Brian McCardie, the Scottish actor who portrayed the younger brother of Liam Neeson’s titular hero in Michael Caton-Jones’ historical drama Rob Roy, has died. He was 59.
McCardie died “suddenly at home” on Sunday, his sister Sarah announced on X. “A wonderful and passionate actor on stage and screen, Brian loved his work and touched many lives, and is gone much too soon,” she wrote.
(1) It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Brian James McCardie (59), beloved son, brother, uncle and dear friend to so many. Brian passed away suddenly at home on Sunday 28th April. A wonderful and passionate actor on stage and screen, Brian loved his work and pic.twitter.com/1xSLsETNob
— Sarah McCardie (@SarahMcCardie) April 30, 2024
Born on Jan. 22, 1965, and raised near Glasgow, McCardie appeared on the BBC soap opera EastEnders in one of his earlier roles.
He went on to play gang lord turned...
McCardie died “suddenly at home” on Sunday, his sister Sarah announced on X. “A wonderful and passionate actor on stage and screen, Brian loved his work and touched many lives, and is gone much too soon,” she wrote.
(1) It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Brian James McCardie (59), beloved son, brother, uncle and dear friend to so many. Brian passed away suddenly at home on Sunday 28th April. A wonderful and passionate actor on stage and screen, Brian loved his work and pic.twitter.com/1xSLsETNob
— Sarah McCardie (@SarahMcCardie) April 30, 2024
Born on Jan. 22, 1965, and raised near Glasgow, McCardie appeared on the BBC soap opera EastEnders in one of his earlier roles.
He went on to play gang lord turned...
- 4/30/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A statue of the late Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister will be erected in his hometown of Burslem, which is part of the city of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England.
Plans for the 2.25-meter bronze sculpture have been approved, according to the BBC, despite police concerns that the statue could generate “good-natured but potentially incident generating attention” — namely revelers climbing the plinth to pose with Lemmy or causing vandalism. It will be located in Burslem’s Market Place.
Local sculptor Andy Edwards will be constructing the statue out of Staffordshire clay, having previously created sculptures of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor at Derby County Fc and The Beatles on Liverpool’s Pier Head. An artist rendering (seen above) depicts Lemmy in his iconic stage pose, singing upward toward the skies with the microphone placed abnormally high above him.
Following the aforementioned concern from local authorities, Edwards agreed to increase the height of...
Plans for the 2.25-meter bronze sculpture have been approved, according to the BBC, despite police concerns that the statue could generate “good-natured but potentially incident generating attention” — namely revelers climbing the plinth to pose with Lemmy or causing vandalism. It will be located in Burslem’s Market Place.
Local sculptor Andy Edwards will be constructing the statue out of Staffordshire clay, having previously created sculptures of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor at Derby County Fc and The Beatles on Liverpool’s Pier Head. An artist rendering (seen above) depicts Lemmy in his iconic stage pose, singing upward toward the skies with the microphone placed abnormally high above him.
Following the aforementioned concern from local authorities, Edwards agreed to increase the height of...
- 2/26/2024
- by Jon Hadusek
- Consequence - Music
Michael Sheen has, in different points of his career, made a speciality of playing real people. He's been Tony Blair, David Frost and Brian Clough among others. He's adding the disgraced Prince Andrew to his collection with Amazon's new miniseries A Very Royal Scandal, which will follow the events leading up to portraying, the Prince's interview with journalist Emily Maitlis. And with the show set to focus more on Maitlis than Andrew, Ruth Wilson is aboard to play her.
The series is, according to its official description, detailing "Emily Maitlis’ professional and personal journey as a Newsnight journalist, leading up to her acclaimed interview with Prince Andrew."
Tackled about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and his involvement with a huge sex scandal that affected underage girls, it's a sweaty how-not-to be an interviewee. You can :a[see the original interview here]{href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtBS8COhhhM' }.
The cast for this...
The series is, according to its official description, detailing "Emily Maitlis’ professional and personal journey as a Newsnight journalist, leading up to her acclaimed interview with Prince Andrew."
Tackled about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and his involvement with a huge sex scandal that affected underage girls, it's a sweaty how-not-to be an interviewee. You can :a[see the original interview here]{href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtBS8COhhhM' }.
The cast for this...
- 11/20/2023
- by James White
- Empire - TV
To mark the release of Local Heroes which is available on digital, DVD and Blu-ray 5 June 2023, we have a Blu-Ray to give away!
Meet the Local Heroes… three inspiring young men who, through their passion for football and determination to succeed despite the odds, went all the way to the top. Now the story of this powerful piece of footballing history is told in a brand-new feature-length documentary which is set for its World Premiere at home in Nottingham, on 25 May 2023, followed by a limited theatrical release. The premiere will have the footballing legends in attendance, along with a stellar team of supporters. The film will then kick-off on digital, DVD and Blu-ray this June courtesy of Miracle Media.
This eye-opening film tells the incredible, little-known tale of three Nottingham Forest football players, Viv Anderson, Garry Birtles and Tony Woodcock who triumphed over adversity – during a time of major political...
Meet the Local Heroes… three inspiring young men who, through their passion for football and determination to succeed despite the odds, went all the way to the top. Now the story of this powerful piece of footballing history is told in a brand-new feature-length documentary which is set for its World Premiere at home in Nottingham, on 25 May 2023, followed by a limited theatrical release. The premiere will have the footballing legends in attendance, along with a stellar team of supporters. The film will then kick-off on digital, DVD and Blu-ray this June courtesy of Miracle Media.
This eye-opening film tells the incredible, little-known tale of three Nottingham Forest football players, Viv Anderson, Garry Birtles and Tony Woodcock who triumphed over adversity – during a time of major political...
- 6/4/2023
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Michael Sheen recently went viral for an epic ‘pre-match’ speech to the Welsh football team on A League of Their Own – so much so that he was actually invited to address the Welsh World Cup squad for real – but anyone who’s seen a Michael Sheen role won’t have been remotely surprised he had such a rousing monologue in him.
The man has range, charisma, and an extraordinary talent for channelling the characteristics of real people without resorting to impersonation. He’s also clearly game for anything, as the news he’ll be playing Coleen Rooney’s lawyer in Channel 4’s newly announced courtroom drama Vardy v Rooney shows. Here’s our pick of Sheen’s best on-screen performances to date:
Quiz
Throughout his career, Sheen has been unmatched in his terrifyingly accurate depictions of real-life figures, and his portrayal of Chris Tarrant in this ITV drama about...
The man has range, charisma, and an extraordinary talent for channelling the characteristics of real people without resorting to impersonation. He’s also clearly game for anything, as the news he’ll be playing Coleen Rooney’s lawyer in Channel 4’s newly announced courtroom drama Vardy v Rooney shows. Here’s our pick of Sheen’s best on-screen performances to date:
Quiz
Throughout his career, Sheen has been unmatched in his terrifyingly accurate depictions of real-life figures, and his portrayal of Chris Tarrant in this ITV drama about...
- 10/13/2022
- by Lauravickersgreen
- Den of Geek
Michael Sheen isn’t one to mince his words. Even before Boris Johnson finds himself at the centre of the Christmas party scandal, the Welsh star of Frost/Nixon has our Pm in his crosshairs. “He’s the absolute worst of what politics can be,” says the 52-year-old, his voice rich and lilting. “A man who doesn’t seem to care or believe in anything other than his own advancement, and, as a result of immense privilege, has been able to get to the most powerful position in the country and then doesn’t use it to make people’s lives better. Everything is a game to him.” Sheen stops, reloads. “He seems to have no personal ethics, morals, beliefs, value system. So I will be immensely happy to see the back of him, not just from being prime minister but out of the political arena altogether. I hope he...
- 12/18/2021
- by Patrick Smith
- The Independent - Film
The beautiful game has not been embraced by the seventh art in quite the same way as its American equivalent. Yet Soccer, or Football as we have it here, has a simplicity which makes for a thrilling and uncomplicated conflict, and yet few filmmakers centre their stories around it. Baseball is well served with A League of Their Own, Field of Dreams, The Natural, and many more, capturing the passion and drama of the game. The American variant of football has too, with Friday Night Lights, The Waterboy and Any Given Sunday showing off the variety of stories that can be told around the game. But Football (‘Soccer’) trails behind in the cinematic stakes.
That’s not to say that there aren’t some cracking films that have used football to build their dramatic stories. There is an inbuilt connection to the game, an understanding by osmosis of the importance...
That’s not to say that there aren’t some cracking films that have used football to build their dramatic stories. There is an inbuilt connection to the game, an understanding by osmosis of the importance...
- 11/26/2021
- by Michael Walsh
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
In football – and sport in general – there aren’t many who make their mark both as a player and a manager, but one man who did was Jack Charlton. Talented certainly, but it was the big man’s personality that really stood out, and this feature-length documentary captures it in some style.
Finding Jack Charlton is nothing short of a masterpiece, deftly balancing the film’s three main sub-plots: his glorious reign as manager of the Republic of Ireland, relationship with his brother, Bobby Charlton, and the unfortunate onset of dementia in his twilight years. The geniuses behind it all are ITV Sport reporter, Gabriel Clarke, who has also produced features on Joe Calzaghe and Brian Clough, and filmmaker Pete Thomas.
But this blows them all out of the water. The way each aspect of Charlton’s life is intertwined over and over again is filmmaking of the highest calibre.
Finding Jack Charlton is nothing short of a masterpiece, deftly balancing the film’s three main sub-plots: his glorious reign as manager of the Republic of Ireland, relationship with his brother, Bobby Charlton, and the unfortunate onset of dementia in his twilight years. The geniuses behind it all are ITV Sport reporter, Gabriel Clarke, who has also produced features on Joe Calzaghe and Brian Clough, and filmmaker Pete Thomas.
But this blows them all out of the water. The way each aspect of Charlton’s life is intertwined over and over again is filmmaking of the highest calibre.
- 6/21/2021
- by Dan Green
- The Cultural Post
Film werewolf and vampire Michael Sheen could be Emmy-bound for his scary lawyer on ‘The Good Fight’
Michael Sheen is one of those under-sung actors who rarely disappoints. The curly-haired Welshman who brought TV interviewer David Frost to life opposite Frank Langella‘s Tricky Dick in 2008’s “Frost/Nixon” and played Prime Minister Tony Blair — his second of three times — in 2006’s “The Queen” alongside Helen Mirren as Elizabeth II. But despite solid notices, he was mostly overlooked for his performances when it came to awards. He did land an Emmy nomination for his repeat portrayal of Blair in the 2010 TV movie, “The Special Relationship.” And 2003’s “The Deal,” which featured his first depiction of the British Pm, at least won a BAFTA TV award for Best Single Drama.
Anyone who saw him as volatile English football coach Brian Clough in 2009’s “The Damned United” couldn’t help but think he was cheated out of an Oscar nomination. But he also scored high-profile roles in such horror-tinged big-screen...
Anyone who saw him as volatile English football coach Brian Clough in 2009’s “The Damned United” couldn’t help but think he was cheated out of an Oscar nomination. But he also scored high-profile roles in such horror-tinged big-screen...
- 3/27/2019
- by Susan Wloszczyna
- Gold Derby
A traumatic injury turns a keen footballer into a pen-pusher dreaming of octagonal pitches in Corneliu Porumboiu’s unusual documentary portrait
Wim Wenders once made a film about the goalkeeper’s fear of the penalty. Romanian director Corneliu Porumboiu has come up with a personal documentary that could be called the football theorist’s anxiety at the thought of his old sports injury.
It’s a true story which is also an odd social-realist parable, with a bit of the deadpan comedy and bureaucracy-satire to be found in Poromboiu’s fiction features, such as 12:08 East of Bucharest and Police, Adjective. It’s pregnant with implied meaning and amenable to different levels of interpretation, and yet determinedly inconsequential and tonally noncommittal, blankly filmed until the very last, when Poromboiu switches to a slow-mo, sepia-filtered shot of a country road extending ahead of the traveller, with some voiceover rumination about punishment,...
Wim Wenders once made a film about the goalkeeper’s fear of the penalty. Romanian director Corneliu Porumboiu has come up with a personal documentary that could be called the football theorist’s anxiety at the thought of his old sports injury.
It’s a true story which is also an odd social-realist parable, with a bit of the deadpan comedy and bureaucracy-satire to be found in Poromboiu’s fiction features, such as 12:08 East of Bucharest and Police, Adjective. It’s pregnant with implied meaning and amenable to different levels of interpretation, and yet determinedly inconsequential and tonally noncommittal, blankly filmed until the very last, when Poromboiu switches to a slow-mo, sepia-filtered shot of a country road extending ahead of the traveller, with some voiceover rumination about punishment,...
- 2/16/2018
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Louisa Mellor May 5, 2017
Major spoilers ahead as we speak to Line Of Duty creator, writer and director Jed Mercurio about Roz Huntley, Acc Hilton and more…
If I were ever to find myself alone in a room with a dead body I’d created in self-defence and pondering my next move, “plead guilty to manslaughter,” Jed Mercurio tells me. “For the minimum three years sentence. If you take the risk of fighting a murder plea with self-defence and you fail, then you will be convicted of murder and that is a mandatory life sentence.” Getting off with self-defence is really, really hard, says Mercurio, really hard. “I did the research.”
See related American Gods episode 1 review: The Bone Orchard American Gods cast interview: Ian McShane, Ricky Whittle, Emily Browning American Gods: Bryan Fuller interview
It’s good advice, if alarming in the context of a DVD release-plugging interview. As a general rule,...
Major spoilers ahead as we speak to Line Of Duty creator, writer and director Jed Mercurio about Roz Huntley, Acc Hilton and more…
If I were ever to find myself alone in a room with a dead body I’d created in self-defence and pondering my next move, “plead guilty to manslaughter,” Jed Mercurio tells me. “For the minimum three years sentence. If you take the risk of fighting a murder plea with self-defence and you fail, then you will be convicted of murder and that is a mandatory life sentence.” Getting off with self-defence is really, really hard, says Mercurio, really hard. “I did the research.”
See related American Gods episode 1 review: The Bone Orchard American Gods cast interview: Ian McShane, Ricky Whittle, Emily Browning American Gods: Bryan Fuller interview
It’s good advice, if alarming in the context of a DVD release-plugging interview. As a general rule,...
- 5/4/2017
- Den of Geek
The Northern Irish politicians make an intriguing cinematic pairing, but there are even more fiery duos that film could fictionalise
Nick Hamm’s new film The Journey tells of the decades-long enmity, followed by the highly surprising friendship, between Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness as they laboured towards the Anglo-Irish agreement. It slots neatly into a favourite mini-genre of mine, mostly cornered by screenwriter Peter Morgan, who has made half a career of creating dramatic face-offs between real-life figures with diametrically opposed worldviews: Lord Longford and Myra Hindley (Longford); Brian Clough and Don Revie (The Damned United) and James Hunt and Niki Lauda (Rush). Other film-makers have taken up the format, too, in My Week With Marilyn, The King’s Speech and now The Journey.
Related: How Paisley and McGuinness's journey to peace ended at Venice film festival
Continue reading...
Nick Hamm’s new film The Journey tells of the decades-long enmity, followed by the highly surprising friendship, between Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness as they laboured towards the Anglo-Irish agreement. It slots neatly into a favourite mini-genre of mine, mostly cornered by screenwriter Peter Morgan, who has made half a career of creating dramatic face-offs between real-life figures with diametrically opposed worldviews: Lord Longford and Myra Hindley (Longford); Brian Clough and Don Revie (The Damned United) and James Hunt and Niki Lauda (Rush). Other film-makers have taken up the format, too, in My Week With Marilyn, The King’s Speech and now The Journey.
Related: How Paisley and McGuinness's journey to peace ended at Venice film festival
Continue reading...
- 5/1/2017
- by John Patterson
- The Guardian - Film News
Tom Hanks tinkering with teamsheets as Ranieri, Idris Elba barking orders as captain Morgan, and Tom Hiddleston smashing in the goals … a surefire lineup to get them queuing at the turnstiles
Film producers like nothing more than a chest-burstingly uplifting, against-the-odds, underdog-come-good, overcoming-adversity story, and Leicester City’s tilt at the Premier League title is about as chestburstingly uplifting as they come. So just as football journalists have been sharpening their pens and documentary-makers loading up their editing suites over the past few weeks as the Foxes have been closing in on the championship, film production executives will have begun the unseemly jostle to get Leicester City: The Movie in the works.
But how to go about it? The first issue is where to pitch it. Notoriously, most films about football – about British football, at least – have been pretty bad: hamstrung between the need to appeal to the widest possible only-vaguely-interested audience (ie,...
Film producers like nothing more than a chest-burstingly uplifting, against-the-odds, underdog-come-good, overcoming-adversity story, and Leicester City’s tilt at the Premier League title is about as chestburstingly uplifting as they come. So just as football journalists have been sharpening their pens and documentary-makers loading up their editing suites over the past few weeks as the Foxes have been closing in on the championship, film production executives will have begun the unseemly jostle to get Leicester City: The Movie in the works.
But how to go about it? The first issue is where to pitch it. Notoriously, most films about football – about British football, at least – have been pretty bad: hamstrung between the need to appeal to the widest possible only-vaguely-interested audience (ie,...
- 5/3/2016
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
Tom Hanks tinkering with teamsheets as Ranieri, Idris Elba barking orders as captain Morgan, and Tom Hiddleston smashing in the goals … a surefire lineup to get them queuing at the turnstiles
Film producers like nothing more than a chest-burstingly uplifting, against-the-odds, underdog-come-good, overcoming-adversity story, and Leicester City’s tilt at the Premier League title is about as chestburstingly uplifting as they come. So just as football journalists have been sharpening their pens and documentary-makers loading up their editing suites over the past few weeks as the Foxes have been closing in on the championship, film production executives will have begun the unseemly jostle to get Leicester City: The Movie in the works.
But how to go about it? The first issue is where to pitch it. Notoriously, most films about football – about British football, at least – have been pretty bad: hamstrung between the need to appeal to the widest possible only-vaguely-interested audience (ie,...
Film producers like nothing more than a chest-burstingly uplifting, against-the-odds, underdog-come-good, overcoming-adversity story, and Leicester City’s tilt at the Premier League title is about as chestburstingly uplifting as they come. So just as football journalists have been sharpening their pens and documentary-makers loading up their editing suites over the past few weeks as the Foxes have been closing in on the championship, film production executives will have begun the unseemly jostle to get Leicester City: The Movie in the works.
But how to go about it? The first issue is where to pitch it. Notoriously, most films about football – about British football, at least – have been pretty bad: hamstrung between the need to appeal to the widest possible only-vaguely-interested audience (ie,...
- 5/3/2016
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
★★★☆☆ Tom Hooper has made several films about men playing roles. 2009's The Damned United concerned the managerial exploits of Brian Clough (Martin Sheen), a legend of football who alpha-ed his way to the top of a fiercely competitive business. The King's Speech (2010) was, at its core, a film about a man learning to play a role he felt unfit for: unlike Brian Clough, George VI was skeptical about power and status. The film portrays him as a begrudging king, uncomfortable with a crown that will make him into the sovereign.
- 1/3/2016
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Here’s my Top Ten films and other treats from 2015 (in no particular order):
Best Movies 1) Fury Road
After 15 minutes I turned to my wife and said I was exhausted… Thankfully I got my breath back and Fury Road refused to let up. True to the originals, Tom Hardy’s Max says very little and through Charlize Theron’s Furiosa we arguably got our first feminist action movie – or so it seemed according to the lunatic fringe of fanboy culture as they whipped themselves into a frenzy on many a blog.
2) Carol
Todd Haynes adapted Carol from Patricia Highsmith 1952 novel: The Price Of Salt. The sumptuous period style, stunning cinematic storytelling and stand out performances from Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara and American Horror Story’s Sarah Paulson combine to make a film experience of a forbidden lesbian love affair – that’s akin to an Edward Hopper painting coming to life.
Best Movies 1) Fury Road
After 15 minutes I turned to my wife and said I was exhausted… Thankfully I got my breath back and Fury Road refused to let up. True to the originals, Tom Hardy’s Max says very little and through Charlize Theron’s Furiosa we arguably got our first feminist action movie – or so it seemed according to the lunatic fringe of fanboy culture as they whipped themselves into a frenzy on many a blog.
2) Carol
Todd Haynes adapted Carol from Patricia Highsmith 1952 novel: The Price Of Salt. The sumptuous period style, stunning cinematic storytelling and stand out performances from Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara and American Horror Story’s Sarah Paulson combine to make a film experience of a forbidden lesbian love affair – that’s akin to an Edward Hopper painting coming to life.
- 12/25/2015
- by Stuart Wright
- Nerdly
To celebrate the release of Shaolin, Chris Ramsey Live: All Growed Up, I Believe in Miracles and Hitting the Apex, available to own on DVD now, we are giving away the exciting bundle of four to two lucky winners!
Universal
The ultimate Shaolin Kung Fu masters return to the UK for the first time in seven years with their brand new show, Shaolin. In this astounding display of theatre and physical prowess, the cast perform spectacular acts sure to impress the whole family. Combining traditional Shaolin Kung Fu, inch-perfect choreography and dramatic lighting and sound, the show evokes the spirit of their traditions in one stunning performance.
Universal
Introducing Chris Ramsey: the critically acclaimed North East funny man people are calling the next big thing in comedy. Chris brings his sell-out, brand new stand-up show Chris Ramsey Live: All Growed Up to DVD for the first time. Filmed to...
Universal
The ultimate Shaolin Kung Fu masters return to the UK for the first time in seven years with their brand new show, Shaolin. In this astounding display of theatre and physical prowess, the cast perform spectacular acts sure to impress the whole family. Combining traditional Shaolin Kung Fu, inch-perfect choreography and dramatic lighting and sound, the show evokes the spirit of their traditions in one stunning performance.
Universal
Introducing Chris Ramsey: the critically acclaimed North East funny man people are calling the next big thing in comedy. Chris brings his sell-out, brand new stand-up show Chris Ramsey Live: All Growed Up to DVD for the first time. Filmed to...
- 12/21/2015
- by Laura Holmes
- Obsessed with Film
Splendid 70s footage evokes a bygone world in this account of Brian Clough’s reign at Nottingham Forest
As someone with zero interest in football, I found this genial account of Brian Clough’s trophy-winning tenure at Nottingham Forest divertingly nostalgic. Interspersing contemporary interviews with splendid 70s footage, actor-turned-director Jonny Owen evokes a poptastic world in which top-level athletes enjoyed chips, wine and a ciggie as a pre-match sharpener and training consisted of “a little fat guy” running around in a nettle patch. Split screens, bubble perms and baldness abound, buoyed up by a jukebox collection of tunes (from Heatwave to Velvet Underground), a collage of “Jap sub sinks Forest!” headlines and TV spots of Cloughie doing an uncanny impression of Michaels Sheen and Parkinson.
Continue reading...
As someone with zero interest in football, I found this genial account of Brian Clough’s trophy-winning tenure at Nottingham Forest divertingly nostalgic. Interspersing contemporary interviews with splendid 70s footage, actor-turned-director Jonny Owen evokes a poptastic world in which top-level athletes enjoyed chips, wine and a ciggie as a pre-match sharpener and training consisted of “a little fat guy” running around in a nettle patch. Split screens, bubble perms and baldness abound, buoyed up by a jukebox collection of tunes (from Heatwave to Velvet Underground), a collage of “Jap sub sinks Forest!” headlines and TV spots of Cloughie doing an uncanny impression of Michaels Sheen and Parkinson.
Continue reading...
- 10/11/2015
- by Mark Kermode, Observer film critic
- The Guardian - Film News
Jonny Owen’s entertaining documentary deals with the manager’s success at Nottingham Forest in the late 1970s
Related: Film review: The Damned United
The reputation of Brian Clough (pictured) in pop culture history famously got a revisionist jolt in 2006 from David Peace’s novel The Damned United, lending an unsuspected dark mythic importance to his brief, bizarrely dysfunctional tenure as Leeds United Fc manager in 1974. The cheeky loudmouth now looked troubled, irrational, even faintly sinister. It was adapted for the cinema in 2009 – in gentler and more conventional terms – starring Michael Sheen. Now Jonny Owen has made an undemanding documentary dealing with the happier era after that, about Clough’s resurgence, managing Nottingham Forest in the late 1970s: the Napoleon of football, leading a little-fancied side to glory in the old first division and the European cup. This affectionate film sets aside all the fashionably “dark” reading of Clough in...
Related: Film review: The Damned United
The reputation of Brian Clough (pictured) in pop culture history famously got a revisionist jolt in 2006 from David Peace’s novel The Damned United, lending an unsuspected dark mythic importance to his brief, bizarrely dysfunctional tenure as Leeds United Fc manager in 1974. The cheeky loudmouth now looked troubled, irrational, even faintly sinister. It was adapted for the cinema in 2009 – in gentler and more conventional terms – starring Michael Sheen. Now Jonny Owen has made an undemanding documentary dealing with the happier era after that, about Clough’s resurgence, managing Nottingham Forest in the late 1970s: the Napoleon of football, leading a little-fancied side to glory in the old first division and the European cup. This affectionate film sets aside all the fashionably “dark” reading of Clough in...
- 10/8/2015
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
"Imagine Rotherham suddenly winning the Premier League, Fa Cup and UEFA Cup and you're close to Nottingham Forest's unbelievable in the late '70s." So opens Empire's four-star review of new football doc I Believe In Miracles, a disco-era fairy tale about one team's journey to football's promised land. After The Damned United, this the happier end of the Brian Clough story as he leads his team from seeming no-hopers to triumph and more silverware than Smaug’s pawnbroker. Named after the Jackson Sisters' disco classic of 1976, the story picks up not long after Clough was left out on his ear after 44 tumultuous days at Leeds United. Jobs at Derby County, while a more auspicious career move, and Brighton came to an end and the maverick manager was left with another fresh start. Clough’s starts didn’t tend to stay fresh for long, although the stars were aligned for...
- 9/22/2015
- EmpireOnline
Film about legendary football manager to premiere at UK football ground before going nationwide.
A new film about football manager Brian Clough’s glory years at Nottingham Forest is to be distributed across the UK by Showcase Cinemas, following its world premiere at the club’s City Ground next month.
I Believe In Miracles tells the story of the five-year period in the 1970s when Clough took Nottingham Forest from a run-down second division club to two European Cups, producing one of the best domestic football teams in the history of the game.
It includes interviews with all of the 1979 European Cup winners involved the families of Clough and his managerial partner Peter Taylor.
I Believe In Miracles was written and directed by Jonny Owen, who also produced alongside Baby Cow Productions (Philomena) and Spool Films/Post.
The documentary will receive its world premiere at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground on Oct 11 before previews in UK cinemas...
A new film about football manager Brian Clough’s glory years at Nottingham Forest is to be distributed across the UK by Showcase Cinemas, following its world premiere at the club’s City Ground next month.
I Believe In Miracles tells the story of the five-year period in the 1970s when Clough took Nottingham Forest from a run-down second division club to two European Cups, producing one of the best domestic football teams in the history of the game.
It includes interviews with all of the 1979 European Cup winners involved the families of Clough and his managerial partner Peter Taylor.
I Believe In Miracles was written and directed by Jonny Owen, who also produced alongside Baby Cow Productions (Philomena) and Spool Films/Post.
The documentary will receive its world premiere at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground on Oct 11 before previews in UK cinemas...
- 9/8/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Michael Sheen has delved into the effort he goes to when portraying real-life people in biopics.
Speaking at a BAFTA Cymru event in London last night (March 11), the actor revealed that he struggles to let go of those he plays, such as in BBC Four's Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa!.
"I think to immerse yourself in anyone's life, it becomes fascinating as soon as you start to really get into everything," he explained.
"With Kenneth Williams, because he'd written diaries, that became like the rabbit hole that I went down and so anything he wrote in his diaries - or [if] he said, 'I watched this film' or, 'I read this book' or, 'I listened to this music' - I could do and I did."
The actor - who has also played Tony Blair in The Deal, The Queen and The Special Relationship, David Frost in Frost/Nixon, and Brian Clough...
Speaking at a BAFTA Cymru event in London last night (March 11), the actor revealed that he struggles to let go of those he plays, such as in BBC Four's Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa!.
"I think to immerse yourself in anyone's life, it becomes fascinating as soon as you start to really get into everything," he explained.
"With Kenneth Williams, because he'd written diaries, that became like the rabbit hole that I went down and so anything he wrote in his diaries - or [if] he said, 'I watched this film' or, 'I read this book' or, 'I listened to this music' - I could do and I did."
The actor - who has also played Tony Blair in The Deal, The Queen and The Special Relationship, David Frost in Frost/Nixon, and Brian Clough...
- 3/12/2015
- Digital Spy
Should you be watching Matt Berry comedy show Toast Of London on Channel 4? In the words of Stephen Toast... Yes!
Did you know that musical star Michael Ball has double the amount of blood in his body as that of the average human? It's what allows him to belt out those big notes.
If you watched Series 1 of Toast Of London then you'll already know that's true.
But if you didn't know and didn't watch, then that's entirely not your fault. After a strong pilot, Channel 4 took the first series of Matt Berry and Arthur Matthews' comedy about failing actor Steven Toast (Berry) and buried it in the late hour soil of Sunday nights, in a time slot so obscure you'd need a TV guide, compass, shovel, and remote to find it.
Fortunately the Rose D'Or committee still managed to unearth it on 4Od - no doubt...
Did you know that musical star Michael Ball has double the amount of blood in his body as that of the average human? It's what allows him to belt out those big notes.
If you watched Series 1 of Toast Of London then you'll already know that's true.
But if you didn't know and didn't watch, then that's entirely not your fault. After a strong pilot, Channel 4 took the first series of Matt Berry and Arthur Matthews' comedy about failing actor Steven Toast (Berry) and buried it in the late hour soil of Sunday nights, in a time slot so obscure you'd need a TV guide, compass, shovel, and remote to find it.
Fortunately the Rose D'Or committee still managed to unearth it on 4Od - no doubt...
- 11/5/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Fiona Hanson/Pa Archive/Press Association Images
Great football teams would be nothing without partnerships: Nottingham Forest and Derby had Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, England had Shearer and Sheringham and Manchester United had Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke. These are the pairings on which success was built, and it seems that working within football – with its brotherly bonds and comradeship in battle – is the perfect environment to encourage even closer relationships than working ones.
Sometimes players click together on the pitch in a way that makes them two perfect halves of one identity – like England’s Sas – and others the pair get closer still, their friendships emerging beyond the limits of shared dressing rooms and celebratory high fives.
More often than not, these bromances are a thing of beauty, and in most cases they are hugely successful on the pitch, which is why commentators and fans fall over themselves...
Great football teams would be nothing without partnerships: Nottingham Forest and Derby had Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, England had Shearer and Sheringham and Manchester United had Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke. These are the pairings on which success was built, and it seems that working within football – with its brotherly bonds and comradeship in battle – is the perfect environment to encourage even closer relationships than working ones.
Sometimes players click together on the pitch in a way that makes them two perfect halves of one identity – like England’s Sas – and others the pair get closer still, their friendships emerging beyond the limits of shared dressing rooms and celebratory high fives.
More often than not, these bromances are a thing of beauty, and in most cases they are hugely successful on the pitch, which is why commentators and fans fall over themselves...
- 10/5/2014
- by Simon Gallagher
- Obsessed with Film
Escape to Victory didn't set the world alight on its initial release in 1981, but as the decades have ticked on the film has firmly cemented itself as a cult favourite among fans of film and football.
Now, this potent mix of The Great Escape and underdog sports tale is in line for a remake with Edge of Tomorrow's Doug Liman at the helm. Liman will surely play it straight in the redo, but the original film featured a glorious mix of big movie stars of the day (Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine), ageing football icons who'd taken a paycheque in the Us (Pelé) and Ipswich Town players (hey, they were big in the '80s!).
With that in mind, Digital Spy has picked a brand new Victory 2014 starting XI ready for 90 minutes of life-or-death football. Fyi, we're playing 4-4-2 - the Nazis might overrun us in midfield but we're old school!
Now, this potent mix of The Great Escape and underdog sports tale is in line for a remake with Edge of Tomorrow's Doug Liman at the helm. Liman will surely play it straight in the redo, but the original film featured a glorious mix of big movie stars of the day (Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine), ageing football icons who'd taken a paycheque in the Us (Pelé) and Ipswich Town players (hey, they were big in the '80s!).
With that in mind, Digital Spy has picked a brand new Victory 2014 starting XI ready for 90 minutes of life-or-death football. Fyi, we're playing 4-4-2 - the Nazis might overrun us in midfield but we're old school!
- 6/27/2014
- Digital Spy
Film Four Productions
Whether you’re destined to be widowed by the beautiful game, sickened by your team’s performance (or that they didn’t even qualify) or just can’t stand another minute of hearing about the World Cup, at some point during the next few weeks, you’re likely to need some distraction from the football. With that in mind, and to celebrate the importance of British cinema (as well as the kingdom’s flagship status in the footballing world) we’re looking at 66 of the very best British films that will give you a good reason to resist putting your foot through the telly after the match.
There’s no guarantee that they’ll cheer you up but they will certainly take your mind off it.
There are a few rules for this list: for the sake of repetition no Bond, no Harry Potter (though there are...
Whether you’re destined to be widowed by the beautiful game, sickened by your team’s performance (or that they didn’t even qualify) or just can’t stand another minute of hearing about the World Cup, at some point during the next few weeks, you’re likely to need some distraction from the football. With that in mind, and to celebrate the importance of British cinema (as well as the kingdom’s flagship status in the footballing world) we’re looking at 66 of the very best British films that will give you a good reason to resist putting your foot through the telly after the match.
There’s no guarantee that they’ll cheer you up but they will certainly take your mind off it.
There are a few rules for this list: for the sake of repetition no Bond, no Harry Potter (though there are...
- 6/10/2014
- by Chris O'Malley
- Obsessed with Film
Simon Cooper/Empics Sport
Sheffield United manager Brian Clough was outraged as referee Andre Marriner denied his side what looked like a clear penalty. Chris Porter gave the home side the lead before Michael Doyle was dismissed early in the second-half.
The spot-kick could have awarded the Blades a two-goal lead but instead Rodallega pulled Fulham level three minutes later. Clough said:
“I asked Ryan Flynn if there was contact for his penalty appeal and he said there was. Andre is one of the nicest guys you’ll meet but some of his decisions today frustrated us.”
The Blades manager took his League One side into half-time with a one-goal lead but saw his team reduced to ten-men in the second period, another decision that he believes changed the course of the game. He said:
“I think it did. Even with ten men we were a threat but we had to defend a bit more.
Sheffield United manager Brian Clough was outraged as referee Andre Marriner denied his side what looked like a clear penalty. Chris Porter gave the home side the lead before Michael Doyle was dismissed early in the second-half.
The spot-kick could have awarded the Blades a two-goal lead but instead Rodallega pulled Fulham level three minutes later. Clough said:
“I asked Ryan Flynn if there was contact for his penalty appeal and he said there was. Andre is one of the nicest guys you’ll meet but some of his decisions today frustrated us.”
The Blades manager took his League One side into half-time with a one-goal lead but saw his team reduced to ten-men in the second period, another decision that he believes changed the course of the game. He said:
“I think it did. Even with ten men we were a threat but we had to defend a bit more.
- 1/26/2014
- by Josh Challies
- Obsessed with Film
Nigel French/Empics Sport
Sheffield United put Fulham to the sword this afternoon and will be disappointed to have not emerged victorious.
Chris Porter gave the Blades the lead after 30 minutes but at the beginning of the second period the Blades were reduced to 10 men as Michael Doyle lashed out. With eight minutes to go Rodallega sent the game to a replay with a clean strike.
Hugo Rodallega had an early chance to give the visitors the lead but he headed Giorgos Karagounis’ header just over the Sheffield United crossbar.
Fulham were forced into an early change as John Arne Riise makes way to be replaced by Plumain, Damien Duff moves to left-back.
As the rain picked up Jose Baxter had a good opportunity to give the Blades the lead from a free-kick in a central area but his strike caused no real danger and went the wrong side of the post.
Sheffield United put Fulham to the sword this afternoon and will be disappointed to have not emerged victorious.
Chris Porter gave the Blades the lead after 30 minutes but at the beginning of the second period the Blades were reduced to 10 men as Michael Doyle lashed out. With eight minutes to go Rodallega sent the game to a replay with a clean strike.
Hugo Rodallega had an early chance to give the visitors the lead but he headed Giorgos Karagounis’ header just over the Sheffield United crossbar.
Fulham were forced into an early change as John Arne Riise makes way to be replaced by Plumain, Damien Duff moves to left-back.
As the rain picked up Jose Baxter had a good opportunity to give the Blades the lead from a free-kick in a central area but his strike caused no real danger and went the wrong side of the post.
- 1/26/2014
- by Josh Challies
- Obsessed with Film
Simon Cooper/Empics Sport
Date: Sunday, January 26 Venue: Bramall Lane Kick-Off: 13:00
Update: Line-ups have been announced as follows…
Sheffield United
25 Long
04 Brayford
06 Hill
17 Coady
05 Maguire
15 Collins
07 Flynn
08 Doyle
09 Porter
11 Baxter
23 Murphy
Substitutes
01 Howard
03 Harris
12 Miller
14 McGinn
21 Scougall
32 Kennedy
36 De Girolamo
Fulham
13 Stockdale
46 Passley
03 Riise
14 Karagounis
18 Hughes
04 Senderos
16 Duff
30 David
20 Rodallega
43 Tankovic
08 Kasami
Substitutes
01 Stekelenburg
11 Kacaniklic
19 Taarabt
34 Plumain
37 Christensen
39 Bent
49 Pritchard
Team News
Sheffield United are facing a triple loss as Billy Paynter, Elliott Whitehouse and Callum McFadzean are all ineligible.
There’s a place available up front alongside Jose Baxter, as Chris Porter and Shaun Miller battle for a place in the starting eleven.
Fulham are expected to make changes and could give a run-out to the likes of Elsad Zverotic, Lasse Vigen Christensen and Aaron Hughes.
They only have one injury doubt, with defender Fernando Amorebieta expected to miss-out with a knee problem.
Key Stats
Four times Fa...
Date: Sunday, January 26 Venue: Bramall Lane Kick-Off: 13:00
Update: Line-ups have been announced as follows…
Sheffield United
25 Long
04 Brayford
06 Hill
17 Coady
05 Maguire
15 Collins
07 Flynn
08 Doyle
09 Porter
11 Baxter
23 Murphy
Substitutes
01 Howard
03 Harris
12 Miller
14 McGinn
21 Scougall
32 Kennedy
36 De Girolamo
Fulham
13 Stockdale
46 Passley
03 Riise
14 Karagounis
18 Hughes
04 Senderos
16 Duff
30 David
20 Rodallega
43 Tankovic
08 Kasami
Substitutes
01 Stekelenburg
11 Kacaniklic
19 Taarabt
34 Plumain
37 Christensen
39 Bent
49 Pritchard
Team News
Sheffield United are facing a triple loss as Billy Paynter, Elliott Whitehouse and Callum McFadzean are all ineligible.
There’s a place available up front alongside Jose Baxter, as Chris Porter and Shaun Miller battle for a place in the starting eleven.
Fulham are expected to make changes and could give a run-out to the likes of Elsad Zverotic, Lasse Vigen Christensen and Aaron Hughes.
They only have one injury doubt, with defender Fernando Amorebieta expected to miss-out with a knee problem.
Key Stats
Four times Fa...
- 1/26/2014
- by Josh Challies
- Obsessed with Film
Films such as Lincoln revitalised the genre by focusing on short periods, but are too many made, too soon?
For a genre that's been dismissed so many times, the biopic is in impertinently rude health. In the past six months in the UK – and only counting the ones about major public figures – we've had Behind the Candelabra, Renoir, Lovelace, Rush, Diana, Hannah Arendt, The Fifth Estate, One Chance, Saving Mr Banks, Kill Your Darlings, and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. The next few weeks alone will grant us audiences with Solomon Northup (12 Years a Slave), Charles Dickens (The Invisible Woman) and Grace of Monaco.
Somewhere down the line, though, the biopic tightened up its act. The Mandela picture's cradle-to-the-grave trudge looks positively old-fashioned now; even 12 Years a Slave is a bit copperplate. The new-school, high-definition biopic goes for the essence, rather than a chronicle of events, focusing on a galvanising...
For a genre that's been dismissed so many times, the biopic is in impertinently rude health. In the past six months in the UK – and only counting the ones about major public figures – we've had Behind the Candelabra, Renoir, Lovelace, Rush, Diana, Hannah Arendt, The Fifth Estate, One Chance, Saving Mr Banks, Kill Your Darlings, and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. The next few weeks alone will grant us audiences with Solomon Northup (12 Years a Slave), Charles Dickens (The Invisible Woman) and Grace of Monaco.
Somewhere down the line, though, the biopic tightened up its act. The Mandela picture's cradle-to-the-grave trudge looks positively old-fashioned now; even 12 Years a Slave is a bit copperplate. The new-school, high-definition biopic goes for the essence, rather than a chronicle of events, focusing on a galvanising...
- 1/9/2014
- by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
Now that Oscar-winning film-makers are making high quality sports movies, what other tales should be told on screen?
When Peter Morgan wrote Rush he didn't include any motor racing in the screenplay as he assumed that, even if the film was ever made, it would not be backed with a budget large enough to afford F1 cars. Morgan should have shown a little more faith in his creation.
Rush took over £2m on its opening weekend, climbed to the top of the UK box office charts on its second week in cinemas, and audiences have scored it 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and 8.3 on IMDb. Even Niki Lauda approved. "When I saw it the first time, I was impressed," said the driver whose rivalry with James Hunt is captured onscreen. "It was very accurate. There were no Hollywood changes. I wish James had been here to see the movie. It would have been the best.
When Peter Morgan wrote Rush he didn't include any motor racing in the screenplay as he assumed that, even if the film was ever made, it would not be backed with a budget large enough to afford F1 cars. Morgan should have shown a little more faith in his creation.
Rush took over £2m on its opening weekend, climbed to the top of the UK box office charts on its second week in cinemas, and audiences have scored it 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and 8.3 on IMDb. Even Niki Lauda approved. "When I saw it the first time, I was impressed," said the driver whose rivalry with James Hunt is captured onscreen. "It was very accurate. There were no Hollywood changes. I wish James had been here to see the movie. It would have been the best.
- 10/17/2013
- by Paul Campbell
- The Guardian - Film News
Featuring Lawrie Sanchez's green and white army, Nate Jackson on drugs, Rush, Wayne Rooney philosophising, Spain v Brazil, Nigel Clough and a former basketballer's love for his wife
Thanks for all your comments and suggestions on our last blog.
The article of the week
1) Lawrie Sanchez: Northern Ireland's unlikely saviour
The rise and fall of Lawrie Sanchez and the men from Northern Ireland is one of those beautifully understated underdog stories. To the outsiders, Northern Ireland remained the same under Sanchez; they were still a lowly international team that couldn't qualify for a major championship. But, to the insiders, these were heady days indeed.
Ask any Northern Ireland fan for memories of the past decade and three moments will stand out: England, Spain and Sweden. Qualifying for Euro 2008 would have been incredible, but these nights will be savoured for generations.
To support Northern Ireland is to expect nothing...
Thanks for all your comments and suggestions on our last blog.
The article of the week
1) Lawrie Sanchez: Northern Ireland's unlikely saviour
The rise and fall of Lawrie Sanchez and the men from Northern Ireland is one of those beautifully understated underdog stories. To the outsiders, Northern Ireland remained the same under Sanchez; they were still a lowly international team that couldn't qualify for a major championship. But, to the insiders, these were heady days indeed.
Ask any Northern Ireland fan for memories of the past decade and three moments will stand out: England, Spain and Sweden. Qualifying for Euro 2008 would have been incredible, but these nights will be savoured for generations.
To support Northern Ireland is to expect nothing...
- 10/4/2013
- by Paul Campbell
- The Guardian - Film News
From Formula One to football and boxing to baseball, here are the big screen's finest sport sagas
Rush
Don't get excited, Liverpool fans: director Ron Howard's latest film isn't about the Reds' all-time leading scorer Ian Rush and his rubbish 'tache. Instead, it tells the extraordinary story of the 1976 Formula One season, dominated by the battle between dashing British playboy driver James Hunt (played by Chris "Thor" Hemsworth) and austere Austrian Niki Lauda (Daniel "Good Bye, Lenin!" Brühl). After a near-fatal crash at the Nürburgring, Lauda returned just six weeks later, his horrific scalp burns still bandaged and bleeding, to defend his world title. It's scripted by Peter Morgan, who's made a career out of dramatising real events in the likes of The Queen and Frost/Nixon.
The Damned United
"I wouldn't say I was the best manager in the country. But I'm in the top one." Director Tom Hooper...
Rush
Don't get excited, Liverpool fans: director Ron Howard's latest film isn't about the Reds' all-time leading scorer Ian Rush and his rubbish 'tache. Instead, it tells the extraordinary story of the 1976 Formula One season, dominated by the battle between dashing British playboy driver James Hunt (played by Chris "Thor" Hemsworth) and austere Austrian Niki Lauda (Daniel "Good Bye, Lenin!" Brühl). After a near-fatal crash at the Nürburgring, Lauda returned just six weeks later, his horrific scalp burns still bandaged and bleeding, to defend his world title. It's scripted by Peter Morgan, who's made a career out of dramatising real events in the likes of The Queen and Frost/Nixon.
The Damned United
"I wouldn't say I was the best manager in the country. But I'm in the top one." Director Tom Hooper...
- 9/7/2013
- by Michael Hogan
- The Guardian - Film News
With Ron Howard's true-life drama Rush hitting the big screen this month, all eyes are on Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl to see how they bring legendary Formula 1 rivals James Hunt and Niki Lauda to life.
In fact, Rush screenwriter Peter Morgan is a dab hand when it comes to conjuring up memorable movie mano-a-manos - Frost/Nixon had David Frost and Richard Nixon, The Damned United Brian Clough and Don Revie, and The Deal Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
There are, of course, a host of other iconic screen rivalries, because what would movies be without dramatic conflict? A recent LoveFilm poll even pegged Star Wars's battling father-son pair Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker as the greatest rivals.
Digital Spy picks out 20 of the greatest big screen rivalries - from Lauda and Hunt to Batman and The Joker - in the gallery above.
Rush opens in UK...
In fact, Rush screenwriter Peter Morgan is a dab hand when it comes to conjuring up memorable movie mano-a-manos - Frost/Nixon had David Frost and Richard Nixon, The Damned United Brian Clough and Don Revie, and The Deal Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
There are, of course, a host of other iconic screen rivalries, because what would movies be without dramatic conflict? A recent LoveFilm poll even pegged Star Wars's battling father-son pair Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker as the greatest rivals.
Digital Spy picks out 20 of the greatest big screen rivalries - from Lauda and Hunt to Batman and The Joker - in the gallery above.
Rush opens in UK...
- 9/7/2013
- Digital Spy
Novelist David Peace shows different dimensions to the Liverpool managerial great amid some artistic licence
Yes, but is it true? That is the second question to be heard in discussions about Red or Dead, David Peace's new book on Bill Shankly. The first is about whether it is worth anyone's time ploughing through 700 pages and a quarter of a million words featuring a prodigious amount of repetition and a very limited vocabulary.
A great sports book is often said to "transcend its genre". With Red or Dead, the reverse is true. Peace's novel – for that is what he calls it – is a sports book that drills deeper into the quotidian realities of its chosen sport than any non-fiction author would dare to do.
Some suggest that the book's Proustian proportions would have been significantly reduced, and the reader saved a great deal of time, had its author not felt...
Yes, but is it true? That is the second question to be heard in discussions about Red or Dead, David Peace's new book on Bill Shankly. The first is about whether it is worth anyone's time ploughing through 700 pages and a quarter of a million words featuring a prodigious amount of repetition and a very limited vocabulary.
A great sports book is often said to "transcend its genre". With Red or Dead, the reverse is true. Peace's novel – for that is what he calls it – is a sports book that drills deeper into the quotidian realities of its chosen sport than any non-fiction author would dare to do.
Some suggest that the book's Proustian proportions would have been significantly reduced, and the reader saved a great deal of time, had its author not felt...
- 8/23/2013
- by Richard Williams
- The Guardian - Film News
“I’m going to give you some good advice, Brian Clough. No matter how good you think you are or how clever, no matter how many fancy new friends you make on the telly, the reality of footballing life is this: the chairman is the boss, then comes the directors, then the secretary, then the fans, then the players, and then finally, last of all, bottom of the heap, lowest of the low, come the one we can all do without – the f**king manager!”
So said Derby chairman Sam Longson in The Damned United. And really, that’s it in a nutshell. Even forty years on from Longson’s time, managers are still disposable, subject to abuse from the stands, the board and the dressing room and sacrificed for quick fixes. Nowhere is this more apparent than the moneyed playground of the Premier League, where managers drop like flies...
So said Derby chairman Sam Longson in The Damned United. And really, that’s it in a nutshell. Even forty years on from Longson’s time, managers are still disposable, subject to abuse from the stands, the board and the dressing room and sacrificed for quick fixes. Nowhere is this more apparent than the moneyed playground of the Premier League, where managers drop like flies...
- 6/17/2013
- by Edward Owen
- Obsessed with Film
After 27 years at the helm, Sir Alex Ferguson today shocked the world of sport by announcing his retirement. As the plaudits pour in for this living legend it makes United’s latest title triumph all the more poignant.
Manchester United will be presented with the league trophy for the 20th time, on 12th May, and incredibly, as we look back on Fergie’s career, it will be his 13th Premier League title triumph. In total he has won 38 trophies with United (including the Charity/Community Shield) and overseen the creation of some memorable sides.
He has seen off all challengers, shown durability and has mastered the skill of being adaptable, whilst retaining elements of an old fashioned managerial approach. The man is the embodiment of the term “living legend.” When you think of the players and managers that were around when he took over at United (Norman Whiteside, Brian Clough...
Manchester United will be presented with the league trophy for the 20th time, on 12th May, and incredibly, as we look back on Fergie’s career, it will be his 13th Premier League title triumph. In total he has won 38 trophies with United (including the Charity/Community Shield) and overseen the creation of some memorable sides.
He has seen off all challengers, shown durability and has mastered the skill of being adaptable, whilst retaining elements of an old fashioned managerial approach. The man is the embodiment of the term “living legend.” When you think of the players and managers that were around when he took over at United (Norman Whiteside, Brian Clough...
- 5/9/2013
- by John de Gruyther
- Obsessed with Film
Sony Pictures has picked up the rights to The Damned United, a biopic of British football manager Brian Clough, Variety reports.
Based on David Peace's book, the film is set in 1974 during Clough's disastrous 44-day spell in charge of Leeds United. The story will flash back to his more successful managerial reign at Derby County. One critic described Peace's book as "probably . . .
Based on David Peace's book, the film is set in 1974 during Clough's disastrous 44-day spell in charge of Leeds United. The story will flash back to his more successful managerial reign at Derby County. One critic described Peace's book as "probably . . .
- 4/24/2008
- by Simon_Reynolds_imdb_@digitalspy.co.uk (Simon Reynolds)
- Digital Spy
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