gods and monsters is a 1998 british-american period drama film that recounts the last days of the life of troubled film director james whale , whose experience of war in world war i is a central theme .

it stars ian mckellen as whale , along with brendan fraser , lynn redgrave , lolita davidovich and david dukes .

the film was directed and written by bill condon , based on christopher bram 's novel father of frankenstein .

gods and monsters won the academy award for best adapted screenplay , and was nominated for best actor in a leading role ( ian mckellen ) and best actress in a supporting role ( lynn redgrave ) .

the film features reconstructions of the filming of bride of frankenstein , a movie whale directed .

the title comes from a line in bride of frankenstein , in which the character dr. pretorius toasts dr. frankenstein , " to a new world of gods and monsters ! " the story has also been adapted as a play of the same name which premiered in london at the southwark playhouse in february 2015 .

gods and monsters ( film )

the world of gods and monsters : a journey with james whale - monstershow . net
‘the mummy’ synopsis unearthed ! find out more of the upcoming universal monsters universe film below .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing gods and monsters near you .
' ' gods and monsters ' ' will be shown tonight at 6 and tomorrow at 1 : 30 p . m . as part of the new york film festival .
i unexpectedly spotted this gods and monsters dvd less than a week ago at a family dollar store near my apartment .
gods and monsters : a novel - kindle edition by christopher bram . literature & fiction kindle ebooks @ amazon . com .
the film clearly belongs to mckellen , whose presence is what makes the film as affecting at it is .
gods and monsters won an academy award for best adapted screenplay in last sunday ' s oscars . the film ' s stars sir ian mckellen and lynn redgrave were also nominated but lost out to others .
his portrayal of james whale in bill condon ' s film gods and monsters received honours from around the world , including nominations for the academy award ( oscar ) , screen actors guild award , the golden satellite , and the golden globe . in 1999 he was named
best actor
by the national board of review , los angeles film critics association , chicago film critics association , toronto film critics , broadcast film critics association , the independent spirit awards , the online film critics society , the british independent film awards , and many others .
gods & monsters
( also registered as
gods
) is a song written by lana del rey and tim larcombe , and produced by larcombe and emile haynie in 2012 from del rey ' s third ep , and second major - label release , paradise .
written , co - produced and co - directed by david j . skal , the world of gods and monsters is a behind - the scenes chronicle of the making of the 1998 academy award - winning film gods and monsters starring ian mckellen , brendan fraser and lynn redgrave . narrated by author /  filmmaker clive barker , the documentary interweaves the life and career of james whale , director of the original frankenstein , with the making of the acclaimed biopic . interviewees include writer / director bill condon ( oscar winner for best adapted screenplay ) , ian mckellen , brendan fraser , lynn redgrave , and christopher bram , author of the novel father of frankenstein , on which the film was based . the worlds of gods and monsters is included in the universal studios home video dvd of gods and monsters .
del rey ' s short film , tropico ( released december 6 , 2013 ) , contains a visual for
gods & monsters
, as part of tropico ' s second chapter titled gods & monsters . it shows del rey working as a stripper and actor shaun ross as a gang member who works as a clerk at a convenience store during the day .
the jon spaihts scripted film does sound very intriguing as it deals with not only material that brings to mind the original 1932 classic , but also has a bit of a lovecraftian twist . the official plot synopsis offers fans a film that promises to “usher in a new world of gods and monsters . ” for those that may not know , “gods and monsters” is a nod to james whale , the visionary filmmaker that gave us the universal classics frankenstein and bride of frankenstein .
gods and monsters is a spellbinding , confusing piece of semi - fiction , featuring fine performances ; mckellen leads the way , but redgrave and fraser don ' t lag far behind .
in short , it ' s a moment , and a film , about compassion .
loved seeing this underrated film , good quality and arrived early , would use again .
when life departs ( karsten kiilerich and sefan fjeldmark , producers ; a . film production )
gods and monsters
is not a deep or powerful film , but it is a good - hearted one , in which we sense the depth of early loss that helped to shape whale ' s protective style , and the california openness that allows clayton boone to care for a man he has nothing in common with . the film includes a clip from
the bride of frankenstein
of a toast to
gods and monsters .
by creating a wife for frankenstein ' s monster out of base materials , dr . praetorious of course was the god . now james whale finds he no longer has the strength or the impulse to create a lover for himself . at the end there are neither gods nor monsters , only memories .
from the sweeping sands of the middle east through hidden labyrinths under modern - day london , the mummy brings a surprising intensity and balance of wonder and thrills in an imaginative new take that ushers in a new world of gods and monsters .
the film received its all - star uk premiere in london on thursday night . the bbc ' s lawrence white got a sneak preview of the film first .
this book , the basis for the film
gods and monsters ,
was a delightful read . i found it engaging with good character development that was complex but not overly so . i saw the movie before i read the book and was impressed at how true the former was to the latter .
back in 1957 , the british film director james whale wrote a suicide note and was subsequently found dead in his hollywood swimming pool . it ' s almost a pity that gods and monsters didn ' t start with the body in the pool , narrating its own demise . it worked in sunset boulevard , and gods and monsters is almost a remake of billy wilder ' s classic - except that here the retired director gets to be the star , the gloria swanson figure holding forth about how it was the movies that got smaller .
from the sweeping sands of the middle east through hidden labyrinths under modern - day london , the mummy brings a surprising intensity and balance of wonder and thrills in an imaginative new take that ushers in a new world of gods and monsters . ”
gods and monsters keeps us interested in the life of james whale for its full 105 - minute running time . most of us know his monsters - the stiff karloff creature ( whose appearance was suggested by whale ) , the bizarrely beautiful bride of frankenstein , and claude rains ' invisible man - but we know little of the individual who gave them life , and faced his own private demons on a daily basis . condon ' s film helps to remedy that . gods and monsters is a rich , multi - layered portrait of a director from hollywood ' s golden age whose own life was as interesting as any of his movies .
in 2009 he was given lifetime achievement awards at san sebastian film festival and the evening standard awards .
gods and monsters ( a . k . a . father of frankenstein ) is a great novel on lots of different levels . it explores the gay world of hollywood in the 1950s , the impossibility of . . .
the 1980 ' s film
mazes and monsters
is often cited along other materials as evidence of the dangers of pen - and - paper role - playing games ; the film is a thinly - veiled fictionalized adaptation of the death and investigation of james dallas egbert iii . it encouraged the panic against a growing gaming subculture .
universal monsters are coming back with a vengeance in the dark universe , and we have the dates to howl about .
winner - fipresci award the flanders international film festival
for the film ' s multi - layered , masterly portrait of james ' frankenstein ' whale and the hollywood myth , against the background of human relations and history .
nohe is a film distributor and entrepreneur with more than 20 years of executive and management experience in the film industry . most recently , he was a partner in circus road films , where he helped more than 100 films find distribution . nohe has broad - based relationships with talent agencies , managers , publicity firms , festival programming , post - production , marketing , and theatrical distribution . nohe has worked with filmmakers including christopher nolan on “following” and bill condon on “gods & monsters . ”
while the primary focus of gods and monsters is the central relationship , the movie also has a great deal to say about the process of film making . we see a flashback to the creation of a classic scene from the bride of frankenstein ( with actress rosalind ayres bearing a striking resemblance to elsa lanchaster ) , experience a lavish hollywood party given by george cukor ( the director of the philadelphia story and a star is born ) , and listen with rapt attention as whale tells stories of his triumphs and tragedies behind the camera . the
gods and monsters
of the title can have many meanings within the context of this story , but the most apparent is the one relating to the film maker and his creations . throughout this movie , we wonder whether whale is shaping clay into his final monster .
in demi - gods we trust . good movie ! percy jackson : sea of monsters only settles for being an
okay
movie . there are constant deviations from the novel , only decent scripting , acting , visual effects , good music , and mixed acting . however , it is not a waste , especially for fans of percy jackson . now that many characters and plot points have been set into place after being shattered by the first film , the makers of this film have paved a promising path for another film that may be even better than the first two . in this retelling of rick riordans book ,
the sea of monsters
, percy jackson , accompanied by his friends annabeth chase , clarisse la rue and tyson , his half brother , goes on a journey to the sea of monsters to retrieve the golden fleece and save camp half - blood .
in 2014 , american actress jessica lange covered
gods & monsters
for the american horror story : freak show episode
edward mordrake ( part 1 )
. the cover was released as a single on october 22 , 2014 . [ 5 ]
watchable dvd poor film , only worth watching if there is nothing else to watch . . . . .
hollywood history comes to life in this tale of the last days of frankenstein director james whale , played by sir ian mckellen . long forgotten by the studios , whale has retired to pursue painting and a life of leisure . gods and monsters explores his final fascination with a handsome gardener , clayton boone .
bram grew up in kempsville , virginia . after graduating from the college of william and mary in 1974 ( b . a . in english ) , he moved to new york city four years later . there , he met his lifelong partner , documentary filmmaker draper shreeve . bram ' s novel father of frankenstein , about film director james whale , was made into the movie gods and monsters starring ian mckellen and brendan fraser . bill condo
uncovering the latest on steven moffat and mark gatiss’ “dracula” adaptation . 2018 has been a quiet year for the universal monsters . while the tomb has…
it’s not only black people who’ve been disregarded by the film industry , it used to be women , it’s certainly gay people to this day , ” he said to sky news while promoting bfi presents shakespeare on film .
excellent film really enjoyed it , its best described as a fictional story about the real life last year of hollywood legendary director james whale . partly funded by good old auntie beeb you might also consider getting the film
stan
as it ' s done in a similar vain story about the death of oliver hardy and stan laurels goodbye to his friend and comedy film partner .
redgrave nearly steals the film as whale ' s crabby , central european housekeeper hanna - whose function as comic relief and superficial resemblances to igor , the good doctor ' s sidekick in mel brooks ' film young frankenstein may be more than coincidental .
however , i do think audiences also want to see exciting re - imagined incarnations of the classic monsters . of course , the monsters universe will be competing with the mcu and dceu , but so will every other movie playing at relevant theaters during the theatrical release of the mummy and beyond .
an interview with writer / director boots riley about his incendiary new film ,
sorry to bother you .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
lerman is adroit at looking eager and battle - worthy but not too cocky in a film as much about character development as sword play .
ian mckellen has always been a highly respected british actor balancing shakespeare and marvel comic villain and wise magician with aplomb . nominated for best actor in gods and monsters , he plays james whale , the hollywood director who created the classic frankenstein and bride of frankenstein during the 30s . gods and monsters , set in the 50s , shows whale with symptoms of dementia . he is cared for by hanna , portrayed by lynn redgrave who also received a nomination for best supporting actress . the allegory is simple and effective . whale is dr . frankenstein , the god , who creates his monster , played by brendan frasier , a hunky , dim - witted , homophobic gardener . hanna is his igor .
this wonderful novel has one toe in
hollywood
fiction and one in the annals of
queer
literature : the author is gay as was the real life director james whale . this novel is the basis for the wonderful film gods and monsters that weaves a relationship between the real whale and the fictitious landscaper clay boone . a career that was largely forgotten and the strata of memories of the ailing director near life ' s end are two of the main threads , with the third thread being the backstory and the
universal is serious about this franchise push , going so far as to lay groundwork in the very first trailer . “welcome , ” says russell crowe , “to a new world of gods and monsters . ” but how does the studio plan to adapt eight - year - old properties to compete with iron man and the skywalker family ?
for the majority of percy jackson : sea of monsters , the titular character spends his time moping over the uncertainty of his heroism .
but as should be expected whenever disney ventures into cross - cultural milieus , the film is characterized by the good , the bad and the ugly .
ian mckellen and helen mirren have been cast as the leads in new line’s drama “ the good liar . ” the film will be directed by bill condon , who most recently helmed disney ’s “ beauty and the beast . ” condon will also produce with greg yolen . jack morrissey and bron creative’s aaron l . gilbert and jason cloth are executive producing . “mr . holmes” writer jeffrey hatcher wrote the screenplay for “the good liar , ” based on the novel by nicholas searle . “the good liar” is a reunion for condon and mckellen , who previously collaborated on “ gods and monsters ” and “ mr . holmes . ” condon won an oscar for best adapted screenplay for “ gods and monsters , ” while mckellen was nominated for best actor . mckellen will portray a career con artist who can hardly believe his luck when he meets a well - to - do widow , played by mirren . as she opens her home and life to him , he is
with a cast that also includes lolita davidovich as clayton ' s occasional girlfriend and lynn redgrave , warmly attentive and unrecognizably plain , as whale ' s devoted housekeeper , ' ' gods and monsters ' ' has been capably made in all regards . what especially elevates it is the razor - sharp cleverness of mr . mckellen ' s performance , which brings unusual fullness and feeling to a most unusual man .
blood sweat honey will offer services ranging from producer representation , film festival strategy , script and post - production creative consulting to theatrical release , hybrid distribution , marketing and international consultation .
the ballad of narayama
is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice , telling a story of startling cruelty . what a space it opens…
brendan fraser was all over hollywood in the early 90’s up until the early - aughts , thanks to a successful run of comedies and blockbusters including “ encino man , ” “ airheads , ” “ george of the jungle , ” “ gods and monsters ” ( far and away his best film ) , “ the mummy ” trilogy , “ the quiet american , ” “ crash , ” and “ journey to the center of the earth . ” they’re not all movies i would recommend , but he clearly connected with a wide audience .
in this film ian mckellen plays an outrageous old queen . he plays the part perfectly . this is no surprise to me .
disney folks say they did their homework for this film , creating an allegedly pacific islander advisory board named the oceanic story trust .
that said , and for all the bad and the ugly in this film—enough to provoke a facebook page with thousands of followers—there is still inspiration and entertainment to be found here . setting the cultural cringe factor aside , the film is entertaining and even inspiring . the moana character is strong and her voice ( portrayed by auli‘i cravalho ) is clear and powerful . most exciting of all , for this viewer , is the engagement with navigation and wayfinding .
is there any better subject matter to read during the month of october than classic monsters ? i think not . and there ' s really no better book to read than
father of frankenstein
or as it is now known
gods and monsters
. i have to admit , this is one of the few times where i saw the movie before reading the book . however , unlike the other times , it really didn ' t matter in this instance . both the book and the movie were brilliantly written and executed - and can both stand on their own . but , going
director rob zombie talks about creature from the black lagoon . creature from the black lagoon remains as one of the most cherished of universal monsters movies…
david koepp , who contributed to the script for the mummy and also wrote 2016 ' s inferno , apparently turned in a script for the film in 2016 that was well received by the studio . but much more promising is that bill condon has signed onto the project . condon is most well known these days for blockbusters like 2017 ' s box office - enchanted beauty and the beast and the fourth and fifth twilight pictures . but he won an oscar for his screenplay to gods and monsters , a movie he wrote and directed about james whale . and whale , of course , was an early hollywood auteur that directed and really masterminded the original bride of frankenstein .
ian mckellen’s brilliant performance as 1930s director james whale highlights “gods and monsters . ” historical hollywood fiction drawn from christopher bram’s book “father of frankenstein” doesn’t always convince , particularly in the last lap . but it’s an engrossing , unusual , imaginatively executed bit of psychological gamesmanship nonetheless . director - scenarist bill condon’s first - class production will need good reviews and strong [ … ]
condon ' s film has the flavour of hollywood proust , with faces from the past - a doddering karloff , a matronly elsa lanchester - turning up as weary phantoms of themselves . but you could almost think of gods and monsters as a two - hander with classy support . in this odd - couple story , the parallel with frankenstein and his creation is almost too obvious at first , although in the dream sequences , both men get to play creator and monster . yet the film ' s meat is less in the fantasy than in the simple play - offs , which begin with mckellen gazing at fraser , and pursing his lips quizzically , discreetly drawing a hint of an awestruck breath .
ian mckellen’s brilliant performance as 1930s director james whale highlights “gods and monsters . ” historical hollywood fiction drawn from christopher bram’s book “father of frankenstein” doesn’t always convince , particularly in the last lap . but it’s an engrossing , unusual , imaginatively executed bit of psychological gamesmanship nonetheless . director - scenarist bill condon’s first - class production will need good reviews and strong marketing to cross over beyond gay and arthouse auds .
taking off from mr . whale ' s complex nature and the unknown circumstances of his last days , the film adapts christopher bram ' s hypothetical novel about the filmmaker into an immensely touching character study that is heightened by well - chosen glimpses of hollywood ' s past . written and directed by bill condon , who had his own fling with tongue - in - cheek horror when he made the oddball ' ' strange behavior ' ' and ' ' strange invaders , ' ' ' ' gods and monsters ' ' creates a deeply resonant portrait of mr . whale and the gay hollywood of his era .
the uproar preceded the film by months , sparked by the character design of maui , the demigod , whose huge physical bulk was called out as culturally insensitive , hippolike , obese . those complaints were partly quelled after some earnest explanation by the film’s creative team . still , put it this way : though he’s voiced by dwayne “the rock” johnson and provides the liveliest spark in the film , maui will be nobody’s idea of the sexiest man alive .
universal monsters universe speaks with david plunkert , the artist behind the 200th anniversary edition of mary shelley’s “frankenstein . ” earlier this year , mary shelley’s “frankenstein” celebrated…
excellent ! i had watched the film version years ago and always meant to read the book . the appearance of ian mckellen in another bill condon film this summer , mr . holmes caused me to go back and fullfill that wish . i am so glad i did . i loved this book . christopher bram captures the time period perfectly and the added depth of character in both the james whale and clayton boone makes the book a perfect companion to the film . it ' s no wonder it was an oscar nominee for best adapted screenplay . thi
as an understated , character driven drama , gods and monsters is elegant indeed , ian mckellen ' s performance - stunning . from a dramatica perspective , however , i believe the scant objective story is a missed opportunity . instead of providing an account ( as fine as it is ) of an actual and fictional characters ' friendship , the big picture would have been more powerful had it been developed to a greater extent . the film could have been elevated to an important social critique of the film industry ' s acquiescence of the general public ' s negative perception ( os problem ) of homosexuality - - and the rampant misunderstanding ( os concern ) that is , now as then , inherent to the subject matter .
similar material was dealt with earlier this year in
love and death on long island ,
starring john hurt as an aging british writer who develops a crush on an american teen heartthrob ( jason priestley ) . that was a funnier movie , and also more elusive , since the hurt character is not an active homosexual ( indeed , hardly seems sexual at all ) and hardly understands the nature of his own obsession . levels of irony were possible . in
gods and monsters ,
on the other hand , both the director and the yard man are pretty much kept at the service of the film ' s sentimental vision .
the track was well received by critics . jesse cataldo of slant magazine said ,
nothing here is on the same level as born to die , with only a few tracks , like
gods and monsters
and bonus track
burning desire
, attaining a similar degree of snappy , mesmerizing languorousness .
[ 4 ] nick butler of sputnikmusic felt the track was an unintentionally new sound for del rey , but that the track was good . allmusic reviewer john bush commented that the line
like a groupie incognito posing as a real singer , life imitates art
was an embodiment of the whole album . some reviewers shared negativity on the track , such as drowned in sound ' s david edwards who commented :
' gods and monsters ' simply drags .
this wonderful novel has one toe in
hollywood
fiction and one in the annals of
queer
literature : the author is gay as was the real life director james whale . this novel is the basis for the wonderful film gods and monsters that weaves a relationship between the real whale and the fictitious landscaper clay boone . a career that was largely forgotten and the strata of memories of the ailing director near life ' s end are two of the main threads , with the third thread being the backstory and the dangerous spark that boone brings to whale ' s ebbing life . well written but not archly nor off - puttingly literary .
boone , an army vet adrift in life , is impressed by the film director and glad to have met someone other than his roadhouse drinking buddies and on - off barmaid girlfriend betty ( lolita davidovich ) .
christopher bram , in gods and monsters , has created a beautifully poignant novel that tells of a friendship between famed movie director james whale ( frankenstein ; bride of frankenstein ; show boat ) and fictional character clayton boone , whale’s supposed yard man . some of what’s here is truth ; most of it is invented . but bram creates a lovely relationship between a aging and dying gay man and a young man who sees whale’s pain and , though not gay himself , is sensitive enough to provide the support
a moving and humane book about a great cinematic hero , james whale , director of frankenstein , bride of frankenstein , the old dark house and showboat . this book , which formed the basis for the movie gods and monsters , gives us a wonderful , somewhat vain and irascible character wrestling with his own declining powers . though having a clear gay perspective , it treats all it ' s personalities , whatever their sexuality , weaknesses or proclivities , with the dignity that allows them to be difficult and t
fixture of independent film world had been planning to attend cannes . robbie little , the british producer , co - president of the little film company and stalwart of the independent world , has died unexpectedly in london en route to cannes . little , who served alongside his wife ellen , was a widely admired , deeply experienced and beloved figure in the film industry . at the time of his death he was working with producer debbie gray on the timothy spall and vanessa redgrave drama mrs lowry & son and the more you ignore me , and was planning to continue talks with international buyers on the croisette . little
we ' re in the 1950s , and sir ian mckellen ' s james whale - real - life director of classic thirties horror movies frankenstein and bride of frankenstein - hasn ' t made a film for years .
a major theme in the film is whale’s homosexuality . it’s fitting that brendan frasier’s character is homophobic for in the 50s it was a sin against god and a social taboo . now it’s 2013 and more people are tolerant . this is a very tasteful film about this delicate topic and the reason it’s great is because the stereotypical homophobe rises above his prejudiced perceptions and comes to see the inner beauty of whale and experience true friendship . the message is great .
ian mckellen and helen mirren have been cast in the good liar , a thriller set up at new line cinema to be adapted from nicholas searle ' s debut novel and directed by bill condon . the pic reunites mckellen and condon from their collaborations on gods and monsters and mr . holmes . jeffrey hatcher wrote the script for good liar , about career con artist roy courtnay ( mckellen ) , who can hardly believe his luck when he meets well - to - do widow betty mcleish ( mirren ) online . as…
' ' gods and monsters ' ' is an unalloyed success at the new york film festival , with a performance by ian mckellen that richly deserves to be remembered at the end of the year . like john hurt in ' ' love and death on long island ' ' ( giving a similarly splendid performance , though in a narrower role ) , he works wonders with the character of a marvelously urbane english homosexual who becomes obsessed with an adonis from a wildly different world . in this case it ' s brendan fraser , also impressive , as the hunk who mows the lawn .
fixture of independent film world had been planning to attend cannes with mrs lowry & son . robbie little , the british producer , co - president of the little film company and stalwart of the independent world , has died unexpectedly in london en route to cannes . little , who served alongside his wife ellen , was a widely admired , deeply experienced and beloved figure in the film industry . at the time of his death he was working with producer debbie gray on the timothy spall and vanessa redgrave drama mrs lowry & son and the more you ignore me , and was planning to continue talks with international buyers on the croisette .
bill condon directs drama which will also shoot in berlin . principal photography has begun on new line cinema drama the good liar , starring helen mirren and ian mckellen . bill condon , the oscar - winning screenwriter of gods and monsters , is directing from a screenplay by jeffrey hatcher ( mr . holmes ) based on the book by nicholas searle . the film follows a career con artist ( mckellen ) who meets a wealthy widow online ( mirren ) . also in the cast are russell tovey and jim carter . director condon is also producing alongside greg yolen . executive producers are jack morrissey , nick o’hagan , aaron l . gilbert , and jason cloth .
mckellen then went on to muse why an openly gay man has never won the oscar . of course , mckellen has been nominated twice for the academy award — first for playing the aging gay film director james whale in gods and monsters , and then as gandalf in the first installment of the lord of the rings . “no openly gay man has ever won the oscar ; i wonder if that is prejudice or chance , ” he said . of course , there are a number of high - profile examples of the reverse holding true : tom hanks , philip seymour hoffman and sean penn all have oscar statuettes for such turns .
ian mckellen ' s brilliant performance as 1930s director james whale highlights
gods and monsters .
historical hollywood fiction drawn from christopher bram ' s book
father of frankenstein
doesn ' t always convince , particularly in the last lap . but it ' s an engrossing , unusual , imaginatively executed bit of psychological gamesmanship nonetheless . director - scenarist bill condon ' s first - class production will need good reviews and strong marketing to cross over beyond gay and arthouse auds .
but the film ' s story also has a different angle with a powerful revelation : moana’s people had stopped voyaging long ago , and had placed a taboo—another polynesian world—on going beyond the reef .
bram grew up in kempsville , virginia . after graduating from the college of william and mary in 1974 ( b . a . in english ) , he moved to new york city four years later . there , he met his lifelong partner , documentary filmmaker draper shreeve . bram ' s novel father of frankenstein , about film director james whale , was made into the movie gods and monsters starring ian mckellen and brendan fraser . bill condon adapted the screenplay and directed . condon won an academy award for his adaptation . in 2001 , bram was a guggenheim fellow . in 2003 , he received the bill whitehead award for lifetime achievement . he currently resides in new york .
the multiplicities of the film are endearing . it’s what can happen when you have a great script , for it brings out great acting . do you agree ?
how did life begin ? there can hardly be a bigger question . for much of human history , almost everyone believed some version of
the gods did it
. any other explanation was inconceivable .
clayton is slow to understand that whale is gay . well , in 1957 , a lot of people might not have understood . when he figures it out , he isn ' t angered and there ' s no painful and predictable scene of violence . instead , the film proceeds on a bittersweet course in which a young and not terribly bright man grows to like an old and very intelligent man , and to pity him a little . the film is a biopic leading toward a graceful elegy .
wow . gods and monsters is one of those movies i’ve wanted to sit down and watch since i can remember , and i just haven’t got it done yet . i really , really should . it sounds great . but yes , condon probably deserved a crap award for directing crap . the twilight series is just one of those things…i don’t have to have seen it front - to - back to know how horrible it is . why the hell would he even sign on for it ?
originally titled
father of frankenstein
and subsequently changed to
gods and monsters
to match the movie version , this novel is a subtly charming rendition of the last two weeks of the life of james whale , director of horror flicks frankenstein and bride of frankenstein ( as well as many others ) . at this point in his life , whale has just recovered ( somewhat ) from a stroke and is living alone in his mansion . after making the acquaintance of his young , butch , former marine yardman clayton , wha
whale ' s film career didn ' t just consist of his horror films - frankenstein and the eerie , febrile comedy bride of frankenstein . it also took in the first - world - war drama journey ' s end , the razzle - dazzle of show boat and a protracted slide into the margins . set two decades after whale ' s heyday , gods and monsters has the director played by ian mckellen as a white - haired , soigné aesthete , a faded grandee with too many voices in his head - flashbacks of his films , the echo of his impoverished dudley childhood ( listen to those midland vowels slip subliminally in and out ) , and the memory of his lost love , a young soldier who died in flanders .
father of frankenstein by christopher bram 1995 read in feb 2010 a novel using james whale the real director of frankenstein , and bride of frankenstein as the main character . this fictional account of the directors last days was the basis for the movie , “gods and monsters” . i read this after reading mr bram’s non - fiction book of essays , mapping the territory . i was so taken by his clear and precise writing , i knew i would enjoy anything he wrote . and i was correct . he is also a great story teller
summary : james whale directed some of the most sylish and unique movies of the 30s - frankenstein , bride of frankenstein , showboat and journey ' s end - but ten years after the release of frankenstein he had quit hollywood . set in 1957 , gods and monsters begins with whale ( ian mckellen ) suffering a stroke and remembering long - repressed episodes of his early life . haunted and lonely he recounts these experiences to his gardener , clayton boone , ( brendan fraser ) and a friendship develops between the two ; a relationship heartily disapproved of by whale ' s housekeeper , hanna , ( lynn redgrave ) .
james whale , as dapper in death as dressed for dinner , is the main character in bill condon ' s gods and monsters . he is conscious ( mc symptom - self - aware ) his deteriorating health ( mc domain - universe ) signals the inevitable end ( mc thematic issue - destiny ) , however , the proper englishman ' s courteous ways and impeccable manners remain unfailing - - as does his ardent desire for beautiful boys ( mc resolve - steadfast ) .
a moving and humane book about a great cinematic hero , james whale , director of frankenstein , bride of frankenstein , the old dark house and showboat . this book , which formed the basis for the movie gods and monsters , gives us a wonderful , somewhat vain and irascible character wrestling with his own declining powers . though having a clear gay perspective , it treats all it ' s personalities , whatever their sexuality , weaknesses or proclivities , with the dignity that allows them to be difficult and troublesome but profoundly human . ultimately it beautifully captures both the joy and sadness of being alive on the earth as both a creative and an inevitably corporeal being .
an example of a reasonably challenging film that doesn ' t really accomplish what it sets out to do , but is nevertheless thoughtfully - conceived and contains a couple of highly enjoyable performances that keep it afloat .
in
gods and monsters ,
whale knows his health is failing . he lives alone except for a cheerless housekeeper ( lynn redgrave , very good ) who lectures him on bad behavior and tells him he will go to hell . she sizes up clayton and knows the whole story instantly - - has no doubt seen the same scenario enacted many times . but this time , because clayton feels empathy and because whale feels the chill of approaching death , the seduction strategies are pro forma . what the man most needs to do is talk , and clayton lets him , as he slips between the present and his vivid memories .
early this morning universal monsters universe learned the official ‘ the mummy ‘ synopsis for the upcoming film starring tom cruise and sofia boutella . fresh off the heels of the announcement that russell crowe is in negotiations to cameo as either a “dr . jekyll like” or dr . jekyll character in the mummy , bloody disgusting , screen crush , and joblo have begun to report on the official plot synopsis of the alex kurtzman directed picture , as well .
yet a bit of leering prankishness remains alive yet , as demonstrated when whale makes a fawning young film student ( jack plotnick ) shed a clothing article for each question answered .
this true - life - saga - turned - novel is deeply affecting and impeccably crafted . i was most personally impressed by the nuanced portrayal of what it was to be gay in the trenches , what it was to be gay in the early golden years of hollywood , what it was and is to be gay when the world around you refuses to treat you justly , and at the same time how wealth can be both a means of escaping the conundrums and the doldrums and a means of entrapping you further within them . its lgbt themes aside , the novel also effectively grapples with aging , with loss , with class divides , with the futility of nostalgia , and all while drawing the reader in zigzags through the life and times of james whale , the real creator of the filmic frankenstein and his many monsters . the only reason father of frankenstein didn ' t get the fifth star is because in its second half the narrative voice becomes too detached , distancing itself a bit too much from the characters it describes , and as a result , the audience is less engaged with them , less determined to wish them redemptions and happy endings . still , i thoroughly enjoyed it and i look forward to seeing the film based on it , gods and monsters .
the next and only officially slated dark universe movie is a remake of the crown jewel in universal monsters canon : bride of frankenstein . the original was released in 1935 and still remains as one of the few truly breathtaking examples of a horror sequel that builds on what came before and makes its own wonderful achievement .
excellent ! i had watched the film version years ago and always meant to read the book . the appearance of ian mckellen in another bill condon film this summer , mr . holmes caused me to go back and fullfill that wish . i am so glad i did . i loved this book . christopher bram captures the time period perfectly and the added depth of character in both the james whale and clayton boone makes the book a perfect companion to the film . it ' s no wonder it was an oscar nominee for best adapted screenplay . this book has so many interesting themes ; world war i , the original frankenstein films , homosexuality in 1930 - 50 ' s hollywood , identity and the power of memory . highly recommended !
in the film , their vessels resemble “mad max meets the tiki barge , ” complete with coconut palms growing on them . disney’s kakamora are mean , relentless at getting what they want , and full of sophisticated technology . and utterly silly at the same time .
whether or not all these monsters will appear on - screen together is unclear , but don’t be surprised if they do at some point because that appears to be the endgame for this sort of undertaking .
there are plenty of bad films to get riled up about in the summer .
percy jackson : sea of monsters
isn ' t one of them . this is harmless tween - centric fun .
lynn redgrave , in the film ' s winning but faintly mechanical comic turn , clucks over him moralistically as his protective housekeeper , twisting her mouth and rolling her eyes at the unspeakable business she believes to be going on .
his portrayal of the wizard gandalf the grey in peter jackson ' s film the lord of the rings : the fellowship of the ring received accolades from critics and filmgoers worldwide , including his second nomination for the academy award .
with universal pictures ’ planned dark universe remake of bride of frankenstein on indefinite hold , beauty and the beast helmer bill condon has now signed on for a new project , with the filmmaker set to direct ian mckellen and helen mirren in the good liar . based on the novel by nicholas searle , the good liar “centers on career con artist roy courtnay ( mckellen ) , who can’t resist one last score when he meets well - to - do widow betty mcleish ( mirren ) online . as the woman opens up her home and life to him , the man is surprised to find himself caring about her , turning what should be a cut - and - dry swindle into a treacherous tightrope walk as all is not what it seems . ” the good liar marks the fourth collaboration between condon and mckellen after gods and monsters , mr . holmes and beauty and the beast . the film is also being scripted by jeffrey hatcher , who
percy jackson : sea of monsters is a good special effects family movie that ' s every bit as accomplished as the lightning thief and possibly better - even if it doesn ' t follow the rick riordan juvenile fantasy novels like a road map .
the relationship cleverly reworks the doctor - monster pairing of the original story to comment on fathers and sons , masters and servants and the mind and the body .
okay , i see you rolling your eyes , but… kind of . essentially , the mummy is being used to launch a large , interconnected story involving the classic monsters from the golden age of hollywood . movies about the wolf man , the invisible man , abraham van helsing , the creature from the black lagoon , and even the bride of frankenstein are already in early stages of development , and their stories will , in theory , intersect on film in the years ahead .
what do you think of bill condon as a director / writer ? did you agree he deserved the 2013 gold raspberry award for worst director with the film , t wilight , breaking dawn part 2 ? he was on fire in the 2000s . he wrote the screenplay and directed d ream girls ( 2006 ) . besides writing the script for kinsey ( 2004 ) , he earned acclaim for writing chicago ( 2006 ) . in 2009 , he produced and co - wrote the script for the 81st academy awards–one of the best ones i can remember–hosted by hugh jackman . however , it was his academy award winning screenplay , gods and monsters ( 1 998 ) when i was first wowed . have you seen it ? i revisited it the other night . how graceful were the language and acting .
father of frankenstein by christopher bram 1995 read in feb 2010 a novel using james whale the real director of frankenstein , and bride of frankenstein as the main character . this fictional account of the directors last days was the basis for the movie , “gods and monsters” . i read this after reading mr bram’s non - fiction book of essays , mapping the territory . i was so taken by his clear and precise writing , i knew i would enjoy anything he wrote . and i was correct . he is also a great story teller . i greatly enjoyed this book and his description of an old man realizing he is losing his mind , and sense of reality . i recommend this book
the mummy has been released and the dark universe is here . a new 21st century take on the beloved universal monsters from the 1930s and ' 40s , this is something fans have either anticipated or feared , but as it ' s here , we explore what it will transform into next .
however , the most interesting ( or , depending on your opinion on the state of cinema , frustrating ) aspect of the movie is that it’s meant to kick off a massive cinematic universe for the universal monsters .
overall , the film looks sumptuous , with designer richard sherman and photographer stephen katz evoking perfectly the stagnant spaciousness of fifties beverly hills , the better to contrast it with whale ' s cobwebbed mental corridors . but the real action takes place behind closed doors , and you wish that condon had had the courage to leave us there , instead of opening the drama up . the more fine images we get , the less cinematic the film somehow feels , almost like a study guide with sidebars to amuse and instruct us .
enjoyed reading about the fictionalized life of james whale who directed bride of frankenstein . an out gay man in hollywood when that was not an
accepted
thing to be . the first half of the novel and the epilogue worked best for me . james whale at the end of his life , no longer working as a director and generally forgotten by the hollywood community begins to think about his experiences as a young , lower class british youth and how he transcended to the heights of hollywood . it adds texture to his character and creates a rich inner life for him . originally called as above father of frankenstein , the title of the movie is gods and monsters .


phua chu kang the movie is a malaysian-singaporean comedy film .

the film was released in singapore on 12 august 2010 and malaysia on 26 august 2010 .

phua chu kang the movie

based in malaysia , phua chu kang the movie is not a direct sequel of pck spinoff “phua chu kang sdn bhd” .
warning : the phua chu kang movie synopsis you ' re r . . .
yes , as long as gurmit lives , phua chu kang will never die .
yeah , and this is the phua chu kang , the movie - please switch off your handphone - commercial .
no videos , backdrops or posters have been added to phua chu kang pte ltd .
recently , someone showed me a write - up about the upcoming phua chu kang movie in the 8 days movie junkie guide , which included a short synopsis of the movie .
— for other uses of cck , see cck ( disambiguation ) . not to be confused with phua chu kang . choa chu kang english choa chu kang chinese 蔡厝港 ( pinyin càicuògǎng ) ( hokkien poj …
the series finale of phua chu kang pte ltd aired on channel 5 on feb 11 , 2007 .
then came phua chu kang the movie ( 2010 ) , which i was involved in and didn ' t turn out so well .
this entry was posted in movies and tagged comedy , funny , hilarious , malaysia , phua chu kang movie . bookmark the permalink .
an interview with the show ' s stars about phua chu kang - the musical ( article no . 1 )
an interview with the show ' s stars about phua chu kang - the musical ( article no . 2 )
. critics of the show have labelled phua chu kang as an inaccurate or disgraceful representation of singapore , and denounced his appearance in the amazing race . however , phua chu kang remains immensely popular in singapore and malaysia .
don’t play play ! ! we are proud to announce the successful production of the new phua chu kang the movie . asia tropical films fully supported mm2 entertainment in the making of this movie .
today , the sitcom has spawned a stand alone film adaptation which stars some of the sitcom ' s main cast . though based in malaysia ,
phua chu kang the movie
is not a direct sequel of pck spinoff
phua chu kang sdn bhd
.
made with a production budget of rm1 . 8mil , phua chu kang the movie picks up from where pck left off since moving to kuala lumpur to expand his business with his wife rosie ( irene ang ) in the small screen version of phua chu kang sdn bhd .
phua chu kang
episode # 7 . 7 ( tv episode 2004 ) - full cast & crew - imdb
best remembered for his role in singapore ' s longest - running english sitcom phua chu kang pte ltd , singh was recently honoured at madame tussauds singapore with his very own phua chu kang wax figure , complete with yellow boots and oversized mole .
phua chu kang pte ltd , also known as pck pte ltd or phua chu kang for short , was a singaporean sitcom on mediacorp tv channel 5 . the show debuted in singapore in 1997 . a sequel , phua chu kang sdn . bhd . debuted on ntv7 on march 25 , 2009 and aired in singapore ' s mediacorp tv channel 5 on october 6 , 2009 .
a group of mainly malaysian companies have thus come together to produce phua chu kang the movie . one wishes they had just left the yellow - booted contractor alone in oblivion .
actor and comedian gurmit singh , popularly known for his role as the boorish contractor phua chu kang in singapore’s english tv sitcom phua chua kang pte ltd , says his biggest priority in life these days is his family .
phua chu kang , the movie phua chu kang is back and kicking into the big screens ! the movie depicts how phua chu kang has been making a mark for himself in malaysia . ah ma came to visit but went missing in an instant . phua chu kang eventually tracks her down in an old folks home and accidentally got himself a renovation job . all come to a screeching halt when he discovers the real reason behind ah mas strange insistence to help some old folks at the home who are dropping dead one by one . on the other hand rosie is kept busy being the centre of attention for both frankie foo and mr lim , the owner of the old folks home . will rosie and phua chu kang be able to weather through this ? and will phua chu kang and ah ma be able to find out what is the real reason behind the deaths at the home or is it simply , they got old ? official website : urltoken
family outing : phua chu kang ( gurmit singh ) takes ah ma ( neo swee lin ) and rosie ( ireneang ) windowshopping .
phua chu kang pte ltd , also known as pck pte ltd or phua chu kang for short ( 鬼馬家族 in chinese ) , was a singaporean sitcom on mediacorp tv channel 5 . the show debuted in singapore in 1997 . a sequel , phua chu kang sdn . bhd . debuted on ntv7 on march 25 , 2009 and will air in singapore ' s mediacorp tv channel 5 on october 6 , 2009 .
phua chu kang the movie opens this weekend . i had worked on it as a scriptwriter . the reviews have been mostly pans . now it ' s a matter of how it does at the
how times have grown for phua chu kang , and gurmit singh of course , propelling him to stardom unimaginable when he first started out .
kota kinabalu – actor and comedian gurmit singh , popularly known for his role as the boorish contractor phua chu kang in singapore’s english tv sitcom phua chua kang pte ltd , says the most important priority in his life these days is his family .
apparently , what many singaporeans don’t know about phua chu kang is that while he’s passé in singapore , he has a big following in malaysia .
an hour into the insult to the audience that is phua chu kang the movie , my mind , wild with rage , fantasised a grisly end to a character long ago bled dry of any entertainment value .
since then , the company has put its money into films with a strong singapore participation , including twisted , perfect rivals , phua chu kang the movie and the upcoming 23 : 59 and we not naughty .
singapore ' s favourite yellow - booted contractor phua chu kang has made the leap from small screen to silver screen . and it ain ' t pretty .
so even though i’m the writer of phua chu kang the movie , which will be released on aug 12 , i haven’t seen it ( and don ' t intend to ) , so i don’t know how much of my script is actually in the completed movie .
everything about it was low - budget sitcom standard - issue , from the cheap sets to the obvious jokes to the flabby plots . but the character of phua chu kang knocked viewers out .
there is a lot of potential in bringing an already rock - steady brand like phua chu kang to the movies . unfortunately , it is squandered here with the strange choice of story .
in the film , the titular hero , boorish yet lovable contractor phua chu kang ( gurmit singh ) has shifted his operations to kuala lumpur with his wife rosie ( irene ang ) .
phua chu kang ' s mole is actually made of papier - mâché . it is molded into a ball , painted black , and attached to his face with cosmetic glue .
when i die , my orbituary will likely say i was a
former executive producer of phua chu kang pte ltd
. urltoken has already described me as such in a
however , things get complicated when chu kang ' s nemesis , contractor frankie foo ( lim kay siu ) , finds out about the lucrative deal and heads to malaysia to wrest it from chu kang , while lim begins to make romantic overtures towards rosie and chu kang finds out about a long - kept family secret that threatens to change his life completely .
it has been ten years since the singapore - made television sitcom
phua chu kang pte ltd
( pck ) first aired on channel 5 before going on to inspire a theatre production .
the phua chu kang character made his first appearance in the second season of
gurmit ' s world
, a comedy in which gurmit singh portrayed his ' relatives ' in a series of skits .
while not exactly a - laugh - a - minute like the sitcom that it spun off from ,
phua chu kang the movie
is nonetheless peppered with hilarious situations , side - splitting antics and well - delivered jokes that reflect the cast ' s comedic talents .
phua chu kang is a comedy about family dynamics - and the family we know from tv is nowhere to be seen . there ' s no one to play the straight man to chu kang ' s over - the - top bengness here , so everyone has a go at being wacky . this is a movie where characters often talk to themselves - and to fish , on more than one occasion .
phua chu kang’s character is wildly inconsistent from scene to scene . is he smart or stupid ? is he selfish or generous ? nobody knows , least of all the film’s writing team and director boris boo .
ask gurmit singh if he ever tires of playing phua chu kang – the “ah beng” contractor in yucky yellow wellies with a curly mop and prominent mole to boot – chances are the gifted comedian will tell you never .
this was before we knew anything about the malaysian series or the movie or the webisodes .
but for fans of the funnyman , who soared to fame as contractor phua chu kang , it’s best not to get your hopes up too high . his new hosting gig does not mark a permanent return to the limelight .
about two hours after dropping my mother and sister off at the pck movie screening , i called to ask them what they thought of the movie .
however , the 45 - year - old believes that pck should evolve . that is why for his latest offering , phua chu kang the movie , gurmit and his film director boris boo have added more dimension and emotional depth to our endearing contractor – the best in singapore , jb and some say batam .
i helped rehabilitate the brand enough that people wanted to make the malaysian series and the movie .
“if the audience still loves me , i’ll act till i become grandpa chu kang , ” says gurmit laughingly during an interview in kuala lumpur last week .
phua chu kang the movie
definitely brings back good reminiscence of the tv series , seeing as the characters hadn ' t changed one bit and we are reminded of popular catchphrases like
don ' t play play
,
abuden
,
use your brain !
and chu kang ' s laughable mole twitch movement . some gags served to be quite amusing , while others fell flat with weak wordplay and slapstick which seemed aimed at younger audiences . moreover , the lengthy storyline could ' ve been better without unnecessary supporting character subplots like king kong ' s ( charlie tan ) ' tauhey break ' romance with lau pek ' s assistant angel ( angie seow ) and overly stretched chase sequences between the good guys and the baddies . the ending also didn ' t quite make
phua chu kang the movie
memorable enough pertaining to an obvious fraud unveiling and a supposedly
touching
scene involving chu kang ' s elderly relative .
sibling phua chu beng and his wife margaret ( played by pierre png and tan kheng hua in the singapore series ) do not make an appearance in this film , but chu kang’s rival frankie foo ( lim kay siu ) does pop in , competing with pck for the job of building the next wave of retirement homes .
the show ran for eight seasons on mediacorp tv channel 5 from september 1997 to february 2007 and subsequently led to a spin - off , phua chu kang sdn bhd produced fully in malaysia and aired on ntv7 in 2009 and 2010 .
entry he hasn’t seen the finished movie and has no intention to do so .
please rate this movie . you may write a review in the space below .
mediacorp itself has little to do with the production or financing of the movie , although many of the people involved in the movie , including myself , are ex - mediacorp employees .
characters in a tv series must grow with every season , but the sitcom , from the time it wrapped in singapore in 2007 to its current status as the spinoff phua chu kang sdn . bhd . in malaysia last year , has stubbornly gone in the opposite direction .
the phua chu kang ( pck ) phenomenon is an odd one and there’s no escaping singapore’s most famous tv ah beng , a character gurmit singh has made his own so much so he lapses into pck ever so often in whatever he does .
one day , chu kang ' s mum ah ma ( neo swee lin ) pays them a visit , but separates from them at a shopping mall .
chu kang and rosie ( gurmit singh and irene ang ) - as last seen on tv ' s phua chu kang sdn bhd - are now based in kuala lumpur . ah ma ( neo swee lin ) comes to visit but it isn ' t quite the social call they were expecting - she ' s really in kl to look after chu kang ' s abusive , thought - to - be - dead grandfather ( also played by gurmit ) because the old man suspects someone is killing off the residents in the old folks ' home run by the icky lim lau pek ( henry thia ) .
1900 912 1234 urltoken urltoken gv yishun renovation party featuring phua chu kang the movie date : 11 aug 2010 time : 7 . 50pm onwards ticket price : $ 8 . 50 free commemorative tote bag with popcorn combo get your tickets now at urltoken or any gv box offi ce ! tampines mall grand , great world plaza
i ' m not talking high - brow here . nobody ' s expecting the royal tenenbaums - pck needs to be knee - slappingly mass . but things get so silly in this film , it makes phua chu kang the tv series look like 30 rock .
directed by boris boo , who last collaborated with jack neo in the horror comedy
where got ghost ?
,
phua chu kang the movie
puts focus onto chu kang and his slimmed - down wife rosie ( irene ang ) , both of whom have not lost touch with their alter ego , together with ah ma ( neo swee lin ) and chu kang ' s archenemy frankie foo ( lim kay siu ) . in addition to the show , we see henry thia as lim lau pek , the despicable ceo of siao soon old folks home , who oddly enough has the hots for rosie . be sure to watch out for a daring smooch between those two !
but overall , i was happy with that final season of pck . it ended the series on a good enough note that there was a demand for a sequel , which was produced two years later in malaysia , called phua chu kang sdn bhd .
these days , gurmit continues to be a freelance host at events both here and across the causeway , where his phua chu kang character is still very much in demand . he will also star in upcoming cosplay - themed local film young & fabulous .
had arranged two tickets for me to attend the movie’s “gala” premiere two weeks ago .
movies already released and starring a mainly singapore cast working in malaysia include this year’s crop , such as the comedies perfect rivals ( starring irene ang and shot in penang ) and homecoming ( starring jack neo and mark lee ) . phua chu kang the movie , featuring singaporean funnyman gurmit singh , was shot in malaysia and released last year .
producing that last episode was tricky . although the show was ending , we knew it wasn ' t the end of the phua chu kang character ( s ) . we knew we couldn ' t , say , kill him off . or have pck and rosie get a divorce .
the success of the movie led to a dispute between neo and jsp films over their shares of the profits .
in the debut season of the show , edwin chong played phua chu beng but ceased to be in the cast as of season 2 . pierre permanently took over the role from the second season and has made the role popular ever since .
the last time i ran at macritchie was about a year ago , commuting by foot from my choa chu kang home to my workplace in toa payoh . this mo . . .
i’m sending my wife to watch the pck movie today . she better not fall asleep .
s m ong : pck movie : the reviews are in . . . and mean !
like pck sdn bhd , the movie was set and filmed in malaysia to cut cost .
instead of trying to maintain pck pte ltd in its permanent vegetative state , mediacorp must pull the plug and use the money to invest in new actors , writers and producers . go find the next phua chu kang . that , to use one of his phrases , would be using your brain .
can ' t find a movie or tv show ? login to create it .
director boris boo ( where got ghost ? ) has realised the script of phua chu kang series scribe s m ong as a workmanlike effort , and even though he employs a scattershot approach – just fire jokes in great volume all over the place , rhyme or reason be damned – the humour thoroughly misses the mark .
“doing a tv or movie production can take a huge amount of your time . i was doing phua chu kang , dramas , my own talk show and hosting a whole lot of other programmes to a point where i was doing almost two shows in a day . there was hardly time for any breaks in between shows . i did that for 20 years .
the views shared reflects the personal opinion of some movie club members and are not a representation of golden village .
fans of phua chu kang pte ltd will remember the character’s trademark curly hair , huge mole on his face , long finger nails and yellow boots and most of all his clichés “best in singapore , jb and some say batam” and “don’t play play” which he pronounced as ”pray pray” in broken english .
fans of phua chu kang pte ltd will remember the character’s trademark curly hair , huge mole on his face , long finger nails and yellow boots and most of all his cliches “best in singapore , jb and some say batam” and “don’t play play” which he pronounced as ‘pray pray’ in broken english .
phua chu kang ( gurmit singh ) is no longer the best contractor in singapore . he’s moved up to kl , along with his wife rosie ( irene ang ) and drives a silver mercedes benz . he picks up his mother ( neo swee lin ) and she promptly disappears as the phuas visit a mall .
i had seen the pck movie trailer and was dismayed by the number of things in it that i didn’t write .
his first movie blockbuster role , playing as ‘mr - foo ( mr . pink colour ) , was the lead supporting cast in the kelvin tong’s local movie men - in - white . after the success launch of the movie , an internet voting was conducted and mr - foo’s role brought a 153 % increase in ckay’s popularity .
husband and wife decide the only way to keep an eye on things is to take up the job of renovating the home with chu kang ' s arch nemesis frankie foo ( lim kay siu ) . snarling , bumbling and painting ensue .
her excuse : it was like a jack neo movie and therefore , she was not the target audience .
the movie was released on 12 th august 2010 staring gurmit singh , neo swee lin , irene ang , lim kay siu and charlie tan . the movie runs for 99 minutes and was directed by boris boo .
the cross - border popularity of the english - speaking gurmit singh ( who plays the protagonist phua chu kang ) and chinese - speaking jack neo also held a lesson : it made financial sense to see singapore and malaysia as one market since they both enjoy largely the same types of entertainment , says ong . both countries’ accents also mesh well , she adds .
hohohoo . . . . am sooo gonna love this one . . hahah . . . legendary mister phua
who would ' ve thought that phua chu kang ( gurmit singh ) , best in singapore , jb and some say batam , would return to make his big screen debut within the clever setting of kuala lumpur ( pronounced ' kuara rumpur ' in pck ' s ah beng slang ) instead of singapore . thus , an excuse to set aside pck ' s nerdy brother chu beng , his vegetarian wife margaret and their son aloysius .
singh and his employer mediacorp could have chosen the classy option some years ago . phua chu kang would have been a fond memory and a cult phenomenon , like david brent from the original bbc production of the hit sitcom the office . instead , the contractor has become the fonz from the american sitcom happy days , who by refusing to acknowledge his sell - by date , went from being cool to being a joke .
at a press conference in penang , the first question asked of saw was whether his non - penangite actors could pull - off the local dialect with its distinctive singsong lilt . of the 10 performers in his cast , eight including chelsia ng are from penang . singapore’s neo swee lin ( of phua chu kang fame ) and frederick lee from malacca take on the lead roles in the production .
the producers had paid mediacorp a lot of money for the rights to make the movie and hired me to write it last year practically at the last minute .
also , it is a bit of a pity that some members of the original pck cast such as chu kang ' s brother chu beng , and his wife margaret ( played by pierre png and tan kheng hua ) did not manage to make an appearance in the film , as i am sure they would have added a lot more flavour it .
ah goon is the worker replacing ah boon and ah soon who also played as chu kang ' s employees in the earlier episodes . they are related as cousins in the series . they also appeared together in an episode featuring them as an upcoming boy band .
in the movie , ah ma is actually ( spoiler alert ! ) trying to prevent pck from getting the job by . . .
well , . . . . i just watch this movie . and this movie is only focus on chu kang & rosie only . chu beng is only available in the begining part ( little chu beng ) and no margaret as well . as for the pck worker . . . . only 1 person which is king kong only . this movie is flim in malaysia which youcan see most places in film in kl ( berjaya times square , petaling street , tian hou temple ) and that old folks home i dun think is film in kl . probably in penang ( which i think is familiar to me ) there are few deleted scenes as well . . . . anyone here who can tell me who acts the
angel
which is king kong ' s gf ( the assistant manager of old folks home ) ?
phua chukang themovie —starring ( from left ) gurmit singh , neo swee linand ireneang — wasshot onlocation inmalaysia andreleased lastyear .
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yohoo ! ! the movie is nice ! funny also . . lim lau pek ' s brother is lim lau hia lol
watch this movie yesterday with my classmate . i am not hardcore fans of pck and i din reli chase the series .
the movie had a clear narrative that progressed towards a conclusion instead of falling into the trap of behaving too much like an oversized sitcom episode .
as pck pte ltd has found a new lease of life in kuala lumpur , chu kang and rosie sets of to fetch ah ma upon her arrival in kl , but soon goes missing in a mall and later discovered at a retirement home run by lim lau pek . unexpectedly , chu kang lands himself renovation work for the home , wanting to find out the reason for ah ma ' s behaviour , while competing against frankie foo , who also has the job deal . inevitably , the phuas discover something sinister and corrupt behind the friendly - faced lau pek .
too bad for me i wasn ' t the executive producer and director of the pck movie , like i was of the original tv show ' s final season .
phua chu kang pte ltd won
best comedy programme
at the asian television awards for six consecutive years from 1998 - 2003 . the cast also won
best comedy performance by an actress
- neo swee lin ( 1999 ) , tan kheng hua ( 2001 ) and irene ang ( 2002 ) as well as
best comedy performance by an actor
- gurmit singh ( 1998 - 2001 & 2003 ) .
but you still have to give the story and scriptwriters credit in getting creative with the setting , because having to relocate to kl , and setting the entire film there , means the narrative can do away with pck ' s brother phua chu beng , his wife margaret , and the kids , putting focus instead on chu kang ( gurmit singh ) and his vain wife rosie ( irene ang ) , both of whom are really comfortable in their roles like hand in glove , bringing back familiar faces like ah ma ( neo swee lin ) and pck arch - rival frankie foo ( lim kay siu ) .
review described the movie as
initially fresh and amusing but ultimately too one - note and local in its humor to travel far
.
the plot revolves around phua chu kang ( gurmit singh ) being persuaded by his mother ah ma ( neo swee lin ) to bid for a contract to renovate the heaven can wait old folk’s home owned by the unscrupulous lim lau pek ( henry thia ) . although he is not sure why ah ma wants so badly for him to get the job , he agrees to do it anyway when he finds out that his arch - rival frankie foo ( lim kay siu ) is also bidding for the same contract .
the publication also mentioned that the pck movie has been in development for a decade , awaiting the “perfect script” to come along . as flattering as that may be , i know the truth is something else .
support the movie ( otherwise i wouldn’t be forcing my own flesh and blood to sit through it ) – i just didn’t want to see it .
how could she fell asleep in the middle of her big brother ' s movie at its “gala” premiere ? that was just , well , rude .
my former employer ( which also owns 8 days , by the way ) had been interested in doing a pck movie since the ' 90s , but could never pull the trigger . ( even i was asked to come up with a pck movie idea one during my mediacorp days , but nothing came of it . )
the plot revolves around phua chu kang ( gurmit singth ) being persuaded by his mother ah ma ( neo swee lin ) to bid for a contract to renovate the heaven can wait old folk ' s home owned by the unscrupulous lim lau pek ( henry thia ) . although he is not sure why ah ma wants so badly for him to get the job , he agrees to do it anyway when he finds out that his arch - rival frankie foo ( lim kay siu ) is also bidding for the same contract .
synopsis : the plot revolves around phua chu kang ( gurmit singth ) being persuaded by his mother ah ma ( neo swee lin ) to bid for a contract to renovate the heaven can wait old folk’s home owned by the unscrupulous lim lau pek ( henry thia ) . although he is not sure why ah ma wants so badly for him to get the job , he agrees to do it anyway when he finds out that his arch - rival frankie foo ( lim kay siu ) is also bidding for the same contract .
the movie hits its lowest point in the part where the cops come for baddie lim lau pek ( played by henry thia ) . look to his character’s name , by the way , for a clue about the movie’s brand of classy comedy . the arrest scene aims for pink panther - style hide - and - seek hijinks , but what emerges is wildly incoherent and insultingly lazy .
buzzing comedies such as sorry to bother you and the spy who dumped me await you in our summer movie guide . check in for the latest release dates and all the info you need .
well , if u r pck hardcore fans , probably u ' ll find out that this movie not as good as tv series .
synopsis : the plot revolves around phua chu kang ( gurmit singth ) being persuaded by his mother ah ma ( neo swee lin ) to bid for a contract to renovate the heaven can wait old folk ' s home owned by the unscrupulous lim lau pek ( henry thia ) . although he is not sure why ah ma wants so badly for him to get the job , he agrees to do it anyway when he finds out that his arch - rival frankie foo ( lim kay siu ) is also bidding for the same contract .
there’s an old joke about the dumb blonde trying to get ahead in hollywood by sleeping with the screenwriter . for an enactment of the joke , you can watch heather graham as said blonde in the 1999 movie bowfinger .
somewhat agree . looks like a pathetic attempt to cash in from this sad , dying franchise . but for nostalgic reasons , i might check the movie out .
haha i just watch the movie dy . . . very funny like hell from start till the bust scenes . . . gotta kudos the local policemen 4 acting that bust so well like betul2 capturing the bank robber like that
the exception is when the writer also happens to be the director - and even producer - of the movie , like say , avatar’s james cameron and inception’s christopher nolan . and look how badly those two movies turned out .
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singh , in a recent interview , has said he is proud of the movie and of the character and will keep on doing pck as long as the public still wants him . is he being deliberately naive ?
phua chu kang , the classic character played by gurmit singh , is well - known for his catchphrase , “don’t play play” . the contractor constantly claims that he is “best in singapore , jb and some say batam” . coupled with his trademark yellow boots , curly hair and a distinct facial mole , this character has never failed to put a smile on viewers’ faces . together with his workers and his wife , rosy , played by irene ang , the couple soon became a sensation and they even put up a musical at kallang indoor stadium back in 2005 .
in addition , pck handed out clues at one of the detours of the amazing race 3 . participants in the race were required to locate an hdb apartment in choa chu kang , singapore where they would be given the clues by pck . apparently , the original idea was to have pck at the pit stop alongside phil keoghan ( at the end of every stage of the amazing race , there would be a local person dressed in traditional clothing welcoming the contestants to the country ) , but singaporeans protested that this would give foreigners the wrong impression of the local people in general . [ 1 ]
as if to make me feel better , my sister said that many people ( but not her ) enjoyed jack neo movies and so the pck movie should be very successful .
the movie takes a clumsy stab at parent - dumping , but never really tries to get any satirical mileage out of the issue . meanwhile , the differences between malaysians and singaporeans could have also generated many opportunities at humour .
so how do you tell if a pck movie synopsis is the right one ? if it says that pck is persuaded by ah ma to bid for a job , it’s not .
director boo explains , “we want to keep the spirit of pck . but we need to add depth and emotion to the movie . but then again with pck , you can’t have too much depth . ”
if a two - minute trailer could cause me so much stress , sitting through the 100 - minute movie could give me a cardiac arrest . i’m not a young man any more .
he locates her at a retirement home run by lim lau pek ( henry thia ) , who lures phua to do some renovation work for the home by dangling the prospect of a multi - million - dollar deal on other retirement homes throughout the country .
to say pck the movie is a half - baked and rough effort could well be the understatement of the year as it’s neither original , clever nor grand enough to warrant a big - screen outing . yet the guffaws from the near - capacity crowd on the weekday afternoon screening we attended told a completely story .
the movie received a mixed critical reception with urltoken commending the film as
an effective satire of . . . singaporean culture
and noted that the actors
do a credible job representing characters from singapore ' s varying social strata
,
the movie is bad in the same way bad mediacorp sitcoms are bad , only it is much , much longer . grimaces and howls replace acting . primary school - level hokkien puns abound . the chaotic plot feels thrown together from three episodes fished from the discard pile .
after so long . . . . now only comes out movie . . . pck is legendary already to me . . hope they dont spoil this one . . .
haha ! ! i still laughing about lin lao beh & lin lao hia . this guy is really funny . . . my favourite character in this movie . . .
that was why long - time jack neo accomplices boris boo and henry thia were hired to direct and ham it up in the pck movie respectively . it even has a lot of hokkien and bad
you may only select up to 5 movies for the my favourite movies list . please remove movie ( s ) from my favourite movies list if you wish to select a new title .
this lovable character , an elderly lady is played by local comedy director , jack neo . many viewers remember her by adorable chuckle , the “huhuhu” that she oftens include with her speeches and also the way she walks and scuttles around with a hunched back . in the movie , she sets foot on a topsy - turvy journey that will educate , create laughter and yet tug at the heart strings of many as the movie discusses some issues that singaporeans may be concerned about .
if singh wants to trot out pck at company dinners or in a nostalgia lounge , more power to him . but please , for the love of everything holy , keep phua and his family out of the cinemas or prime - time tv .
the legend of the guardians : the owls of ga ' hoole . . .
i told him i was taking my mother and sister . oh , he said , he would arrange a third ticket for me . i told him not to because i was skipping the movie screening .
the recent horror movie twisted serves up plenty of scares . but viewers might get an eerie feeling of another sort as they watch singapore actor mark lee battle with a flying demon on a deserted road .
ya la . . not bad de actually . . . we ' re not movie critics . . paid for your tickets already . . why dont you just enjoy . .
almost every major commercial movie project released this year featuring singapore investment and talent will be shot partly or completely on location in kuala lumpur , penang or some other malaysian city .
the 2010 low - budget malaysian romance - drama ice kacang puppy love , a labour of love by taiwan - based malaysian musician a - niu , came and went without a murmur in singapore cinemas . but in its home country , the movie written , directed by , and starring a - niu made hard - nosed industry executives sit up : it grossed rm4mil , the highest box office profit at that time for a domestically made chinese - language movie .
for the pck series finale , i got adrian pang to host the show framing the last pck episode and interview the cast at the end .
two weeks ago that it will produce a movie about radio . i hope it will be in 3 - d - or at least stereo . i assume the sequel ( or prequel ) will be about the telegraph . let’s see if 8 days will get the synopsis right .
sundaytv sunday prime movie : ghost rider channel 5 , 7pm by day , johnny blaze is a famous stuntman , but when the sun goes down , the death - defying daredevil bursts into flames to become the indestructible , motorcycle - riding antihero known to the world as the ghost rider . starring nicholas cage and eva mendes . filmart :
he has just completed production of a movie called “young and fabulous” that is due out in cinemas in 2016 , and is writing a book which is expected to be published by november next year .
he has just completed production of a movie called ‘young and fabulous’ that is due out in cinemas in 2016 , and is writing a book which is expected to be published by november next year .
, the writer of the story , has something serious to say about the products featured .
over the years , i have observed the ebb and flow of the popularity of pck .
from what i ' ve heard . . . it is absolutely nothing more than milking a dead cow . besides , a movie made from a tv show is compulsory to have ' all ' the main characters in . right ? well , this movie it seems does not have chu beng and his wife margaret ! wth ? ? anyone who even watch a single episode of pck pvt ltd knows both of them are definitely part of the main pck clan . worse , the plot is said to be the worst ever . they tried to put too many things into the plot but completely fell flat . ok . show ' s over . this is absolulely a pass . no need watch . i didn ' t . and i ' m not planning to .
his style owed a lot to jim carrey but everyone was stealing from the american actor during that period . the problem is that today , singh still plays pck like the way carrey played ace ventura : pet detective , a movie released 15 years ago . the comedy world has moved on , but someone forgot to send a memo to the pck creative team .
, who was one of the writers for the original pck series , have managed to translate the spirit of the television series onto the film medium quite well .
the argument about the dilution of the singapore identity in films also made little headway , given that the job of the commercial film industry is to make money .
saturdaytv safe guards channel u , 7 . 30pm ( last episode ) zhengpeng wants to sell huiyou agency and split the shares . to protect the agency , xiu ping takes out zhengtang’s will . however , the content of the will which official luo reads out surprises everyone . stay home saturday movie : nanny mcphee channel 5 , 7 . 30pm
the movie received a mixed critical reception with urltoken commending the film as
an effective satire of . . . singaporean culture
and noted that the actors
do a credible job representing characters from singapore ' s varying social strata
, [ 14 ] while a variety review described the movie as
initially fresh and amusing but ultimately too one - note and local in its humor to travel far
. [ 1 ] francis dass of the new straits times wrote that money no enough was
spot - on
and
funny
, but criticised the
clichéd script and the director ' s penchant for melodrama
. [ 15 ]
pck has also appeared on two tv advertisements . he , along with chu beng , made his first advertisement appearance regarding the introduction of 3g mobile services and phones in malaysia by maxis and recently , an advertisement called bob ' s big surprise . [ 5 ]
injustice is done to the character of charles ii . in supposing h . . . . . . n of the constitution of the establishment allowing the pecuniary interests of the
to b honest i felt this movie not good enuf . the joke was kinda lame and it seem i am forcing myself to laugh on it lol . . but storyline wise still acceptable for me . no bloody scene or violence , so is safe to watch .
in an attempt to flesh out tv material for a feature - length movie transition , the film - makers have attempted to layer on emotional depth and
up
the action - literally - by turning a family comedy into a crime - caper slash mystery - adventure fit for the scooby gang . only with old people instead of ghosts .
“you can see pck in a whole new light , ” gurmit enthuses . “it’s hard to be emotional . the audience is used to him being larger than life , and storming off whenever he’s unhappy about something . but because it’s a 90 - minute movie , we have the privilege of sussing out his real character and the others’ . ”
a pointless double ending finishes the film , and the credits indicate there’ll be a sequel . if that’s the case , then the biggest joke here might really be on the audience .
if there’s anything we can be thankful for , it’s obvious the movie is made for malaysians and is riding on its renewed interest there . for once , we won’t challenge our neighbours for trying to turn something of ours into their own but in the interest of our newly renewed cross - straits relationship , here’s the deal : take pck and let us take the credit for inventing bak kut teh .
select movie / all movies ant - man and the wasp avengers : infinity war solo : a star wars story incredibles 2 jurassic world : fallen kingdom ocean ' s 8 deadpool 2 rampage human flow the leakers bungo stray dogs : dead apple crayon shinchan : baku mori ! kung fu boys - ramen chaos - hereditary sicario : day of the soldado eiffel i ' m in love 2 brother of the year on happiness road animal world believer blok 404 ant - man and the wasp ( atmos ) ant - man and the wasp ( atmos d - box ) ant - man and the wasp ( 3d ) tik tik tik mr . chandramouli atcham thavir ghora traffic ramasamy sanju love , chunibyo and other delusions ! take on me inuyashiki kuntilanak ant - man and the wasp ( imax ) ant - man and the wasp ( imax 3d ) asuravadham this is pilah the movie danur 2 : maddah the accidental detective 2 itly ant - man and the wasp ( 4dx ) semma botha aagathey
saw has retained the play’s english title , you mean the world to me , because it’s what the story’s about .
out of tarleton’s underwear . the house is in surrey , on the slope of . . . . . . the opposite side and at the other end , leading to the vestibule . there is
then just when you thought the series , pck pte ltd , has run its course , it gets snapped up by networks across the causeway where the spin - off , pck sdn bhd , has been entertaining malaysians since last year . its runaway success has prompted various malaysian production companies to finance this movie , which explains why pck is now obliged to add cantonese to the rojak blend of singlish and hokkien he spouts .
a spokesman for the singapore media authorities says they are aware of the situation .
inside the dream script , rosie , his wife played by irene ang , would get her lover , frankie foo ( lim kay siu ) , to run him over with a bulldozer and bury his body in concrete . the concrete would be in the foundation of an english - language school , naturally . foo should in turn be poisoned by rosie , who would ride off on the back of labourer king kong’s motorcycle , its spinning tyres leaving a black streak on the slab over phua’s corpse .
but he’s careful to add that he’s taken artistic liberties in his recounting of a filmmaker who returns to his hometown to make a movie about his family and reconcile with the past . “as much as i say it’s a personal story , i want to qualify that it’s not completely autobiographical , ” saw says .
lower costs are a big draw for singapore filmmakers , obviously . a typical movie budget of s $ 1mil ( rm2 . 5mil ) goes much further in malaysia , with the greatest savings coming from equipment rental and crew salaries . experienced hands , honed by years of experience in the thriving malay - language feature film industry , are also readily available .
i got the idea for the show - within - a - show from the series finale of the us sitcom cheers , which i saw in america in 1993 .
loving it here : romantic comedy perfect rivals features a mainly singapore cast working in malaysia . singaporean movie directors are in favour of shootingtheir films in malaysia , citing lower costs , availability of experienced film crew , and above all , this country being a filmmaker’s paradise of locations .
but the 2000 president star charity featuring the first pck musical was well - received .
the “singapore” on the screen , on closer inspection , has a slightly off - kilter feel : the apartment blocks do not look quite right and neither do the streets .
but what really impressed me about the latest episode was the segment involving local food .
' ice - cream sandwich ' on the amazing race : the pck . . .