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Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings back to life your fave museum heroes in NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB available on Blu-ray and DVD April 9 and Digital HD on March 26. (And YOU have the opp to win a copy of the movie - details at the bottom of this post). Josie's Juice has an exclusive for Josie's Juice interview below!)
We went to a very fun, dressed up in our PJs event in Sydney to see the movie at the cinema, and families everywhere (and plenty of kidults) have seen the very funny third and final instalment in the franchise which has grossed more than a billion dollars.
Ben Stiller leads an all-star comedy cast, including the late Robin Williams (his parts - and his now prophetic dialogue - made me tear up big time), Owen Wilson, Rebel Wilson and the one and only Ricky Gervais, for one final, fun-filled Night at the Museum. This time, Larry Daley (Stiller) and his heroic friends embark on their greatest adventure yet as they travel to London in order to save the magic that brings the museum exhibits to life.
The Blu-ray edition comes with lots of special features that will have the entire family laughing! You can check out how Stiller got into character for his alter ego Laaa, take a behind-the-scenes look at the museum, and learn how the film’s iconic flight scene inside an M.C. Escher painting came to life.
Families can experience Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb anytime, anywhere on Digital HD and will be available at digital stores including iTunes, Google Play, Xbox Video, PlayStation and Telstra Bigpond.
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB BLU-RAY & DHD SPECIAL FEATURES:
OVER 1 HOUR OF SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDING:
· Improv, Absurdity and Cracking Up - The Comedy of Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
· The Theory of Relativity
· Becoming Laa
· A Day in the Afterlife
· Fight at the Museum
· Creating Visual Effects
· Seven Deleted and Extended Scenes
· Audio Commentary by Shawn Levy
· Gallery
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
· Improv, Absurdity and Cracking Up - The Comedy of Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
· Two Deleted and Extended Scenes
· Gallery
Own the 'Best Night Ever' on Blu-rayTM, DVD & Digital HD from April 9
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH RICKY GERVAIS:
Dark falls on Manhattan. Under the watch of Larry Daley, head of The Night Program at the Museum of Natural History, as always, historic exhibits come to life. But something is wrong, Larry’s friends are not behaving normally; they are starting to lose control and go wild, fighting, brandishing guns and creating pandemonium. It quickly becomes clear that the ancient Egyptian tablet of Ahkmenrah, which breathes life into the artifacts, is corroding and running out of power. It needs to be recharged or the magic will evaporate and everyone will turn back into inanimate wax figures and stone statues.
Larry and his pals set off to London, where a solution may lie in the Egyptian Wing of the British Museum.
Familiar faces from the previous movies include Robin Williams as Teddy Roosevelt. Owen Wilson and Steve Coogan are back as the miniature cowboy Jedediah and the equally diminutive Roman general Octavius. So is Attila the Hun (Patrick Gallagher), Sacagawea (Mizuo Peck) and Pharaoh Ahkmenrah (Rami Malek). There are cameos from Mickey Rooney, Dick Van Dyke and Bill Cobbs. Also returning is Dexter the Capuchin monkey, up to his tricks again.
There are fights, an erupting volcano, stunning visual effects and some big surprises. Adding to the hilarity is Rebel Wilson as the security guard at the British Museum, Ben Kingsley as a powerful Pharaoh and Dan Stevens, as the dashing knight, Sir Lancelot. There is also a familiar looking Neanderthal man! Skyler Gisondo plays Larry’s son Nick.
Uniquely gifted and innovative, Ricky Gervais created the legendary British TV series THE OFFICE, in which he played David Brent. The Office is the most successful British Comedy of all time being shown in nearly 100 countries and remade in 7 including the US version with Steve Carell in the lead role. Gervais recently revisited the indelible character in a series of spoof YouTube tutorials, LEARN GUITAR WITH DAVID BRENT and is currently writing a screenplay LIFE ON THE ROAD which follows Brent around the country on his quest to become a rock star. The stand-up comedian, writer, actor, director and producer wrote and starred in the hit series EXTRAS, LIFE’S TOO SHORT, THE RICKY GERVAIS SHOW and most recently DEREK. Gervais is currently editing a feature length special of the show which will air on Channel 4 in the UK before the end of the year and on Netflix next year. His film credits include FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, GHOST TOWN, NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM and NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN. Gervais co-wrote, co-directed and starred in THE INVENTION OF LYING and CEMETERY JUNCTION. Gervais recently starred in MUPPETS MOST WANTED. Among his many achievements, Gervais wrote an episode of THE SIMPSONS. He has won seven BAFTAS, two Emmy Awards and three Golden Globes.
Gervais has also written a series of best-selling children’s books: FLANIMALS.
Q: What kind of man is Dr. McPhee?
A: “McPhee is an oddity. He's a strange little man and I like him. Actually he is one of the most peculiar little men I've ever played, but he tries his best. He's one of those people who desperately want to be witty and known for their sense of humor and he just hasn't got it. (chuckles) He wants to be articulate but he runs out of words mid-sentence. He can't finish his metaphors and his analogies. He can't come back with the witty riposte that he thinks he should be coming back with. He’s so out of touch and he's got that lovely blind spot I love playing. David Brent (THE OFFICE) has it as well. It is the difference between how he sees himself and how the rest of the world sees him and obviously that fits in with the whole storyline, because he's the only person who doesn't know what's going on. (that everything in the museum comes to life at night). He thinks it’s all special effects. He is a very logical, learned man, but he's probably not as intelligent as he likes to think he is. He doesn't see the magic unless it's explained to him, which is funny and sweet.”
Q: You clearly have a lot of affection for this character.
A: “Yes, I love that feeling of the person who's in charge being the biggest idiot. I love the fact that he's got little tweed suits and little bow ties and everything has to be in its place. He thinks that's what an Englishman in New York should look like. I love those characters who are a little out of touch and out of time.”
Q: Can you talk about the relationship between Larry and McPhee?
A: “I love their relationship because as much as McPhee thinks he's the grown up and everyone else is childish, Ben's actually the adult. When Ben (Larry) is talking to McPhee, you can see him becoming quite parental because he likes him and he tries to help him through his madness. It is a lovely relationship.”
Q: Was there a lot improvisation?
A: “Honestly, when me and Ben are going for it I'd say 20 percent of the takes are usable. Poor Shawn (Levy) bounces over and says: ‘okay say that. We'll keep that, do that again …’ It’s crazy. We just ad lib and try to make each other laugh and then Shawn cuts it all down. But it's so much fun. I remember the first film. I walked on the set and Ben said he wanted to hug me because I was a real person and he'd just spent the last three weeks running round talking to a tennis ball on a stick [for his scenes with the T-Rex, added later with effects]. It was so flattering. I want to put that on my CV: ‘Stiller says I'm better than a tennis ball on a stick’.”
Q: How did you get involved with NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM in the first place?
A: “It all started with an email I got from Ben, who had appeared on my TV show EXTRAS. He said I had tapped him to do EXTRAS and told me: ‘if you want to return the favor, you can appear in my new movie NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM.’ No pressure (laughs)! I've known Ben for ages actually. I've met up with him more times outside NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM than in it. We have dinner in New York or London when we're in town”
Q: There are some fantastic historical characters in the films. If you could go back and meet somebody from the past who would you pick?
A: “Oh, I have a list. Laurel and Hardy, Winston Churchill, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin. I'm fascinated with science and these are visionaries; people who changed the world. I like innovators and people who thought differently.”
Q: Were there any highlights making this movie?
A: “It was great because we shot in New York and Vancouver, two of my favorite places. I walked to work in New York. It had snowed so it looked absolutely beautiful. When we were in Vancouver, they had a bit of a heat wave. I was there for about ten days and I fell in love with the city. It’s one of the loveliest places I have ever been to.”
Q: What do you enjoy about the NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM films?
A: “I've always enjoyed those big family blockbusters, particularly around Christmas, as long as they are good and these are really good. I like big escapist films. It’s odd because the type of comedian I am and the things I do when I'm writing and directing myself usually deal with the darker side of the human psyche and excruciating social faux pas. I often deal in taboos and the subjects I do as a stand-up are quite challenging. But my film roles have been much more fun and escapist. I almost think of them as not in my oeuvre of work as an actor or a comedian. It is great doing films like this. I'm used to doing everything myself. I've been with the project years before I start filming, then I film it and edit it and I know it inside and out. With this (NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM) you turn up and do your part and then you say goodbye and you get on your plane; which is very different for me.”
Q: So it is a less demanding?
A: “It's like a little holiday. It's not like work. I'm proud to be in the NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM films, THE SIMPSONS, FAMILY GUY and SESAME STREET and hosting the Golden Globes, but I always think of those projects as my extreme sports. They're things I do at the weekends for a laugh and then I get back to the real stress and trauma of being at the helm and having to take the blame for everything and having to make every decision. That is what makes me grey, doing my own thing (laughs). I suppose it’s like the difference between a job and a career. If you're the boss you don't stop at six o'clock, you have to worry about everything all the time. On these films it is nice to see someone else having to do everything and going grey—Shawn Levy (laughs)!”
Q: What is it like working with Shawn?
A: “I love Shawn. There are so many pressures with a big budget film like this; you have to please a lot of people. You have to worry about making the movie you want to make as a director and the vastness of the shot and the background and the extras and the cranes and the special effects. But Shawn is great; he always remembers everything you've said. It's quite remarkable because sometimes directors don't care about the actors or the nuances or whether you've done a good take. They're worried about moving on because they've got to get all these shots in and explosions. Shawn worries about everything, from the vastness of the film to every little take. He's really good.”
Q: What is it like working with all these brilliant comedic actors? There are some great new characters.
A: “I had scenes with Rebel Wilson which were very funny. Dan (Stevens) was in the deep background of the one scene we were in together, but I got to meet him between takes. He’s a very nice man dressed as a knight, Sir Lancelot. We had a brief chat about what a nightmare it is walking around in his suit of armor. Then I tapped it and it was plastic! But it looks good. NIGHT AT THE MUSEM has become this franchise for lovely cameos, hasn't it? Christopher Guest did one, now Ben Kingsley is in this one. It has been a lovely few years watching all these great, interesting people pop in as historical characters and do their bit. For me it is always an honor to be asked to do a movie, particularly when you have people like Ben and Robin Williams to work with.”
Q: It is very moving watching Robin Williams in the film, as Teddy Roosevelt isn’t it? He delivers a great performance as always.
A: “Yes, I was shocked by Robin's death, number one because he was obviously too young, two because I knew him quite well and worked with him and he was an absolute joy, and three because I wasn't aware of any of his problems. I don't read gossip. So it was a doubly shocking for me that there was this sadness, because he always seemed to be happy. When you were with him he always said nice things about you. He was always trying to make everyone laugh and I mean everyone, like the crew, people who came up to him, or a runner asking what he wanted for lunch. He was always trying to make people feel good. It was remarkable. I do the Bob Woodruff Foundation Benefit for wounded soldiers in New York every year [Stand Up For Heroes]. One year Robin Williams was a special guest and he spent the night by the side of the stage watching all the other acts and when they came off he told them what bits he loved. He stayed there telling the other actors how good they were. He was amazing. When you've been in the business as long as he has, I'd forgive him for being jaded. But he wasn't. He was a lovely guy.”
Q: The entire film is full of very funny moments. Mickey Rooney and Dick Van Dyke are back. They were the original museum night security guards in the first film. And this has turned out to be Mickey’s last film.
A: “I know; it’s incredible. Mickey Rooney was a ball of energy. Oh my word, I think he was in nine decades of films because of course he was a child star.”
Q: Why do you think the NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM films have resonated so strongly around the globe?
A: “It is the ultimate fantasy: the greatest, most powerful people and things that have ever lived, dinosaurs and mythological characters coming to life. Everything that's ever been conceived or imagined comes to life and if I were a kid this film would have blown my mind. It would have been my favorite film. It is truly magical and it's perfect for Hollywood because with effects you can do anything now. If you can imagine something you can put it in a movie; it is incredible. The first time I saw the first movie, when that dinosaur wagged his tail and wanted you to throw the bone, it was joyful, it was just perfect. And let's not forget that the best family films are great for adults too.”
Q: Any other favorite films?
A: “I watch THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL every Christmas. The first film I ever saw that blew me away, which I still love today, was THE JUNGLE BOOK. I think that was the first film my mum took me to see. I was six and I remember the next day in class I made all the kids reenact it, to the point where the teacher looked at her watch and said ‘we're going to have to finish this tomorrow,’ because I was giving everyone their roles and saying: ‘you’ve got to do this.’ She had to say: ‘no, we've got to stop.’” I remember my mum took me to see RING OF BRIGHT WATER when I was about seven or eight and I was crying my eyes out [Mij the otter in the film dies]. I love pathos, I love sadness. I cry at a film and I laugh at a film. I want a movie to be an absolute life-changing experience. I don't watch knock-about Hollywood comedies. I want to be taken to a place that is quite traumatic but then turns out okay.”
Q: Were you funny as a kid?
A: “I did enjoy making people laugh but I was also attracted to funny people. I'm quite happy to not be the one trying to make other people laugh. I'm happy laughing at someone else. I enjoy laughing and I’ll happily be the one just laughing all night if you can make me laugh.”
Q: What makes you laugh?
A: “It's not people, it's more thoughts and situations and real life. Someone trying to be funny probably isn't as funny as someone who doesn't want to be funny but is and can't help it. Someone being serious or angry might be funny. If you get angry, the first thing I want to do is laugh because I don't know why you're getting that angry. Pathos makes me laugh, funerals make me laugh.”
Q: Who do you find funny?
A: “Larry David is funny. I did CURB YOUR ENTHUSIAM [the TV show] and he's one of the people who giggles and ruins as many takes as me. Jerry Seinfeld's great. I love Zach Galifianakis.”
Q: You are so funny yourself. It must feel great having the ability to bring a smile to people’s faces?
A: “Well it’s very subjective, I know for a fact that not everyone feels like that. For everyone who thinks my face brings joy, someone wants to punch the television and I think that's the important thing, that you should polarize people. If you're doing anything mildly interesting or different, as many people should love you as hate you. For as many people who say ‘I've got Ricky Gervais’s laugh as my ring tone,’ other people would want to smash the phone to pieces with a mallet and I wouldn't have it any other way. You mustn't want to be liked by everyone because if you are, one you'll fail and two you'll be aiming so low, you’ll end up in the middle and anodyne.”
Q: Can you talk about your current projects?
A: “I'm in pre production for the DEREK Special, to end the TV series, Just like THE OFFICE and EXTRAS, I did two series and a special. I'm writing the Brent movie, which is all about what David Brent is doing now, 15 years after THE OFFICE. He's still repping (selling toilet products) and he's having one last attempt to be a rock star. He thinks that this documentary about him is like Martin Scorsese following the Rolling Stones, but actually it's more like a 'where are they now?' documentary. What else? I want to do some more stand-up, a little bit of a world tour. A little bit of a world tour makes no sense but you know what I mean.”
Q: You mentioned how hard you work. Do you take time off?
A: “No, as Winston Churchill said: ‘if you find a job you really love you'll never work again,’ and that's what it feels like for me. I know how lucky I am to be here, what a privilege it is and every day I remember that. My dad was a laborer. He worked for fifty years getting up at five in the morning, sometimes six days a week, in all weathers carrying bricks and concrete. How can I complain? I do things I'm passionate about. I get paid a ridiculous multiple of what my dad earned every year, to the point that I have to stop thinking about it because I feel guilt and shame and worthlessness.”
Q: How do you relax?
A: “We [Ricky and his partner, novelist Jane Fallon] don't book two weeks in the Bahamas and do nothing, but if I have to do a ‘promo’ in New York, we will go there for ten days. I do ten hours work and then we're in our apartment, seeing friends and walking in the park. It's like a holiday. I've been on holiday since I was born. My average day is writing or pottering around or doing a bit of publicity and then I work out and I'm in pajamas by six o’clock and we've opened a bottle of wine and the cat's on my lap and we're watching videos and TV. There's nothing I’d rather be doing. I'm ashamed to say as hard as I work and as much as I love this job, I'm almost not allowed to count it as a job, because there are people with real jobs. I do things for fun. I try to do them well and I have to tell myself that even though I am not a brave soldier or a doctor or a nurse, that someone somewhere enjoys what I do.”
And now, details on how to enter to win one of TEN copies on offer of
- 'Like' the Josie's Juice Facebook page
- Follow me on Instagram and Twitter if you are on the social media platforms. Also, share the 'Night At The Museum: Secret At The Tomb' prize photo on my @josiegags Instagram page by taking a screenshot of it, then using these hashtags: #regram #josiesjuice #competitions #giveaways #prizes #NightAtTheMuseumSecretAtTheTomb
- Share this link on your Facebook wall
- Comment below on why you'd like to win this DVD (and which format you'd like - DVD or Blue-Ray) AND email me at josiegags@optusnet.com.au so I can contact you in case you are a winner (so many people forget this step and don't enter a valid email address below, and I spend lots of time trying to track you down, or simply give the prize to the next person - not fun for anyone!)
(If you find it hard to comment below because your device won't let you - sometimes that happens on an iPhone, for example - simply send me your entry and address via email at josiegags@optusnet.com.au).
*Competition is open to Australian residents only.
*Competition is open to Australian residents only.
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