World War Z

Glasgow getsthe Hollywood

treatment

Mark Andrews:

Brave and Beyond

GFT vsCineworld:The battle ofthe cinemas

Scotland’s no.1 film magazine

May 2013

Spotlight

“I am not an ambitious man.”

These surprising words are spoken by Mark

Andrews as he explains his first tentative steps

into the world of animation to a rapt audience of

350 people. A supposed lack of ambition has

apparently failed to be as much of a hindrance

to the American filmmaker, as evidenced by

directing 2012’s Oscar, Academy Award and

BAFTA winning film Brave.

Andrews’ love of visual storytelling began in

early childhood, when he recalls being

engrossed in comic books before he could read

the words in the speech bubbles. In his teenage

years Andrews’ obvious talent for drawing led

him to consider a career as a comic book artist.

“I got a portfolio together, and I sent off all my

comic book ideas to Marvel Comics, and I still have the

hate mail,” he recounts. “I still have it and it’s framed,

because the company I work for now owns them.”

With a career in the creative industries seemingly

hopeless, Andrews reluctantly prepared to follow the

route of many of his peers in joining the marines.

“I was stalling and I went and took actual art classes at

that point, getting professional instruction that I’d never

had before, but I was just waiting to go into the military.”

When a teacher he worked with encouraged him to apply

to study at the California Institute of the Arts, the

University founded by Walt Disney, he was thrilled by the

prospect.

“I said, my gosh, I could go to an actual college, make

mom and dad happy and get a degree. So I did. I went to

CalArts and told my marine recruiter ‘I’m sorry, I’m going

to art school.’”

Andrews is undeniably quite the raconteur. His

experiences in the industry are shared frankly and

humorously, raising laughter and applause at regular

intervals from his appreciative audience. It is perhaps his

positive attitude and enthusiasm which have led to his

success in an industry whose challenges he discusses at

length. Finding employment in the animation industry is

tough, for one; a fact which a newly-graduated Andrews

learned the hard way.

“I went to CalArts for four years, got my degree, and

promptly went into the entertainment industry… and

couldn’t find work, and this was the heyday of animation.”

An Audience with

Mark Andrews

Mark Andrews, the man behind

Brave, tells Glasgow about the highs

and lows of his animation career, his

love of Scotland and his plans for the

future

After a year of unemployment, his entrance into the

animation industry came when he was hired as

Storyboard Artist for The New Adventures of Jonny

Quest. It was to be the first step towards a rewarding

and varied career in animated film production, with a

job working on his first feature film, Quest for Camelot,

closely following. Andrews cites his pre-Pixar stint at

Warner Brothers Animation as another example of the

dark side of the animation industry.

“I didn’t know it at the time, but I was on the ground

floor of the rebirth of animation – and I was seeing the

corruption, the seediness, that they just wanted to

make a pretty penny. They didn’t care about the art,

there was no integrity.”

Luckily, when Andrews began working for Pixar on The

Incredibles, he realised he had found a company he

was proud to work for. Twelve years and several films

later, Andrews has certainly made his mark on the

world of animation. Aside from its countless awards,

Brave is also notable for being the first Pixar film to

feature a female protagonist, the free spirited 16-year-

old Princess Merida. The story of her quest for inde-

pendence charmed audiences around the world and its

setting in the Scottish highlands gave it a unique feel to

other Pixar creations. In a true display of authenticity,

the all-star cast of voice actors is largely comprised of

Scots, including Trainspotting’s Kelly Macdonald as

Merida and much-loved comedian Billy Connolly as

King Fergus. Although the idea for a story set in

Scotland came from co-director Brenda Chapman,

Andrews shares an enthusiasm for the country which

began after a trip to Glasgow during his honeymoon in

1998. Fourteen years later, he has returned to the city

for two weeks as part of a mentoring project, working

with students at Glasgow School of Art. He clearly feels

at home as he speaks to the crowd who have flocked to

see him at the Glasgow Film Theatre, praising Scot-

land’s beauty and proudly calling himself Scottish.

“I have Scottish ancestry on both sides of my family.

Unfortunately I lost the accent about 500 years ago,” he

says.

When asked by a member of the audience about his

plans for the future and if his own studio may be on the

cards, he is quick to reiterate his self-proclaimed lack of

ambition.

“I don’t want to run a studio, no way. I want to stay the

little guy. I don’t have the patience and you have to be

very patient to run a studio. The first little tragedy would

happen and I’d go, ‘I quit!’”

To the likely disappointment of the devoted attendees

who have seen even the most obscure of his works,

Andrews expresses a desire to steer away from

animation.

“I want to go into live action because animation is just

too darn slow. The types of stories I want to tell are at

an intensity level that are beyond animation.”

He adds that he is currently working on his own film

which he can tell us nothing about – not even whether it

will be live action or animated.

Fans of Brave are, however, taking solace in comments

made by Andrews earlier this week that a sequel to the

film is a possibility, assuming that the right storyline can

be found.

Despite his numerous warnings about the difficulties of

breaking into and working in the industry to the aspiring

animators in the audience, Andrews’ story of realising his

dream is nonetheless an inspiring one. Whatever path the

director chooses to take next - be it animation or live action,

Brave sequel or original film - his achievements so far and

his large number of international fans suggests his next

project will be a highly anticipated one.

A romantic comedy about a Mediter-

ranean wedding featuring Pierce Bros-

nan may sound like a description of

2008’s hit musical Mamma Mia - but

Love is All You Need, directed by

Oscar-winning Susanne Bier, is

mercifully devoid of shrieking

characters and poor renditions of Abba

songs.

The Danish flick’s original title Den

skaldede frisør – “The bald hairdresser”

– refers to main character Ida whom,

having battled cancer and caught her

cheating husband in the act, is

understandably beginning to feel down

on her luck. Keeping her spirits slightly

raised is the upcoming wedding of her

daughter Astrid. The fact that Astrid and her fiancé Patrick

have known each other only three months or that Patrick

is a nervous, somewhat aloof young man does not seem

to concern Ida in the slightest; possibly due to the

knowledge that his father, played by Brosnan, is loaded.

However, it is not until after she accidentally bumps into

said wealthy father (quite literally, when she reverses into

his flashy car in the airport car park) that she realises

there is more to him than expensive suits and a fruit and

veg business. Although the two initially quibble over his

disdain towards Ida’s clumsiness, in true romcom fashion

their differences gradually give way to attraction as Ida

begins to break through Philip’s icy exterior.

However, in travelling from Denmark to Italy for her

daughter’s wedding, Ida has not left her problems behind.

Conflicts soon arise from the unwanted presence of Ida’s

husband’s new girlfriend and doubts form over the

strength of the relationship between Astrid and Patrick.

Although generally an uplifting film, the inclusion of the

more negative sides of love like betrayal and heartache

prevent the film from being too “cheesy” and give it a

more authentic feel. The comedy element of the film is

bsaed more upon subtle jokes and exchanges between

the characters than over the top, brash humour which is

often heavily relied upon by Hollywood movies. One

memorable scene occurs when Philip’s sister-in-law, the

theatrical and selfish Benedikte, boldly asserts her feel-

ings for him while simultaneously belittling Ida; to which

Philip replies with an amusingly candid admission of his

revulsion towards her. Characters like Benedikte and

Ida’s husband’s airhead mistress provide welcome comic

relief which strikes a balance between lightheartedness

and the film’s more serious themes.

The film switches between Danish and English,

seemingly to accommodate to Pierce Brosnan.

Conveniently and perhaps slightly confusingly, Philip

does not speak Danish with the exception of a few

sporadic words, but still understands the language and is

happy to have a bilingual conversation where he replies

in English whilst being spoken to in Danish.

Taking place largely in a stunning villa on the Italian

coast, the film provides the ideal backdrop for the

blossoming of new romance. Love is All You Need has a

certain unpolished quality which sets it aside from its

Hollywood romcom counterparts. The use of handheld

camera also sets the film apart and gives it a more per-

sonal quality, albeit somewhat headache-inducing. The

absence of music for much of the film is also noteworthy:

while it gives the film a distinct character, it can make

certain scenes surprisingly uncomfortable to watch.

Although Pierce Brosnan is probably the only name most

viewers will be familiar with, the true star of the show is

Trine Dyrholm as Ida. While Brosnan may attract a large

number of people to watch the film, it will undoubtedly be

Dyrholm who leaves an impression. Her excellent

performance and lovable, sweet-natured character give

Love is All You Need a certain charm that really makes

the film memorable.

Overall, the message of this film is one of hope. Although

there is sadness in the film, the characters realise that

sometimes heartache can be beneficial if it will prevent

unhappiness in the long run. Although the slow pacing

may put some off, Love is All You Need is a charming film

which for fans of Pierce Brosnan, romantic comedies,

European cinema or all of the above is definitely worth a

watch.

Rating: 4/5

Love is All You NeedDanish director Susanne Bier’s latest offering is a simple but sweet romantic

comedy about giving love a second chance

Bernie

There comes a time in some actors’ careers where they

veer away from the kind of work they are normally

associated with to explore entirely new horizons. The

result tends to be either disastrous or an admirable

display of maturity.

This change in direction seems to be underway for Jack

Black, who is undeniably a man of many talents:

venturing ever closer to Hollywood A-list status while

maintaining the respect of music fans as half of comedy

rock duo Tenacious D is no small feat. Black has a flair

for making every role his own and his part in Bernie is no

different. Directed by Richard Linklater, who previously

worked with Black on 2003’s School of Rock, Bernie tells

the story of a kind-hearted, benevolant assistant funeral

director turned killer in a small town in East Texas.

In documentary-style interviews, the townsfolk of

Carthage discuss Bernie Tiede, the man they remember

for being a caring friend, a skilful mortician, an excellent

singer, and for murdering an elderly woman. When

Bernie’s crime is discovered, the citizens of Carthage do

not react as may be expected: their support and love for

Bernie is unwavering while sympathy for the deceased

Mrs Nugent is minimal. Through becoming the only friend

of rich widow Nugent, Bernie had set in

motion a chain of events that would ultimately

lead to the upheaval of his life as the

widely-despised Nugent’s controlling

behaviour towards him became too much to

bear.

Based on a true story, the combination of

drama and documentary style footage adds a

unique extra element to the film’s narrative.

The interviewees from the small community

come across as entirely realistic and their

brutally honest opinions on the case are

humourous and touching in equal measures.

The supporting cast deliver a memorable

performance, with Shirley MacLaine

convincingly portraying the narcissistic,

withdrawn Marjorie Nugent, and Matthew

McConaughey as the ruthless town

prosecutor, Danny Buck. The personalities of

each character, which form such an integral

part of the story, are truly done justice by the

actors.

Bernie achieves a feel which is hard to

describe, and hovers somewhere between

comedy and seriousness throughout, with

certain scenes leaving you uncertain whether

to laugh or cry. The plot has apparently tried

to stay fairly true to the facts upon which it is

based, leaving little room for creative interpretation;

however, the events were fortunately bizarre enough in

themselves to make a fascinating movie adaption with

little embellishment.

Jack Black is truly a versatile actor and it is hard to

imagine anyone else having brought the role of Bernie so

much to life. His usual energetic panache is replaced by

a soft-spoken humbleness and is played to perfection.

The film subtly pulls the audience in and makes them

fully realise how an entire town of people can have

nothing but admiration for a convicted murderer. This

masterful manipulation makes Bernie the kind of film that

will stay on the minds of its viewers long after watching it.

Rating: 5/5

Jack Black delivers a powerful performance as a much-loved murderer in

this screen adaption of an unbelieveable true story

Glasgow is home to two cinemas

belonging to the Cineworld chain. The

most notable of these is

undoubtedly the cinema located on

Renfrew Street.

The cinema opened in 2001 and was

originally the UGC before being taken

over by Cineworld in 2005.

At a height of over 200 feet, the

multiplex boasts the record for the

world’s tallest cinema. It hosts an

impressive 18 screens, the largest of

which has 663 seats and a 60 foot

wide screen. Cineworld has a

capacity of around 4300 people and

is frequently very busy.

Its large number of screens means

Cineworld shows a wide variety of

films at any given time. These are

generally mainstream new releases,

but in recent years the cinema has

expanded its showings to include

Bollywood and some independent

films. Cineworld also boasts a large

bar and snack bars on most floors, as

well as a fantastic view from its

elevators and seating area on the top

floor. Concession tickets are available

for students, senior citizens and

children and an Unlimited card

allowing the holder to view as many

movies as they wish can be

purchased for £15.90 per month.

Each cinema has its pros and cons and Glaswegian

film fans will generally have a firm favourite. True

film devotees generally flock to the GFT for its

unique screenings and educational aspects,

whereas those who simply see a trip to the cinema

as a fun day out tend to favour Cineworld. This

results in a very different clientele between the two

establishments: people of all ages and backgrounds

visit Cineworld, but the GFT’s cultured reputation

attracts visitors who are generally well educated and

often older, adding to the classy feel of the GFT and

avoiding the risk of having raucous teenagers

disrupting a film. However, although the GFT’s small

size creates a more intimate atmosphere,

Cineworld’s huge size means it can have a wider

variety of films to choose from and these can run for

a longer period of time. Added extras are where the

GFT really shines, though, and a chance to take

part in classes or listen to talks by film directors

make it a truly unique and much-loved cinema.

Cinewars

Glasgow was once known as Cinema City,but which of two of its best known cinemasreigns supreme?

The Verdict

First opened in 1939, the Glasgow Film

Theatre has a distinctly old school brick

façade that sets it apart from modern

cinemas. Its interior is also still reminiscent of

times gone by, with its small ticket booth and

wooden panelling in the lobby and

auditoriums creating a cosy and welcoming

atmosphere. The GFT was the first art-house

cinema to be constructed outside of London.

The GFT is a small cinema and has only two

screens.

Cinema 1 has 394 seats and the smaller

cinema 2 has 142 seats. A new screen is

currently underway, which will have 60 seats

and will be built on the current site of the

cinema’s Café Cosmo.

From its beginnings the cinema advertised

itself as providing “entertainment for the

discriminating” and this is still very much its

aim today. Specialising in world cinema,

visitors can enjoy international film with

subtitles as well as selected mainstream

releases and classic movies.

The GFT also focuses on educating people

on film and hosts a range of short courses

where enthusiasts can learn from experts and

have an opportunity to engage in discussion

with other participants.

Many film showings are also introduced by

directors or academics who provide further

information on the film. The GFT provides

concession tickets and has a Cinecard

offering £1 off every screening for £30 a year.

Each cinema has its pros and cons and Glaswegian

film fans will generally have a firm favourite. True

film devotees generally flock to the GFT for its

unique screenings and educational aspects,

whereas those who simply see a trip to the cinema

as a fun day out tend to favour Cineworld. This

results in a very different clientele between the two

establishments: people of all ages and backgrounds

visit Cineworld, but the GFT’s cultured reputation

attracts visitors who are generally well educated and

often older, adding to the classy feel of the GFT and

avoiding the risk of having raucous teenagers

disrupting a film. However, although the GFT’s small

size creates a more intimate atmosphere,

Cineworld’s huge size means it can have a wider

variety of films to choose from and these can run for

a longer period of time. Added extras are where the

GFT really shines, though, and a chance to take

part in classes or listen to talks by film directors

make it a truly unique and much-loved cinema.

Cinewars

Glasgow was once known as Cinema City,but which of two of its best known cinemasreigns supreme?

World War GThe zombie apocalypse

comes to Glasgow as

Brad Pitt’s upcoming

film puts our city on the

big screen

If you have been to the cinema lately, you may have seen

the trailer for World War Z, the upcoming zombie horror

film starring Brad Pitt. What many people may not be

aware of is that part of the film was shot in Glasgow.

Summer 2011 saw George Square turned into a post

apocalyptic Philadelphia, complete with

star-spangled banners, US street names and wrecked

American vehicles. The decision to use Glasgow as a

location in a major Hollywood movie may come as a

surprise to some, but Scotland is a popular destination for

many filmmakers. Our country has long been renowned

for its beautiful scenery, and visitors and film

producers alike have flocked here for the breathtaking

lochs and mountains that it boasts. Louise Harris,

Locations Officer for Creative Scotland, said the makers

of World War Z thought Glasgow was the perfect place to

film part of their movie. “The location scout remembered

Glasgow from a visit many years previously and thought

that the city centre grid structure would work as

Philadelphia. Glasgow Film Office worked really hard to

persuade the city and city businesses that filming on that

scale in the middle of the city centre could work.”

Beverley Murray, Marketing and Communications

Executive at the Glasgow Film Office, said some

disruption was caused by World War Z’s filming, with 14

city centre streets being closed, traffic re-routed and

parking suspensions put in place. However, the

inconveniences faced during the filming time ended up

being well worth it, with World War Z bringing

£3.33million to Glasgow’s economy.

World War Z is not the only large production to recently

visit Glasgow - other titles filmed in the city in recent

years include Cloud Atlas with Halle Berry and Under the

Skin with Scarlett Johansson. David Brown, Cloud Atlas’

Scottish Line Producer, credited Glasgow’s famously

friendly reputation as a reason for its use as a location.

“The principle reason for coming to Glasgow is the

welcome that the city gives to filmmakers. We are

overwhelmed by the support and encouragement we

have received from everyone in the city.”

As well as bringing money to the country, the use of

Scotland as a film location has more direct benefits for

Scottish people. Scotland’s film industry provides

permanent jobs to many and filming in the country by

international producers provides temporary work to

Scottish actors and crew. World War Z employed 94 crew

and over 500 extras for their scenes in Glasgow. For one

of these extras, 34-year-old Stephen Pearson from

Lenzie, it was his first foray into the world of acting. “I

went to the open audition in the city centre and a few

weeks later I got a phone call telling me I’d been selected

to play a looter in a New York scene,” Stephen says.

“It was a very long day’s work – about ten to twelve hours

– and there were long periods of standing around until

you were needed, but when we were actually filming it

was fantastic fun.

“Getting to be part of a big-budget Hollywood film isn’t

something I ever thought I’d get a chance to do in

Glasgow, and because so many extras were cast, it was

a fantastic opportunity for a lot of locals.”

Ms Harris adds that Scotland’s use as a location in large

films like World War Z provides a boost to the tourism in-

dustry.

“There is a trend for "set-jetting" - it’s well documented

that tourists will continue to visit a location for many years

after a film has shot, such as the red phone box in the

village of Pennan which was used in Local Hero.”

World War Z will be released in UK cinemas in June of

this year.