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Donald Clarke

Whingeing about cinema and real life since 2009

Monthly Archives: April 2010

You, sir, are no The Ascent of Man!

Did you watch The Story of Science the other night on BBC2? It was all right. Michael Mosley is an engaging enough host and the programme brought us to some pretty locations. But, like too many documentaries these days, it …

Can a Norse deity be black?

I don’t see why not. But a number of comic fans are not so sure.The question is prompted by Kenneth Branagh’s decision to cast Idris Elba, English star of The Wire, as the mythical Heimdall in his upcoming adaptation of Marvel’s …

Farewell to the inventor of the PC.

  Ed Roberts, one of many people who could reasonably claim to have invented the PC, died at the start of the month, but news has only just reached Screenwriter Towers. Thirty-five years ago he marketed a kit for a …

Sex and the City 2 won’t go away.

The time has come when, much as we might wish things otherwise, we are forced to consider the looming sequel to that frightful Sex and the City movie. I must guiltily admit that, two years ago, when I reviewed the …

Young Mr Grace writes…

I know I am a bit late on this — 50 years too late, you might argue — but what’s with the sudden ubiquity of Grace Kelly? The late Princess is, once again, everywhere about the place. She stares out …

Lost in the Ash

Apologies for the lack of smart-Alec comments recently, but Screenwriter is currently stranded in London following the advance of — you won’t have heard of this — a cloud of annoying volcanic ash. As things stand, it’s looking as if I may …

Are Americans stupider than Europeans?

Of course not. Anybody who says such a thing should be deported to a re-education camp where, each day, they are forced to listen to German pop music, participate in English folk dancing and watch Northern Irish sitcoms. I do …

My name is Michael Tory.

The British Conservative Party has, generally, had some trouble extracting endorsements from respectable celebrities. In the past, they had to rely on the likes of Lulu, Cilla Black and Ken Dodd to wave the blue flag at grisly election rallies. …

Malcolm McLaren and Princess Pegleg.

It was sad to hear of Malcolm McLaren’s passing. As manager of, first, The New York Dolls and, later, creator of the monster that was The Sex Pistols, he proved himself to be a great English impresario in the mode …

Is there a way back for Russell Crowe?

News that Robin Hood – much delayed, because the production has been so untroubled — is to open the Cannes Film Festival prompts ponderings as to the current status of Russell Crowe. Has any actor done such a good job …

Where are all the Easter films?

A few years back, there was a brilliant story in the papers describing how Somerfield, the British supermarket chain, had expressed weary surprise at how few children understood the true meaning of Easter. The press release went on — oddly …

It’s up to you to defeat 3D.

This Friday, the great 3-D conflict continues when two new films are released in that format. Both Clash of the Titans and How to Train your Dragon will be roaring their way through the multiplexes as the Easter holidays begin. …