Nothing can wreck a reunion of old college buddies on a dream holiday quite like a crazed killer in a cat mask.
Mad Dogs – a pitch-black comedy that explores middle-aged American male angst – starts off cheery enough, as a group of 40-something pals get together for a lads' holiday at a Belizean villa. It soon descends into a labyrinthine nightmare of deception and murder as grudges emerge and ugly secrets come to light.
Based on the hit British series of the same name, which ran from 2011 to 2013, the American version was adapted by the creator of the original series, Chris Cole, with Shawn Ryan, whose credits include the acclaimed crime drama The Shield. Mad Dogs was made by Amazon for its video-streaming service, but begins here on Saturday on OSN First.
"Mad Dogs is a farce-noir, an odyssey show about four middle-aged friends who go to visit a fifth friend in the exotic country of Belize," says Ryan. "They think they're going for a fantastic long weekend in paradise, only to find that things go terribly, terribly wrong."
The main cast is impressive, featuring former Sopranos star Michael Imperioli, British actor Ben Chaplin (The Thin Red Line), Billy Zane (Titanic), Romany Malco (Weeds, Top Five) and Steve Zahn (Dallas Buyers Club, Treme).
The action kicks off when four pals gather to celebrate the early retirement of a fifth friend at his tropical villa.
The camaraderie doesn’t last long in this tale of friendship put to the ultimate test. Completely out of their element when events take a sinister twist, the guys realise their survival hinges on whether they can trust one another – and stop making stupid choices that plunge them deeper into chaos.
It’s a case of déjà vu for Chaplin, who played the retiree in the original series. Zane takes that role in the remake and Chaplin switches to one of the friends, Joel, a depressed college professor with a superiority complex despite underachieving in life.
“It was really one of the oddest things I’ve ever experienced,” says Chaplin. “I was kind of apprehensive about being in a different role. And then I thought, cool – but it was super-weird. It was a mind-twister.”
Imperioli – best known for his role as Christopher Moltisanti in The Sopranos – plays Lex, a failed indie-rock musician who is starting over as he recovers from addiction.
“He’s kind of the peacekeeper in some ways, though at other times he’s the one pushing buttons,” says Imperioli.
"What drew me to the script is that it struck that balance between tragedy and comedy, absurdity and drama, and I love stuff that can do that – be really scary one moment, really disturbing, and then be really hilarious the next. Mad Dogs gets very dark in some areas. Weird. Unexpected. Twisted. Really funny. Really crazy. And, I think, really touching because, at the centre of it, it's a story about love and friendship."
Fans of the British series will enjoy the American version, says creator Cole, because it offers an alternative, more detailed look at the characters – with 10 episodes compared with the four in the first run of the original.
“There is a fundamental difference between American men and British men – so immediately they became different characters,” he says.
• Mad Dogs begins at midnight on Saturday, March 5, on OSN First HD
artslife@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Full Party in the Park line-up
2pm – Andreah
3pm – Supernovas
4.30pm – The Boxtones
5.30pm – Lighthouse Family
7pm – Step On DJs
8pm – Richard Ashcroft
9.30pm – Chris Wright
10pm – Fatboy Slim
11pm – Hollaphonic
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
The Saga Continues
Wu-Tang Clan
(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)
UK%20-%20UAE%20Trade
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HOW TO WATCH
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Match info
Newcastle United 1
Joselu (11')
Tottenham Hotspur 2
Vertonghen (8'), Alli (18')
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
SQUADS
Bangladesh (from): Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Mahmudullah Riyad, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das, Taijul Islam, Mosaddek Hossain, Nayeem Hasan, Mehedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadat Hossain, Abu Jayed
Afghanistan (from): Rashid Khan (capt), Ihsanullah Janat, Javid Ahmadi, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Asghar Afghan, Ikram Alikhil, Mohammad Nabi, Qais Ahmad, Sayed Ahmad Shirzad, Yamin Ahmadzai, Zahir Khan Pakteen, Afsar Zazai, Shapoor Zadran
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
The Cockroach
(Vintage)
Ian McEwan
Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
