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Non-Review Review: The Hardy Bucks Movie

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Darren

This film was seen as part of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival 2013.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a massive fan of The Hardy Bucks. Still, it’s hard not to smile at an Irish success story that seen a bunch of lads fooling around on YouTube, brought them to national television and launched a feature film. The Hardy Bucks Movie isn’t revolutionary. It’s not a work of comedy genius for the ages. Quite a lot of it feels overly familiar, an Irish spin on the “young men go wild abroad” subgenre that has proven popular in the past number of years. And yet, despite that, there’s a quaint charm to The Hardy Bucks Movie that makes it reasonably entertaining. The lads from Castletown has survived the transition to the big screen with their dignity – such that it is – intact.

The naked truth...

The naked truth…

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Jameson Dublin International Film Festival 2013: Highlights!

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Darren

The Jameson Dublin International Film Festival launched the programme for its eleventh year today. There’s some great stuff in here. There’s a variety of films, from European to American to Asian, from big budget blockbusters to intimate documentaries to more personal films. It’s a great selection of films, and festival director Grainne Humphreys should be proud. After all, if your biggest complaint is having to choose between L.A. Confidential and Bernie, then you must be doing something right.

I’ve picked out some of my own most anticipated events of the schedule below, in rough chronological order, so if you are looking for something to do on a particular day, feel free to see if there’s anything of interest. Unfortunately, some of the events overlap, so you can’t attend everything – something that’s a massive shame given some of the films on display here. With that in mind, the list is below.

JDIFF Brand 2011 (Landscape) copy

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Hardy Bucks Poster…

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Darren

Universal Pictures Ireland just sent over this latest poster for the Hardy Bucks movie. A big-screen adaptation of the hit RTÉ comedy show, the film sees the boys taking their adventures on the road, to Europe. The film is being released here on February 22nd. Click the poster below to enlarge.

hardybucks

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Watch! Hardy Bucks Trailer!

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Darren

It’s always nice to see an Irish success story. I can be quite tough on Irish television when the occasion calls for it. Any system that makes it easier to pitch a show like Father Ted or Moone Boy to a British broadcaster must be flawed in a significant way. Despite that, I’ll readily concede we do a lot of things quite well. Apparently Love/Hate is doing quite well abroad, and I’ve always been proud of our current affairs coverage. It’s also nice to see one of our shows making the leap to the big screen. Hardy Bucks has been one of the great success stories of Irish television. It was found during the 2009 Storyland competition and ended up going from strength-to-strength on Irish television. While it’s not quite my own cup of tea, it’s hard not to admire the charm and energy put into it – as well as the fact that it has managed to make quite an impact on Irish pop culture.

So the move to the big screen is certainly an interesting development, and I hope the show’s success continues. More popular comedy and diversity in Irish television is inherently a good thing. The trailer is a little bit too much at points – seeing a cheesily earnest American voice-over applied to an “Irish men behaving badly in Europe” comedy feels a little… dissonant – but the trick isn’t so much in the concept as the execution. I’m curious to see how it pays off. It’ll be opening here in February next year.

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RTE’s Storyland Competition: The Last Security Man

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Darren

Just a quick one. RTE has continued their Storyland competition this year, as part of an attempt to find new young talent. The Hardy Bucks won the competition last year, and they seem to be quite popular (talking to people I know). The competition has entered its semi-final stages this year, and one of the shows still in is The Last Security Man  – sort of like a crazy combination of Observe and Report and Mall Cop with a decidedly Irish twist. You can check out one of the shorts below, or read up on them here, or check out their Storyland page here. There’s a new episode out today.

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