I like to think I am, for the most part, a practical person. I try to pay my bills on time, remember to turn off lights in the house when I'm not around, go vote on election days, work hard every day, treat people as I would want to be treated (I fully believe in the whole karma, what goes around comes around philosophy), remember birthdays, and try to say please and thank you, always remember to bring an umbrella, and have a closet full of practical shoes (and never ever wear white before Easter, a left over curse of being Southernese)...all of which makes me terribly normal and a terribly boring person I should think. Why then would a person such as this want to write about people I've never met and will probably never meet, think about a place I've never been, ponder on a world of filmmaking that I am not part of, nor probably ever will be and generally put my private thoughts on these things out there for the public to stumble over and read?
Good question.
No real good answer.
There are a plethora of independent filmmakers and films out there that are wonderful and have achieved many good things, especially here in the US. Many of these films and film companies do not get the attention (nor blogs writing about them) that they deserve, this is true. There are scores and scores of wonderful actors and directors and writers committed to the indy spirit, here in the US and in the UK and frankly all around the world. The actors who champion these films are numerous, as witnessed by the large contingent alone who show up at Sundance and at the recent Indy Spirit awards before the Oscars-all of them surely are worth writing about. (Jamie Bell is one such actor, he having worked with huge mainstream people also chose Hallam Foe, yay!)
Furthermore, its easy enough to swoon over and dream about the wonderful Scottish men, but that is nothing new. Archeology is a hobby of mine, and I fully admit to my longing to go to Scotland and explore all those places that have captured my imagination, but it's not just the past that fascinates me, it's the present, and I think the things that are happening there are largely overlooked by the mainstream press. Why this is, I do not understand, but for example its just about impossible to see photos from any event happening in Scotland, sooo frustrating! I don't know if there is some sort of wacked out agreement within various press agencies, but the way info gets out is always about a day or three late and lacking imo. Of COURSE there are many very good pieces of film coming out of Scotland, and not just Sigma! My son and I simply adored a film we saw over the holidays called The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep and I paid attention to the movie blog on that as well. I also recently saw SEACHD, and found it to be so well done, moving, and I don't understand why it was excluded from the awards. (but then again the over site against recognizing Hallam Foe and Jamie Bell at the Baftas irks me too lol). Being interested in the history side of Scotland too, and I am also keen a new movie coming out called Stone of Destiny (and YES it WAS filmed in part at Film City Glasgow) regarding a legendary piece of Scottish history with a modern twist. So if all of these things are true, why this blog, it seem so illogical as Spock would say
I guess its because I admire the commitment to try and better things. Yea I guess its that irritating optimist in me but I like this about that company. No I do not think they walk on water or any such thing lol, but I actually think there is a real commitment to being original fresh in their productions, and trying to make a good Scottish film scene. I read in an interview a long time before I started reading the Hallam Foe blog that Gillian Berrie founded Sigma Films and Film City Glasgow because they hoped to help created a self-sustaining film industry in Scotland. The more I read about her and learned that she had been through things the hard way (as I had), but was determined to try and make films that she and her partners the Mackenzie brothers had wanted and help stem the tide of the Scottish film community fleeing to Hollywood or England, the more this impressed me. Quite simply, I was impressed by what seemed to me to be a fairly high bar and an impossible thing, and yet there they were and there she went and there were these great films that people should see. I also started watching David's films with greater interest, went looking for information about him (and Jamie Sives, a Scottish actor who is really good) ,stumbled over the blog which I clearly adore, and here I remain.
I've read quite a few blogs about movie making, but not that many about films in Scotland and this puzzles me. I've also read some very disrespectful and very unkind comments about David and Sigma, so I am not oblivious to the critics and different opinions that are out there. I also fail to understand the entire UK film lottery system and how a relatively small country such as Scotland but one with a fair amount of talent and creativity ) is supposed to get the word out, attract the investors, film makers and more importantly the film going audiences and attention it deserves. While I have some English roots somewhere and truly adore many things British, it seems to me so many years after the various treaties, England is still rather pissing on Scotland in this sense regarding the film industry. I gather change is underway to try and improve things so more opportunities and funding is accessible -and AGAIN I know and understand very little about this whole process and intend no offense to the English film industry, but as someone looking in from the outside, it seems very convoluted and things could certainly be better.
I am certain that at glance I must seem like a crazed fangirl or freak for even doing this blog, pathetic or completely pitiful I guess, but I genuinely love the world I've discovered there, and never ever mean to embarrass them or what they are trying to do! I was involved in another group involving a Sigma film and got a few emails saying very hurtful things to me, telling me I'm such a big loser an embarrassment to the blog team and that the Sigma people would hope I would shut up go away they dont care what I think etc. It wasn't until another long time hf reader (ted) convinced me not to throw in the towel, but I never posted there anymore-was just too horrible and hurtful, but those words still linger in the back of my head and its easy not to get discouraged now and then.
Anyway I write my thoughts on the things coming out of that tiny company in lovely Scotland because the hf blog gave me an escape at at time when I needed, taught me more about film making and opened my eyes to other parts and ideas on movies and other things. NO I do not think much of any one reads this nor particularly much cares what I think, and I suppose I could have easily called this-Blog by someone who thinks Scottish films deserve a serious look, but that didnt quite work for me lol. If you have to worry though about what everyone will think or it becomes 'uncool' to have a passion or interest in something at all any more, then I dont want to be part of that world with out joy of any sort. Maybe one day I will give up and change the title or delete this all together so I wont be an embarrassment! For now though I'm still sweet on whats happening there, so I'll keep on with my writings, and perhaps I should indulge in the fun more often without the worry and enjoy the illogical nature of it and wear a pair of impractical shoes more often too
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Smile! First On Set Photos of David Mackenzie's Spread with Ashton Kutcher Now Online
Welcome to the fishbowl world of Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore as the first photos of filming for "Spread" surfaced online today. wow! The Gossip Girls.com and PacificCoastNews.online both have the first photos of "Spread" director David Mackenzie with his cool looking star Ashton Kutcher and his lovely wife Demi Moore at their trailer,as well as shots of Ashton (these from WENN) filming a scene driving an SUV. After a recasting of the female lead (now to be played by Anne Heche) this is the first or second week of filming for this new movie which I think is due out in 2009? Also of interest, The GossipGirl report says this is being filmed in the Los Feliz distric of Los Angeles, California which is described as "home to elite and wealthy residents of Los Angeles," so this would fit in with some of the plot regarding the wealthy homes or "spread" Ashtons character has (or resides in) I guess.
Anyway, I honestly haven't seen too many pap shots of David onset before (and NO this does not count the ones that Colin took and posted on GetYourPeople.com during the filming of "Hallam Foe") so I guess these tabloid type photos means my favorite Scottish director has received an official Hollywood welcome now LOLOL :)
Monday, March 3, 2008
Oops Tabs Did it Again!
LOL Nothing like a Monday morning for a swift reality check! It's official now: The Hollywood Reporter/Reuters are saying Anne Heche will be the actresses starring in David Mackenzie's "Spread" with Ashton Kutcher, and not Laura Linney at all, thus proving once again I should never ever believe IMDB to actually have been updated by the film makers ,or for that matter believe pagesix.com (although Im still betting JJL is pregnant)
I am not sure about this casting, and yet I always think of Anne as being someone who can do comedy so this will be interesting I think. I cant be positive yet, but I am always optimistic and believe in David's ability, plus I have lived long enough to know that you just cant make blanket judgements about people or movies so hope always remains!
The drawback I see is unfortunately, there is such vile and a stigma held against Anne Heche over her past struggles with mental illness (and her personal relationships) it colors perceptions about her work. Anne is continually flamed on just about every board on film I've ever seen, and yet for the most part, her work is held separate and generally receives good marks (well not always but on some things yes very much so). While I havent seen her current TV series which is apparently doing well, I thought she was top notch in the excellent Donnie Brasco and Wag the Dog, as well as some past television roles, so she is an actress with some talent. I don't pay much mind to all the tabloid fodder that pops up continually about her over the years, for I remember having met her some time ago, and my thoughts are her are different than some of the comments I've read. She did quite a bit of charity work for something I was involved in, and found her to be very warm and funny to everyone involved, certainly no diva, not at all wacko but a genuine decent person, and I am most hopeful filming for Spread will be a good thing for David (and not provide much fodder for the tabs!)
ETA: Entertainment Weekly has now weighed in on this casting, asking readers two questions in a piece in the category "strange bedfellows." lol quotage:
I am not sure about this casting, and yet I always think of Anne as being someone who can do comedy so this will be interesting I think. I cant be positive yet, but I am always optimistic and believe in David's ability, plus I have lived long enough to know that you just cant make blanket judgements about people or movies so hope always remains!
The drawback I see is unfortunately, there is such vile and a stigma held against Anne Heche over her past struggles with mental illness (and her personal relationships) it colors perceptions about her work. Anne is continually flamed on just about every board on film I've ever seen, and yet for the most part, her work is held separate and generally receives good marks (well not always but on some things yes very much so). While I havent seen her current TV series which is apparently doing well, I thought she was top notch in the excellent Donnie Brasco and Wag the Dog, as well as some past television roles, so she is an actress with some talent. I don't pay much mind to all the tabloid fodder that pops up continually about her over the years, for I remember having met her some time ago, and my thoughts are her are different than some of the comments I've read. She did quite a bit of charity work for something I was involved in, and found her to be very warm and funny to everyone involved, certainly no diva, not at all wacko but a genuine decent person, and I am most hopeful filming for Spread will be a good thing for David (and not provide much fodder for the tabs!)
ETA: Entertainment Weekly has now weighed in on this casting, asking readers two questions in a piece in the category "strange bedfellows." lol quotage:
(1) Which couple is odder: Kutcher and Leigh, who dropped out of the project, or Kutcher and Heche? I like that he's steering clear of the Tara Reids and Brittany Murphys — and think he held up OK opposite Amanda Peet in A Lot Like Love and should do fine with Cameron Diaz in this May's What Happens in Vegas — but is Heche (or Leigh) someone you'd picture him acting opposite?
(2) If not, is Kutcher really a leading man? I just had a conversation with a colleague who used the word genius to describe Kutcher's talent as a producer (Punk'd, Beauty and the Geek). She thinks he should work more behind the camera for TV and focus on features that cast him as one of the boys instead of half a couple.
My snark answer: Im just grateful David did not cast Ben Stiller aka the most overused quasi comedic actor out there :P
Sunday, March 2, 2008
A Question of Casting
Casting questions seem to be to the fore of late, given the apparent uncertainty over who will play the female lead in "Spread." It must have been resolved, and although not always correct nor official, the infamous IMDB page for the new David Mackenzie directed film has been updated and now shows Laura Linney in the part that Jennifer Jason Leigh had previously been announced to be portraying. With the status now set as "filming," some new crew names etc are on the page, including the DoP Steven Poster. Mr. Poster who shot a couple funny films in the past including those most excellent of hosers Doug and Bob (beauty eh?) , but also did fine work on films such as Mrs. Harris and esp Donnie Darko (*ignores the blight on the record of Rocky V*), so this news gives me some idea of the light tone to this film.
On a more somber note however, is a report today that Rounding Up Donkeys has an issue with a cast member who apparently wants to sue Sigma Films. The Scotsman has an article online, where actor Andy Armour, who had portrayed Alfred, Kate Dickie's character's father-in-law, in Red Road, claims he "was ditched from Rounding Up Donkeys and the role handed to the younger and better-known James Cosmo." Quoting Mr. Armour as saying "They have gone back on their word.That promise is broken and I'm broken," the article continues to note "Armour considers he has been treated "shockingly badly". He said he had a contract for all three films and is initiating legal action for compensation. "My union Equity are suing Sigma Films. We are trying to get some compensation, but of course it doesn't make up for it."
Clearly this is an unfortunate situation to say the least. The head of Sigma and one of the film's producer's Gillian Berrie is quoted as openly saying that the film went thru two writers, changes of titles and the character of Alfred is now much different than originally conceived. She openly says they changed their rules on sticking with the same cast for all three films of the Advance Party series but it was something that needed to be done.Quotage from Gillian:
"It was a very, very horrible and difficult and emotional time for us, because we didn't want to break the rules and we didn't want to hurt Andy." She said there were lengthy meetings and discussions over the issue. "But in the end it's got to be the film first and we broke the rules. "What we really liked about Cosmo was this contradiction of this huge man, but very, very soft, a big teddy bear. It wasn't age, it wasn't talent, ability or anything. It was personality and size and tone… It was very much a collective decision."
Now having been in situations (non film!) where I've been on the receiving end of what seems to be an unfair decision, as well as the one who has to make some truly hard decisions, I fully understand how emotional situations similar to all this can be. Bottom line always wins the day though, and ultimately if a certain actor isn't right for the part, then he/she isnt; it is just inherent in the film business and I gather that at one point or another all actors have to face this sort of disappointment along the way. No WAY do I have skin thick enough to take on that kind of job that is for certain! Now these decisions aren't always fair, nor certainly easy to bear as a person, but I gather when casting movies these type of situations happen from time to time. I remember reading before about some casting flap when Stuart Townsend was supposed to be Aragon in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and there was much ado when he was replaced with Viggo Mortensen. As I am certain emotions were high like they are in this Rounding up Donkey's case, this ultimately proved to be an excellent casting decision, for Viggo OWNED as Aragorn in the multi-Oscar winning LotR as did all the casting done on that film-no way can I imagine for example anyone other than Ian Mckellan playing Gandalf.
I realize too there are other influencing elements afoot such as the thoughts of first time (well for a major film) director and what she wants, the feelings of all various producers involved as well as the ones all putting up the money for the movie (there seem to be both the various Scottish agencies as well as the Danish company Zentropa), so perhaps there is more to this than we know at this point, but most probably Armour just flat out didn't suit the part as it now is written in the final script. I tend to believe this because Armour had been cast before, no reason to believe he disappointed in the role then, and given the part has changed since- and again Sigma fully admits they changed their own rules- it doesn't seem to outrageous to think they might want to recast the part. I would hope they would consider breaking their own rules (as much as that flies in the face of what they were trying to achieve at the start by setting such a high bar) and see this follow up film to Red Road have the same quality of performance and characters that draw you in honestly and continue with the high level of film making than make sacrifices by not changing actors; if it means recasting certain parts then so be it. Cold and cruel I guess coming from miss creampuff emotional person me but thats how I see it. Side note: Still no word if Tony Curran will be in this film alas. Tony Curran, whose performance was so good in Red Road and his flawed character so intriguing, would make such another great appearance in this second film, I really hope we get an update on this soon.
Anyway, I think casting director Sigma uses has been pretty good so far, and she would have a certain influence in this I should think. Kahleen Crawford did a great job with casting Hallam Foe (and is also to head casting for Colin's I Love Luci short film I think) ie Jamie Bell IS Hallam Foe, and frankly her casting people like Maurice Roeves and Ewan Bremner was completely inspired, as they gave great background performances and were a true highlight of the movie. The best casting I thought she did though was Claire Forlani as Verity in Hallam Foe, who gave just a spot on EXCELLENT performance, better imo than Sophia Myles, but I digress.
There is one thing that troubles me in that the article seems to subtly imply that age discrimination is a factor here. The Glasgow Film Office blog says the part is for "64 year-old Alfred Patterson," who "facing a serious, life-threatening illness, [] decides to make amends for his past errors and neglect of his family. He seeks out his estranged daughter Jackie and her twelve-year-old child but the more he tries to do the right thing, the more he continues to do wrong." Armour is 74, and while it was noted this change had nothing to do with age, its understandable that is his upset about loosing a starring role at this point in his career. Besides if past films are proof enough, Maurice Roeves is an older man, they surely could have given that part to any number of actors who can turn a comedic role, so to imply they are anti old people is off base. As for Mr Armour, true he's not had any leading roles before and this must be a huge disappointment to him obviously as he lamented "You don't get chances like that. They are once in a lifetime."
My feelings: If Sigma truly did break their contract then they should try to settle this without it becoming a media circus, although this news surely wasnt 'broken' by them I should think, and I hope this matter is resolved quickly and quietly. However by implying it has to do with with something more serious than a simple recast, gives one pause of course and should be taken seriously if there were any proof or validity to this, but frankly my instincts feel that Mr Armour is just speaking in the heat (heartache) of the moment and this is not at all about age discrimination, just a bad break. Lets hope this is resolved soon, so we can move on to the details of the film making and progress of the movie.
On a more somber note however, is a report today that Rounding Up Donkeys has an issue with a cast member who apparently wants to sue Sigma Films. The Scotsman has an article online, where actor Andy Armour, who had portrayed Alfred, Kate Dickie's character's father-in-law, in Red Road, claims he "was ditched from Rounding Up Donkeys and the role handed to the younger and better-known James Cosmo." Quoting Mr. Armour as saying "They have gone back on their word.That promise is broken and I'm broken," the article continues to note "Armour considers he has been treated "shockingly badly". He said he had a contract for all three films and is initiating legal action for compensation. "My union Equity are suing Sigma Films. We are trying to get some compensation, but of course it doesn't make up for it."
Clearly this is an unfortunate situation to say the least. The head of Sigma and one of the film's producer's Gillian Berrie is quoted as openly saying that the film went thru two writers, changes of titles and the character of Alfred is now much different than originally conceived. She openly says they changed their rules on sticking with the same cast for all three films of the Advance Party series but it was something that needed to be done.Quotage from Gillian:
"It was a very, very horrible and difficult and emotional time for us, because we didn't want to break the rules and we didn't want to hurt Andy." She said there were lengthy meetings and discussions over the issue. "But in the end it's got to be the film first and we broke the rules. "What we really liked about Cosmo was this contradiction of this huge man, but very, very soft, a big teddy bear. It wasn't age, it wasn't talent, ability or anything. It was personality and size and tone… It was very much a collective decision."
Now having been in situations (non film!) where I've been on the receiving end of what seems to be an unfair decision, as well as the one who has to make some truly hard decisions, I fully understand how emotional situations similar to all this can be. Bottom line always wins the day though, and ultimately if a certain actor isn't right for the part, then he/she isnt; it is just inherent in the film business and I gather that at one point or another all actors have to face this sort of disappointment along the way. No WAY do I have skin thick enough to take on that kind of job that is for certain! Now these decisions aren't always fair, nor certainly easy to bear as a person, but I gather when casting movies these type of situations happen from time to time. I remember reading before about some casting flap when Stuart Townsend was supposed to be Aragon in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and there was much ado when he was replaced with Viggo Mortensen. As I am certain emotions were high like they are in this Rounding up Donkey's case, this ultimately proved to be an excellent casting decision, for Viggo OWNED as Aragorn in the multi-Oscar winning LotR as did all the casting done on that film-no way can I imagine for example anyone other than Ian Mckellan playing Gandalf.
I realize too there are other influencing elements afoot such as the thoughts of first time (well for a major film) director and what she wants, the feelings of all various producers involved as well as the ones all putting up the money for the movie (there seem to be both the various Scottish agencies as well as the Danish company Zentropa), so perhaps there is more to this than we know at this point, but most probably Armour just flat out didn't suit the part as it now is written in the final script. I tend to believe this because Armour had been cast before, no reason to believe he disappointed in the role then, and given the part has changed since- and again Sigma fully admits they changed their own rules- it doesn't seem to outrageous to think they might want to recast the part. I would hope they would consider breaking their own rules (as much as that flies in the face of what they were trying to achieve at the start by setting such a high bar) and see this follow up film to Red Road have the same quality of performance and characters that draw you in honestly and continue with the high level of film making than make sacrifices by not changing actors; if it means recasting certain parts then so be it. Cold and cruel I guess coming from miss creampuff emotional person me but thats how I see it. Side note: Still no word if Tony Curran will be in this film alas. Tony Curran, whose performance was so good in Red Road and his flawed character so intriguing, would make such another great appearance in this second film, I really hope we get an update on this soon.
Anyway, I think casting director Sigma uses has been pretty good so far, and she would have a certain influence in this I should think. Kahleen Crawford did a great job with casting Hallam Foe (and is also to head casting for Colin's I Love Luci short film I think) ie Jamie Bell IS Hallam Foe, and frankly her casting people like Maurice Roeves and Ewan Bremner was completely inspired, as they gave great background performances and were a true highlight of the movie. The best casting I thought she did though was Claire Forlani as Verity in Hallam Foe, who gave just a spot on EXCELLENT performance, better imo than Sophia Myles, but I digress.
There is one thing that troubles me in that the article seems to subtly imply that age discrimination is a factor here. The Glasgow Film Office blog says the part is for "64 year-old Alfred Patterson," who "facing a serious, life-threatening illness, [] decides to make amends for his past errors and neglect of his family. He seeks out his estranged daughter Jackie and her twelve-year-old child but the more he tries to do the right thing, the more he continues to do wrong." Armour is 74, and while it was noted this change had nothing to do with age, its understandable that is his upset about loosing a starring role at this point in his career. Besides if past films are proof enough, Maurice Roeves is an older man, they surely could have given that part to any number of actors who can turn a comedic role, so to imply they are anti old people is off base. As for Mr Armour, true he's not had any leading roles before and this must be a huge disappointment to him obviously as he lamented "You don't get chances like that. They are once in a lifetime."
My feelings: If Sigma truly did break their contract then they should try to settle this without it becoming a media circus, although this news surely wasnt 'broken' by them I should think, and I hope this matter is resolved quickly and quietly. However by implying it has to do with with something more serious than a simple recast, gives one pause of course and should be taken seriously if there were any proof or validity to this, but frankly my instincts feel that Mr Armour is just speaking in the heat (heartache) of the moment and this is not at all about age discrimination, just a bad break. Lets hope this is resolved soon, so we can move on to the details of the film making and progress of the movie.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
David Mackenzie's "Spread" Hits a Small Snag?
Well it would seem that fate and possibly erroneous tabloid gossip are the order of the day with an update on the upcoming David Mackenzie/Ashton Kutcher film "Spread." Actress Jennifer Jason Leigh was announced to co-star in the new film, which I thought was due to begin production this week. However if the longtime US gossip column PageSix.com is to be believed, rumor has it that Jennifer actually dropped out of the film last week, as she is apparently expecting and will be unable to take part in this movie.
The part, which is described as a lawyer who is a 'jilted lover' of Ashton Kutcher's womanizer character in the romantic comedy, is now apparently going to be played by the awesome Laura Linney. Perhaps this is an active agent at work trying to subtly work some hype into the film (and take the focus off the tabloidesque hepatititus A story involving Ashton's bday party in New York) but if true, then I say WOOHOO.
Laura Linney is a SUPERB actress, one of the finest "independent" actresses working today imo,(along with the always superb Catherine Keener, Frances McDormand, Shirley Henderson, Kathy Bates, Tilda Swinton, Julie Walters, Fiona Shaw, and to some extent the amazing Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett-dunno if you can include Emma Thompson in this category too but she surely is one of the finest actresses EVER) , so I hope this part is true. Nothing against JJL and its quite possible she can film of course while pregnant, but that should be her personal decision and I applaud her either way. Anyway if this rumor proves correct, and gives director David Mackenzie the opportunity to work with the calibre of actress that Linney is, she would totally both give Ashton some credibility that frankly is lacking, as well as surely deliver a good performance at the guiding hand of David. Yay!
ps-Laura Linney for the win on the red carpet at the Oscars when a clearly wacked out (ok more than normal) Gary Busey sandbagged her and Jennifer Garner during Seacrests interview on E.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Sigma's Red Road Sequel Begins Production
In a departure from the norm, there is actually quite a bit of good news for a Monday.
First, Sigma Films of Glasgow, Scotland has issued a press release regarding the beginning of the sequel to the critically acclaimed "Red Road." The second film in the "Advance Party" trilogy, the "Rounding Up Donkeys" movie will see the return of the wonderful Katie Dickie and Martin Compston, as well as the arrival of two new actors to the series: James Cosmo, and Brian Pettifer. While I am not very familiar with Mr. Pettifer's work (seems like a lot of UK TV series that I never get to see), I am familiar with Cosmo who is a pretty good character actor, having great turns in hits like Narnia , and of course Braveheart. And ooh look- another installment for the six degrees of Sigma separation game lol: they both starred together in One Last Chance with my fave Jamie Sives -wOOt! :)
The plot of Rounding Up Donkeys is described thusly: "Alfred Patterson - played by Cosmo - learns of his impending death and decides it’s time to make amends with his estranged daughter and her precocious 12 year-old."
Not much to go on, but it will be interesting to see how they tie this into the previous films. Is he related to Tony Curran's character or prob Martin Compston (and no work yet alas if Tony C will be back)? Not sure how this will work, but I cant wait. I had to watch Red Road twice to really get a handle on what I thought of this film.
For me, I identified too strongly, too painfully to the character of Jackie, as I often feel part of me is like her; surely functional yet all frozen on the inside and locked away from real life and avoiding matters of the heart, just detachedly keeping an eye on the world via the net -or in her case the cameras as life goes on around her. (plus, the scene where she gets out her child's clothes and makes them into her little shape and sits and hugs and rocks it just devastated me. That was so real so honest so true, because if you've ever lost anyone you've loved, you know that scene intimately, the smells the way they feel are still there and I could barely finish watching the movie after that. The ending of the film gave me hope though, so I am hopeful then that the sequel will have more positive and joy for Jackie.
This is possible because details on what type of film the second Advance Party will be is "“a bittersweet, tragicomic, tale of making amends, as well as an arse of things." I so hope this is true; I could do with a laugh these days.
One last piece of good news: Congratulations go to Tilda Swinton for her Oscar win for supporting actress in Michael Clayton (hilarious speech too) Well done!
Bonus Video:You can say what you want about ole wacko Mel, and the Scots may hate this film (I'm adopted but my family is Scottish and they love this) Braveheart is a hella good movie, and it also contains imo one of the top ten scores ever done for a film. Here is a clip from the otherwise very brutal movie, where James Cosmo is seen briefly at the beginning-most of his scenes are fighting or making jokes- anyway it is just so lovely, I may need to go watch this whole film again tonight. Edit: They yanked the clip I had here originally, so here is one close (not so much Cosmos alas) but such a lovely scene worth adding anyway.
Friday, February 22, 2008
To Open Script on Sigma or Not, That is the Question...
To reveal or not, that is the eternal question, and the thought of the day.
It's so ironic that we are still struggling with this question, here in this extraordinary technologically advanced day and age, anyone can literally tell the whole world anything you want, and anyone can learn and read about it. We have texting, twittering, skyping, mass blogging, google mapping and surely don't forget youtubing: all things you can do to your heart's content to spread the word on whatever you want.
It is true of course that we all seek to communicate reach out share with others our emotions, ideas, connect -no man is truly an island despite our best efforts at seeking a life of solitude and privacy that we all need from time to time. I would have never found out more about things like Sigma had it not been for the technology (ie the ubiquitous google search)that helped me find my way to the original getyourpeople blog heh well almost 2 years ago now.
The question seems to be whether to reveal the working script for I Love Luci whether now or at any time in the future, and frankly I hope the author does NOT publish in advance of the film's release. Freaky and weird and probably the minority opinion I know, esp given that I write this blog, I work in news where I always have to KNOW and then SHARE. True enough, I believe in honesty, transparency, candor and truthfulness in my life, whether its in my work, the way I conduct myself and in the manner I interact with people. I've also had to learn the hard way many many times over if you dont say something, don't embrace the moment, then its gone and that opportunity just wont come again. It is to my great strength but often enough my own folly and detracting that I say how I feel, share my emotions and wear my heart out there, but this is who I am, so I always want to know what others are feeling thinking doing.
Having said all this, I most sincerely hope Colin doesn't give too much away too soon. I never read David Mackenzie's Hallam Foe script before it got yanked, didn't read the entire book by Peter Jinks before I saw the film, and I think it worked to my benefit. I know enough about the disappointments in the translation of words to screen (Harry Potter, even to some extent, LOTR), but imagination should be your own-thats something that no marketing, no spin, no filter can take away from you. I can not possibly begin to describe then my emotions after having followed that HF blog for so long, sitting the dark by myself watching Hallam Foe for the first time, what a joy it was-I almost cried lol when the opening titles played at the beginning, just overwhelming for me, and it was like Christmas the birthday and getting a huge hug all at once. Plainly speaking, I want to have this same thing happen again with Luci.
Writing is such an intimate personal thing anyway, even for a script. There are scores and scores of classes, blogs and websites for learning scriptwriting, and even though I've tried writing a script twice before (and failed miserably ), I just don't know what the honest benefits are to having the entire thing out there for the world to dissect and judge before the finished product. I think you should listen to the few you share it with, those that care the most, but at the end of the day, follow your gut your instincts. After all these films and scripts are a reflection of YOU and that is what I want to see, not some 'well this is the majority opinion, so that is what Im giving you then' type of movie. Sure enough you can always benefit from others critiques, opinions and improve for the better, but still.... Give me honest and sincere (if not 100% perfect)any day than a glossy pre-approved piece of work. Flaws and bumps are all part of the package of life; you can still have a great great great film , even with a few rough patches.
I often wonder what Shakespeare or writers like Dickens or Hemingway or even like Agatha Christie would have said if their publishers would have told them 'hey lets have a forum and reveal all the endings to your works BEFORE the audience reads them and if someone doesn't like say Iago or the murder should have been committed in the bedroom and not the study, we'll change them because a poll told us so! " Oy! On the Sigma website, it reads "Sigma focuses on identifying, nurturing and developing creative talent in order to produce work of the highest artistic value." While I appreciate this stance immensely, I think you can achieve this without having to tip your entire hand before, save some of the best for last!
Anyway, I enjoy the process of learning and chatting and the slow reveal and joy in getting to know people over a period of time. I also enjoy a surprise now and then, and part of the enjoyment of discovering and enjoying a film is NOT knowing every single thing before hand. What was that great line from Forrest Gump?..."Life's like a box of chocolates Forrest, you never know what you're gonna get." Just because you know the mechanical workings of a process, there is still great joy in discovering that final package, that seduction of the story and journey a film can take you on, so I for one just would rather know only tidbits. I'm more keen on learning and hearing about HOW you do this process, what thought patterns are behind the decision making than learning the entire script before hand. The learning and blogging of the journey is the package, the present is the film completed unopened and waiting for me in the theater at the end, and that's one present Im willing to wait for.
It's so ironic that we are still struggling with this question, here in this extraordinary technologically advanced day and age, anyone can literally tell the whole world anything you want, and anyone can learn and read about it. We have texting, twittering, skyping, mass blogging, google mapping and surely don't forget youtubing: all things you can do to your heart's content to spread the word on whatever you want.
It is true of course that we all seek to communicate reach out share with others our emotions, ideas, connect -no man is truly an island despite our best efforts at seeking a life of solitude and privacy that we all need from time to time. I would have never found out more about things like Sigma had it not been for the technology (ie the ubiquitous google search)that helped me find my way to the original getyourpeople blog heh well almost 2 years ago now.
The question seems to be whether to reveal the working script for I Love Luci whether now or at any time in the future, and frankly I hope the author does NOT publish in advance of the film's release. Freaky and weird and probably the minority opinion I know, esp given that I write this blog, I work in news where I always have to KNOW and then SHARE. True enough, I believe in honesty, transparency, candor and truthfulness in my life, whether its in my work, the way I conduct myself and in the manner I interact with people. I've also had to learn the hard way many many times over if you dont say something, don't embrace the moment, then its gone and that opportunity just wont come again. It is to my great strength but often enough my own folly and detracting that I say how I feel, share my emotions and wear my heart out there, but this is who I am, so I always want to know what others are feeling thinking doing.
Having said all this, I most sincerely hope Colin doesn't give too much away too soon. I never read David Mackenzie's Hallam Foe script before it got yanked, didn't read the entire book by Peter Jinks before I saw the film, and I think it worked to my benefit. I know enough about the disappointments in the translation of words to screen (Harry Potter, even to some extent, LOTR), but imagination should be your own-thats something that no marketing, no spin, no filter can take away from you. I can not possibly begin to describe then my emotions after having followed that HF blog for so long, sitting the dark by myself watching Hallam Foe for the first time, what a joy it was-I almost cried lol when the opening titles played at the beginning, just overwhelming for me, and it was like Christmas the birthday and getting a huge hug all at once. Plainly speaking, I want to have this same thing happen again with Luci.
Writing is such an intimate personal thing anyway, even for a script. There are scores and scores of classes, blogs and websites for learning scriptwriting, and even though I've tried writing a script twice before (and failed miserably ), I just don't know what the honest benefits are to having the entire thing out there for the world to dissect and judge before the finished product. I think you should listen to the few you share it with, those that care the most, but at the end of the day, follow your gut your instincts. After all these films and scripts are a reflection of YOU and that is what I want to see, not some 'well this is the majority opinion, so that is what Im giving you then' type of movie. Sure enough you can always benefit from others critiques, opinions and improve for the better, but still.... Give me honest and sincere (if not 100% perfect)any day than a glossy pre-approved piece of work. Flaws and bumps are all part of the package of life; you can still have a great great great film , even with a few rough patches.
I often wonder what Shakespeare or writers like Dickens or Hemingway or even like Agatha Christie would have said if their publishers would have told them 'hey lets have a forum and reveal all the endings to your works BEFORE the audience reads them and if someone doesn't like say Iago or the murder should have been committed in the bedroom and not the study, we'll change them because a poll told us so! " Oy! On the Sigma website, it reads "Sigma focuses on identifying, nurturing and developing creative talent in order to produce work of the highest artistic value." While I appreciate this stance immensely, I think you can achieve this without having to tip your entire hand before, save some of the best for last!
Anyway, I enjoy the process of learning and chatting and the slow reveal and joy in getting to know people over a period of time. I also enjoy a surprise now and then, and part of the enjoyment of discovering and enjoying a film is NOT knowing every single thing before hand. What was that great line from Forrest Gump?..."Life's like a box of chocolates Forrest, you never know what you're gonna get." Just because you know the mechanical workings of a process, there is still great joy in discovering that final package, that seduction of the story and journey a film can take you on, so I for one just would rather know only tidbits. I'm more keen on learning and hearing about HOW you do this process, what thought patterns are behind the decision making than learning the entire script before hand. The learning and blogging of the journey is the package, the present is the film completed unopened and waiting for me in the theater at the end, and that's one present Im willing to wait for.
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