July 2007

The Simpsons Movie is finally released this week after years in various stages of development.

After 18 years and 400 episodes the TV show has become an indelible part of modern pop culture with phrases entering the language and all manner of celebrities lining up for cameos in the show. But what can we expect from the full length film?

Up to now the plot has been shrouded in secrecy and expectations are running high. I recently spoke to two of the key men behind it to discuss the challenges of bringing Springfield to the big screen.

Matt Groening is the creator of The Simpsons and the man who started it all when producer James L Brooks asked him to come up with an animated sketch on The Tracy Ullman Show in the spring of 1987.

It soon became a success and the fledgling Fox network under the guide of Barry Diller decided to launch it as a half hour show. The result was one of the most successful TV shows of all time that continues to be shown all around the world.

I spoke with Matt about how long the idea of a Simpsons movie has been around, how they made it in conjunction with the TV show, what fans can expect from the film and why he thinks the show has endured all these years.

Al Jean is the executive producer of the movie and has worked on the show as a writer and producer. Armed with an encyclopedic knowledge of each season, he has been a key player in bringing the movie to the screen.

He was the show runner in seasons 3 and 4, which meant he was responsible for the day-to-day operation of the series and in recent seasons has returned to that role. Fans may be familiar with his voice as he regularly contributes to the audio commentaries on the DVD releases.

We talked about the challenges in bringing a TV show to the big screen, why it took so long for the movie to finally get made, the business of editing the best jokes, how he got involved in the early days and how long the show can go on for.

Listen to the interview podcast with Matt and Al by clicking here:

You can also download it via iTunes by clicking the image below:

The Simpsons Movie is out this Thursday

> Download the interview as an MP3 file
> Official site for The Simpsons Movie
> Get local showtimes for the film via Google Movies
> The extensive Wikipedia entry for The Simpsons
> In depth Vanity Fair article on the history of the show
> The Simpsons Archive - an excellent resource on the show
> Photos of the recent 7/Eleven Kwik-E-Mart promotion
> Anne Thompson of Variety reports on the recent ‘footage screening’ in London and the fact that Springfield in Vermont has won the race to hold the July 26 premiere in the US
> The latest buzz on The Simpsons Movie at Technorati

This montage of ‘the worst movie scenes ever’ is a hoot.

[Link via Reeling]

Hairspray began life as a film in 1988 and became a cult hit. Written and directed by d the story of a ‘pleasantly plump’ teenager named Tracy Turnblad (Ricki Lake) who dreams of appearing on a local TV show where every one dances.

It was adapted for the stage in 2002, becoming a huge success on Broadway, winning several Tony awards.

The new movie version is based on the Broadway show and stars a raft of new and established stars including Nikki Blonsky, John Travolta, Christopher Walken, Michelle Pfeiffer, Amanda Bynes, James Marsden, Queen Latifah, Zac Efron, Elijah Kelley and Allison Janney.

I recently spoke to four of the actors in the film and discussed their roles and other aspects of the 2007 Hairspray.

Nikki Blonsky plays Tracy Turnblad, the Baltimore teenager at the heart of the story.

Her dream is to appear on The Corny Collins Show (based on Baltimore’s real Buddy Deane Show), the hippest dance party on TV.

I spoke with Nikki about how she got the part and the different aspects of the story that have made it so popular.

Amanda Bynes plays Penny Pingleton, Tracy’s best friend who is also obsessed with the dance show they both love.

Elijah Kelley plays Seaweed J. Stubbs, the man Penny falls for and they form a couple whose relationship defies the racial barriers and segregation of early 60s America.

I spoke with Amanda and Elijah about their roles, the deeper themes of the story and what Christopher Walken would say to them as he got on set each day.

Zac Efron plays Link Larkin - the cool kid on the Corny Collins Show.

Zach came to prominence as Troy Bolton in Disney Channel’s original movie High School Musical, which became a ratings phenomenon and also launched the double platinum original soundtrack.

We spoke about his new role and the way musicals work on film.

Listen to the interviews here:

To subscribe to the Interview Podcast via iTunes just click the image below:

Hairspray is out at UK and US cinemas from today

> Get local showtimes for the film via Google Movies
> Download the interview podcast as an MP3 file
> Find out more about Hairspray at the IMDb
> Official site for the Hairspray movie

Imagine it is 1994 and someone has told you about a thing called The Internet.

Now check out this advert for DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation):

[Link via Fimoculous]

Last year I spoke to Rupert Grint whilst he was filming Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

We had a chat about his role as Ron Weasley in the movies, getting cast and how being in the hugely successful film series has changed his life.

Listen to it here:

> Find out more about the character of Ron Weasley at Wikipedia
> Rupert Grint at the IMDb
> Get local showtimes for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix via Google
> Mugglenet - Extensive Harry Potter fansite

A very good trailer mashup of Blood Diamond and Labyrinth - two films that star Jennifer Connelly.

This week Star Wars fans will be heading to the ExCel Exhibition Centre in London for Celebration Europe.

It only the fifth official convention of this type and the first to be held outside of Europe.

This week I spoke to Jeremy Bulloch (who played Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi) and Steve Sansweet, head of content and fan relations at Lucasfilm.

We discussed what’s going on at Celebration Europe this weekend and the enduring appeal of the Star Wars films.

Listen to the interview here:

To subscribe to the Interview Podcast via iTunes just click the image below:

> Download the interview as an MP3 file here
> For more details just go to the official website at celebrationeurope.com
> Buy tickets here
> Get directions to EcXel via Google Maps
> Find out more about Star Wars at Wikipedia