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People who stand up for their pride against domineering leaders are heroes that all working class citizens can relate to, no matter when those seeming rebels initially fought for their rights. That’s certainly true of actor Karl Howman’s protagonist of Jacko in the classic British sitcom, ‘Brush Strokes,’ which is set in south London. The […]

The post Jacko Takes Elmo to a Casino to Help Him Find Love on Brush Strokes appeared first on Shockya.com.

Franco Rosso's Babylon star Brinsley Forde with Ed Bahlman and Dennis Bovell at Bam: "Let's be honest, a film like that had never been done before. We had The Harder They Come, the films from Jamaica, but nothing from the UK." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

At the Brooklyn Academy of Music before the Us theatrical première of Babylon at BAMcinématek, Brinsley Forde spoke with me about the cast, which includes Trevor Laird, Brian Bovell, Archie Pool, Victor Romero Evans, Stefan Kalipha, Cosmo Laidlaw, Cynthia Powell, T. Bone Wilson, David N. Haynes, Mark Monero, Karl Howman, and Jah Shaka, and the film "presenting a life that the people who were in the movie, extras and all, were totally aware of."

Franco Rosso's powerful feature, with the camerawork of Chris Menges and a score by Dennis Bovell, takes you upfront into a world of survival that remains relevant today. Brinsley brings...

Karl Howman has joined 'EastEnders'. The former 'Brush Strokes' actor has been snapped up by bosses on the popular BBC soap to play an East End thug. The 61-year-old will appear as a shaven-headed hardman, who is set to take on resident Walford tough guy Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden). Expected to hit screens in November, Karl has hinted that his character will be causing some trouble among Albert Square's current residents. The 80s sitcom star - who also appeared as the title character in the BBC situation comedy 'Mulberry' - said: ''It is an honour to have joined such an iconic show...

Karl Howman has joined 'EastEnders'. The former 'Brush Strokes' actor has been snapped up by bosses on the popular BBC soap to play an East End thug. The 61-year-old will appear as a shaven-headed hardman, who is set to take on resident Walford tough guy Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden). Expected to hit screens in November, Karl has hinted that his character will be causing some trouble among Albert Square's current residents. The 80s sitcom star - who also appeared as the title character in the BBC situation comedy 'Mulberry' - said: ''It is an honour to have joined such an iconic show...

It's a tough ol' time for the UK sitcom right now - even TV veterans can't seem to crack the genre of late. Ben Elton - he of Blackadder and The Young Ones fame - just spewed out the critically-mauled The Wright Way for BBC One, while over on ITV, luminaries of stage and screen Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Derek Jacobi are about to indulge in the dubious pleasures of Vicious - a catty comedy that feels like it was heading for 1974 and somehow got lost along the way.

The sitcom has always been a tough nut to crack, of course - this country has produced some absolute classics, but also some absolute stinkers. This week's Friday Fiver is all about the misfires, the failures, the disasters.

Heard the phrase "So bad it's good"? Well, this bunch of 'comedies' were just plain bad.

All About Me - aired on BBC One,...

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (12A)

(Apitchatpong Weerasethakul, 2010, Thai/UK/Fra/Spa/Ger/Neth) Thanapat Saisaymar, Jenjira Pongpas, Sakda Kaewbuadee. 113 mins

Not for nothing was this dubbed "Uncle bong hit" when it took the top prize at Cannes this year. With its non-linear plot and fantastical elements – ghosts, ape-men, talking catfish, etc – woven into a story of a dying farmer in modern-day Thailand, it sounds like a far-out 1960s head-trip. But in reality (if that's the right word), it's a calm, sensual, captivating daydream of a movie that wears its weirdness without affectation. It makes the world feel like a rich and mysterious place. More of a natural high, then.

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part I (12A)

(David Yates, 2010, UK/Us) Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint. 146 mins

Given the choice between giving their audience a treat and milking them as much as possible,...

Ray Winstone lends his weight to this drama about widower whose daughter leaves home – but it's all a bit underdeveloped

Ray Winstone is an honest and well-intentioned presence in this slightly odd-looking drama, co-written and co-directed by Ethem Cetintas and actor-turned-film-maker Karl Howman. Winstone plays Frank, a provincial solicitor who has been devoted to his daughter Helen (Lois Winstone, Ray's daughter) since his wife died; when Helen leaves home for college, poor lonely Frank suffers from empty-nest syndrome. His life is then turned upside down by some dramatic news: Frank finds that he did not understand Helen as well as he thought. At just 76 minutes, it feels as if the film isn't quite long enough to say all it wants to: it seems like a very personal project for both Winstone and Howman, filled with interesting but unfinished and undeveloped dramatic ideas.

Rating: 2/5

Ray WinstoneDramaPeter Bradshaw

guardian.co.uk © Guardian...

Trailer and clips for Babylon, directed by Franco Rosso (Dread Beat an' Blood), co-written (with Rosso) by Martin Stellman (Quadrophenia; Defence Of The Realm; For Queen And Country), photographed by two-time Oscar winner Chris Menges (The Mission; The Killing Fields) and starring celebrated reggae star and Aswad frontman Brinsley Forde (Here Come The Double Deckers), Karl Howman (Brush Strokes; Mulberry) and Trevor Laird (Doctor Who; Quadrophenia).

The film is available on DVD from Italian distributor Raro Video and UK based Icon Home Entertainment.

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tags: cult film, reggae...

One of the most highly regarded cult British films of the 1980s, Babylon comes to DVD for the first time ever in the UK this October courtesy of Icon Home Entertainment, boasting fully restored and remastered image and audio (personally overseen by Chris Menges) plus Audio Commentaries, Interviews and feature on the restoration.

Directed by Franco Rosso (Dread Beat an' Blood), co-written (with Rosso) by Martin Stellman (Quadrophenia; Defence Of The Realm; For Queen And Country), photographed by two-time Oscar winner Chris Menges (The Mission; The Killing Fields) and starring celebrated reggae star and Aswad frontman Brinsley Forde (Here Come The Double Deckers), Karl Howman (Brush Strokes; Mulberry) and Trevor Laird (Doctor Who; Quadrophenia), Babylon is a raw and incendiary film employing an effective mix of music and social commentary to recount the everyday experiences of a small group of working class black youths living in South London in the early 1980s.