Music Me Monday with Franz Ferdinand

Hmm lets think-world economy gone to pot, bullshit election stuff plaguing me at every turn, not to mention the film world lost a truly truly good and decent man, and a fine fine actor to boot, with the passing Paul Newman. Plus it's Monday. bleh. what to do in order to lift the spirits-how about about a little music to pass the time.

Let's see- listened to the fine Foe soundtrack enough till even I need to listen to something new. hmmm NO FRANZ CD this year, but hmm WHAT'S THIS news from NME:
FRANZ WILL BE PLAYING NYC ON OCT 8. OHO. Im so there.

No word on how much new music they will be playing but ooh so cool! Plus a quick check on the FF site reminds me again where they recorded their new CD... :D Plus, look:
FILM CITY GLAGSOW lurking in the background YET AGAIN as two 'TEST' clips are now on the official Franz site (which mysteriously appeared last month) BRING ON THIS CD gah In the meantime, how the hell slamming is this test (not a full song but man those guys, playing under the stage and then in the lovely old gilded hall of FCG- love the spooky kooky shot of the mike swinging back and forth- can I say again how much i love these guys and the kids at FCG?? :))) xxx...







Also Oooh listening and waiting for that new SnowPatrol (heard mysteriously on that trailer for NEW TOWN KILLERS!) Haven't been able to track down any news yet on the soundtrack, but I have full faith in Mr. Jobson not to let me down on this front! In the past, it had been long reported/rumored that Mogwai was going to do something for the score-dunno if that is holding true, but in another kooky case ;) of the world colliding squeefully for a fan person like me, on the official Mogwai blog there was a hilarious blog report of their meeting with guess...wait for it.... DAVID MACKENZIE, who apparently is enamored of those two fine thespians Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter as I am
DEAR DAVID, I ADORE YOU... :)))

witness:
"We don’t do requests, not because we’re arrogant but because we’re literally unable to play most of the songs we haven’t practised for the tour. We’re really quite amateurish and not afraid to flaunt it. After the gig I met up with nice, drunk Jim Putnam from the Radar Bros. and also the Scottish film director David MacKenzie where we discuss making a movie about the sad and hopeless plight of Fuck Buttons. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter will star in this tragic film. It will be called Ben and Andrew’s Bogus Journey and will go straight to DVD I hope. Seeing as it's Ben from Fuck Buttons' birthday tomorrow i feel it is time to let the less humour-savvy of you know that we actually love Fuck Buttons as people and as musicians, just in case we upset anyone. I saw someone thought it was serious on our forum and my brain did a 360 degree spin of disbelief."

Rumor Alert: Jamie Bell to Star in New Film "A Single Man"

Rumor Alert! In Marc Malkin's column for E! Entertainment, it claims actor Jamie Bell (Hallam Foe) will be starring in designer Tom Ford's first directorial effort "A Single Man" based on the novel by Christopher Isherwood.

Quotage:

Sources reveal exclusively to me that it looks like Colin Firth will star as a gay college professor who deals with the sudden death of his lover. The character is helped in his efforts by a lifelong female friend and one of his students.

Firth's rep tells me "he's in discussions" but it's not a done deal.

Julianne Moore will play the friend while Jamie Bell has signed for the student role, my sources say. The story takes place in 1962 in Los Angeles.

No studio is attached to the project, but Ford plans to begin filming in L.A. in November.

Seems I remember the last rumor about a new Jamie Bell role in that Chuck Russell film did not take flight, so no idea if this has any merit or not. Jamie has been looking for new projects, so perhaps this is the real deal, and working with Julianne Moore would be fabulous of course. We shall see.

Official Stills of Alastair Mackenzie, Dougray Scott in New Town Killers

CHECK IT OUT!
Brand new official stills from Richard Jobson's New Town Killers are now online via Independent Film company. New are photos up on my flickr of
Alastair Mackenzie here, here and here along with Dougray Scott, with individual new photos of Dougray here here and here. (this last one we saw with the Scottish Screen preview tho)

In addition there is a new photo of director Richard Jobson, and more from the film here, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Sweeeeet! :)

I had emailed earlier asking for stuff like this but heh naturally didn't hear back; guess bloggers dont count when trying to spread the word. Will try again and see if they will release some better quality ones soon.

New Town Killers, directed by Richard Jobson, and starring Dougray Scott and Sigma films founder and actor Alastair Mackenzie will have it's world premiere at the London Film Festival Tuesday, October 28 and again October 30.

Are you a Friend of Sigma Films?

Are you a friend of Sigma Films? I am :) Well, at least I am member of the new Facebook group Friends of Sigma Films. Open to anyone who has a Facebook account, and has an interest in things of this wonderful independent film company based in Glasgow, Scotland, the objective of this group is described by Colin Kennedy as follows:

"A place for people to share stories that might make compelling films or put people in touch with other people that have stories that might make good films."

Interesting! Actually, I think this is a great idea, and I applaud them yet again for taking the initiative and being open and honest about securing ideas, giving an opportunity for those who might not ever get a foot in the door, a chance to be heard and embracing the idea that good people and good ideas can from all sectors, not just those immediately around us and who you know personally or 'in real life'. We live in a global world, use it to the advantage and so many doors can open-tis true tis true tis true!

For many, including me, the WHOLE POINT of even going on Facebook is to put yourself out there a bit, make new friends, contacts, opportunities. Life stagnants if you dont move forward, by trying new avenues and outlets to discover and ingest new sources of creativity, is -to me - an absolute neccessity anymore. Again Sigma is not afraid to break down those old walls those antique modes, and taking ways of the seeming old style networking and moving it onward via places like Facebook .

WEll done! I am very very hesitant but I have my screenplay I am working on that Im wavering on, but people like Helge and I bet there are scores and scores of people with loads of great ideas that truly deserve at least one look, well here is a chance -so this is cool news indeed.
Heres to finding new ideas for films, and perhaps being courageous enough to meet new people too! :)

Long overdue Love for Luci

There's been some great news, and I mean truly wonderful news that I have been GREATLY remiss on writing about. I can say well its been all these other pressures and commitments but the truth is Im actually quite the hell happy it and just haven't written about it because I wasnt sure what to say, or more honestly afraid Id look more twee and fangirly than normal(is that even possible?? LOL), so I have to say I fail for not being more prompt on expressing this earlier~

If you've ever read the official Sigma Films blog (s) called "Get Your People", one might know its written by a filmmaker named Colin Kennedy. Now as with all things Sigma, I've made zero attempt to hide what a big fan I am of Colin's and have written about this here previously.

Colin is working damm hard on making his own short film called "I Love Luci" and as he noted recently, they've crossed one hurdle in their journey to getting that film properly financed and made. He wrote:

'We got the good word from our major funder that we would be able to secure the finance we need from them. I am speaking in mildly coded terms because this is the first step in funding and it won't be made public (i.e. announced to the press) until we have closed finance. That said, this is the foot up we need and our hope is that the rest of the metaphoric dominoes will fall well for us over the coming weeks.

This is the starting point for I Love Luci so it's eyes down now for the next few months and fingers, toes and all other appendages crossed that we can put together a great little film over the days and weeks to come.'

WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO
AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME CONGRATULATIONS AND WELL DONE
TOES FINGERS AND ALL CROSSED FOR THIS~~


Now it may come as no surprise, but being the hopeless goof I am, I actually cried with happiness (well..because I'm a hopeless cheerleader type, first I whooped like an idiot to the computer screen in front of me and scared the heck out of my cat, then cried lol). Now, no real reason I should really. Colin doesn't really know me from adam, and yet for years now, Ive followed everything they've done over there at Sigma, and am anxiously following this process, and along the way become pretty damm fond of those folks. I adore them. yep.

More importantly I genuinely admire and respect Colin. Probably not a cool or hip thing, but he's been extremely kind to me, and I have the utmost faith and sincere belief in the work that he, his producer Brian Coffey and Gillian Berrie are doing along with (I think still Colleen and maybe Anna), and hell Al and David and all at Sigma Films my gosh! I just think so highly of them, and well I'm very grateful and enjoying following all of this, so thanks for the continuing updates.

Here is someone who is working on reaching for his dreams, and struggling and working hard, just like you, me and and anyone. It's not something that has come easy, and lord knows the Scottish film industry sure as hell doesn't get their fair time in the sun as it were-there surely is not nearly enough attention being paid to the fine work coming out of that country,from all the great film makers (not just David) but from up and coming people like Colin.

I had to chuckle to myself because Ive been following Saskia, the Valhalla Rising director's assistant video blog pretty closely, and I was watching them again this morning and I was like, totally if I was in Scotland I would so so so happily volunteer to do that job for Colin! (or David too for that matter, and for free, although I think I would drive both of them crazy with my perky enthusiasm which can be err kinda annoying i know) Anyway, the more I follow the journey of Luci-the little film THAT CAN AND WILL, the more I believe in what is going on over there, not just with Sigma, but all of these movies and people Ive learning and watching and Im sooo soo happy for Colin and Brian!

GOOO LUCI GOOO! xxxxxx

NOW HELGE ITS YOUR TURN! I believe in you and your work my friend and you can achieve success too! Do NOT give up! courage~

New Cover of US Mister Foe DVD Released!

Check it out-DVD Empire posted the new cover art for the Mister Foe DVD, which as reported before, is due out November 11, 2008.

Yes! MUCH MUCH BETTER than the horrible US poster for the movie!

As mentioned before, the DVD is available for pre-order via Amazon and more...btw it's actually 3 dollars cheaper to pre-order at the DVD empire than from Amazon for those keeping track at home lol.

Directed by David Mackenzie, Mister (Hallam) Foe stars Jamie Bell, Sophia Myles, Ciaran Hinds, Claire Forlani and Jamie Sives and is a Sigma Films production :)))

Alastair Mackenzie's "New Town Killers" To Screen at London Film Festival Next Month

Great news tonight! Alastair Mackenzie's newest film "New Town Killers" which co-stars Dougray Scott, is to screen at the London Film Festival next month! Yes! The film, directed by Richard Jobson is one of many to screen at the festival which runs October 15-30 in London, England. According to the LFF website, the film will screen
Tues October 28, and Thurs October 30.

Another new nugget of info is the film is listed as running 90 minutes. The write up of the film is as follows:

"Teenager Sean Kelly (James Anthony Pearson) lives with his sister Alice (Liz White) on a rough housing estate on the outskirts of Edinburgh. With their parents gone and prospects limited, the pair struggle to get by. Alice has accumulated serious debts, and now lenders are ruthlessly calling them in. Desperate to get his sister out of trouble, Sean is presented with the chance by two mysterious strangers, Alistair (Dougray Scott) and Jamie (Alastair Mackenzie), who will give him the money he needs if he takes part in a hide and seek game over the course of one night. Sean is not long into the hunt before he realizes that the men have sinister intentions, and that he will be lucky if he survives the night.

In creating a scenario where the well-heeled and privileged prey on the poor and deprived, director Richard Jobson is clearly wearing political concerns on his sleeve in his latest film, and is to be admired for it. Yet New Town Killers is not bleeding-heart social commentary, but an ambitious and kinetic thriller, a tension-packed joyride through Edinburgh streets; it is obvious Jobson knows the city well, and that he loves it; he presents it wonderfully."

Tickets for the festival will go on sale to the general public Saturday, September 27.

David Mackenzie Talks "Spread" with Ashton Kutcher

Several followups this am. First, apparently after reading that David and Jamie were to attend the LA premiere, the foe fanatic Ted sent a myspace message to David. Ted posted his response on his public blog which reads: "Jamie and I went to a q and a last night for the film on LA. The response seemed really good." Ted asked for more, and got a second reply that he copied and posted on his blog: "Stupidly we didn't take any pictures. But the questions were good. Jamie was very funny and the audience seemed very keen on the film. Now I hope they tell their friends."

Back in the days when I had a myspace, I had been lucky enough to be friended with David, but after I canceled the whole Myspace thing, I have not been in contact with him alas. Credit due where credit is due, it was actually pretty cool that D took time out to send Ted something, and am grateful that we heard that at least. Still mightly and seriously disappointed about missing such an opportunity, would have been a lovely and decent thing for us true and loyal fans (frankly remain hugely unimpressed with the whole handling of the rollout/release of Mister Foe...do I sound bitter? lol why yes :P ). Certainly if Magnolia or whoever had bothered to promote it properly and had there had been greater advance knowledge of this appearance, I am certain there would have been a far FAR larger turn out and more keen interest/response to the whole thing, but whatever, no one cares what I think obviously, one lone twee fan in the vast internet wilderness lol, and congrats go to the lucky handful that got to be able to see David and Jamie.


Second, as promised, Collider.com has now posted their new interview with director David Mackenzie online. Unfortunately a great bulk of the interview is wasted (imho) on a rather pointless discussion of rating of Mister Foe, but there was a bit from him on his next movie due out, called Spread that stars Ashton Kutcher. Quotage:

Collider: So your next film is called “Spread”, with Ashton Kutcher and Anne Heche, is this a much more upbeat comedy, or does it have some of the same dark undertones.

DM: Oh, it’s got plenty of dark undertones. It’s not actually a comedy, really.

Collider: Oh, well it’s being described as a comedy.

DM: I mean, there are some comedic elements, but it’s, but I think it’s one of those things that you have to call a “dramedy” now. Well, you know it’s an interesting departure for Ashton and I really enjoyed working with him and making you know, an American movie about LA.

Collider: Would you like to make more American movies, or do you like working in the UK?

DM: I like both, really. I like working on a variety of projects, but I’ve enjoyed working here, and I’ve enjoyed the work I’ve done in the UK, but I just wait for the right project to come along.

....regarding Mister Hallam Foe....

Collider: Is it strange revisiting “Hallam Foe” a year later?

DM: It’s quite nice, actually. You know, it’s some degree of closure, and it would be really nice if “Hallam Foe”…I mean, “Mister Foe”…is able to find an audience in the US.

Collider: Well I think it will. It’s nice when distributors revisit a film because it means people liked it and they think it has a chance over here. It gives the film a second life.

DM: It’s great, yeah, and if that second life comes…I mean I’m not expecting it to break box office records, but if the film could find an audience…it will find an audience, whether it’s three or more, but I don’t think there’s anything particularly inaccessible about it in its Britishness or Scottishness.

Collider: No, I don’t either.

DM: Well good. I hope it goes over well.

Remaining Dates yet for showings of Mister (Hallam) Foe:

9/12/2008
San Francisco, CA: Embarcadero Center Cinema

9/19/2008
Seattle, WA: Harvard Exit Theatre
San Diego, CA: Hillcrest Cinemas
Cambridge, MA: Kendall Square Cinema
Denver, CO: Mayan Theatre
Chicago, IL: Music Box

9/26/2008
Philadelphia, PA: Ritz 5 Movies

10/10/2008
Washington, DC: E Street Cinema
Gainesville, FL: Hippodrome - Gainesville

10/22/2008
Wilkes-Barre, PA: FM Kirby Center for Performing Arts

Jamie Bell and David Mackenzie to Attend Premiere of Mister Foe Tonight

AGGGGGGH

I get a google alert, and its of a blog of a dude who says he got an email from the Landmark theater in LA that has some awesome but hugely upsetting news. I check the Landmark LA theater site, and indeed it says that Mister Foe is opening there TONIGHT, but guess what

DAVID MACKENZIE AND JAMIE BELL ARE DUE TO ATTEND TONIGHT, FRIDAY SEPT 5 AT 7:50 and 10:15pm

David is FREAKIN HERE IN THE STATES FOR A PUBLIC EVENT
and Im going to miss this??????????
OMg noooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!

*is hugely crushed and cries * :((((((((((

dammit all :(((((((( I am so disappointed, after all these years of ffing following the blog, his career this wonderful lovely film, let alone write this blog, I would have flown out there, organised a fan gathering for sure, why WHY do they not publicize these things for their fans, get the word out and help generate more excitement etc. why?Others I know would have done the same! gaaahhhhh. Please some soul have pity mercy and all sorts of compassion and upload some sort of pics, videos or a report?

New York Times Says Hello to Mister Foe, and then there's a Parade with Jamie Bell

For as long as I can remember, Ive loved to read, and read newspapers too. There is even an early photo of me at the orphanage at an age where I surely was unable to begin to read, holding a copy of the wall street journal of all things (guess the nuns were big on those bull markets or something) Anyway, Ive been waiting and hoping that the New York Times, which I still hold in reluctant highest regard, would review Mister Foe, and that has now come past.

A.O. Scott, author of some previously beautifully written movie reviews in the past, took a turn at the film and has posted a review of Mister Foe which is now online via this link. While I am not altogether sure if its a positive outlook-I think it is sorta maybe yes?, it was clear there are some praises bestowed on both Jamie and David, with kudos to other cast members ie Ciaran Hinds gets several lines, which is a big deal when column space is seriously limited. Highlights of note as follows:

Hallam (played by the excellent Jamie Bell, who has gained some skill and shed a bit of cuteness since “Billy Elliot”) would no doubt benefit from some counseling, and the melodramatic twists of the plot ultimately serve as a kind of substitute therapy. It’s certainly more entertaining to watch a confused young man work out his issues through kinky sex and daredevil wall-climbing than to be a fly on the wall as he talks things out with a shrink. And if the extremity of Hallam’s temperament tests the limits of our sympathy as well as our credulity, Mr. Bell’s ability to seem by turns sweet and scary prevents us from losing interest entirely.

So does Mr. Mackenzie’s success in translating Mr. Jinks’s prose into an atmosphere that is both gritty and picturesque. He infuses the examination of Hallam’s emotional disorder with enough macabre and comical touches to prevent “Mister Foe” from sliding into the clinical sensationalism of the case study. That is more or less what it turns out to be in the end, but the film is also a nimble, acrobatic tour of Edinburgh, traipsing through narrow alleyways, up drainpipes and across gables and gutters as it follows Hallam on his pathological way.

Kate’s insistence, late in the movie, that she is just that is both superfluous and unconvincing. In her loneliness, her toughness, her perfect mix of maternal warmth and sexual adventurousness, she is at heart a literary conceit, an inhabitant of that realm of the male imagination where lust and sentimentality meet and mingle. But Ms. Myles inhabits the role with such crisp and understated wit that she manages to hold such doubts at bay. Common sense might suggest that a woman in Kate’s position should change her locks, call the police or move to another town when a guy like Hallam shows up, but somehow she never seems more sensible than when she does the opposite of what prudence might dictate.

The smaller performances are nearly as strong as Ms. Myles’s and Mr. Bell’s, even when the characters are a bit too broadly drawn, like Ms. Forlani’s gold-digger or a philandering brute played by Jamie Sives. Ciaran Hinds, a welcome presence wherever he goes — from “Munich” to “Miami Vice” to “Margot at the Wedding” — strikes the right notes of obliviousness and paternal worry as Hallam’s father, vexed and concerned about his son even as he is unable to see how much of the boy’s waywardness is his fault.

To the rest of us it’s pretty clear from the start. And the main problem with “Mister Foe” is that Hallam’s strangeness is a puzzle only to him and those around him. He’s more of a mystification than a mystery, and never quite creepy enough to risk our not liking him."

INDEED!

In pale pale comparison, Parade now has their interview online with Jamie Bell. Surprisingly, they avoid (for the most part) asking the usual twee questions, with Jamie elaborating on his character of Hallam Foe:

We hear 'peeping Tom' and we think 'weirdo' but your character, Hallam Foe, is just a curious boy.

A: I think it was definitely a fine line. My character has an obsession with voyeurism, of observing people in various different forms of activity. And it was a tightrope walk to make sure that you don’t cross a line to portray him as a pervert because that's something that he definitely isn't. He’s very far removed from what voyeurism actually is. If anything, he’s observing people to learn about life, to learn things that maybe his mother would have taught him had she been around.

Q: His cleverness and his desperation can be funny too.

A: I feel like the loss of his mother made him very introverted. He went back inside of himself and removed himself from the world, really. And his only outlet is by observing people. So although the film does touch on many dark levels and many dark themes, I think that there's still definitely a lightness and a humor to everything that happens in the film.

Mister Foe Review Roundup

Last night was awesome, well spent with multiple viewings of Mister Foe on HDNet Movies, and have to say watching Jamie Sives three times in one night was a delicious bonus :) However Im slammed with work, got awesome news that I want to spend some time and post about properly later, plus my damm allergies are in high gear-mighty hard to type properly when you are sneezing like mad (9 times in an effing row gah, what a sight I was, Kleenex dropping like snowballs, and on the last sneeze, it was like one of those hokey absurd slow motion disaster moments: my headband slid off my head, laptop came crashing to the ground and my glasses went flying off my head and flew across the room and literally bammed on the back of a security guard in the courtroom I was doing an interview in and had been trying to make a good impression on the asst prosecuting attorney - what a sexy appealing sight that was... NOT!! good god, I should move to the nunnery right now lol)

Right, actual things of interest now and a quick rundown of the latest reviews and articles to hit the net preceding the Sept 5 screenings of Mister Foe (for a full rundown though I highly recommend my friends over at RottenTomatoes)

USA Today: Well ole Claudia doesnt like David too much alas, nor the plot but gives high praise to Jamie Bell as Hallam Foe. Noting the movie is only "mildly intriguing," she writes "Bell's portrayal of a compulsive and strange adolescent is intriguing, even occasionally sympathetic. And the cinematography and score add a sense of style.

Ultimately, however, the characters' motivations and emotions, particularly those occurring during Hallam's odyssey in Edinburgh, aren't believable. Even when viewed as an unsettling fable, the saga doesn't come together. What entertainingly offbeat quality it may have is undercut by occasional streaks of optimism and lightheartedness that feel jarring.

The story's two main elements — the mystery of the death of Hallam's mother and his weird, unlikely romance — don't blend well. Maybe the story would have been more potent had Hallam stayed in rural Scotland and investigated his mother's demise more thoroughly. The dark and brooding Highlands were a more appropriate setting for the sinister antics of such a haunted young man.

You find yourself wishing that what happened in Edinburgh stayed in Edinburgh."

VILLAGE VOICE: Completely opposite from the USA Today (in more ways than one lol) these guys LOVE the movie, 'GONZO MACKENZIE' was actually used once bless, and they are quite keen on Jamie Bell's performance as well, with the bottom line saying overall the film is "wit and extreme style, and that's enough. Mackenzie's camera is constantly moving, creating a sinuous trip. Cameras glide through rooms and zoom in on Glasgow's crowded buildings. Best of all, they crane over Foe's head when he's perched in one of his voyeuristic setups on the roof, inducing not vertigo but glee at Mackenzie's skill."

YAY!!!!

COMINGSOON.NET: Another pretty positive review, Ed is complementary of Ciaran Hinds ("another great role"), Sophia Myles ("revelatory performance") and especially on Jamie Bell's performance. There is a lot I liked what was written, as follows:

Like "Young Adam," the film isn't afraid to bare its fangs when necessary, nor does it shy away from graphic sexuality, but it does maintain your interest in this character who one might not assume would be particularly interesting at first. Much of that comes down to this being the first movie in some time where we get to really see what Bell is capable of as an actor. Though he doesn't talk for much of the movie, when he opens his mouth, he's clever and funny and far more likable than Ewan McGregor in "Young Adam," and the story itself is far more focused. The voyeuristic nature of the film does create many quiet scenes of just watching Hallam peeping on his subject, and it's hard to adjust to the disjointed pace, but McKenzie does an exemplary job creating a distinctive mood with the film's music and camera shots. You probably couldn't find a better filmmaker who can capture Edinburgh as beautifully as McKenzie does, as one admires Hallam's ability to navigate the rooftops and ledges of the city to get a better view of his latest subject. There are a few odd decisions that keeps the movie from completely winning you over like the strange opening credit animation that seems to have little in common with the rest of the film, but ultimately, it's a strong character-driven story with many terrific scenes and a satisfying resolution where everyone gets their due. It's a striking film but certainly more of one that grows on you rather than one that's immediately compelling. Rating: 7.5/10

Finally the New Yorker Magazine has an interview with Sophia Myles who again is as lovely classy and honest as always. She is quite gracious about Jamie Bell, echoing earlier statements about him as she said "Jamie, as far as I'm concerned, is a national treasure. I would say he's right up there at the top of my favorite co-stars, because in any scene between him and I, he's so good and moving that all I had to do was just react to whatever he was doing. He's made this seamless transition from child star to adult star without any of the rehab and all the nonsense."

The interview contains the usual questions, but there was one where she said what I and I think many others like about this film and her character and what David Mackenzie does in his films:

Kate has a line in which she says, “Sometimes I prefer sour, sometimes I prefer sweet.” It gives the sense that she's more than somewhat aware of some of the bad decisions that she's making. Did that appeal to you?
Absolutely. Women are often so badly written in movies — they're just completely one-dimensional, in the film to serve the man. Kate’s very confident, comfortable in her own skin, professional, graceful … but in fact take the mask off and behind closed doors she's a mess. She's got demons perched on both shoulders, talking to her in both ears. So often women in movies are just fluff, and that bores me senseless.

Mister Foe shares some similarities with a lot of David's other work, Young Adam and a couple of his short films, in that there are messy romances and passion and inappropriate sexual relationships.
What I love about David Mackenzie is that he doesn't do “happily ever after.” I think his films deal with reality, not fantasy, and that's what I loved about Mister Foe. The other thing that David does well is sex. I think he portrays it in a very realistic, non-gratuitous way — the rawness and often unsexiness of it. The scenes in this film aren't sensual by any means. I don't think, other than maybe for a few weirdos out there in the world, people are going to be turned on watching them.

Pre-Order the "Mister Foe" DVD

While Mister Foe officially opens this week in the handful of movie theaters here in the US, the US DVD of Mister Foe is NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER.

As seen here on Amazon.com, the Mister Foe DVD will be released on NOVEMBER 11, 2008, and is currently available at the early price of $18.99. This date matches what we heard earlier with the Netflix release, so rock on for that.

I believe we will still be getting extras, hopefully the David Mackenzie commentary please please please!!! plus fingers crossed for those wonderful making of/behind the scenes pieces made by Colin Kennedy. Im always hoping too for interviews with cast like the ones 4cslater has up on her youtube channel with Jamie Bell, Claire forlani, Ciaran hinds and JAMIE SIVES, but my fangirl beats hard and long and is resiliant in not giving up hope for these things lol-anyway GREAT NEWS indeed!

Trailer for Dougray Scott, Alastair Mackenzie's "New Town Killers" Now Online

WOOHOOO Now this is a great way to start the month off right! The trailer for Richard Jobson's "New Town Killer" starring Dougray Scott and Alastair Mackenzie is now online!!

For now, you can see it via the Independent Film Company's website: Click here, then on the left, choose New Town Killers then Trailer...



My first inclination is to you know be all fangirly and squee and scream BAD ASS, this trailer is AWESOME!!!

The truth is, this trailer is STUNNING. Long for a normal trailers I thought, this is quick paced, it's no holds barred, and it sure as heck is not the mild mannered Archie from Monarch of the Glen nor mister handsome hunk about town Dougray Scott from Desperate Housewives that inhabit the screen here! Quick editing, interesting lighting, grim, serious, exhilarating, scary tense, rocking (IS THAT SNOW PATROL ? among some seriously good music) and most of shocking. As simplistic and understated as it may be, we live in a world where everything is remote-lets make and buy the video game!- and violence is detached and surreal, something that you watch on the news online and doesn't happen to people you might know, which is the underlying point of this movie I suspect,
and if I had to tagline this film I would say
DEATH IS BUT A GAME to these lads...
but in the meantime, this will get peoples attention heh

SPOILERS AHOY , especially THE ENDING OF THE TRAILER

YOU ARE WARNED
and breathe Alastair fans, just breathe lol as Im trying to do
THANK YOU RICHARD JOBSON, thank you Alastair Dougray and Independent, something great to lookfoward nex year!

Sweet! Its a Parade of Sophia Myles New Interviews on Mister Foe

Two good mails today, both bearing word of new interviews with the lovely Sophia Myles, and mentions of Mister Foe, which will open in New York later this week (DONT FORGET, HDNET MISTER FOE SNEAK TOMORROW NIGHT 8pm ET then again 9:45 and 11:30 pm ET !)

First, Parade has a short new fluffy piece online here, where they focus on twee things like first kiss, past boyfriends, and naturally doing the sex scenes for Mister Hallam Foe. Parade is normally found in US newspapers as a weekend magazine thing, and usually contains nothing indepth; this article is proof of that alas. Here is what they asked her about Hallam Foe:

Q: In Mister Foe you have some pretty sexually explicit scenes. Was that uncomfortable for you?

A: I’ve always been very, very particular about nudity and sex in the movies I do because I think a lot of the time it’s very gratuitous, especially when a female is involved. So I’ve been very strict. I think the scenes in this film are of a sexual nature but they are not sexy at all. Actually, I quite enjoy keeping my clothes on. I don’t even like looking at my naked bottom in a mirror.

Q: Ever feel a little silly?

A: I did in Tristan and Isolde when another actress and I had to take off our clothes and hug a naked James Franco to thaw him out after he nearly froze to death. We found it so funny we couldn’t stop laughing. I think we did about 60 takes.


Thanks to my friends at Dark Horizons who let me know of their exclusive interview with Sophia Myles, and this piece is much much better, and shows the actress to have a fair sense of humor and wit-I really enjoy Sophia and look forward to more of her films (and yes I loved Moonlighting, damm shame to say the least that show isnt coming back) Sophia reiterates her previous praise of director David Mackenzie, and says she choose to do the role because "David Mackenzie had worked with Tilda Swinton, who's repped by my agent in London. And my agent said that he would trust his grandmother's life in David Mackenzie's hands. So the fact that we had a director who was so sensitive, and made us feel completely comfortable, and never exposed at any time - it made it pretty easy."

The part I most admired is that she addressed the fact that this character is multilayer and troubled, and that the sex scenes are in fact, not an erotic act-not the scenes with Jamie Sives that is for sure, for they were brutal and about power and taunting of JBell's character, not at all an act of romance or love, but sex at its most base, animalistic all most. From Sophia:

It's interesting, because American cinema is generally a lot more conservative than European cinema. Do you think that American audiences will find it difficult to deal with the sexuality of a film like this? Especially within its context?

Myles: I think everyone who sees this film will come away with a very different experience, and I think it will affect people in very different ways. I mean, I think what I like about this movie is that - like I said before, it's not - you know, take a bucket of popcorn and forget about your life for an hour and a half. It really is a film that kind of deals with archetypal themes, you know? So it's gonna have a profound effect on the human soul. I mean, it deals with the search for love. You know, it's about a voyage of self-discovery and growth, and also the fear of death. You know? And I think - so it will. You know, it's not - it's going to make people think. And it will make them feel. How it's gonna make them feel? I'm really not one to judge. But again, you know, the sexuality in the movie, it's not - like, all of the sex scenes, they're not there to be sexy. They're not sensual. When I watched the film, I didn't think, "Oh, that's erotic." I mean, it's not about that. And that's again why I felt very comfortable in being cast, because often nudity and sex is very gratuitous in movies. But this isn't - these movies aren't supposed to - the scenes aren't designed to turn people on.

Mister Foe Soundtrack Finally Available on US iTunes

The excellent soundtrack to Mister Foe is finally available today on the US edition of iTunes. The music for the film directed by David Mackenzie has received wide critical acclaim, along with a win at the Berlin Film Festival. The soundtrack, which features "Hallam Foe Dandelion Blow" written especially for the film by the wonderful FRANZ FERDINAND is available via this link on iTunes, and as noted previously will be finally be available in stores such as Best Buy here in the states next week. Btw: CHECK OUT the latest from the Franz guys who I adore so much: Lucid Dreams, just fabulous, here (also available for purchase via iTunes, tis from their forthcoming new album due out next year...be sure to poke around on the official Franz site, you will see loads of photos of pics and videos shot at FILM CITY GLASGOW TOO, just saying... :))




While just about every song on the score is awesome, its worth pointing out that this is not a traditional score/soundtrack, as they used entirely pop music to accompany the film (David spoke at length about having wanted to DJ his own movie and he did here ) .You can also friend/preview the soundtrack on MySpace here. While there were some really fabulous songs that did not make the final track list, songs that are on the CD are as follows:

Track 1 - Orange Juice – Blue Boy
Track 2 - U.N.P.O.C. – Here On My Own
Track 3 - King Creosote – The Someone Else
Track 4 - Sons And Daughters – Broken Bones
Track 5 - Junior Boys – Double Shadow
Track 6 - Clinic – If You Could Read Your Mind
Track 7 - Future Pilot AKA – Battle At The Gates Of Dub
Track 8 - Hood – Lines Low To Frozen Ground
Track 9 - Franz Ferdinand – Hallam Foe Dandelion Blow
Track 10 - Psapp – Tricycle
Track 11 - James Yorkston And The Athletes – Surf Song
Track 12 - Bill Wells Trio – Also In White
Track 13 - Juana Molina – Salvese Quien Pueda
Track 14 - Cinema – They Nicknamed Me Evil
Track 15 - Woodbine – I Hope That You Get What You Want
Track 16 - Movietone – Ocean Song

Bonus Video: Cool Franz Fan video set to their song for Mister Hallam Foe

New Yorker on Mister Foe and the Measure of a Name

It is with some hesitation that I read this am, the new review of Mister Foe in the New Yorker Magazine. The hesitation is due to a recent incident where my remarks were wrongly attributed to someone else, and it cast an grossly erroneous light on a matter that never existed at all...in other words sloppy shoddy journalism making its appearance in what is, for the most part, a fairly well written, well edited (and fact checked) magazine. Thus, it was keeping this in mind when I saw the review for Mister Foe come online there, but was relieved that the standards of old seemed to hold true, and they too, addressed the DREADFUL name change of the film from the original given title. While the review isn't overly glowing for director David Mackenzie nor the movie, its not exactly horrible either, with mentions of the actual cast besides Jamie (Sophia Myles, Ciaran Hinds and yay Jamie Sives) some key points as follows:

The original title of “Mister Foe,” when it opened in Europe, was “Hallam Foe,” and that was a better fit. It’s the name of the central character, played by Jamie Bell, and one thing he never feels like is a Mister. First, he doesn’t turn eighteen until halfway through the movie; and, second, he hardly slots into society with the assurance—either the ease of body or the confidence of spirit—that would lead anyone to call him Mr. Foe. On the one occasion when a friend at work does use that term of address, it is said with a sour snarl, as if to caution Hallam not to grow up too fast.

...

Behind “Mister Foe” lies a bundle of Hitchcock highlights: “Psycho” is here, of course, in the son’s contorted longings; “Rear Window” remains the template for all voyeurs; and there are whispers of “Rebecca” in the mysterious death by water of a first wife. Mackenzie is wise enough, however, not to try to ape the manners of the Master as well as his themes; “Mister Foe” is shifty and jolting to look at, immune to the charms of urbanity, and sprinkled with a rash of plaintive songs, courtesy of bands such as Franz Ferdinand, and drums that knock like heartbeats. Some of the best things in the movie zip by, as if to offset the earnestness of its main conceit: blink and you’ll miss the blink of Kate’s eyelid, framed in extreme closeup, as she fends off Hallam’s question “Is Alasdair your boyfriend?” with the lying rebuff “God, no, he’s got a wife and a kid.” The vigor and saltiness of her couplings with Alasdair, like the dirty talk between her and Hallam, show that Mackenzie, the creator of “Young Adam” (2003), has lost none of his taste for the explicit. “Mister Foe” flirts too often with the unlikely and the foolish, yet there is something to admire in the nerve of its reckless characters, so uneasy in their skins. If you can’t take sex or violence, be warned: there’s no violence here, but the sex looks like violence, and that makes it doubly difficult to forget. ♦