The Couch Potato Report – January 12th, 2007
This week The Couch Potato Report shines the spotlight on some extras, THE illusionist and a night listener.
Back in 2001 Ricky Gervais and Steven Merchant created the BBC series THE OFFICE about a group of paper merchants in a bleak British industrial town.
Gervais also played David Brent, a man who isn’t, but thinks he’s the coolest, funniest, and most popular boss ever.
Meanwhile, Tim longs for Dawn – the engaged receptionist – and he keeps himself sane by playing childish practical jokes on his super serious co-worker Gareth.
THE OFFICE is one of the most enjoyable television series ever created and now Gervais and Merchant have followed up their success with another tremendously enjoyable piece of comedy – a show called EXTRAS
EXTRAS is about Andy Millman, Actor. The man never forgets his lines, because he is just an extra, one of the people you see milling about behind your favourite stars in movies and TV shows.
Andy has considered himself an actor for five years but thanks to his useless agent he hasn’t actually done any real acting.
Ricky Gervais plays Andy and if you enjoyed the uncomfortable silence in THE OFFICE, you will love EXTRAS.
Steven Merchant appears as the agent, and every scene between the two is absolutely priceless!!
EXTRAS also features self-mocking guest appearances by some of Hollywood’s biggest names including Ben Stiller, Kate Winslet, Samuel L. Jackson and STAR TREK’S Patrick Stewart
EXTRAS is a superb show to watch and the Special Features on the DVD make it moreso.
There are behind-the-scenes featurettes and over 20 minutes of deleted scenes and outtakes.
I especially enjoyed watching the outtakes because you get to see how much fun Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant had while they were making the show.
That fun translates on screen and EXTRAS is all the better for it. You don’t have to like THE OFFICE to enjoy EXTRAS…in fact, in many ways EXTRAS is a more accessible show.
But if you like to laugh, the show’s name once again is EXTRAS. I recommend that you check it out!!
Up next this week is THE ILLUSIONIST.
THE ILLUSIONIST stars Edward Norton from THE ITALIAN JOB and FIGHT CLUB as a magician who returns to his home in Vienna after making a name for himself while performing around the world.
Once he gets back, he is re-ntroduced to his childhood sweatheart.
However, his sweatheart is now a duchess who is set to be engaged to Crown Prince Leopold, future ruler of the Austria-Hungarian Empire and Leopold is not as taken with the magician as his potential bride, so he sends his police inspector to check things out.
THE ILLUSIONIST has some interesting twists and turns, and comes complete with romance, suspense, and enough action and magic to keep almost everyone happy.
I completely enjoyed it!
The very enjoyable THE ILLUSIONIST is now available on DVD, alongside the superbly entertaining EXTRAS, from the creators of THE OFFICE.
Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report
Robin Williams stars in THE NIGHT LISTENER as a radio announcer who begins communicating with his biggest fan, but when questions about the fans identity come up, the host’s life is thrown into chaos.
Also next week, the action film CRANK, the absolutely awful THE LADY IN THE WATER and the Hollywood murder mystery THE BLACK DAHLIA.
I’m Dan Reynish. I’ll have more on those, and some other releases, in seven days.
For now, that’s this week’s COUCH POTATO REPORT.
Enjoy the movies and I’ll see you back here next time on The Couch!
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