From Cheshire to Cannes

It must surely rank as one of the more surreal films to get a screening at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, but a little bit of Cheshire will be touching down on the French Riviera this year. A romantic comedy by the name of Barefooting will be shown on Thursday 22 May exposing unto the world a less-than-amorous market town landscape that makes Northwich what it is today. And it’d be lying to suggest that in the pantheon of great film locations – Los Angeles, Rome, New York, London – Northwich will not be getting filmmakers queuing for the first train out of Euston station for what is essentially a halfway house between Manchester and Wrexham.

If filmmakers, however, are willing to become less reserved in this country about the places they want to show off, can we not think of places with slightly more allure than Northwich? Otherwise we may as well open ourselves up to ropey dramas set in Ashby-de-la-‘effing-Zouch or renegade spy dramas based in the suburban crawl of Slough. Ok, so Ali G Indahouse has already propagated the luscious Staines’ sprawl around the world but really, are we doing ourselves any favours with this. Most of our towns in this country are soulless copycat wastelands in the image of each other, replicating Starbucks, Natwest and Maccie D’s all the way down the High Street until you reach the out-of-town Tesco’s sitting proudly, defiant on a grey roundabout uniting the microcosmic worlds of Hemel Hempstead and Aylesbury. Who wants to watch a film set there when you can normally open your front door and be exposed to the whole monotony on a daily basis? At least with American films, there is some degree of aspiration involved – the remotest of Montana townships has an intriguing quality about it hardly replicated this side of the pond, bound by endless A-roads that lead to nowhere. Fun it ain’t.

It’s a contributing feature of why Americans make better impassioned music than the Brits – well, at least since 1978. They have tales to tell of day-long trips to get anywhere. When you leave London and travel the whole length of the M1 to arrive in Leeds, you’ve done that in three hours and where’s the story there? A crap cup of coffee from Newport Pagnell services? Good grief! Who would ever give a second thought to putting that on screen (said without contemplating that a random search of YouTube will probably throw up something along those lines)? It’s possible to appreciate the sentiment behind such decisions to open up every nook and cranny of the world for our delectation at the film house but is it truly necessary to? Maybe it’s just the anodyne state of the nation that speaks, but at the same time it’s not hard to find a worthier place to set a Brit-flick. Oxford, Cambridge, London, Cardiff… all cities with a distinct appeal in one way or another.

It makes no difference if you trawl market towns of the Shires, if the film was made by an American company actors would still affect the accent of either upper-class pomposity or the working-class cockney even if you set up shop in Salford. A case in point if ever there were one - for so many reasons. And as for Northwich, hopefully it’s just a small cameo appearance in an everlasting global procession of great filmmaking locations.

Lives, Camera, Action

Soft cushions are being compiled en masse in Cannes at the moment with Steven Soderbergh poised to unleash his four and a half hour double header Guerrilla/The Argentine onto the waiting public.

Having been splattered across t-shirts since his death in 1967, red rebel Che Guevara will finally have his whole ascent captured on film. Benicio Del Toro takes the Argentine’s shoes in the two part relation, with Che having previously been captured by Gael Garcia Benal for the coming-of-age tale The Motorcycle Diaries.

Add to this the festival buzz accumulating around the documentaries Maradona, by Emir Kusturica, and and James Toback’s Tyson and the flavour of the festival can arguably be seen in the trials and tribulations of famous faces. But this isn’t a new trend.

Recent biopics (where an actor portrays a famous life) of note have immortalized Muhammed Ali (Ali), Edith Piaf (La Vie En Rose), Ray Charles (Ray) and Johnny Cash (Walk the Line) in film and this is just within the recent spectrum of cataloguing great lives. But who else is waiting in the wings to be shown on the 16ft screen in all their cinematic glory.

Four-score and not to long away in the future looms the stove-pipe and famous beard that was Abraham Lincoln, as portrayed by Liam Neeson. Al Pacino’s imagining of Salvador Dali and the rather ill-suited choices of Elijah Wood as Iggy Pop and Mike ‘yes, that’s right Austin Powers’ Myers as famed lunatic and sometimes Who drummer Keith Moon.

I don’t know about you but none of these exactly set my heart a flutter and I assume that they will be a mixed bag of irreverent choices. Myers is seemingly following Jim Carrey and Will Smith down Serious Acting Avenue, while mild-mannered Wood is simply too timid to capture Iggy Pop’s floppy beige skin.

Pacino is on the wane and I doubt Dali ever shouted manically at anybody in the way that Alfredo does so well, in fairness a modicum of promise can be attached to Lincoln. Neeson tends to play understatement and somewhat stoic in a very good, pensive way and I think Lincoln’s real-life grit and mental agility plays to that well.

There has been talk of James Gandolfini becoming the Old Man and the Sea in a recount of Ernest Hemmingway’s somewhat eventful life and Sylvester Stallone purports to be the foremost authority on Edgar Allen Poe, having gone so far as to draft a script of a biopic. Again neither are really that enamouring.

In my opinion, the well versed rags-to-riches via drug/sex/vice addiction, as seen in Ray and Walk the Line, is pretty worn territory and it is going to take something a bit leftfield to really capture people’s imaginations.

The better stories seem to be plucked from people out to the sides as well, such as the announced Fifth Beatle which will recount the Fab Four’s manager Brian Epstein. However, there has to be someone surely meriting such an honour?

Personally, Cesare Mori has always held something of a mild interest. For those of you scratching your head, he was a contemporary of Mussolini known as the ‘Iron Prefect’, who took on the might of the Mafia on Sicily using unconventional methods.

Sure he ended up a horrible fascist in cahoots with a contemptible man but the events of his single-handed, bullish attempts to curb the growing influence of the burgeoning Mafia in 1920s Italy would make a pretty damn good film.

But who else?

Chris Sloley - a rubbish biopic waiting to happen

Spike Lee judging mobile film competition and Day-Lewis joins Nines

The world of the media and how people access information is changing. The lines between broadcast, print and online mediums are blurring (you’re on the website of a magazine with a number of podcasts for you to feast your eyes and ears on). With fast internet connections and everyone seemingly having a fancy mobile phone, the boundaries of what is possible are shifting.

Films are no exception. Spike Lee, actor, writer and director has teamed up with Nokia to direct a short film made solely with mobile phone footage sent in by the general public. "You are seeing first hand the democratization of film," Lee stated to the press. "Aspiring filmmakers no longer have to go to film school to make great work. With a simple mobile phone, almost anyone can now become a filmmaker."

The theme of the film is how music can inspire acts of humanity and contains three separate acts, with the brief for each act being announced online. Aspiring film makers then have four weeks to submit their efforts which will be judged by Lee and a team at Nokia. Submissions are being accepted now and close on August 21. To send in your work, or to get more information go to the Nokia productions website

Lee was nominated for an Academy Award for best original screenplay for Do the Right Thing in 1990 and for best documentary for his 1998 effort, 4 Little Girls. As we proved at IndieNational with Double Deader, you don’t need great equipment (or even any acting talent) to make a film. The use of mobile phones make film making more accessible, and although the quality is not the highest it is a great medium to learn in. And who wouldn’t want to see Spike Lee direct something that you shot on your phone?

There are some films that just have a cast list to die for; think The Godfather: Part 2 with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Robert Duvvall or the Royal Tenenbaums with Gene Hackman, Owen Wilson, Bill Murray and Anjelica Huston.

Add to this list the upcoming Rob Marshall musical Nine. Based on Italian directorial legend Federico Fellini’s 1963 masterpiece 8 ½, it centres on a middle aged director struggling to complete his latest film. None other than Daniel Day-Lewis is the latest star rumoured to have signed on, after No Country for Old Men anti-hero Javier Bardem dropped out. Although unconfirmed we can’t help getting excited - it would mean that Day-Lewis is acting again only a year or so after There Will be Blood. The actor is of course famous for taking long breaks between films, which sometimes includes buggering off to Italy to take up cobbling. Already confirmed to star are Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman and Judi Dench. If there’s one man with the acting chops to stand up that formidable cast of women then its Day-Lewis. IndieNational will keep you up to date with any future developments in what looks set to be one of the must-see films of 2009.

Andy Brown – still reeling over the sheer mediocrity that is 28 Weeks Later

The Rockwell Landing

Sam Rockwell has managed to illicit critical acclaim in pained independent efforts but soon he will be everywhere.

Actors, broadly speaking, can be split into two groups. Pearly-white-toothed perma tans intent on shining as bright as possible while their name carries a box office appeal and then those that, ya know, love acting, love the craft and would act in the dim light of their basement should the occasion call.

However, there are increasingly actors who can flirt between the independent periphery and still get people chucking out ticket money to see them don costumes in the height of summer. One big money blockbuster, then one labour of love and then back to the big studios. While this group may soon get a new member in the snarl-toothed shape of Sam Rockwell.

Not a new name by any stretch of the imagination but Rockwell is gradually gaining an untold credibility that could see him shot to the upper echelons of independent-honed talent. The announcement that Sony has just picked up the distribution rights of Moon, a story of one man and his replica on the loneliest planet, shows that Rockwell is no longer a fringe player. And it’s about damn time!

Having made his start as the erratic ‘Wild Bill’ Wharton in that Tom Hanks film that went on for three hours centring on one man’s moral struggle and journey...sorry is that too broad? (It was The Green Mile, by the by). Things looked to be taking a turn for the worse when Rockwell popped up in the less than auspicious Galaxy Quest, which, to be fair, wasn’t horrible and Rockwell certainly helped in that department.

Rockwell looked to have picked a more commercial path with the role as prime villain Eric Knox in the reborn Charlie’s Angels series and nobody would lament an actor who had been actively working since 1988 finally ‘making it’.

“I thought it did turn out okay,” Sam admitted about the less than critically appreciated Charlie’s Angels. “In fact, for the genre we were in, I thought we succeeded.” It was the next choice that would define Rockwell, when George Clooney – a founder member of those able to flitter between studio films and their own, smaller efforts – cast him as the irreverant and troubled spy Chuck Barris in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.

Leading certainly suited Sam’s charm and it was instrumental in his stock rising as a bankable star. “Ridley Scott saw the trailer and I got to do his next movie, Matchstick Men,” he told About.com at the time. Turns came and Sam was able to show his class in the modern imagining of A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy but has now retreated into somewhat more offbeat choices, where he has been able to really exhibit his ability and skill.

For those that are still scratching their skull thinking ‘who?’, you are going to struggle to miss Rockwell over the next year or so. Playing an alcoholic turned born-again Christian in missing-girl-drama Snow Angels, a self-involved sex-addict in the much anticipated adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s Choke, an aid to Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon and Moon. Phew!

It’s hard to begrudge such an easy-going guy and an obviously talented actor, as much as I am trying to avoid it I can’t...it would seem that all’s well that’s Rockwell.

Chris Sloley - in a somewhat sycophantic mood

Troma still squelching their way to the top

There are some things that will never change. Blockbusters will continue to flop, my invite to Cannes will continue to be lost in the post year upon year and Troma head honcho Lloyd Kaufman will continue to be a thorn in the side of the filmmaking establishment.

The Kaufman produced Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead clambered to the top of the US indie charts on the back of Kaufman himself petitioning theatre goers whilst dressed as a giant chicken around the East Village cinemas of New York. Rumours that Harvey Weinstein is considering this for his next film at the moment are unfounded. The film gathered a screen average of $10,700 to nudge past The Cell director Tarsem’s much-hyped The Fall at the top of the charts.

Troma has a long, if not especially celebrated, history on the independent circuit and shows no signs of slowing down. Their trademark genre bending, gore splattered style has been invading the picket fences of America since 1974 and has had a hand in launching some of the most celebrated careers in the world of film. Samuel L Jackson (Def by Temptation), Robert De Niro (Greetings), Oliver Stone (Battle of Love’s Return) and Trey Parker and Matt Stone (Cannibal: The Musical) all got some of their first breaks from the New York studio. Peter Jackson also credited Troma with pioneering the schlock comedy that was perfected by Evil Dead 2 and with his own efforts Bad Taste and Braindead in the 1990s.

Schlock cinema is often overlooked in the indie world as little more than trash, but the number of directors and stars influenced by Roger Corman, Troma and the DIY horror of the 1970s and early 80s suggests that this attitude is ripe for change. Kaufman himself is passing on his wisdom by acting as an advisor to aspiring filmmakers on all aspects of low budget filmmaking. Troma now also hosts an annual Tromadance Festival in Park City, Utah. The festival runs at the same time as the Sundance festival and hosts submissions from the breadth of the schlock community both in the US and abroad. Troma has released many of the best submissions subsequently.

Kaufman was quoted in an interview with Tabula Rasa as saying, “I think that for every Crying Game or for every Piano the battlefield is littered with hundreds of wonderful movies that have gotten destroyed by the fact that they simply could not get decent distribution, by virtue of the fact the cartel is very very difficult to crack.

“Troma's been lucky because we have a Troma universe, we've got a brand name, and people see that Troma logo on a movie and they go, because they know what they're going to get.”

As an example of how commitment to the art of low budget filmmaking can breed success, Troma is still in a class of its own. The recent success of Poultrygeist is just further example of this unique studio's charm.

Huw Baines – Toxically avenging the surf Nazis of nuke ‘em high.

Three and Out - When 'comedy' just isn't funny...

London Underground (LU) are not a happy bunch of chaps. And for once, it’s not working conditions or pay issues that are at fault; rather it is the the latest Mackenzie Crook vehicle, Three and Out. LU have taken offence not least because of the contentious bad taste of the subject matter, but also because Crook claimed on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross that he learned to drive a tube train in a matter of minutes. Way to get them aboard Mackenzie…


Crook himself is disappointed with the reaction the film has attracted, particularly from the tube drivers’ union, ASLEF. But you can see their point. It’s hardly a glamorous profession trundling through the tunnels underneath a bustling London. And the film’s subject matter – a tube driver searching for a suicide victim to earn him a third ‘kill’ and a subsequent hefty payout is never going to be seen as anything else than a horrific tragedy for those drivers who have to deal with the reality of suicides in their working life.


No wonder it provoked a passionate protest from Union members at the premiere (link no longer active). The British public may abhor tube strikes, but there will be sympathy for the drivers on this occasion for whom tube suicides are no laughing matter. Judging by the almost universal panning the film has received from critics, however, it appears ASLEF are vindicated in their process. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian described Three and Out as “Another depressing, mediocre, muddy-looking British film that wastes an awful lot of talent,” while there have been few favourable opinions elsewhere; Channel 4’s Neil Smith saying “their levels of sensitivity being pretty much signalled by an early cut between a passenger tumbling onto the tracks and Crook squeezing ketchup on his chips.” Cynical and heartless are just two words that spring to mind if that’s really the juxtaposition producers are looking to offer up as ‘comedy’.


But you have to ask two questions; why did LU originally agree to allow producers to use their facilities? Producers are suing LU for their ‘derogatory’ comments alluding to poor taste despite LU apparently receiving £200,000 in location and advertising fees. And secondly, who has been writing the positive comments appearing on film posters around London? Including those posters so thoughtfully placed, arching across platforms around the tube network.

From Xbox to IMAX

Film adaptations of computer games are traditionally the territory of big Hollywood production companies, but with so many ideas now making the jump from console to celluloid even the independents are starting to take interest. Unfortunately the change of format often leaves more than a little to be desired.

A sequel to the 2006 film Silent Hill, based on the survival horror game of the same name, is currently being developed by Warner Independent. The first instalment in the series received a poor critical reception, and IndieNational’s own editor walked out of the cinema after just 20 minutes of its nonsensical storytelling. Peter Bradshaw at The Guardian described its length, at just over two hours, as “testicle shrinking”, and gave it just one star out of a possible five. Arguably the most fun was had by vandals who defaced the sinister, mouthless girl on the film’s posters, adding smiley faces and vampire fangs to lighten the mood.

Back in the mainstream, 20^th Century Fox are planning a film based on EA Games’s hugely popular The Sims. The project will be a live-action drama scripted by Brian Lynch, whose dubious credentials include a walk-on role as a shopper in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and dialogue for the unsavoury-sounding Aunt Fanny’s Tour of Booty.

With dozens of similar projects lined up for release in the coming years, we can look forward to plenty more mediocre offerings that fail to do justice to the games that inspired them. However, there is an obvious solution to this crippling problem. Rather than producing films based on best-selling games that leave legions of fans disappointed, why not start with a game that has no redeeming features whatsoever – a game that could not possibly be made any worse through translation to the big screen.

I refer, of course, to Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing – widely regarded as the worst game ever released due to its complete lack of story and a series of bugs that rendered it unplayable.

The film would be a disaster movie and would be perfect for a low-budget production as one of its two characters could be played by a mannequin (or, failing that, Hayden Christensen). After some ill-defined accident, our hero – let’s call him Mister – awakes to find himself strapped into the cab of a truck. Unable to escape from his bonds, he notices another vehicle alongside his and a line painted across the road. Clearly some kind of race is afoot, so he turns the key and steps on the accelerator. His opponent, however, fails to move and remains sitting perfectly still, hands on the wheel, dead eyes staring into the middle distance. Distracted, Mister veers off the road and directly into a tree. He braces himself for the impact, but nothing happens – his vehicle passes through the bark and foliage without a scratch.

By now our hero is really rattled. He decides to try talking to the immobile driver and puts his truck into reverse, only to realise that something is terribly, terribly wrong. Travelling backwards, his truck accelerates faster and faster until suddenly it shoots off the end of reality and hangs there, twisting uselessly in a gaping grey void.

Any interested producers shouldn’t hesitate to get in touch – this is going to be big.

All the fun of the festival

As we mentioned in our news roundup, the 61st Cannes Film Festival begins on 14^th May. As usual there will be a broad selection of films on show encompassing the mainstream, the indie, the wonderful and the just plain weird with anyone and everyone who has a film to plug turning up (Lurid green thongs optional.)

President of the feature film competition this year is left wing Hollywood darling Sean Penn (who also appears in the festival’s closing film What Just Happened?). Natalie Portman and Alfonso Cuaron are the other more familiar names on a jury featuring industry figures from as far afield as France, Mexico and Thailand. As mentioned in the previous post, the competition will be launched by Fernando Merirelles’ Blindness, with 22 films in all competing for the coverted Palme D’Or, presented this year by Robert De Niro.

As well as the main prize there’s also the ‘Un Certain Regard’ (a varied mix of world cinema) and short films competitions to keep an eye on, as well as the films "out of competition" which include Woody Allen’s latest Vicky Cristina Barclelona. Indie National of course will be keeping you up to date with the winners. But away from the highbrow contenders (and Indiana Jones), the most fun to be had at Cannes is arguably found in Marché du Film. This commercial counterpart of the festival is the largest film market in the world, and is the reason why sights like Jerry Seinfeld in a giant bee suit jostle with the luminaries of art cinema on the beachfront. Purists may turn up their noses, but this cinematic meat market is vital for getting interest in your project, especially for smaller films. But that’s what’s so fascinating about Cannes: from high art to cold hard cash – all aspects of the film industry crammed into one location for 11 days.

Interestingly, festival organisers claim that the tone of this year’s festival is provided by the work of David Lynch. Apparently, the poster artist Pierre Collier has “designed an aesthetic environment for festival goers that can be seen outside and inside the Palais, as though declaring it the land of film.” Hopefully for festival goers this doesn’t mean that searching for the ladies loos will become a nightmarish journey through America’s dark side (possibly featuring lesbian dwarfs) , but then, you never do know what to expect at Cannes.

The rise of Canadian cinema

Gone are the days when Hollywood was all people talked about when it came to films. The rise of Bollywood and Nollywood have contributed to filmmaking being a truly global enterprise, but could Canada (Collywood?) be the next big thing?

Canadian film is entering a ‘golden age’, according to the Stephen Hunt in the Calgary Herald. And he could well be right. As he points out, Canadian directors and actors are being recognised, with Sarah Polley’s Away From Her which was nominated for multiple Oscars, as well the runaway success of Juno, the marmite must-see film of the year. Juno was directed by and stars two Canadians, and is just one of the recent successes for the industry.

Show Canada is an event which tries to get more independent Canadian films into cinemas. Naturally, this year they are hoping for great things. John Dippong, of Telefilm Canada, which funds homegrown productions says the success is down to Canada simply producing better films. He adds: “As an industry, right across the country, we’re maturing. We’ve basically got a really strong product this year.”

Not only that, but our friends across the Atlantic seem have the Midas touch when it comes to film festivals – Adoration, by Canadian director Atom Egoyan will be in the running at Cannes, and even better, joint Brazilian/Canadian-made flick Blindness, directed by Fernando Meirelles, (best known for City of God) will open Cannes. The festival has only opened with a Canadian production once before, in 1980 with Fantastica. However, last year’s celebration of the moving image closed with the Canadian Days of Darkness. Looks like Cannes is starting as it means to go on, and if the quality of film is anywhere near that of Juno (whatever you think of it) Canada is clearly a nation to watch – literally.

Indie Newsweek - 30th April 2008 - Page to screen and back again

So Guillermo Del Toro has finally been confirmed as director of the forthcoming The Hobbit prequels. After weeks of speculation and not-so secret discussion between almost everyone involved, it has been announced that the Mexican behind 2006’s stunning Pan’s Labyrinth will definitely helm the two films, expected to see release dates in 2011 and 2012.

Although it’s all change on the director front, much of the team behind the huge-selling original film trilogy are expected to return. Sir Ian McKellen’s Gandalf and Andy Serkis’ Gollum are back, and Peter Jackson will return for screenwriting duties with Lord of the Ring's scripters Phillippa Boyens and Fran Walsh. With effects maestros Weta also on board, and New Zealand once again standing in for Middle Earth, it would seem the project survived the protracted studio wrangling surprisingly intact…

Also making the journey from page to screen is Blindness, which will open the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. Adapated from an acclaimed novel by Jose Sarmago, the thriller follows the lives of a city’s residents devastated by a sudden epidemic of blindness. Starring Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo, Blindness is directed by Fernando Meirelles, whose biggest UK hit was 2005 political thriller The Constant Gardener. The film will kick off a festival which also includes new films from Charlie Kaufman, Clint Eastwood and – yes – the first look at Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Finally, following Issue 3’s look at the art of poster design (see Hands On, April 2008), we thought it’d be worth pointing you in the direction of the forthcoming Now Showing, an exhibition representing over 70 years worth of film in the form of specially commissioned prints.
Forty assorted “creative types” – from comic illustrator Nathan Fox to magazine designer Corey Holms – were invited to create “their own interpretation of a cult, classic or obscure film poster from the past, whether it be a literal or abstract solution.” Among the films tackled are Blade Runner, Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! and Rear Window. None of them can be described as easy choices, since the films already have strong visual identities in their own right, but the organisers describe this as part of the appeal: “This project certainly wasn’t about redesigining ‘bad’ film posters; that was far from its objective. Most contributors taking part picked films that already had beautifully executed solutions. Having said that, there is never just one solution to a creative brief, as some of the classic films proved.” The exhibition runs from 29th May to 13th June at the COSH Gallery, Soho.

Indie Newsweek - 10th March 2008 - SXSW Roundup

SXSW has rolled around again, bringing the best in alternative film and music to Austin, Texas for one crazy week. IndieNational’s invites were presumably lost in the post, but here is our guide of the big rumblings and stories coming out of the festival.

Let’s kick off with Sundance darling American Teen, which received its regional premiere as part of the official SXSW selection. A documentary feature following the senior high-school year of four teenagers in Indiana. The film was directed by Nanette Burstein (On the Ropes/ The Kid Stays in the Picture) and has been hyped as a modern day Breakfast Club, only, you know, real and that. It’s slated for a late July release in the States from Paramount Vantage; we’ll keep you posted on when it’ll be arriving over here.

The next film to spike our interest was one of the midnight showings, Gregg Bishop’s zombie action-comedy Dance of the Dead. The film follows events at a high school prom following a zombie invasion. Who has to save the day? The geeks of course. Bishop’s directing pedigree (he is a graduate of the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, the school that produced George Lucas and Robert Zemeckis) and desire to get his film made have impressed us here at IndieNational. Shot on HDVideo the film was financed by takings from short Voodoo and his director’s calling card, The Other Side. Taking its cues from Shaun of the Dead and Return of the Living Dead, this one should be great fun when it drops in October.

The final IndieNational pick is another documentary, the intriguing Full Battle Rattle. Tony Gerber & Jesse Moss’ feature focuses on the “virtual Iraq” that has been constructed in the Mojave Desert to train US troops. The film follows a battalion as they struggle to stop the mock town of Medina Wasl from falling into “civil war”, and highlights along the way the curious religious and cultural differences between troops and the indigenous people of Iraq. Praised as funny, moving and surreal the film is sure to provide a new view of a war that has finally begun to be challenged by filmmakers. No set release date yet, but keep an eye out for this one as one of the most unique and challenging festival picks of the year so far.

Huw Baines – Still waiting for the postman.

IndieNational Podcast - 1 Feb 08

The first ever IndieNational video Podcast has been recorded and is available to watch and download below.

In it Colin Scott and Ewen Hosie discuss No Country For Old Men, Heath Ledger, Terry Gilliam, Lost in La Mancha, Cloverfield and The Host.

We hope you enjoy it, feel free to comment on its content in the IndieNational forum.

Thanks for visiting and enjoy the Podcast.
Colin

Download this Podcast: coming soon (once file factory sorts itself out)

Akira, Neo-Manhattan and International Remakes

Warner Brothers gather talent to remake Manga classic amid controversy

Warner Brothers has revealed details of its forthcoming live action remake of the Japanese Anime classic Akira, but despite initial gasps of horror in geekdom it may prove to be an interesting project.

The original Akira, which spearheaded Anime’s blitz into Western culture, is set in a neon-lit post-apocalyptic Tokyo overrun with bike gangs. One gang member, Tetsuo, is involved in an accident with an escaped government secret which subsequently unleashes some teenage angst style psychic ability, which he fuels to dangerous effect. His gang leader and friend, and the owner of the coolest bike in the world, Kaneda must then rescue his friend and prevent him destroying Tokyo.

Rather than a direct remake, Warner Brothers intend to develop two films from the original graphic novel, and controversially transfer the action from neo-Tokyo to a post apocalyptic Manhattan island.

We have reasons for concern.

Hollywood hasn’t got a great record when remaking Japanese movies, or even transferring Eastern promise to Western audiences. Dark Water and Ringu were poorer versions of their previous selves.

The Wachowski brothers managed to merge the two cultures well to great success on The Matrix only to ruin it on the sequels. They are currently looking to repeat the trick of the former with Speed Racer. Oh and of course Quentin Tarantino did it well with Kill Bill, but I can’t imagine anyone at Warner Brothers is as immersed in Anime as ‘The Chin’ is with Japanese samurai movies.

Even beyond the Far East international remakes are never Hollywood’s forte, The Vanishing and The Assassin ruined dark thrillers from Europe by including cheery endings, (for a more rewarding experience see Spoorloos and Nikita respectively). Currently the remake to get excited about is Michael Haneke’s Funny Games and that’s only because the man himself is more or less remaking it shot for shot in all its brutal glory.

So why should we get excited about Warner Brothers’ Akira?

Well, to start with, if it’s adapted from the epic six-volume graphic novel there is a wealth of new material that can be explored beyond the original film. This includes a post-Akira timeline desolated city run by Tetsuo and Kaneda.

Then there is the talent attached, which is promising. Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company, Appian Way, producing and according to certain rumours, the man himself is to play Kaneda… wait a second, isn’t Kaneda a 16 year old boy?

The central character of Tetsuo is apparently going to be played by the talented Joseph Gordon-Levitt who proved in Brick he can easily play multi-faceting angsty characters.

Writer Gary Whitta has written sci-fi previously with credits on Futurama and Star Trek: Voyager but his first feature film, The Book of Eli, currently expected in 2008, is still to be tested.

Director and all round cool person (check out his website) Ruairi Robinson is no stranger to sci-fi either, writing, storyboarding, directing, editing, and doing most the visual effects on his Oscar nominated short, Fifty Percent Grey, (which can be watched below).

Time will tell whether the Akira remake will inspire as much as the original. As always though IndieNational will be there to celebrate or commiserate as required.

Colin Scott – Heading down Neo-Tokyo for some ultra-violence.

Indie Newsweek - 25th February 2008 - Death of HD, Fincher's Black Hole and an Americanised Akira

IndieNational reviews the stories grabbing the headlines in the independent film world this week.

This past week the end of HD-DVD was heralded by anguished cries from those who stood next to a Blu-Ray player and plumped for HD. Toshiba, the owners of the technology, have decided to cut their losses in the face of mounting dominance in the HD market by Sony’s Blu-Ray. Scaling back on production will begin immediately and cease all together in March. While this may appear to be in the realms of big business, the end of this competitive technology could have a great impact upon the distribution of Indie films. Healthy competition between technologies breeds an open market, and crucially options for filmmakers and small distribution companies. If you can only go Blu-Ray, then the owners of that technology and also the major Hollywood players, who are already tied into the technology’s success, will hold an uncomfortable sway of the destination of distribution rights for Indie films. Rumblings that HD held benefits in terms of quality for image reproduction are sadly redundant, but let’s see what happens now with smaller companies moving into the high def market. The problems here could run a way deeper than eBay being inundated with auctions for HD-DVD players, and keep your eyes peeled for more on this in the next issue of IndieNational.

Away from the worries of the money men, one of Indie cinema’s most treasured graduates, David Fincher, has announced pre-production on comic adaptation (haven’t they all been made yet?) Black Hole. The plot of the graphic novel by Charles Burns centres on a plague amongst teens in Seattle that is passed on through sexual contact. The problem is that the symptoms of the plague include horn growth (not that kind), skin moulting and second mouths. Now we’re interested. The master of alienation and atmosphere, Fincher appears to have a tale of teenage angst that runs on an imaginative plain away from traditional teen flicks. Add to the mix a script from Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary, and you’ve got a pretty potent mix. No words yet on a cast, but expect a whole host of bright young things getting yucked up in the make up department.

So from the exciting to the worrying. Akira, one of the best loved and most widely seen Manga films of all time has been commissioned as a two part feature by Warner Bros. Can it be done? Should it be done? There’s going to need to be a fairly colossal budget if it is to be successful, and first time Irish director Ruairi Robinson will have a big old task to pull it off. Chucking money at world classics does not always bring success (take a bow The Ring, The Grudge and Vanilla Sky) and here the prognosis is already not good. Fanboy reaction is sure to be fierce, but bet also on something of a backlash from fans of the uniquely Manga style of the film and its place within Japanese pop culture. The film is to be “Americanised”, so expect a toning down of some of the more off the wall elements, and gratuitous interiors at a Wendy’s. Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way are on board as producers, but it appears unlikely that he will be in front of the camera here, despite rumours. Watch this space, and best of luck to you Mr.Robinson.

Huw Baines – trying to avoid a second mouth.

IndieNational Reviews Board

Ahead of IndieNational’s first issue, Reviews Editor Andy Brown explores the murky and competitive world of movie reviews.

Ratings. Reviews. By the very nature of them, they’re subjective. There is no right or wrong mark to award a film (except for giving the S Club Seven movie Seeing Double zero stars). So what we do is find a medium, be it a website, television show or magazine where we trust the reviews. The IMDb is a website where users can log in and have discussions about a plethora of film related topics and give every film ever made a rating. This results in what could be perceived as a more trustworthy rating as it takes into account many opinions and isn’t just the thoughts of a single journalist. As such, the top five user rated independent films are; Pulp Fiction, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, The Usual Suspects, Psycho and Dr Strangelove. Not bad, eh. Especially considering Citizen Kane tops most ‘professionals’ charts. In a similar way website Rotten Tomatoes gives each film an average rating based on the general consensus.

We’ve all seen a film that we loved and skipped excitably to our favourite reviewer, only to have them rip apart said movie. I was particularly upset when one of our fellow film magazines awarded the excellent Charlie Wilson’s War, with Tom Hanks and Phillip Seymour Hoffman a mere three stars out of five. The same magazine went on the award St Trinians the same mark. Well, really. A bad review can cut our bond and trust with a particular writer and magazine.

Personally, I am a massive fan of the reviews of Jonathan Ross; he looks at films in a pleasing non pretentious way, and appreciates that a film can be a good film without necessarily being a masterpiece. And, of course, we all hope you will come to trust the reviews of IndeNational magazine.

For our first issue of IndieNational there was a debate over whether the rating system should be out of five or 10. We have decided to go with 10, on the basis that is gives the people who review films more scope and more information for you, dear reader. For instance, there are many films that could comprise a four out of ten, but if a film is awarded a nine out of ten then you know that it’s something special. If you agree, or disagree with this then make a comment and make your views known!

Like everything else in today’s world, the way that films are reviewed is changing thanks to the digital revolution and citizen journalism, thanks Harry. So watch this space for more information on the IndieNational Podcast, so you no longer have to go to the effort of actually reading. Instead just sit back and let the words wash over you…

Andy Brown – desperately trying to avoid a joke about this being a 10 star blog…

Will Writers’ Strike Agreement Impact Independent Film

With Hollywood’s writers returning to work will independent films remain unsold on the festival circuit?

Last week’s news that the writers’ strike had finished brought sighs of relief across Hollywood. Delayed TV shows and films can now re-commence, the Oscars are well and truly back on track, but most importantly the industry can now start re-cooperate the $1.3bn (£663million) lost during the 100 day strike. But with many commentators believing the strike would be beneficial for independent movies, what will this deal mean for independent filmmaker?

Ahead of the recently finished Berlin Film Festival, many US independent filmmakers and distributors were reported as being optimistic in the climate of the writers’ strike. Marketing types were discussing how distribution companies needed to fill a gap left in the market.

“It seems to me that the market for independent films has been getting progressively worse for many years now,” said Cinemavault’s executive Steve Arroyave before Berlin’s festival, going on to say, “I think with the lack of product due to the writers’ strike, there will be a stronger demand for completed independent films.”

The basis for this optimism wasn’t quite so clear. This year’s Sundance, which many believed would turn into a buying frenzy, saw only $25m splashed out on 17 films – a significant reduction from the $53m spent the previous year.

In the end the Berlin Film Festival was a disappointment but not because of the writers agreeing a deal. Perhaps, as suggested, there simply wasn’t enough decent movies, or safe movies with significant ‘tent-pole’ names attached, be it actors, directors or producers.

Mid-way through the festival many attendees were bemoaning the lack of quality productions and premieres on offer. To make matters worse, the most talked about production was There Will be Blood, which was already Oscar nominated and released in the US. All this considered, there was not a sufficient festival buzz conducive to brokering huge cash deals.

Arthouse Films head of acquisitions and production David Koh told Variety “The strike has not affected international, as far as we can see. The world has become slightly more real and diversified in its tastes.” Possibly explaining the strength of documentaries, (eight were purchased at Sundance), and foreign language films.

Indeed, it is the international market that appears to have taken most advantage of the lack of mainstream US product being made.

So, for independent productions, it is business as usual; the writers’ strike has not affected the industry in any positive way from the evidence.

Time will tell what affect the potential actors’ strike will have on the industry come July, but if independent filmmakers want to capitalise then they may wish to diversify and address the quality of their product.

Colin Scott – Hoping that the writers strike agreement will include the demand for better episodes of Lost.

Indie Newsweek - 8th February 2008 - Sundance, Ledger and Music in the Movies

IndieNational reviews the stories grabbing the headlines in the independent film world this week.

So the behemoth of indie films that is Sundance has come upon us once again and as usual the hype over what will be this year’s Little Miss Sunshine has begun. The biggest cheque was handed out to the interestingly titled Hamlet 2, which was bought by Focus Features for $10 million. While the plot, which sees a high school drama teacher motivate his students by writing a sequel to the Shakespeare play, seems quirky if little ham fisted, the cast gives me some optimism. Steve Coogan hasn’t had much success translating his TV success to the big screen, Around the World in 80 Days was dismal, but when you’re essentially a device for Jackie Chan to riff off in a “zany” manner its hardly surprising. This offers much more promise, Coogan is at his best when he is essentially Alan Partridge in condensed form, and the role of eccentric but well meaning drama teacher Dana Marschz seems to suit him down to the ground, just don’t get me started on his forthcoming Eddie the Eagle biopic…

The other big news this week has been the continuing revelations about the tragic death of Heath Ledger and the impact it will have on his last unfinished work, Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Dr Paranassus. While rumours have been flying about the internet for the last week or so, it seems like we finally have word that it’s going ahead without him, making use of the footage he’s already shot as means of tribute, as you can read about in the latest issue of the mag.

While it’s a fitting tribute I can’t help but be a bit worried about how they are actually going to manage it without it feeling artificial and clumsy. Gilliam needs some success as his last few films have tanked horribly, so he’ll find himself in the awkward position of wanting to pay tribute to his dead star, but not doing so in a way that detracts from the film as a whole.

To end this week, I’d just like to wonder aloud at a worrying trend of music docs and biopics that seem to have taken over our cinemas of late. It started with Ray and Walk the Line but now seems to have ballooned out of control.

In the last few months we’ve had Dylan biopic I’m Not There and Control, the story of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis and soon we’ll have Shine a Light, Martin Scorsese’s documentary about the Rolling Stones. As if that wasn’t enough, it was announced this week that Scorses plans to make a film about Bob Marley due to be released in 2010. But we don’t stop there, oh no, also this week Jesse Martin and Soprano’s star James Gandolfini have been lined up to star in Sexual Healing, Lauren Goodman’s biopic of the last days of Marvin Gaye. If you were reading aloud there and felt the need to pause for breath, I don’t blame you. While all of these films might be great in their own right, if you start flooding the market with anything, even independently made music pictures, then eventually we’re going to get bored of them. I mean, who wants to watch low budget atmospheric horror films anymore?

Josh Gardner – Filling your mind with Romanian comedies is not the recipe for a good nights sleep.