't able to interact.
#LubeAsACrew
Then there was this crazy thing... LubeAsACrew, where the Social Media person for Astroglide did a simultaneous watch with everyone on twitter. Then live-tweeted the episodes. Some of the stuff that came from it.. was unhinged and so much fun. There was too much to get into so I'm just including some highlights, feel free to check out the thread here:
==== Articles ====
The billboards obviously got a lot of attention of the press because the amount of articles out today are nuts:
PinkNews: Our Flag Means Death fans buy huge Times Square advert to demand its return
Pride.com: Our Flag Means Death fans buy Times Square billboard to save the show
Them.Us: Our Flag Means Death Fans Bought a Billboard in Times Square to Demand Renewal
TV Insider: ‘Our Flag Means Death’ Fans Take Renewal Campaign to Times Square — David Jenkins Reacts
Gay Times: ‘Bracing for battle’: Our Flag Means Death fans rally together for season 3
Now This News: Its Flag Meant Death: The Uncertain Reality for Queer-Driven Shows in the Streaming Era
Popverse: Our Flag Means Death fans launch Times Square billboard (and more) in series renewal campaign
Marysue: ‘Our Flag Means Death’ Fans Have Really Made an Impression With This Effort To Save the Show
The Geekiary: Fans Fight To Save Our Flag Means Death From Doggie Heaven
==== Impacts / Stats ====
=Petition=
Up to 67K+! Holy crap yall! That's almost 7K today! Great job!
=Fundraisers=
Renew As a Crew for Rainbow Youth has almost met the $17K Goal everyone! Almost there!
OFFP Care for Gaza - up to almost $8300
===Twitter Trends/Stats===
Twitter trends got pretty high with all the hashtags. I tried to get pictures at peak times but Im sure there were move, so take these numbers with a grain of salt, they were probably more!
=== Hashtag Update ===
Looks like the hashtags today are the following, and as always emails, and instructions are here:
#HoistTheAds #SaveOFMD #RenewAsACrew
= Stuff I Dont Have Categories For! =
Just some more industry info from our local @TheCozyPirate
And for whatever reason, Taika Archives came out with new Taika pictures today. So enjoy some black and white Taika.
Wow I actually reached my picture limit on this one, that's crazy.
Final note for the night-- I saw SO MANY OF YOU CALLING TODAY! And expressing your call anxiety and how you overcame it, and oh my gosh I just have to say you're all so friggn amazing! Stepping out of your comfort zone is scary as fuck and you did it anyway! Great job everyone! And if you haven't done so yet-- no worries, if you want to, you can, if you're not ready, that's okay too!
Other than that-- I've seen a lot of folks really taking a step back from the trolls and blocking/ignoring, great job all! Enjoy your celebration and happy times! Don't let the haters get to you. You are awesome and beautiful and we all continue to be so incredibly proud of this community! The Cast and Crew SAW you today as they have for days since all this started and they know we love them!
Now, I'll end with a picture of the backs of Rhys' legs (on the right) and a censored butt. Enjoy the muscles, I know I do.
Critics Choice Awards 2024: Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer, Barbie, Succession, The Bear lead the wins
The Critics Choice Awards 2024 celebrated cinematic and television excellence on Sunday night, January 14, 2024. Chelsea Handler returned as the host for the evening. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer shone, securing eight wins, including Best Picture and Best Director though Cillian Murphy missed the Best Actor win. Greta Gerwig’s Barbie claimed six awards, winning in categories like Best Comedy and Best Original Screenplay. Emma Stone earned Best Actress for Poor Things. On the TV front, Succession, The Bear, and Beef led the wins.
FILM
BEST PICTURE
American Fiction
Barbie
The Color Purple
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer - WINNER
Past Lives
Poor Things
Saltburn
BEST ACTOR
Bradley Cooper, Maestro
Leonardo DiCaprio, Killers of the Flower Moon
Colman Domingo, Rustin
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers - WINNER
Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction
BEST ACTRESS
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall
Greta Lee, Past Lives
Carey Mulligan, Maestro
Margot Robbie, Barbie
Emma Stone, Poor Things - WINNER
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction
Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer - WINNER
Ryan Gosling, Barbie
Charles Melton, May December
Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
America Ferrera, Barbie
Jodie Foster, Nyad
Julianne Moore, May December
Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers - WINNER
BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Abby Ryder Fortson, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
Ariana Greenblatt, Barbie
Calah Lane, Wonka
Milo Machado Graner, Anatomy of a Fall
Dominic Sessa, The Holdovers - WINNER
Madeleine Yuna Voyles, The Creator
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Air
Barbie
The Color Purple
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer - WINNER
BEST DIRECTOR
Bradley Cooper, Maestro
Greta Gerwig, Barbie
Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer - WINNER
Alexander Payne, The Holdovers
Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Kelly Fremon Craig, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
Andrew Haigh, All of Us Strangers
Cord Jefferson, American Fiction - WINNER
Tony McNamara, Poor Things
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Samy Burch, May December
Alex Convery, Air
Bradley Cooper & Josh Singer, Maestro
Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach, Barbie - WINNER
David Hemingson, The Holdovers
Celine Song, Past Lives
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Matthew Libatique, Maestro
Rodrigo Prieto, Barbie
Rodrigo Prieto, Killers of the Flower Moon
Robbie Ryan, Poor Things
Linus Sandgren, Saltburn
Hoyte van Hoytema, Oppenheimer - WINNER
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Suzie Davies, Charlotte Dirickx, Saltburn
Ruth De Jong, Claire Kaufman, Oppenheimer
Jack Fisk, Adam Willis, Killers of the Flower Moon
Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer, Barbie - WINNER
James Price, Shona Heath, Szusza Mihalek, Poor Things
Adam Stockhausen, Kris Moran, Asteroid City
BEST EDITING
William Goldenberg – Air
Nick Houy – Barbie
Jennifer Lame – Oppenheimer - WINNER
Yorgos Mavropsaridis – Poor Things
Thelma Schoonmaker – Killers of the Flower Moon
Michelle Tesoro – Maestro
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Jacqueline Durran, Barbie - WINNER
Lindy Hemming, Wonka
Francine Jamison-Tanchuck, The Color Purple
Holly Waddington, Poor Things
Jacqueline West, Killers of the Flower Moon
Janty Yates, David Crossman, Napoleon
BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP
Barbie - WINNER
The Color Purple
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Priscilla
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
The Creator
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer - WINNER
Poor Things
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
BEST COMEDY
American Fiction
Barbie - WINNER
Bottoms
The Holdovers
No Hard Feelings
Poor Things
BEST ANIMATED FILM
The Boy and the Heron
Elemental
Nimona
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - WINNER
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Wish
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Anatomy of a Fall - WINNER
Godzilla Minus One
Perfect Days
Society of the Snow
The Taste of Things
The Zone of Interest
BEST SONG
“Dance the Night," Barbie
“I’m Just Ken," Barbie - WINNER
“Peaches," The Super Mario Bros. Movie
“Road to Freedom," Rustin
"This Wish," Wish
"What Was I Made For," Barbie
BEST SCORE
Jerskin Fendrix, Poor Things
Michael Giacchino, Society of the Snow
Ludwig Göransson, Oppenheimer - WINNER
Daniel Pemberton, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Robbie Robertson, Killers of the Flower Moon
Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Barbie
TELEVISION
BEST DRAMA SERIES
The Crown
The Diplomat
The Last of Us
Loki
The Morning Show
Stark Trek: Strange New Worlds
Succession - WINNER
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty
BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Kieran Culkin – Succession - WINNER
Tom Hiddleston – Loki
Timothy Olyphant – Justified: City Primeval
Pedro Pascal – The Last of Us
Ramón Rodríguez – Will Trent
Jeremy Strong – Succession
BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jennifer Aniston – The Morning Show
Aunjanue Ellis – Justified: City Primeval
Bella Ramsey – The Last of Us
Keri Russell – The Diplomat
Sarah Snook – Succession - WINNER
Reese Witherspoon – The Morning Show
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Khalid Abdalla – The Crown
Billy Crudup – The Morning Show - WINNER
Ron Cephas Jones – Truth Be Told
Matthew MacFadyen – Succession
Ke Huy Quan – Loki
Rufus Sewell – The Diplomat
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Nicole Beharie – The Morning Show
Elizabeth Debicki – The Crown - WINNER
Sophia Di Martino – Loki
Celia Rose Gooding – Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Karen Pittman – The Morning Show
Christina Ricci – Yellowjackets
BEST COMEDY SERIES
Abbott Elementary
Barry
The Bear - WINNER
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Poker Face
Reservation Dogs
Shrinking
What We Do in the Shadows
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Bill Hader – Barry
Steve Martin – Only Murders in the Building
Kayvan Novak – What We Do in the Shadows
Drew Tarver – The Other Two
Jeremy Allen White – The Bear - WINNER
D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai – Reservation Dogs
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Rachel Brosnahan – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary
Ayo Edebiri – The Bear - WINNER
Bridget Everett – Somebody Somewhere
Devery Jacobs – Reservation Dogs
Natasha Lyonne – Poker Face
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Phil Dunster – Ted Lasso
Harrison Ford – Shrinking
Harvey Guillén – What We Do in the Shadows
James Marsden – Jury Duty
Ebon Moss-Bachrach – The Bear - WINNER
Henry Winkler – Barry
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Paulina Alexis – Reservation Dogs
Alex Borstein – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Janelle James – Abbott Elementary
Sheryl Lee Ralph – Abbott Elementary
Meryl Streep – Only Murders in the Building - WINNER
Jessica Williams – Shrinking
BEST LIMITED SERIES
Beef - WINNER
Daisy Jones & the Six
Fargo
Fellow Travelers
Lessons in Chemistry
Love & Death
A Murder at the End of the World
A Small Light
BEST MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
Finestkind
Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie
No One Will Save You
Quiz Lady - WINNER
Reality
BEST ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Matt Bomer – Fellow Travelers
Tom Holland – The Crowded Room
David Oyelowo – Lawmen: Bass Reeves
Tony Shalhoub – Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie
Kiefer Sutherland – The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
Steven Yeun – Beef - WINNER
BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Kaitlyn Dever – No One Will Save You
Carla Gugino – The Fall of the House of Usher
Brie Larson – Lessons in Chemistry
Bel Powley – A Small Light
Sydney Sweeney – Reality
Juno Temple – Fargo
Ali Wong – Beef - WINNER
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Jonathan Bailey – Fellow Travelers - WINNER
Taylor Kitsch – Painkiller
Jesse Plemons – Love & Death
Lewis Pullman – Lessons in Chemistry
Liev Schreiber – A Small Light
Justin Theroux – White House Plumbers
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Maria Bello – Beef - WINNER
Billie Boullet – A Small Light
Willa Fitzgerald – The Fall of the House of Usher
Aja Naomi King – Lessons in Chemistry
Mary McDonnell – The Fall of the House of Usher
Camila Morrone – Daisy Jones & the Six
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE SERIES
Bargain
The Glory
The Good Mothers
The Interpreter of Silence
Lupin - WINNER
Mask Girl
Moving
BEST ANIMATED SERIES
Bluey
Bob’s Burgers
Harley Quinn
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off - WINNER
Star Trek: Lower Decks
Young Love
BEST TALK SHOW
The Graham Norton Show
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - WINNER
Late Night with Seth Meyers
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
BEST COMEDY SPECIAL
Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool
Alex Borstein: Corsets & Clown Suits
John Early: Now More Than Ever
John Mulaney: Baby J - Winner
Trevor Noah: Where Was I
Wanda Sykes – I’m an Entertainer
27. マイルス・デイヴィス - Jailbait - Live at Vienne Jazz Festival, 1991
28. Cha Wa - My People
29. Arkadia Jazz All-Stars - The Emergence
30. Keb' Mo' - Sunny And Warm
31. ロバート・グラスパー - Main Theme [Feat. Alex Isley]
32. Fela Kuti - Roforofo Fight - Edit
33. Jhillazz - Dressy
34. David Tixier Trio - Nutra
35. Emma-Jean Thackray - Spectre
36. Busty and the Bass - Time Don't Make Me A Stranger - Instrumental
37. Madeleine Peyroux - Don’t Wait Too Long - Live At Festival de Jazz de Vitoria-Gasteiz / 2005
38. Leo Sidran - Body and the Brain
39. カマシ・ワシントン - Sun Kissed Child - From "Liberated / Music For the Movement Vol. 3"
40. Stephen Riley - You Stepped Out Of A Dream
41. トニー・ベネット - I Get A Kick Out Of You
42. Samy Thiébault - Baila
43. Panam Panic - Rh
44. Andreas Toftemark - A New York Flight
45. 大槻ケンヂと絶望少女達 - 人として軸がぶれている
46. TRIPLE H <高倉陽毬(CV:荒川美穂)、伊空ヒバリ(CV:渡部優衣)、歌田光莉(CV:三宅麻理恵)> - 朝のかげりの中で
47. 新居昭乃 - 妖精の死
48. TRIPLE H <高倉陽毬(CV:荒川美穂)、伊空ヒバリ(CV:渡部優衣)、歌田光莉(CV:三宅麻理恵)> - 灰色の水曜日
49. 新居昭乃 - 覚醒都市
50. 笠原弘子 - もういちど Love You
51. TRIPLE H <高倉陽毬(CV:荒川美穂)、伊空ヒバリ(CV:渡部優衣)、歌田光莉(CV:三宅麻理恵)> - BAD NEWS(黒い予感)
52. TRIPLE H <高倉陽毬(CV:荒川美穂)、伊空ヒバリ(CV:渡部優衣)、歌田光莉(CV:三宅麻理恵)> - ダディーズ・シューズ
53. ALI PROJECT - オフェリア遺文
54. 特撮 - 人として軸がぶれている
55. 倉橋ヨエコ - ままごと
56. 神保彰 - Set Them Free - エンディングテーマ TVサイズ デスクトップドラムver.
57. 片霧烈火 - 闘艶結義~トウエンノチカイ~
58. 千葉紗子、折笠富美子、川澄綾子、能登麻美子 - いちごコンプリート
59. TRIPLE H <高倉陽毬(CV:荒川美穂)、伊空ヒバリ(CV:渡部優衣)、歌田光莉(CV:三宅麻理恵)> - HEROES~英雄たち
60. 有形ランペイジ - 世界五分前仮説
61. TRIPLE H <高倉陽毬(CV:荒川美穂)、伊空ヒバリ(CV:渡部優衣)、歌田光莉(CV:三宅麻理恵)> - Private Girl
62. TRIPLE H <高倉陽毬(CV:荒川美穂)、伊空ヒバリ(CV:渡部優衣)、歌田光莉(CV:三宅麻理恵)> - 魂こがして
63. 千菅春香 - 桃色ファンタジー
64. 及川光博 - フィアンセになりたい
from dopingconsommecomplex http://dailyfeed.jp/feed/23378/2021-08-14
http://www.rssmix.com/
from complex fc2 dcons, https://dopingcomplex.blogspot.com/2021/08/20210814-httpdailyfeedjpfeed233782021.html
We’re going back in time this episode as we talk about our Childhood Favourites! (Or childhood favorites for the Americans.) We talk about problematic faves, Matthew drones on about X-Men comics, and we can’t figure out a book we’ve all read and enjoyed. Plus: Mysterious clunking noises and sloppy editing!
You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or your favourite podcast delivery system.
In this episode
Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jessi
Books and Other Media
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson
Garfield by Jim Davis
Cul de Sac by Richard Thompson
Alfie Gets in First by Shirley Hughes
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
Princess Prunella and the Purple Peanut by Margaret Atwood, illustrated by Maryann Kovalski
The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde, adapted by Jane Ray
The Twelve Dancing Princesses by Marianna Mayer, illustrated by Kinuko Y. Craft
Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business by Esphyr Slobodkina
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
Angelina Ballerina by Katharine Holabird, illustrated by Helen Craig
Rabbit and Skunk and Spooks by by Carla Stevens, illustrated by Robert Kraus
Halloween 2017 Google Doodle
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar, illustrated by Adam McCauley
Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty MacDonald
Mud Puddle by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Sami Suomalainen
Thomas' Snowsuit by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko
Goosebumps by R.L. Stine
The Beano
The UK Dennis the Menace
Dennis the Menace to stop bullying ‘gay’ Walter (article)
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Young Indiana Jones
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (based on the TV show)
Sweet Valley High by Francine Pascal
Baby-sitters Club by Ann M. Martin
The Baby-Sitters Club Graphic Novels adaptations by Raina Telgemeier
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce
Trickster’s Choice by Tamora Pierce
Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
Redwall by Brian Jacques
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake
Excalibur
The Dandy
The Topper
The Beezer
Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles
Age of Apocalypse
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Dragon Ball Z
Dorothée Magazine (French Wikipedia)
Sailor Moon
Ranma ½
The Adventures of Tintin by Hergé
Lucky Luke
Asterix and Obelix by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo
Babar the Elephant by Jean de Brunhoff
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
The Book of Dust is a prequel, published in October 2017, to the His Dark Materials trilogy
The Ruins of Ambrai by Melanie Rawn
Perdido Street Station by China Miéville
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
The BFG by Roald Dahl
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Links, Articles, and Things
Matthew tried searching for something about locks in the UK, but ended up finding websites talking about canals
The nostalgic beauty of the Scholastic book fairs
Bandes dessinées
The Halloween episode of our podcast
Questions
What are your childhood favourites?
How problematic are they looking back?
Do you still have copies of any of them? Why or why not?
Isn’t the list of titles this month way too long?
Check out our Pinterest boards and Tumblr posts, follow us on Twitter, join our Facebook Group, or send us an email!
Join us again on Tuesday, December 19th when we’ll be discussing the “genre” of Books Turned into Movies and TV Shows!
Then come back on January 2nd, for our Super Special Best of 2017 episode!
New Post has been published on https://funnythingshere.xyz/breaking-up-is-easy-for-rising-kiwi-filmmakers/
Breaking Up is Easy for Rising Kiwi filmmakers
The comedy, which opens the Sydney Film Festival next month, centres on two best friends and roommates, Jen (van Beek) and Mel (Sami), who provide a professional break-up service to partners not brave enough to dump their unwanted lovers. For a fee, they will act out a fake pregnancy or lie about a drowning to end a relationship.
But their cold-hearted business is threatened when Mel falls for a client – a handsome but not-overly-bright rugby player (James Rolleston, the now-grown-up star of New Zealand hit Boy) who has been trying to break up with his passionate girlfriend (Ana Scotney✓) by emoji.
Van Beek, 42, and Sami, 38, co-wrote, co-directed and co-star in the film that casts Celia Pacquola (Rosehaven) in her first feature film.
The Breaker Upperers open the Sydney Film Festival next month.
Photo: Abigail Dougherty
Given their very Kiwi sense of humour, the multitasking duo was were quickly described as a female Flight of the Conchords✓ – a comparison they don’t mind in the least given Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie are “dear friends”. Another friend with similar comic talent, Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi✓ – a high school friend of van Beek’s – is executive producer of their film.
Seizing a moment when the New Zealand film industry was looking to encourage female directors, van Beek and Sami have delivered their own version of a buddy comedy.
As the partying continues around them in the bar, the duo banter on the phone about their background together that includes various theatre productions together over 20 years. Van Beek has previously written and directed a more serious film, The Inland Road, and appeared in the TV series 800 Words; Sami was in Top of the Lake and directed van Beek in the TV series Funny Girls.
“We actually met when I was 14 years old,” Sami says. “I was in the national theatresports improv competition and Jackie was a tutor.”
Van Beek chimes in: “A very young tutor.”
Sami: “Yes, very young.”
Van Beek: “I was 17 or 18 and I identified Madeleine Sami as one to watch. You did pretty well in that competition. Did you win?”
Sami: “There were no winners.”
Van Beek: “No winners? What a lame competition.”
Some filmmakers make sure they have a memorable story but, with an endearing New Zealand directness, van Beek says the idea for the film just popped into her head while ambling around her kitchen one morning.
“I was reflecting on all those conversations I’d had with people about how awful it is having to break up with your partner and how you dread it and there’s a lot of fear and angst involved,” she says. “I just thought, ‘wouldn’t it be funny if you could outsource the responsibility [to] a company?’. I thought, “I’ll never start that company because I’m way too lazy and not interested enough but it would make a very funny film’.”
Sami not only liked the idea but suggested the title.
“I thought it was a stupid, stupid, silly title that made me laugh,” she says. “It was a working title for a long time then it just kind of stuck.”
Van Beek: “It was perfect because it really set the tone for the film … Very Kiwi.”
They spent four years on-and-off writing the film, enjoying inventing comic methods for breaking up couples.
“That was the fun part of the writing, coming up with ways the job could work,” Sami says. “We wrote a big $50 million version of the film which was completely unrealistic for us to make because we were never going to get that sort of money – speedboats and scuba diving, like James Bond meets The Idiots✓.
“Once we had the premise, it was really about telling a story about some characters that were true to us and that we felt people could relate to – getting a buddy comedy element in there.”
The duo surrounded themselves with an experienced team – largely women – so they could focus on their performances in the film.
“We left a lot of room for improvisation,” van Beek says. “Sometimes Madeleine and I would tangent into what we considered comedy gold …
Sami: “But some people might consider comedy poo. We’ve edited a lot of the comedy poo out.”
The duo saw their film as subverting the romantic comedy genre, with Bridesmaids as a reference for its ensemble female cast and The Wedding Crashers as “a concept cousin”.
“It feels like a premise for the times,” Sami says. “The way young people – and I say young people because Jackie and I are both happily married older women – now connect with each other on Tinder and things like that. It’s a far more brutal world that we live in with technology in the way it allows us to step back from the confrontation and the responsibilities that we’ve had in the past. We actually had to talk to somebody to break up with them.”
While the likes of Hunt for the Wilderpeople✓ , What We Do in the Shadows✓ and Flight of the Conchords✓ suggest there is a particular quality to New Zealand comedy – deadpan, warm-hearted, down to earth and mumblingly self-effacing – the duo feel their film has a similar sense of humour to Australian comedies.
“There was that era of Australian film that just was so influential for me in wanting to be an actor – Muriel’s Wedding, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, The Castle,” Sami says.
Van Beek: “Then later on Chris Lilley’s stuff. And Kath and Kim.”
Sami: “And the Comedy Company. My first gig was when I was eight years old at a family Christmas in Taranaki and I did Kylie Mole impressions; ‘She goes, she goes’. I got my mum to put my hair in pigtails. I can still quote Con the Fruiterer. “
With the soft shell crab and broccoli bites having been swept away, it’s time for the duo to head around the corner for the screening. Having already been to Hollywood to discuss future projects, they plan to co-direct again.
“It’s lovely that people do seem excited that we’re new female film directors,” van Beek says.
Sami adds: “We barrelled ahead with this project and we just convinced everyone else and ourselves that it was possible. And it totally is.”
Sydney Film Festival runs from June 6 to 17. Tickets are at sff.org.au. The Breaker Upperers is in cinemas from July 26.
WOMEN AT THE FESTIVAL
IN COMPETITION
Daughter of Mine
Italy’s Laura Bispuri✓ , who made her name with the 2015 transgender tale Sworn Virgin, directs a drama about a 10-year-old girl torn between two very different mothers in a small Sardinian community.
Leave No Trace
Debra Granik✓ , who launched Jennifer Lawrence’s career in Winter’s Bone, directs a tender drama about an army veteran and his 13-year-old daughter who live off the grid in a public park in Oregon.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post
Iranian-American director Desiree Akhavan✓ won the top prize at Sundance with a touching coming-of-age drama about a high school girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) who is sent to a gay conversion camp.
The Seen and Unseen
Indonesia’s Kamila Andini✓ (The Mirror Never Lies) centres a meditative dreamlike drama on a 10-year-old Balinese girl who is dealing with the loss of her twin brother.
DOCUMENTARIES
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Photo: Supplied
A Murder In Mansfield
Barbara Kopple✓ , the two-time Oscar winning director of Harlan County USA and Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing, looks at the human cost of a vicious murder in Ohio in 1989, through the eyes of a troubled man still trying to deal with his father killing his mother.
On Her Shoulders
A Sundance prizewinner, Alexandria Bombach’s documentary is about a 23-year-old woman who survived genocide and sexual slavery at the hands of ISIS Islamic State to become the courageous voice of her people.
Half the Picture
Through interviews with Ava DuVernay✓ , Lena Dunham✓ and Catherine Hardwicke✓ among others, Amy Adrion looks at why there are so few women directors.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
You Were Never Really Here
Lynne Ramsay, the uncompromising Scottish director of Ratcatcher and We Need to Talk About Kevin, has Joaquin Phoenix as a traumatised hitman in a thriller that won screenplay and acting awards at Cannes last year.
The Kindergarten Teacher
Maggie Gyllenhaal shines as a primary school teacher who believes one of her students is a child prodigy in a Sundance prizewinning drama from Sara Colangelo✓ (Little Accidents).
AUSTRALIAN WOMEN
My Brilliant Career
A new digital restoration of Gillian Armstrong’s breakthrough film from 1979 features Judy Davis as a headstrong young woman determined to be a writer and Sam Neill as her beau.
Piercing
A long way from Alice in Wonderland, Mia Wasikowska plays a prostitute who disrupts the plans of a would-be murderer (Christopher Abbott from Girls) in what is described as a bold S&M comedy.
Chocolate Oyster
Anna Lawrence✓ and Rosie Lourde✓ are two waitresses wanting bigger things in a so-called mumblecore comedy set in Bondi that is directed by Steve Jaggi✓.
Terror Nullius
New York-based sisters Dominique and Dan Angeloro✓ , who make up the video art collective Soda_Jerk, repurpose shots from Australian films for a savage satire about the state of the country.
REAL LIVES ON SCREEN
Bad Reputation
The life story of Joan Jett, founding member of the Runaways and later frontwoman for Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, in a documentary from noted director music video Kevin Kerslake✓ .
Whitney
A candid portrait of Whitney Houston, from triumph to sad decline, as told by Kevin Macdonald✓, the Oscar-winning director of One Day in September and Touching the Void.
Garry Maddox is a Senior Writer for The Sydney Morning Herald.