So yesterday, after my interview for the new FLY DVD, the director of the interview (my old Video store friend) showed me two scenes that were shot for The Fly that were cut from the original film and that I had never seen before. Both were based on variant scenes that were in my original script. One where a Goldblum sprouts a fly leg out of his side; the other where the machine, using a monkey and a cat, produces a monkey-cat hybrid.
Unfortunately, Cronenberg may not allow him to put the cut scenes on the DVD as extras.
My pal also gave me a 2-disc collector's edition DVD of MASTER & COMMANDER with all the extras he produced on it. So I may have to get into that sometime this weekend.
I also have a DVD of a Michael Caine movie SHINER that I picked up.
CDs...I'm listening to Live At the Longview which is Ian Tyson doing cowboy songs and my Prince of Foxes soundtrack by Alfred Newman.
Last night the Lovely Wife and I went to see a production of Richard III done in a lovely theatre in Barnsdall Park that few actually know exists. The company is called the Independent Shakespeare Company and we saw them last July fourth when they did free Shakespeare in the open air amphitheatre of The Park.
They are a no frills company "exploring the conditions facing a performing troupe in Shakespeare's time, not as a limitation but as an opportunity for the most intense collaboration between the actors and the audience."
Basically this means there is very minimal costuming, set design,or lighting. They are a very unusual company...in last night's production we had British, Italian, Hispanic and American performers. There is an amalgamation of accents. Everyone in the cast doubles or triples roles...women sometime play men.
The summer production we saw...a comedy, Two Gentleman of Verona, worked very well and was quite charming. This Richard III also was, in its unique way, charming and eminently watchable, if not always my idea of Shakespeare.
Part of my problem... a little one...was that Richard III is probably my favourite Shakespeare, I know it very well, and I have very definite ideas and concepts regarding the play. So it took some time for me to wrench my frame of reference and preconceived notions around and the let the production's unique and often original staging work on me.
It often succeeded and I had a good night at the theatre. That said I'm not sure the play ever had the power I feel it should have, though it gained in power in the second act.
Both Julieanne and I felt Richard emphasized wrong phrases and words in his speeches, which affected meaning and subtlety. But he also had somesurprisingly wonderful moments.
I also felt that it was very hard for some of the foreign performers to play against the natural rhythms of their native languages and so very often the verse speaking got very dodgy. At times, almost decipherable. But on the other hand, portions of the play were clearer and more accesible than I have ever heard it. The duel between Richard and Hastings was very cleverly staged.
The Richard/Anne wooing scene is the yardstick by which I measure this play. It is one of the most amazing scenes ever written. In space of a few short minutes, Richard manages to convinced a woman whose husband he has slain, a woman who hates him, to marry him at the end of the scene.
I think the scene works because of an undercurrent of sexuality and lurking attraction. Both Richard and Anne are sharp witty people. Despite the intensity of her hatred, I think Anne must delight in the wordplay and badinage she engages in with him. She must be subconsciously attracted to this very dynamic man is should be attractive and charming (on the surface) despite his deformities.
It's a very tough scene to do successfully. It did not work for me last night. Anne rushed her whole scene and had no sex about her.
On the other hand, the scene of Richard wooing Elizabeth for her daughter's hand worked better than I've ever seen it done. Elizabeth, who has always been something of a thankless cypher in this play for me, was strong and wonderful and quite memorable.
Margaret was all-one-note, started at fever-pitch, and had no where to go, which left her screeching with little breath control. and the Italian accent didn't help matters.
Who am I? George Jean Nathan all of sudden? In any event, they are a very fascinating company whose work is always interesting, if not always pristinely polished, and we will attend future productions with anticipation.
