Aaron Paul’s Need for Speed shows TV is better than movies says Father Ted's Graham Linehan
The comedy writer says the fact that Paul went from the greatest TV show ever to a “s****y car movie” is indicative of the inherent superiority of TV over cinema
Television is currently a far superior medium to film, according to Father Ted creator Graham Linehan, who cites Aaron Paul’s appearance in “shitty car movie” Need for Speed as evidence of the parlous state of the movie industry.
Television is “where it is at” now, the IT Crowd and Father Ted writer told RadioTimes.com, making it clear that he is not a fan of Paul’s recent film release Need for Speed.
“Look at Aaron Paul. He was in the best thing ever – Breaking Bad – and then he does one of these shitty car movies," said Linehan.
“He has gone from one of the best things ever to one of those.”
Linehan was speaking before the release of the blockbuster car caper on Wednesday. But it appears that many film critics agree with him about the movie, which is based on a series of video games and stars Paul as a high-speed angel of vengeance righting wrongs alongside co-stars Imogen Poots and Dominic Cooper.
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“Not so fast, not so furious,” was The Verge’s verdict while Rotten Tomatoes summed the film up thus: “With stock characters and a preposterous plot, this noisily diverting video game adaptation fulfills a Need for Speed and little else.”
Linehan said he is not impressed with most modern films, adding that he took his young son to watch Pacific Rim but that both left unimpressed.
“It was robots fighting monsters and by the end he was nearly asleep.”
Linehan’s current project is The Walshes, a family sitcom which airs tonight and which he co-wrote with the Irish comedy troupe Diet of Worms.
It follows the tight-knit family from the West Dublin suburb of Strollinstown. Tony (Niall Gaffney) and Carmel (Philippa Dunne) are parents to Ciara (Amy Stephenson) and Rory (Rory Connolly), who have been forced home because of the state of the Irish economy.
In his wide-ranging interview with RadioTimes.com Linehan has already revealed that Father Ted will not be returning and that he is writing his first ever drama.
The Walshes begins a three-part series tonight on BBC4 at 10pm
