Pop Culture

A round-up of Red Dwarf activity on the big and small screen.

7 December, 2001

Mac McDonald will be appearing in cinemas all over the place alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Carlyle in The 51st State which opens on Friday 7th December, 2001.

This new action comedy from director Ronny Yu (Bride of Chucky) travels from California to Liverpool as drug-dealer Jackson deals with local baron Ricky Tomlinson. Chuck in Emily Mortimer as an assassin and Meat Loaf as Jackson's boss - plus a few glimpses of Captain Hollister himself - and you're set for a seriously unique time at the movies.

On the subject of movies, Lara Croft - Tomb Raider has hit DVD across the globe. Finally you can freeze-frame Chris Barrie in all his shotgun-toting glory. Plus there are the usual extras on the disk.

Sticking with the small-screen (honestly, you'd think we planned these news items!), Buffy the Vampire Slayer is currently running its sixth season on UPN in the States. Due in the UK next year, two episodes might hold particular fascination for dedicated Dwarfers.

Firstly there's the episode Once More, With Feeling. This all-singing, all-dancing (no, literally!) episode, broadcast on November 6th, features a certain Hinton Battle as 'Sweet'. This is the dude who played Cat in 1992's US pilot of Red Dwarf. Trained in musical theatre, the actor won praise at the time from Danny John-Jules - hardly surprising, given their similar backgrounds in the business!

Secondly, there's Smashed, an episode for the sci-fi buffs of Buffy's Sunnydale. In a scene with several such... enthusiasts, Spike - the English vamp - is asked, "You're English, right?" Spike suspiciously admits that he is, at which point the nerds continue: "I've seen every episode of Doctor Who. Not Red Dwarf, though, 'cause, um..." "'Cause it's not out yet on DVD." "Right. It's not out on ... DVD."

Keep waiting, guys. Just gotta get the movie outta the way...

Finally, you might just want to catch Christmas Carol: The Movie. Not because this animated feature stars the voices of Kate Winslet, Simon Callow, Nicolas Cage and Rhys Ifans. Not even because Red Dwarf's own Jane 'Nirvanah Crane' Horrocks also lends her tonsils to the film. No, it's because rubber-masked man Robert Llewellyn co-wrote the screenplay and chucked in a voice of his own. Where does he find the time between novels?

Links to the Christmas Carol - the Movie and Tomb Raider websites are available on the Links section.