Saul Austerlitz is lifting the lid on the ‘Anchorman’ phenomenon with his new book ‘Kind of a Big Deal: How Anchorman Stayed Classy and Became the Most Iconic Comedy of the Twenty-First Century’. The expansive book takes a deep dive into how the film came to be made, the casting process, the reception it received on release and the way its legacy has carried on since. The first part of the book digs into how director and co-writer Adam McKay and co-writer and lead star Ferrell got the film off the ground. There were many false starts along the way but by the time they got to auditions there were stars falling over themselves to be in the film. Austerlitz talks of how Bob Odenkirk (‘Better Call Saul’) lost out on the role of Brian Fantana to Paul Rudd by a whisker and how Veronica Corningstone, originally called Alicia, was in the grasp of both Maggie Gyllenhaal (‘Secretary’) and Amy Adams (‘Enchanted’) before the role eventually went to comedy vet Christina Applegate. One of the best gems in this part is when Austerlitz reveals that James Spader was considered for the role of Brick Tamland but lost out to Steve Carell when he didn’t want to have to audition.

In the second part of the book, Austerlitz looks at the production of the film and the influences that helped shape how it looked. He shines a spotlight on the character of Veronica, exploring who the character was based on and looks at what the rivalry between news teams was really like in the 70s. Fans of the film will remember that Ron’s crew, News Channel 4, had an OTT rivalry with their competitors, which played out in both of the ‘Anchorman’ films to hilarious effect. Austerlitz also explores the legacy of the film and the careful line the writers had to tread when it came to how the audience is supposed to feel about Ron and his friends. Some of the things Ron does in the film are shocking and the way Veronica is objectified and treated is uncomfortable, but the audience is never made to feel like the film is celebrating misogyny. Instead, there are plenty of laughs to be had at Ron’s expense. This section also touches upon the initial poor response from test audiences and the film ‘Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie’, which was created from outtakes from the ‘Anchorman’ shoot.

The third and final part of the book gives an overview of the film’s release and the critics’ reaction to it before looking at how ‘Anchorman’ changed comedy in Hollywood and paved the way for plenty of movies that struck gold at the box office but owed it a serious debt. Austerlitz takes time to discuss and shed some light on the sequel and the career Ferrell has enjoyed since his star turn as Ron Burgundy.

A nice addition to the book is a series of colour photos that show stills from the film along with early concept drawings of the characters. I’m always fascinated to see where the germ of an idea comes from and these drawings are a fantastic inclusion.

‘Kind of a Big Deal’ really is an exhaustive history of ‘Anchorman’. You may think that there’s not much to know about the film but you’d be wrong. Austerlitz’s attention to detail and thorough research is impressive, and while reading this book I fell in love with the film all over again. ‘Anchorman’ is a true American comedy classic and honestly, as I bring this review to an end I’m thinking about digging out my DVD copy and giving it a rewatch (again).

Publisher: Dutton Release date: 22^nd August 2023 Buy ‘Kind of a Big Deal’ now

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The specially created package offers Anchorman fans a trip to San Diego, where Burgundy followers can visit the world renowned San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld and an iconic Jazz bar, inspired by Ron’s famous trip to ‘Tito’s Bar‘ in the movie itself.

Next stop, hop onto a flight and head up to New York, following in the footsteps of everyone’s favourite news team. Here you can take a tour around some of the most iconic film and television sets in New York. Why not also swing by a traditional New York barbers to have a Burgundy inspired hair cut and shave, followed by a sip of whisky at one of the city’s finest bars in Grand Central Station, inspired by one of the news team’s favourite drinking establishments.

Customers who book the package through ebookers.com will also receive a complimentary Ron Burgundy biography for a spot of in-flight reading, along with a pair of Anchorman inspired glasses, to shield their eyes from the California sunshine.

Jessica Craker, an ebookers spokesperson says: “We’re excited to announce the launch of the ebookers Anchorman holiday package. What a fun way to get more out of your holiday by experiencing some of the most iconic USA destinations in true Ron Burgundy style.”

Jessica Craker continues: “Our customers are classy, and deserve a holiday to match. Not only can you save up to £463 by booking your flight and hotel together, but to celebrate the launch of the cult film on DVD, we’ve recommended the ultimate Anchorman experience, that can only be found on ebookers.com.”

To view the holiday package on ebookers.com please visit http://www.ebookers.com/mktg/Anchorman-Holiday-Package/

…and remember, you stay classy!

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is out now on DVD & Blu-ray.

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The sequel to 2004’s cult hit Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy has been a long time coming and for a while we wondered if it was ever actually going to happen. Directed by Adam McKay, who helmed the original, and written by him with Will Ferrell there’s lots to enjoy about this madcap, zany and hilarious sequel. It’s safe to say that if you weren’t a fan of the first film you should likely stay clear of this one. Ron and his team crank up the crazy and serve up some laugh-out-loud one-liners and bizarre comedy moments.

What we loved about Anchorman 2 is that it pays homage to the first film and revisits some of the jokes that made that film such a quotable classic. That isn’t to say this sequel is recycling material, more giving an affectionate nod to the fans of the original. There’s a real joy seeing Will Ferrell reprising the role of Ron Burgundy and he’s crazier than ever for this outing. The plot takes more than a few turns that defy logic or plausibility but that’s part of the fun. When Ron reunites with Brick, Brian and Champ that’s when the film really takes off and there’s one particular scene involving the four of them, Baxter (the dog) and a van incident that really made us laugh until we cried.

Anchorman 2 enlists a lot of new characters including James Marsden’s smarmy news king Jack Lime, feisty news network executive Linda Jackson (Meagan Good) and Kristen Wiig as Chani, a love interest for Brick. There are lots of other high profile cameos and old faces too but we won’t reveal too much as we don’t want to spoil it.

What really makes Anchorman 2 is the central performances of the four main actors – Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd and David Koechner. There’s a real magic when the four actors come together on screen and they all slip back into the characters with ease. The interplay between the four of them is fantastic with Carell regularly stealing the best lines with his off-the-wall comments and statements. Even though it’s pretty ridiculous, we really enjoyed his chemistry with Kristen Wiig’s Chani and the two characters serve up some of the biggest laughs. It’s a joy to see Christina Applegate reprise her role as Veronica too but we felt she could have been given a bit more to do. Still it’s fun to see her and Ron sniping at each other again.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is the kind of movie where you have to leave logic at the door and just go with it. If you do that you’ll find the film is just as funny as the original movie and there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. Some people may find some of the jokes offensive but you have to think about the context of the movie and the time it’s set in. We enjoyed spending some time with Ron Burgundy after all these years and we laughed so hard we actually cried at times. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues didn’t disappoint and we think it’s the funniest film we’ve seen in a long time.

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Called Let Me Off at the Top!: My Classy Life and Other Musings, the book will be published in the US, UK, Canada and Australia in print and digital formates on 19th November 2013. The book will be released via the Crown Archetype imprint of Random House’s Crown Publishing Group.

Ron Burgundy, played by Will Ferrell in the Anchorman movies, is the lead anchorman of San Diego’s award-winning Action 4 News Team and anchor of the first 24-hour new channel GNN (Global News Network). In his book, Ron will share stories of his childhood and the events that led him to choose a career in news.

“I don’t know if it’s the greatest autobiography ever written. I’m too close to the work,” Burgundy said, adding, “I will tell you this much: the first time I sat down and read this thing . . . I cried like a goddamn baby, and you can take that to the bank!”

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is released in cinemas on 20th December 2013.

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