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! :)

Rejoice! Updates Regarding Red Road Sequel "Rounding Up Donkeys"

To get the year off on the right foot...or should I say...hoof ;P at long last there is news to report on Sigma Films "Rounding Up Donkeys." The sequel to the highly acclaimed film "Red Road" and part of the Advance Party Trilogy, is apparently completed and ready to go.The film is directed by Morag McKinnon, written by Colin McLaren, and produced by Sigma's own Anna Duffield and the awesome Gillian Berrie.

Some kind soul ...I am not sure who (maybe Colin? dunno) actually updated the official Sigma Films website for the first time in over a year lol yay!, and huzzah resulting in lots of new little tidbits of news for dorks like me, including on Donkeys. What do we find?:

One: PAGE SAYS JANUARY 2009.
Is this a release date??? The IMDB page said Feb 09 in the UK, so I was thinking/praying for a Berlin film festival opener, or possible the Glasgow Film Festival?? but no idea what this means. Is this just the date it was actually completed (ie all the sound work final edits etc completed or what?? gahhh I wish I knew more.


Two : A photo of lead actor James Cosmo as Alfred from the film. Now I saw this earlier as part of a slew of photos on the set photographers site before alas and to great bafflement they were removed

(and hell yea I saved all of them too-but no I wont be reposting just yet cause Im sure that would way the hell piss off too many people but squee I know what is coming whenever they officially release those WHICH YOU SHOULD TOTALLY DO NOW PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE -I want copies in large glorious sizes, esp of the awesome Katie Dickie and Martin Compston because I am hopeless and yea ok a tad greedy/needy loopy)

Three: the RuD page also reads: Running Time: 97 Minutes.

word.


Four: Also of interest is word the score is composed by Magnus Fiennes (yes part of that awesome film family) You can read more about the various scores (lots of commercials,a few hit songs and scores to other smaller films he has done) including a mention about the work for Sigma here via Cool Music Limited.

Related: Speaking of Katie Dickie, kick ass actress extraordinaire.... According to her agents page, the episode of Taggart she appeared is due to be rebroadcast on Stv tonight. Here are some small pics of Katie they ran including I gather what she looked like in the show. Being in the US, I cant access any Scottish TV shows, even the mighty Youtube does not have clips of Katie in this ( and I think Jamie Sives has also appeared in this show early on as well-must be a common starting point for many Scottish actors )

Sweet Whisperings! News on Filthy Music for David Mackenzie's Spread, Richard Jobson's New Town Killers

Sweeeeet music to my ears! there's glad tidings indeed about music to be used in a couple of Sigma related films.

The Scottish band Isa & the Filthy Tongues has written a few songs that will appear on the soundtracks to David Mackenzie's Spread starring Ashton Kutcher and Anne Heche, and is also featured on Richard Jobson's New Town Killers, which stars Sigma's own Alastair Mackenzie.

First up, as noted on the band's website, "the song 'Big Star' is to be featured in a Hollywood movie called 'Spread' starring Ashton Kutcher and directed by David Mackenzie (Last Great Wilderness / Halam Foe). Movie due out March 2009."

As we know the film gets it's world premiere This MONTH at Sundance on Jan 17, no word when the soundtrack will be released, but for now
CHECK OUT AN EARLIER VIDEO OF THE BAND SINGING BIG STAR




Even more from the band, as confirmation that they are indeed doing work for the ever cool Richard Jobson, and appearing on the soundtrack for New Town Killers. Isa & the Filthy Tongues update on their site that they "Have just completed work on a movie by Richard Jobson called 'New Town Killers' which was premiered in Leicester Square Odeon last week. Official release date March 2009.

Richard wrote the lyrics to the Theme song and Martin Metcalfe sings lead vocals on the track (this will be released as a single in Jan 2009).

The band also have a new LP issued in March next year

MOOSSSTT EXCELLENT NEWS!!!

Related:
In a review from the Herald of a concert last week, the paper noted" With the soundtrack to Richard Jobson's forthcoming Edinburgh-set flick, The New Town Killers, already in the can, this home-town show demonstrated a love affair with art-house Americana which singer Stacey Chavis filters through everyone from Grace Slick to Lydia Lunch, Brix Smith, Kim Gordon and beyond.

With the trailer for The New Town Killers flickering behind them, guitarist Martin Metcalfe, bassist Fin Wilson and drummer Derek Kelly kick off with a back-to-basics garage-band instrumental rumble, before Chavis joins in with a semi-spoken word affair off-stage behind a sparkly curtain that looks part festive fun, part Andy Warhol's Factory.

Now, weird thing is that Independent had Youtube yank all the trailers for New Town Killers-BOOOOO EL SUCKO, but apparently said a new trailer is coming...however that was some weeks ago, and the old trailer still is there via the Independent site, so I dunno what the hell is the deal with that, but can NOT wait to hear this song, and get SOUNDTRACKS FOR BOTH FILMS

ROLL ON FOR A ...Killer :P... 2009! :)))

Sives Sunday: Last Chance Harvey

First Sives Sunday of the Year! :D

Continuing to do small pieces on my fave actor (and occassional Sigma Film actor) Jamie Sives, the focus is on "Last Chance, Harvey." Now I have NOT yet seen this film, as it was released over the holiday and I went and saw a bunch of excellent films (Ben Button, Milk for example, both superb) and just did not have time. According to IMDB, Jamie was cast in a small role as "Doctor Butler" As awards season is upon us and the studios are promoting all their films, Overture Films has their page online, which contains the script for the film which stars Dustin Hoffman and the truly excellent Emma Thompson (plot spoilers of course at the link) If it made the final cut, Jamies character shows up near the end I think. If I counted right, he has about 9 total lines, most stuff like Stay calm, we need an EKG.. bleh lol. This film draws a sort of eh so so response from me personally, and I think, despite my love of Jamie, am going to wait for the DVD on this one.

PS-Thanks again Ollie for stopping by last year and sharing the love of Jamie! Cheers to a new year and more Jamie Sives goodness! :D

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HELGE!

Here is some great news to start the year off right, I think with celebration for a good friend and a true fan and devoted fellow fan of Sigma's as well. Today, I want to say:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HELGE!!!!


Helge is prob Sigmas longest and most devoted commentator on the original blogs and now the latest versions as well. A film fan and a film maker in her own right, Helge has been a great source of laughter, insight, great discussions-yes truly even tho others resent her at times for not being shy to offer a perspective and opinion that doesnt jibe with their own, honest, loyal, caring, a calming perspective when stress is too much, inspiration to go on when it would be easy to say f it all, and a fierce believer in the power of film and independent films and their makers.

So cheers to you dear friend, here's hoping you find great joy in your work, with your family and friends, and that life brings you much happiness and success in the year and years ahead! Happy Birthday :)))