This Foreigner is a welcome visitor Nov 15, 2009
Its a little like a sitcom variation on Being There, the great Jerzy Kosinski story (and later Peter Sellers film) about a guileless gardener whose simple utterances, mistaken for profound wisdom, alter the lives of those around him. Charlies newfound mojo actually winds up saving at least one life (his own), although the kinds of mortal dangers that pop up in The Foreigner rank about a 2 on the spook meter. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Disney sets out to make 'The Passion for kids' Nov 5, 2009
Peter Sellers tried to cut his estranged fourth wife Lynne Frederick out of his multi-million-pound will, a newly discovered legal document suggests. The brewing company's new advert features a group of men braving the elements in a creative parallel to the famous surge and settle motion of a pint of Guinness. (Yahoo News -- 'The Passion of the Christ')
Shaun identity Nov 2, 2009
By listening to The Goon Show, he learned to discern the difference between what was scripted and what Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan had ad-libbed. Soon he discovered movies, persuading his father to drive him to the Capri Theatre for Saturday matinees, and using a reel-to-reel tape machine to record the soundtracks from films on the television so he could listen to them again before he went to bed. (The Age, Australia)
Daily television listings Oct 24, 2009
Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau. NR (1964). (Boston Globe)
TV legend Don Lane dead Oct 22, 2009
Celebrities, including Robin Williams, Billy Connolly, Dame Edna, Tony Curtis, Peter Sellers and Kiss all appeared on The Don Lane Show, which became must-see late night entertainment between 1975 and 1983. PJ Lane had been booked to sing at an Alzheimer's Australia charity concert at Toorak's Trak Centre tonight to honour his father. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Entertainer Don Lane dies Oct 22, 2009
Celebrities - including Robin Williams, Billy Connelly, Dame Edna, Tony Curtis, Peter Sellers and Kiss - all appeared on The Don Lane Show, which became must-see late-night entertainment between 1975 and 1983. He was a close friend of fellow entertainer Bert Newton and spoke to the ABC in 2003 about their on-screen chemistry. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
IFC show recalls ‘Monty Python’ heyday Oct 17, 2009
The Goon Show, the zany BBC radio series featuring Peter Sellers, left all the British members gobsmacked, as did Beyond the Fringe, the stage revue written by Peter Cook, Jonathan Miller, Dudley Moore, and Alan Bennett. The biggest influence on Gilliam was the humor magazine Help. (Boston Globe)
Political Insider Oct 8, 2009
Remember the Peter Sellers movie, Being There. The Oxendines appear to be modern day Chancey Gardners. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Metro)
Taking a shine to folk Sep 26, 2009
Thus Peter Sellers was allowed to do his interview as a German soldier; John Lennon was able to insist that Parkinson ask any questions about the Beatles from inside a sack. He pulled it over my head and you see this animated sack talking to Lennon. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Forget Harold and Maude Sep 23, 2009
Being There stars Peter Sellers as Chance, an unlikely figure who has spent several isolated decades within the walls of a large private house, tending a garden and watching television. When the owner of the house dies, he is evicted by the estate's executors. (Slate)
Bardot and Loren still sex goddesses at 75... Sep 21, 2009
Playing alongside stars such as Clark Gable, Peter Sellers, John Wayne and Frank Sinatra, she scooped an Oscar for "Two Women" in 1962 and a second in 1991 honouring her entire career. Amid her 90-odd films -- she plans a biopic on her own life in which she will play her mother -- she co-starred in 13 with fellow Italian Marcello Mastroiani, probably her best-known partner. (The Drudge Report)
MTV To Develop U.S. Version of British Hit 'Skins' Aug 25, 2009
Established in 1998 television production highlights include Generation Kill (HBO: 11 Emmy nominations), Skins created by Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain (E4: Bafta Audience Award, Best Drama Series at the Broadcast Awards), Shameless (Channel 4: winner Best Series at the Baftas, Broadcast Awards, The Indie Awards and RTS Awards), Elizabeth 1 (Channel 4 and HBO: nine emmys, three golden globes and a Peabody Award), The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (HBO: winner two Golden Globe Awards for Best... (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Dr. Strangelove Aug 21, 2009
Main Actors: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Slim Pickens ... In it, the president (Peter Sellers) and the Soviet premier bicker over the phone like ladies in a powder room, as if the impending disaster still seems hypothetical ... Peter Sellers distinguishes himself in three choice roles, but its George C. Scott who steals the show as General Buck Turgidson. (New York Post -- Entertainment)
Funny People Jul 31, 2009
Ira lives with two other up-and-coming comedians, Leo and Mark (Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman) in an apartment plastered with posters of Rodney Dangerfield and Peter Sellers. Mark, who's just landed the lead in an awful sitcom called Yo, Teach. (Slate)
Sacha Baron Cohen: It's so sad, but I have to kill off BRUNO... Jul 19, 2009
And Peter Sellers was always an inspiration to me I think I was seven when I first saw him as Inspector Clouseau, and I still remember how hilarious it was. Then, as I grew older and started seeing more of his films, I began to appreciate how amazing he really was. (The Drudge Report)
Brüno's Sacha Baron Cohen: More Than a Comedian Jul 9, 2009
He's a great fan of Peter Sellers, and one Sellers role in particular hovers over everything Baron Cohen does Chance the Gardener, the blank slate in Being There who provokes all those around him to expose themselves in some way. And then there's the other comic who was routinely described as a performance artist: Andy Kaufman. (Time.com)
Time to face the music Jul 7, 2009
"I guess I have no formal mentors as such," Davey mused, "but, like the Chauncey Gardiner character in the Peter Sellers movie, Being There, I like to watch." Oh, yes. "That is, I'm a keen observer of business and business people generally, and pick up ideas about what works, and what doesn't, from those observations.". (Sydney Morning Herald -- Business)
Daniel Day-Lewis Dishes About His Clooney Kiss At The Oscars Jul 5, 2009
" Backstage, the actress even serenaded the press room with a few breathy, touching lines from a Piaf classic. The first person to ever win an acting Oscar with a French-language performance, she explained that she used to watch the awards when she was young and often dreamt of joining the world's biggest stars. "I'm a very big fan of Peter Sellers," she grinned. "I wanted to marry him when I was a child. " Academy voters were also happy to slurp up Daniel Day-Lewis' milkshake, surprising no one... (Yahoo News -- Academy Awards)
Outing for restored comedy films Jun 16, 2009
Rare films featuring early performances from comedians like Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan are being restored by the British Film Institute (BFI). The 30 reels of film donated to the BFI National Archive had lain in a north London garage for more than 50 years. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Been and gone Jun 2, 2009
was responsible for more than thirty novels and screenplays but his finest creation was undoubtedly the communist shop steward, Fred Kite, who was given life by Peter Sellers in the film, I'm All Right Jack. Kite, whose mangled English seemed to epitomise a whole generation of trades union speak, dreams of reversing the tide of post war consumerism and building a socialist utopia. (BBC News -- UK)
Minis make owners proud May 26, 2009
It is truly a car that is much loved by many including celebrities of the 60s like Peter Sellers, Sir Cliff Richard and members of The Beatles. Recently, some 83 Mini owners from Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Kuala Terengganu, Kuantan, Sungai Petani and Malacca converged at Seong Yeong Motor Sdn Bhds car lot in Pringgit Jaya for the Second Mini Lovers Gathering. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Abortion movie sweeps UK awards May 23, 2009
Also nominated: Paddy Considine - Dead Man's ShoesGeoffrey Rush - The Life and Death of Peter SellersDaniel Craig - Enduring LoveIan Hart - Blind Flight ... Also nominated: Shane Meadows and Paddy Considine - Dead Man's ShoesPaul Laverty - Ae Fond KissMike Leigh - Vera DrakeChristopher Markus and Stephen McFeely - The Life and Death Of Peter Sellers. (Yahoo News -- Film Awards)
'Night At The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian': Full House, By Kurt Loder May 23, 2009
Briefly, a lisping Smithsonian pharaoh called Kahmunrah (Azaria, brilliantly channeling Boris Karloff), is determined to find the misplaced Tablet and use it to "unlock the gates of the Underworld." To assist him in this nefarious mission, he has recruited a wildly unlikely crew of historical henchmen: Ivan the Terrible (reliably deadpan Christopher Guest), Napoleon (Alain Chabat, approximating Peter Sellers) and Al Capone (Jon Bernthal, hulking through the film in glorious black-and-white).... (VHI.com -- Music News)
Billy Baxter Presents Diary Of The Cannes Film Festival With Rex Reed May 16, 2009
Sat May 16, 3:01 am ET. Billy Baxter parlayed the 62nd Cannes Film Festival start-date for maximum publicity impact. (Yahoo News -- Press Releases)
Get your damn dirty hands off these franchises! May 9, 2009
Dishonorable mentionThe Pink Panther movies with Steve Martin earn a spot in the Reboot Hall of Shame for neutering Peter Sellers classic films and loading them with childish pratfalls and silly, dated comedy bits. advertisement. (MSNBC -- News)
Revenge of the nerd...in the nicest possible way May 3, 2009
" When they got home his father dug out some of his comedy LPs. He remembers the first one, too: My Father, the Nut, by Alan Sherman. Then there was Bill Cosby and Peter Sellers. Hills wanted to be a vet at first and later a journalist and studied mass communications at Macquarie University. "I don't think there's too much difference between journalism and stand-up. It's reporting on the world as you see it. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
YouTube to stream films Apr 18, 2009
Ursula Andress and Peter Sellers starred in Casino Royale. Hollywood films like Cliffhanger and the 1967 version of Casino Royale are available on YouTube after the company announced a partnership with Sony. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Liza Minnelli's triumph of the will Mar 28, 2009
She was also engaged to Peter Sellers. Surely you can't take that many rides on the bridal express and still expect to end up in a mythical land called Happily Ever After. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
Birthday beat Mar 28, 2009
e.e. cummings, John F. Kennedy, Margaret Atwood, Yo-Yo Ma, Peter Sellers, and Franklin Roosevelt all walked the street, Parks wrote, and "by changing its name, you change their history, as well." The Cambridge Historical Commission agreed, asking the city to simply commemorate Plympton Street between Mass. Avenue and Bow Street in Halberstam's name. (Boston Globe)
* OTHER RELEASES Mar 27, 2009
Peter Sellers fans are advised to hire the old DVDs. The Unborn. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Sports)
Letters to Sunday Datebook Mar 16, 2009
But I strongly disagree with attributing Peter Sellers' not getting the Oscar to the gag reel (even though Sellers believed that). To me, the outtakes reinforced what an incredibly hard, and great, acting job it was to be so deadpan throughout the movie. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Seth Rogen to pose in 'Playboy' Feb 20, 2009
Other men to have graced the cover of the adult publication include Peter Sellers, Steve Martin, Jerry Seinfeld and Burt Reynolds. Meanwhile Playboy's risque reputation was tarnished this week when a former Playmate of the Year, Sara Jean Underwood, claimed the magazine's founder Hugh Hefner - who is renowned for having several live-in lovers - imposes strict rules on his girlfriends. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
GRANDCHILD LIKED HIS 'BEING THERE' Feb 17, 2009
For Melvyn Douglas, it led through World War II Burma (now Myanmar) where he met a young British comedian named Peter Sellers. Douglas, famed at the time as the dapper star of Hollywood comedies such as "Ninotchka" (1939) with Greta Garbo, was entertaining troops. (New York Post -- Entertainment)
Best guess: Oscar predictions Feb 16, 2009
In other movie news, Delfin Vigil offers interviews with Clive Owen, about his new action thriller "The International" (Page 20); and with Illeana Douglas, who reminisces about her grandfather Melvyn Douglas' Oscar-winning role in "Being There" on the 30th anniversary of the Peter Sellers classic, which has just been released in a deluxe edition DVD (Page 24). Also, with the release of the gang documentary "Crips and Bloods: Made in America," Peter Hartlaub checks in with a piece about gangs... (San Francisco Chronicle)
Chris Brown's father says singer "remorseful" Feb 16, 2009
"I have received bad reviews my whole life," Martin said as he presented "Pink Panther 2" at the Berlin film festival, his second turn as bungling French detective Inspector Jacques Clouseau, a role made famous by Peter Sellers. Peter Gabriel spurns Oscars over downsized set. (Washington Post)
A Personal Connection Feb 15, 2009
As a teenager in the late '70s, Illeana remembers visiting the "Being There" set and meeting her favorite actor, Peter Sellers, and she remembers that even then there was an energy of anticipating something special about the film ... The guy (renting it out) goes, "Oh, I don't know. Some old director from the '70s. Hal somebody." My heart started pounding, and I was like, "Hal Ashby?" Turns out it was the house where Hal Ashby had seen Peter Sellers walking by the beach ... A: As a kid, I loved... (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
Vindicating Katherine Hepburn Feb 13, 2009
Time and again, the rich and powerful read metaphorical wisdom into the commonplace utterances of the mentally slow Chance the Gardener (Peter Sellers). On the Blu-ray disc, actress Illeana Douglas reminisces about her grandfather Melvyn Douglas, who won an Oscar for playing the power broker who befriends Chance. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
New on DVD: 'Being There,' 'Frozen River' and 'W.' Feb 13, 2009
Back story: The capper for director Hal Ashby's great '70s streak boasts brilliant, Oscar-nominated Peter Sellers in his penultimate role; Oscar-winning Melvyn Douglas; and Shirley MacLaine as a great Sellers foil. And though it's easy to overlook amid the satire, this adaptation of Jerzy Kosinski's novel is a shadow-and-light field day for cinematographer Caleb Deschanel. (USA Today -- Life)
'Pink Panther 2,' 2 stars Feb 8, 2009
Yet here's Martin, back again as Jacques Clouseau, the bumbling French detective immortalized in his original incarnation by Peter Sellers, in a really stupid movie. But it's willfully stupid. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
[U.K.] DAILY MAIL Feb 8, 2009
Monday, Feb 09 2009 Top Story. Jacqui Smith has pocketed more than 116,000 of taxpayers' money for a second home while lodging with her sister. (The Drudge Report)
Steve Martin: The sophisticated dilettante Feb 8, 2009
In Pink Panther 2, Martin returns to the role of the bumbling French detective made famous by Peter Sellers. Though The Pink Panther the 2006 version with Martin in it didn't get much love from critics, families embraced it enough to make it a modest box-office success and spurn a green light for its sequel. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
The bumbling inspector is back, in a clumsy sequel Feb 8, 2009
Respectable comedies with a modicum of sophistication, they were anchored by the presence of Peter Sellers, a comic genius whose every tic suggested an upheaval of subversive mischief. Multimedia. (International Herald Tribune -- Arts)
'Pink Panther 2' stumbles, bumbles and bores Feb 8, 2009
Steve Martin reprises his reprise of Peter Sellers' bumbling but resourceful Inspector Clouseau. Though Martin has a couple of funny physical gags, he doesn't measure up to Sellers' singular comic genius. (USA Today -- Life)
The Pink Panther 2 Feb 8, 2009
But whereas the original Blake Edwards/Peter Sellers films where able to elevate Clouseau's caricatured idiocy to near-genius levels of insanity, Martin and his team of hired hands just can't make it happen. Much of the blame falls in Martin's lap, but the more kid-friendly nature of these modern Pink Panther films must also be mentioned. (IGN FilmForce)
"Pink Panther 2" Feb 7, 2009
Though Martin retains Clouseau's iconic scorched-earth comic persona and even re-creates some of the character's most memorable disasters, he strips him of the oddball genius and worldly savoir-faire of the original star, Peter Sellers. Martin's chief skill seems to be an ability to withstand a torrent of physical abuse. (Salon)
Pink Panther 2 is a total waste of time Feb 7, 2009
And while the vintage Panther movies were never known for their unpredictability, at least Peter Sellers was always delivering the laughs. Martin cant come close to the original when it comes to hauteur or a silly French accent, and its painful watching him try. (MSNBC -- Movies)
Inspector Clouseau is handed the case of the missing point Feb 7, 2009
Martin is a completely different kind of performer from Peter Sellers, who originated the role, yet Inspector Clouseau hasn't changed at all. The part no longer really works. (The Star-Ledger - NJ.com)
