Tag Archives: martin scorsese

Downton Abbey, Scorsese's Broadwalk Empire Compete For Emmy Awards.

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Downton Abbey, Mad Men and Broadwalk Empire are all competing for Emmy Awards tonight. The Emmy Awards are the TV equivalent of the Oscars.

Mad Men have been nominated for outstanding drama series, for the fourth year in a row. Jon Hamm is also nominated for outstanding dramatic actor and co-star Elisabeth Moss has been nominated for best dramatic actress, Christina Hendricks and John Slattery are up for the best supporting actor/actress awards.

Kate Winslet and Hugh Laurie are keeping the British side up, Winslet is up for best actress in a mini-series for her role in Mildred Pierce, while the show itself is also competing for the mini-series award.

And Laurie is up against Jon Hamm in the outstanding actor category for his role as grumpy surgeon Dr Gregory House in the acclaimed drama House.

Downton Abbey – which returns to ITV tonight for a second series – is up for the best mini-series category, while Maggie Smith is nominated for her role as the Countess of Grantham. I have filmed a lot for Downtown Abbey, as a downstairs maid, so I am rooting for the cast and crew, who are all lovely.

And British actresses Eileen Atkins and Jean Marsh both received nominations for their roles in the BBC remake of Upstairs Downstairs.

Other shows with nominations are Glee – nominated in a few categories including best comedy – the medieval drama Game Of Thrones, serial killer drama Dexter and the US remake of The Office.
Martin Scorsese’s Boardwalk Empire is also tipped to win big at the awards.

The prohibition era drama is up against Mad Men in the best drama category, while Steve Buscemi is nominated in the same category as Jon Hamm, for the best actor trophy.

The awards, which will take place in Los Angeles on Sunday night, will be hosted by Glee actress Jane Lynch.

Why Films Are Getting Stupider (Probably)

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When DreamWorks’ CEO, Jeffrey Katzenberg, stated last month that 2011 had so far been one of the worst years for cinema in recent memory, it was easy to see where he was coming from.

Sure, the CEO of DreamWorks complaining about the quality of filmmaking does reek of hypocrisy (this is the man responsible for the unforgivable Shrek sequels) and yes, this year is probably not worse than 2010 but still, it’s hard to imagine 2011 being remembered as a golden year for cinema (or une année d’or if you want to be all Cannes about it).

How will it be remembered?

Perhaps as the year Harry Potter part 7 part 2 was able to stake a legitimate claim to the title of ‘Best Film of the Summer’, or the year Hollywood was running so low on ideas that they made a freaking Smurfs movie even though no one asked for one and scientific studies (probably) showed that most people would rather have a knitting needle shoved into their eye than have to pass posters emblazoned with the vacuous faces of the smug blue bastards on the tube everyday. Or perhaps 2011 will quite simply be remembered as the year cinema got even stupider.

The central problem with cinema today is that the film industry is no longer making movies for adults. I believe that the blame for this can be attributed to one little word: ‘demographics’.  For a long time now, the balance between ‘show’ and ‘biz’ has been out of whack. Studios are so focused on revenue that films are increasingly being made solely to appeal to the broadest possible consumer demographic, forsaking little things like quality and integrity.

It seems that some marketing genius somewhere has also decided that people over the age of about 15 don’t go to the cinema anymore.  In addition to this, it’s common knowledge that the young, perhaps due to their not-as-yet-entirely-formed brains, are much more inclined to buy the ‘merchandise’ that movie studios are busy fashioning out of cheap plastic and the tears of orphans in some factory in the Far East. This has led to film studios pouring huge amounts of time and money into films aimed at teenagers and, God help us, tweenagers. (It should be noted at this juncture that this demographic of course deserves to be rewarded for its valuable

Unnecessary and irritating

contribution to our flagging economy and for the fact that it isn’t comprised of ungrateful squatters insistent on milking dry our society’s bizarre idolisation of the young).

This not only leads to more films being made specifically for a younger age group, but also to the tweaking of films that traditionally might not have been aimed predominantly at a youth market (this is why every big Hollywood film now has to have a seemingly unnecessary and irritating teenage character who makes wisecracks and adds little or nothing to the plot).

In addition to this, there are countless examples of screenwriters having their work butchered because Hollywood execs are worried that this youth market won’t understand words of more than two syllables or be able to focus on the screen for 15 seconds without an anaemic chase sequence or a cutesy CGI rabbit prancing around.  In short, they are attempting to make movies so stupid that even the stupidest person in the room can enjoy them.

Of course, this is based on the mistaken assumption that teenagers and children are idiots. I don’t believe this and I’m sure you don’t either. In fact, in my experience kids are more equipped than most to follow the plot of even the most byzantine blockbuster because not having student loans to pay off or a job to worry about means that they are able to focus much more energy on understanding the intricate details of a fictional world.

Naturally, some children are idiots in the same way that some adults are idiots (children and adults share many similarities like this, something the use of ‘demographics’ fails to elucidate) but on the whole, children are pretty smart. If you don’t believe me, just ask any little boy about his love of Star Wars or James Bond or dinosaurs and I guarantee that he will amaze you with an answer so extensive and detailed that even Temple Grandin would probably think it was a

All it takes is one strong gust of wind...

little over the top.

No, I don’t think that the youth market is stupid and neither do you, but as we all know, conventional wisdom has no place in Hollywood and clearly they think the little darlings are as thick as box of rocks.  Don’t believe this? Don’t believe that movies are getting stupider? I have a statistic: the average shot length (ASL) of US films in 2008 was 2.5 seconds (the most recent statistic I could find). This means that roughly half the time in 2010, movies could not go 2.5 seconds without cutting to a different shot. The average movie studio believes that we can’t go more than about three seconds without the under-15s getting distracted and leaping around the cinema trying to catch imaginary butterflies.

If this is not an absurd underestimation of our collective intelligence then I don’t know what is.

Compare this to the fact that in 2000 it was 4.7, in 1994 it was 6.8 and in 1972 it was a whopping 8.6 seconds and you have categorical proof that films are getting dumber and it’s children’s fault.

 

Of course, the fact that so many films are being so heavily targeted to the youth demographic means that anyone over the age of 15 is skipping the cinema and staying home to watch Game of Thrones on Sky Atlantic instead. This means that when the marketing guy checks the figures again, he naturally comes to the conclusion that no one over the age of 15 goes to the cinema and so he reports that the studio should be even more heavily targeting their output to the youth demographic who are of course all suffering from ADHD, anterograde amnesia

Did you know that if you watch Transformers: Dark of the Moon whilst simultaneously listening to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon it actually drowns out the piss-poor dialogue?

and crippling stupidity. This in turn, leads to more stupid movies and even fewer intelligent adults going to the cinema. The marketing guy then checks the figures again and so on and so forth. It’s a vicious circle, but I’m sure you’ve got that now (unless of course you’re a teenager, in which case we’ll be here for hours).

Compounding this problem is the fact that films getting steadily stupider means that cinemagoers (on the rare occasions that you do go to the cinema) are becoming less demanding, indoctrinated by this widespread idiocy. This means that the bar for what people will pay to see at the cinema just keeps getting lower. So when you forked over your hard-earned cash to see Transformers: Dark of the Moon (even the title has a typo) because ‘y’know it passes the time of day and there are like some real cool ‘splosions and such’ you were actually creating a demand for more horribly inane movies to be made. Basically, it’s your fault.

By now this relentless negativity, this somewhat condescending end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it attitude that I’ve adopted has started to wear you down and you’re probably left asking firstly, whether things are really as bad as I’m making out and secondly whether we can do anything to prevent cinema’s seemingly inevitable descent into idiocy.

Well, the answer to the first question is a tentative ‘not really, I’m being dramatic’. While on the whole, studios do seem to be churning out more and more movies that are little more than products designed to generate revenue, all is not lost. This year alone has seen

Apathy is bad

many surprising, heartfelt, challenging brilliant films such as Win Win, True Grit, Tree of Life, Beginners, Bridesmaids and Submarine so we definitely shouldn’t give up hope yet.

And the answer to the second question is ‘yes’, you can prevent it by going to see the films I listed above because demand creates supply.

If more people go to see intelligent and well-made films, then more intelligent and well-made films will be made, it’s basic economics. Now, I’m not saying that we all need to be watching Eastern European art house films with inexplicable costumes and ugly people crying, just choosing the better option.

If you’re going to the cinema this evening, don’t go and see Transformers, go and see Super 8 or Tree of Life instead. And later this year don’t go and see Final Destination 5 (5inal Destination, seriously?), go and see Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris.

Have some self-respect and demand something from cinema. Demand to be challenged, to be moved, or to laugh. Demand to be exhilarated or befuddled. Demand to be angered even.  Just don’t allow yourself to be yet another pile of laundry who just sits in that dark room feeling nothing for 90 minutes and then immediately forgets about it afterwards because you are better than that and you deserve better than that. After all, we are lucky enough to be alive at a time when the likes of Terrence Malick, Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese are still making movies. Let’s take a moment to be grateful for that.

If you want to try to counteract the ill-effects of the cinematic junk food you are being force-fed, then please check out our new semi-regular feature, ‘Have you seen… ‘. The first of these is about the 1998 film Happiness and can be found here:    Have You Seen… Happiness?

Andy Serkis and Host Of Stars Celebrate Young Actors Theatre

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Who and Where The launch of Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland audio book along with the all star cast including Simon Callow, Chloe Moretz, Andy Serkis, Sandi Toksvig, Paul Whitehouse, Celia Imrie, Dexter Fletcher, Asa Butterfield and other members of The Young Actors Theatre, Islington.

When On Wednesday June 15 / 18:00 / Young Actors Theatre

Frost had a wonderful time at YATI’s launch for the Alice in Wonderland audio book, the theatre made us feel like we had fallen down the hole after Alice, the cast did a reading and performed some songs, and all the while we sipped cocktails and munched canapes. It was a fun (alcoholic) tea party indeed.

I had a chat with the wonderful and polite Andy Serkis, who told me that the Young Actors Theatre had given him his start when he was 18. Asa Butterfield, fresh from a Martin Scorsese lead, put all his success at the door of the theatre, saying that he would never be where he is now without them.

In a bid to raise much needed funds and awareness of the continuing work that Islington’s YATI carries out with budding actors and performers from within the local community, the non subsidised community theatre and acting school has given its young professionals the chance to experience the demands and fun of recording this enduring classic, alongside some of the country’s best-loved actors and performers, all of whom have generously donated their contributions to support this fund-raising initiative, to support the launch of the developing potential fund and create a brand new audio book version of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

In the current climate, it is more important than ever for small, community based organisations such as YATI to be pro-active in generating the income to continue to fund an environment where young people from all walks of life can transform their lives

‘YATI is not only an important part of the local community’ says Andy Serkis, (The Mock Turtle), ‘but is also an invaluable resource for young actors and performers from all walks of life to get an introduction into the acting profession’ before adding;

‘How better then to celebrate the ongoing achievements of the theatre than to bring members past and present together with some of the country’s best actors working today to record a new and fun version of Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’

Andrew Harries, Artistic Director of YATI, says; ‘This is a pivotal time for YATI and we want to celebrate the achievements of the theatre. We have more classes and opportunities for young people in the community than ever before and our members are experiencing an impressive amount of professional success with appearances in The Kings Speech, Attack the Block and Horrid Henry – and that’s just the past 12 months.

And what better way to raise awareness of the theatre, gain the support of the wider community and invest in the futures of as many young people as possible than with the launch of this exciting and fun new version of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. It is great to see YATI students acting alongside some of the nations best loved talent.’

The Young Actors Theatre deserves public funding for all of the hard, amazing work they have done over the years.to support them, buy the CD, volunteer or give them some much needed cash, Young Actors Theatre

LONDON IRISH GANGSTER MOVIE SET FOR FILMING NEXT YEAR. {Film}

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Dark and Gritty Movie Reaches into the Bloody Heart of London’s Underworld

Written and produced by Londoner Andrew Nolan, Clan London will be filmed in London and Boston next year. Starring Jay Giannone (The Departed, Three Kings) former World boxing champion Steve Collins and former bank robber now best selling author Noel ‘Razor’ Smith – the movie introduces today’s world to a dark corner of the city when extreme lawlessness and chaos comes under the control of the most ruthless crime family this country has ever seen.

Set in the capital, Clan London centers on three second generation Irish brothers growing up in 1970’s London up to the present day. Against the backdrop of anti – Irish feeling the McDonagh clan refuse to keep their heads down and become heavily involved in organised crime. So much so they rise to the top of the British underworld.
The movie is primarily located in the Kilburn and Ladbroke Grove area of North West London where many of the Irish settled during the recent wave of immigration from the 1960’s onwards. London Irish artists such as Johnny Lydon were giving the World punk music whilst thousands of young Irishmen were the rock in the foundation of London’s construction boom. This movie will finally bring to life an accurate portrayal of what it was like to be Irish in a deeply suspicious city when the troubles of Northern Ireland often exploded onto the streets of the capital. For one family, the brutal criminal underworld provides a way out of poverty and an opportunity to confront the anti Irish sentiments of the day head on.

At the heart of the film is a story of Love, Honour and Loyalty set against the brutal criminal underworld of greed and corruption. Primarily aimed at the lucrative 18 – 30 ‘crime’ genre market, it has the potential to appeal to older audiences in the footsteps of The Godfather. With it’s fully realised and above all authentic characters, their seducing charm and unquenchable thirst for power, Clan London manages to be that rare beast; a truly original, high concept film that engages an audience emotionally but is still fresh, powerful and above all highly marketable.

Among the many artists who have agreed to feature on the soundtrack are Elvis Costello, The Dropkick Murphys (The Departed) and Spider Stacy from The Pogues (PS I Love You).

 

Acting Advice. { The Film Set | Catherine Balavage }

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I started my acting career when I was 14, doing a play with the youth theater. I have since gone on to work with Martin Scorsese, Madonna, Stephen Poliakoff and Gurinda Chadra. After the 2000th person -or so it feels- asked me for acting advice I thought I should write this article and then I decided to write a book. The book on how to be a successful actor, How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur, is out now.

Well, that and the dawning realisation that I have been doing this for years. Here it is. Hope it helps you along in an incredibly difficult career.

1) A good headshot. I recommend Diego Indraccolo. He is amazing and does mine. Find him here: http://www.diego.indraccolo.com/

2) A Spotlight entry. Essential. You are invisible without it.

3) A good response to the question ‘What have you been doing lately?’ Not ‘temping’ or ‘watching TV’ something interesting that makes your life sound exciting. Even if the only thing you have been doing is watching daytime TV.

4a) Joining acting sites like Casting Call Pro, Mandy.com, Shooting People and Castweb. http://www.uk.castingcallpro.com/view.php?uid=44261

I am on all of them and not only do I get jobs but I can also ask for advice and it gives me a sense of community. Essential for an actor as our job can be very isolating.

4b) A good clear, concise covering letter that is not generic.

5) A good CV. Leave out damaging information like your age and put playing range instead. DO NOT LIE. The industry is tiny.

6) Being Pro-active. Do your own work. Write. Get seen.

7) Networking. Do this as much as possible. Not just to get jobs but so you know people in the same business.

8 ) An Agent. Not easy but they can get you castings you will not be able to. It is possible to have a career without one but you will need one eventually. I love mine.

9) Be well groomed at all times. You are a business. No one wants to work with an actor who smells or who can not look after themselves. Also: be nice or you will probably never work again.

10) Only do it if you can not do anything else. It is the hardest, most competitive industry you can go into. Your chances of success are tiny. If that has not deterred you then go for it!

11) Equity membership. It validates you. You will get insurance and discounts. If someone does not pay you – which keeps happening to me! – they will sue them for you. http://www.equity.org.uk/

12) Don’t be an a**hole. Nobody wants to work with an a**hole.

13) Turn up, be on time, be professional. Know your lines. All of this matters. Work begets work. I always see someone I have previously worked with on jobs now.

14) Keep training. Learn different accents. Read plays. Do pilates. You have to keep yourself in tip-top condition.

To read more on my adventures go to http://balavage.wordpress.com/

Break a leg!