|
 |
| Ned
Kelly Movie Gossip |
|
| movies > ned
kelly 2003 > movie gossip |
|
20 NOV 2002
ADVANCED SCREENING OF NED KELLY
Harry and Little Hobbit Foot
source: aint-it-cool-news.com
Hey folks, Harry here with a very very advance test screening of
NED KELLY, a film that isn't due out till late Spring 2003, possibly early
summer for us in the U.S. I haven't seen a domestic release date yet. Overall,
this review describes a very rough print, it sounds like a rough assembly -
where they screened it to see what is working and what isn't, to aide with
the editting process. However, there does sound like there's a good movie here,
if they put it together right. I've a feeling that the final score is going
to be VERY VERY key to this one coming off. Here ya go...
Hi Harry, a relatively new reader but big time fan here. Tonight, by sheer luck
and coincidence I was able to get into a test screening of the new Heath Ledger
movie, "Ned Kelly", in London. I'm a kiwi from Middle Earth, I mean,
New Zealand, so I know the basic story behind Australia's most famous outlaw
(or folk hero, depending on who you speak to). I haven't heard too much about
this film except that that Heath needs to complete this before he can go on to
Mad Max 4 (if THAT ever happens).This is my first review so I'll try to keep
it simple and spoiler free:We were given the usual introduction to this film
as being a work in progress. Some effects were not complete and there were even
shots still waiting to be filmed in the British Parliament (we were treated to
stills for that segment). I was quite chuffed when it was mentioned that this
was the first public screening. But enough about that, you're reading this because
you want to know about the movie!The movie itself defiantly feels like a work
in progress. The pacing is a little off and the movie flowed like it was a bunch
of acts just pasted together. We open in Australia and almost immediately I was
thrown by Heath Ledger's terrible Irish accent. Even Orlando Bloom couldn't save
himself with his "to be sure" and "top-of-the-morning" quotes.
I don't think he even knew where his dialect originated.We meet Ned when he commits
his first crime and after a scuffle with a dodgy copper he ends up in prison
for 3 years. Two minutes later he's out of the slammer and we're introduced to
his family who are just trying to make headway with their lives. From there we
learn the all of the coppers are a cowardly lot who abuse their power when it
suits them. We establish Ned's relationships with his friends (who later form
the Kelly gang) and we get almost meaningless tongue action with Naomi Watts'
character, Julia Cook.
Naomi's total screen time is about
10 minutes. She could almost be left out of
this film entirely except for one small plot
element and that could be explained away elsewhere.
She definitely doesn't do anything that warrants
a third billing. I couldn't understand why
her character was attracted to Ned or felt
any loyalty to him (unless he was REALLY good
shag).
So from there, a copper tells some lies, Ned
becomes a wanted man and his Mother ends up in
the slammer. We're then treated to a tasty shootout
in the bush where the Kelly's kill some constables.
I think we're supposed to feel that Ned was a
man pushed into this position but I'm still struggling
with that damn dodgy accent. From then on the
Kelly gang is wanted dead or alive and we start
seeing who their real friends are. Anyone with
half a brain can see who's going to betray Ned
and his pals but we've got to wait a half hour
or so for that. In the mean time we get treated
to a humorous bank robbery and seduction. Ned
also finds some time to pen a letter to the government
demanding justice. I think the writer was hoping
for a Bravehearty "Sons of Scotland" speech,
but we end up with an ID4 "we will not go
quietly into the night?."The police call
in Superintendent Hare (Geoffrey Rush) who is
another faceless character that we just don't
see enough of. He had potential to be someone
we could hate as much as The Patriots? Colonel
Tavington but I don't think he utters more than
5 lines. He certainly did nothing memorable except
get a bunch of coppers together for the Kelly
gang's last stand.The final shootout could have
been so much more. But we get a rushed job. Maybe
it was because I new how this one would end and
it seemed that the ten minutes of gun fire we're
treated to was just delaying the inevitable.
So, what happens? The gang put on their armour
and show off how good it is by standing defiantly
in-front of 300 coppers who don't have the common
sense to shoot out their legs or other exposed
body parts. They then return fire briefly and
go back inside the pub they were hiding out in.
The coppers show little regard for the hostages
inside and proceed to tear up place forcing Ned
to make a sacrifice. This was my favourite scene.
Not Ned's stupid move but how Dan and Steve (Ned's
little buds) deal with their impending doom.
Dan and Steve felt a little like Merry and Pippin
of Tolkien fame and their fate did move me (almost
as much as Yoda's last seen in RotJ). But Joes
(Blooms) last great act defied all common sense
and left me wanting this to end.
In the final scene Ned meets Superintendent
Hare who simply asks for his scarf?!?! I don't
know why he wanted it; maybe it went well with
his eyes. We then get some subtitles that explain
what happened to everyone and fade to black.
Now, looking back over my review I can see how
one could perceive that I didn't enjoy this movie
much. Actually I have to say that I am looking
forward to seeing the finished product. With
a few tweaks to story and pacing this could be
a quiet winner. Most of the acting is passable
quality (with the exception of the bad accents)
and the colonial setting is fresh and something
that we haven't seen in a while. Hope you'll
find this review helpful. |
|
09
NOV 2002
NED GETS THE NOD
From Kelly Gang to Ned Kelly
source: news.com.au
There
was a lot of thought, much speculation, even some
debate, but the makers of a film about legendary
bushranger Ned Kelly have played it safe. The film,
starring Heath Ledger, Geoffrey Rush and Naomi Watts,
will be called Ned
Kelly, United International
Pictures announced yesterday. The announcement by
the film’s distributor followed speculation
the film may be released under the titles The
Kelly Gang or Our
Sunshine, the name
of the Robert Drewe novel on which the screenplay
is based. Ned Kelly will have its
world premiere in Melbourne on March 27 next year. |
|
 20
AUG 2002
A NAME CHANGE?
source movies.go.com
The
name may be changed to The
Kelly Gang. That's
because the United States of America distributor
of a 1970s version of a Ned Kelly film, starring,
of all people, Mick Jagger, hasn't cleared Ned
Kelly as a title. Executive producer Tim White
said, “We will determine in the near future
just which title it's going to go out as.” |
|
29
MAY 2002
NED KELLY RAIDS GOLD TOWN
Luke Dennehy, Daily Telegraph
source heraldsun.news.com.au
 NED
Kelly rides again - or at least a dashing lookalike
in Australian star Heath Ledger. The new Ned rode
into the town of Clunes in central Victoria on Tuesday
for a shooting of a different kind. Dressed meticulously
in period costume and brandishing a replica handgun,
Ledger was ready for action when yesterday's filming
of Ned Kelly got under way. Clunes was buzzing with
excitement when the star - sporting a bushy black
beard and riding confidently on horseback - took
his place for yesterday's scenes.
The
set took a month to build in Clunes, but filming
took only one day. The town will be used for street
scenes. The State Bank is the set for the Kelly gang's
Euroa bank hold-up. Fellow Australian actors Rachel
Griffiths, Geoffrey Rush, Naomi Watts and Lord Of
The Rings' Orlando Bloom also feature in the $30
million movie. The film is directed by Gregor Jordan,
who directed Ledger in Two Hands. Ned Kelly is expected
to be released next year. |
|
29
MAY 2002
HEATH THRILLS COUNTRY TOWN
Luke Dennehy and Matthew
Frilingos, Daily Telegraph
source entertainment.news.com.au
 AIMING
a pistol with a desperate glint in his eye, Ned Kelly
warns off curious bystanders. The legendary bushranger
took over a small rural town yesterday. And these
exclusive pictures show just how Kelly - played by
movie hunk Heath Ledger - thrilled the folk of Clunes,
Victoria. The town is being used for street scenes
in the new movie Ned Kelly. And yesterday filming
was in full swing.
Clunes
locals - in particular several teenage girls - spent
the day outside the set in a bid to catch a glimpse
of home-grown heart-throb Ledger, 23. They were clearly
not worried by reports that Ledger has rekindled
his relationship with an old flame, Melbourne model
Christina Cauchi. The film's high-profile cast includes
Lord Of The Rings star Orlando Bloom and Australian
stars Joel Edgerton, Rachel Griffiths, Geoffrey Rush
and Naomi Watts. Rush plays foppish Superintendent
Hare, who hunts Kelly, while Watts plays the bandit's
love interest Julia Cook.
Orlando
Bloom plays his lieutenant, Joe Byrne. Edgerton,
recently seen as Owen Lars in Star Wars Episode II:
Attack of the Clones, plays one of Kelly's gang members.
Ned Kelly, adapted from Robert Drewe's novel Our
Sunshine, has attracted international publicity despite
being in the early filming stages. It has a budget
of $30 million, which is high by Australian standards.
The movie, set for release early next year, is backed
by Working Title -- the British outfit behind films
including Bridget Jones's Diary and Notting Hill.
It is directed by Gregor Jordan, who directed Perth-born
Ledger in 1999's Two Hands. |
|
28
MAY 2002
THE KELLY GANG aka OUR SUNSHINE
by The Phantom
 Ironoutlaw.com
has an insider working on the movie set of Ned Kelly.
Latest gossip is that director Gregor Jordan and
leading actor Heath Ledger are in a conflict with
the producers from the United States over Heath having
his beard for the boxing match with Wild Wright.
Heath is adamant that he should keep his portrayal
of Ned as authentic as possible. It seems the Studio
wants him to clip the beard back to get better, more
Raging Bull type, close ups of the faces in the fight.
Gregor is on Heaths side in this fight.
The “rushes” from
the last stand at Glenrowan look amazing. The crew
are all very impressed with how it is going. The
circus is in the movie, but in the film, as in the
book, its main function is to present the audience
with the metaphor of the whole thing as a media and
political circus, as well as liking Ned to a caged
lion. |
|
05
FEB 2002
HEATH ALREADY A STEP AHEAD
source Michael Bodey, Daily
Telegraph
ALREADY Heath Ledger has trumped Mick
Jagger. The first picture from the set of Australia's
latest Ned Kelly film shows Ledger has committed to
the outlaw's fully-fledged beard. Jagger could only
manage some wispy bum-fluff in the limp 1970 film of
the same name. And Ledger's director, Gregor Jordan,
disclosed that Ledger will take on the full Irish accent
for his portrayal. "It's
going to be all Irish," said Jordan. "You
realise, when researching his story, Ned was an Irishman
even though he'd never been to Ireland."
Yet
Kelly remains the quintessential Australian story,
still attracting creative types 120 years after
his hanging. He's part of the fabric of Australian
culture, Jordan said. "He captures a spirit
that Australians can really identify with, someone
who's been picked on and persecuted and fights
back. "He's also someone who's not perfect,
rough around the edges and a bit of a wild man.
He's sort of the character that people wish they
could be."
The
Kelly story has attracted filmmakers and novelists
since 1906, when the Taits filmed The Story of the
Kelly Gang in Melbourne. It is regarded as the world's
first feature film. Jordan's Ned Kelly, adapted from
Robert Drewe's Our Sunshine, will likely beat two
other Kelly films reportedly in development: a low-budget,
straight-to-video spoof and an adaptation of Peter
Carey's Booker Prize-winning novel, The True History
of the Kelly Gang, directed by Neil Jordan. Brad
Pitt has been whispered as its Kelly, although the
film is now on hold. Previously, Godfrey Cass, Bob
Chitty, John Jarratt, John Waters, Yahoo Serious
and Jagger played Kelly on screen, with varying success. "I
was talking to Bryan Brown about it," said Jordan. "For
a young actor, what is there? There's Hamlet, but
for an Australian, Kelly is the ultimate role." Ledger,
who starred in Jordan's Two Hands, was the only actor
considered for the role. "He's the right age
for the role, has the level of charisma and the star
power to justify the budget, and also he's an Australian.
That combination is unique," he said.
"For
leading men under the age of 25 there's Leonardo
DiCaprio, whose salary is stratospheric, and then
basically there's just Heath Ledger and Josh Hartnett." Ledger's
commitment ensured this Ned Kelly not only has an
unusually large budget for an Australian film, but
arguably the highest profile cast ever assembled
here. Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush, Naomi Watts, Rachel
Griffiths, Joel Edgerton, Peter Phelps, Geoff Morrell, "Bud" Tingwell
and The Lord of the Rings' star Orlando Bloom join
Ledger on the shoot. "It's actually more about
Ned than it is about me," Jordan said of the
casting. "I had so much interest from actors
around the world about this film because it's a story
that captures people's imagination." The
last decade has seen that interest peak with a comprehensive
biography (Ian Jones's Ned Kelly A Short Life), Drewe's
and Carey's novels and a growing interest in art
featuring Ned Kelly. Sidney Nolan's River Crossing
sold for $261,750 - $60,000 more than expected -
this week in Melbourne. |
|
01
OCT 2001
HEATH LEDGER TO PLAY NED KELLY
Who Weekly
source who.com
Hollywood's next big thing and Perth's favourite export,
Heath Ledger deserves a big pat on the back. The star of
A Knight's Tale and the upcoming Four Feathers has all
but signed on for a locally made Ned Kelly yarn, Our
Sunshine, directed by Two Hands' Gregor Jordan. Ledger,
22, is taking a pay cut to do the film “a major, major,
major pay cut,” said one industry source, adding that
the man recently voted by WHO WEEKLY as sexiest man alive,
can expect about $50,000 for strapping on the Kelly armour
(he banked $US2million for Four Feathers). Last time I
spoke to Ledger, he insisted money would never be a consideration
when picking roles: “I want to come back and do independent
Australian movies.” And true to his word, he is. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| TEACHING
HISTORY |
While not everyone wants to read about Ned Kelly or the ANZACs or
even The Great Depression, we hope they
want to learn something about
Australian History. From the ex-Prime Minister
John Howard to a confused ex-NSW Education Minister Carmel Tebbutt
(see the 'ex' pattern here?) a number of politicians have jumped on the teaching history bandwagon. But at what
cost? From right wingers
to a multitude of meddling State Governments, it seems
everyone has an agenda. We'd like to let the readers decide
what is worth learning. Here at IronOutlaw.com we
present the facts, the fiction and everything in between. It
all adds to the experience and hopefully makes history an exciting
place to be while also proving it doesn't always have to be written by the victors.
[site map]
|
|
 |
|
| GO SHOPPING |
If you're looking for that perfect gift then head over to our shop where we have just landed Noelene Allen's new 248 page hardcover limited edition book Ellen: a woman of spirit for $34.95 plus postage ($8.95 Australia or $19.95 worldwide). All books are signed by the author and come with a bonus Ellen bookmark. Of course all the money we raise goes back in to building the world's greatest Ned Kelly web site.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| FREE DOWNLOADS |
|
Ellen: a woman of spirit
Chapters 1, 2 and 3
Australian Son
Chapters 1 and 2
Kelly Gang Round-Up
Bracken
Chapter
Ned: the
Exhibition
Chapters 1,
2 and 3 |
|
|
