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Well, this is going to be huge

[Monty Burns]Interesting.[/Monty Burns] This seems like a somewhat less natural step than Chris Morris making a feature film, but if it's even one-eighth as genius as Garth Marenghi's Darkplace it should be a good time at the movies.

not a sandwich or a submersible to be seen.

pass.

Teens listening to Serge Gainsbourg records is sooo last year.

Many loved this on the festival scene. But while it's sweet, well performed and has its heart in the right place, I felt Sumbarine ultimately didn't move far enough away from the 'Harold and Maude meets Rushmore' tropes that have plagued most recent coming-of-age indies. It's enjoyable enough but very slight. In terms of directorial debuts from former UK television geniuses, Four Lions blows this out of the water - far more imaginative, subversive and thought-provoking.

swo17 wrote:This seems like a somewhat less natural step than Chris Morris making a feature film, but if it's even one-eighth as genius as Garth Marenghi's Darkplace it should be a good time at the movies.

On that note did the spin off series from Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, Man To Man With Dean Learner, ever make it to the US?

As swo noted below as I was editing this post, Ayoade is probably best known in the UK now for his role in the sitcom The IT Crowd from the writer of Father Ted (kind of the UK equivalent of The Big Bang Theory I suppose!), which featured Chris Morris in the first season as the horrible boss of the company, who was succeeded after his character's demise by another Garth Marenghi alumni, Matt Berry.

Not that I'm aware. I will have to take Richard Ayoade's advice and, erm, find a copy.

You would think people would know by now to put in a clause in your contract that stipulates that Harvey can't recut your film. From the playlist:

1. Sundance/Indie Fans Watch Out. Harvey May Recut Richard Aoyade’s “Submarine” Film For The U.S. Market.
According to VF, a New York test audience’s reception to Richard Aoyade’s buzzed about coming of age U.K. film was “disappointment, subdued at best, sullen at worst.” After the screening, Weinstein apparently comes into the lobby and barely makes eye contact with the film’s director. “It’s amazing, the humor just doesn’t translate,” Weinstein fumed. “In Toronto they were on helium they were laughing so hard. These people, they don’t get it. They don’t get it. I just don’t get it. It’s like they need permission to laugh.” Burrough then recounts how Weinstein “riffs through changes he can make to the film,” which include a potential “place card” to establish the Welsh setting and oddly, perhaps toning down some of the heavy British accents. “We’ll take down some of the dialogue, like we did in ‘My Left Foot.’ Anyway, there’s a problem with the film. This is the process. I’ll fix it,” he says.

"I just don’t get it."

What a tremendous douche. I think that sums up what he's saying.

Good thing I was already planning to import the Blu from the UK before it hit the shores here. Christ

Damn, this is making have to go blind on a film I'm not too sure about. I really wish more people did do an anti-meddling clause. Romero proved it could be done against HW.

knives wrote:I really wish more people did do an anti-meddling clause.

You're an indie filmmaker who may have nearly bankrupted himself making a first feature.

Harvey Weinstein offers you by far the best deal you're realistically likely to get, not least in terms of real distribution muscle.

Are you really going to insist on an "anti-meddling clause"? At least with any realistic hope of him signing up to one?

domino harvey wrote:Good thing I was already planning to import the Blu from the UK before it hit the shores here. Christ

Just announced: July 11 \:D/

The Weinstein-ized trailer for Submarine Presented By Ben Stiller.

An Onion A.V. Club interview with Ayoade

Saw this under pretty surreal circumstances in which I was the only one under the age of 65 in attendance. True to Weinstein's worries, no one was laughing but me-- like, at all*. How anyone takes a line like "During a routine check of my parents' bedroom" at face value is beyond me. I think the biggest problem most will have with the film is that the main character is so passive (very true to teenagedom, though) and his love interest not an idealized pixie (and is in fact kind of that b-level, vaguely alternative girl that everyone knew in high school) that there's no one to really root for... which is kinda the point, I think. The little card at the beginning of the film is pretty funny too and not nearly as insulting as I'd been led to believe. I'm a little conflicted overall, but I've already started to warm to it in memory.

*

Spoiler

Except for the part where the protagonist talks about killing his girlfriend's dog-- what does that tell you about the elderly?

Another reason to go region-free for Blus: the Weinstein Blu-ray release in October carries over only one slim making-of featurette from the stacked UK Blu.

Not the crash bang wallop of a major new force in directing but instead a very small, very warm well crafted little film.

Despite there being numerous nods to lots of films from new wave to mid 70's, there's no winking at the viewer and going hey hey! Subtlety is the key phrase throughout. Not much quirkiness either despite the duffel coats.
Considine steals every scene he's in (somehow staying just shy of slapstick) with his 'new age' chancer praying on the boredom of small town life but Noah Taylor's beaten down aquatic expert steals the film.

The two kids are great as well.

Bravo Mr Ayoade.

swo17 wrote:[Monty Burns]Interesting.[/Monty Burns] This seems like a somewhat less natural step than Chris Morris making a feature film, but if it's even one-eighth as genius as Garth Marenghi's Darkplace it should be a good time at the movies.

I saw my 20 year old nephew today and he thanked me for giving him the DVD of Submarine. He then threw me a copy of Garth Marenghi saying " Here, watch this. It's by the same bloke. It's awesome!"

So, I'm looking forward to it as I have never seen it.

You won't regret it tojoed, it's an incredible series. Make sure you follow it up with the [almost] equally great "second series" Man to Man with Dean Learner if you do enjoy Garth Marenghi's Darkplace.

Yikes, I had no idea about the Weinstein shenanigans. Did anyone see the festival cut and the theatrical or DVD version? Did he ever follow through on the threats? I was going to pick up the DVD based off seeing it at TIFF last year, but don't want any nasty surprises.

Otherwise I guess I'll just import the DVD (no multiregion Blu support here, unfortunately).

Thanks, Big P, I'll keep an eye open for it.

Dave, the UK DVD is a very good one, with loads of extras. Well worth having, even if you can't watch the Blu.

As stated, the only thing that ended up being added is the title card at the beginning of the film. Certainly the UK release is the one to get, if just for the tons of extras that aren't available in R1, but the film itself is practically identical (and what's added is not detrimental)

can anyone confirm that the optimum blu-ray is region b.
thanks.

macaca wrote:can anyone confirm that the optimum blu-ray is region b.

Yes, it is.