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Author Topic: "University Challenge: The Movie"  (Read 1197 times)

uncamark

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"University Challenge: The Movie"
« on: March 13, 2007, 12:59:23 PM »
The new British comedy "Starter for Ten," currently making the arthouse circuit here, is more than germane to us, since it's the story of a nerdy guy trying to prove his worth and a quiz bowl romance amongst a team going on "University Challenge," the UK "College Bowl," back in the 80s.  ("Starter for 10" from Bamber Gasgcione or Jeremy Paxman is the same as "10-point tossup" from Allen Ludden or Robert Earle.)

Rottentomatoes.com has an 89% "Fresh" rating (although the "Cream of the Crop" rating is 79%, most notably Richard Roeper on "Ebert & Roeper")--the consensus is that it's sort of a British version of a John Hughes movie from the 80s, complete with a British New Wave song score in the background:

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/starter_for_ten/

The movie's official site:

http://www.starterfor10.com

Haven't seen it yet, but intend to.  Those of you wanting inside game show stuff will probably be disappointed, but it sounds like a cute movie.  The only possible problem I may have is that Alice Eve and Rebecca Hall may be much hawter than any female quiz bowl contestants ever in the history of mankind, but, hey--it's our fantasy.  :)

tvwxman

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  • Posts: 3890
"University Challenge: The Movie"
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2007, 01:12:24 PM »
Tom Hanks' Playtone Productions is behind this.... seeing his love of all things pop culture was evident in That Thing You Do, one could only hope he has the same touch for the 80s....

I'll be definitely seeing it...

/Hollywood Showcase in TTYD! was filmed in the Bob Barker Studio....
//Cut from the movie but on the DVD of "That Thing You Do" is a scene where Bob Barker slugs Tom Hanks and says "The Price is still Wrong, Bitch".
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Matt

- "May all of your consequences be happy ones!"

Matt Ottinger

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"University Challenge: The Movie"
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2007, 01:40:05 PM »
I heard about the film a few weeks ago when the reviews started showing up in national media (even though us midwesterners aren't going to get a chance to see it anytime soon).  And I hope I don't get myself in too much trouble when I say that I have seen "hawt" female quiz bowlers in my day.
This has been another installment of Matt Ottinger's Masters of the Obvious.
Stay tuned for all the obsessive-compulsive fun of Words Have Meanings.

mmb5

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"University Challenge: The Movie"
« Reply #3 on: March 13, 2007, 03:59:24 PM »
[quote name=\'uncamark\' post=\'147969\' date=\'Mar 13 2007, 12:59 PM\']
...and a quiz bowl romance...[/quote]

So it's apparently fiction and not based on any true story.


--Mike
Portions of this post not affecting the outcome have been edited or recreated.