12 Million Reasons to Love my Satio

Hmm, the picture has been deleted.  Must investigate one day...

Exclusive: Toy Story 3's European Premiere Will Be At EIFF 2010!

That's right, and you really did read it here first!  The 64th Edinburgh International Film Festival host the European Première of Toy Story 3, most likely on the afternoon of Saturday 19th June, 2010.  Where did I get my red-hot exclusive from you ask?  My brain.  In 2008 the UK premiere of Wall.E was 24 hours after the American launch on a Saturday afternoon and about a month before the launch in the rest of the UK.  Taking a quick peek over at IMDB we see the global launch of Toy Story 3 is 16th - 18th June with the UK release set for five weeks later on 23rd July.  You don't have to be a genius, although I may very well be, it's just not required.  Now there is just the small matter of waiting 7 months until the EIFF box office opens.  Oh yeah, that and negotiating with Pixar / Disney to get the rights to scoop the rest of Europe (excluding Cannes) to make this happen (but this is really a small detail isn't it).  Remember you read it here first and remember that you've got a friend in me...

The Top Comedy Award - You Are Having A Laugh!

With baited breath, I waited well past 12pm for the first nominees under the new name, the Eddies (or Nica Burns presents the 29th Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2009).  What came through was comedy of such a level that I feel naughty for not buying a ticket to read it!  First off, Rhod Gilbert is not on the list and clearly is disqualified for being a star ("regularly selling out 500+ seat venue based on their name alone", i.e. three extra shows filled up the 700 seat Grand in less than a week).  So this should be a battle between the Pajama Men and Dan Antopolski, plus a few other interesting names...  But it's not.  First off, the lack of Pajama Men *and* Dan Antopolski is outrageous.  Yes they have both been around for a while but I am not aware of any regulations that would rule out either of them.  Dan has won Best One Liner of the Festival and Pajama Men scoped the top award in Melbourne for last year's show (Versus vs Versus) whilst this year's show is a lot better (and nearly perfect).  As I mention earlier, it seems like the panel just do not like agreeing in anyway with the Melbourne nominees (and I'm not counting Kristen Schaal last year as she co-won in Oz for her solo show and was nominated in Edinburgh for a double act play).  Needless to say Celia Pacquloa doesn't get a look in as a newcomer, although she was invited to play at Edinburgh so maybe that rules her out.

So who does make the list?  Tom Wrigglesworth (called it) and Jon Richardson (not a surprise but I though he might be eaked out) are both there plus four others (it's a six entry shortlist this year, making up for the shortened four entries last year).  With six spaces any sane person would imagine Andrew Lawrence and probably Wehn & Kuhnle being in with a good shout of being on the list.  Well you'd be a fool!  John Bishop and perennial nominee Russell Kane both get nods a while both did good shows they weren't brilliant.  Neither of these shows can hold a candle to any of the aforementioned acts and it is quite a shock for them to be on the list with the presence of such competition.  The final two are Idiots of Ants (a sketch group, I guessed Adam Riches's show Rogue Males instead but you would expect a show like this) and Tim Key (a deadpan poet).  The one positive is that everyone is a relative unknown so a star will be made (I was kind of hoping that Rhod would no longer be eligible as he is practically meteoric right now).  The smart money will be on the smart material, Jon Richardson to follow up his newcomer nomination from  two years ago to scoop the top award.  You read it here first!

The first Edinburgh Comedy Award (Eddies 2009) Nominees are out!

The first Edinburgh Comedy Award Nominees are out!  Okay, for first 25 years it was the Perrier Awards, followed by 3 years as the IF.com Eddy Awards, but now we are just going to refer to them as the Eddies.  My sure-fire shortlist is as follows: 
• Rhod Gilbert - And The Cat That Looked Like Nicholas Lyndhurst (unless he is now deemed a Star by selling out the 700 seat Grand for three nights);
• Pajama Men - The Last Stand To Reason;
• Dan Antopolski - Silent But Deadly;
• Wehn & Kuhnle - German Humour Goes Global.

My list is lacking a fifth which could be either Tom Wrigglesworth or Adam Riches's Rogue Males, based on the reviews they have been getting.  Due to the dates I've booked for them I'll only find out what they are like after the actual winner has been announced - it could be quite interesting!  Andrew Lawrence is in with a shout but not Paul Sinha (not least of all because his show is not 80% new material).

The only newcomer I'm really aware of is Celia Pacquola and after going down a storm in Melbourne and winning The Age's Critics' Award she has to be a strong candidate (althought over the last few years both Sammy J & Heath McIvor and Lawrence Leung were over looked for the awards despite being brilliant and winning the aforementioned award).

How did I do?  I'll update this after lunch when the official nominees are out...