Sigma Strands of Seven?

Seven...that is my number for the day... follow....

1) IFC has an interesting article online with a hodgepodge of review on Spread, many which have been posted here. Of note and new however is a link to the excellent moviecitynews blog entry which I totally missed doh, and a new 15 minute interview with Spread star Ashton Kutcher. In this honest articulate and interesting piece, the star speaks to the bravery of his female co-stars in taking on the roles they did, and working with director David Mackenzie...

....2) the casting director David Mackenzie has used in the past, Kahleen Crawford, is hard at work, now seeking actors for a film set in Scotland, to be directed by Alfonso Cuaron. who. I. love. (and hes a terrible charming flirt oy and sooo talented *sigh*) Kahleen was quoted recently:

Last night Kahleen Crawford — the Scottish casting director for the flick — invited any budding actors to apply for the amazing opportunity.

She said: “We are currently looking for a Scottish boy to play the lead in the film, it’s a really exciting prospect for a young person. “We’re keen to consider boys who have never had any acting experience as well as those who have professional credits – we’re open to fresh, raw talent from Scotland. We will cast someone who is 16 by April this year or he could be a bit older, but will need to look 14 or 15.”

3)Kahleen cast Ewan Bremner for a part in Hallam Foe, he is also starring in the MySpace created film "Faintheart" which is screened free in the UK, and online. It was awesome. bootlegs abound but fear not for it is out in a few days on DVD....

4)the DVD of Somers Town, starring the awesome Kate Dickie (Sigma's Red Road, upcoming Donkeys) is out now.

On Kate's agent's page, it notes she is filming in Ireland and Scotland for two new films. She is with the same agent who also reps Martin Compston...

5) Martin Compston is featured in the new film The Damned United, which also features Colin Harris who is the lead in Colin Kennedy's new short film I Love Luci. You can see the new trailer for the film which features the excellent Michael Sheen and Timothy Spall here via You Tube.

6) On YouTube you can also see work by Morag Mckinnon, director of the very good short film "Home"

Morag will be a featured guest at the Glasgow Film Festival, speaking as part of the FROM SHORTS TO FEATURES special on Saturday, February 14 (Valentines day aww :D). Although now at work on a new feature, Morag is of course making her feature with Rounding Up Donkeys...part of Sigma's Advance Party Films...

7) ADVANCE PARTY 2?? Seven films, seven directors? What is the buzz with this?

As posted on the Sigma films website" 2009 is a big year. The premier of David Mackenzie's latest film Spread (Ashton Kutcher, Anne Heche) starts the year for us at Sundance. Quickly following is the 59th Berlinale and the launch of an even more ambitious Advance Party 2 with a slate of 7 films from debut writer/directors from across Europe.

!!!! WOOT! Now this sounds interesting as hell! Wonder what the scheme is with this? Will they complete the third of the first Advance Party trilogy (I swear I did, I wrote a fan fiction/outline of a script for the characters in Red Road lol they better finish it off! I cant wait ot see Rounding up donkeys-no word on/if 3 will actually happen, but hope springs eternal. Especially with the news as seen on both Sigma and the UK Film council that Sigma has recieved some serious cash to move forward- hopefully on this and perhaps involving ALL OF SIGMA on these projects -fingers crossed

even better

A NEW BLOG HAS APPEARED ON GET YOUR PEOPLE bearing the Advance Party 2 logo

WHAT ARE YOU UP TO COLIN ???? The plot thickens! wheeeee :)))))))

Video of Alastair Mackenzie in Murdoch Mysteries Now Online!

More excellent news tonight, this regarding the wonderful Alastair Mackenzie. Last year we learned Al was to make a special appearance on the hit Canadian program Murdoch Mysteries. That episode will be the season opener, when series 2 begins on February 10

The official website for the show states "The brand new second series begins when Murdoch teams up with a Scotland Yard investigator (played by Monarch Of The Glen's Alastair Mackenzie) who thinks the serial killer that is causing havoc in Toronto is none other than Jack The Ripper."

INSPECTOR MACKENZIE *swoonage*
LOL sorry couldnt resist ;p

Even better, you can see a preview of the episode called "Snakes and Ladders" with
VIDEO OF ALASTAIR in his role as Detective Edward Scanlon
VIA THIS LINK!

SO HAPPY! I can't wait to watch this! The world absolutely needs more Al in it on our screens and tvs, this is just aces! xxxxxx

Streaming Sounds of Franz Ferdinand Recorded at Film City Glasgow!

Check it out! Franz Ferdinand are now streaming their new CD Tonight via their MySpace page here (free-go enjoy it!)


Blather perhaps, but I really can't contain my joy at the press mentions of the band and details of their recording the disc at the wonderful FILM CITY GLASGOW, home of course to Sigma Films :) Dorkish of epic proportions to be certain, but I gotta say when I read articles such as the ones in the Scotsman and the List, not to mention earlier this week from the Evening Times!, which talk about FCG and Sigma and David , I get a big stupid grin on my face, (not the least of which I was writing about this months ago and now look! woooooop!!! ) * goes and dances , despite a cold and decidedly un-chic in my furry slippers and flannel pjs late in the morning*

Must read Articles: The List..."

You’ve basically built an entire studio complex in the bowels of this beautiful old building in Govan?

Bob Hardy, bass Yeah, its a great place. Nick [McCarthy, guitars and keyboards] found it. David MacKenzie the filmmaker has his office down here. There’s a great buzz. The building ended up being intrinsic to the recording process.

The Scotsman

Anne Heche on David Mackenze: A Wonderful Director

Blurgh-meant to post this below, but I am made of fail lately (struggling with a cold and the affects of my past wild child life must be catching up on and taking a toil on my ancient brain cells jeesh!)

Access Hollywood has their video online from the premiere of Spread. In the video, you can see a surprisingly modest (or at least I thought) Ashton, as well as hear comments from Anne Heche who praises the director of Spread, Sigma's own David Mackenzie, calling him wonderful-you betcha!

Also, Screen Daily has their review online, WHICH IS ACTUALLY A GOOD REVIEW! heh
Celebrated Scottish film-maker David Mackenzie makes a seamless transition to US movies with the delicious Spread, a darkly comic insight into the beautiful hustlers (male and female) of Los Angeles which is a starring vehicle for Ashton Kutcher in the role he was born to play. Smart, witty and acerbic, this visually playful cocktail of sex and opportunism should easily sell in the US (interest was high at Sundance following its Saturday world premiere) and has numerous marketing hooks for potential distributors around the world ­- not least of which is the image of a partially clad Kutcher as the consummate Hollywood grifter....

***Mackenzie makes full use of the relentlessly blue skies, dreamlike swimming pools and distant cityscapes to capture the city's sterile coldness...Mackenzie fills the film with aggressive but soulless sex scenes which suit the mood of self-gratification at the heart of the drama."****
Now this is what I like to hear! :D

Spread out by the Bay

Huzzzah! Good news today as Variety is reporting that Anchor Bay has purchased the North American and Australian rights to David Mackenzie's Spread starring Ashton Kutcher and Anne Heche for 3.5 million! Now because I KNOW VERY LITTLE about all of this, I do know that Anchor Bay does DVD cause I have a slew of their children's editions for my child at home, but as Variety reports, the company is also sister to Overture Films, which does actual distribution in theaters, so hopefully lol Spread is going to play in theaters first before going to DVD (dont want a repeat of the disastrous four weeks in theaters for Mister Foe before coming out on DVD bleh suckage). The Hollywood Reporter adds this nugget:

Liberty Media subsidiary Anchor Bay Entertainment in October formed Anchor Bay Films, designed at releasing as many as ten films per year in theaters to augment its robust homevideo platform. "Spread" will go into this pipeline. With Kutcher as the star and an appealing premise, the title is thought to have a lot of homevideo upside, making a DVD powerhouse like Anchor Bay a logical choice.

Finallty, the Screen Daily piece notes that "the distributor, which is ramping up its theatrical operations, closed the deal with CAA and Endeavor Independent late on Friday afternoon [January 23] following several days of bidding. TVA acquired Canadian rights.

UPDATE: More from Indie Wire on this matter, which states"Endeavor Independent’s Graham Taylor and CAA negotiated the deal on behalf of Barbarian Films with Kevin Kasha from Anchor Bay. “Good things come to those who wait,” noted one tipster tonight, referring to a festival that has seen few sales as it enters its final weekend. The insider added that the deal involves an aggressive theatrical commitment and bonuses for the release."

AGGRESSIVE THEATRICAL COMMITMENT =YES!

“This is the biggest Anchor Bay films acquisition ever,” the company’s Kevin Kasha told indieWIRE late tonight, “What the Dimension brand meant to Miramax, that’s what we want Anchor Bay Films to be to our sister company Overture!” He continued, “We are thrilled to be in business with Ashton Kutcher and the ‘Spread’ team. On behalf of the entire Anchor Bay Films family, words do not do justice to express how excited we are!”


Bonus Six degrees of Sigma points: Overture also has the rights to Last Chance Harvey, the film that my fave Jamie Sives has a small role in- oooh spooky ;D

Right, well Variety also has a short interview with Spread star Ashton Kutcher online, where he speaks not only of his politicial initiative and good efforts to rally folks to serve again under our wonderful new administration woot (do it go check out the MySpace page, vlog post get off your tushy and volunteer somewhere anywhere GIVE BACK!), but also more relevant, on Spread. Quotage of interest:

Life in L.A. for the Iowa-bred Kutcher provides endless inspiration for his meta-schemes. So, when handed the script for "Spread," about a hustler navigating the city, Kutcher immediately thought the pic could recall Beatty's turn as George Roundy."I was fortunate enough to have breakfast with Warren two years ago," Kutcher says. "I started digging a little bit about 'Shampoo.' It's one of my favorite movies. It's a tale of Los Angeles through the eyes of this guy making his way."

In talking film, Kutcher departs from other stars at Sundance who cite characters' duality or themes of alienation. He frankly calls moviemaking "trying to make a high-quality piece of product" and tosses off motivational phrases like "success is a product of preparation."More than a lot of multihyphenates of his generation, though, Kutcher purposely steeps himself in the history of Hollywood, taking special note of those who didn't appreciate the sheer luck of it all.

A running gag in "Spread" has real estate agents and others referring to a particularly stunning Beverly Hills manse as "Peter Bogdanovich's house," probably an obscure reference for a lot of his young fans. But it's a bull's-eye in Kutcher's world, which is why he subbed Bogdanovich's name for another, better-known, star's in an early script."I was watching 'The Dick Cavett Show,'" Kutcher recalls, "and there was an interview with Peter Bogdanovich, Robert Altman, Mel Brooks and Frank Capra. Peter Bogdanovich had just finished 'Last Picture Show' and he was the hot business. And he rolls onto the show just being the business."

The payoff, as on "Punk'd" or his virtual treasure hunt or even, in a more constructive way, the Obama video, is what happens at the end. It's the comeuppance. "Bogdanovich had the answer to every single question that anyone could ask. I was just going, 'What is he doing?! Look around you!'"I ran into him a couple months later and brought up the interview and he was like, 'I was such an arrogant prick.' And I have to owe it to someone who owns up to that."

Tickets Now On Sale for New Town Killers at Glasgow Film Festival

Tickets are now on sale via this link for the screening at the Glasgow Film Festival of Richard Jobson's New Town Killers. The film, which stars Sigma Film's own Alastair Mackenzie (Monarch of the Glen) and Dougray Scott, will be showing on Monday, February 16, followed by a second screening on Tuesday, February 17. According to a blog via the Herald, director Richard Jobson will also be introducing his film, and will hold a Q & A session after the showing on the 16. No word yet if Alastair will be there but fingers crossed for those lucky ones who can attend to perhaps get a chance to hear from one of my favorite actors.

UPDATE: Tech snafu with the online sales; you have to wait till noon UK time tomorrow. Joys of modern technology strike again!

Speaking of favorite actors, the Glasgow Film Festival will wrap up with a gala screening of "Last Chance Harvey" which stars the always awesome Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman. My personal fave Jamie Sives has a small role in this film apparently, but I havent yet seen it so dunno if he made the final cut, and I also do not know if he will attend this UK premiere of the movie...but again I would please mercy and beg if anyone is there and sees him,lol tell him well never mind it'd probably scare the hell out of him if he ever knew about me and all this blather!!!! but one can always hope for photos.

Random note: movie AND HOPEFULLY JAMIE SIVES as well (and yea ok something on Mads would be cool too :D)

Video Interview: Ashton Kutcher Talks David Mackenzie and "Spread"

FINALLY!

There is a video interview online with actor Ashton Kutcher who talks about his new film "Spread" and (more importantly to me lol) director David Mackenzie. Gracefully answering unfortunately routine questions from the host at the Sundance Channel, along with fellow cast mates Anne Heche and Margarita Levieva, Ashton discusses one scene that is getting a lot of blog talk-that of a montage of sex scenes with co-star Anne Heche. Saying that David wanted this film to be like a dance, my faith was restored here as Mr. Kutcher said (to roughly paraphrase) that it is not merely sex scenes but one when you see how sex is used as a weapon in a relationship-which we've seen in one form or another previously by David. A bland interview, an opportunity lost here, but unfortunately one that is par for the course I fear this is the type of thing we will see going onward with this movie (again the questions were so so eh I cant bear these and wishing I could do one... I am praying that bloggers will be given a chance to interview him or my dream to actually interview David for more than 3 minutes god)

Mister Foe Available for Download Via US iTunes

Hallam is on the move again lol as Mister Foe is now available via the US iTunes. If you are a Machead like me, it's nice to get the version for the iPod to say the least! Available via this link, you can rent it for $3.99 or purchase for $14.999. Or if you loathe iTunes, do not forget (and its been out for a while as reported earlier), you can watch it on demand via Amazon for $14.99 as well. No word when the film will be available for download on iTunes in the UK, Canada or beyond.

A Sigma Films production and directed by David Mackenzie, Mister Foe (originally Hallam Foe for it's UK and global release) was released in the theaters last fall, and has been out DVD since November. If you are just discovering the film, be sure to check out the original blog for the film, written by Colin Kennedy. Mister Foe stars Jamie Bell, Sophia Myles, Claire Forlani, Ciaran Hinds and Jamie Sives.

Richard Jobson's New Town Killers Starring Alastair Mackenzie to Screen at Glasgow Film Festival

Huge treat for us today, courtesy of director Richard Jobson, who has done a major update on his personal site. forgive this but in true fantwit fashion:
omg omg YAY
*breathes* lol sorry idiot I am, and now on with it...

GREAT NEWS TODAY on Richard Jobson's New Town Killers starring Sigma's own ALASTAIR MACKENZIE and Dougray Scott.

The film will be screening at the GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL NEXT MONTH on February 16.
a
Also
The film will then be part of the Dublin Film Festival that same month (uncertain of the screening dates, tickets for this go on sale later this month on the 26th)

Then In March, NTK will be showing at the EdinburghFilmHouse!

Bonus: Audio book of New Town Killers on the way! wooooot!

OH MAN, HES OFFERING A WRITING CLASS. Dear god why dont I live in Scotland, remind me again? I so want to submit a script of some of the ideas Ive been playing with to Sigma, but heh these things are in no way ready for that kind of scrutiny (READ POTENTIAL HUMILIATION) and I should be taking screenwriting classes, damm pity I cant take one from Mr. Jobson. Wonder if Peter Jinks is available LOL blurg but I digress!

LISTEN UP ALASTAIR AND DOUGRAY FANS! NEW PHOTOS GALORE via the site as the director has given us an amazing treat with many new BEHIND THE SCENES PHOTOS of the filming of New Town Killers-Sean fans too will love this for the Greenscreen shot. bonus:
Storyboards! Oh man, awesome! so so ffng cool! I SO ADMIRE DIRECTORS WHO DO THINGS LIKE THIS, just put it out there show the world, ENCOURAGE DIALOGUE!
WELL DONE AND THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOOUUU!

Related: Norwich Evening News has a mention about NTK and the release of the film sometime this year-HOPEFULLY SOON in the US too please oy! Quotage:

New Town Killers

Already premiered at the prestigious London Film Festival, this is an edgy action film shot by ex-punk lead singer Richard Jobson. Set on the gritty streets of Edinburgh, it traces the life of teenager Sean Kelly (James Anthony Pearson) and his sister Alice (Liz White) as they struggle to avoid debt collectors and meet mysterious strangers. Described by critics as an “ambitious and kinetic thriller, a tension-packed joyride”, it is set for a cinema release early this year.

Note: All photos on this post from director Richard Jobson

The Less than Sunny Side on Spread

Warning -this post contains negative thoughts!

While many of the smaller blog reviews I've seen so far have been generally positive about Spread, along with the positive come the negative, and a few clouds cast bad shadows in their reviews, like this downright painful piece Owen from Entertainment Weekly wrote:

"The whole movie is pat -- very pleased with itself for being so up front about the bankrupt ways of a 21st century California man-whore. I was with Kutcher's portrayal of a sociopathic stud, until the character meets his match. That's right: He tries to work his lewd magic on a girl who's Just Like Him -- at which point the joke is on us, because we have to watch him develop "feelings." Spread gets worse as it grows more sincere. Which, come to think of it, makes it a lot like American Gigolo."

Some unnamed blogger at the NY Times wrote despairingly:
"But then Mr. Kutcher’s character and the movie had to go and grow a heart. He and his female counterpart thrust their way to a kind of love, but the need to signal just how pure and lovely this new thing was orompted the director David Mackenzie to cue a beach scene and a song that sounded like it was lifted from “Grey’s Anatomy.” People began leaving at the Eccles this point, not in droves, but enough to know what was coming."

UPDATE: The Hollywood Reporter:
It's understandable that Sundance has to include a few star-driven items on its schedule to fill the big theaters and help pay the bills, usually in the premiere section, but "Spread" with Ashton Kutcher marks one of the low points of the festival. The story of a handsome young stud out to enjoy the good and easy life in L.A. by servicing older women (and plenty of others on the side), it comes off as an unpleasant, unrealistic morality tale. Loaded with music and pretty bodies, the film has a chance to lasso a young, indiscriminate audience of Kutcher fans...As written by Jason Dean Hall and directed by David Mackenzie, the film strikes few authentic notes, though it is loaded with a pretty good soundtrack of pop tunes, probably intended as another selling point.


But for me, there was one from the Obsessed with Film guys who also wondered on the notable absence of director David Mackenzie at Sundance. While I think perhaps a private family matter kept him away, or development on Stain in the Snow or one of the many projects Sigma has coming this year, or hell even simple lack of funds, I believe he will be there at later premieres of the film at say LA or London. But this was not fun to read:

"While Kutcher is aptly cast physically, his performance (which includes lots nude romping with stunning women) is lackluster and the two-dimensional character shares none of the personality or humour that has made Kutcher himself so famous. For me, Kutcher is the male equivalent of Cameron Diaz,; an actor who does brilliantly with a very specific genre, but not does not have the flexibility to play roles which require complex layers or emotions (not to belittle his accomplishments in the now cult classic DUDE WHERE’S MY CAR…).

However, the problems do not rest solely on the shoulder of producer and star Kutcher, but also lie in the flat dialogue of the script, the concept of which seems to be blatantly lifted from the Audrey Tatou film HORS DE PRIX which I saw recently on an airplane. Unlike the French version, the two leads in SPREAD are completely unlikeable and their romance feels more like a caricature than anything else.

With the exception of a strong performance by Nikki’s sugar momma played by Anne Heche and a very original ending credit sequence (the only part of the film that showed any continuity with MacKenzie’s previous work), this film felt like a waste of time and resources, which may explain why MacKenzie was mysterious absent from his own film’s world premiere. I’m seriously hoping that he is holed up somewhere far from L.A and working on a project more worthy of his talents and our two hours."

A distributing deal in the works for "Spread?" (Updated)

As this weekend draws to a close, its Rumor rumor alert time! Variety is reporting that "Spread" reps said a deal was likely to close late Sunday." NO further info is available, but it surely would be great to say the least, if the film could land a distributor for here in the US /understatement.
UPDATE: Variety is reporting that possibly a deal is being made with Fox Searchlight. very sketchy indeed but fingers crossed. The Guardian reports that "Amongst others films in the crosshairs are Spread from Young Adam director David Mackenzie, which stars Ashton Kutcher as a morally bankrupt Los Angeles hustler who shags his way through the city until he meets his match. It's fun and very marketable, containing as it does numerous graphic sex scenes and some great one-liners. " Also Movie City News apparently had word on sales in the works earlier, and had this to say: Spread almost seemed too good to be true: a Sundance comedy with name actors (and nudity!) that seemed to live up to its commercial promise. Kutcher plays a wannabe gigolo with a variety of clients who seemingly meets his match (Anne Heche). The very indie director David Mackenzie (Young Adam) delivered a less-than-indie movie, and while Sundance purists could balk, in this economy it was cause for celebration. Any number of new distributors (Summit, Senator, Overture) looking for mainstream films on the cheap would be a good fit.


In other news, the LA Times has a new interview with Ashton about Spread, with the star speaking at the screening held this morning as well, asking "The big question is if you can feel sorry for this guy who was so unsympathetic earlier..."If you do, then we succeeded." He later was "asked if "Spread" represented a move away from comedy for him, Kutcher said not necessarily. "A lot of times [actors] are asked to do roles that are variations of a character they've done.... But sometimes to satiate an artistic appetite," you want to try something different.

"I'm not steering. The people who come to my movies steer my career," he said, adding that he wouldn't be content to make movies that don't get seen. "So if people support me in making bold choices, I'll keep making these kind of movies."

Before he left to attend the Inaugural festivities this week in DC (pleaase read more about the intent to serve effort Ashton is undertaking via MySpace here-more on that later), three cast members including Ashton took part in the now requisite portraits the Sundance film festival has each year as seen ---->

<------

First Review of David Mackenzie's "Spread" Starring Ashton Kutcher and Anne Heche

While my fan's effort here have received some nice compliments via email-thanks very much, others no doubt had a few good laughs at me as David was apparently a no show...if he was I sure as f didnt see him :((((

Right, well to most accounts the Qik 24hoursatSundance was a fun event (I actually liked it and huzzah, I even saw this blog listed among the scores of people who were blogging, tweeting and chatting about it, many thanks, esp to the staffer who included me on the list, thanks much!!!) The film's after party with EW was great fun (even one the true greats Anthony Kiedis of Red Hot Chili Peppers was there-you should read his book too, amazing life he's had, bless he is still around and making killer music). Photos below, but the first of the reviews of Spread which premiered last night at the Sundance film festival, are now starting to trickle online.

From Salon, who has always been a very positive about the film work done by David Mackenzie, had a great review with definitely positive things to say regarding Ashton's improved acting and the direction from David. Quotage of note: Kutcher turns out to have terrific acting chops well beyond the doofus self-mockery of his TV-host and pitchman personas. His character, Rikki, is an all-American pretty boy grown worldly-wise before his years, who narrates part of the movie after the fashion of William Holden in "Sunset Boulevard." Although that's a definite influence it's not a spoiler (i.e., Rikki isn't dead)....Mackenzie delivers that story as a blend of sex comedy, dark satire, and morality tale that recalls various aspects of "Shampoo" and "Less Than Zero" and "The Graduate," but has a couple of nifty surprises and a poisonous sting in its tail that's all its own. Heche is tremendous in a difficult role,

Photos from Sundance Premiere of "Spread"

Photos from the premiere of David Mackenzie's "Spread" at Sundance are now online. You can see photos of star Ashton Kutcher with his wife Demi Moore, along with photos of co-stars Anne Heche and Margarita Levieva at the event here via Getty.

Tasking Sundance and Spread Premiere

For those keeping score at home, 24hoursatSundance task ten involves movies (and sorta) the premiere of David Mackenzie's Spread, which stars of course Ashton Kutcher and Anne Heche. Set to screen in under a few hours, our fearless competitors are currently charged with lol making microwave popcorn and selling it at exorbitant prices outside the theatre where Spread will be shown .lol The video below shows one team Matt and Shira actually selling one of these bags! Lets hope the rest of the filmgoers get free popcorn :D




Well all this has been most interesting s, but of course Im far more keen on the film. Task 11 is centered on the premiere, where they will get to play press and ask celebs five questions lol. If I ever tried asking these I would have been sacked-although asking wacky questions is always in the back of your mind, and sometimes theyd rather answer those than the same standard ones over and over. Anyway, here is Ashton and Kevin, news producers lol







This is shaping up to be a big event, and Entertainment Weekly is hosting the after party as well (complete with some nice beer from good ole Stella! woot!) Quotage from a press release on the afterparty:

Entertainment Weekly will also host the after-party for the world premiere of Katalyst Media’s Spread on Saturday, January 17. Directed by David Mackenzie and starring Ashton Kutcher and Anne Heche, the film follows a handsome young man who survives in Los Angeles by seducing wealthy older women. Spread is an iconic look at the lure of sex, money, and access that Hollywood offers to the beautiful people, and the karmic price that one must ultimately pay to live that lifestyle. The Spread premiere party presented by Entertainment Weekly and Stella Artois will also be held at the EW LOFT.

Pics of premiere to follow ASAP. Earlier, the ever vigilant JustJared had some photos here of Ashton with the guy from MySpace (more on that excellent project in a sep post), and the paps followed Anne Heche around town today as well.

Qik! To the Top of the Sundance Slopes We Go

I suppose Sir Hillary would be proud of this lol: the tasks are well underway at the Sundance sidebar task for Ashton Kutcher, as the 24hoursatSundance event began a few hours ago, and the next hurdle involves planting a flag at the top of ole Sundance. In the tradition of all great explorers adventurers or in this case, ground breaking bloggers and following the vision of Ashton and Co LOLOL -they have to take a flag theyve secured, somehow get it up on one of the ski slopes outside the festival, write their cell numbers and the phrase for a good time call hahahaha. Ive been amused by the vlogs of the others, YOU CAN SEE THEM ALL HERE, including one who said they needed to get someone else to go up to the mountain for them lol

BTW NO WORD yet on the Spread premiere tonight, but hopefully more is to come.

Update! Task no's 3 & 4 involve videos (enjoyed the beer chugging one lmao, but frankly would have loved those boots Meghan I think went shopping for,nice!) and now the gauntlet has been laid down with an addendum NO.5...and YOUTUBE! The quest for the mighty viewer clicks begins lol!

Spreading Night into Days of the Big Sun Dance

Spread Watch continues. Ashton parties hardy in Sundance, with footage of his dinner to celebrate the release of his new film Spread at the film festival. No sign of director David Mackenzie alas, but man what a life this is for Ashton. Let's hope the link works this time!




Morning rises in Sundance- TODAY IS THE DAY!!!!

A-Lert! Ashton Kutcher, Anne Heche and the Spread at Sundance Begins!

A-Lert everyone! Coverage of David Mackenzie's Spread at Sundance is beginning, thanks to that shy fellow Ashton Kutcher lol, as there are photos of his departure for the prestige film festival in Utah now available.



You can also see photos of his Spread co-star Anne Heche too-with her latest boyfriend I think leaving from the same airport as Ashton. I assume this is all due to his 24HoursatSundance reality competition event he's launched.




At first I absolutely admit I thought this was yet another lame gimmick, but to be honest and give credit where credit is due-it's proving to be a very clever, engaging thing, and there does seem to be a fair bit of people participating-not all smart asses either, so this is something I intend to follow.






Via the Qik website, you can see all the competing bloggers videos, as well as those from Ashton, and his co-host and co producer on this, Kevin Rose the guy behind Digg, which is such a HUGE success. Anyway, videos are also available via YouTube too, and there is one online now of Ashton having apparently survived his trip on the above jet and arrived safely in Park City for the festival. (Note: the embed url from Qik is screwed up, and it wont allow me to post it here, not on youtube yet either sorrry! blurg :( ) UPDATE: Here is a different, yet hilarious one of the jetsetter arriving in high style, champagne and all lol





Right, well I do so hope they will be showing footage of the Spread event- PLEASE DO SOMETHING WITH DAVID if he's hip to it please please please!



Related: Ashton and his wife wont be hanging too long in Utah, as they are going to be in DC for the Inaugural of Barak Obama as our next president YAYAY! I dunno if I will see them there its really possible-more likely then Sundance heh, but as Ashton noted he is doing something for the event, and they are due to be at Oprahs event, then later the NY Times says they are going to Arianna Huffington's party-I LOVE DC, my old stomping grounds and all of this means great days ahead!

New Article from the Times on Franz Ferdinand and Recording at Film City Glasgow

As a follow to the joyous post below, the esteemed Times now has a new piece online tonight, about the upcoming new CD from Franz Ferdinand. The article follows the progress of the disc, and has several paragraphs about recording which took place at Film City Glasgow, the lovely building brought back to life by the folks at Sigma Films and now serves as base for several film and media related companies in Glasgow, Scotland. The news piece contains the following on the work by Franz (my earlier posts on this with photos, and links to those you tube videos of the secret recordings can be found here and here)

Quotage:
They’re on a sonic adventure, one that they’ve cooked up over the past 18 months with the help of Girls Aloud’s songwriter, Arctic Monkeys’ producer, a vintage mixing desk and the innovative HQ/studio they’ve established in a glorious but dilapidated Victorian town hall in Glasgow.
...
Glasgow, Friday, November 7
“Nihil Sin Labore” says the motto engraved on weathered stone above the front door of the old Govan Town Hall. Nothing without work. Franz Ferdinand know all about that. They have been bunkered in this building – also home to TV production, theatre and fashion companies – for nearly two years. It’s their latest artistic squat. Having met each other through the ever-busy Glasgow music scene, Franz Ferdinand started out in 2002 by occupying an abandoned Glasgow department store. Dubbing it the Chateau and channelling the spirit of Warhol’s Factory, they and artist friends would hold gigs-cum-exhibitions-cum-happenings. After signing a record deal they relocated to an old prison complex in the city.

Here in the town hall they’ve installed a jerrybuilt recording studio. As befits Franz Ferdinand’s status as Britain’s most innovative art-rock band, the group has spent the past 18 months “playing” this environment as if it were an instrument. “We got more sounds here than we would have in studio you’d pay £1,000 a day for,” says Hardy. This set-up even gave the new album its title and de facto theme: after neighbours complained about the noise the band boarded up the windows, shutting out daylight from the recording process. Hence Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, a DIY record bristling with club-friendly and quirky electronic tunes. Saturday night fever, given a postmillennium credit-crunch reboot.

Hardy, 28, who initially came to Scotland from Bradford to study at Glasgow School of Art, gives me a tour. A store cupboard has become a keyboard room stuffed with vintage musical kit with lyrical names (Quartet Arp, Micromoog Synthesizer, Roland Rhythm Composer, King Vocoder). A former bathroom is now the band’s amplifier room, equipment stacked around the toilet bowl. In the Town Hall’s cavernous former debating chamber they set up their instruments in the middle of the floor and jammed. One day McCarthy (34, Blackpool-born, raised in Germany, relocated to Glasgow after graduating from the Munich Conservatory) spent hours crawling in the roof space to dangle and swing a microphone over their heads to create a Doppler effect. It amounts to four seconds of music on Tonight.

Half of the room housing their office is filled with a vintage Flickinger mixing desk, as beloved of Sly Stone, Ike Turner and Funkadelic – found for the band in Chicago. To record the new song What She Came For, Franz Ferdinand also decamped to the town hall’s cluttered basement, jammed in among boxes and flight cases. Hardy, a keen photographer, has images of this set-up on his lap-top. Thomson, 32, the sole Scotsman in the band and only dad (he has two young children), is pictured with his bandmates crowded round his drum kit. “We were playing right in each other’s faces,” recalls Kapranos. Why? “We wanted the end of What She Came For to sound like a nuclear explosion,” the singer beams.

Tonight: Franz Ferdinand is out January 29

Super Sweeet News Indeed! Franz Ferdinand Confirms Recording New CD at Film City Glasgow!

ALL CAP WOOHOO JUBILATION AND GREAT JOY! News on Franz Ferdinand. News on this blog too, in the same piece! say whhat?:D
SweetonSigma makes the Evening Times....well, of sorts, as one of my most favorite bands makes the Evening Times in an article about their new CD and recording in Film City Glasgow! What an awesome thing to see today, thank you Graeme Murray!

In this article, members of FRANZ FERDINAND confirm what Ive been on about for months lol, that they did in fact record their upcoming new CD tonight in the lovely old Govan town hall or what is now the home of FILM CITY GLASGOW! YES!! Confirming what I posted here last April (including pics of the band recording), the article reads :

Franz Ferdinand stayed at home, recruited top producer Dan Carey and recorded their new album in an eerie and disused part of Govan Town Hall.The Glasgow band - Alex Kapranos, Bob Hardy, Nick McCarthy and Paul Thomson - were given free rein of an old part of the building and rented the theatre space and concrete bunker beneath the town hall's stage.

Frontman Alex, who is a regular at Dennistoun cafe Tibo and also worked as a delivery driver at Mother India's Cafe in Argyle Street, was thrilled when they stumbled on the Victorian building, complete with flock wallpaper and psychedelic carpets. He said: "The great thing about being in a band is that it's like being in the ultimate gang, and every gang needs its headquarters. A building like this is an inspiration, it's a place where you can hide from the world and create your thing. It's definitely had a big impact on the record."...

!!!!!!!!!!!!

More comments on the lovely old building which houses Film City Glasgow follow:

The band, who met at Glasgow School of Art, began rehearsing at the town hall, which also houses movie suite Film City, early last year...A mixing desk was installed in the theatre and the band swung a microphone from the 50ft-high rafters to capture the album's unique sound.Guitarist Nick said: "We recorded the album in our new building, a beautiful old town hall with a theatre and long shining corridors and rooms.We started rehearsing there early last year and soon realised we should record the album there as well."It has a certain magic and scariness about it."

Even Better, the article then contains mentions of SIGMA FILMS and a very brief quote from TIERNAN KELLY

Film City, which occupies most of the building, has been responsible for some of the most successful Scottish film output.Sigma Films, based at the movie hub, has created a string of movies, including Young Adam, Wilbur Wants To Kill Himself, Hallam Foe, Dear Frankie and Red Road.Tiernan Kelly, operations manager at Film City, which rented the disused part of the hall to the band, said: "They have been using the building pretty much outwith office hours. They've got their own entrance and come and go as they please."

On the side bar of the article, there is a pic of the building with a link to THIS BLOG and the clips of the band recording there. zomg so unexpected, so coool and very happy that the band gave that interview, FCG and Sigma and most the building are recognised in this manner! woot!

Tonight: Franz Ferdinand will be released Monday, January 26 (check out the trailers for it here via their official youtube channel, pre-order UK Domino, Amazon) and I can NOT wait! I adore their music so much, and to say Im thrilled to bits about all of this would be a gross understatement to say the least. One day I hope to get to meet Nick Alex Bob and Paul, but in the meantime, I feel like getting high... ;) wheeeeeeeeeeeee!

Qik see Sundance at Home! (Updated)

Never one to miss a chance at some hip (and frankly at times gimmicky) reality show, a press release says that Ashton Kutcher's company, Katalyst -also producers of Spread- are doing a 24 hours live online show at Sundance, where they are giving four 'social mavens' or more correctly BLOGGERS!!! pffft, tasks to do at teh festival. good lord. From the release:

“24 Hours @ Sundance” is an online reality show competition, broadcast live from the Sundance Film Festival via Qik and shot using the Nokia N95 8GB and Nokia N85 handsets. The contest will pit four social media mavens – Meghan Asha, Matt Marshall, CJ Peters and Irina Slutsky – against one another in a time-based race to complete a number of challenging tasks...

Throughout a 24-hour period, co-hosts Actor/Producer Ashton Kutcher and Founder and Chief Architect of Digg (www.digg.com), Kevin Rose will assign contestants new challenges every three hours. The “24 Hours @ Sundance” final rankings and winner will be determined by the completion of tasks. Co-hosts Kutcher and Rose have final authority to determine the winner.

The trials and tribulations of each maven will be broadcast live via Qik and available at www.24hoursatsundance.com from 9:00 a.m. MST on Jan. 17 until 9:00 a.m. MST on Jan. 18. Qik and Katalyst Media have partnered with YouTube to make the footage available on YouTube indefinitely at www.youtube.com/24hoursatsundance. “When I was first exposed to Qik, I immediately recognized the entertainment potential of live mobile video on the Web,” said Kutcher, Katalyst Media co-founder. “At Katalyst Media, we began ‘Qikking’ in our development process, and soon became hooked on linking video-based interaction and community feedback with professionally produced, original content. Qik is a new genre of entertainment, and ‘24 Hours @ Sundance’ is our first experiment in live reality show programming on the Web, seen through the lens of a time-based event such as Sundance.”

UPDATE: The AFP has now posted an article on this, with new comments from Ashton. Quotage:

A tougher task will be for each blogger to get a Sundance attendee to say that Kutcher should have received an Oscar for his film "Dude, Where's My Car?" and mean it.

David Mackenzie's new film "Spread" starring Kutcher also premieres at Sundance.

"It really is the birth of a new kind of reality television," Kutcher said Wednesday.

Qik is pretty decent Ive heard, but I've never used it. Personally, I am part of a long running (3 years) podcast, and we've broadcast live via BlogTV to great success, so am interested in learning more about how this Qik works. All of these live mobile broadcast methods are always quirky and bugs abound, even in Qik Im certain, but I will be most interested and watching! to see if there is any mention or BROADCAST from any of the screenings for Spread! so fingers crossed for that! The Sundance channel is also broadcasting galore during the festival and I will be sure to post any links to videos shows photos etc I can find! (or someone sends me sweetonsigmafilms@gmail.com or tips in the comments are always welcomed too :D

More Press Previews on "Spread" starring Ashton Kutcher

More press previews today regarding David Mackenzie's Spread, which will be debuted at the Sundance Film Festival this weekend in Utah. In contrast to the blather from yesterday, the always intelligent Salon has a piece on the festival, and notes while things have been scaled down this year, there are several films again this year of note, including Spread. Quotage:

"Spread" Let's not oversell this; I'll just give you the ingredients. Ashton Kutcher as a Hollywood gigolo, Anne Heche as his affluent middle-aged client, and an underappreciated British director (David Mackenzie of "Asylum" and "Mister Foe") with a tremendous sense of style. That should do it, right? We're good on this one? Hot damn.

One might recall that the writer for Salon has been very very positive about David and the films coming out of Sigma, including mentioning Hallam Foe as a film of the year so fingers crossed there will be some positive reviews coming out of the screenings in the next few days!

Related: Variety, LA Times on the business of trying to sell the films at the festival, with barest of mentions on Spread needing a US distributor

David Mackenzie's "Spread" An MTV Top 10 Film to See at Sundance

Sweetime to Spread at Sundance is now three days... ;), with the plethora of press articles previewing (say that 3 times fast :P) the festival including mentions of the new film by Sigma's own David Mackenzie. Of (sad) note is one courtesy of the mighty MTV, who have now released a
10 Films We're Most Eager to See at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival article.

Coming in at number four is Spread, directed by David of course, and starring Ashton Kutcher and Anne Heche. Quotage from idiot INCORRECT, TWEE, AND STUPID mention of Spread, bahhh:

4. "Spread"
Ashton Kutcher makes his Sundance debut in this "Bright Lights, Big City"-like story of a guy trying to sleep his way to the top in Hollywood. The last film by director David Mackenzie was "Young Adam," in which Ewan McGregor and Tilda Swinton basically spent the entire movie naked. Will "Spread" be more steamy or funny? We'll find out soon enough.

*slaps hands on head, deeply depressed by those fellows in my profession who FAIL so glaringly... sigh*

Picture Post!

Bits and bobs:

Tickets for the screening of David Mackenzie's Spread at Sundance are SOLD OUT

Jamie Bell has been busy attending screenings galore for Defiance (me on the film-disappointment, but Jamie was good) He was just in LA last week and then high tailed it home to NYC for a screening last night-looking fierce here I think! Slew of photos available via Getty
Meanwhile, Sunday was the Golden Globes of course and Ashton and Demi were there looking unfairly lol gorgeous! what a handsome couple they make! I will say I like Ashton with that dread beard thing hes got going on-rather like handsome Mr. Mackenzie of late too :D Lets see if they both still have them this weekend at Sundance!



Finally, Congratulations to Colin Farrell for what I think
is a well deserved win at the Golden Globes for his
turn IN Bruges! While Ive never been one who has been
all agog over his looks, I actually do think some of his
performances are usually good-have seen almost all of his films, and am of course really looking forward
to Triage with Jamie Sives this year. I do hope Mr. Farrell has laid his demons to rest and can happily get on with peace and happiness in his life, for it seems to be working as I rather enjoyed the quirky In Bruges, so I am hoping this bodes well for a great performance/film in Triage too! :)

(Updated-Been Removed!) Trailer for David Mackenzie's Spread Starring Ashton Kutcher, Anne Heche Now Online

The marketing trailer for David Mackenzie's Spread, starring Ashton Kutcher and Anne Heche is now online! Enjoy! UPDATE

THE TRAILER IS REMOVED!!! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
woah.
It first appeared on the Voltage Pictures, an official site of the film, and on trailer addict, who many MANY studios use to get trailers out there quickly and via the blogosphere etc-but MOST CURIOUSLY its been yanked.

Possibly it wasn't the finished product, but this is like shooting yourself in the foot there folks, right before you take the court at Sundance-what the hell?




Thanks to Trailer Addict!

First Video Clip: Ashton Kutcher and Anne Heche in David Mackenzie's Spread

Check it out: Entertainment Weekly has posted the first video clip from David Mackenzie's Spread. In the scene which you can watch via this link, Ashton makes his moves on Anne Heche.

Related: The Hollywood Reporter (also now picked up by Reuters) has an interesting piece on the sales of films and the upcoming Sundance film festival. To my great dismay, the piece uses the crap "r" word description of this movie as it notes: Ashton Kutcher's off-kilter raunch comedy "Spread"and Kevin Spacey's drama "Shrink" also have strong prefestival hype."

Pre-festival hype? Really? Speaking as one who has been writing and closely following the progress of the film, I sure as hell havent seen many others engaged on this-save for the pap photos, and scant few bloggers...despite the use of that pathetic "raunchy" word pfffffffffffffTTTTT! Aw welll, maybe that will change and there will be more magazine/entertainment tonight type coverage, but I am assuming they are talking private marketing for the film somehow, and hoping the film will get picked up by others (and does not get slammed in the reviews!)

Two Tickets for David Mackenzie's Spread Starring Ashton Kutcher for Sale on Ebay!

Here is a bit of an eye-opener: Two tickets to the premiere of David Mackenzie's Spread at the Sundance Film Festival next week are actually for sale on eBay!
GET THIS: The buy it now price...$225.00 USD
UPDATE: ALREADY SOLD! woah.
Free enterprise or sheer greed? you be the judge heh.
Whatever, if you are one of the lucky natives you could of purchased yours already, but the rest of us poor slobs read=normal fans having to deal with life in a horrid economy -still have to wait until the 12th to try and get them online, or pray for them to be still available on wait call or something. I knew this film, especially given the potential appearance of Ashton and Demi and Anne etc, was going to be in high demand but wow.

Spread, directed by Sigma Films David Mackenzie stars Ashton Kutcher and Anne Heche. The world premiere of this film will take place next week at the esteemed Sundance Film Festival on January 17, at 9:15pm

Colin Kennedy's I Love Luci Film Looks Good for February

Update today regarding the newest short film from Sigma: I love Luci seems to be on track for completion by mid-February.

ROLL ON ENTRY FOR CANNES I SAY :D

Written and Directed by Sigma's own Colin Kennedy, produced by Brian Coffey, as well as someone named James Lees (The Hobo Film Company), early word is that it may have an approximate running time listed of 11 minutes. This is great!

The film stars Camilla Rutherford and Colin Harris

Now on a related note, Colin Harris is due to be part of another film
called The Damned United.
Right up front I will state this I HAVE NO NO NO IDEA ABOUT ENGLISH/SCOTTISH FOOTBALL. I know this a failing on my part but there you go. I dont know who this team is that the film is about, i dont know the story and have not yet read the book, I am openly quite the hell ignorant on this subject matter of football lol (us yes, this what we call soccer I guess NO) and yea totally I know Jamie Sives is a die hard fan of the sport and apparently his cousin or something is a well known player but again no idea what goes on with that. egads.

What I do know, or have been able to read is that this new film stars the excellent Michael Sheen, and will feature Colin Harris, who of course is the lead in I Love Luci, as well as Martin Compston (Sigma's Rounding Up Donkeys, Red Road and yes later season of the wonderful Monarch of the Glen which of course starred Sigma's own Alastair Mackenzie... got all that? :D) Ooh yes too I think Maurice Roeves is in the United movie, and lord knows he made a hilarious and brilliant turn in Sigmas HALLAM FOE... give yourself 5 bonus points if playing the six degrees of Sigma films game at home :D
wheeeeee!

Anyway, looks to be a good year for Mr Harris as Luci will be out sometime soon I hope! and Untied set for a March 27 release in the UK... and I totally predict the young girls are going to be all aswoon over Mr Harris in the near future too :)

DONT FORGET: Read the GetYourPeople Blog for the official word, and join the I Love Luci Facebook group for more too! :)