Links relating to exploitation/grindhouse project

As a reference for an exploitation project which is in the early stages , some links for research. These will go to movies which could well be seen as offensive to some people, so proceed with caution … !

http://www.movshare.net/384144/video/3877hql6vhi9i

My blog, my shout

So, a disclaimer. I’ll try to make this entertaining, constructive and honest from my point of view. As things move on apace with Industry My Arse, I have to keep in mind that John and myself are making a documentary about people who said ‘Fuck the system’  and worked outside the establishment of the film industry.

So I’m not angling after a job, I’m lucky in that I have one which I like. Therefore I don’t have to keep to the ‘don’t offend anybody’ code of silence that exists in the luvvie industry around here.

But I won’t just slag things off for the sake of it, but I have to get it off my chest about the It’s my Shout film training scheme , and here on my personal blog is the place to do it. These opinions are my own..

 

Great crews, talented actors, shit films

Many people I know have made an IMS. People who have independently worked like bollocks to come up with funny, shocking, powerful, moving and insightful little films. But the script criteria for this scheme seem to be more about satisfying social regeneration funding requirements than anything else , so the stuff that gets produced, whilst it looks good, is well shot and played, tends to be pretty forgettable. Bit of a shame.

So in the interests of not slagging off without offering constructive criticism , why not have a section that can feature adult actors, with adult stories talking about adult themes. Otherwise, the only adult films that get Made in Wales are porn and  everything stays in a state of perpetual adolescence…

 

Where seldom is heard a discouraging word..

Related to this is a lack of constructive discussion around filmmaking in Wales. Or for the bit that I know, South Wales. Chapter Moviemaker does a good job of showing films, but there’s never any real opportunity to discuss in any greater depth than ‘what Canon did you shoot it on?’ – again, the micro/no budget side of things just seems to stagnate by being too limited.

Easier to laugh at the pop culture references in the latest flavour of the month web series than express an opinion. And I’m not saying that I want it all to be po-faced and serious, I’d love some total fucking nutcase to come along with an Abel-Ferrara like stream of piss and vinegar. Crazy ideas that shouldn’t be up there on the screen, but they are driven to do it anyway. Surely here in the nobody-has-any-cash-or-public-funding area we at least have licence to do great, stupid, misguided, pretentious, funny, shocking, moving, serious or just plain WRONG work.

Films that wouldn’t get within 20 miles of BBC2’s graveyard slot. Industrial banging and buzzing with close ups of porn cut with toy adverts. Monologues that gradually shift the audience response so that by the end of it they’re shouting at the screen and walking out. Provoking a reaction, making people think.

In other words, no more films about kids with alcoholic families living in a grim part of town who want to escape it all by becoming a boxer/ballet dancer/drag queen. Please. Fuck. No more!

This may be met with the usual wall of silence, but I hope I’ve at least managed to put my point of view across. Personally I want to see a range of films made , delivered via screenings, websites and all the means of distribution that we now have. It would be healthy if we could watch stuff and talk about it afterwards.

Maybe we need another type of screening to sit alongside Chapter to provide a bit of an alternative. I’d set one up, I know others have tried in the past , maybe it’s worth me having a go. Socking it to the Ginger-beer-and-sweets twee brigade , it’s just not my cup of tea. Better to show a film in an S&M dungeon or something.

So, that’ll do for now, food for thought maybe. Comments and a bit of discussion most welcome!

Looking at the footage..cinematographer Alan Trow

So a quick personal blog on the Industry my Arse adventure. We interviewed Alan Trow at his office on the Welsh borders , and he proved to be a great guy, deserving of his good reputation.

Alan shot John Eyres’ movies from the start, so of course it was all downhill after Good Night God Bless (well maybe not). His first movie credit was with Richard Driscoll on The Comic (1985) , a film I first encountered back in the 80s on the ABC label of 77 Merthyr Road, Cardiff , which is where the empire was located.

Anyway, I digress. Sometimes I wonder if there will be more from Mr Driscoll on our film, time will tell.

So, the comic is actually bollocks but shot pretty well considering. And Alan gave John’s films a glossy big movie look fitting with the video-store-with-ambition feel of Project Shadowchaser and Monolith.

For now the beginnings of the editing process on Alan involves roughly selecting clips and cutting them down, splitting up into lots of short clips so that they can be moved around and manipulated. And there’s no quick way to do this kind of thing , so it will probably be a little but often over the next few weeks. John is working separately on another interview  - so it’s a start folks !

Right, trying to get some bits showing Alan’s work in here now …

…

Striking fear into the heart of all self-respecting Government web folks

In a meeting today, someone said that they wanted a site which was interactive. My first thought of interaction was to smack them in the gob.

Then, it also, of course, had to be a portal. Not that they knew what that meant.I think they might have been watching Doctor Who.

Finally, as they drew themselves up to their full height, they announced that it was going to be a one-stop-shop. (Fuck me! A one-stop-shop! Wow, it’s like 1997)

So we’re making slow progress. Actually the fact that they came to Billy Muggins here and didn’t throw bags of taxpayers’ money at a local agency is, at least, a start. Phew. Gotta love working in government communications …

Attention grabbing headline #industrymyarse latest

Artwork finalised, a great job from Norris Nuvo.
Domain name bought for i.m.a. blog , content in preparation.
Me, am going through Almodovar’s early films – his kind of melodramatic camp comedy is how I see the few scripts I have in development. esp. Pornstars in love.
..and that’ll do for now

Industry my arse update and other things

Hey goo, what’s new? (a bit of Cliff/Peter Reno to start things off)

Artwork for Industry My Arse is in the works, looks great at the moment, is probably near to launch upon the world soon, along with the teaser trailer, press pack and other bits.

Not long now … everybody’s patience will be rewarded.

Also have another Mancunian classic to add to the mix, courtesy of the legendary Steve Powell, 1986 Spanish co-production Ibiza Connection is a hell of a piece of work, although maybe not for reasons you’d expect …

(it also has a classic theme song sung by Cliff himself)

Porn ain’t a bad place to be

Oh yes. I’m writing something set in the Adult industry, and so have been doing my research. As well as all the recent comedies like Zack and Miri (surprisingly good) , I want Candy (ok but a bit of a mess), there are also some 70s and early 80s , er, classix that I’ve been watching too.

Angela the Fireworks Woman (directed by and featuring Wes Craven, although don’t worry he keeps his trousers on) is a pretty amazing film that seems ‘too good’ to be a porno, although that’s not right – lots of these 70s films were better than today’s mainstream movies.

The best of them have an underground/experimental feel, which Angela definitely does. You’d be surprised, although it’s pretty obvious that it was made by someone who was heading for the legit film industry. If you look around, you can find it …

Vintage Classix

The X in the title of the site should give a clue …
http://www.vintageclassix.com

What is Industry My Arse?

It’s a documentary love letter to the British Straight-to-video filmmakers of the 1980s. The establishment wouldn’t let them in the door, so they carried on making low budget action, horror and thrillers on a shoestring. Some of the most entertaining films you’ve never heard of.

We’ve interviewed cast and crew, along with some of the big exploitation names of the 70s to give it a bit of background.

Where are we now?

First round of shooting is done. We’re looking at getting some help to finish the project as a feature documentary.

Can I see any of this stuff?

Many of these films are extremely rare – in some cases, the only copies are with the cast and crew. There are people looking into tracing what exists, and it is likely that they will turn up in the future.

Manchester action classic GBH , for instance, was financed by a Swedish businessman known to the producers. Nothing has turned up yet though, so if you’re related to the late Ingmar Rydstrom , please get in touch !

There’ll be updates here and on the blog of my co-director John Ninnis , which is at :

http://john-ninnis.blogspot.com/

so keep watching, and get in touch if this sounds interesting

Dave Beynon

@beynond @johnninnis

#industrymyarse

 

However, in the meantime, here are some links that may be of interest … !

The legendary Cliff Twemlow

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=cliff+twemlow&x=0&y=0

From Cardiff to LA – John Eyres

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/search/ref=sr_nr_i_2?rh=k%3Ajohn+eyres%2Ci%3Advd&keywords=john+eyres&ie=UTF8&qid=1311586672

Michael J Murphy’s SKARE

http://www.amazon.co.uk/SKARE–RARE-UNRATED-UK-HORROR–COLLECTORS-EDITION–/dp/B002U5VNV8/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1311586770&sr=1-1

And, the Big 3 of British 70s exploitation :

Norman J Warren

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddvd&field-keywords=norman+j+warren&x=0&y=0

Stanley Long

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=stanley+long&x=0&y=0

Pete Walker

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=pete+walker&x=0&y=0

 

…that should keep you busy in the meantime!

Watch John Ninnis’ short films and read more cult stuff

here … http://john-ninnis.blogspot.com/

I don’t really like big corporate drinks chains, so where are the best independents in Cardiff?

No, I don’t really like the corporate chains. All the fake atmosphere , pre-programmed music (sometimes) can be a bit of a pain. Living in the city it’s important to have good places between work and home to chill out, and I am a bit of a coffee-holic.

Then there’s the way that the staff seem to be forced to follow the corporate behaviour instead of good honest customer service. No, I don’t want marshmallows floating in it , or a pile of cakes which would send my blood sugar levels soaring. Coffee, the odd tea, a biscuit or too. And if I want a panini I’ll order one. If I don’t, well, I won’t.

So enough of that , you get the picture. Question is, where are the good independent places worth supporting? Starbucks on Wellfield Rd in Roath just closed, so I’m sorry for the folks who lost jobs if they weren’t relocated, but at least it’s one less big chain operation.

A few suggestions

Coffee#1 is locally owned I think – Cardiff and Bristol based. Two in Roath, Albany and Wellfield, as well as near the train station , and I#m sure a few other locations. They are pretty good, maybe the best local coffee shops round here.

Wellfield rd again, I think it’s called ‘hoffi coffi’ , proper old school place. Go in there if you can.

Honourable mentions for Juno Lounge and the pretender to the throne , the (Brains-owned?)Pear Tree. Tea/Coffee/Food/Bar/Restaurant , good places both, and with the all important free wireless internet. Living in Roath there are a few whiney middle-class folks to contend with , but actually it’s balanced out I guess. Shit I might even be a bit of one myself at times I suppose , better watch that … ‘ 

And one more for now, with a slightly unfortunate name , on the world famous Chippy Alley of Caroline Street, Cardiff – PIPI’s is owned by a Greek family (I think) and so have a lot of lovely looking pastries to go with the usual Americanos, lattes and espressos. A real genuine place – just ask for what you want, and they take their time in bringing it over. No rush, no loyalty cards or any of that bollocks. Plenty of room, tables outside , reasonable , it’s a recent discovery which I like a lot. Go there if you can too and give ‘em your custom. For the pervs amongst us it’s next to the mighty Colin’s Books.

Links

Coffee #1

Juno Lounge , and others

the Pear Tree

Caroline St – Chippy Alley – Chipshop Lane , etc (ask for their popular ‘Chicken off the floor’)

Pipi’s have a website too

And this is just directions really to purveyors of Jazz Magazines, as well as ‘dvds for sale from £10 – no copies’ – Colin’s Books !

comments?

Any other suggestions for good places to eat and drink that aren’t part of some big corporate empire? leave a comment..