Sir Terry Pratchett Q & A – Part One (Autumn 2010)

Aug 232011
 

Terry Practhett portrait by Darren McNaney, freelance illustrator, animator & digital effects artist.


Geekzine Editor Andy Jamieson interviewed Sir Terry Pratchett by phone in September 2010, on the eve of the promotional tour for ‘I Shall Wear Midnight’:

This has to go down as probably one of the happiest, most nerve-wracking moments of my life, interviewing one of my literary heroes. I remember setting up for the interview, as the clock ticked down to the time when I was expecting a phone call from Sir Terry’s agent, making sure my baby daughter was fed & watered and not likely to throw a wobbly or fill her nappy. With her happily entertained, I could at least focus on the job in hand. And it went better than I could have expected. I was originally instructed by email that I would have a limited time talking to Sir Terry so I deliberately structured my questions: a set that I thought it essential to ask, pertaining to his latest book, then I drafted a set of questions that, if there were time, it would be great to ask, and then I came up with a third set consisting of proper geeky-fanboy questions that I would be flippin’ lucky to get to ask. I got to ask all three sets of questions and the interview couldn’t have gone better. Below is the first part of the interview, as featured in issue 7 of the Edinburgh Geekzine, released earlier this year. Enjoy.

Andy

ps -I’d like to thank Clare Hall-Craggs at Doubleday for making it happen.

 

Andy Jamieson: I Shall Wear Midnight is the fourth book to feature Tiffany Aching. What is it you like about her as a character?

Terry Pratchett: Because I could make her grow, most importantly. It’s very beguiling to have a character and never ever change them but Tiffany starts off as a little girl who doesn’t know very much and ends up, more or less, as a woman, and a tough one as well, who has to do an awful lot of difficult and dangerous things. 

AJ: Tiffany undergoes her own kind of Salem-esque witchhunt in your new book.

TP: You could certainly say that was one of the sources.

AJ: Was it an enjoyable challenge turning the inhabitants of the Chalk against Tiffany?

TP: It’s a little comment about how the way people feel can be changed in bad ways, for example, about how rumours can spread and, even if the rumours are untrue, nevertheless, we know that there is no smoke without fire. And so the whole nastiness wretches up, until someone throws a stone at an old woman because she has no teeth and mutters. As a metaphor that kind of thing can happen very easily today.

AJ: Onto the Nac Mac Feegles, who I see as unofficial Discworld ambassadors for the Jacobite-era Highlands…

TP: Ha! I suppose so. For the first Tiffany book, The Wee Free Men, we started the signing tour in Scotland, on the basis that if I survived that it would be a successful tour! In fact everywhere we went in Scotland people seemed to like the Nac Mac Feegle, and we were greeted with pipes and such like. Anyone who reads the Tiffany books knows that the Nac Mac Feegle are kind of a gentle parody of Scotland. Take, for example, Billy Connolly and Rab C. Nesbitt. Whilst people laugh because their performances are extravagant parodies, they are based on the kernel facts. Back to the Feegle, as the Tiffany series moves on, they become, shall we say, more real.

AJ: The clan structure, for example, is intriguing.

TP: Right, yeah. Well, I can’t give too much away in the book, but when the Nac Mac Feegle want to get serious, they can get very  serious indeed.

AJ: Moving into the main Discworld series, the next two scheduled books are Snuff (featuring Sam Vimes) and Raising Taxes (the third Moist von Lipwig book). How far along are these books and what can fans expect?

TP: Raising Taxes is one that is hanging in the air. Snuff, which isn’t quite as scary as it sounds – it’s about the Tobacco industry – is about finished.

AJ: Snuff sees the return of lovable cop, Sam Vimes.

TP: Yes, and he’s by himself for the most part in this one. He’s a copper out of his jurisdiction, which always makes for fun!

AJ: Are there any more plans for Discworld graphic novels and is it a medium that you like?

TP: Well, Neil Gaiman famously started out in graphic novels, and he said that the trouble with the medium is that they’re not exactly a book and they’re not exactly a film. They have certain drawbacks. I don’t think there is anything planned in regards to future Disworld graphic novels. Quite frankly, it’s a struggle to get all the humour in. There isn’t room for all the fine detail that works in the Discworld novels. For example, it’s the occasional small sentence here and there, or a particular line at the end of gag, or whatever it is, that gladly does the job, and you can’t redo that in a graphic novel.

AJ: Also out is the dvd/blu-ray of Going Postal, the third of Sky’s Discworld adaptations (after Hogfather and Colour Of Magic). Are there any further adaptations in the works?

TP: There is another one being planned. If I say that it involves football that might give you a clue which one it is, although I couldn’t possibly say exactly what it is called…

AJ: Out of all your books, are there any in particular that you would like to see filmed, or not filmed?

TP: I really enjoyed writing Monstrous Regiment, because I had a lot of fun doing the research, and it’s one of the books that wrote itself very easily. Because it’s about something quite accessible like the Peninsula War, I think it‘s accessible to people who don’t normally read fantasy. In the same way, for example, that Unseen Academicals, though it has wizards and so forth in it, is about football. And not just about how football is played but how it relates to the community and so on. Social history, almost. I like doing that kind of stuff. And I loved doing the Dwarf fashion show, which is a first I think!

AJ: The Carpet People is still my favourite of all your books. Have you at any time considered doing a sequel to it?

TP: I did once, a long time ago. But I think the answer is: so many books, so little time. And it was good as it was. Things that I would have put in the sequel have eventually appeared in the Discworld in other guises. In terms of getting things done, I was surprised at one point, whilst writing Snuff, that I was producing two thousand words a day, which is quite fast. I’ve not been writing that quickly for a long time.

AJ: Have you and Neil Gaiman ever talked about working together again?

TP: Well, we kind of did. You see, when we finished Good Omens we were all hot for doing a sequel, or so we thought. And both of us were working on things that could go into this sequel, and then I think one day one of us said “You know, I’m not certain we have to do a sequel,” and it turned out that neither of us really wanted to do a sequel but we both thought that the other guy did so we let it play along. I think the world is better served with us both doing our separate thing than the two of us doing a joint thing. Also, it’s down to schedules. Back in those days Neil Gaiman was hardly the Neil Gaiman of today and I was barely Terry Pratchett, and nobody cared, if you see what I mean. And now both of us live in a world where we are in constant demand for a number of reasons and just finding the time to do a collaboration properly would be difficult…

To be continued…

 

Andy Jamieson, Editor 

The concluding part of this interview will be featured in issue 8 of the Edinburgh Geekzine, and on this website, on or around November 2011.

To read Andy’s review of I Shall Wear Midnight, click here.

 

 

 

 

Arrietty (U)

Aug 232011
 

Arrietty (U)

Released in the UK on 29th july 2011. Running time: 94 mins approx.

Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, screenplay written by Hayao Miyazaki & Keiko Niwa, based upon The Borrowers by Mary Norton

Voice cast: Saoirse Ronan, Mark Strong, Olivia Colman, Tom Holland, Geraldine McEwan & Phyllida Law

The latest offering from Studio Ghibli (all together now; pronounced Jib-lee) is a return to form after the hit-and-miss of Ponyo. Adapted from the Mary Norton’s children’s classic, The Borrowers, the self-titular Arrietty (voiced by Saoirse Ronan) lives with her parents, Pod (voiced by Mark Strong) and Homily (Olivia Colman) Clock, in a house in the countryside. And this would be quite normal were it not for the fact that they are all tiny wee folk, standing a few inches tall; they are the Borrowers. They eke out a contented existence in the human world, ‘borrowing’ small items from their erstwhile landlords, always just enough to suffice their needs, and never more. But this comfortable life is threatened when a sickly young boy, Sho (voiced by Tom Holland) arrives at the house to stay with his grandmother, Sadako (Phyllida Law), and her meddlesome housekeeper, Haru (Geraldine McEwan).

At the start of the film, Arrietty is just celebrating her 14th birthday – she has come of age and is about to embark on her first ‘borrow’ with her robust and resilient father, Pod. It’s whilst on this first expedition that we really get a feel for the life of a borrower; the animators have captured the wonder of the human world as seen from the perspective of someone who is only a few inches high. A sugar cube is that rarest of luxuries and it is the acquisition of one for Arrietty’s mother, Homily, that ultimately puts the entire family Clock in jeopardy. Arrietty is seen by the young boy, Sho. Over the course of the first half of the film, they strike up an unlikely friendship, a bittersweet relationship that carries through to the film’s climax. The appearance of another borrower, the feral Spiller, who saves Arrietty’s father, Pod, raises the question amongst the Clock family – where are all the other borrowers? Spiller does not know, and earlier on Pod and Homily refer to neighbours who used to live in the same human house, who moved on. It is one later exchange between Sho and Arrietty that the sick boy delivers a despairing verdict on the future of the borrowers: they are destined to die out. It’s the bleakest point of the film and ultimately defines the story. When the end comes, it is sad but hopeful. It is hard not to feel that Sho is perhaps right.

Studio Ghibli, and the debut director at the film’s helm (although a veteran key animator at SG), have produced a superb adventure film, suitable for all the family. I think that this is perhaps the studio’s strongest film since Spirited Away. It is a beautiful spectacle and a good, timely reminder of the power of 2D animation in these CGI/3D dominated days. the detail of the human’s house and of the Clock family’s secret domain is intricately captured; water trickles in mammoth globules, and rodents haven’t looked this sinister since Nimh. The countryside surrounding the house is lush and vibrant – no one recreates the beauty of the natural world and its splendour quite like the craftsmen at Studio Ghibli.

The dubbed voice cast is eclectic and strong throughout (and curiously varies between the US and UK versions; Will Arnett, for example, voices Pod in the US version). Saoirse Ronan’s Arrietty is, thankfully, the standout performer; so much of the film relies on the emotion carried in her voice, and Ronan delivers near faultless character work.

In conclusion: A wonderful adventure movie that should appeal to all. This is a return to form for Studio Ghibli, who seem to have found their next directing star in Hiromasa Yonebayashi who, on this form, is a worthy, long-term successor to Hayao Miyazaki’s legacy.

Andy Jamieson, Editor

Blade Runner 2?

Aug 222011
 

It’s been talked about for years but it appears that a sequel to Blade Runner is now a reality.

It was announced earlier this week that Alcon Entertainment, who acquired the franchise rights to Blade Runner earlier this year, are planning to bring a new film to the screen – and they’ve only gone and got Sir Ridley Scott on board. That’s what makes me so intrigued. Blade Runner is clearly a labour of love for Scott; he has overseen numerous edits, even shooting new footage for the recent Final Cut, and has often spoken of his fondness for his third feature, released to disastrous box office in 1982 but since acknowledged, and quite rightly, as one of the most influential SF films of all time.

So how did this happen?

Andrew Kosove, the producer in charge of the project / company spokesperson chatted to the LA Times about the news earlier this week and revealed that Sir Ridley’s involvement was down to Alcon Entertainment’s pitch. What concerns me is that Kosove hasn’t been too precise about the nature of this film – is it a sequel? Prequel? Thankfully Alcon have confirmed, according to the LA Times, that it “definitively won’t be a remake”. Phew. That’s something at least, right?

I can see room for a film set within the same ‘universe’ as the original. If anyone can do it, it is Sir Ridley. There are the three sequel novels written by K.W. Jeter, that were released to mixed reviews (Blade Runner 2: The Edge of Human, BR 3: Replicant Night, and BR 4: Eye And Talon), which explored some interesting corners of the Blade Runner world, mainly involving the Tyrell family. I thought they were pretty good, particularly Replicant Night. Jeter was actually a friend of Philip K. Dick (who wrote the original novel that BR was adapted from), so perhaps it might be worth at least consulting him on the project, hmm? (Won’t happen, me thinks)

This news does make Scott’s next film, Prometheus, a more intriguing project, being as it is a kind of Alien prequel. Will the new BR film be a similar concept?

(Btw, I would love someone to finally finish off the film series with a direct fifth movie – some kind of Alien : War style plot. Alien Resurrection is not the way the series should be capped…)

Shooting isn’t likely to begin on the  new Blade Runner until 2013 or 2014 but a script is already in discussion. I’d like to see original screenwriters Hampton Fancher and David Peoples return to the BR world that they helped shape. (Again, won’t happen)

My prediction: expect William Monahan, whom Scott has worked with twice of late, to be involved at some point.

And no Harrison Ford involvement apparently…

 

Andy ‘Batty’ Jamieson, Editor

Frank Darabont leaves The Walking Dead

Aug 222011
 

Those of you who are fans of Frank Darabont and his latest project, The Walking Dead, will already be aware of this news. It was announced towards the end of July that Darabont has stepped down as the big boss of the show, just as shooting on the second season (scheduled for 13 episodes) reaches its halfway point. What is weird about this announcement is that Darabont has given no reason for his decision (in public, anyway). And it’s strange that he jump from a project that he campaigned for long and hard.

Darabont had recently hired Glen Mazzara, a veteran tv producer (check him out on IMDb, he has a stack of experience), to assist on the second season. I suspect Mazzara will oversee the rest of the shoot and, hopefully, the quality will not suffer for Darabont’s absence.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first season (particularly the first and last episodes) and have high hopes for the second season, which is due to air in the states on the 16th October.

 

Andy Jamieson, Editor

Captain America: The First Avenger (12A)

Aug 212011
 

Captain America: The First Avenger (12A)

Released in the UK 29th July 2011. Running Time: 124 mins.

Directed by Joe Johnston, written by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely

(based on the comics by Joe Simon & Jack Kirby)

Starring: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Tommy Lee Jones, Toby Jones, Dominic Cooper & Stanley Tucci

 

This is a solid and entertaining attempt at bringing another classic Marvel comics character to the big screen, following in the success of Thor and the Iron Man movies. And quite a big improvement on the last Captain America movie from 1990…

The plot is quite straightforward and adheres to the superhero origin story template. At the height of WW2, Steve Rogers, a wee twig of a man (a lollipop’d headed CGI’d Chris Evans) is determined to sign up to fight the Nazis, despite his physical limitations. After numerous failed attempts, Stanley Tucci’s mysterious Dr. Abraham Erskine sees Steve’s potential, selecting him on his moral character for his top-secret project: the super soldier program, Project Rebirth, co-created with Dominic Cooper’s entrepreneur, Howard Stark (yup, father of Tony, the Iron Man).

After lots of flashes of lightning and many levers being pulled, we have a big n’ beefy Steve Rogers (a pumped-up Chris Evans). Throw in a Nazi spy (Richard Armitage – soon to be seen leading a band of dwarves as Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit movies), some timed explosives, and we get to see Steve in action.

(And, by the way, poison gas teeth are a gimmick most welcome on screen. They tend to make for very amusing death scenes!)

So, Captain America is born.

This is a lavish film that straddles two genres – superhero movie and war movie – equally well. It is a busy film and packs a lot into its two hours running time, sometimes at the expense of character development. This is to be expected, as the cast is pretty huge.

In this latter regard, Cap’s sidekick, Bucky Barnes, is reasonably well fleshed out (by Sebastian Stan), but the Howling Commandos (never actually named in the film) are recognisable; Neal McDonough’s Dum Dum Dugan is a wasted opportunity but grabs his scenes with relish.

Hugo Weaving fares better, as Cap’s nemesis, Dr. Johan Schmidt (aka The Red Skull), head of the Nazi’s science division, Hydra. In the crucial opening scene, Weaving’s mad doc discovers an ancient Asgardian artefact (linking nicely into Thor, for those paying attention) that offers the Nazis a potent source of power.

It’s interesting to note that Weaving and his Hydra cronies wear no Nazi iconography at all, which seems quite unusual. It’s a style choice that works, but at times it is easy to forget that the Cap is actually smashing Nazis.

The rest of the cast shine in perfectly shaped supporting roles; Tommy Lee Jones as Colonel Chester Phillips gets some great lines and grizzles his way through the movie in reliable fashion; Hayley Atwell dazzles as Agent Peggy Carter; Dominic Cooper, despite murdering an American accent, exploits the most out of his role as Howard Stark; and Toby Jones as Weaving’s sidekick, Dr. Arnim Zola, plays the fine line between duped accomplice and slimy stooge.

But the strength of Captain America is also its chief flaw: Steve Rogers himself. Chris Evans was an unusual choice, given his prior dabbling in the Marvel waters with his role in the two Fantastic Four movies. Surprise casting, yes, and Evans leads the line well. Whilst his Rogers is instantly likeable and engaging, he is the epitome of honourable idealism. And he kind of stays that way through the entire movie. Next to Downey’s Tony Stark, and even Hemsworth’s Thor, Cap seems a little, well… like a typical superhero. There just isn’t the complex layering of character that Favreau’s Iron Man, for example, possesses.

Captain America is a great looking movie, with lush and evocative period production design and lighting. Director Joe Johnston handles the action & story with gusto; there is at no point a let up. It is a very solidly structured movie.

The ending creaks a little but nicely pays homage to the comic-book source material (spoiler alert: involving ice). The final scenes do smack of being tagged on, and are inevitable given that this film ultimately serves a purpose as a semi-prequel to the forthcoming Avengers movie, due next year. Stick around after the credits for a teaser trailer for that movie, revealing approximately squat about its plot, but enough to promise that it should be fun. How Joss Whedon goes about balancing all those characters in one movie is anyone’s guess. Good luck to him.

In conclusion: A cracking adventure movie that successfully splices WW2 adventure with superhero dramatics. A fun night out.

Andy Jamieson, Editor

 

 

 

 

Machete (Blu-ray rental)

Aug 192011
 

Machete (18)

2011. 105 mins approx.

Directed by Ethan Maniquis & Robert Rodriguez, and written by Robert Rodriguez & Alvaro Rodriguez

Starring: Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Jeff Fahey, and Robert De Niro

Ok, let’s start with the good things: the original Grindhouse trailer for Machete was great, and really took advantage of Danny Trejo’s edgy cool. So we have a potentially good premise, albeit slight.

The film has an impressive cast list, although some would replace the word ‘impressive’ for ‘poop’. But I’ll lump for the former. Rodriguez has a knack for eliciting good performances out of the most unlikely of sources, so it was with peculiar excitement, and not fear, that I glanced over the cast list to see the likes of Steven Seagal, Jeff Fahey, Don Johnson, and Lindsay Lohan had been recruited. After all, let us not forget that Robert Rodriguez gave Mickey Rourke one of the roles of his career in Sin City.

Individually, everyone does a decent job, but with no one really excelling. No, scratch that, Jeff Fahey pretty much steals the movie. And that isn’t something that gets written a lot these days. He plays it cool and doesn’t resort to histrionic over-acting. Most of the time.

The blu-ray quality is crisp, the sound is BANG on, but those factors can’t hide that this is a bit of a turkey. It’s too long, the plot goes for a politico-revolution vibe which detracts from what initially shapes up to be a schlocky revenge fable; the wobbly political angle, involving the smuggling of illegal Mexican immigrants, derails the proceedings.

And, criminally, Trejo is wasted. His action scenes are mint, but there just aren’t enough quality set-pieces for the man to wade through. Instead he has to contend with either being a conduit for ropey exposition or has to deal with batting away cameo appearances from the rest of the cast list.

What should have been a Grindhouse-esque blast turns out to be a big disappointment. It’s hard to recommend this movie, and I’m generally a fan of Rodriguez. Just put on Sin City again and save yourself the bother.

Andy Jamieson, Editor

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