How To Lose Friends And Alienate People (DVD)

In 1937, Irving Tressler wrote a book entitled 'How To Lose Friends And Alienate People'. It was written as a contrast to the famous 'How To Make Friends And Influence People', and became a bestseller. Many years on, and successful journalist Toby Young wrote a memoir, using Tressler's title, and last year, in 2008, we saw the memoir made into a film starring British comedy actor as Simon Pegg as Young. The film is not yet out on DVD, so this will be a film only review. Although the film is based on the book, it is important to note that, although the essence of chronicling someone's rising up through the ranks of a magazine publication is followed, the ...  Read the complete review

Sidney Young (Simon Pegg) is an English journalist who doesn't seem to be getting anywhere in life, he forges his way into A-List parties under the alias Clarke although he is frequently caught out and ejected in the most embarrassing of fashions. Sidney is just about to give up on his dream of becoming a high flying journalist when he receives an phone call from American magazine editor Clayton Harding (Jeff Bridges). He offers Sidney a job in America working for Sharps magazines, one of the biggest magazines in the country. On arrival Sidney manages to do the almost impossible and irritate every single person he's working with, this includes his strict new ...  Read the complete review

Robert B. Weide directs this comedy movie HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS AND ALIENATE PEOPLE. The film is based on the memoirs of British writer Toby Young. The film centres on Simon Pegg's character Sidney Young. Sidney is a journalist who after his pig causes mayhem after running away at a BAFTA party decides to jump ship to America. He works for leading American magazine Sharps and works with Alison Olsen played by Kirsten Dunst who is writing a book as well and Lawrence Maddox played by Danny Huston who is a horrible boss. Sidney wants to be a success so targets Gillan Anderson's character Eleanor Johnson a power publicist. He suceeds in this, but when he ...  Read the complete review

I'm a big fan of Simon Pegg, I loved Spaced to death, I thought it was a ground breaking comedy that defined an era, I loved Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz too, but for me this film isn't the Simon Pegg I know, its a man playing a character specifically for an American audience. Based on the memoirs of Toby Young, creator of the sarcastic and knowing Modern Review, who was moved to America to work for Graydon Carter at Vanity Fair, driven by his own sense of ego and desire to meet celebrities, the book is bitchy, knowing, funny, dishes the dirt on celebrities and shows Young to be the creator of his own downfall. This adaptataion is a sanitised ...  Read the complete review

This was another rental for me and my friends one night. I'm not sure how I let this film slip through my fingers. I'm a huge Simon Pegg fan; I love Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and thought he was very good in Run Fatboy Run. I always put it down to the dodgy name, it's not the most appealing of names for a film you have to admit. And for that reason I also didn't expect much of the film. It's one of my weird little habits ; if a film has a poor name I never expect it to be any good. I had no idea what this film involved, what it was about, who was in it and so on. I was about to be pleasantly surprised. The Plot Sidney Young is a British journalist ...  Read the complete review