The Glasgow Film Festival 2013 programme was launched this week and I was delighted to see not only a great host of fab looking film fodder but also two Sean films!
A late night Highlander screening on Fri 15 February 23.15 at GFT (Not the biggest Highlander fan but will be my first time seeing it on the big screen)
But what I’m REALLY excited about is seeing his foray out of retirement, Ever to Excel, Murray Grigor’s documentary about St Andrew’s. Yes I did have a rant about the mis-management of the film’s distribution last year here but I’m delighted it’s finally getting shown!
Bonds reunion at the Oscars
According to The Edinburgh Evening News, Sean Connery was ‘not asked’ to attend the James Bond reunion at Oscars. Read more here
Martin Compston plays the lead role in The Wee Man alongside a great cast including John Hannah, Denis Lawson, and Patrick Bergin. Here's a random selection of reviews from STV, Metro, Cine-Vue, and The Guardian. There are many more out there!
Video Interview: the Scottish stars of Paul Ferris film Scottish actors Martin Compston and Laura McMonagle discuss their roles in The Wee Man, based on the life of notorious former gangster Paul Ferris. The film, which stars Compston as a younger Ferris, tells the story of how he entered the city's crime underworld, working his way up the ranks as an associate of Arthur "The Godfather" Thompson Sr.
Compston, who found fame in Ken Loach’s Sweet Sixteen, discusses what it was like to play such a notorious figure, how he shaped the character and his experience of meeting Ferris in real life.
Ms McMonagle, known for her work on River City and Lip Service, plays Ferris’s girlfriend Anne-Marie.
They also talk about the disappointment in failing to secure permission to film in Glasgow, instead having to shoot scenes in London.
The Wee Man is in cinemas from Friday 18 January
Watch the interviews here
Compston: Controversy boosted film
Martin Compston believes the controversy around his new film about Scottish gangster Paul Ferris has actually helped boost publicity.
Read more at Belfast Telegraph
Director defends making movie on Ferris
London-born actor, writer and producer Ray Purdis has defended his decision to make a movie about Paul Ferris, a one-time violent enforcer for Glasgow mob boss Arthur Thompson Sr.
Read more at Herald Scotland
Audiobooks David Tennant has started his work in 2013 by recording audiobooks as he has been in the studio reading both How To Steal A Dragon's Sword and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the Race Against Time.
On Thursday afternoon Soundhouse Studios tweeted that David Tennant had completed recording the new Chitty Chitty Bang Bang audiobook Chitty Chitty Bang Bang And The Race Against Time.
More information here
Source: David Tennant on Twitter
Virgin Media Collection David Tennant can currently be seen on television and online in a number of adverts for the Virgin Media Collection.
He appears alongside Sir Richard Branson, Usain Bolt and some look-alikes.
There are also some clips online on the Virgin Media website.
The Virgin Media website has a new David Tennantvideo with at least four different endings! Keep on the page to see the first ending and then replay the video to watch them all.
More information here
Source: David Tennant on Twitter
Spies Of Warsaw
A synopsis of episode one of Spies Of Warsaw (starring David Tennant) and cast list can be found here.
A worldwide link to download episode one of Spies Of Warsaw can be found here.
The BBC Shop has the coverwork for the Spies Of Warsaw DVD (see below) which is released on 21st January.
The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists movie (known as The Pirates! Band Of Misfits in the US) has been nominated for the Best Animated Feature Award in this year's Oscars.
David Tennant voices the young Charles Darwin in the movie.
More information here
Source: David Tennant on Twitter
Believe It! Believe It! has been shortlisted for the Best Scripted Comedy Award in the BBC Audio Drama Awards 2013. (That page includes a new photo of David Tennant from when he hosted the 2012 Award ceremony.) In the 2012 awards David Tennant won the Best Actor Award for his role in Kafka The Musical which was first broadcast in April 2011 and somehow that drama is on the shortlist for the Tinniswood Radio Drama Award 2012 for Best Radio Drama Script.
More information here
Source: David Tennant on Twitter
Much Ado About Nothing
Digital Theatre have launched a new iPad app where you can watch David Tennant and Catherine Tate's production of Much Ado About Nothing.
More information here
Source: David Tennant on Twitter
Doctor Who
The Radio Times have reported that Big Finish will be releasing a 100-minute-long audio story The Light At The End to celebrate the Doctor Who 50th anniversary. Former Doctors Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann are already confirmed and Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant and Matt Smith are "behind the project" which will be released in November.
More information here
Source: David Tennant on Twitter
Diary dates Tues
15 Jan - Complete Series of Twenty Twelve is released in US and Canada.
Tues
15 Jan - Satellite station Watch start a new run of repeats of David Tennant's
episodes of Doctor Who.
Wed
16 Jan - Episode two of Spies Of Warsaw premières on BBC Four at 9pm.
Sat
19 Jan - David Tennant attends the Project Motor Mouth Charity Convention.
Sat 19 Jan - Two of David Tennant's episodes of Doctor Who (Blink
and Midnight) are featured in the Cine Lumière Doctor Who Night in London.
Source of all David Tennant news: David Tennant on Twitter (the most frequently updated David Tennant site on the net). You can follow them on Facebook and Twitter, too.
Is
it a bad sign that the idea of a reality TV show about criminals racing
to the death does not seem as outlandish as it once might have? It is
not hard to believe that a significant number of people worldwide would
pay to watch something like that on their computer in the privacy of
their home.
Because the concept isn’t completely unfathomable and because it’s a direct-to-DVD sequel, Death Race 3: Inferno
really should be wilder than it is. Part 2 is solid B-movie fun and a
big improvement over Paul W. S. Anderson’s remake. It is unfortunate
then that part 3 feels like a step back. It wisely shifts the action
outside of the maximum security prison but fails to adequately exploit
the new location.
British billionaire Niles York (Dougray Scott) bullies his way to a
hostile takeover of Weyland Industries. His goal is to franchise Death
Race, taking it global while increasing the number of locations and
frequency of races. He has purchased crumbling prisons around the world
and hopes to stage a race every 2 weeks.
The first such race takes place in the Kalahari Desert of South Africa.
The famous racer known as Frankenstein (Luke Goss, who took over for
Jason Statham in part 2) is racing for his freedom, having won 4
consecutive races and being promised his release after the fifth. His
team has been reassembled to support his cause, including Goldberg
(Danny Trejo) and Katrina (Tanit Phoenix, lovely but a lousy actress).
Frankenstein will spend 3 days racing through the Kalahari against 9
fellow criminals, including the first female racer. The smarmy and
devious York will do his best to prevent him from winning, but the
famous driver has a few tricks up his sleeve.
Death Race 3 falls short by playing it way too safe,
not taking full advantage of its premise or the new location. It lacks
imagination. There are too many explosions to count (along with frantic
editing and copious slow-motion) and most people perish in fiery crashes
that have a perfunctory feel. The majority of the kills have little
creativity.
One particular scene highlights the movie’s problems. Before the first
stage of the race begins, there is a pre-Death Race event to pick the
navigators. It features 16 beautiful women, including an IRA terrorist
and twin Swedish serial killers, fighting to the death for 10 spots. But
they all look the same, it’s nearly impossible to make out who is
fighting whom, and it’s over almost before it really starts. An
opportunity wasted.
There’s also way too much melodrama, most of it involving the budding
relationship between Frankenstein and Katrina. It is unnecessary padding
and doesn’t belong in a movie like this.
Despite all of its problems, there is some fun to be had. The cast
(outside of Phoenix) is good. Trejo in particular appears to be enjoying
himself and gets some memorable and amusing quips. There’s infrequent
but solid gore, particularly when a missile makes waste of a contestant
attempting to escape. And every once in a while it displays a biting
wit, such as when a voiceover notes that racing like this should not be
attempted at home and unauthorized piracy of the event is “punishable by
death, or life imprisonment if under age 15.”
The random wit and gore end up being the exception to the rule though. Death Race 3
promises excess, but fails to deliver it. If part 4 ever rolls around,
here’s hoping for fewer explosions and more gleeful and nasty
depravity.
Source (including DVD photo): Shock Till You Drop
British director Danny Boyle’s next film will be Trance, a project he made quickly with James McAvoy before he directed the 2012 London Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony. The film has reportedly earned a March 2013 release date in the U.K., but there’s no word on when exactly it could hit U.S. theaters.
According to The Film Stage, Pathe, which will release the film in the U.K., will release it on March 27, 2013 across the pond. It is expected to get a spring release in the U.S. in 2013.
The film is described as having the “dark, sexy, hard-edged tone” of Boyle’s earlier films like Shallow Grave and Trainspotting, which were co-written by John Hodge, who also worked on Trance.
Source: The Celebrity Cafe
James McAvoy wants to be Gandalf in Tolkien prequels
Scots actor James McAvoy has revealed that he would love to play Tolkien’s wizard Gandalf.
Gandalf is one of the main characters in The Hobbit, which follows the adventure of Bilbo Baggins.
The role was played by Sir Ian McKellen in Peter Jackson’s screen adaptations of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
It was been reported that McAvoy would like to play the role if any prequels are planned.
The X-Men: First Class star said he has a great knowledge of
Tolkein’s work and he discussed the possibility of appearing in
something adapted from Tolkien anthology The Silmarillion.
He told Total Film: "It's a collection of poems and songs that chart the ancient history of Middle-earth.
“My true geek is coming to the fore, but they're really, really beautiful stories.
"In part of that is the genesis of Gandalf, or Mithrandir, or
Stormcrow, or any of his many, many names. Anyway, maybe that's the
one!" The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is currently out in cinemas and is top of the UK box office.
Source (including photo above): STV
'Shameless' return? What About James McAvoy? Anne-Marie Duff Returns To 'Shameless' For Last Ever Episode
Will McAvoy return as well?
Anne-Marie Duff will return to Shameless for the series' last ever episode, it has been confirmed.
The actress played Fiona Gallagher (then McBride) during the show's
first and second seasons, rising to fame alongside on-screen partner
James McAvoy... who she later married.
Jody Latham and Elliot Tittensor will also return for the Channel 4 drama's swansong, which is currently being filmed.
Anne-Marie Duff and James McAvoy (WENN)
The eleventh and final run of episodes will begin broadcasting in the Spring.
Duff played Elizabeth I in BBC One's The Virgin Queen, and also starred in movie 'Nowhere Boy'.
A spokesperson for the show has teased that the finale will be as "celebratory, defiant and unapologetic as ever".
The show launched in 2004 and has been a provocative but hugely successful staple of the Channel 4 schedules ever since. Source (including photo): Entertainment Wise
STV goes In Search of Robert Burns to reveal the face of Scottish poet
Facing the Bard: David Hayman reveals enthralling new look at Robert Burns
A new documentary presented by David Hayman will
exclusively unveil what Scotland’s most famous poet, Robert Burns,
really looked like. In Search of Robert Burns is set to air on STV on January 22
at 8pm. The documentary follows revered actor and Burns enthusiast
David Hayman as he finds out some amazing new details about the globally
renowned Scottish poet.
Reconstructed using state-of-the-art forensic technology, Professor
Caroline Wilkinson and her team at The University of Dundee, have
created a life-size model of Robert Burns’ head.
The conclusion of In Search of Robert Burns reveals the newly constructed head of Scotland’s beloved bard at a public event for the very first time.
While experts work on the reconstruction, David Hayman delves into the world of Robert Burns (1759 – 1796).
Hayman admitted: “A fascinating and extraordinary journey into the heart of a truly exceptional man, I loved every minute of it.
“I hope our audience will enjoy it as much as I did. I am a lover of
Burns but I discovered something new about him every day on this film,
it is a little gem."
On his journey the presenter finds out how Burns’ upbringing,
education, tough life and romantic spirit forged a creative genius that
would transform him from humble farmer to one of the world’s best known
poets.
Elizabeth Partyka, deputy head of channels at STV, said: “This unique
documentary offers a fantastic insight into not only Robert Burns’
background but, for the first time, what he actually looked like.
“David Hayman is the perfect narrator as we journey through Burns’
world and viewers are sure to be surprised by the real face of this
iconic poet.”
Caroline Wilkinson, professor of craniofacial identification at The
University of Dundee, added: “This project has been quite a challenge
and an enormous responsibility.
“We assessed as much material as we could for this reconstruction,
including skeletal and anatomical structure, facial proportions from the
Reid miniature and the Miers silhouette and texture details from the
portraits.
“This 3D depiction is as accurate as possible based on the available information and shows Burns in his full living glory.”
In Search of Robert Burns will be shown on STV at 8pm on January 22, and repeated on January 25.
Karen Gillan chats to Northsound 1 on the NTAs and leaving The Doctor behind
Finlay from the Northsound Newsteam hears what Karen's up to now, and how she's feeling ahead of the National Television Awards, where she's nominated for Best Female Drama Performance.
Source: Soundcloud
Karen's NTA nomination is for best female drama performance - vote here
Defiance: Combining a TV Series and Game Into One World Creators and cast discuss the upcoming Syfy series and how it will connect to the video game.
Two other important characters are the alien/Castithan married coupleDatak (Tony Curran) and Stahma (Jaime Murray).
Said Curran,
“These characters are very complex, with a lot of depth to them. And a
few of them have got sordid pasts and possibly some very sordid futures,
yes. Some very unpredictable futures. But a lot of it is to do with
survival in this town. As Julie was saying, there's this indomitable
spirit which a lot of these characters, which is a great human trait
which also a lot of these aliens have. And that's where the tone of
Defiance originated from, was after the Pale Wars that happened for nine
years, there was the act of defiance, as it were, between the aliens
and humans who ended up saving some children and hence the name of
Defiance.”
Read loads more at IGN
'Defiance': New trailer for Syfy's action epic -- EXCLUSIVE
From Inside TV:
Here’s
the new trailer for Syfy’s upcoming major drama series Defiance, which
not only returns a few star ships to the network, but also gives us
giant muscular blue guys, battle mechs, some strange religious group and
a whole lot of other elements we don’t quite understand yet, but sure
look intriguing, wrapped up in a post-apocalyptic neo-Western setting.
Defiance
is both a show and an online video game (details below and more photos
below) that’s set amid the ruins of St. Louis following the arrival of
seven races of aliens. The result, especially with the song featured in
this new trailer (“Preacher” by Jamie N Commons), almost has a Firefly
vibe.
"Defiance": Humans, Aliens and Military Scavengers
"...the
'Votan' aliens came to Earth seeking a new home after their solar
system was destroyed. But they found they were not welcome on Earth,
forced to orbit the planet for six years as prolonged negotiations with
skeptical Earth governments proved futile. With supplies running low,
the Votans declared war with the humans to make Earth their new home.
"During
this war, Votan ships shot down by government military, accidentally
released 'terraformer technology'into the atmosphere, causing radical
changes to the biosphere and geology of Earth.
"Then after
decades of hostility a ceasefire was declared. Few organized governments
remained for either the humans or the aliens, as both sides
factionalized with members looking out for themselves. In several areas,
local human and Votan militias banded together to cooperate if they
were to survive on a rapidly changing planet.
"'Jeb Nolan' served
in the military during the war. With the war now over, he returns to
his hometown of St. Louis to find that it is no longer the city he left;
it is little more than a refugee camp.
"Deciding that his
services are needed, Jeb becomes the 'Chief Lawkeeper' in 'Defiance',
protecting the town from clashes between humans, aliens and military
scavengers..."
Cast includes Grant Bowler, Julie Benz, Tony Curran, Jaime Murray, Stephanie Leonidas, Mia Kirshner, Graham Greene and Fionnula Flanagan.
Read more at Sneak Peak
Syfy's 'Defiance' Gets Première Date
The
12-episode season will launch Monday, April 15 at 9 p.m., the cable
network announced Monday. Defiance bridges a scripted television and
online gaming for the first time.
The series and the game feature
an interconnected world and storylines that will launch later this year
with the release of the game, ahead of the TV series debut. Defiance
introduces an exotically transformed planet Earth, its landscapes
permanently altered following the sudden – and tumultuous – arrival of
seven unique alien races.
Defiance stars Grant Bowler, Julie Benz, Stephanie Leonidas, Tony Curran, Jaime Murray, Graham Greene and Mia Kirshner.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Defiance (Syfy): What to Expect
There’s
a little Charles Dickens in it. Asked about his character Datak, Tony
Curran said, “Me and [Datak's wife] Stahma, their planet has been
destroyed. They have come to Earth, looking for a new home. And there is
a war that begins between the humans and aliens. [Datak is] from a very
low caste. He’s from the pages of a Dickens novel. You might say he’d
been scraped out of the gutter. On the ship coming to Earth, he ends up
meeting Stahma, and she’s a higher caste than Datak. She’s somewhat
aristocracy, you might say. And he’s a bit of a silver tongued devil,
and he ends up charming her to the point that they actually get
married.”
Read more at TV Equals
From Tony Curran's Twitter feed:
Defiance 2 hour première Datak looks forward to meeting you 2013 April 9pm on Sy Fy (source)
Backstage at TCA press tour @DefianceWorld 2013 April 9pm (source)
From Tony Curran's Facebook page:
Behind the scenes from Labyrinth. A nice cuppa and a good read during some down time on Labyrinth Cape Town. (source)
More links: Defiance: Worlds Away
Civilization begins again. Defiance, April 15 at 9/8c on Syfy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=cs1vO9_KLPY#!
DEFIANCE: To Première on Syfy April 15 - New Trailer Released
Syfy’s highly-anticipated Defiance will have its series première Monday, April 15 @ 9pm with a two-hour episode (culminating in a total of 12 episodes/13 hours). For the network, this is designated as the "next big thing."
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/scifimediazone/news/?a=72330
Syfy Releases New Trailer and Première Date for Game Crossover Series DEFIANCE
http://scifimafia.com/2013/01/syfy-releases-new-trailer-and-premiere-date-for-game-crossover-series-defiance/
Syfy Unveils Transmedia Series 'Defiance' at TCA, Part TV Show and Part MMO Video Game
http://www.indiewire.com/article/television/syfy-defiance-tca-winter-press-tour-2013
Tony Curran at event of Defiance
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm207203584/nm0192889
Tony Curran, Stephanie Leonidas and Jaime Murray at event of Defiance
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm56208640/nm0192889
Still of Tony Curran and Jaime Murray in Defiance
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm4115311872/nm0192889
Still of Graham Greene, Julie Benz and Tony Curran in Defiance
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm4148866304/nm0192889
Still of Tony Curran in Defiance
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1699458304/nm0192889
Dundonian actor Brian Cox is back on screens (photo courtesy of Herald Scotland)
The thesp is playing the title role in Bob Servant
Independent - the new TV comedy about the ridiculous, larger than life,
local businessman, which follows on from the popular books and radio
series written by Neil Forsyth (no relation).
In the TV series, the self-aggrandising Dundee Mr Big launches himself
into the world of politics by running as an independent candidate in the
local by-election. The problem is that the so-called 'man of the
people' doesn't actually like people. Not like real-life politicians at
all, then.
In the way that Ken Stott is a perfect fit as Ian Rankin's Rebus, it's
hard to imagine anyone other than Cox play Servant - and he has a
perfect sidekick in his hapless campaign manager, Frank, played by
Jonathan Watson. Neil Forsyth's script is cracking, but another factor
that sets the show apart from the majority of TV comedies is its setting
- Broughty Ferry.
It's so refreshing to watch a Scottish TV show that's not set in
Glasgow or Edinburgh; just brilliant to have a scene where the main
characters walk down a street that's not lined with tenements, and where
the view at the end of it is of a bright orange RNLI lifeboat. What a
pleasant change from the usual Central Belt fare - the Taggarts, Rab C
Nesbitts, Lip Service, and a bunch of comedy sketch shows which are
invariably set in Glasgow.
At a preview screening at the stunning Gardyne Theatre this week, the
Bob Servant producer revealed that when he was pitching the idea to
southern commissioners, they presumed that Broughty Ferry was a
fictional town. Jings, these Londoners are so provincial. After all,
part of the joy of Danish dramas such as Borgen or The Killing is to be
immersed in a new culture, a different land or cityscape.
More off-the-beaten track drama please - how about a murder mystery in Melrose or a thriller in Thurso?
Read more at Herald Scotland
10 Things You'll See In The Hobbit 2 And 3
What to expect when you're on an unexpected journey
9. Billy Connolly Riding A PigYes,
you read that right. It appears that Dain Ironfoot, the
tougher-than-tungsten lord of the dwarves of the Iron Hills, will rock
up to the Battle of the Five Armies astride a combat-hog.
“I ride into
war on a wild pig!” Billy Connolly told Vulture last year.
Richard Taylor seemed to confirm this while speaking to Empire shortly
before Christmas, when he said, “It’s been great fun designing a
dwarfish army - what they might wear, what they might ride into battle,
all that stuff.”
The fact he’s sat on the back of a war-ready oinker
won’t be the only eye-opening thing about Connelly’s Dain. “They’re
broadening me, making me wider,” added the actor. “I have a mohawk and
tattoos on my head. Let me say, this guy will terrify the life out of
you.”
OSCARS bosses want to pull off a showbiz coup by bringing all six James Bonds together on stage at the same time.
Sean Connery could make a comeback at this year’s Oscars – as bosses try to get all six Bond stars on stage.
Sir
Sean, 82, is retired from acting but bosses hope he will appear with
current 007 Daniel Craig in a four-minute tribute to the films.
Last
week, the televised tribute was announced and the other former 007s –
Sir Roger Moore, George Lazenby, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan –
were invited to take part.
Sir Sean has shunned Bond reunions after a four-decade feud with film bosses over his pay and treatment.
But associates of the Scot say the Oscars offer is a “different proposition”.
Sean Connery could make a comeback at the Oscars
He may also be joined by Adele, who would be making her first
public performance in almost a year by singing her Bond theme hit
Skyfall live on February 24.An Oscars source said: “Sir Sean has
been invited to take to the stage along with Daniel and the other 007s.
As yet, we’ve not had a no from him. Normally he is quick to turn things
down.
“Sean’s relationship with the Oscars is good and we’re hoping he’ll appear.
“His
issues with the Bond producers are not our business and we hope he will
overlook that as we pay tribute to what he has done.
“It would be magnificent to see him up there with the other actors – and quite a coup.”
He
added: “We’re very close to getting Adele to talk to us about a
performance too. Until she is officially nominated this week for the
best film song Oscar, we can’t invite her.”
Sir Sean earned just
£2million for the Bond films and his image was used to promote the
franchise in the 70s and 80s without him earning a penny.
Source (including images): Daily Record
“After seeing the film Trainspotting [1996] and The Acid House [1998] in cinemas in Canada with a Scottish writer friend, Paul McCafferty who eventually co-wrote the screenplay for Ecstasy[2011],”
recalls filmmaker Rob Heydon as to the when he was introduced to the
works of author Irvine Welsh. “I first became aware of Irvine Welsh
when I was at Drama School and the novel Trainspotting had just been released,” states Scottish actor Adam Sinclair (To End All Wars).
“Everyone in the school was doing the famous speech, ‘Choose a job.
Choose a big fucking television. Choose life.’ All these kids over
Scotland were reading books from an author who wrote the same way they
spoke. He was very much part of a generation writing about stuff that
most of the youth could relate to. It made them feel like they had a
voice. Then the film happened and Scotland was put on the map in an
international arena.” The story about heroin addicts resonated with
Billy Boyd who is best know for playing one of hobbits in The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001 to 2003). “Everybody was reading Trainspotting.
It was quite a big book at the time the world over not only in
Britain. I read it and then there was a play made while I was at drama
school at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh which I missed. Kelly
Macdonald [No Country for Old Men] was working in a bar called
the Brunswick Cellars and I remember meeting her there. I had just left
college and was about to do the play of Trainspotting as the film was about to come out. We were talking about Trainspotting
and Irvine Welsh, and how great it was to work on his stuff and what
was the difference between the play and the film? I didn’t audition for
the film because I was still at drama school when it was being made but
I was in the play and we toured Britain which was amazing. It was a
cross of being an actor and a rock star because the theatres would
usually sellout in minutes. Before the play would go on we would play a
lot of Leftfield, a lot of great club music and people were so up for
the play. That was cool. Irvine Welsh is well known. It probably is
thought about as a cult [following] as he writes about the underbelly of
society or the stuff people don’t want to talk or write about. I love
the way he writes. Like with Lloyd in Ecstasy; it might be people involved in the darker side of society but doesn’t mean that they’re not intelligent or poetic.”
The project had been in development since 2000. “Yes and no,” responds
Rob Hayden when asked whether the long delay resulted in his initial big
screen vision evolving into something different. “The music was better
and the only scene that had to be cut from filming was two scenes of
special effects.” A particular literary moment involving Lloyd and
Heather, the married woman he falls in love with was a top priority for
the native of Toronto, Ontario to adapt cinematically. “The scene where
the couple is opening up on bed after making love for the first time;
the delivery by Adam Sinclair and Kristin Kreuk [EuroTrip] mixed
with the music was perfect.” As for the key of retaining the spirit of
the source material, Hayden remarks, “Keeping the voice of Irvine Welsh
alive in the characters while making a story that works for the screen.”
Despite the delay in the production, certain casting decisions did not
change. “Billy Boyd I met with in Scotland in 2002 and he was always
attached to the project. Woodsy was written specifically with him in
mind.” The writer-director gave the performer from Glasgow, Scotland a
couple of books to read. There was a lot of stuff about conspiracy
theories, aliens, spirituality, and religion,” recalls Boyd. “I was
reading a lot of that stuff so I could get into the head of someone who
was trying to think outside of the box. Who was trying to get other
ideas of what is reality? What is life? Why are we here? I read a lot
of that kind of stuff and religious texts of from different things such
as the Bhagavad Gita and stuff from The Bible.” Boyd was
not alone in waiting for the movie to be made. “I lived with the
character of Lloyd for several years before we eventually got round to
filming, so over that time I gathered lots of little things that I
thought were him,” reveals Adam Sinclair. “When I arrived on set I had
his shoes [Very important. Always know what kind of shoes your character
wears. It changes so many things], and several items of clothing. I
also filled in all the blanks as to his backstory. The audience never
finds this out but it does give me more to play within each scene.”
“Obviously after the cult following that came up after Danny Boyle's
film, and everything it did for all the cast, doing an Irvine Welsh
story seemed like the perfect opportunity for a young Scottish actor,”
recalls Adam Sinclair as to what led him to screen test for Ecstasy.
“I read the script having already read the book and related to the
character of Lloyd. Many of his life experiences were similar to my own
and I was part of the dance culture that was growing in Scotland in the
1990s. Not sure what landed me the role but I do remember dropping my
trousers in one audition. Maybe that was the cruncher.” The native of
East Kilbride, Scotland did not rely solely on the screenplay. “For
research, I went back and read Irvine's entire back catalogue. I could
see that every character he writes has a little element of him in there,
so I decided to take little bits from each of them. The story we did
was only a novella so I had to get more information about who this guy
was. The book Glue was an extremely helpful read. The script
also had a lot of musical references and with my wife being a deejay I
had her make me the film's playlist; that got me back to a time and
place I remembered very well from my younger days.” Sinclair remarks,
“When I'm acting, I try not to base a performance on anything I've seen
before because then it becomes exactly that, a performance. I tried to
relate every scene to a personal experience and deliver the lines as
honestly as possible.” The actor and the protagonist of the tale have
become entwined. “I don't see Lloyd as a character so much anymore; he
feels like an old aspect of me, a phase I grew out of. He is the eternal
Peter Pan, shunning most responsibilities but with his heart in the
right place. A kind of state that most of us are in in our youth, but as
we grow older we take on more responsibilities and therefore have to
step up and be answerable for what we do in life. Lloyd was coming
round to that by the end of the film.”
Almost every shot in the movie features Adam Sinclair. “The only test
of endurance was doing all of the dancing stuff,” states Sinclair.
“When you have a location for filming you usually only have it for that
day so all the dance scenes are filming consecutively. After a 14 hour
day of that I could barely walk to the toilet back at my hotel. Being
in most scenes is a great thing for an actor as you really get to live
with and be the character, unlike most gigs where you show up for a few
days filming here and there; this means you constantly have to find him
again and again. A particular sequence focuses on the facial reaction
of the actor who is bent over while the drugs to be smuggled are shoved
into a rather painful hiding place. “To be fair, I was just going for
pure comedy in that scene. I was trying to get the timing right for the
laugh.” The central performer of the dark romantic comedy developed a
creative partnership with his director. “Rob and I talked a lot up to
and over the course of filming; he was very open to my ideas and
personal experiences that I could bring to the table. From here, we
would work out what was going to be best for the scene and the movie.
The process felt very collaborative so I never felt he was telling me
what I had to do.” When it came to portraying the part of the Woodsy,
Billy Boyd remarks, “Before we started filming, I wasn’t sure of the
style which Rob was going to film so I was trying to get the character
real and believable and as intense as it could be. Once you get on his
set and see what the style is and how everyone else is pitching their
performance you become part of that world.”
Getting the costume right was important in helping Billy Boyd to immerse
himself in playing Woodsy. “Rob did an interesting thing that made it
difficult but also wonderful; he didn’t say, ‘Look. This is 1992.’ And
you go, ‘I know exactly what they’re wearing and the music they’re
listening to.’ As a deejay you would want to know that but you wanted
it set in a never time, not an exact moment. In a way you have to be
specific and real with your character but also slightly a stereotype of a
clubber or deejay. I went classic. I said to the costume lady, ‘It has
to be Adidas Trainers or Adidas Sambas or something like that and top
has to be a Fred Perry. You could wear that now or you could’ve worn it
in 1992.” Reflecting on his character, Boyd states, Although Woodsy is
quite intense, dramatic and takes too much drugs which puts him in a
different consciousness, he’s real and looking for the truth. Woodsy is
a searcher; if he was born into money and his parents put him on the
right path he would have taken a year out in India and found what he was
looking for. But being someone born in Leith with no money, Woodsy
found that by taking ecstasy, dancing and getting into the music.” To
research his role, Boyd sought the expertise of a professional deejay.
I did meet with Davey Forbes here in Glasgow who is a big deejay though
he is now more of a music producer. He was a deejaying in the early
1990s all of the big raves here out in fields in Perth. Davey taught me
how to deejay with vinyl. I went to his studio and we spent a couple
of nights as he would do matching all of that stuff which I loved. Some
of my favourite moments on-set were between takes when you could play
the music and try to mix it. It was good fun. Davey was a huge help in
finding Woodsy and also little things that deejays do. How do you slow
down a record or speed it up?” The Hospital Sequence where Woodsy
declares, ‘My drugs are better than yours!’ is a favourite of the actor.
“That was one of those moments where Rob let you do your thing. There
were some lines for that but it was a small scene. Rob had set-up the
supporting cast to do this band thing; I was supposed to be conducting
it and trying to past the days. I’ve spoken to drug addicts before when
doing Trainspotting and they were talking about how your day is
based around the drug. Where to get it? Where to take it? His days
would have been filled with the drugs, the music, picking up the right
records and to be in a hospital which have given him terrible drugs to
help him with what he’s dealing with. Woodsy was trying to find some
joy in there and felt he was helping people. With Rob, when I asked to
ad-lib it a bit he let that go. We did tones of takes of it and I could
see him in the corner of my eye giggling away behind the monitor. It
was good fun.”
40 trips to the United Kingdom were required to compose the screenplay
which was co-written by Rob Heydon and Ben Tucker with additional scenes
supplied by Paul McCafferty. “Locations in Canada that could play as
Scotland or Amsterdam and locations in Scotland that worked for the
story,” explains Heydon as to what he looked for during his location
scouting which resulted in the principle photography taking place in
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. “The Nightclub was a perfect night out in
Scotland. John Digweed is from Edinburgh and mentioned in the book; he
happened to be playing the weekend we were in Edinburgh.” The time
spent on previous projects had an impact on the production. “Working
on music videos helps you learn how to shoot quickly. We had 14 days of
main unit photography which is very short for any film. Then two days +
one night in Amsterdam to cover that location and shooting on planes
overnight on the flight over to Amsterdam then one another plane to
Scotland. We shot in the airport in Edinburgh, and six days of mostly
exteriors in Edinburgh; it was a VERY tight schedule for any feature
film production. It is a miracle any film ever gets made, but especially
hard for independent films.” The cast had to be prepared for their
roles once the cameras started rolling. “We didn't have a lot of time
on this shoot so most people were on their A game,” says Adam Sinclair.
“A lot of the really emotional stuff was given time together right,
which I think it needed, but time was not our greatest ally.” When
comparing what it was like acting in a Hollywood blockbuster as compared
to a $1 million production, Billy Boyd observes, “When we were doing
Ecstasy there were 50 people at lunch whereas with The Lord of the Rings
there a thousand at some points. Other than that the actual work of
standing in front of a camera with other actors trying to get a scene to
work with a director, the DOP and the lighting is exactly the same.
There is no huge difference. In something like Lord of the Rings
with Peter Jackson there was a lovely feeling where you kept on going
until it was right. If that took two days more than it was suppose to
that was okay. On independent productions you don’t have that but it
creates a different energy. The basic answer is that there is no great
difference in being in an independent or a huge production. It all
comes down to getting the characters and scenes right.”
The Canadian Film Centre was a useful training ground. “I helped
produce a couple shorts there,” remarks Rob Heydon. “It did help to
know how to keep a film on track without much of a budget – think
creatively!!!” A number of cinematic influences were called upon during
the making of Ecstasy. “Stanley Kubrick [Paths of Glory], [Jean-Luc] Godard [Breathless], [François] Truffaut [The 400 Blows], and others in the French New Wave along with some Danny Boyle and Coen Brothers [Fargo]
for good measure.” Adam Sinclair states, “It's not so much I'm proud
of any particular scenes, but there are scenes I watch and I can see I'm
telling the truth. There's not a lot of acting shall we say. All the
stuff surrounding his father was very soul bearing for me, as I was
going through the same process with my own father at the time, so
everything that Lloyd is going through emotionally was the same in my
own life. I guess I'm proud that I had the courage to go there.”
Sinclair notes, “It's unique in the fact that fundamentally it’s a love
story set against this gritty backdrop. The EDM [Electronic Dance
Music] scene is growing again in Northern America so the younger ones
will see a love story set in there world. To misquote Mr Welsh, ‘Nobody
wants to see middle age rich people looking for love, like Sex and the
City.’ Heydon agrees. “It is a transformational love story from the
love of Ecstasy to the Ecstasy of LOVE.” Boyd points to another key
element, the cinematic vision of the man behind the camera. It was the
first Rob Hayden thing that we’ve seen on the screen; he and Irvine
Welsh worked well together.” Hayden enthusiastically advises, “Watch it
with an open mind. See where the story takes you!”
Mo 1/14: Jenna Elfman, Guillermo Del Toro
Tu 1/15: Lena Dunham, Bill Pullman
We 1/16: Don Cheadle, DJ Qualls
Th 1/17: Kristen Bell, Tom Cotter
Fr 1/18: Carrie Fisher, Steven Yeun
Is
it a bad sign that the idea of a reality TV show about criminals racing
to the death does not seem as outlandish as it once might have? It is
not hard to believe that a significant number of people worldwide would
pay to watch something like that on their computer in the privacy of
their home. 
