Land of the Luvvies
A little while ago, I told you about a film being made around these parts. Loosely based on Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd, the story centres around Tamara Drewe, whose comic strip adventures were told by Posy Simmonds in The Guardian.
It's been directed by Stephen Frears and stars Bond Girl Gemma Arterton (pictured below in the TV role of Tess of the D'Urbervilles):
and Mamma Mia eye candy Dominic Cooper (seen here in the role of Willoughby but described by the press as the New Mr Darcy):
For some, the film has been the biggest thing since locals tapped into the Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Whisky Galore barrel. Thousands have been made by those switched on enough to let their homes to cast and crew.
Others I know have also made a pretty penny, contracted to provide services to the stars. And all of us have seen the vehicles roaring through and the coded signs springing up on lamp-posts here there and everywhere. This is the one three strides away from my house:
Are we bothered? No, not really. There was excitement for about five minutes but then other priorities took over - the fate of the village post office for example, the number of articulated lorries getting stuck in the square and trailer loads of potatoes going over the speed bumps.
But if this British film is the hit it is hoped for, who knows the spin-offs that could emerge?
More bloody Londoners moving in.
That's about it
Love Maddie x
It's been directed by Stephen Frears and stars Bond Girl Gemma Arterton (pictured below in the TV role of Tess of the D'Urbervilles):
and Mamma Mia eye candy Dominic Cooper (seen here in the role of Willoughby but described by the press as the New Mr Darcy):
For some, the film has been the biggest thing since locals tapped into the Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Whisky Galore barrel. Thousands have been made by those switched on enough to let their homes to cast and crew.
Others I know have also made a pretty penny, contracted to provide services to the stars. And all of us have seen the vehicles roaring through and the coded signs springing up on lamp-posts here there and everywhere. This is the one three strides away from my house:
Are we bothered? No, not really. There was excitement for about five minutes but then other priorities took over - the fate of the village post office for example, the number of articulated lorries getting stuck in the square and trailer loads of potatoes going over the speed bumps.
But if this British film is the hit it is hoped for, who knows the spin-offs that could emerge?
More bloody Londoners moving in.
That's about it
Love Maddie x
The BBC filmed a TV series in Beaminster in the 1980s. They were on location there for two months. All the local businesses thrived and our takings in the pub trebled.
ReplyDeleteVery positive spin offs.
I've met Dominic Cooper! Not that he noticed.
ReplyDeleteLots of movie-making in these parts too - little neon-coloured arrows on all the telephone posts. I know that there's supposed to be economic spin-off, but we don't see it up here.
ReplyDeleteOps....hope they don't take over too much...but nice male eye candy.
ReplyDeleteAs well as economic benefits there was a lot of romancing with local girls as the film crew, set builders, minor actors, caterers had plenty of money to chuck about to impress the girls. A couple of new babies too.
ReplyDeleteThere was an actor called Ray Smith who would get so drunk he'd orate Shakespeare with a Birmingham accent in the bar at lunchtimes. He had a fling with a female customer and they'd slope off together and she'd come back to the pub later full of vodka and her neat, back combed hairdo flat as a pancake at the back.
And sometimes there was hay stuck to the hair lacquer. I'll stop now.
ReplyDeleteSounds like fun! We've had a few movies made around here recently too - just small things (Robin Hood, Harry Potter...) I always feel a bit maternally proud of the area when they come. (Which is why I was at the Botanic Garden today looking at the tardis - star struck!)
ReplyDeleteI'm still stuck at Dominic Cooper playing *Mr. Darcy* when in my mind he'll always be the wretched cad Willoughby in "Sense & Sensibility". Wonder if he ever forgot during filming which Austen character he was supposed to be? After all, the costumes would look much the same for either. ;D
ReplyDeleteJama, you are absolutely right. My mistake, because the press were calling him The New Mr Darcy. Yeuch. Anyway, I've annoyingly changed the post to amend the error! Oh the beauty of internet publishing.
ReplyDelete