Earlier we broke the news that cheeky chappie interviewer Jonathan Ross is to interview
Arnold Schwarzenegger, in one of his only UK interviews this year exclusively at the Centenary Pavilion, Elland road, Leeds on Friday 14th November.
Since then we have got word from Jonathon "I’ve been a fan of Arnold Shwarzenegger’s since I first saw him on screen in Conan. Since then he’s continued to delight me and millions of others, in movies so familiar to us all they barely need mentioning. The Terminator, Terminator 2, Commando, Predator, Total Recall - some of the greatest action and science fiction films of all time. So it will be an enormous pleasure to get to chat to him about his life and work in such an intimate setting in Leeds. He’s a true superstar, and it promises to be a great night."
Iconic roles as The Terminator, Commando and Last Action Hero, Conan the Barbarian and most recently alongside other legendary action heroes in The Expendables 3 put Arnold up there as one of the kings of action movies and one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars.
For Arnie fans that get tickets for the evening, a champagne reception awaits
guests to the black tie event, followed by some amazing entertainment and a
superb dinner. Jonathan and Arnold will then take to the stage and talk about
his life, career and what the future holds for the Hollywood star – including the
screening of the fifth Terminator film early next year! This is sure to be a once in a lifetime event and of course Leeds the natural venue!
Limited tickets are available to purchase from olexyfresh.com
Arnold Schwarzenegger Leeds 2014 Video from
Olexyfresh Promotions on
Vimeo.
We were lucky enough to catch up with James Nesbitt recently on the set of upcoming BBC Series "The Missing". Starting in October this 8 x 1hr episode series is set to shock, surprise and intrigue..
What is The Missing about?
A family, a happily married couple and their adored and adoring four year old son called Oliver, go to France for the summer holiday. Through a series of fateful incidents, they have to spent the night in a little village called Chalons du Bois while their car gets fixed.
It’s during the football World Cup in 2006 and we spend the day having a lovely unplanned family day in the village. By the evening, the car has been fixed and we plan to leave the next day. But Oliver has spotted a leaflet in the hotel about a local swimming pool and wants to go for a swim. Tony, who I think like a lot of father’s feels a bit guilty about working so much, says he’ll do anything to please his boy and takes him for a swim
while Emily goes back to the hotel.
When Oliver wants a drink they go the bar where there’s a big crowd watching the exciting France vs Brazil match on TV. For one second, Tony gets caught up in it
along with the rest of the crowd. He’s been holding Oliver's hand and the next minute he knows he's not anymore.
From that point on it becomes a nightmare. We follow Tony and Emily backwards and forwards between 2006 and 2014 as their marriage disintegrates and as Tony disintegrates. He becomes more determined, more obsessed and more driven by trying to find out what happened to his son.
How did you react to the scripts?
It’s all very well having emotional material on a story like this but it has to be well constructed and believable, you have to be able to invest in it. The writing in these scripts was exceptional. The first reading was utterly gripping and terribly painful yet I became invested in the story just from the first page and was desperate to know what happened. I was fascinated and intrigued by the awful reality of something like this happening. We know this is a story that the public are aware of but the different journeys these characters go through can only be described as hell. The scripts are so arresting and beautifully detailed, intricate yet truthful. I was blown away by them and knew it was something I had to do.
How would you describe Tony?
I've been very fortunate to have a director such as Tom Shankland who is an actor's director and an intelligent director. We worked a lot on what was not in the scripts because we wanted to paint a picture of a complicated man. We looked at what Tony was like in his childhood because he often refers to a difficult relationship with his father and that would have had a huge impact on the kind of parent he wants to be.
He is very driven and protective of his family but he also has a bit of a dark past and a temper. Tony has a lot of jealousy and rage but as a parent he is doting and as a husband he is loving. There are certain triggers that can be pulled which turn him into a character who acts very explosively, spontaneously and almost blindly at times. But, at his core, Tony is a good and decent man whose side we're on.
What is Tony’s relationship with Emily like?
It’s been incredibly incumbent upon us to try and show the good marriage they had before Oliver's disappearance. Because it happened so quickly at the beginning, it is hard to show just how stable, happy and content they were before. They were good for each other and, because of Tony’s childhood, Emily had been a very good stabilizing force for him.
We really looked for those moments so it makes their slow disintegration much more painful. This horrendous thing happens and it begins to illustrate the cracks instead of pulling them together. Those relationship cracks get bigger until they become crevices and, in a sense, they become different continents.
We do find it difficult to play those scenes. You're always very wary as an actor of saying that it's been a painful process but it actually has. We've invested a lot in the characters and their relationship, as well as Oliver. Although we are at a place where they are almost separated, hopefully you can still see that there was a love there.
One of the great tragedies about Oliver's disappearance is what happens to Emily and Tony. Once he went, everything went - not only the family, but the marriage as well.
What is Tony’s relationship with French Detective Julien Baptiste like?
Julian, played by the marvelous Tcheky Karyo, starts off very differently. We don't spend much time together in 2006 and the time we do have is intense, aggressive and confrontational. Tony is brought in for interrogation, which is horrendous. Often the shadow of suspicion first falls on the parents and you have to cope with that whilst going through the pain. Their relationship seems to be a strong mutual antagonism at the beginning, particularly from Tony directed towards Julian.
In 2014, that relationship again starts off quite frostily when Tony comes back with a new clue and Julian becomes re-involved in the case. Their relationship then spills into what is hopefully a believable and beautiful admiration, but also a friendship. It was interesting playing one relationship, with Emily, starting well and disintegrating and then
another one, with Julien, starting terribly and blossoming.
Has there been any one scene that has been particularly difficult to film?
I have had to play the odd character with bits of emotion and usually have to prepare myself for those big scenes coming up. But on this it’s just every day! Some days it's hard to be ‘on’ and to tap into that. Various things can get in the way but you have to be pretty disciplined. It's a mixture of technique and raw emotion. Because the writing is so good and we respect the scripts so much and are so invested in our characters, it makes it easier. A lot of the time I'm adlibbing and I'm not even aware of it so it's almost like doing theatre.
How is Tony’s history of violence significant?
It is interesting dramatically but it also says a lot about his childhood and what he witnessed. Tony desperately wants to be a good parent since his father was such a bad one. Unfortunately he can't help but turn into the very thing that he doesn't want to be at times. Bits of his father come out of him and you see a man that is not perfect. He is not your stand out typical hero; he has flaws and is dark but is a driven family man which makes for a more interesting character.
Did you enjoy working in Belgium and with French speaking actors?
It's great to film in Europe and away from the UK because we’re surrounded by different countries and that really helps with the authenticity. We've had a lovely blend of French Belgian and Flemish Belgian in the crew and it's a great setting. It's difficult to be away from home but sometimes when you want to submerge or immerse yourself in something like this, you have to be away from your family.
The other thing I have loved about being in Brussels is that I used to speak a lot of French, I started a degree in French years ago, and so I've been able to use that again. Tcheky workedtirelessly on getting the English language right and he is brilliant. I can see it’s been a challenge for the French and Belgian actors but they've risen to it beautifully.
What is different about Tony’s character in the past and present?
In 2006 there are small technical differences like Tony is a little bit more upright. It helps that his look is different and the fact that the world around him is different. In the aftermath, he’s very driven and wants to get things moving.
In 2014 it’s like he's beaten it away. He's still on the track, still obsessed and still looking for Oliver but he's a wreck. So the shifts are at times very subtle and at times very obvious.
How does Tony’s obsession affect his life?
He feels guilty that his son went. He feels it was his fault that he took his eye off the ball for a minute. It doesn't matter how much he convinces himself because he feels that guilt and you never get over that. It’s like he knows that his destiny is to carry that forever, or for as long as it takes, and the only way of getting rid of it is to just try and find out more about his son.
But the guilt is a terrible cross he has to bear and it has destroyed everything in his life. He sees his little boy in his head every time he blinks and so the obsession to try and redeem himself is tough.
So sell this to NotJustMusics' readers, why should they watch the show?
The characters are believable and their flaws are believable. It's a story that people have come across before in reality that we still read about and hear about so it’s accessible. It explores the human spirit, which sounds like a terrible phrase, but it’s something that we're interested in. It is a story about loss, hope and despair. It’s about the very worst we can be and the very worst that can happen to us but also about love - the need for love and the sadness when love is taken away.
Argos Online, well where to start, with their glossy ads, their promise of style, of value. To be fair they never promise they will deliver the fucking thing though...
Now this is the anthology of events. We have been asked to write a feature for a major national newspaper. We reserve judgement until this has had a chance to be resolved.
We also will allow Argos the right of reply..
July 25 2014, we order a new dining room set. Its going to be delivered on Tuesday 19th August, within a six hour window because in this day and age of GPS tracking its the best Argos can do.
July 26 2014, my wife books 19th August off work and books our 5 month old son into childcare as it was thought best to have him off the premises in case they deliver mid feed or such..
August 19 2014,
10.30am
Todays the day, our old dining table and chairs are collected by the charity shop and between 12pm and 6pm we get our new one. Anytime now we get our call to say it will be delivered in an hour..
13.00hrs
My wife rings me, she has a feeling it isn't coming, don't be silly say I, its early yet
16.00hrs
She rings again, still that feeling, she asks, will I ring them and check, No say I. Its coming, only 2 hours to go..
17.30hrs
It hasnt arrived, I am home. I check on line. It says my order isnt scheduled, At all. I ring them. Oh yes its coming, let me check and ring you back, find out where it is.
17.45hrs
Its not coming, it never was coming, it wasnt even on the wagon. it wasnt even in the warehouse, not even in the country. Argos rang me yesterday to tell me. I check my phone log, no missed calls. What number do you have I ask.. they tell me, its not my number, But then they admit, they never rang at all. Oh dear.
I ask when we can actually expect to get a dining table etc as we are currently without.. Erm,,,
it seems the item is discontinued and no longer available, Its still showing on line though to order. Go figure.
So in the next 24hrs we have a right old ding
dong and we settle for being able to select another set, even slightly more and they would carry the cost as a gesture of good will.
We pick another set and it does indeed cost more....not that much so we check thats ok.
We ask the twitter jockey from argos helpers to read back and tell us its ok.
The twitter jockey say yes but there will be an extra £XX to pay as there is a price difference.
Yes say we, thats the gesture previously discussed.
We go around in circles for a while before agreeing the purchase.
Then we talk delivery.
Six hour slots no longer work for us.
Its all Argos do so we settle on a six hour slot, getting narrowed to two hours via text the night before and to one hour before delivery. Its coming September 5.
September 4 2014
41 days since ordering and you will perhaps understand my lack of faith in Argos. I raise the twitter jockey and check I am getting a text tonight to narrow the deliver slot.
Maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow says the jockey...
Ok fair enough and I settle in for the night.
But then...
No idea who John is, but again claiming they tried to ring. They didnt, no missed calls at all. But it gets worse...
another stock issue. Does this item exist I wonder... but they arent especially sorry at another on delivery.
So we tell them, not called Dave, no missed call, what number are you ringing..
and so to the 5th September...
We arranged for argos to ring me Friday morning...morning to me means before 12 noon. I know...picky aren't I. So when 12 noon comes and no call arrives I of course ask why.
The response. ..a rather terse...We never offered a timescale for the call...er yes you did.
A call is due any time now...Unlike my furniture. It's 13.21....
So at 13.50 I got a call from a trying to be helpful resolutions manager. We rearranged deliver and as she said she would personally supervise this order and its dispatch, we accepted a morning slot with a call from her the day before narrowing it right down.
Now then, can we talk turkey, compensate us for all this ball-ache... sure, two options £50 cash or £80 argos vouchers. Hmmm, I really don't want to spend another penny with Argos so its a no to the vouchers and £50 comes nowhere near what its cost us so I rejected both. OK she said, lets get this delivered then we will make a final offer.
Well in the meantime, I had contacted the Chief Executive of the Home Retail Group, to whom Argos belong. I gave him a brief outline and pointed him here to this blog.
Within an hour his office rang me back, asked me a couple of questions, wanted to see if he could hurry the delivery up. He then made an offer which was worse than the one previously made and said so. Then the biggie came...I wont reveal the detail but lets just say I was very happy with it!
Any problems that Argos cant, wont solve then google the CX and email him.
It's been a long road to this point, but Quentin Tarantino has once again signed up with Harvey Weinstein - this time, to release The Hateful Eight.
Despite an early script leak, lawsuit and rumors of a mole in the camp, Quentin Tarantino's new movie The Hateful Eight will begin shooting in January 2015, with the Weinstein Company distributing the movie. A release date is due to be set for Autumn next year.
Though Weinstein's involvement may seem fairly ordinary, the release of The Hateful Eight will be historic in that it will be shot on 65mm film and will have the widest 70mm release in over twenty years.
Richard Gladstein, Stacey Sher and Shannon McIntosh will produce the movie with Bob and Harvey Weinstein executive producing, along with G. Mac Brown. It is the latest in a string of collaborations between the Weinsteins and Tarantino, from Reservoir Dogs through to Django Unchained.
Bob and Harvey Weinstein, TWC Co-Chairmen said: "We are incredibly excited to begin production on The Hateful Eight, as we know this picture will be as innovative, brash and of course fun as all Quentin projects prior. There is, quite simply, no other filmmaker like him, and we are as proud as ever to continue this partnership that started over twenty years ago."
Tim RothTim Roth is likely to star in 'The Hateful Eight' [Getty/Pascal Le Segretain]
Rumored to star Tim Roth, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Dern and Kurt Russell, The Hateful Eight is set in post-Civil War Wyoming and follows a group of bounty hunters trying to find shelter during a blizzard. Likened to a "tense stage play," the movie sees the gang getting caught up in a plot of betrayal and deception.
In Brief 29.8.14
We have today received news that Screen legend Arnold Scwarzenegger is to appear in Leeds this November for a dazzling black tie event. The event will be at the Elland Road Pavillion and several categories of tickets are likely to be available all including a meal, entertainment and for certain categories photos and meet and greets with the big man. More Detail as we get in but for now check olexyfresh.com/schwarzenegger.html
Update 1.9.14
Jonathon Ross announced as celebrity host and interviewer.
Update 3.9.14
Arnie has been talking today about his upcoming show: "For once, I won't have a publicist saying, 'Don't ask him about his private life, don't ask him how much money he makes, how much is in the bank', all that kind of stuff. England really was the country that gave me the biggest break in my career. I won Mr Universe four times in London and then I won it also in America. England was where I practised my English. I could barely speak English. But I travelled around to all the towns and cities to do strong man acts. It really was the beginning for me.
Watch the trailer for the show (well the London end of it anyway)
