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Post by PokerKitten on Jul 19, 2003 23:17:04 GMT
Thought it was about time this baby had its own thread, so am bringing over the info we have already gleaned.
This apparently is a good transcript of what James said about the new film and his role in it, at MR:
I’m doing it in late September. It’s got a title that I really want them to change. It’s from a hit play from the West End in London called, "Italian Heat." And being there’s a lot of sex in it, I think that’s a bad title. Sounds like soft core porn. But at any rate, it is about a gay man, who I play, who is in a marriage in Fascist Italy and he’s got a horrible marriage. Two refugees come into the house that he lives in, one’s gay and one’s not. One takes to the wife and one takes to the guy.
The thing is, in Fascist Italy, people were being hung for being gay, and the thing I responded to in the script was -- let’s get personal-- I was in a long-term relationship, in fact I was married, to a woman who didn’t really love me. Anyway, I know what it’s like to live a lie without knowing you’re living a lie. And in my experience there was a sexual component to it.
So what I responded to in the script was that it seems to be how important it is to be yourself, no matter what that is. And how high of a price, how high of a price you have to pay or should be willing to pay to be yourself.
And so, you know, at first they offered me the role and Dereck Jacobi is in it and Sean Bean is in it.... I said to my manager, "Do I have to kiss a guy?" and he said, "oh yeah!" And then I read the script and [in a kind of laughing voice] there was so much more than kissing I froze up for a while and I just put the script away. I started making my own personal connection to it so I feel like I can play that role. I know what it’s like to have bottled up anger, thinking you know what the problem is and it’s really not.
These two people are fighting all the time. I decided that the reason he thinks they’re fighting is that she just can’t take him closing his eyes during love making and she refuses to do that. And so he’s thinking the whole problem is "she’s just uptight about me closing my eyes. I should be able to close my eyes and think about what I want." [JM laughing and lots of laughing from crowd]
So, I’m starting to get excited about it and I’m less terrified than I was say two months ago. Two months ago I probably wouldn’t have wanted to talk about it but you don’t refuse a film like that. It’s a really great script.
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Post by PokerKitten on Jul 19, 2003 23:18:53 GMT
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Post by PokerKitten on Jul 19, 2003 23:21:16 GMT
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Post by PokerKitten on Jul 19, 2003 23:24:02 GMT
Torchlight put together a vid "flavour" of the play - may help get us in the mood This trailer was edited from a video recording of a stage production at the Barons Court Theatre, London in 1998. It is representative of the main plotline, which has been augmented in the re-writing process. It does however capture the "feel" for which we aim.Download it HERE! (right click, save target as...)
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Post by PokerKitten on Jul 20, 2003 12:13:37 GMT
James was talking about the movie at Vulkon, and so there are a few teeny snippets more of info: - It will be distributed by Regency Films - everyone dies in the end but that it is all worthwhile because "The price is worth paying to be yourself."
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Post by PokerKitten on Jul 20, 2003 20:04:44 GMT
And more info from his 2nd Q&A, as posted by catlady:
James also said that he is taking 7 weeks off to film "Italian Heat." He is filming his AtS scenes before he leaves because he will be in every episode. James said that his AtS commitments come first but that Joss was very excited about him having the opportunity to work with Derek Jacobi so he was very willing to made the adjustments to the schedule.
He also expects the movie to get wide distribution in the US (and with 2 Brits in the cast us UKers should stand a decent chance too).
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Post by Cyrus on Jul 20, 2003 20:36:54 GMT
By wide distribution, I hope we're talking about being available in theaters and/or video/DVD... and not Pay-per-View!
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Post by PokerKitten on Jul 20, 2003 20:41:49 GMT
As he said, the distributor is already set up - Regency Films - so that should mean cinema screenings... unless it really sucks, which there is no way on earth it could with the subject matter, script and actors...
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Post by PokerKitten on Aug 1, 2003 11:12:10 GMT
This announcement is from James' official website - www.jamesmarsters.com James Marsters is cast in the upcoming movie "Venetian Heat". Filming is scheduled to begin October 27 2003 in Papigno, Italy ADRIANO - James Marsters FRANCO - Patrick Dempsey DON GIORGIO - Derek Jacobi SCHNEIDER - Sean Bean FABIANI - Franco Nero MARIO - Rupert Evans Writer/director - Claudio Macor Director of photography - Maurizio Calvesi Producer - Jon Renard Italian co-producer - Mario Cotone. Oooh! Franco Nero as well!!! Gets better and better! Had a soft spot for him for decades, since "Camelot"! Filming is later than I thought....
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Post by tactile on Aug 1, 2003 14:15:58 GMT
My God, that's one fine looking cast list. How's a girl supposed to consentrate on the story..
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Post by PokerKitten on Aug 1, 2003 19:35:42 GMT
I love Italy... so beautiful.. had one of the best holidays of my life in Tuscany. But how about Umbria..? Take a look at Papigno
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Post by twistedspike on Aug 2, 2003 18:42:28 GMT
Wow just downloaded the trailer of the stage show and it looks good. I can see why James was drawn to taking the part. It would have been good to see him in the actual stage play. Is it right then that Rupert Evans played Mario in the play and is now playing the same part in the film?? Is there any word on who is playing the wifes part??
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Post by PokerKitten on Aug 2, 2003 18:49:18 GMT
Yes to Rupert, and nope to the token woman ;D
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Post by tactile on Aug 2, 2003 20:48:51 GMT
A very lucky 'token woman' me thinks..PK..
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Post by Cyrus on Aug 2, 2003 20:57:12 GMT
Me thinks Jane Seymour would be lurvely as James' character's wife... wonder why they haven't said who it will be? Can't help but wonder just exactly how "graphic" this movie will be?!
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Post by PokerKitten on Aug 7, 2003 14:14:12 GMT
Extract from James' September SFX interview:
Venetian Heat
There’s something else close to James Marsters’s heart at the moment. In adition to Spike and his music, there’s now his movie career, which has just received a boost, as he’s been cast in a movie based on a play called Venetian Heat. Filming begins in September.
“I was just meeting with the producer and the director over there” the actor reveals, nodding his head across the room at one of the many tables dotted around the bar. “There’s Derek Jacobi.”
Resisting the urge to turn around, I listen as Marsters raves about the part. “It’s about being yourself. When I first got the script I was really impressed by it, but I was really reticent about the sex scenes.”
That might sound odd coming from the man whose character literally brought the house down with his sexual shenanigans in Buffy – except that this time, he’s talking a same sex scenario. Which was an altogether different, um, kettle of fish.
“I had to confront my homophobia, which I thought I didn’t have any of. I’ve grown up in the theatre and I thought I didn’t have any of that. It’s not really about being gay; it’s about the incredible price you pay if you’re not yourself: if you choose to live a lie. The movie takes place in fascist Italy, where being a homosexual means instant execution. The movie ends in swathes of blood. It does not go well for these people!”
If you are worried abut spoilers, pretend you never read that. Marsters, however, seems unconcerned that he’s given away the film’s finale. “I think it’s a happy ending!” he exclaims. “Because even if you die, if you die true to yourself, then you have honour, and that’s a good death. If you live a lie for 80 years, what the fuck is that? I, uh, found…. I’ve had some unsuccessful relationships with women. Uh… and without knowing it, lived lies. Women have…. for their own reasons….”
He pauses to structure his thoughts.
“I don’t wanna get too specific because this is my personal life, but I know what it is to wake up and realise that you are not living your own truth. And, when I made that connection with the character, I got really excited about doing this movie. I think I can play the living hell out of this part. I think I know the anger, I’ve figured out what he thinks the problem is…. I mean, he thinks…. Never mind. It’s a secret.”
He stops talking with a shy smile, suddenly aware that he is on the verge of blabbing everything. We can safely assume that he’s just as enthused about this film as he is about his music and his television work….
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Post by PokerKitten on Aug 8, 2003 8:42:26 GMT
Somebody please reassure me that the fact that the info on the movie at JM's official site seems to have been withdrawn is either: a) they are updating it with more great details b) I'm just not looking in the right place and NOT that this project has fallen through
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Post by Cyrus on Aug 8, 2003 8:52:33 GMT
I don't see anything on the site either... Though that other site is still there. You know, www.thezreview.co.uk/comingsoon/i/italianheat.htm but they don't seem to have much info anyway... I guess we'll have to wait for the next report of James speaking to find out... *pouts*
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Post by PokerKitten on Aug 8, 2003 17:45:51 GMT
Snooping around, it seems like the explanation could be that JM's official site released a tad too much info about the movie... including where it would be filmed... Girlies have apparently been asking to visit the set, maybe they worry it'll turn into a bit of a MarstersMania thing... um, but it is a bit late now! The info has been ou there too long. Still, I'd rather this were the reason than any hitches in production! Meanwhile, The Sun *cough* have written about Sean Bean's role in the film, in typically florid terms: Hardman SEAN BEAN is to play a homosexual Nazi in disturbing new movie Venetian Heat. The actor, who is currently filming Troy with BRAD PITT, will play a sinister officer who harbours a secret desire for young lads. It’s certainly a far cry from his role as Boromir in The Lord Of The Rings trilogy – and I can’t help but wonder what they’ll make of it back home in Sheffield. Sky reported this almost word for word.. well, fewer words but almost the same
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Sali
Mitch Brand
Posts: 272
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Post by Sali on Aug 8, 2003 17:53:27 GMT
Good for JM...he picked something challenging with good co-actors..........wait with baited breath then...... :)And a controversial theme to boot.Bless our James as well....always mentioning his blighted relationship record........I just love him for his vulnerability......and honesty..
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