Of all the films that I saw at this year's Los Angeles Film Festival, none even held a candle to the Chris Morris film Four Lions. To go further with that statement, I'm not sure that I've ever been in theater that has laughed so loud at every single scene. In my review of the film, I even went as far as to say, "If, by some misfortune, this film doesn’t get more exposure stateside, I would recommend flying to England, locating Chris Morris’ home and begging him for a screening. It would be worth every penny." It doesn't look like you'll have to make the expense.
Alamo Drafthouse, the world-famous theater in Austin, Texas, has launched itself into the distribution game by picking up Morris' film for distribution in the US. Starting with a 10 city promotional screening tour next month, the film will start with a limited release in New York, Los Angeles and Austin before expanding to other markets. For those unfamiliar with the film's premise, I'll describe it in short: it's a comedy about terrorist suicide bombers.
Four Lions is truly one of the most irreverent comedies that I have ever seen, but truly believe that it could be catharsis for the events that have occurred in the last 10 years. I truly cannot recommend this film enough - if it's playing within 100 miles of your home, you have no excuse not to go. Check out the full press release below.
DRAFTHOUSE FILMS TO DISTRIBUTE “FOUR LIONS”, THE ACCLAIMED COMEDY FROM DIRECTOR CHRIS MORRISAustin, TX---Thursday, September 9, 2010--- Alamo Drafthouse CEO and Founder Tim League announced today that he is expanding the renowned Alamo Drafthouse brand into film distribution under the banner Drafthouse Films (www.drafthousefilms.com). The first film to release under the new label will be Chris Morris’s astonishing new comedy Four Lions.Four Lions is a whip-smart laugh out loud comedy that illuminates the war on terror through satire and farce. Blitzing the notion that a comedy about jihadists is a contradiction in terms, the film grossed an astounding £3M at the UK box office and was hailed by critics as “a brilliant film – astonishingly funny” causing “so many different kinds of laughter its almost incredible”.Writer director Chris Morris based the idea on extensive research. “These cells have the same group dynamics as bachelor parties and five a side basketball teams. Plans are upset by arguments, egos, testosterone and idiocy. Terrorism is about ideology but it’s also about doofuses.”Four Lions has taken the festival circuit by storm. Following its sell-out success as the buzz hit of the Sundance Film Festival, Four Lions packed the coveted closing night slot of South by Southwest, won the Independent Camera Award at Karlovy Vary and was voted Best Narrative Feature by audiences at the Los Angeles Film Festival.“I’ve been a huge fan of Chris Morris’ comedic television and radio for years. To launch our new distribution label with what I consider to be a modern classic is a dream come true,” said Tim League.Four Lions will kick off a 10 city promotional screening tour with Chris Morris in attendance in mid-October. The film is slated to release this fall in New York, Los Angeles and Austin and will expand wider in the following weeks.
