I am now juggling between three websites, all becoming one in due course and the technical aspect is quite a challenge on the new one: janemerrow.com an update of janemerrow.net. In the meantime life goes on and we are preparing a clip from THE DAMNED THING to put up on to some crowd funding sites, to raise money for the post production. I dont like making movies this way, in more than one phase, but needs must, so on we go!
Night Shooting on THE DAMNED THING
In the meantime BEWARE OF WHAT YOU WISH FOR will have its UK premiere at a relatively new Film Festival ZZUB, which was started by Jackie Smith and her sister, who interviewed me last year when I was in London. They are delightful people with lots of energy and drive and I am the Honorary Patron of the Festival. It takes a lot of determination and imagination to put on a Film Festival, but they have it and I feel sure it will be a success.
In the meantime talking about this and that, I am bit disappointed that old pal Julian Fellowes has re-written parts of Shakespeare’s ROMEO AND JULIET, to make the vocabulary clearer and easier for modern audiences. Sorry Julian, but this is just dumbing down and a disservice to Shakespeare and the rest of us. Baz Luhrmann did not do it, when he directed a wonderful version of the play with Leonardo di Caprio and Claire Danes. Michael Croft did not do it when he pulled working class lads off the streets of England, for the long Summer Holidays and put them in his all boys version of HAMLET and started The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain. Why do I doubt it was Julian’s idea to re-write the words, I have a sneaking suspicion that it wasn’t his idea, but I could be wrong. Anyway, needless to say I feel very strongly about this as it’s exactly the opposite of what we are trying to do with New Chilling Tales. Keep the writing true and pure and find a way to expose more people to good literature. I am sorry but 50 SHADES OF GREY may have sold millions of copies, but fine writing it ain’t. We are descending more and more into the dregs of literacy and really must make an effort to pull out of it.
Lastly this is the anti-bullying month and with the spectre of a great country being bullied by a few to come around to their way of thinking, bullying is not the way to go. It is repellent. An old friend Rick Lenz, with whom I acted in Chicago in ARSENIC AND OLD LACE , with the Gabor Sisters and John Carradine (there’s a cast to be reckoned with) had given us a lovely illustration for Anti-Bullying month…here it is! I picked up again with Rick on Facebook, we used to play endless games of gin rummy, while waiting to go on stage.
