You can tell because all the film trailers you see on TV are about people talking with few explosions.
Because apparently the people given the job of choosing the Oscars don't really go to the movies the rest of the year round and are likely to forget anything that came out pre-December.
With that in mind it's time for the highly anticipated* Dan Vine Awards Blog.
*The one person I told about this said "oh, are you still doing that?"
I want to just mention a notable exemption from my awards. I will not be mentioning the film Boyhood despite it being up for many awards. Famously Richard Linklater filmed the movie over the course of 12 years. As someone who also puts things off till the last minute at work, I don't think that should be rewarded.
Film of the Year
Nominees - The Imitation Game Benedict Cumberbatch plays war hero Alan Turing who built a machine that saved hundreds of lives, despite everyone saying "it can't be done Benedict. You're being weird Benedict." But then politics, secrets and his homosexuality make things a bit morally, ethically and emotionally complicated. It's a war film with no shooting or Americans turning up to claim the credit and worth seeing
The Grand Budapest Hotel Typical Wes Anderson, quirky design and direction. Ralph Finnes (Harry Potter's old enemy and James Bond's new boss, so don't let them tell you criminals can't turn their life around with a second chance) stars as Monsieur Gustav H. a hotel concierge accused of a murder he did not commit. It's his first major comedy role since the brilliant In Bruges where he played a gangster who turns up in the last half an hour of the film and steals the thing from the main leads. This film is often almost as dark as that but has lightness and subtlety aplenty too. It was only narrowly beaten to the top spot, but it's probably happy enough with it's 11 BAFTA nominations so it doesn't care.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies I'll be honest, I did not like The Lord of the Rings. I know that anybody still reading is just doing so in the hope I apologise for that statement. But the cast for the Hobbit was too good to miss, and An Unexpected Journey got me hooked, The Desolation of Smaug sealed the deal. Both had brilliant CGI and loads of brilliant make up and practical effects, and some great character work. One of Peter Jackson's skills is giving every character a back story and rounded personality. This film is a great conclusion to the trilogy and the whole middle earth series (does anyone believe there wont be more though?), but kept off the top spot by not being as good as films 1 and 2. It fell into a few problems I had with Lord of the Rings (still not sorry). Chiefly what I didn't like was that it was a battle of 5 armies. In hindsight I should have seen that coming, but I have to say, I kinda switch off half an hour into any film with big CGI armies having a fight. Its 300 dwarves vs 300 elves vs 300 eagles vs 300 orcs vs 300 men. It's a visually brilliant fight, but I really struggle to feel anything for elf #241 when he's killed by orc #124. I just fail to give a shit at that level. And the one Hobbit caught in the middle of it, presumably the most interesting character, is tragically underused. Plus Evangaline Lily says at one point "If this is love, I do not wish it," which wins the award for worst movie line of the year, previous winners include the slightly better "Show me more of this Earth thing you call kissing." All that said, the film is saved by a stella cast and a small dog that stares into the camera.
And the Winner is...Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel do science fiction comedy. It's winning status was pretty much assured before we even went to see it, but everyone thought it might be a flop. The comics are not as well known as The Avenger's heroes, and also are not frankly heroes. It's a great new take on some interesting characters. The take on Peter Quill/Starlord is brilliant. In the comics he is an actual hero and the fact his name is Starlord is not a joke, which is just stupid. He honestly calls himself Starlord any nobody ever laughs at that. Starlord! In fact he's more sanctimonious than Captain America. I imagine that is where the Guardians trilogy is heading and some things from this film set it up to go that way, but in the very first comic book he goes out and becomes a hero after learning that revenge is bad in a story more heavy handed in it's moral than all 79 original series Star Trek episodes. This film by contrast is fun and genuinely laugh out loud throughout. Kudos to the writer who decided to change the tone and the casting director who cast Andy from Parks and Rec. It captures all the fun and imagination of Star Wars with none of the consequences, and a little bit of Red Dwarf thrown in there too.
Best Edinburgh Show
Nominees - Post Show 2014 was a good year for improvised shows at Edinburgh. This one has a brilliant concept. While you're queuing for the show, a member of theatre staff comes out and tells you that you're late, and they'll usher you into the auditorium but you have to be quiet as the play is in progress. You walk in during the last scene of a four hour play, and as soon as the audience sit down the play ends and they open it up to the audience for questions. Make sure you are up for joining in if you ever go to see this play. They story of the play is made up based on the questions you ask.
What Does The Title Matter Anyway? Due to legal issues this show is nothing like Whose Line Is It Anyway? It's hosted by Clive Anderson (Whose Line Is It Anyway?) and features Greg Proops (Whose Line Is It Anyway?) and other regulars from the hit show Whose Line Is It Anyway? alongside new performers from this year's fringe. They play games from Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Alex Edelman: Millennial Alex won Best Newcomer at some awards that actually matter and he deserves it. A very young and talented stand-up, he does what could be considered the usual story telling and observations, but he's a young Millennial American (or possibly Canadian, or possibly just trendy, I'm going on the accent) which gives him a unique and new voice and a very clever and interesting voice too. Worth looking out for this guy. He's partly nominated so that I can prove I was there at the start.
The Horne Section: Milk The Tenderness Oh, to think two years previously, the only reason I bought tickets to 'The Horne Section' was that Simon Amstell was a guest. That night is honestly the most excited I've been in a theatre. That's largely because of an unannounced guest appearance from Suggs, but also because, The Horne Section are just so damn good. I often bang on about loving satire and stand up about big issues in small theatres, but fun, silly songs honestly bring me so much joy. Especially as the song Manly Man (not about the pub crawl of the same name) was dedicated to me, and I found myself on stage with Alex Horne.
Austentatious An Improvised Jane Austen novel. I'm not a fan of all that Jane Austen girly bookish nonsense, but that doesn't matter this is hilarious. Using only a title pulled at random from a bag of audience suggestions, a team of improvisers create a new Jane Austen story. I'm sure there are jokes that will be better if you do know your Austen, but as I already couldn't breathe from laughing too hard, it would be dangerous for my health to read any Jane Austen. I saw this show twice and saw various members of the cast in their own separate shows and at a late night Sketch Transfer Deadline Day thing, in which acts swap members with other acts, where I also saw...
The Beta Males A sketch group with loads of brilliant and surreal sketches. Songs, parody, general silliness, with running gags and one or two running stories throughout their sketches. I mean, it's genuinely hard to tell if it's one or two stories, it's complicated but really funny.
And The Winner Is... Alex Horne: Monsieur Butterfly Alex Horne tells an amusing story about a time he saw a squirrel in his kitchen and attempted to catch it. As he's telling the story he uses props on stage to build the scene. This leads to deeper thoughts to do with his life and life in general. And slowly what he's building takes shape. He talks about how everything is connected and, as the title suggests, the Butterfly Effect comes up. That suggests one thing leads to another and another and another in a long chain that led to an attempt to catch a squirrel, and that's when you finally realise he's building a huge game of Mousetrap! Quality stand up and amateur craftsmanship, what more could I want? As he says "Even if you weren't enjoying this show, I don't think you'd leave before seeing the end." I was lucky enough to see this twice, the first time as a work-in-progress show in London when the Mousetrap didn't work. That was still hilarious and great to see but never has an audience more wanted to see something succeed spectacularly and, to be fair, in Edinburgh he did.
Best Sitcom
Nominees - Community (NBC) There are two surprising things about Community Series 5, one is that it happened at all, the other is that it was good. After an awful fourth season they bought back the writer they'd fired and, despite losing cast members before and during this series, came back to form. Community starts with stories and builds jokes around them which makes for compelling and funny viewing and it makes it genuinely unpredictable, and not in a How I Met Your Mother kind of way where it forgets it's supposed to be making jokes and just starts killing people to make the trending topics.
The Detectorists (BBC4) Makenzie Crooke (The Office) and Toby Jones (everything British) play a couple of metal detector enthusiasts struggling with life, love and the Antiquisearchers! Will they uncover treasure? Will they find a body? Will they know any answers on University Challenge? Will they even be friends or detectorists by the end of it? A genuinely warm and uplifting comedy (and I usually only use that to describe rubbish shows, but this is great).
The Trip To Italy (BBC2) Staring Steve Coogan as Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon as Rob Brydon and Roni Ancona as a random secretary. Steve and Rob are travelling abroad to Italy on a road trip. They have an obsession with Byron and Alanis Morriessette and each other. Like the first series this delves into the insecurities of the stars, but perhaps has more loud jokey moments than the first series and less quiet ones. Nonetheless it's brilliant and you can't knock a show for having more funny bits.
And the Winner is...Inside Number 9 (BBC2) From the creators of The League of Gentlemen (well the ones who weren't lucky enough to be Mark Gatiss) and Psychoville comes a new comedy anthology of stories. Each episode has a new set of characters in a new situation, all linked by the fact they take place in house number 9 or room number 9. To be honest that's only so they have a title for the show. So six episodes. One inside a wardrobe during a game of sardines, how has no comedy done that before? It's a great idea. Trap a load of characters together and let some secrets come out. Another episode is a silent comedy, with genuine reasons why the characters can't speak. The gag when the door-to-door salesman turns up and how they maintain the silence is the cleverest but the gag with the dog is silly and therefore my favourite bit. Another episode follows a man who befriends a tramp and helps him get back on his feet while his own life falls apart. A legal battle over a balloon containing the last breath of a popstar. A bloody revenge tragedy that takes place in a dressing room back stage at Macbeth (and does Macbeth's story in 30 minutes) and a babysitter in a freezing haunted house, who should not disturb Andres under any circumstances in a tense horror spoof. Watch this, you're bound to like one of them. Series 2 is coming soon.
Best Live Show (Non-Edinburgh)
Nominees - Madness: The Madhead Tour (O2, 20th Dec) Another solid night of skanking. I'm sure I lose weight at our annual Madness gig. The only downside this year was that they were supported by Scouting For Girls, who write two lines per song and then repeat them for five minutes. Yes, yes, I understand that she's lovely. Fortunately their set was elevated by missing it and having a lovely meal instead, and catching up with my Madness fan friends who I don't see too often.
The Best Of The Comedy Store (The Underbelly on the Southbank, 11th May) This is another gig made brilliant by a lovely meal before hand. I highly recommend Strada on the Southbank. Their outside seating area is outside the restaurant but INSIDE the Southbank centre, it's confusing but absolutely lovely and we almost missed the show because me and Leigh were getting to know each other. That said, I am glad we didn't miss the show. For Edinburgh goers it's a bit surreal, wandering around an Edinburgh venue on London's Southbank. The acts on that night were comedy store favourite John Mahoney, psychotic grumpy man Andrew Lawrence and Asian-Marcus-Brigstocke Romesh Ranganathan.
The Final Revelation of Sherlock Holmes (The Pleasance Islington, 21st Feb) Another theatre trip with great food. I was worried by an empty Indian restaurant on a Friday night with Christmas decorations still up in February, but I was hungry and it was brilliant. The play itself: Sherlock Holmes is dying and it's not Moriarty who is to blame, as his life fades he has one last mystery to solve. Why?
Richard II (Barbican, 7th January) It's David Tennant vs Barry from Four Lions in a Shakespeare masterpiece. I'm moving on because I don't want to bang on too much, not because I don't understand it. What?! I did!
Rich Hall's Hoedown (Hertford Theatre, 26th May) Insightful stand-up and songs and an autographed CD for me at the end.
Alex Horne: Monsieur Butterfly Work-In-Progress (The Invisible Dot. 5th May) I've covered this elsewhere when it went right, but it was great to see it go wrong too
Stewart Lee: A Room With A Stew (Soho Theatre, 20th June) A very early stages, work-in-progress show. It was about 85% old material with 15% stuff he was trying out thrown in, but repeated Stewart Lee material is still welcome and it was interesting to see the master at work.
Paul Merton's Impro Chums (Hawthorne Theatre, 13th October) Paul Merton in my local theatre. I believe in supporting the arts locally, which I mostly do by not going to see it but occasionally meaning to, so as the local theatre in Welwyn Garden City were playing host to legend Paul Merton and his never disappointing chums, I had to go.Jersey Boys (Picardilly Theatre, 7th August) Here's a pub quiz tip, if you're in a pub quiz and you know the name of a song but not who it's by; it's probably by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. It's a juke box musical, telling the interesting back story of a band I didn't realise I was interested in until I saw it. Brilliant performances from all the leads. Few dodgy accents from the supporting cast, but the singing voices...wow.
And the Winner is...Ghost Stories (Arts Theatre, 27th March) Written by Andy Nyman who wrote Derren Brown's material for years and Jeremy Dyson the other other one from League of Gentlemen. This is a horror comedy that asks you not to reveal it's secrets, so this blog is a waste of time. All I can say is the black painted theatre with police tape hang all round it is wonderfully done and creepy, and makes you feel part of it, so much so that you will shit yourself in terror and wet yourself with laughter. Eat and drink after is what I'm saying.
Best Rubbish TV Program: I Wanna Marry Harry (ITV2) This is a guilty pleasure. Dumb American women are flown to Downton Abbey where a comedy butler introduces them to some prick pretending to be Prince Harry. He must date them and choose his favourite who he then spends the rest of his life with assuming she's ok with being lied to and manipulated for the last 10 weeks. It's shocking but addictive. ITV2 also had a show called Release the Hounds where contestants had to run away from man-eating dogs, which meant when Prince Harry sends people home the phrase "Next: Release the Hounds" appears.
Disappointment of the Year: Neville's Island Adrian Edmondson. Robert Webb. Miles Jupp. Neil Morrisey. How could this play possibly go wrong? By being the most contrived, overly explained, predictable play ever written is how. The cast are so brilliant and the show so bad it was crushing.
Best Actor
Nominees Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game) For making a film with all the feels of war and none of the blood. And then later for destroying a whole village by breathing fire on it. Well to be fair, Stephen Fry lived there and he gave Benedict second place in an acting competition (He also didn't win the BAFTA so maybe Fry has a personal vendetta?)
Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) For making me more excited about Jurrassic Park than I am about Star Wars
Jenna Coleman (Doctor Who) For making Clara less annoying while making it even more about her
Olivia Coleman (Broadchurch) For just about everything, but especially for the scene last week (series 2 episode 6) where she tells her son off. Proper scary
And The Winner Is...Peter Capaldi (Doctor Who) Well it had to be! Because it's me. For making the Doctor scary and interesting, and because everytime they try and make him unlikeable I like it more.
Best Comedian
Nominees Paul Merton He's had a busy life and his autobiography could easily be a trilogy but it's a great rush through his life. His improvisation is still as sharp as ever
Sean Lock 8 Out of 10 Cats wouldn't be the same without his dead-pan wit. I also watched 15 Stories High again for the first time in years, and never appreciated quite how amazing it is first time around.
Cariad Lloyd One of the members of Austentacious, but she popped up in things we saw all over the fringe including What Does The Title Matter Anyway? She's made a BBC iPlayer pilot so she's one to watch out for. Brilliant improviser.
Tom Stade I like him from Live At The Apollo, but my girlfriend loves him so I went to see him live for the first time this year (My guide to romance: "Here's a present, it's tickets to something I really wanna see"), and he is really funny and regrettably handsome. His Boots Number 7 routine made me laugh so much.
Stewart Lee From Comedy Vehicle to Alternative Comedy Experience to Work-In-Progress shows to being a widely circulated anti-UKIP meme to his regular columns in the broadsheets to What Would Judas Do? (which is old but I only listened to this year) he is good isn't he?
Stephen Fry He bought comic relief to scenes of devastation in The Hobbit, had a ruddy good argument with God on Irish telly, hosted QI of course and wrote another genuinely interesting autobiography.
And the winner is...Alex Horne Did I mention Mousetrap? He has officially become my favourite comedian of 2014...ever! He is the best ever.
Best Comedy Panel Show
Nominees~Have I Got News For You (BBC1) Because it's always a classic. 2014 didn't see any stand out guest hosts like previous years. There was no Brian Blessed or Boris Johnson. On the other hand there was no Ann Widdicombe either. The show had a solid year.
I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (BBC Radio 4) It had a mixed year. There was bad press over their jokes about the shows made-up scorer "the lovely Samantha" and her various activities that all sound like sexual innuendos "It's always good to feel her electrician's tester calls regularly." Following the Dapper Laughs controversy these innuendos got a lot of media attention as debate raged about whether or not they were offensive to all fictional women. On the positive side, they had a lot of guests on for the first time who were very good, even if you had to worry when only one of the regular cast of veteran comedians in their 70s or 80s turns up for the December shows in the harsh winter.
The News Quiz (BBC Radio 4) Like Have I Got News For You, but on the wireless, and with Sandi Toksvig and Jeremy Hardy. I went to a recording of this show in 2014 and it had another strong year.
QI Isn't this show just consistently good? Yes.
Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled (Dave) This show is simply Alan Davies and 4 guests sitting around a desk having a chat. The format works well and Alan Davies has a fact about each of his guests to move things along when the conversation dries up. Plus it's Dave so if the conversation gets boring they can just cut to a 10 minute ad break like they do.
And the Winner is...8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown (Channel 4) It seemed like an entertaining one off to celebrate Channel 4, but surprisingly is into it's ninth series now, while the regular 8 Out of 10 Cats is, actually I don't know, or don't care. Cat's do Countdown has the prime time slot on Friday night, while the regular show is on late Monday nights, I think. I think it's a bit like the 'Just A Minute' effect ie. the game is simple but capable of loads of variations because of the guests. It's great that Joe Wilkinson has platform for his comedy which doesn't require the viewer to sit through 'Him and Her' too.
Best Entertainment Show
Nominees Charlie Brookers Weekly Wipe/2014 Wipe (BBC2) Nice to have a bit of satire on the box, his review of the week/year is always enlightened and interesting and Reasons To Be Fearful has been stuck in my head since I first saw it, well done Blockheads.
The Last Leg/The Last Leg Of The Year (Channel 4) Adam Hills only needs to tell someone to stop being a dick to become king of the internet. He's very funny and the concept is a relaxed review of the week.
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart (Comedy Central) American satire! It's so much more glamorous over there. This show is on every day and so I've sort of taken it for granted when listing my favourite shows, but since it's title will need adjusting soon, just time to acknowledge that this is on every day and consistently funny.
The Alternative Comedy Experience (Comedy Central) The comedians a bit too odd to be on BBC1 stand up. The behind-the-scenes chat is cool too. Only sad part is this show could be so much longer. It feels like we never see a complete set and what we do see it wonderful.
Monty Python: One Down, Five to Go (GOLD) Wasn't terribly impressed by most of this year's sketch comedy, but these old timers proved why they're good enough to sell out the O2. Whether they did it for the money, the love of it, or spite or to be honest, reading all their interviews, whether they even liked it, I don't care, it was funny. And when they corpsed in the sweetshop sketch, they seemed to be enjoying it.
