LOCO London’s "four days of the world’s best funny films" is one of those about-time ideas, because London needs a great comedy film festival. As a warmup, this Saturday 1 December at 6pm, LOCO London and the Hackney Picturehouse are holding Woodystock, celebrating Woody Allen’s birthday with a big screen blow-out of Manhattan – one of Woody’s best. In this fest of all things Woody, there will be readings of Allen’s short stories, standup, jazz and Woody-inspired cocktails - although no one really knows what a Woody-inspired cocktail is, you'll be chasing lobsters in the kitchen by the time you get home.
Short stories will be read by Irma Kurtz and Kerry Shale, the only Woody-approved reader. The King Candy Trio will be dishing up trad jazz. Also on tap is Woody-style standup by Dan Antopolski, Rachel Mars, Tony Law and Tom Rosenthal, the star of Channel 4's Friday Night Dinner. (In reverence to Woody, no one attending Woodystock will be picking up their Oscars in 2013.)
In January, brace yourselves for LOCO London’s lineup of comedy movies, starting with the world premiere of I Give It a Year, starring Rose Byrne and Rafe Spall, with the whole audience dressed in wedding finery. Closing the festival is the phenomenal how-the-hell-did-they-make-this Movie 43 by the Farrelly Brothers who pulled in every star – from Anna Faris to Richard Gere to Emma Stone to Kate Winslet – to make a ridiculous, unbelievably R-rated comedy. There will also be the outrageous Danish comedy Klown and France’s Le Skylab with Julie Delpy. Along with the SXSW-acclaimed Gayby (think gay baby) there’s a celebration of 50 years of The Pink Panther as well as LOCO London’s Discovery Award that shows you funny films that didn’t get distribution. The kicker is a celebration of Nora Ephron at Kensal Rise's own local, The Lexi Cinema. That's right, it's The Ephrathon. And there's even more...
