Tuesday, May 29, 2012

One-Eyed View Of The Universe

They're back again, and back in time - just in time to save mankind!
Men In Black 3 stars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones - and keep an eye out for one-eyed villain Boris The Animal. You can't miss him but you may have difficulty identifying the actor: he's NZer Jemaine Clement, of the musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords (with some extra muscle, a full beard and 4hrs of makeup daily)!
As Boris, his biggest Hollywood role, he's already getting great reviews. New York Times calls him "a great and eccentric comic talent who's improved every Hollywood movie he's appeared in". Boris "is played with thunderous mock pomposity". Hollywood Reporter says he's "full-tilt ferocious, leaving fans to add their own ironic comedy to his performance".
His Conchords sidekick Bret McKenzie won an Oscar last year (for his original song Man or Muppet in The Muppets film): don't be surprised if Clement is nominated next time.
Back home, Conchords' first NZ tour begins next month - ticket sales so high that new venues were added, incl. Auckland's 12K-seat Vector Arena. Then a July Oz tour: Sydney Opera House is sold out!
Clement is keen to make a Conchords feature film, and also a vampire comedy set in Wellington, so he's looking for funding. After the way his country ignored him when he first sought support for Conchords, it's well past time to make amends. (NZ tv didn't wanna know, so the Conchords went to American cable channel HBO...and the rest is history! The duo win a Grammy for best comedy album and played LA's 17K Hollywood Bowl and London's 12.5K Wembley Arena. And remember their comedy hit Business Time? [link] )
NZ On Air and our govt fund far less worthy projects. How about backing some real talent?

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