BUSY, BUSY, BUSY
September 18th 2011
Big Thrill, (Not Big Chill), just had my first view of our film THE TELL-TALE HEART and it’s great. It looks terrific and our Director/Editor Greg Green and lead actor Darren Burrows, not to mention the rest of the crew and cast has done us proud. I am delighted and so pleased to have been involved in this and our first film BEWARE OF WHAT YOU WISH FOR. I hope we can be seen on the big screen, but in any case they will be available on the website www.newchillingtales.com before the end of the year.
Thought I was supposed to be semi retired, feet up and all that. No such thing, I am seem to be busier now than when I am actively working, although in reality I am working, largely on the plans for New Chilling Tales. It looks as if I will be going back to the US before the end of the year, family calls and all that, baby sitting duties, not that I am complaining, I love my little grandkids. But times are hard and both parents need to work, so it’s all hands to the pump. So that changes plans to make “The Body Snatcher”, next, now I will find another American story
 I went to Birmingham last week for a BFI screening of “1984”, I was really pleased, the film stands up very well despite being old and in black and white. The direction by Christopher Morahan is superb and of course it is an amazing story, shattering really. I know it’s largely linked to Stalin’s world of communism, but it still holds up. Though I say it myself, our performances were very good. I think I am one of the few of the cast still alive - bit depressing, but there we are. What I did love about it is that although we had a good rehearsal period, before taping, the performances were very spontaneous and believable. We were lucky in those days to have the chance to rehearse properly and get really familiar with the material and each other, before committing it to posterity. Also it is relatively slow, with a lot of dialogue, not fashionable these days, but it really makes your brain work.
Been doing a bit of movie catching up lately. Now one film which is quite slow and makes you concentrate, is TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY, it is excellent, with damn near perfect performances. I have always thought that Gary Oldman is a terrific actor, but not always given parts that were multi dimensional. Well he got one this time and really is quite wonderful, good for him, it’s about time. I am a big fan of Ryan Gosling, I believe he is one of the best young actors around. Loved him in the charming film: CRAZY STUPID LOVE (Dumb title, I can never remember it), but was disappointed in DRIVE, which stretched even his not inconsiderable talent, with long long meaningless close-ups, which any actor worth his salt, would be hard pressed to sustain. I am looking forward to him and George Clooney in Clooney’s film IDES OF MARCH, great reviews from the Festival circuit so far.
I was fairly disgusted by the Telegraph today, I only get it for the crossword, cant do the others. It had a “gossip” picture of Zara Phillips on the front page, chattering on about her new husband’s indiscreet hug of another woman. So what; who cares, not her I am sure, while about three pages in, was the tragic story of the miners who have just died in Wales. I really cant believe it, surely that is headline news, given all this country’s history with mining. First of all I was surprised that there are still brave men going down into those miserable dangerous tunnels in the UK and then it didn’t even warrant a front page headline. Maybe it would have been different if it had been 54 not just 4. I am so sorry for those miners and their families.
I am normally an optimistic person, who can ‘single handedly solve all the worlds most obvious problems’ (in my dreams), caused by the greed and blindness and ego of others. But not this time, we really are in a mess, financially that is, not to mention all the other issues going on in the world...... although some brave people do seem to be ridding their countries of dictatorship and tyranny. I think I may have mentioned that I worked with some leading European administrators, when our employment company had its contract with CERN and believe me, there is a lot of standing on dignity and pride, even when they are in the wrong. Having said that, most of the people I dealt with, were wonderful, but those that ruffled the feathers of the “establishment” especially on financial issues (and these people were usually correct) did not last. So what is happening now rings some real bells. I am not surprised by the annoyance of the Senior EU Ministers, with the Americans telling them to get on with it. The clash of the cultures.
Nothing changes and if we humans can mess things up ( I could use stronger language, but I won’t), we will. Where oh where is common sense? Will poor old Greece last till October? We shall see.
Well that’s all dear friends.
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