Posts by James Griffin
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Russell, when you say you'll be conducting "a sort of telepresence experiment" at your house, is that like what we used to call in my day "channel-surfing", except with the fun of ending up on a random channel taken out? And is 'telepresence' an actual word?
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Muse: TV Review: Good Gods Almighty!, in reply to Craig Ranapia,
Just a quick story about the whole eye-poking thing: we did go to Mimir's Well for one episode but it turned out to be so huge that it would have been impossible to shoot within the capabilities of the production - there was Axl having freaky visions all over the show; police roadblocks; a brawl in a Viaduct bar; screaming hordes of trolleyed party-girls running amok; ending up with Axl's car getting crushed at a wrecker's yard. It was epic and, unfortunately, we had to shelve it. Maybe if we get the chance to go round again we'll haul it out and see what can be done.
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Muse: TV Review: Good Gods Almighty!, in reply to Craig Ranapia,
Hi Craig,
Yes, have been following the reactions across the day - really really wasn't sure how this would go down with the punters. So it is with some relief that it seems to have received a fair and generally appreciative hearing - all you can ask for, really.
Had a glass of wine with Rachel this afternoon and she concurred that it was nice to read your review - intelligent, considered criticism is a rare thing of beauty in this country.
But enough of the sucking up, there are a couple of teensy things I think I can add to the discussion....
I've never read American Gods. I think I do have a copy of it, but it is one of many books residing on my Shelf of Shame. It's probably just as well I didn't read it, from what I'm getting here. I don't think Rachel has read it either - it doesn't strike me as her kind of fiction and we certainly never talked about it when we were storylining.
Just for the record we also never talked about: John Irving, Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams et al. And Misfits never appeared on the radar until we were in pre-production; and Heroes was always referenced in terms of something we weren't. When you're making this stuff the reality is you work with what's in front of you and try and block out everything that says "it's like..."
We did, however, talk about the acid-rock group Ragnarok because, quite frankly, when you're dealing with Norse Gods in New Zealand, how can you not?
I did, however, read Gods Behaving Badly, when I heard about it after we'd pitched the idea for the Johnsons - or The Gods of Norsewood as it was called back then. It's a novel - can't remember who wrote it, sorry - about Greek Gods living in London and there are certain annoying similarities (including someone being a tree, damn it) but I swear they happened independently. I'm kinda surprised no-one has mentioned it thus far.
I'm not surprised about the Aryan comments, however - it definitely comes with the territory when you're dealing with Norse Gods. All I can say is that any white supremacists who would adopt the Johnson brothers as their poster-boys would truly be the most tragic pond scum on that particular cess-pool.
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Hard News: My Year in Culture, in reply to Simon Bennett,
Simon, I do hope you're excluding the television you directed this year in your TV review. I know for a fact OF 6/6 touched you deeply at the time.
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But what lovely things you all say - I'm getting a tad emotional here in my freezing bloody office. Is it too early to go to the pub?
Many many thanks for the love - and I hope you still love it tomorrow morning.
I'm only really here to answer Grant's music question - if it's the same song we used in the episode (and I'm pretty sure it is) it is The Veils "Sit Down by the Fire". We love The Veils at OF.
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Russell, any chance you can block the broadcast of this episode of Media7 to the Hawkes Bay region? I'm starting to worry that my Mum might see it.
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Word of the Year:
Flip-flop.
(Although I reserve the right to change my stance on this.)
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Okay, in the spirit of 80's Auckland food nostalgia (Fed Up anyone?) there is some confusion in my house. We would have said Simple Cottage for the yummy tofu burgers on Lorne Street. Where, if not on Lorne Street, was Simple Cottage then? And were the tofu burgers any good?
Hell, all this talk of vegetarianism and I'm on the verge of digging out my Moosewood Cookbook. This can't be right and proper thinking in BBQ season.
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Russell, after reading your most lovely words, I feel hugely nostalgic for Christmas 2007 and yet it is only December 27.
Well done, that man.
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I'm sorry, but any list without Edge of Darkness and Boys From the Blackstuff is, quite simply, wrong.