Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
'Son of Rambow' feature
Time Out gains an exclusive insight into Garth Jennings and Nick Goldsmith's nostalgia-tinged follow-up to 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'
Can you give us more details about the story then?
It’s based on my childhood memories and experiences, but massively
heightened. If the hero in the film was based on me, he
wouldn’t be very interesting. But I lived next door to a Plymouth
Brethren family when I was a kid, and they are very different to you
and me. They don’t watch TV or listen to radio or read fiction books –
they are cut off from the things that you and I are constantly doing. So if
I moved the story next door, and if this young boy who has never
watched television in his life, if the first thing he ever sees is
‘First Blood’, then suddenly it becomes interesting. It was one of
those wonderful hallelujah moments because it was all great stuff but
there wasn’t a movie there, but when I moved it next door, it came
alive. Because I wanted to capture that feeling when you are young,
just how affecting those moments are – when you’re so swept away by a
film that you want to be that character. By doing that it helped – you
can feel the eyes widening at seeing John Rambo making traps in the
forest or sewing up his arm and that’s what lead us directly to making
these ridiculous stunt movies.
So it’s a film about a film?
In part – well the kid in question is an avid drawer and illustrator –
all his exercise books have little flip cartoons in the corners. He’s an
imaginative chap who is suddenly given an outlet into filmmaking when
he meets this ridiculous school fruitcake called Lee Carter, who’s kind
of an outcast, but who is also very ambitious. When we first meet him
he’s making pirate copies of Rambo and he also makes his own insect
snuff movies – blowing up creatures – which he think will win him
awards. In a weird and wonderful way they get together and make ‘Son of
Rambow’, an action film that are sure will win them ‘Screen Test’ on
the tele.
Is it all told from the kid’s point of view then?
Very much so – but we’re making a film with the same kind of ambition,
scale and drama that the children in the film are going for. It’s
called ‘Son of Rambow’, which is a ridiculously optimistic title, and
it’s going to be shot anamorphic, with sweeping lenses and a big score
– it just happens to have two kids at the heart of it. As far as we’re
concerned it’s a big, romantic adventure. I want it to look as big and
epic as it felt at that age. It was a big deal back then – biking down
the hill to the next scene and swinging over lakes and nearly drowning
– and they were big lakes! And yet you go back to those lakes and they
are tiny now, so I want it all to look huge. All the locations we’ve
chosen are as big, sweeping and widescreen as possible.
Author: Chris Tilly
User comments on this story
-
- pixie&katie said...
- wow we loved the film it was hilarious, its sooooooooo good that we've now seen it 3 times!!!! we love you will poulter and bill milner!!!! Posted on May 15 2008 08:16
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Sabine said...
- I was in this film woohoo!!!! as an extra though Posted on Mar 19 2008 09:38
- Report as inappropriate
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Our verdict on Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson ends a triumphant decade with a sentimental misfire with this lush Alice Sebold adaptation
On the set of Ken Loach's 'Route Irish'
Dave Calhoun meets Ken Loach on the set of his forthcoming Iraq war movie
Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'
Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Glorious 39’ is his first film for cinema since ‘Food of Love’ in 1997. Dave Calhoun met him
Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?
How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains
Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'
We talk to Steven Soderbergh about his two forthcoming films: one featuring a porn star, the other a chubby Matt Damon
A gateway to all things 'New Moon'
In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.
London Children's Film Festival
Read our exclusive reviews of films playing at the 2009 London Children’s Film Festival
The films that deserve a TV spin-off
With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations
The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'
Masters of contrary comedy, Joel and Ethan Coen have struck gold again with their latest, ‘A Serious Man’
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations










What do you think?
Post your comment now