The Children of Castor

June 11, 2011 5:38 PM

Leicester, 1982. A school rock band enters an underground studio. Washington. A computer error detonates America's nuclear arsenal [YT]. Cruise of the Gods was made and released as a British TV movie in 2002. It traces the different fortunes of two child actors - played by regular collaborators Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon - who meet after decades of estrangement on a fan cruise for the fictitious 80s TV series "Children of Castor".

A meditation on envy, disappointment, humiliation, social awkwardness, terminal illness and the impossibility of recovering past glories, it's no surprise that this is a heartwarming British comedy. Probably its finest minutes come in the footage from the fictitious show itself, and also the brief clip of Sherlock Holmes in Miami, in which Nick Lee (Coogan, in an unusually unambivalent role) plays a time-transposed sleuth whose catchphrase, addressed to his no-nonsense African-American sidekick, is "Elementary, my dear homes".

The film also featured a number of then-unknown British comedians who have subsequently risen to various degrees of stardom, including David Walliams (Little Britain), James Corden (Gavin and Stacey) and, very briefly, Russell Brand (Arthur), who was allegedly removed from the production after questionable behavior in a Greek strip club.

A US remake has been optioned, with Coogan's Tropic Thunder co-star Ben Stiller co-producing. After their success adapting Le Dîner de Cons as Dinner for Schmucks, David Guion and Michael Handeman have been chosen to write and direct.

(Inspired by this post on the Apocalypse and Leicester, England's unsung jewel.)

posted by running order squabble fest (12 comments total)

After their success adapting Le Dîner de Cons as Dinner for Schmucks, David Guion and Michael Handeman have been chosen to write and direct.

Success!
posted by Sys Rq at 5:47 PM on June 11, 2011

(cf.)
posted by Sys Rq at 5:48 PM on June 11, 2011

"Made back more than its budget" success, not "multiple Oscar nominated" success, let's say. Certainly, Guion and Handeman's record on adapting foreign comedies for domestic audiences may not fill one with excitement for this remake...
posted by running order squabble fest at 6:00 PM on June 11, 2011

Curse you, ROSF! Curse you, for introducing me to a film which looks hilarious but which I can't Netflix. I have had to go listen to Rob Brydon's Tom Jones impressions on I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue to console myself.
posted by Diablevert at 6:04 PM on June 11, 2011

Great, now I'm going to visualize every slightly fey or foppish villain in A Song of Ice & Fire as a lipsticked Steve Coogan.

Actually, that's pretty wonderful.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 6:21 PM on June 11, 2011

YAY more Rob Brydon... there can never be enough of him. I love his satirical concept characters.
posted by L'Estrange Fruit at 7:06 PM on June 11, 2011 [3 favorites]

And Steve Coogan! I can never remember his real name, always think of him as Alan Partridge.
posted by L'Estrange Fruit at 7:21 PM on June 11, 2011

There are not enough words I can use to describe the amazing time-suck this is going to be for the next few hours.
posted by Kitteh at 8:09 PM on June 11, 2011

Cruise of The Gods is brilliant. Great script, and the cast work so well together. The lecture about the origin of the character names (Romak' etc) is probably my favourite bit.
posted by DanCall at 2:19 AM on June 12, 2011

"We have some water. It's safe: it hasn't come into contact with any potato..."
posted by Omission at 4:37 AM on June 12, 2011

Bonus reel:

Russell Brand talks about his role.

Bonus reel: Rob Brydon's impression of Russell Brand.
posted by running order squabble fest at 12:23 PM on June 12, 2011 [1 favorite]

I've been in a coogan binge lately so this is just perfect.
posted by The Whelk at 3:06 PM on June 19, 2011