The Culture Show - 2008/2009 - Episode 4

Comedy, cinema, music and possibly the best of the best literature are all in the week's line up of The Culture Show presented by Lauren Laverne and Mark Kermode. Nic Roeg, director of the films Performance, Don't Look Now and The Man Who Fell to Earth gives a rare inteview to Mark Kermode. The director celebrates his 80th birthday in August and with his new film Puffball (based on the novel by Fay Weldon) due for release on 18th July, he remains as controversial as ever. Starring Kelly Reilly, and with an appearance by Donald Sutherland there are echoes of Don't Look Now, but the film has so far met with a critical roasting. The writing talent behind cult hit Peep Show Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong tell us about the writers and performers who have influenced their own work, from Charlie Kaufman and Woody Allen to Alan Partridge and Terry and June. Tim Samuels floods the village of Comrie in Perthshire with hundreds of copies of the novels shortlisted for the best ever Booker Prize. What happens when locals in the rural community have to decide on who they think deserves the title Best of the Booker, choosing from the likes of Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie and Pat Barker's The Ghost Road? Will their favourite be the same as the actual winner which is announced on 10th July? Music is from Brazilian disco funk band CSS, who are set to blaze a trail at this year's festivals. They'll be playing a track from their new album Donkey, out in July.