Contribution: Actor and Director Simon Bird Shares Top Films For Lockdown in collaboration with Massive Cinema.

Massive Cinema Speaks To Simon Bird About His Top Film Picks For Lockdown.

This week, MASSIVE Cinema shares, actor, writer, and comedian, Simon Bird’s best film picks as part of the MASSIVE Cinema Shutdown series and in celebration of his directorial debut film release, Days Of The Bagnold Summer.

Best known for playing the sarcastic but lovable geek Will in the hugely popular and
successful The Inbetweeners TV series and feature films, Bird’s debut film has been released on digital this week. In line with the release, MASSIVE will be hosting a series of virtual events to celebrate the film, including Bird’s ‘My First Time’ interview, the first in a series of interviews which showcases first-time directors and shines a light on their work.

Starring BAFTA-winning actress Monica Dolan (Eye in the Sky, W1A), Earl Cave (True History of the Kelly Gang, The End of the F***ing World), Rob Brydon (The Trip, A Cock and Bull Story), Alice Lowe (Prevenge, Sightseers), Tamsin Greig (The Second Best Marigold Hotel, Green Wing), Tim Key (Greed, This Time with Alan Partridge) and Elliot Speller-Gillot (Uncle), Days of the Bagnold Summer is a tender, funny coming-of-age story; an acutely observed portrait of growing pains, friendship and family life.

Watch Simon Bird’s exclusive interview with MASSIVE Cinema on YouTube.

Simon’s top 5 lockdown film recommendations are: 

1.     Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore – available on BFI Rental 

Simon says, “Controversially I think this hilarious feminist masterpiece is Martin Scorsese’s best film. It’s a 70’s dramedy as a widow and her son travel across the states for a better life.” 

2.     The Second Mother – available on BFI Rental

Simon says, “This warm, funny Brazilian drama tackles class war in a charming and hopeful way. When the disgruntled daughter of a live-in housekeeper appears, the unspoken class barriers that exist within the home are thrown into disarray.”

3.     Good Morning – available on BFI Rental 

Simon says, “A typical Yasujiro Ozu domestic comedy – exquisite and delightful.  Set in the 50’s as two boys I vow to remain completely silent until their parents buy them a television set.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RykvoNxp12M

4.     A Pidgeon Sat On a Branch Reflecting on Existence – available on Amazon Prime Video 

Simon says, “Deadpan surrealism from Sweden. Totally unclassifiable and hilariously gloomy. Novelty salesmen observe as their fellow human’s drift through lives of desperation and loneliness.”

5.     Other People – available on BFI streaming service 

Simon says, “A subtle, whip-smart, and weirdly overlooked comedy-drama from 2016.  An under employed writer, fresh from a breakup, moves to Sacramento to help his sick mother. Living with his conservative father and younger sisters, David feels like a stranger in his childhood home. As his mother gets sicker, he tries to convince everyone — including himself — he’s doing okay.”

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