Sigma Spotlight: Production designer Tom Sayer

If there is one constant about the films of David Mackenzie, to me it is the exceptional, often gorgeous and original look and design of the pieces. To my eye they are like moving pieces of art, and part of the person responsible for these distinct looks is production designer Tom Sayer. Mr. Sayer has now launched his official website and at this link, you can be treated to new looks and behind the scenes peeks at some of his fine work, including many of David Mackenzie's movies.

You can see new shots of Ewan McGregor on the many cool sets used for Perfect Sense including those dramatic war/destruction sets on the streets of Glasgow as well as the interiors used in resteraunts such as Guys for the chef scenes.

Long time readers will recall the fabulous sets built for David's excellent Hallam Foe well documented by Sigma's own Colin Kennedy on the original GetYourPeople blog; be sure to check out the mini skyline of Edinburgh built, used for those closeup shots of Hallam (Jamie Bell) scampering over the building to peek on his beloved (Sophia Myles).

Thanks so much Tom!

UPDTED: Jamie Sives Confirmed for "Get Him to the Greek" with Russell Brand

CONFIRMED! Just got the word that YES INDEED Jamie Sives will be seen in Russell Brand's upcoming "Get Him to the Greek." As some of us will recall, Jamie and Russell are old mates, as I believe they went to drama school in London together at one point. Anyhow, Jamie will be seen briefly (lots of fun cameos in the movie ) in a small part as a comedian for the film which is due out June 4th. Yay! :)))


Here is a quick update on other happenings with Jamie:

There is a cute new 'Stayin Alive' spot airing for "It's a Wonderful Life" that shows a new shot (@1:25) of Jamie with his fellow police officer (mark addy?);
screengrab here


Valhalla Rising is getting some press (interesting series of shots/quotes with Refn at Empire, Times interview Refn, Herald which has this brief mention Apart from Mikkelsen, the film is populated largely by Scots, including Gary Lewis, Jamie Sives and Ewan Stewart. “It was always meant to be Scottish actors, because the film takes place in that region, so there was no point in casting Americans,” says Refn. “Plus I loved the whole accent thing. It gives it a more robust edge.”) before the release next week; if you should like to book tickets to the UK showings you can do so at this link. (website still not open, no idea if it ever will be at this point with the DVD coming so soon after the release)

Clash continues to do well at the box office but imo gah dont see it in 3d, because as tempting as it was for me it was such a mess, 2d is better (yes saw it twice just to see that 2 mins or so of Jamie, thats what true fans do despite laughing at the too many ripoffs of other films/homage attempts in the film) Mads is by far the best part of that film (despite the awesomeness that is Jamie who even has a few lines !! early in the film, which I was thrilled before umm he meets the smokey monster from Lost or whatever lol still... LOVE YOU JAMIE!).


Finally, there was a piece last week in the Scotsman about films made in Edinburgh. Alas, no mention of the superb Hallam Foe from David Mackenzie and Sigma Films which was beautifully shot in the equally beautiful city *sighs* However as a bonus, thanks to the ever awesome Chossychoss channel, we can see three clips of Jamie in Hallam Foe below. Thanks so much to chossy dude for uploading those!!! (even though as Jamie says his character of Alisdair is a complete arse and he totally is booo! but..., still easy on the eye :D)

Hallam Foe Still Flies High Over Film City Glasgow

One week ago now as posted here, after much planning and hard work, Film City Glasgow was relaunched in Scotland. As long time readers will know I've been writing about Sigma Films for years and their efforts with this fabulous film center in Scotland. Since the event, others have asked it, and despite sincere efforts because, I have not heard one single thing about the party or anything other save the Herald article and the few excerpts reprinted elsewhere, plus these photos including one of the awesome Gillian Berrie from the Evening Times.

Still, and I know its laughable and Im sure they could care less, but its been disappointing to say the least. Today, mercifully one kind soul has uploaded some photos from the event that make this long time fan smile:

Hallam Foe still flies high over Film City Glasgow.



Hallam Foe of course is a Sigma Films production, directed by the great David Mackenzie and was produced/based out of FCG. I think this is hella cool.
Thanks as well to to Darcie who I think works in social media or something (dunno sorry if Ive botched it!)and who took the HF photo, there are a few more pics from the party, overhead here, including the entrance to the lovely building live models and all cool!; more are available here via her public Flickr. From one of the few people outside of Scotland not immediately involved in the business there and who actually cares, thank you so much Darcie!

Sweet Talk With Jamie Sives: Our Interview on Valhalla Rising, Colin Farrell and Triage, Hallam Foe and the Allure of the Beard

Over the past years now this blog has contained news and opinions about Scottish actor Jamie Sives. This week, I was given the extraordinary opportunity to ask some questions of my absolute most favorite actor who graciously took time out of his busy schedule to do so. I still can scarcely believe it. I'm astounded that I could be so lucky, and am hugely grateful and very, very appreciative to Jamie and co for agreeing to this, truly, a once in a lifetime moment for any fan. What follows below are reflections and thoughts about his work on films such as the upcoming Valhalla Rising with Mads Mikkelsen, Triage with Colin Farrell, Sigma Films, Hallam Foe and Jamie Bell. We talked movies, music, plus yes, there is even talk about the beard.


2009 is the year of Jamie Sives, or so I said to the actor who is currently at work in London on Ghrinder Chadha's new film "It's a Wonderful Afterlife." Jamie is set to be seen on screen in two major motion pictures this year: Nicholas Winding Refn's Vahalla Rising, and Danis Tanovic's Triage. Right off the bat, I emphatically state my opinion how I view the year, and ask him about the two films, getting a quiet modest answer in reply: "Well, thank you. I too hope the films I did last year will do well on their releases this year. Valhalla Rising was great fun to do. I love going home to shoot a film and for me, there's no better place to be than The Highlands of Scotland."

Valhalla Rising of course is the latest effort from Nicholas Windig Refn which is due out in August of this year. Film City Glasgow, home to Sigma Films, served as a base of operations for the film, and the production was well documented on YouTube, and occasionally, this blog. The film stars Mads Mikkelsen as a One Eye warrior in ancient days of Scotland, with buzz on the internet about the film calling this a Viking Film. Jamie spoke about his prep work for taking on the role of "Gorm," as well as working with the legendary Refn, who prefers to shoot chronologically, and as reported, portions of the movie are done in slow motion.

"The Vikings occupied most of Scotland for a very long time so we were playing the sons of the sons of the sons of Nordic Vikings and therefore, didn't have to do any hurdy gurdy accents. We all play Scots-born descendants of Scandinavian Vikings. My character is the quiet black sheep of the group and Nicholas very kindly allowed me to cut all my lines so I don't play the kind of Viking one might expect. My personal preparation will have to remain a secret, but all the actors read up on the history and attitudes to Gods, Myths and Superstitions of the time. Valhalla is not a film about Vikings so we didn't have to work too hard for authenticity. It's not a Viking movie. Nicholas hates them."

He continued: "Nicholas is a very clever guy and has an encyclopedic knowledge of movies and how they are made. He had a very stylistic idea of how he wanted to make Valhalla, like he had when making Bronson, but can also do the realistic stuff brilliantly, like he did with the Pusher Trilogy, which, if you haven't seen then you should. Slow-motion is just a camera setting so we just acted as we would."

In 2002 Sigma Films released a lovely and ultimately uplifting film about a man who wanted to end it all, but found love and a life worth having before it was too late. This award winning film was Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself and earned Jamie Sives a host of critical acclaim, and even a BIFA nomination for "Most Promising Newcomer." A co-star in Wilbur is a brilliant Danish actor who was only just beginning to become well known globally, Mads Mikkelsen. Jamie is about to embark on a third film working with Mads, as he broke the news to us of a new project as he recently joined the cast of The Clash of the Titans with Mikkelsen. On Mads:

"It was great to work with Mads again. He's a fantastic actor who really cares about the project he's working on. He's also a very funny guy. Everyone loved him. I'm working with him again at the moment on the re-make of Clash Of The Titans. We're in rehearsals for that and had the first read-thru today. Although I only play a small role in the film, some of my stuff will be with Mads. That will be the third time. I think we may get married. I'm looking forward to it. It's a big-budget, Hollywood movie with an incredible cast and by far the biggest thing I've ever worked on. I sat next to the beautiful Elizabeth McGovern at today's read-thru and she told me that Wilbur was her favourite movie and I her favourite actor. I was bowled over."


SOME LIKE IT HOT

One day last year I got a text from a former colleague who, half laughing said hey Sue, AP is running some pics of a new film with the good looking dude from Miami Vice and I think that Scottish actor bloke you are gaga over is also in the film. You gotta ask if they want to come work for our side of the aisle now! Sure enough, there were set photos from Danis Tanovic's new movie, Triage, based on the novel by Scott Anderson, which features those most brilliant, complex, and fearless of media type: the war photographer. I was very curious to learn Jamie's thoughts on playing a such a role and taking on a part that hopefully will reflect with integrity and honesty the dedication and bravery these men and women show with their work. The first of what I'm sure will be a slew of similar questions regarding the media as they do press before the release of the film, I asked about taking on the part of a war photojournalist. Not only did he give some thoughts on his character's job, but Jamie Sives also speaks about the Oscar winning director and his co-star, acclaimed actor Colin Farrell.

"In Triage, Colin and I play photographers. I'm not too sure about the term 'photojournalist.' The photographers who work in war zones don't write anything. They take photos and send them home. These guys have to go where journalists dare not. Many war correspondents, although very brave, can cover most wars from the rooftop of a hotel but the photographers have to get right in there to get the shots. They sometimes work in tandem with a print journalist, but more often than not, they work alone."

"We had an amazing guy called Damir Sagolj as our advisor and he had quite incredible stories on the places he worked and the things he witnessed. I happen to admire serious news journalism. They're committed to providing the world with the truth, and I'd hate to imagine just what greater liberties the powerful people of the world would take if journalists didn't question or expose them."

"Incidentally, I also think some of them make great screenwriters. Some of my favourites like Raymond Chandler and Billy Wilder were journos."

On the subject of his well known and acclaimed co-star, Jamie had nothing but high praise for the Irish actor, who recently gave a brilliant Golden Globe winning performance in the hit film In Bruges.

"Colin Farrell is a beautiful man. I couldn't begin to list his qualities. If I had the opportunity to only work with him for the rest of my career then I'd take it. He's a brilliant actor and works incredibly hard. He really raised the bar for me. Danis was wonderful with me. He showed trust in me right from the start. I keep in touch with Colin, Danis and Branco Djuric and value their friendship. It's just great to know guys like these, I feel very honoured."


SWEET SIGMA, HALLAM FOE AND JAMIE BELL

Long time readers of this blog will know (hint, the title is a dead giveaway) that I am a fan not only of Mr. Sives, but also of the fine work done by the Scottish Film production company Sigma Films. I followed the 'making of' blog written by Colin Kennedy and subsequent release of their hit film "Hallam Foe" directed by David Mackenzie and starring the wonderful Jamie Bell. In the movie, Jamie Sives plays an unpleasant married fellow named Alasdair who is having an affair with Kate played Sophia Myles, and is an even more unpleasant boss to Hallam, played by Jamie Bell. Jamie Sives has scenes that are uncomfortable to watch, as his character is so nasty to Hallam and has rough sex with Kate. I asked Jamie what it was like to take on such a part, and he answered "It wasn't hard to take on. It was, like everything I've done quite difficult to do. I find acting incredibly difficult. For me, its a difficult job. I have to prepare properly and if I don't, I haven't a clue what the fuck I'm doing. I've tried, out of curiosity, to just try and turn it on and only made an arse of it, so I try to do my homework."

Having done his homework, he routinely won critical praise in most of the reviews of the film for his solid performance in Hallam Foe, and the film was a winner too at various festivals before being released here in the US under a different name "Mister Foe." The actor had nothing but high praise again for the company behind the movie, Sigma Films, as well as for his co stars and the crew helmed by director David Mackenzie:

I'm sorry, but I don't have anything other than complimentary to say about both Jamie and Sophia. Jamie really does know what to do. Hits the ground running every time. I may be wrong but I'm sure that he does his homework too; he has everything covered.

Sophia was very professional - one has to be - it's a very odd situation to find yourself in. What ended up on-screen lasted for seconds but we spent almost an entire day shooting it. The crew help you through things like that. They're very respectful, tactful and discreet and make it easier for the actor...Sigma is an amazingly prolific company, churning out quality films and everyone there works their wee socks off. Along with Richard Jobson, they're leading the way with their output."

HAIR TODAY, BACK TOMORROW

By this point I feel I've been too serious and boring perhaps, and while it would have been really tempting to ask him all sorts of fangirl things (what's your favorite food/color/ book/ group/actor/actress/tv show, boxers or briefs, or even 'wanna get a drink sometime?' ;) something in me snapped, and I could not resist a topic that I often joke and note here on the blog: his appearance. No, not his remarkably handsome face, but what's on his face- THE BEARD! This son of Scotland has sported a beard in several films of late, notably in the Passion, and in both the upcoming films for 2009. So frankly I wondered if it was just a coincidence or what for actors sporting beards for roles is a common thing of course, some artificial, some the real deal... but it turns out Jamie is all manly man, its all real- a real beard lover that is! :)

"Yeah, I love wearing a beard. When I'm not working I just let everything go so when I get a gig I have to shave, wash or cut my hair and stop eating junk food, if required. I don't have a beard for IAWA, but will sport as much as I can grow between the end of that and the shooting of Clash Of The Titans. The Passion beard was half the size of the Valhalla beard. I had more time to grow it and yes, it was all my own. I'm glad you enjoyed The Passion. It's not a bad wee yarn, is it?"

Speaking of beards, Jamie has a brief appearance in Last Chance Harvey where he does sport a beard. I had to ask what it was like to work with the great star and Oscar winning actor of films like "RainMan," "Kramer vs Kramer" as well as classics like "Tootsie" and the superb "Midnight Cowboy." "Yeah, what can I say about working with Dustin Hoffman? I had just got back from shooting Triage in Spain and my agent asked me if I wanted to do one scene in a film. I said I'd rather not as I'd been busy and had a little break before Valhalla Rising, then he told me that that one scene would be with Dustin Hoffman and I said "When do I start?"

!

In just about every interview I've read with Jamie, they always bring up the plethora of jobs he had in the past before taking on acting. I was determined not to go there, for I wanted to know what other jobs he would like to do in the future. He said he'd quite like to try directing one day, but in the meantime isn't hankering for one particular role. Knowing full well things are tough all over with the current economic crises we are all dealing with, Jamie reflected, " I'm happy just to keep the kettle boiling. Things are very difficult at the moment as work is thin on the ground, mainly due to the current crisis in the world but I would love to do an American movie, in America and as an American."

* note: I assure you that we here in America would welcome you at anytime, yep! :)*

BEND IT LIKE SIVES WITH SOME SWEET SIX STRING MUSIC

In the meantime, Jamie is keeping busy with the new "Clash of the Titans" to look forward too and he is still finishing up work on Ghurinder Chadha's new film "It's a Wonderful Afterlife," where he plays a Police Detective. Jamie said of things currently in London: "I'm having fun on IAWA. Ghurinder is great and I'm working with the lovely Mark Addy and my mate Sendhil Ramamurthy, whom you may know from Heroes. He lives in LA, so its great to have him here for a while. He's also a good mate of my best friend JJ Feild, so we're all spending some time together."
IMDB is always full of interesting listings/castings to say the least, and as an ever vigilant fan, I asked him about a film that has been on his page forever. "As far as I know, Bonny Boys isn't happening. I don't know what is next, but I'm sure you'll know before I do. You don't miss a trick."

NOTE: At this point I, I, eh pretty much turn a trillion shades of red and am dead on the floor. dead.dead.dead.

He did continue on about fans, especially when asked about his beloved Hibs Football club, as he said "I'll always be a Hibs fan although I'm not a diehard. The supporters who spend their hard-earned cash to follow them all over Scotland every week for little or no reward are diehards, not me."

There was one last brilliant, no, AWESOME piece of news that he is not only just a music fan, but a musician. "I've spent the last six months writing and recording a demo album. Music's what I like to do in my downtime. I hope to have it completed by June and perhaps get it out there, we'll see. I'm very proud of it."

In parting, I asked this wonderful actor if he had anything he'd like to say to his fans and those who might be reading this, and he graciously said: "I'm very touched when I hear or know of anyone who appreciated my work. Thank you so much for your interest and your time. It means a lot to me. Thanks again."


NO JAMIE, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
Much love love love and gratitude,
Suexoxoxxxxxxx




UPDATE: Thanks so much to MadsOnline.net and ColinFarrellfansite.com for mention/link to this interview, much appreciated

Happy Birthday, Jamie Bell

Cheers to you Jamie, wishing you a very Happy 23rd Birthday!
Having just completed principal work on Tintin with Spielberg and into post production with PJ, Jamie Bell is a wonderful actor, heres hoping for a great year ahead for him.
Work with Sigma:

HALLAM FOE...brilliant film, please go see this gem, teaser trailer below which is ten times better than the main trailer, sorry but true



Dear Wendy

Aberdeen's Director's Cut Series to Feature David Mackenize

Director David Mackenzie will be the guest of honor and subject of focus at this year's Director's Cut series held at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. May 25 will see Sigma Film co-founder and director great in conversation at the University, where we may hear more on his work on such acclaimed films as Hallam Foe, Young Adam and Asylum. David's latest effort, Spread starring Ashton Kutcher and Anne Heche is due out this summer.

A press release contained the following: "Dr Alan Marcus, Head of Film and Visual Culture at the University of Aberdeen said: "We are thrilled to have secured David Mackenzie for the Director's Cut. He has quickly established himself as an intensely creative and vital director.
"Young Adam, with its brooding narrative, is one of the most visually striking British-made films of the last 50 years, while Mackenzie's deft handling of the equally dark and mysterious Hallam Foe underlines his burgeoning reputation in the film world. We are very much looking forward to welcoming him to King's College."

Tickets are free and now available via this link to what is certain to be an excellent evening of discussion from this BAFTA winning director that will be held on May 25 at 6:00pm at the Kings College Conference Center, University of Aberdeen, Scotland. There will be a wine reception following David's talk.

CONGRATULATIONS DAVID!
What an excellent night that should be! GO DAVID GO!! Oh how I dearly wish I could be there! Readers will recall of course, that Hallam Foe author and co-screenwriter Peter Jinks also appeared at the University. I do do hope the University will upload photos, reports and fingers crossed for video.

PS: People looking for interviews of David, try this one from the Telegraph as well

Mister Hallam Foe, A National Board of Review Top Independent Film

Back from yet another whirling (yet very festive) weekend in New York, and dreadfully behind on just about everything...yet again. More great news awaited, and this one in particular is very satisfying:

The National Board of Review has released their annual awards, along with their top ten lists. A Sigma Films production and directed by David Mackenzie, Mister Foe is listed as one of the Top Independent Films of the Year!

BRAVO!! CONGRATULATIONS DAVID AND ALL AT MISTER FOE/SIGMA FILMS!
Quite the compliment I should think, not mention the fine (and in some cases very fine) films on the list, which is follows (per Awards Daily):

• FROZEN RIVER
• IN BRUGES
• IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS
• MR. FOE
• RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
• SNOW ANGELS
• SON OF RAMBOW
• WENDY AND LUCY
• VICKY CRISTINA BARCELON
• THE VISITOR

Now, there were no other nominations or individual recognition for Mr. Foe for the main awards (generally one of the harbingers of the increasingly long Oscars warm up season). Still I find this to be just terrific news, for this does have a bit of weight I think, or at least some casual film goers will think heh heh ok good stuff...which of course it is. I firmly believe David will be accepting a Best Picture/Best Director Oscar one day! In the meantime, it surely is a heartwarming and satisfying or more importantly hopeful and reassuring that hope is not lost in Hollywood, to know that the various film bodies, such as this group of film historians and teachers/student, are willing to take the time and effort to view these smaller quality pieces, and acknowledge them publicly...So yea this is great stuff and hell yea, GO HALLAM GO

Reminder: David Mackenzie to hold Q & A on Hallam Foe at Cromarty Film Festival This Weekend

A quick reminder/update for those lucky enough to be in the UK and have a chance to attend the Cromarty Film Festival this weekend. According to the schedule, Sigma Films' own David Mackenzie will be introducing the screening of his wonderful Hallam Foe film, with a Q & A scheduled to follow as part of the event on Friday, December 5 (19:00 Resolis Memorial Hall). Then on Saturday, December 6, David will be introducing the film he selected which is the Nicholson classic "The Last Detail" (16:30 Cromarty Old Brewery).

A word on the venues: In the description of Resolis Hall it reads the following about David: esolis Hall
About ten minutes drive from Cromarty, Resolis Hall is a well-known location for art performances and enjoys a lively and supportive community. This year, Resolis Hall will play host to 2 well-known film directors, Michael Caton-Jones and David MacKenzie, who have been especially invited to come and talk about their work, their films and their influences.

Sounds great! Hoping its a good event (and forever hoping some kind soul will have some pity and write a report/pics with a mention of David. Man oh man I am still so crushed I did not know about the screening q & A of Mister foe in LA-would have make travel arrangements and organized a fan group showing or something. anyway whats that cliche-hope springs eternal and hoping I get to attend something like this with my fave director in person just once in my life! Plus I swear I will do everything in my power to go if Colin ever holds one of these events for his film (s)!)

Hallam Foe is Looking for Helge!

ATTENTION HELGE-
be on the lookout for a handsome but odd young man wearing a dead badger on his head! No its not some crazy tea fortune, HALLAM FOE IS HEADED YOUR WAY!

HALLAM FOE our beloved film IS PLAYING IN MOSCOW at the New British Film Festival in a few days
October 29 (Same day as Stone of Destiny!) Tickets available now!

:)))

ps-the schedule said Hallam screened there back in April, was this right? did you get to see it then?

pps- check Colin's blog- GREAT ENTRY on Sound and he mentions you!

Double bonus-Part of the Trifecta of S, Savalas Sound will apparently being doing
post production work on Luci, which makes sense of course, and is way cool too. The Savalas update says they did some work on the new BBC series PA as well as that Scotland's History which I want to watch, dunno if I will ever get to see either but both look good! I think Film City Glasgow is serving as a base or did for production on PA, hope the show is good too!

IGN Mentions Mister (Hallam) Foe DVD

IGN, one of the big game/movie/dvd sites out there (and one of the most reliable) has a small mention of the upcoming Mister Foe DVD that is due to be released finally here in the US on November 11. The uber brief mention just summarizes the plot and notes the DVD "will contain bonus materials and extra features, such as deleted scenes and feature commentary."

Hopefully it will contain director David Mackenzie's commentary, but I remain dubious any of the features/extras will be anything new ie not hopeful there will be new interviews conducted for the disc, but I do remain hopeful that there will be some of the fantastic stuff that 4C Slater/All things uploaded via their Youtube channel.

Most of all, I had really really wanted a hard copy of Colin Kennedy's fantastic documentary/behind the scenes features he worked on. I know that many are looking for info new clips here in the US and if you have not yet had the chance, or just want to watch again and dont have them on your iPod or MP3 player anymore, please go to iTunes and watch the Hallam Foe podcasts HERE. You can see-FOR FREE-many behind the scenes glimpses especially of Jamie and Sophia. I know many of their fansites also (and hte Ciaran Hinds folks do as well) have these uploaded as well as screencaps, so please go check them out! You can read more about the filming of Mister Hallam Foe via the well done GET YOUR PEOPLE BLOG here.

It should be noted that on the Magnolia Website it reads DVD release date Nov 4, but maybe that is the NetFlix date or who the heck knows. I pre-ordered mine from Amazon and Im getting it the 11th of November - a red letter day to say the least! (I think I will call it the Mister Foe Marathon day, when I watch the movie over and over along with all the various clips/interviews I can find!) The film also continues to screen in a very few theaters now and esp thru the entire month of Nov here in the States.

Mister Foe stars Jamie Bell, Sophia Myles, Ciaran Hinds, Claire Forlani, Jamie Sives, Ewan Bremner and was directed by David Mackenzie. Mister Hallam Foe is a SIGMA FILMS PRODUCTION

"Hallam Foe" Hits the Digital Highway

In what could be a bit of a breakthrough for those of us who are a bit more hip on the high tech end on viewing films, Independent Film sales are taking Hallam Foe and sending him along on the digital highway. Both Variety and ScreenDaily report that the film sales company, who are handling both Hallam Foe and AlastairMackenzie/Dougray Scott's "New Town Killers" have now launched a digital distribution division. Of interest to perhaps a wider base of people is the news that "at the moment, the company is working with third party online platforms, making deals with "the usual suspects" such as iTunes.

YES! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Now while I still much rather prefer to first go see the film in a movie theater, then buy a DVD later, I also download huge amounts of my films and tv shows from iTunes that I like, and its gotten even better now that BBC America is finally starting to offer UK shows here in the States (BRING ON MONARCH OF THE GLEN PLEASE in addition to Showtime/HBO which is all I watch anymore aside from LOST but I digress)!

Now there is no guareentee of course that we will have access to the downloads in the US, but it is possible, as the company is looking to "increase the value of the company’s library through digital release platforms and devise digital distribution strategies to complement traditional releases." It'd be about stupid not to try and get that lucrative US market too, but heh that is often easier said than done of course. Regardless hope springs eternal, so heres to seeing MORE INDEPENDENT FILMS via these digital download platforms such as iTunes and Amazon and the such.

There is no word when this might go into effect, probably later this fall, but this is positive step in the right direction!

HO HO HO It's Hallam Foe For the Holidays!

Ho Ho Ho It looks like its gonna be a very Hallam Holiday this year as it does seem that Mister Hallam Foe will be released on DVD this November. Thanks ever so much to Anna for confirming that Netflix now states a November 8 release date!

I have no idea if the Red Envelope entertainment deal will be the sole way to see the film (ie not actually buy it but see it thru Netflix solely, or they will allow a permanent download or something eventually) but this is solid news. Not quite Christmas in July heh but its a date to go on!!. Mores the pity though, for it does seem to confirm that Magnolia will not be affording much of mulit-screen/theater play time for the movie if they still plan to release it in September , but at this point we fans in the US can be assured it will be out there and accessible for many! Yay!

Now, I can just see the slew of Jamie Bell sporting a Santa cap icons that will surely pop up all over the net, not to mention the tales and dreams of Jamie as Hallam scampering over the rooftops and climbing down the chimney lol ...though I'd rather unwrap Jamie Sives.. wooop ! :) Ok I'll be good for now! Great news, thanks again Anna!

Mister Foe US Release Date Set for Late August/September

Here we go again...let's spin that wheel o' mysterious theatrical release dates for Mister (Hallam) Foe and what do we get today.... September 1, 2008.
But wait-another spin says August, 2008.

Uh-huh.

fangirls highly jaded eye says... Do not pass go. Do not collect the 10.50 for theater tickets. Do not collect badger hats, Jamie Bell posters, nor kick ass Hallam Foe soundtracks until this fall (As wonderful as their music is, just dont bother to contact Domino to see if they will release it here in US cause they are ten times worse at not bothering to answer mails. Besides you can buy import or ebay is always handy). Do not believe this possible release date for Mister Foe until your local movie theater actually has the tickets for purchase and if they yank this once again, by all means call and complain. I surely will. Makes me a bitch, but there you go. I think I'm bout one of ten people that still care over here. This whole thing blows sucks and Im pretty discouraged and disappointed but life is like that for me a lot these days. whatever. no one cares, but in terms of the financial success of this movie here in the states, I genuinely feel this rollout has been badly handled to this point and honestly deserved a bit better than this.

Lesson to learn here: Distributors meet the PR folks. Talking is fun. Coordinating is easy to do. way cool. give it a go. you will be amazed at what happens when same date is written on a paper that everyone has and can read. Fabulous.

Meantime, for those yearning for Jamie, Jumper is out this week on DVD, available at stores everywhere, iTunes and clips o plenty are on Yahoo and esp the Yahoo UK site, plus there is always youtube. Hollywood.com had a cute short interview with Jamie, which reminded me why I love his work so much, when he answered about what types of films he likes : "I much prefer the smaller, independent films, following a linear story about a person. Those character-driven films are much more interesting to me. I also find it much more rewarding.

Just like Hallam Foe! :)))


I love the behind the scenes stuff, and yay for PuzzlewithPans /Desiring Hayden for this new pic of Jamie is messing with the camera. Reminds me of when he took over filming that Hallam Foe blogger screener session in London I missed, when he recorded Colin Kennedy and Hugh (Thank god Gia asked that question, cause not only did we get to hear a rare bit from Colin, the ending was adorable). So very funny. LOVE YOU JAMIE

New Behind the Scenes Footage of Hallam Foe Featuring Jamie Bell, Claire Forlani and Ciaran Hinds

Another great treat for us today, courtesy of the wonderful 4cSlater who has posted some fabulous new behind the scenes footage of the making of Hallam Foe. In the video, you can see some top notch stuff of Jamie Bell(Hallam) at work with Claire Forlani (Verity) goofing around at that freezing loch, then later in the heated pool to shoot those intense scenes from the later part of the movie. Also new is footage of Ciaran Hinds (Julius Foe) at work with Claire and Jamie, filming some of the scenes at the hotel, so fun to watch an actual scene being made-just aces!

In addition there are lots of comments from director David Mackenzie, and also his director of photography Giles Nuttegens -this also seems to be shot the day that is reflected in that Kodak article about that was posted in Dec 06 during the course of filming on Get your people. Dunno if all of this wonderful footage was filmed by the Getyourpeople blogger Colin Kennedy (who made the four (Mister) Hallam Foe podcasts that are available on iTunes), nonetheless, it is a real treat for us to see today I think.

JAMIE BELL=Adorable, funny, talented as exhibited time and time again during the snippets of behind the scenes filming, the stuff of him as Hallam flinging down out of the trees is great. The last part is also hilarious-love you Jamie! Thanks so much to 4c for the constant vigilance and dedication in finding these great nuggets for all of us loyal fans!

Jump into June

Tis June now, lets see what's on the near horizon this month:

*MISTER FOE.... is harder than hell to find that is sure. Frankly, if you were hoping to see this elusive man anytime soon, don't hold your breath. It had been widely reported (among the widely reported various release dates) this film was to open Friday at the Angelika in New York but lo and behold its Wednesday and NO TICKETS to this movie or any mention of it are anywhere to be found at that website.pffft. Perhaps magically all will be revealed in the coming hours but I wont be catching it this weekend in the big apple it would seem. pity that. to say the least. No one, including the filmmakers know for certain on the release date, so perhaps September it will be in theaters but at this point, things look fairly dismal for our friend mister foe.

In the meantime if you are hankering for Hallam, do go revisit the original Hallam Foe/get your people blog, watch clips and colin's podcasts and other interview via iTunes-free and available for most countries- or visit the original film site, listen to samples of the soundtrack on the MySpace page (no idea if it will ever be available for download here in US- I ordered it just fine though from Domino UK, and the shipping was entirely reasonable )plus be sure to check out the various Jamie Bell, Sophia Myles, Ciaran Hinds fan sites for more.


* JUMPER Dvd: Due to be released June 10, it's just about everywhere already for download heh and thanks to the ever vigilant Puzzle with Pans, you can see a new photo of Jamie Bell in New York yesterday for a photo shoot for the DVD release. I probably wont be buying this, but it will be available on iTunes to rent too (and I see now the UK is also getting this option finally. It will be a great day indeed though when all countries will be able to access these things more readily through a commercial venue so filmmakers don't loose out. Too much to hope I guess that Hallam Foe will ever make it here for download either alas.


*Edinburgh International Film Festival: June 18-29
While no film from Sigma specifically opening/screening alas at the festival this year, there are plenty of good things playing, including:

- The Edge of Love: Yes ok its got Keira Knightley and Cillian Murphy , but the best part is that Sigma Film's co founder and actor Alastair Mackenzie is in this film which will be screened opening night.

- Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day: Already out here in the US, this film is just lovely, and stars the ever wonderful Frances McDormand, along with Ciaran Hinds (Hallam Foe) of course and Shirley Henderson (Wilbur, Harry Potter) who continues to turn in solid performances in every single film she does, just top notch. (trailer and clips here via Yahoo movies)

-Summer: This was not on my agenda, but according to her agent's website, the wonderful KATIE DICKIE is in this film! Katie (who of course will be seen in the second Advance Party film, Rounding up Donkeys where she will reprise her role as Jackie from Red Road) is also apparently in Shane Meadows new film "Somers Town," which I hadn't realised either, but this movie which is already generating some good early buzz, will hopefully be better now that I know Katie is in it lol- ok so not a critical objective reaction, tis the fangirl in me, sad I know but I don't care, Katie is great and someday she will be up there getting the Oscar and recognition she deserves.

-The Stone of Destiny: Yep totally not Sigma related at all, but I am really keen on this and now I see where the movie got picked up for distribution in the UK by Sky Odeon, which is fantastic news for small independent films like this. Earlier it was noted the film screened at Cannes and was part of the Scottish Day at the film festival, where it apparently was met warmly. The Arborath Herald reports :A spokesman for Scottish Screen explained that screenings to potential buyers at the Cannes Film Festival had proven to be a real success. And audiences even applauded the film - an uncommon occurrence with the audiences typically found at Cannes. Director Charles Martin Smith was quoted as say that the response to the film has been excellent. He noted the wonderful, emotional response that the film has received before adding his delight that Sky Odeon have signed a deal to distribute the movie across the UK.

-Faintheart: Viva and power to the geeks is all I have to say. This film looks fabulous, and as noted on the EIFFFFFFFF site, tis complete with an intro from the always fabulous Ewan Bremner (Hallam Foe) so rock on to MySpace, fan driven films.

New Video Interview with Jamie Sives

Great news tonight! Thanks so much to 4cSlater for generously posting this new video interview with Jamie Sives, where the actor discusses his role as Alasdair in Hallam Foe. It is so so rare to see an actual video interview with Jamie, and this is quite a treat to hear him discuss reading the script for Foe and the book by Peter Jinks, noting his character is pretty much an ass (lol at calling him dog's bollocks ooh plus he's an actor who bothers to read the source material-triple bonus points for him!!). Jamie also has some great stuff to say about his director David Mackenzie and is so complimentary on actor Jamie Bell.





Here I thought I was gonna spend the weekend awash in booze sadness and hopeless ponderings and suddenly Poof-new stuff from my most favorite actor - Jamie goodness to save the day! Many thanks again! :)

New Video Interview with Claire Forlani on Hallam Foe

What a great surprise this morning to discover two new video interviews from the German Hallam Foe DVD, including a rare interview with actress Claire Forlani. She has always struck me as an elegant reserved yet lovely person, and it shows in this video interview. Noting that Jamie Bell is 'inherently talented,' she feels we will all be hearing much more excellent work ahead from Jamie. Agreed! I have to say though, her thoughts on David seemed to confirm what I had suspected, as she noted that being on set was like in the old days when they made films, and the director was there creating and actually enjoying the process. YES! So many directors you hear about or even see at work, seem caught up in being cool, all style over substance, and rather detached from what they are doing...its all about making something slick, and the true love of creating and wanting to show something original, thought-provoking and fresh seems to have gotten lost behind all the hype. It's so nice to hear an actress actually speak to the fact the director on their project is actually enjoying the work.

Speaking of the director, there is also another interview with David Mackenzie from this DVD. To the person who takes the time to put these things up there on youtube THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Claire Forlaini Interview


David Mackenzie Interview

Birthday Blast from the Past

If you'd indulged in some fun, and friended Hallam Foe on his Myspace page, you will know that today is his birthday...Last we heard from our man young Mister Foe, he left us with a message about this time a couple years ago on the GetYourPeople blog. As it seems quite evident that most people have moved on, and that no one, save a few of us loyal die hards, are even paying attention to the release of the film here in the US anymore alas...(Magnolia=stupidly ever changing release dates=incredible loss of momentum and thus serious and pitiful lack of public interest in the film= FAIL FAIL FAIL), I feel it was only appropriate to re-vist the following words from Hallam delivered by his good friend Jamie:

"Although the people filming and documenting my life have moved on.....

I remain Hallam Foe, and I'll always be watching!

Constantly thinking of ways to avenge my mother. Thinking of a way to give my stepmother what she truly deserves.

I will never rest, I will never stop watching and peeping. Climbing and jumping. Thinking and plotting.

For I am, Hallam Foe. So fuck you..."

Fuck you too darlin' :)
Its been a hella good ride, hope to hear more about you one day
Happy Birthday! xoxoxox

Jamie Bell Gets MTV Movie Award Nom for "Jumper" Fight Scene

Well here is a kinda cool nomination I guess lol for Jamie Bell. According to MTV, Jamie has been nominated at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards in the "Best Fight" category for "the global grudge match" he and co-star Hayden Christensen have in "Jumper." Voting is now open to anyone interested via this link. Gotta say, while I didnt think the movie was overly great-Jamie was the best part imo, sorry Hayden, but as they say Jamie PWNS :)))
Well, what are you waiting for??? VOTE VOTE VOTE :)

In other news, because quite frankly, the world really does need more Jamie in it, the ever awesome PuzzlewithPans managed to get a scan of the May issue of Vogue that is up on flickr. In the article, Jamie Bell discusses his role as Hallam Foe in the upcoming Mister Foe (well new here to us patiently waiting US audiences). While Jamie looks great (reminds me of Gene Kelly or something in this photo) I dont know if this one is from the same photo shoot we saw back on Just jared a few months ago, but I guess it is? Anyway, good catch Puzzle

Ciaran Hinds Talks Mister Hallam Foe

Well, I am not sure if I remember ever watching an interview with Ciaran Hinds on his role in Mister Foe, but thanks to some kind soul on Youtube, you can now see a series of clips where the actor discusses his role as Julius Foe. I can not remember if Ive seen these before, but they seem to be clips from perhaps the German DVD? I hate getting old and not being able to remember things as I used to...blurgh. I do not know if these are included on the UK Hallam Foe DVD, as I seem to be about the only person that hasn't broke down and bought the UK disc or heh downloaded one of the zillion copies making the rounds. Regardless, it was quite nice to watch an interview with this very fine actor, who is quite complimentary on his co-star Jamie Bell as well. I must say, I've seen Mr. Hinds several times in person before and watched him interact with his fans, and he was quite gracious and nice, not mocking nor dismissive as others can be, and he strikes me as a thoroughly lovely man.