Four Lions (AKA the Chris Morris suicide bomber thing)

An tSaoi

Just read about this on one of his fansites. There's been talk of it for years, but it looks like he's finally doing it (with the help of Film4 and the writer of Peep Show if rumours are to be believed). The basic gist is that it's going to be a television film satirising an Islamist suicide cell in Britain. He's always been right on the edge in terms of taste, and has courted controversy before, but this one's really going to be a s***storm of epic proportions.

He's done his research though, and it's supposedly going to be "fatwa-proof", but after the furore that surrounded something as small as those Dutch Muhammad cartoons, I don't think there's any way to do this without ticking some Muslims off.

I'm glad to see he's keeping busy though. As great as the Day Today and Brasseye (and jam too I suppose) were, his more recent stuff hasn't been great (Nathan Barley flopped, and he was the best thing in the patchy IT Crowd, which he quickly - and I believe rightfully - left). Will this be a return to form or just a massive disappointment after his last two letdowns? Will it be the thoughful, yet gut-bustingly funny satire that this subject needs (people have by and large shyed away from it), or is it just an attempt to generate controversy for controversy's sake?

Any other Morris fans on the boards? Any reactions?

Bubs101

Nathan Barley was great though, not a bad show

mikom

An tSaoi wrote: »

his more recent stuff hasn't been great (Nathan Barley flopped

Nathan Barley was class. People just didn't get it. Those that did though are baying for a 2nd series.
Gotta love the Wasp http://www.trashbat.co.ck/t12/index.html

Robbo

I loved Barley but I think what did for it was it's timing. When it was made the kind of dotcom-era had passed. Ironically enough, it has since come back around with Facebook, twitter, bloggers and the like.

mike65

IT Crowd apperances were done as a favour to Graham Linehan. Will Four Lyons be Morris Satanic Verses moment? Rushdie hasn't been fully safe for the last 20 years, hope Chris knows what he is doing!

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/wannabe-suicide-bombers-beware-chris-morris-movie-gets-goahead-1228152.html

BroomBurner

Plenty of satirical programmes/films have been made about all sorts of religions, countries, belief systems, aliens, hauntings, etc. I don't see why this topic shouldn't be included also. It'll be interesting to see how it's handled, mainly by the television station that decides whether or not to show it.

mikom

BroomBurner wrote: »

It'll be interesting to see how it's handled, mainly by the television station that decides whether or not to show it.

I'll give you four guesses which one that will be.

rovert

Barley was ahead of it's time

youcrazyjesus!

It's a good premise. British Islamist terrorists are sometimes quite ludicrous, Ive often thought it. Many of low intelligence and a criminal record. Richard Reid for example, trying to detonate C4 hidden in his shoes with a match.

I'd say Morris could have done with an income from The IT Crowd, he's not mega rich by any means.

lostexpectation

its a film

MattEmulsion

rovert wrote: »

Barley was ahead of it's time

Barley was behind it's time - if you look at Charlie Brookers TV Go Home site from where Barley came (just look for the listings for C***) he was very much a product of the first dotcom bubble

ThunbergsAreGo

Went to see this last night

Very very funny obviously not to everyones tastes but as a Day Today/Brasseye fan i was hugely entertained. Funniest film i have seen in ages!!