BLOK, the comedy directing duo comprising Paul Casey and Richard Jobson, has signed with production company Easy Mondays for exclusive U.S. representation in the branded space. The pair started in television before joining forces in the commercial world, delivering content for clients such as Hendrick’s Gin, Walkers Crisps, and more. Prior to joining Easy Mondays, BLOK was represented by CoMPANY Films and briefly by The Mill.
“BLOK brings a unique and fresh comedic sensibility that synchronizes beautifully with our directorial roster,” said Easy Mondays’ founder/executive producer Asori Soto. “Paul and Rich are a lot of fun; you fall in love with them as soon as you meet them and even wanna go on vacations together. More importantly, it’s a pleasure to see them working; they finish each other’s concepts on the fly, just as anyone’s idea of twin brothers. They are just so funny, just genuinely fantastic guys. They have such a colorful, unique POV on everything.”
Indeed, Casey and Jobson are very much like twin brothers. Despite being born a year apart (and of different parents), they share everything, from their sense of humor, to well-groomed facial hair, and filmmaking ideas.
Before there was BLOK, Casey and Jobson spent many-a-year making long-form comedy series across the world for the BBC, Channel 4, ITV, Sky and Netflix. Then, in 2019, BLOK was born. Based in London and Stockholm and split as director + DP, BLOK makes performance-driven, comedy commercials, often combining multiple worlds, extraordinary characters, seamless transitions, quite a bit of art direction and set-building, as well as a smattering of VFX.
BLOK took their name from the powerhouse Jennifer Lopez classic “Jenny from the Block” and play it on a continuous loop at their annual, two-man Christmas party. The guys first met on a job in the Arctic Circle where they bonded over the mildly traumatic experience of witnessing the castration of a reindeer by a young Sami tribe member, using only her teeth. Some people would forsake comedy at that point. Fortunately, Casey and Jobson soldiered on.
In addition to Easy Mondays, BLOK is represented by Outsider in Britain, Markenfilm in Germany, Rebolucion in Latin America, and Circle Productions in Canada.
Review: Writer-Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Wood’s “Heretic”
"Heretic" opens with an unusual table setter: Two young missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are discussing condoms and why some are labeled as large even though they're all pretty much a standard size. "What else do we believe because of marketing?" one asks the other.
That line will echo through the movie, a stimulating discussion of religion that emerges from a horror movie wrapper. Despite a second-half slide and feeling unbalanced, this is the rare movie that combines lots of squirting blood and elevated discussion of the ancient Egyptian god Horus.
Our two church members — played fiercely by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East — are wandering around trying to covert souls when they knock on the door of a sweet-looking cottage. Its owner, Mr. Reed, offers a hearty "Good afternoon!" He welcomes them in, brings them drinks and promises a blueberry pie. He's also interested in learning more about the church. So far, so good.
Mr. Reed is, of course, if you've seen the poster, the baddie and he's played by Hugh Grant, who doesn't go the snarling, dead-eyed Hannibal Lecter route in "Heretic." Grant is the slightly bumbling, bashful and self-mocking character we fell in love with in "Four Weddings and a Funeral," but with a smear of menace. He gradually reveals that he actually knows quite a bit about the Mormon religion — and all religions.
"It's good to be religious," he says jauntily and promises his wife will join them soon, a requirement for the church. Homey touches in his home include a framed "Bless This Mess" needlepoint on a wall, but there are also oddities, like his lights are on a timer and there's metal in the walls and ceilings.
Writer-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Wood — who also... Read More