Celebrated writer ben elton talks about colourful career and. A badboy hollywood director is terrorized by a pair of mass murderers inspired by his violent films, in this tepid satire from british playwright and first novelist elton. Benjamin charles elton born 3 may 1959 is a british comedian, author, playwright, musical librettist, actor and director. Benjamin charles elton born 3 may 1959 is an english writer, director and. Ben elton is a british comedian, writer, playwright, actor and director. Sep 14, 2019 ben elton live 2019 more than 30 years ago, ben elton exploded into the national consciousness hosting channel 4s ground breaking saturday live. The action, apart from a brief interlude at the oscar ceremony for bruces bombastic acceptance speech i stand here on legs of fire. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. I dont think the title has a very deep meaning, popcorn just stand for movie, just like the mtv movie awards looks like a big beaker of filled with popcorn. Formerly the smug git in a shiny suit, ben elton has. He also cowrote the young ones with rik mayall and lise meyer, and was solo writer on filthy, rich and catflap and the now largelyforgotten sketch show alfresco. That, simply put, is the premise for ben eltons play popcorn. Anyway ben elton is always a good read although i find you can get too much of him.
The whole backbone of the book is the discussion of whether violence in movies propogates violence in real life. Popcorn, so far, is a obtuse parody of the hollywood ultra violent movies the tarantinoesque scenes remind me of many film that could be out in the genre. Editions of popcorn by ben elton goodreads share book. He was the writer of the series such as the young ones, blackadder and was a part of londons alternative comedy movement of the 1980s. Ben elton author ben eltons multiaward winning career as both performer and writer encompasses some of the most memorable and incisive comedy of the past thirtyfive years. In godalming grammar school young elton participated in amateur dramatics and wrote his first play when he was fifteen years old. Oct 07, 2009 scenes from tiny house productions version of popcorn by ben elton. Below is a list of ben eltons books in order of when they were originally released.
Ben elton, of all people, puts us right on screen violence, headlined the london evening standard, prompting the articles author, the novelist a n wilson, to drop elton an apologetic note. Apr 25, 2019 celebrated writer ben elton talks about colourful career and his latest book. Over the events of the book christine is murdered by the serial killer, newson. The book, though quite funny and extremely readable, is not at heart a novel at all but a collection of standup material, dinner party arguments and anecdotes strung. Ben eltons multiaward winning career as both performer and writer encompasses some of the most memorable and incisive comedy of the past thirtyfive years. The beautiful game, the longawaited collaboration between andrew lloyd webber and playwrightcomediannovelist ben elton, will receive its world premiere on sept. Dec 07, 2018 ben elton to return to standup with a huge 2019 tour that includes nottingham heres how to get tickets. This was directed by nadia tass and filmed in australia.
Ben elton is a british author, comedian, director and playwright. Ben elton bruce dalamitri makes cool films about killers. Popcorn by ben elton 11 editions first published in 1996 download daisy. Popcorn is a 1998 play by english author ben elton adapted from his novel of the same title. The youngest of four, he went to godalming grammar school, joined amateur dramatic societies and wrote his first play at 15. Nov 24, 2009 for amiable city trader jimmy corby money was the new rock n roll. Discover book depositorys huge selection of ben elton books online. Ben elton is a popular english comedian, actor, author, playwright, and director. Its oscar night, and bruce delamitri has just garnered best director accolades for his ironic masterpiece ordinary americans body count. The play version of the novel is used by the ieb independent education board in south africa as one of their postmodern setwork plays for dramatic arts. Accessible book, fiction, protected daisy, literature, drama, financial crises. Blind faith is another ben elton book where he takes a current idea and twists it into the worst direction he could. The first 2 thirds of the book were so exciting and dramatic and incredibly thoughtprovoking and ben elton is imo a master of suspense and ridiculously wellresearched information. He has written award winning tv series such as the young ones, blackadder, the man from auntie and the thin blue line.
The idea was of course extraordinary as with all ben s novels but the execution, i thought was surprisingly poor. The novel also has some pretty foul language so if you are opposed to that i do not recommend this book. Please expect some creasing to the spine andor minor damage to the cover. He was recently commissioned to write a screenplay of popcorn for warner brothers studios, who optioned the book for director joel schumacher. On the cover theres a drawing of a machinegun lying in a beaker of popcorn which could indicate the connection between movies and violence, fiction and reality. In addition to his hugely influential work as a standup comic, he was cowriter of tv hi. Joel schumacher has put aside gossip as his next directorial project and now will helm u.
Enjoy unlimited access and stay informed on what matters, wherever your day takes you. In addition to his hugely influential work as a standup comic, he was cowriter of tv hits the young ones and blackadder and sole creator of the thin blue line and upstart crow. After the entire class has presented their stories, each child is allowed to eat their popcorn treat. Ben elton was born on may 3, 1959 in london, england as benjamin charles elton. Ben elton was born on 3 may 1959, in catford, south london.
It was elton s first novel, and launched his writing career. Ben elton, author of the novel popcorn, was born in south london, and studied drama at manchester university. While in bit parts in his own tv series, he began professional film acting as cd in stark, the australianbbc tv series adaptation of his novel, in 1993. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership.
Publication date 1997 topics motion picture producers and directors, criminals. But jimmy was as lucky in love as he was at betting on dodgy derivatives, so instead of burning out, his star just burned brighter than ever. In addition to his hugely influential work as a standup comic, he is the writer of such tv hits as the young ones, blackadder and the thin blue line. Not only is popcorn a really enjoyable read, but the statements it makes about society even have the innocent, morally abiding americans feeling guilty, if for only a moment.
Rather than filling the childs bag with popcorn after the bag is complete on the first day wait, until the second day and fill each childs bag with popcorn before the presentations. In popcorn 1996 ben elton tries to juxtapose an oscar winning directors violent movie with the actions of a modern day. Popcorn by elton, ben and a great selection of related books. Elton lives in fremantle, australia near perth with his sophie and three children. Dispatched, from the uk, within 48 hours of ordering. He wanted to be a stagehand at the local theatre, but instead did alevel theatre studies and studied drama at manchester university in 1977. Scout and wayne in popcorn are obvious expies of mickey and mallory in natural born killers, the entire book being a satire of the moral panic over media violence.
Ben eltons popcorn is a play which works on the classic which came first the chicken or the egg syndrome that is to say do the movies merely reflect the violence in societyor do they in fact. But when, on oscar night, he has to face up to the real thing in the shape of psychotics wayne. Hugh laurie presents ben elton with a 1998 laurence olivier award for his west end comedy popcorn. He has also written three west end plays, several jukebox musicals including we. Jan 01, 1996 the whole backbone of the book is the discussion of whether violence in movies propogates violence in real life. Ben elton is a champion amongst the best and whole deal comedic creators and performers on the planet. We deliver the joy of reading in 100% recycled packaging with free standard shipping on u.
In popcorn 1996 ben elton tries to juxtapose an oscar winning directors violent movie with the actions of a modern day bonnie and clyde who are terrorising the country. Born may 3, 1959 in catford, south london, ben elton began life as a member of an upperclass academic family. Ben elton live 2019 more than 30 years ago, ben elton exploded into the national consciousness hosting channel 4s ground breaking saturday live. Ben elton, whose latest novel is a smartly plotted thriller, is happy to write middlebrow fiction. He started his career writing for the tv series the young ones with his friend from college rik mayall, a series on which he also made two appearances as host of nozin around and a contestant on university challenge. The dialogue and soppy main character bored me to tears in the first half of the book and if i had to hear about how much he m.
In popcorn 1996 ben elton tries to juxtapose an oscar winning directors violent movie with the. Blind faith is a superb dystopianfuturistic tale reminiscent of a black mirror type scenario. Ben elton, author of popcorn and dead famous returns to blistering comic satire with a savagely hilarious deconstruction of the world of modern television talent shows. Popcorn is a 1996 novel by the british writer ben elton. Ben eltons morally sticky popcorn provides a lot to chew on it is the morning after the oscars in ben eltons provocative play popcorn, from his hit novel. Im as scared as i get brian logan back on tour for the first time in 15 years, the trailblazing comedian has some scores to settle. His numerous television writing credits include the thin blue line, the blackadder, and the young ones. Digitizing sponsor internet archive contributor internet archive language english a thomas dunne book. Mar 27, 2014 5 mar 1989 the south bank show an itv arts documentary series which turned its spotlight onto ben elton for one edition, coinciding with the release of his first book stark.
The internet was supposed to liberate knowledge, but in fact it buried it, first under a vast sewer of ignorance, laziness, bigotry, superstition and filth and then beneath the cloak of. Popcorn, a novel from british sitcom writer ben elton blackadder, the young ones, is the satirical novel done 1990s style. If he hadnt met monica he would probably have ended up either dead or in rehab. Ben elton biography affair, married, wife, ethnicity, nationality, net worth, height married biography who is ben elton. Distance might lend more weight to ben eltons riffs, says jenny colgan. Chart throb has one winner and a whole bunch of losers.
Ben elton made his debut as a published author in 1984 with the nonfiction book bachelor boys. Popcorn 1996 van ben elton thin blue line, blackadder, the young ones, etc. I was doing routines about tampon poverty back in the 80s the comedy writer discusses. We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. Ben elton appeared in amateur dramatic productions as a youth, notably as the artful dodger in the musical oliver. Stark was reprinted 23 times in its first year, and ultimately sold well over a million copies, making elton one of a small number of novelists to sell more. Anyway, i think its a very good book, but i also think it has two sides, on one side it is very funny, its written in avery funny way, but when you think about it is also very serious, and even though the answer to the question. Sep 20, 2000 ben elton is a british comedian and author. Culture books ben elton on his new novel, identity crisis.
Ben eltonlloyd webber new musical opens in west end, sept. Popcorn book report beacon learning center lesson plans. Ben elton was born in south london, and studied drama a manchester university. Ben eltons career as both performer and writer encompasses some of the most memorable and incisive comedy of the past twenty years. Ben elton all the tropes wiki fandom powered by wikia. He led the british alternative comedy movement in the 1980s, as well as writing such infamous series as blackadder and the young ones. Ronnies contribution consisted of the same chair routines he did in the two ronnies, totally out of place in a show like this.
Elton has written three musicals, the beautiful game, we will rock you and. Ben elton was a central figure in the choice dramatization scene in britain in the 1980s, and his thriving has continued as he spread out onto the stage, the novel composed work, and musicals. But after all this, the last third of the book seemed to lose steam, almost as if he lost enthusiasm for it and was just looking for a way to wrap it up. Im only a of the way through but so far it is proving to be a great distraction on my bus ride to. His whole life was a party, adrenalin charged and cocaine fuelled. During the war his family had been forced to flee prague when hitler invaded. Now, after a 15 year absence, the godfather of modern standup returns to the medium he did so much to define. Kids think hes cool, and critics think hes a genius. Newcomers to eltons novels should start with the very funny and sharp popcorn. Ben eltons plays in one volume for the first timegasping. When notorious killers wayne and scout interrupt bruces passionate introduction to brooke daniels, a nude model and actress, they want more than an autograph from their. He was a part of londons alternative comedy movement of the 1980s and became a writer on series such as the young ones and blackadder, as well as continuing as a standup comedian on stage and television. Blind faith didnt do as well as eltons other books, partly because of criticism that its plot was too heavily borrowed from nineteen eightyfour.
Ben elton to return to standup with a huge 2019 tour that. Popcorn by ben elton is an international success, prevailing at number one for five weeks on londons sunday times bestseller list. Jul 01, 2003 the whole backbone of the book is the discussion of whether violence in movies propogates violence in real life. Ben eltons morally sticky popcorn provides a lot to chew. He makes hip, ultraviolent, postpostmodern movies that everybody wants to be in. Author ben eltons complete list of books and series in order, with the latest releases, covers. It shares themes with a number of movies from the mid1990s, most notably natural born killers by oliver stone and pulp fiction and reservoir dogs by quentin tarantino. It was commercially and critically successful in the united kingdom and australia. While it was a good idea and the story at times was gripping, at other times i became frustrated about how slowly the story was going and felt the betrayal was all a little simplistic.
Ben elton biography affair, married, wife, ethnicity. It is a book about the movies that indicts the movies, and that has every chance of being made into a movie. I bought this copy as a christmas present, however, i have read this book myself and it is my favourite of ben elton s books. His books are all very well written with different from the norm stories. Ben elton is an english writer, director and comedian who cowrote blackadder from its second season onward with richard curtis. Interiorset in the beverly hills home of oscar winning movie director bruce delamitri, popcorn is a satirical comedy thriller with the firepower of a hit squad. Popcorn is a riveting play that really nails the way in which society functions today.
Blanchett and hiddleston get sexual, there are chills in a glasgow tower block, matthew bourne takes on the starcrossed lovers, plus catherine tate, tim minchin and ben elton return to the road. He has written twelve major bestsellers, including stark, popcorn. Ben eltons morally sticky popcorn provides a lot to chew on. Michael gove made a complete arse of himself over blackadder, says the writer, responding at. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. Ben elton is a champion amongst the best and whole deal. The story is set in different places, it begins in a policeoffice where both bruce delamitri and scout are being questioned.