Father Geek checking in with Tamsin's report this week for our regular AICN Downunder Column...
Downunder Report #28
Here is my report for this week...
Here is my report for this week...
Gabriel Byrne, who is currently filming GHOST SHIP in Queensland recently told Sydney Morning Herald that he believed Australia had no film industry. He said, "People who talk about an Australian film industry are deluded...In order to say you have a film industry you much have an infrastructure which supports a home-grown industry, and I just don't think that's possible with the way American films have a stranglehold on the distribution systems."
Ultimately he's pretty much on the money, but we also have the problem that the majority of Australians don't go and see Australian-made films. Most people limit themselves to a few movies month and usually it is the big budget blockbusters which win out. This reflects badly on the entire Industry as films which don't attract large box office receipts are seen as being bombs. All we can do is keeping fighting to tell our own Aussie stories and dream of that one day when Hollywood decides our films are good enough to re-make into American stories, with a bigger budget, as they did with the Spanish, AUBRES LOS OJOS and Japanese, THE RING. Yes, the ultimate dream...
JOHNNY ENGLISH
Singer/Actress Natalie Imbruglia is to star alongside John Malkovich and Rowan Atkinson in JOHNNY ENGLISH, an Austin-Powers-esque spy comedy. Imbruglia, in her first movie role, will play special agent Valdez, the love interest of Atkinson (Johnny English).
TRIPOLI
Russell Crowe is on the shortlist to star in the Ridley Scott directed historical drama TRIPOLI. "Tripoli" tells the true story of William Eaton, an American who helped the heir to the throne of Tripoli lead an overthrow of a corrupt ruler in the early 1800s.
ANTHONY LAPAGLIA NEWS
Aussie Anthony LaPaglia is starring with Sigourney Weaver in the film production of the stage play, THE GUYS, about a New York City fire captain recalling the events of Sept. 11th. Both Weaver and LaPaglia played the roles in the theatrical production.
BAD EGGS
The new comedy thriller, BAD EGGS, has been greenlit by partners Roadshow Film Distributors and Movie Network. To be directed by comedian Tony Martin, BAD EGGS, a comedy thriller about two undercover detectives, will star Mick Molloy, Bob Franklin, Bill Hunter, Nicholas Bell and Judith Lucy. The seven week shoot begins in Melbourne at the end of April.
Some MOVIEHOLE NEWS:
Moviehole's set report from THE MATRIX RELOADED. thought you might like : few new cast additions, the progress of the films (where they're up to etc)...
This one was too good to sit on folks, hence the slightly earlier post. Our man on the inside 'The Inside-Man' is involved with THE MATRIX RELOADED and THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS. Now while a lot of his report is quite hush-hush, so never the less I sent him on a mission to see what's going on over at THE MATRIX set. Our spy, who will be on-set til June, tells us it's "going ok". "Shooting both films simultaneously, but 99% of the work on "MATRIX RELOADED" complete", 'Inside' tells us. "Heaps to go on "Matrix Revolutions", but amazingly, only about a week behind schedule after over a year of filming! (That, by the way, is a fucking miracle and a testament to the Wachowski's. Most films of this nature would be about three/four months behind schedule", he adds. "All main cast are working away (Fishburne, Jada, Hugo, Carrie-Ann, and Keanu), and stacks of Aussies as well (Lachy Hulme, Clayton Watson, Chris Kirby, David Roberts, Robert Mammone, Anthony Wong)", our main discovers. It's believed that Lachy Hulme's part is minute but he will be starring in the video game with Jada Pinkett Smith and Anthony Wong. "It is the best role in the Matrix universe. The game is a HUGE fucking production in itself, and stars Hulme Jada, and Anthony Wong. They've finished the SFX part of it (that took four months) and now they've got 1st and 2nd unit stuff to shoot, which goes till June" says our man. Apparently there's also a certain lead actor whose not winning any fans with the rest of the cast or crew - mainly because he can't act. Thanks to our man on the inside 'The Inside-Man'. Now get back behind that bush
Additionally, I also took a look at the film FRAILTY tonight, opening April 12, you can check out my take at www.moviehole.net/frailty.html
Director Richard Martini explained to Moviehole all about the forthcoming AMELIA EARHART bio, which he and Phil Noyce will make. No cast 'officially' attached (Yes I am in the flick ;) I'll be a fedora-wearing reporter).
Last week we announced Director Richard Martini and Producer Phil Noyce's plans for the Amelia Earhart biopic, and today Martini tells Moviehole more about the production. "This is not "I Was Amelia Earhart" where she winds up on a deserted island carrying on a romantic liaison with her navigator. Apologies to those who've worked on that piece, but Amelia gave up her life for the pursuit of her dreams - to fictionalise, or trivialize that, is in my opinion, a travesty. The facts of what happened to her after she crashed in the Pacific have been available, albeit in bits and pieces, since the 1960's; no one has put them together in a script that I'm aware of. That being said, I'm surprised that this story hasn't been shopped around for years", Martini says. Martini's story runs much deeper. "George Putnam heard some rumors at the end of World War II what might have happened to his wife and flew to Saipan in 1945 to learn the truth. The story follows his search for her. We learn bits and pieces of what really happened courtesy of the islanders who witnessed it; her crash near Mili Atoll, her plane being picked up by a Japanese seaplane tender - one witness was an island doctor (still alive) who tended to them aboard the ship and witnessed a Japanese officer speaking to Amelia in English. George finds out they were taken to Saipan where she and her navigator Fred Noonan were put in Garapan prison. (part of the tour nowadays, in Garapan) The Japanese apparently found the two US Navy cameras hidden inside her plane (presumably to take footage of Japanese activities over the Marianas), a fact recently confirmed here in the U.S. by the man who put them in her plane - Amelia and Fred were held in prison as spies for a number of years - George finally interviews an eyewitness who revealed that while the US was shelling the island during the War, she was taken to a tree, offered a blindfold, which she refused, and she was shot. He also learns how the first wave of US Marines that went ashore found out what happened to her (one of those Marines whom I ran into on a flight recently, confirmed this part of the story), and her and Fred's remains were recovered in 1945. Despite all of these eyewitness reports - the story was buried with her. In reality George returned from Saipan and said he'd learned nothing about what happened to Amelia - in our version, it's so painful, his guilt so great, that he chooses not to tell it. It's a tragic love story, but a story of heroes, and it's about time someone told it. "Phillip Noyce is attached to produce, and I'm directing from my original script. I met Phillip in Cannes a few years back, we talked about the story, he didn't believe it, then I showed him some of the evidence, interviews, etc. that I've gathered over the years. After asking why anyone hasn't told this story before, he agreed to help at that moment". As for casting, no names can be revealed as yet but "Amelia was one of the most enigmatic, magnetic personas of the last century. Her husband was equally a force of nature - we're looking for actors that can capture their essence". Martini says he would like to make the film in Australia and it will hopefully be ready for audiences in 2003.
The net is already a buzz with news that Nona Gaye might be stepping into the role of Zee (the Aalyiah role) for THE MATRIX RELOADED, so thought I might as well cement this rumour after hanging onto dear life with this beauty for the good part of a week.
Well I can confirm this. I've known for several days, but decided to lay off until something more concrete came through. Gaye stepped off the plane on Monday, and will be filming her scenes from next week onwards.
Clint Morris, Webmaster, url : http://www.moviehole.net, email : cjnb@ihug.com.au
