The Orphanage Review and other oddities

Thoroughly enjoyed this creepy masterpiece. A Spanish film with subtitles and totally riveting, with superb performances.

To tell too much about the film would spoil it, but try and see this film in the limited cinemas it seems to be showing at.

I hope a wider release is planned because it broke my heart to see such a brilliantly crafted piece of film-making debut at number 10 in the Uk charts having made less thn £400,000.

So many, so called, scary films these days are an excuse for the fx and make up boys to create the goriest most repulsive images possible but they are just that, fx whereas a film like this gets under the skin and is chilling in a much more effective way. Psychologically.

It's a great date movie because you'll definitely be clinging onto someone by the end! Heartbreaking, but a totally exhilerating cinematic experience, we see the desperation of a mother for her lost child and how the past comes back to haunt her.

Brilliant, 5 stars out of 5.

WE BE FIRE FIGHTERS!!

That's not true, but the filming of "Much Ado About Lauren" gathers pace. We now have a definite wrap date (10th May) due to several key film festivals having their submission deadlines by the end of May.

So in the Easter holidays we are wanting to complete all of our remaining "flashback sequences" for the film.

We're doing well. We filmed Tom on a digger and yesterday had tremendous fun filming at a graveyard (don't worry no plot points are given away!) and then we had the most fantastic time filming with the lads at the Stopsley fire station.

A few enquires, emails and phone calls meant that we were able to have Tom become a fire fighter for an hour.

The guys were so helpful, we had Tom go mad with a hose and we even got to ride around in the fire engine with sirens blaring to get the shots that we needed!

Good times, and all the footage looks great.

We then went to a local corner shop where Tom was given permission to comically steal lots of cans of beer! Again went very well.

The film is going so well, I couldn't be more pleased with how it's coming together and the efforts of my brilliant cast.

More reviews and stuff

So went to see There Will Be Blood yesterday, and Daniel Day Lewis does it again (although not that often!) and totally deserved his best actor Oscar (2nd for him)

What's the film like? I'm not sure! It was good, a little slow in places you could argue (although we had problems in our screening with the projector malfunctioning)but the film is so all about Day Lewis's character. We are watching the greed, life and undoing of a complex tragic figure.

People were twitching and fidgeting in the screening but if you just look at it as almost a documentary of an oil baron's life you will not be disappointed.

Day Lewis takes us on this epic 30 year journey and we follow him all the way, even when it is quite hard to watch.

I had similar feelings finally watching Juno. Pretty good film (don't honestly think it deserved best original screenplay) in regards to Ellen Page. She is superb in the film, and carries it. We watch her and all the emotions teenage pregnancy is bound to put you through. She was funny, but also touching and Ellen needs to face the fact that she will never have a role as good as this ever again.

She is in almost every scene and is the reason why this low budget film has been such a resounding success.

Another little movie slowly edging its way towards completion is "Much Ado About Lauren."

We now even have a title song, which I am enjoying playing in the car immensely, catchy and fun and composed by my good friend Steve Warner.

Shot two important scenes over the weekend, Paul, Abi and Simon joined us for a rehearsal scene in the chapel which is funny but also delivers a let down for the character of Greg. Took a while to get it, but really got some good stuff there.

Then on Saturday Simon, John Mitchell and Richard Sheridan filmed over at Simon's house for the reading of the newly written play within the movie and a fairly humorous misunderstanding that takes place!

The boys did realy well, a couple of long takes, but we got 5 pages shot in 2 hours which is unheard of! Going to do some bits and pieces this week, and this will require some careful editing but I am really proud about what we have and I know within the large amounts of footage shot we have a wonderful little 100 minute movie waiting to get out!!

Also really enjoying directing my new play "The Removal Firm" with the St. Christopher Players. Going really well, I am working with such talented performers and it is such a pleasure seeing situations I came up with a year ago in a lounge in Stopsley working so well on the stage and in the rehearsal room. Real collaborative process, and all the better for it!

Oscar predictions and stuff

Okay, after visiting Tom Wades blog, feeling a bit of pressure to do this!!

So here are some of my predictions for the biggest night of the filmgoers year!!

It's the Oscars! How I miss Billy Crystal, putting himself into all the big movies at the beginning and then singing an uplifting Oscar song!!

By the way, any would be stand ups out there must check out Billy's classic movie, "Mr Saturday Night" which I adore!

So to my least watched Oscar nods. Hardly seen anything up for an Oscar, so I will use my heart and mind!!

So, No Country For Old Men will win Best Picture, but I would love Juno to actually win and cause a bit of an upset with it being a comedy and all!

Best actor is a definite Day Lewis moment, can't wait!

Best Actress will probably be Julie Christie but I would like to see Marion Cotillard win for La Vie en Rose like she did at the Baftas (Ellen Page has no chance, Tom, but it would be cute to see her up there!)

Best Supporting Actor should definitely be Javier Bardem for No Country, mainly due to menace and originality.

Best Supporting Actress-I have no idea!! But like it to go to the young English girl in Atonement, jut as a surprise!

Best Director will go to the Coens, and deservedly so, cinema originals.

Best animated feature film of the year is Ratatouille

Original screenplay I would also like to see go to Ratatouille, but will probably go to the Juno writer.

That's it.

Filming has very much re-commenced on "Much Ado About Lauren", including re-shoots (the legendary shower scene!) See you at the Oscars 2009!

Cloverfield review

Saw Cloverfield today, and really enjoyed it. A true cinematic experience even though it is made to look like it's filmed on video. But so much about this film worked. You did get a sense and reason for the camera being in operation and the World the film-makers created which our protaganists "just so happened" to have stumbled upon was amazing. You felt New York was under attack.

The film was set up a little like "Blair Witch" or "Open Water" in the sense the footage is "found" and played to us all. Having seen the entire film you understand this and this is 100 times superior to the afore-mentioned films.

A monster attacks New York. At first I wondered whether some of the imagery was a little too close to the bone in regards to 9/11. I know it's over 6 years ago, but the scene when the group rush into the convenience store as the cloud envelopes them sent shivers down my spine as it was so like footage of 9/11 shot by the French brothers who were shadowing a New York City fireman on that fateful day.

One of the trailers before the film was for U2 3D which claims to get you right in the midst of the action (or drums and guitars and Bono!) and Cloverfield definitely does that. You were one of the gang because we were seeing what they were seeing and our perspective was limited to whoever was holdng the camera at that time. Godzilla and Independance Day have done the whole Worldwide perspective with army leaders and the President on the phone, but this film put a brilliant new spin on that. Made it a lot more personal and totally invigorating.

I haven't yelled out loud in a cinema for a long time, but I did tonight. On paying for my ticket there was a sign warning me of strobe effects and camera moves akin to the experience of riding a rollercoaster. I wonder if the PR people came up with this sign because it perfectly summed up the experience, a real cinematic rollercoaster in its truest visceral form. A superb piece of work.

I enjoyed the glimpses of the monster that we had, there was a perfect amount, and I totally bought into the "Maguffin" of Rob heading off to find the girl he loves, it kept the narrative moving and gave a good reason to run into Hell rather than away from it.

I also really enjoyed the fact that the film was 87 mins long. Why? Well it felt the perfect length, but of course a common or garden camcorder, filming on long play could shoot for a maximum of 90 mins! The details count! I liked the ending, it fitted, not particularly happy but justifiable and satisfactory. I thought the film had ended at 4 different points before the end, but there we go! I actually didn't want it to end.

When the monster attacks a helicopter we are in, and the little monsters attack in the tunnel (I'm glad that happened, because I was wondering why he would shoot material in pitch black.) I was in film Heaven, gripping my seat and laughing and screaming out loud! I also loved the demise of one of the female characters behind a screen.

So a great film, turned the monster movie on its head (literally!)
Proof that it's fine to shoot in DV, as long as what you are filming is interesting and holds the viewers attention!

4 and a half scares out of 5

Movies, Heath and the Oscars

Saddened to read of the death of young actor Heath Ledger.

I wonder how many millions of people died all over the world on Tuesday, but he's someoene I never met, yet somehow will miss and felt some sorrow at his untimely passing.

This Empire cover (which is the finest movie mag in the World without question) shows what will be his last onscreen role. The Joker in the Dark Knight (not sure how much he managed to complete of the Terry Gilliam movie he was working on in London, Gilliam, never has it easy does he-check out "Lost in La Mancha" to see what I mean.)

I guess this is the kind of publicity Chris Nolan and the Batman crew would never have wanted, but it will create added interest in what already looks like a brilliant, intelligent Summer blockbuster. The trailers show Ledger to be a lot more of the comics depiction of the character of the Joker, more than the portly Nicholson interpretation.

Watching The Dark Knight will now be a totally different experience, does the Joker die at the end of the movie? What lines will we shake our head slowly at, now seeing the unwitting irony? Will Nolan change anything about the film because of what has happened? We will wait and see, knowing we will never see this talented actor onscreen ever again will be hard, and certainly never seeing this Joker ever again. A little like watching "Studio 60" which I am currently consuming on dvd, knowing it was cancelled after one series and won't be coming back (not to everyone's tastes but certainly to mine, having watched "Saturday Night Live" for about 3 years every week when I was living in Canada-the Wade boys are ahead of me again!)

So goodbye Heath, I loved you in 10 Things I Hate About You, and A Knight's Tale, and I know I will be relishing every moment of your clown who likes to dance in the pale moonlight come July.

So, the Oscars, feeling very nonplussed about them this year. Sure, I hope they go ahead and I get to consume bad food with my film-making buddies in the Wade front room (always a quandry-do I pull an all nighter, or try and set the alarm clock so I get a few hours sleep, but then I always oversleep and miss the best supporting actor award!)

Would love Day Lewis to win so I can hear his self depreciating speech and I currently think he is the finest screen actor alive today. Great acting, total believability would be the most important attribute, but versatility? No-one has it like this guy. Totally different character in every movie.

Haven't seen Juno, but this year I am rooting for the underdog. I guess I am looking to very low budget quirky teenage romantic comedies to do well at the moment! Partly because I am in the middle of making one! You want to see quirky? Wait till you see our drama teacher, billiantly portrayed by the oldest Wade boy- Paul.

So that's it, living in a town which only presents popcorn and none of the best picture nominees can be annoying, why is that? Let's re-open the ABC and create a great art-house cinema!!

"Much Ado About Lauren" continues, really proud with what we are achieving and we need to start some serious publicity, as ideally I would like the premier to be in May (near the time I have the world premier for my new play called "The Removal Firm" at the Library Theatre, and some new Spielberg film comes out about an archeologist called Indy!)

My good friend Steve Warner (who's a Spurs fan so I'm not actually that keen on him at the moment!) has been working on original songs for the movie, hopes to record some of them soon. Gotta keep going! We started shooting back in September and we will finish this, and finish it well!

Thoroughly enjoyed most of "No Country For Old Men". Masterful story telling and movie-making. They don't really make films like this any more. So much so, I don't think I was paying enough attention! Need to see it again to understand some of the subtleties, and exactly why that is such a brilliant ending! Performances could not be faulted, the trouble was I was watching Fargo or Raising Arizona in my head when I should have been letting this new experience unfold before me.

Happy New Year!!

So here we are in 2008!!

A lot has been going on, I have been to see some movies!

Thought I Am Legend was quite good, but agree with the Wade boys and Empire about the terrible CGI on show. Will Smith was very good as was his K9 companion.

Thought Golden Compass was poor, didn't draw me in at all, cool polar bear scrap but that was it, and how embarressing was the last 5 mins which was there to set up the back to back sequels which will probably never happen due to the poor box office in the U.S.

Enchanted was all I expected it to be, good, but wanted a little more and maybe more edginess.

Disappointed with Bee Movie, I guess I was hoping for a cartoon 88 minute episode of Seinfeld, but it wasn't and I fell asleep! My nephew Josh liked it though, and here is a photo with his thumbs up approval to prove it after we left the theatre.


Great to go to Wales for New Year and see the family. Good times!




Much Ado About Lauren continues!

Got 66mins edited in "the can". Of course when we have finished filming everything, the film will be too long and have to be cut back, but that won't be for a few months yet.

At the end of last year we shot some audition footage which is fun. Hired a chicken costume and a superman outfit. But who'd have thought a £1.98 fake plastic knife would cause so much hilarity!?

We had a number of game people involved, including a great juggler and uni-cyclist (doesn't mean he cycles at a Uni, he rides a bike with one wheel!) called Dan, and I got to film my short cameo in the film. John ate marshmallows and we had puppets as well!

Filmed Becky's audition which took a while, but looks good after a bit of creaive editing.

We also filmed the scene which involved Tom, Simon, Gillian and Natalie. Greg learns how to woo women!! Went well.

Filmed the notorious "headmaster flashback" with 2 friends of mine from the St. Christopher players, Maggie and Steve Jones. Very funny.

In Wales I filmed, Josh and Charlotte in a flashback which involves the character of Greg being slapped round the face as a 9 year old! Many takes!

Into the new year, we were able to put Dylan into the movie (he is the adopted Romanian son of the Wade boys wonderful sister, Sarah.) He was great fun, and is very cute on screen working as Paul's (playing our drama teacher) PA.

The schedule will slow down a little now as everyone is involved with local plays but the film lives on! Even if we only film one scene a week, we are doing well.

Our Leading Lady

Need to keep blogging, so much going on!

Well, here is a publicity shot of our Lauren in our movie "Much Ado About Lauren". This is Abi Murray, who is doing brilliantly and truly lights up the screen.

So Abi is now rehearsing the pantomine over in St. Albans so we won't be filming anything with her until January. Need to film lots of other stuff though.

So in the last couple of weeks we have been trying to film as much as posible with her.

We shot one scene where the character Becky is told she won't be in the play and ends up attacking Lauren. Went well! Catfight! We then shot a quick scene in a corridor which comes much later in the movie.

We also filmed as much of our "dining room" scene as we could. Things do suffer when you rush! This is a difficult scene and we only had about 40 mins with Ellie and so I went ahead and filmed, only to realise that I wasn't filming at 25fps! Which may seem incidental but does make a big difference to the "look" of our movie (video is shot at 50 fps and as we are shooting on Hi def we can adjust shutter speed and achieve a more cinematic look.)

We carried on filming when I had adjusted the setting, and did well, though it is noisy in that dining room, but the stuff with the cards worked well. Richy and John were excellent, and great physical comedians. We'll do some additional filming in the new year, as there's some good stuff we missed out from the scene.

Shot a scene around John's house, which is right towards the finale, we were going to shoot outside, but glad we didn't as it soon began to rain very hard!

We shot a corridor scene with Jack and Abi, where she tells him she is in the play. We got there in the end! I am learning that with film you can get away with a little wayward line learning as you can almost go line by line if you have close ups, so you can flick back and forth between characters.

Loads more to do, but we currently have a 50 min film! About halfway. Learning a lot (even at my ripe old age, how Orson Welles put Citizen Kane together at 24 I'll never know!) Computer technology is helping a lot, I am able to fix a lot in editing, and I am learning how to cut and paste alternate audio takes over the visuals so that the sound is a lot more seemless. I can also adjust lighting.

I spent two days on a "real" movie set last week. I was an extra in "Mad, Bad and Sad" which involved doing some work in a casino and then a bar. Got to meet Meera Syal (briefly, she didn't seem very happy) and also was given a line (!) to say to the guy who plays the cafe owner in Jack Dee's "Lead Balloon". A nice guy and got to chat for a little while before he had to lose at blackjack and stagger about drunk. My line? Okay, here it is. "Hard luck mate!" I went for disbelief, sorrow and ridicule!

The tour has come to an end! "The Word Made Fresh" concluded on Sunday November 25th in Luton (at LCF, my home Church.) It was a great and emotional night. The Church were so loving and helped to make such a memorable night. I was given a Noah cake! One of my best performances which I am glad about, because the whole thing was filmed for a DVD which should come out in January. It's been a good but long tour, and I'm glad I was stretched, but I feel I want to be stretched some more. But not really regarding travelling!

Matt Summerfield and the team took us out for a nice meal to conclude the tour and I was presented with a lovely souvenier poster to commemorate all that had happened. Urban Saints and Matt are brilliant, I really must write some more dramas for them!

By the way, my book of 20 drama sketches, entitled, "Dramatic Set Ups Volume 1" is now available from a Christian bookstore in Luton! Just £10, well worth it!

Now preparing for the Nativity service this Sunday (5pm!) and I have to say I am loving working with some extrememly talented 11-14 year olds. They are bringing some 10 year old scripts very much alive! Must do more with them next year (I think I feel a panto coming on!!)