Sunday, 2 December 2007
Sunday Times: Ten Bad Dates is 'Showbiz Book of the Year'!
posted @12:41 p.m. by Richard Kelly
Possibly our sweetest accolade to date comes via Catherine Shoard in the Sunday Times annual round-up of film/entertainment books, wherein TBD places top with the following citation: "In an age where the top 10 list is the time-pressed journo’s best friend, Richard T Kelly has turned its flippancy into a virtue. Ten Bad Dates with De Niro is a compendium, by some of Britain’s snarkiest critics, of alternative movie countdowns – and the more absurdly specific the better. Highlights include Anne Billson’s Ten Places You Wouldn’t Expect to Find a Severed Head and Tim Robey’s Ten Mighty Apoplexies of Pacino – a rundown of the best “Shouty Al” scenes (number one: the antiGod rant from The Devil’s Advocate). The most popular films mentioned, for the real list-heads among you, seem to be The Godfather, followed, less predictably, by The Fly, which turns up in Best Mad Movie Scientist, Most Memorable Meal, Best Remake That Improves Upon the Original and Ten Wince-Making Instances of Finger/Toe Abuse."
Saturday, 24 November 2007
'Telegraph' Confirms: Ten Bad Dates Ideal Xmas Prezzie
posted @1:37 p.m. by Richard Kelly
The following from today's Telegraph speaks for itself, happily. The writer, Sameer Rahim, has made an interesting selection from the Walken list...
"Ten Bad Dates with De Niro: a Book of Alternative Movie Lists ed. Richard T Kelly 458pp, Faber & Faber, £12.99, T £10.99
This would make an excellent present for film lovers, or anyone who claims to be one. The editor has asked various people - from filmmakers such as the Coen brothers, Steven Soderbergh and Mike Figgis to buffs such as Ryan Gilbey, DBC Pierre and our very own Tim Robey - to compile quirky movie lists.
We have "Top 10 Films it's Painful to Like" (Love Actually triumphs); "Top 10 Thespian Turns in Drag" (surely Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie should have been higher than fourth?); and, my favourite, "Top 10 Lines by Christopher Walken".
From The Comfort of Strangers (adapted by Harold Pinter from Ian McEwan's novel): "I respect you as an Englishman, but not if you're a… Communist poof. You're not a poof, are you?""
Saturday, 24 November 2007
'Guardian' Confirms: Ten Bad Dates is Funny...
posted @10:58 a.m. by Richard Kelly
Well, we made it into today's Guardian round-up of the best Humour titles for Christmas, and I'm more than happy to be Humourous. Carrie O'Grady writes: ""List books" make a strong showing this year; half a dozen attractive hardbacks manage to be amusing and informative. Faber's meaty Ten Bad Dates With De Niro (£12.99) is endlessly dip-into-able. Its offbeat, detailed top-10s are all the better for being written by some of our wackier stars: the Coen brothers, Steven Soderbergh and DBC Pierre all chip in."
Wednesday, 7 November 2007
Sight & Sound, index-linked
posted @12:27 p.m. by Richard Kelly
Some kind words for Ten Bad Dates in the December 2007 Sight & Sound, reviewer Michael Brooke speaking of "Kelly's delectable volume" - the first time that adjective has been applied to anything associated with your humble correspondent.
Mr Brooke also proposes a list of 'Otherwise Outstanding Film Books Mildly Hamstrung by Their Lack of a Decent Index.' You want to know what I say to that...?
