Sam Raimi has loved Spider-Man ever since he was a kid growing up in Michigan dreaming of making movies one day.

“I loved the character of Peter Parker because I could relate to him and I loved the stories,” he says. “And I’ve always loved every part of the movie making process; writing the screenplay, the filming, working with the actors, editing, everything.”

Those passions would eventually combine to create two critically acclaimed box office hits featuring his beloved web slinger.  And with the eagerly awaited world wide release of Spider-Man 3 this week, some would say that director Sam Raimi has far exceeded his childhood dream.

Right now, Raimi is just plain exhausted after working round the clock to deliver on time his final cut of the film. But his enthusiasm for the character burns as brightly as it did when, as a seven year old, he first read one of his older brother’s Spider-Man comics.

“My brother, who is six years older than me, sat me down and explained who Spider-Man was and shared something with me that was obviously a great interest to him. I grew to love Spider-Man too and follow his adventures.”

His admiration for the legendary Stan Lee, who originally created the Spider-Man character in 1962 for Marvel Comics, is limitless. He credits Lee with creating a believable character that youngsters could empathise with.

“Stan Lee created real characters with real journeys to go on,” explains Raimi. “There was real dramatic interaction between the heroes and the villains and real lives that they were a part of.

“Instead of kids looking up to an older man, like Superman or Batman, he said ‘I’ll make the kid the hero’ and the problems he has are problems that kids can relate to the world over - with parents, friends, girls and homework, school and teachers and bullies and being the outcast. It all came from Stan’s original stories and where he placed the characters.”

Posted by Thin White Duke

Remember we told you about Cornish combo Wire Daisies entering the (yawn) virtual online world of Second Life?

Well, it’s our duty to inform you the band will be playing another gig tonight, as part of their regular residency on Second Life’s Island of Menorca.

In fact, Wire Daisies are the first band in the world to have a residency on Second Life - a pretty dubious claim to fame and no mistake.

Lead singer Treana Morris frothed: “In every sense of the word this is a live gig to an international audience, the difference being that this audience would never be captured in one place in the real world.

“When we are up on stage we are animated with our virtual instruments so that the music has a physical representation and the audience, cheer, applaud, dance and even fly around the room to our music.”

Hmm. Or you could log on to D+CFilm tonight and catch the first instalment of our Sam Raimi interview instead. The choice is, as they say, yours. Click here for details and to watch the Spider-Man 3 trailer.

Posted by Thin White Duke

We at D+CFilm are pretty excited about Spider-Man 3 being released next week and we know you are too.

The thing is, we’re a bit sick of seeing all the smirky interviews with Dunst and Maguire. Why would a friendly neighbourhood D+Cineaste be interested in what they have to say? Where the heck is Sam Raimi in all of this?

Well, we’ve got an interview with Raimi and we’re gonna be running it in five parts next week, leading up to the movie’s release on Friday. He goes into some detail about making the film, working with the cast and photographing sand. Hooray!

You can bet your bottom dollar you won’t see it anywhere else - or if you do it’ll be cut to pieces. Of course, we’ll still be bringing you all the local movie news fit to print and our world-famous (nb. this is not actually true) Arthouse Roundup.

So check out D+CFilm tomorrow for part one of the Raimi interview. In the meantime, here’s the Spider-Man 3 trailer to get you in a web-slinging mood.

Posted by Thin White Duke

So we were reading about last week’s two-hour American Idol charity drive and thought you might like to hear about it. We didn’t watch it, of course - we’re not complete lunatics.

The show was designed to highlight charity organisation One: The Campaign To Make Poverty History, which is obviously a great cause, and far be it from us to say the man Cowell should dip in his pocket instead of bleeding dry dirt-poor trailer trash, blah blah blah.

Among the so-called highlights were ex-Idol winner Carrie Underwood singing The Pretenders’ I’ll Stand By You at a bunch of African schoolchildren and Il Divo performing in front of a huge screen showing pictures of kids blowing out candles. Nice.

But the piece de resistance was Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Gwyneth Paltrow, Helen Mirren and a haggard-looking Teri Hatcher doing a particular unfunny rendition of The Bee Gees’ Staying Alive. Expect all to have fired their agents by Monday. Click below to see the full horror.

Posted by Thin White Duke

It’s not often we get an email which begins ‘Hello darlings!’ but when we do, it’s invariably from The Chagford Filmmaking Group (or Dame Edna Everage). 

Their latest missive tells us about a screening of Elizabeth-Jane Baldry’s Childe Rowland tomorrow at 11.30am at Exeter Picturehouse.

The half-hour film is set in Anglo-Saxon Devon and tells the story of a little girl stolen by the fairies and the heroic efforts of her brothers to rescue her. Yes, that old chestnut.

Entry is a £3 donation-type thing and the bar should be open afterwards for drinks and outlandish conversations about pixies.

Want to know more? Click here to see stills from the film or click here to read D+CFilm’s short interview with Elizabeth-Jane Baldry about the making of Childe Rowland.

Posted by Thin White Duke

Follow the main cinema links for dates, times and matinee screenings.
Follow the title links for movie details, friendship and maybe more.

PLYMOUTH ARTS CENTRE

Casablanca (U) Click here to watch trailer

Days Of Glory (12A) Click here to watch trailer

TAVISTOCK WHARF    

Amadeus (PG) Click here to watch trailer

DARTINGTON ARTS/THE BARN

Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man (PG) Click here to watch trailer

Days Of Glory (12A) Click here to watch trailer

Lights In The Dusk (PG) Click here to watch trailer

Pan’s Labyrinth (15) Click here to watch trailer

EXETER PICTUREHOUSE   

Los Olvidados (12A) Click here to find out more about the film

The Lives Of Others (15) Click here to watch trailer

The Painted Veil (12A) Click here to watch trailer

The Queen (12A) Click here to watch trailer

The Fountain (12A) Click here to watch trailer

SAVOY, PENZANCE  

An Officer And A Gentleman (15) Click here to watch trailer 

THE POLY, FALMOUTH

Inland Empire (15) Click here to watch trailer

We were wittering on about the Cornwall Film Festival last week (click here to refresh your memory), so we though you might like to know that festival entry forms are now available to download from their website.

And they ain’t fussy, neither - films of any length or genre will be considered.

In a change to previous years, initial applications only need to be accompanied by a standard definition DVD.  If your opus is selected for competition or screening you will be required to submit a Mini DV and jpg image from your film.

That’s pretty much all you need to know - oh, except that the deadline for free applications is July 10 and the final deadline is July 24.

If you really must hassle the festival folk further, email info@cornwallfilmfestival.com.

Posted by Thin White Duke

A proposal to overhaul the 10-acre South West Film Studios site in Cornwall looks like it’s back on track after the new owners unfurled their latest plans on Monday.

The half-built studios at St Agnes, dubbed Aggiewood by media wags, were abandoned after the company behind the scheme went into administration
in 2004.

But now St Agnes Properties Ltd has snapped up the derelict site, hoping to give the studio a bit of a kick up the backside. Heck, they even have plans for a Cornish Film Academy which is pretty exciting, ain’t it.

The studio, re-christened Blue Wave, will be supported financially by additional work units, office space and residential development, including homes for
local people.

Business johnnies have always supported the idea of a film studio in the far South West, thinking the tax breaks for producers making films in Blighty would bring in loadsa cash.

Indeed, St Agnes Properties Ltd’s Marilyn Gough told BBC News the company was already in talks with a bunch of film and telly producers.

“It’s early days because I can’t show them round a finished facility yet and we’re waiting to get our planning before we finish everything, but we are very confident,” she said.

Stay tuned to D+CFilm for more news about Blue Wave Studios.

Posted by Thin White Duke

The second instalment of the Surreal Saloon at the Exeter Phoenix media centre is planned to take a decidedly science fiction bent - well it is on May 4 and does have the moniker ‘May the fourth be with you’.

So what multimedia, futuristic adventure will you be taken on this time? Er, we can’t remember, so here’s the film of the first one to whet your whistle.

Posted by Cptn

Seems like everyone’s doing a podcast these days (that and writing a blog,
heh heh!) and South West Screen is no exception.

Their new podcast proffers a bunch of wholesome fun, including live event recordings, interviews and news relevant to people working in film, TV and digital media in D+C.

They’re kicking off with two recent SWS events: International Film Markets which took place in February 2007 and a session from Funding Your Feature which took place in March.

All of which may sound pretty dull, but the first Funding Your Feature boasts director Julien Temple discussing his career and films with Sight & Sound’s 
Nick Roddick. Better not mention Absolute Beginners, eh Nick?!

Click here to find out about the SWS podcast (complete with lotsa ’Julian Temple’ misspellings). Click below to watch David Bowie’s (admittedly excellent) Absolute Beginners theme tune (complete with Julien Temple-directed video).

Posted by Thin White Duke

Here’s a dull but worthy story for a Monday morning. In fact, it’s so dull, we went off and spent an hour looking at Friends Reunited in the middle of
writing it.

So apparently, a bloke from Plymouth is starring in BBC1’s Mission Africa. We haven’t seen it but it’s a documentary series following 15 strapping construction apprentices creating a sustainable game reserve in Sera, Kenya. That’s the worthy part.

But who is this aforementioned bloke? Why it’s non other than Scott MacMillan! He was given the chance to ’star’ in the series through his work as an electrical apprentice with national building services provider, NG Bailey. That’s the dull part.

Though we shouldn’t be too scathing. The construction trainees are
working with Sera’s locals to build an eco-lodge and refurbish water supplies, as well as helping to re-train rangers and relocate wildlife to the new reserve. A damn sight more useful than D+CFilm’s sarky musings.

Speaking about his experience, Scott said: “Taking part in the show has been an amazing experience and it’s a great feeling to know I’ve helped the locals by providing them with a sustainable livelihood.

“The project has also taught me some really valuable skills that will help me in my current role at NG Bailey and in my future career in construction.”

Yada yada. You can catch Mission Africa (should you so wish) tonight, and every Monday night, on BBC1 at 7pm. We’ll probably give it a miss, to be honest.

And just so this post isn’t a complete waste of time, click below to watch a trailer for The Bourne Ultimatum (out August 17).

Posted by Thin White Duke

While updating our Out This Week thingy, we noticed a film called Hacking Democracy was released yesterday.

We dunno about yous but we’ve never heard of it, so did a bit of digging on your behalf.

Here’s all the news fit to print. It’s an HBO documentary from 2006, by directors Simon Ardizzone and Russell Michaels, which looks at anomalies and irregularities with ‘e-voting’ systems during America’s 2000 and 2004 elections.

Filmed over three years, the flick investigates the flawed integrity of electronic voting machines and ends, rather excitingly, in the on-camera hacking of a live election. Coo!

We even found this comment about the movie from the New York Times: ‘It’s not shocked-shocked you feel watching this film; it’s genuine SHOCK’.

Sounds pretty good, huh? Well, you’re outta luck, buddy. As far as we can tell, it’s nowhere to be seen in D+C.

We’re not sure when it is due to show in the region (hey, that would take even more research), but judging by the promo below, it should be worth checking out when it does.

Posted by Thin White Duke

Those altruistic chappies at South West Screen, in partnership with Community Channel and Available Light, are providing up to three opportunities for directors based in the region to make innovative documentaries about environmental issues within D+C.

There isn’t much more to add than that, other than the scheme goes by the truly terrible name Eco-Doco. Click here to find out (not very much) more.

Oh, and the deadline for entries is May 22. Hey, that’s green for go, people! Geddit? Oh, please yourselves.

Posted by Thin White Duke

Follow the main cinema links for dates, times and matinee screenings.
Follow the title links for movie details, friendship and maybe more.

PLYMOUTH ARTS CENTRE

A Guide To Recognising Your Saints (15) Click here to watch trailer

Into Great Silence (PG) Click here to watch trailer

TAVISTOCK WHARF    

The Illusionist (PG) Click here to watch trailer

DARTINGTON ARTS/THE BARN

Catch A Fire (12A) Click here to watch trailer

Inland Empire (15) Click here to watch trailer

Dreamgirls (12A) Click here to watch trailer

Neil Young: Heart Of Gold (PG) Click here to watch trailer

EXETER PICTUREHOUSE  

300 (15) Click here to watch trailer

Curse Of The Golden Flower (15) Click here to watch trailer

Fur (15) Click here to watch trailer

The Last King Of Scotland (15) Click here to watch trailer

Testament D’Orphee (15) Click here to find out about the film

SAVOY, PENZANCE   

Ghost (12A) Click here for memorable quotes

THE POLY, FALMOUTH

The Science Of Sleep (15) Click here to watch trailer

Bamako (PG) Click here to watch trailer

A local partnership needs a hand with creating sets for a film based on a yarn by bestselling writer Michael Marshall Smith.

The Intrepid Arts group, led by Media Innovation Award winners Pangaea and Pinewood sfx coordinator Les Street, will be making When God Lived in Kentish Town over the summer, but only if they can find materials to build the set.

(more…)