Der ner, der ner, derner derner derner!

Note: the above title is my attempt at putting words to the Jaws score. Thoughts? Mine are: epic fail. So, new Aussie thriller The Reef is out on Thursday and to sate your sharky appetites, here’s my video REVIEW of the film. Just a few scrolls down is my exclusive chat with the film’s star Damian Walshe-Howling, but if you want a walk down memory lane you can read my equally exclusive chats with writer/director Andrew Traucki here and with co-star Gyton Grantley here.

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A Howling tough shoot

Australian actor Damian Walshe-Howling is pretty proud of his latest film, The Reef, and so he should be - it nearly cost him his life. Shot in Hervey Bay last year, the film follows a group of people who try to swim to a nearby island after their boat capsizes at sea. To add to the situation, they're being stalked by a Great White Shark. But it wasn't a ferocious, man-eating shark that brought the Underbelly actor so close to his deathbed.
``The most dramatic aspect of the shoot was I stepped on a stonefish which is, like, one of the most poisonous creatures in the ocean and can kill you in less than two hours,'' he said.
``I can talk about it now as this great heroic story, but the whole shoot was shut down and I was rushed to hospital.
``I was talking to a cast member in Los Angeles and she was saying how my eyes were rolling into the back of my head and she thought `oh my God, he's going to die.''

Suffice to say Walshe-Howling lived to fight another day, or shark, and is busy promoting the film ahead of its Australian release date on Thursday, March 17. The Reef is another creature feature from the man behind crocodile thriller Black Water, Andrew Traucki, and the writer/director put his actors through an ``intense'' filming schedule.
``It was an extremely intense shoot,'' Walshe-Howling said.
``We were pretty water-logged and even though we were shooting in warm Queensland, after you're in the water for more that two hours it starts to get really cold.
``And we were in there for hours on end every day.
``Each of us at one point had a mild case of hypothermia.'' The film also stars fellow Underbelly alumni Gyton Grantley, as well as Adrienne Pickering and Zoe Naylor. The low-budget thriller also incorporates real shark footage, filmed by Traucki and his team in Port Lincoln. As a keen surfer, Walshe-Howling said The Reef hasn't put him off the water, but he's certainly more aware of what's lurking underneath.
``I love surfing, but the ocean is their (sharks) domain,'' he said.
``They're one of the most beautiful creatures in the world and one of the oldest creatures in the ocean, but I wouldn't want to be eating lunch with one.
``If you're stepping into that domain you have to realise that's a possibility.
``It would be a horrible way to die though.
``I don't have a phobia of sharks, but sometimes when I'm in the water you just get that feeling where you think you need to get out of the water quickly, that instinct.''

The Reef opens in cinemas on Thursday, March 17.

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Reaching the Pinnacle

Richard Sheffield has a vision. The Head Of Film at Gold Coast-based Pinnacle Films wants to see the distribution company become a major force in the Australian independent film industry. And there's no reason it can't. With a Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts vehicle under its belt following highly talked about releases such as The Reef (above) and Drive, it's only a matter of time.
``The idea is to set up a major independent film distribution company on the Gold Coast,'' Sheffield said.
``Film distribution and exhibition is mainly controlled out of Sydney and Melbourne, but there's no reason why we can't do it here as well.
``This industry is about getting it right 51 per cent of the time and if you can do that, you're ahead of the game.
``You know that you're always going to buy films that won't work and films that will, but the wonderful thing about this business is you can have nine duds and then the 10th one comes along and makes up for it.''

A branch of All Interactive Distribution (AID) a DVD and games business, which unsuccessfully attempted to move into theatrical under its own name three years ago Pinnacle Films is Australia's newest name in distribution. Instead of only releasing DVD titles, Sheffield said the company is now aiming to release eight to 10 theatrical pictures a year. Since joining the company in June last year, Sheffield, a highly experienced distributor, has been busy attending the world's most prestigious film festivals, including Cannes and Berlin, to snap up new titles. They include Pinnacle's prize release for this year, Larry Crowne, starring, written and directed by Tom Hanks. The film also stars Julia Roberts and My Big Fat Greek Wedding's Nia Vardalos, who co-wrote the screenplay.Sheffield said Larry Crowne (above) will be the company's first title to secure a widespread studio release in both art-house cinemas and multiplexes nationwide. Pinnacle's slate also includes Chinese-American film Snow Flower and The Secret Fan, starring Hugh Jackman; underworld action flick Drive, starring Oscar nominees Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan; The Hole 3D, directed by Gremlins filmmaker Joe Dante; and The Bang Bang Club, the true story of four photographers documenting the last days of apartheid, starring Ryan Phillippe, Taylor Kitsch and Malin Akerman. Pinncale will also distribute Australian films The Reef, starring Gyton Grantley; documentary Cane Toads: The Conquest 3D; and the animated family film Oakie's Outback Adventure.

After decades in the industry, Sheffield said he was yet to crack the secret to selecting a successful ``commercial picture''.
``It's all about the story the story has to work and we read lots of scripts,'' he said.
``We buy a lot of properties on scripts and if we believe in the script and we believe in the package that is, the director and the key cast we will take it on.''

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BIFFing around

Tis’ the season for two awesome film festivals within a ridiculously close distance to me. While the Gold Coast Film Festival kicks off tomorrow night, the Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF) got a rockin’ when it opened on the weekend. There is seriously a colossal collection of international, Aussie, foreign language and classic flicks playing and I will mention only a few here.

A major highlight for me is the film that took this year's Sundance by storm - Blue Valentine (above). The low-budget indie flick stars Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling as a dysfunctional married couple and features a score by indie rock favourites Grizzly Bear. There’s a meaty line-up of Australia features in store including shark thriller The Reef and Red Hill, starring True Blood hunk Ryan Kwanten, Claire van der Boom and Steve Bisley. Kwanten and writer/director Patrick Hughes will introduce the film and I will be interviewing them on Friday so stay peeled.

Other flicks include the shock hit from Cannes, Leap Year, Venice Film Festival award-winner Life During Wartime, political thriller Fair Game starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn, gay romantic comedy I Love You Phillip Morris with Jim Carey and Ewan McGregor and the acclaimed Welcome To The Rileys starring Kristen Stewart and The Sopranos James Gandolfini.

Going out with a bang, BIFF wraps up on Sunday, November 14 with animated kids flick Megamind, the legendary John Woo's latest actioner Reign Of Assassins and Sofia Coppola's charming Somewhere.

For the full BIFF line-up, ticket prices and session times visit HERE

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The coast with the most

Today marks one week until the Gold Coast Film Festival and from Hollywood and horror, to Adrian Grenier and Australiana, this year's event is shaping up to be huuuuuuge. There are 30 films screening across the six-day along with showcases, workshops and a free outdoor program.

Opening the festival is Australian film Wasted On The Young, which examines adolescent cruelty in a high school setting. The stylish first feature from writer/director Ben C. Lucas is shaping up to be one of the best Aussie films of the year and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in August. Other Australian films playing include thriller Red Hill (above), which is fresh off a screening at the Berlin International Film Festival and stars True Blood's Ryan Kwanten, and The Reef, which follows a group of people being stalked by a Great White Shark after their boat capsizes.Also screening is womantic comedy Jucy, which screened at Toronto and tells the story of two Brisbane girls working at a video store. The independent flick has been getting plenty of buzz from Hollywood with industry bible Variety listing it as one of the 15 must-see films for film executives. The international line-up at this year's Gold Coast Film Festival is fronted by Entourage star Adrian Grenier's documentary Teenage Paparazzo (above) which will have its Queensland premiere at the festival. Woody Harrelson's Oscar-nominated performance in The Messenger will play along with Agora, starring Rachel Weisz, and The Doors music documentary When You're Strange, narrated by Johnny Depp. Sci-fi flick Monsters and drama Main Street, starring Colin Firth and Orlando Bloom, will also play.

Hollywood horror screenwriter Todd Farmer (below), the wordsmith behind hits such as My Bloody Valentine and the upcoming Nicolas Cage vehicle Drive Angry 3D, will be conducting a free screenwriting workshop during the festival. Producers Chris Adams and Steve Kearney, the founders behind industry consultation company Adams Kearney, will also be leading an interactive key note address as part of a mini conference on Bringing Australian Stories to Hollywood.

This year's anime showcase will feature a free workshop conducted by three of the world's leading anime and manga filmmakers - Noritaka Kawaguchi, Jun Awazu and Ushio Tazawa. There will also be screenings of new release anime films Evangelion 2.0, Summer War, Redline and King Of Thorn. Other events include an outdoor program of family films at Broadwater Parklands and a program of Asia Pacific Screen Award nominated films. The Gold Coast Film Festival is on from Wednesday, November 10 to Tuesday, November 16 at Australia Fair Birch Carroll and Coyle Cinemas. Tickets are available here and for more info, vist the website.

Naturally, I will be covering the event and all the related goodness, so stay posted for exclusive interviews, reviews and red carpet razzle `n dazzle. In the lead up to the event I will also be chucking out some festival features about specific films screening, to get you uber excited. Oh, and just quietly, I have been sworn to secrecy but I happen to know there are BIG Hollywood stars heading along to help promote a certain 3D shark film. I shall say no more.

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Just keep swimming, just keep swimming . . . .

Imagine being stalked by a ferocious Great White Shark in open water, with your only refuge the hull of the capsized boat you were sailing on. Do you wait to be rescued? Or take your chances and try and swim to shore? The answer could be the difference between life and death and filmmaker Andrew Traucki brings this terrifying scenario to the big screen in his upcoming film The Reef (a scene from the film, above).

Filmed earlier this year in Hervey Bay, Traucki said he was determined to use real sharks in the film and not `just some actor in a suit’.
“I’m a great believer that in any film the villains have to be very real and believable,” he said.
“Not that I think sharks are evil, but they’re in the way of our heroes.
“There’s nothing worse than a film when you watch it and realise the creature isn’t real.
“I was compelled to have real crocodiles in my previous film Black Water and to have real sharks in The Reef.
“Jaws is a great movie but in that last scene when you see the shark eating the man you can see the rubber figure and it’s really dated.
“So we used wild sharks that we filmed in Port Lincoln from the boat and inside a cage.”

The Reef is Traucki’s second feature film after the critically acclaimed Black Water which saw three people stalked by a crocodile. Traucki said although he is now ready to move on from `creature features’ what attracted him to both projects were the real stories behind the terror.
“There’s a common link because both are based on true, Australian stories,” he said.
“I’m fascinated by survival thrillers and wondering what I would do.
“I’m into thrillers, not horror.
“For me it’s the anticipation of the event rather than the actual event.
“Sure, it’s about a shark and people trying to escape but it’s more about where is the shark, what is it doing, is it coming for us . . . it’s about he psychology of it.”

The Reef is one of 30 films that is screening at the Gold Coast Film Festival next week and stars Underbelly alumni Gyton Grantley and Damien Walshe-Howling as two members of the unlucky group. Traucki said he hopes the film will find an Aussie audience, as it has already been sold overseas and selected to screen at the prestigious South Korean Pusan Film festival and in Spain at The Sitges Film Festival.

An online community has already started rallying around the film after a day of shooting was streamed online at The Reef website.
``It was a world-first I believe,'' said Traucki.
``No one has ever streamed the making of a film live before and more than 10,000 people went online to watch.
``We always love the behind-the-scenes footage on DVDs, so we thought why not have it while we are making the film?
``It was a very hard, very gruelling shoot from my point of view and it was the same for the actors.
``Being in the water for 10 hours a day, six days a week . . .people aren't meant to be in the water that long and you go pruney and odd.''

In other news, when I was in Egypt last month pirated copies of Traucki's first film Black Water were being sold everywhere. And I mean everywhere! Which I found very intersting, considering it was a relatively small film here in Australia.

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Exclusive interview with Gyton Grantley

From the Melbourne gangland war to the Balibo 5, Aussie actor Gyton Grantley (above) isn’t afraid to take on important Australian stories. His latest film, Beneath Hill 60, is no different. A dramatic retelling of a group of Australian miners who dug under the German trenches in World War I, I spoke to Grantley about the film and a bunch of other topics last week.

Movie Mazzupial: First of all, it’s lovely to speak to you Gyton, I’m quite a big fan.
Gyton Grantley: Aw, well thanks, that’s nice to hear.

MM: Now, I saw Beneath Hill 60 and loved it, I thought it was a great Aussie war film. What was it like to be part of that project?
GG: It was incredible and eye-opening. I learnt a lot about our history by doing it and I gained a new found respect for those men. Shooting was hard, it was a tough job.We were either waste deep in mud in the middle of the night or it was the middle of a hot Townsville day in these tunnels with men all over you.

MM: Geez, that sounds almost homoerotic.
GG: (Laughs) Well, not quite.

MM: Was there anything in particular about the character that attracted you or were you more interested in the story?
GG: I just wanted to be part of the story. I loved my character Norman Morris, he's dark with a great sense of humour, but he wasn't afraid to call it as it was when times were horrible. But it was more about being part of the story and personally, for me, just learning more about what these blokes went through.

MM: What was it like on set with everyone, trying to get into this terrible situation and the mind set of these men?
GG: One of the greatest things about the Australian digger was the mateship and how they rallied together. When they were away from home in these terrible conditions, they become each others family. And you can draw that comparison between the cast too because we were away from home and had to rely on each other. There was a great camaraderie between us.

MM: So, would you say it’s important for Australians to see this story, especially coming up to Anzac Day?
GG: It's extremely important that Australians see this story, not just because of its relevance to Anzac Day, but as I'm getting older I see it's so important for the younger generations to realise what these men gave up for us. And it's just such a unique story. I had no idea this war was waging beneath the ground.MM: From Carl Williams (above), to Balibo (below) and now WWI, is it something about important Australian stories that attracts you to these roles?
GG: I guess I’m learning what with this incredible run of work I’m getting is that some of the best stories told are the real ones. In terms of Australian stories, I’m Australian and love acting my accent. They are fascinating stories that fuel the passion for our country.

MM: So tell me about The Reef, you guys have finished shooting that now and it’s in post-production, yeah?
GG: Yeah, we shot that in Hervey Bay earlier in the year.

MM: I imagine that would have been another intense shoot for you?
GG: It was another hard shoot. We spent all day, 10 hours a day in the water. That might sound exciting, I was excited as I'm a water baby myself, but after a few hours it's not even about the prunes...you begin pruning on the inside. It was another challenge I really enjoyed and a different type of genre.

MM: Just quickly, I loved Being Carl Williams, I thought it was a very dark and humourous little short film. Is that something important to you, whilst doing feature films and TV that you can do a few short film side projects?
GG: Actually, that wasn’t so much of a side project. Abe Forsythe, the director, is a great friend of mine and he finally won Tropfest this year. Besides being a genius actor, he’s a very talented writer and directed. I loved to see him have success. I wouldn’t call it a small thing on the side, I read the script and it was a great script, I wanted to be involved. I have a lot of friends who are artists and in the industry so I like to do a lot of different things with them. This year I helped out with the animation short film One and I sat there for a few days with bit bits of glue and making a world for these guys to crawl around in.

MM: Once the press tour is over for Beneath Hill 60, what’s the next project for you? Are you going to try and crack Hollywood or something?
GG: Ah, well I’ll be promoting this and then The Reef. There’s a couple of films that are on the blotter but I can’t mention just yet and we’re shooting a second season of 30 Seconds. Then I'm going to go to LA and have a look around. I don't know what I'm expecting, it's all new to me, the world of Hollywood. I'm not 19 and blonde, which is what they're after, but hopefully there's someone who recognises my talent and believes in me.

MM: Is there anyone in particular, in Hollywood or here in Australia that you’re dying to work with?
GG: There are lots of great friends I’m longing to do films with so let me just answer it this way: every job I’ve done I’ve met and learnt of incredibly talented and experienced Australian actors. There’s such a wealth of talent out there and such a huge pool of talented people that I just look forward to the opportunities that hopefully might come my way. MM: And finally, what are some of your favourite movies?
GG: Tough question. I recently saw Up and that was one of the most inspiring films I’ve seen and it was great to get that out of an animation. Pulp Fiction is really cool, What Dreams May Come, most things by the Coen brothers, um….this is really tough. I guess you can’t answer that question, it’s like comparing one painting to another: they’re telling different stories and I find it hard to compare.

MM: Awesome, well thanks for your time Gyton and I hope a lot of people get out there and see the film.
GG: Cheers, thanks Maria, me too.

Beneath Hill 60 opens in cinemas this Thursday, April 15.

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