Kim Fuller Movies

This influential British sketch-comedy series served to make major stars out of two of its three regulars. Debuting July 1, 1981 on BBC1, Three of a Kind was a showcase for the versatile Tracey Ullman, Lenny Henry, and David Copperfield (not the magician). Although Ullman was a woman and Henry was black, the series was refreshingly free of sexist and racist humor, relying instead upon quickie, non sequitur satirical sketches and quirky characterizations. The laughs were sustained by a special effect called "Gagfax," in which jokes were printed onscreen in the manner of a breaking news bulletin (a device borrowed from America's Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, and later streamlined as the now-familiar "pop-ups" seen on VH1 and other cable services). Running two seasons and 17 episodes, plus one special, Three of a Kind enabled Tracey Ullman to launch her own weekly series on America's Fox Network, and transformed Lenny Henry into a virtual cult figure. Curiously, David Copperfield never quite attained the career heights of his costars, even though he was a talented performer in his own right. The final episode of Three of a Kind aired on October 8, 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Originally telecast by HBO from January 18 to May 28, 1997, season two of Tracey Takes On... finds the multi-talented Tracey Ullman utilizing scores of comic characterizations to poke satiric jabs at 15 different topics. Episode titles this season include "Sex," "Fantasy," "Mothers," "Las Vegas," "Secrets," "Childhood," "1976," "Food," "Crime," "Movies," "Money," "Race Relations," "Supernatural," "Politics," and "Music." Among Ullman's hilarious "other selves" in the course of the 15 episodes are the perennial virgin Hope, the trash-talking Hollywood makeup artist Ruby, mother-dominated bank clerk Kay, barracuda-like Beverly Hills lawyer Sydney, fiftysomething suburban Jewish matron Fern, over-the-hill nightclub entertainer Linda, and high-strung magazine editor Janie. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Originally telecast by HBO from January 4 to June 4, 1998, season three of Tracey Takes On... finds the multi-talented Tracey Ullman utilizing scores of comic characterizations to poke satiric jabs at ten different topics. Among the sacred institutions skewered this season are "Marriage," "Hollywood," "Smoking," "Loss," "Agents," "Age," "Religion," "Man's Best Friend," "Culture," and "Sports." Among the characters in Ullman's one-woman "repertory company" are airport security guard-cum-author Sheneesha, earthy Hollywood makeup artist Ruby, ebullient born-again Christian Birdie, 19-year-old virgin Hope, and sharkish lawyer Sydney. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this broad comedy from sometime comic actor Mel Smith (The Tall Guy), two women find themselves fleeing criminals. Minnie Driver stars as Shannon, a London nurse who finds her boyfriend Ray (Darren Boyd), a "sound sculptor," becoming increasingly dull and inattentive. When he forgets her birthday, she decides to hit the town with best pal Frances (Mary McCormack), an American actress wasting her time in a terrible small-theater production. Returning to Shannon's apartment, the girls overhear a cell phone conversation on Ray's scanner chronicling the ten million dollars stolen from a safe-deposit box. When police are uninterested in their information, the girls get an idea to blackmail the robbers to get a share. The criminals, led by the hard-as-nails Mason (Kevin McNally), counteract with their own scheme, and the caper begins to go wildly out of control. Similarly plotted to the 2001 release Beautiful Creatures, but much lighter in tone than that dark suspense thriller, the film co-stars Michael Gambon, Danny Dyer, and Mark Williams.
~ Jason Clark, Rovi

From the producer and writer of Spice World and the director of She's All That comes this musical comedy inspired by and featuring the stars of Fox's hit reality show American Idol. Starring the winner and runner-up of the show's first season, Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini, as slightly fictionalized versions of themselves, From Justin to Kelly attempts to recreate the atmosphere of the fun-loving beach musicals of the 1960s. When Kelly (Clarkson) and Justin (Guarini) embark on a vacation in search of some fun in the sun with their respective groups of friends, the two meet and fall for each other at first sight. Unfortunately, a series of comedic mishaps and hijinks gets in the way of them getting together. Several song-and-dance numbers ensue. In addition to Clarkson and Guarini, the film stars Greg Siff, Brian Dietzen, and Katherine Bailess. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi