NEWS: www.lisamarksmedia.com
I have finally finished migrating the content of this site to my new and improved www.lisamarksmedia.com website. Phew.
Please visit to check out my LA Diary blog, and my show, ‘Podcast from America’. You will also find my latest articles, cover stories, features, and news about my creative projects.
If Twitter’s your thing, you can follow me @lisamarks and the show @podcastamerica
And you can also email me at lisamarksmedia@gmail.com. I am no longer available for barmitzvahs but I’ll pretty much do anything else.
Thanks for checking in.
Lisax
COVER STORY: MELISSA GEORGE GETS INVENTIVE
Actress Melissa George was a delight to interview. Read my cover story with her for Sunday Magazine, (Australia’s Sunday Telegraph), by clicking here. Myself and the Sunday team, including Inez, their fabulous art director, spent a day with Melissa, at the Viceroy Hotel, in Santa Monica. It was pretty drizzly outside but Melissa’s choice of Lila Downs, the Oscar-nominated Mexican jazz singer, helped brighten things up. (I used Lila’s music as I wrote the feature for inspiration.)
Back in the day – the mid-Nineties – Melissa starred in the Aussie soap Home & Away, which was huge in the UK. I was a writer on a teen mag called BIG! and because of the show’s popularity, she became our advice columnist. I reminded her of this and she said, “I remember that, I think it helped to pay for my first house!”
She was a true pro – the shoot lasted about nine hours – and the pictures are stunning (you can see a selection of the shoes we used, to the right). But more than that, we discovered that not only is she a Golden Globe-nominated actress, for her role on HBO’s In Treatment, but that she’s an inventor too. Yes, you read that right.
I don’t want to give her amazing story away here, so if you want to learn more about her genius Style Snaps, (or follow her on Twitter), and find out how she came up with the idea for this simple fashion accessory, then I humbly suggest you read the full interview.
Oh, and if you want to follow me on Twitter, you can do that too by clicking on the phrase, “Take me to Lisa’s Twitter page, please.” And lo! it shall be done.
LA DIARY: GOING GAGA FOR DAME JULIE
This blog should have gone up on the Collective Review last week but for some reason, it was never published. Never one to let words go to waste, here are my thoughts on Halloween – and meeting Dame Julie Andrews…
There were Gaga’s aplenty at the West Hollywood Halloween parade on Sunday night. I myself was a devil-horned medic complete with a bright red wig, false eyelashes and a stethoscope. The wig was spectacular, and I confess that I’m wearing it as I type, which could be cause for concern.
I was disappointed not to see as many Snooki’s and Situations but WeHo is all about high camp so the drag queens were out in full force and boy, do some of them have great legs. My friend Tanya was a slutty cow, so she gets a special mention.
The parade is an amazing spectacle. The cops close a large chunk of Santa Monica Boulevard, the organisers set up sound stages and the food wagons roll. I missed the personal appearance of America’s Got Talent’s Prince Poppycock but gave the Time Warp my all.
Because this is LA you can’t be seen to be drinking alcohol on the streets, so we’d decanted whiskey into a Coca Cola can and slugged it back in shop doorways like naughty kids. Oh, for the balmy summer nights of standing outside a pub in London openly drinking beer from the bottle. It seems odd that you can’t be seen to be doing that here. Stealth drinking, I call it.
The night before Halloween (for this was an ‘event’ weekend), my boyfriend and I decided to dress as either Bonnie and Clyde, French Detectives or G-Men, depending on your POV, and go to the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival at the Hollywood Forever cemetery, which backs on to the Paramount lot.
Stepping over, and on headstones we stumbled through the graveyard gazing in wonder the elaborate costumes. The holiday is a celebration of the dead and people had set up shrines to their loved ones. Many people paint their faces white, adding intricate detail in black pen, such tiny flowers, hollow eyes and false teeth. The end result is pretty scary but stunning. It’s hard to describe but the Day of the Dead website says, ‘At the heart of this sacred event are the meticulously individually crafted altars and spiritual shrines. These dazzling private tributes and offerings which provide a linkage between ancient traditions and modern customs chronicle the perpetual relation between faith, family and history.’
Also providing a link between the past and the present, was an amazing interview I did last week with Dame Julie Andrews. Clumsy segway, yes but she was so adorable, friendly and frankly, exactly how you would want her to be that I was instantly transported back to my childhood. 
I was interviewing her for an Australian newspaper, and due to embargo can’t spill any of the beans about what was said, but I will admit to this; I have never been as nervous as I was that day.
She’s a Dame, a true icon, a proper movie star – could I cut it? I needn’t have worried because she was charm personified and very sweet.
Meeting her took me back to the days when my grandmother was still alive, when at Christmas we’d all gather around the television to watch Mary Poppins or The Sound of Music together.
As I was waiting to go in to Dame Julie’s suite, I had this strong sense of my grandma being in the room with me. I found myself getting a little bit tearful but professional to the last, pulled myself together before the interview. But for a brief, soft moment, my lovely grandma, who died almost 20 years ago, was back in my life.
And so the following night, as I wandered around the colourful lantern-festooned Hollywood Forever cemetery, I was able to truly appreciate this marvellous spectacle of remembrance.
LA DIARY: ANOTHER COFFEE SHOP MISSIVE
Oh my goodness, I’m so behind with my ENTIRE LIFE. I’ve been really sick with a strep virus, and have therefore not been on top of my blogging, podcasting and laundry. The latter is quite rightly, none of your concern, but the rest of it is. So please head over to the Collective Review for last week’s sorry apology at my lack of blog entries. There’s another one up tomorrow and hopefully, a new podcast coming soon with Mark Gantt, the star of Sony’s The Bannen Way.
ARTICLE: ON THE SET OF RED WITH BRUCE WILLIS
This was the truck the SFX crew, on the set of the movie RED in New Orleans, lit up like a BBQ. The smell of gas was pretty horrendous but it was very impressive to see. I like the burly guy who wandered over to the truck once the fire had been put out, brandishing a fire extinguisher, desperately looking for something to use it on. He was clearly disappointed.
I was in Louisiana to interview Bruce Willis, and by default also ended up interviewing John Malkovich, whose voice would inspire me to join a cult. The interview was for the Sunday Telegraph in Sydney – see link below – and I spent the day under a canopy next to a fierce wall of shipping containers waiting for Mr Willis, who was filming a shoot-out scene that day, to appear.
It was a fun trip, not least because I’d never been to New Orleans, which I loved – but because big budget film sets are always interesting. We ate craft services with the rest of the cast of crew. I sat next to a woman who was Mary-Louise Parker’s body double. I ate ribs and slaw, then spent the afternoon suffering from a bad case of sauce mouth.
PODCAST FROM AMERICA, EPISODE 3 – SIOBHAN FAHEY
Podcast from America – Episode 2 with Siobhan Fahey
My guest on this episode of PODCAST FROM AMERICA is the utterly talented and beautiful Siobhan Fahey – yes, even with chipped nail polish she oozes star quality, and I was honoured that she found the time to talk to me. Listen via iTunes here.
Siobhan is not just a pop star, or one third of the original Bananarama line-up, she’s the founder of Shakespears Sister, a musician, singer/song-writer, artist and most importantly, a mum. Her choice of cake wasn’t bad either.
We met at her home in the Hollywood hills where I set up the mic on her back patio (which is why you will hear planes flying overhead, wind-chimes and dogs barking), and over numerous cups of tea, we talked about her career, the early days with Bananarama, why she left to form Shakespears Sister, her marriage to Dave Stewart from the Eurythmics, and her two grown-up sons, Sam and Django.
Sidenote: The boys have formed their own band, Nightmare and the Cat, who I saw perform at the Hotel Bar in Hollywood. I’m not just saying this to suck up to Siobhan but they were utterly brilliant. Sam’s a truly talented musician and Django is a natural front-man. I’ve no doubt you’ll be hearing more from these two at some point in the future.
However, Siobhan’s new album is called ‘Songs from the Red Room’, and I actively you encourage you to seek out her website, www.shakespearssister.co.uk and watch the amazing video for her new single, ‘It’s a Trip’, directed by Paul Boyd. Or go to her You Tube channel, Shakespears Sister TV and take a trip down memory lane. I love ‘You’re History’ and of course, the drama of ‘Stay’.
If that’s not enough for you, Siobhan also has a Facebook page and she’s working on a new acoustic album and a DVD of the tour she did last year. Check in regularly for all things Shakespears Sister.
And finally, I asked Siobhan if a Bananarama reunion would ever be possible? Let’s face it, if Gary and Robbie can do it, then so can Siobhan, Sarah and Keren. She shared her thoughts about that fanciful happening, and much, much more, in the interview…enjoy!
THANK YOU THIS EPISODE TO…
This episode of PODCAST FROM AMERICA would not have been possible without the help of many people including my sponsors Brits in LA, my producer Danforth France, and of course, Siobhan Fahey.
PODCAST FROM AMERICA is a talk show hosted by Los Angeles-based British writer Lisa Marks. With amazing access to an incredibly talented community, journalist Lisa Marks meets actors, writers, musicians, photographers, chefs, business-owners and beyond, to talk in-depth about their life, their work and their passions.
You can contact PODCAST FROM AMERICA by emailing podcastfromamerica@gmail.com, or follow the show on Twitter at www.twitter.com/podcastamerica.
Don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes – CLICK HERE NOW!
LA DIARY: MORE JANE LYNCH PLEASE
Jane Lynch is an amazing talent, and also one of my favourite interviewees ever. Why? Simple. She’s older.
I’ve found that it’s people like Jane Lynch and Steve Carell who are the most interesting (and humble). It seems that if success comes late, it gives you a unique perspective, and enables you to enjoy it more. After having worked tirelessly for years, both these actors seem to genuinely appreciate the opportunities that are being thrown their way (and they are still working tirelessly).
There’s nothing worse than interviewing a successful, millionaire 21-year-old and having to sit and listen to their stories about hard they’ve struggled, and how long it took them to find success. At that point, I generally fix a smile on my face and remember I’m being paid to be there. Steve Carell told me that he still couldn’t believe his good fortune and that his family kept his feet on the ground. Jane was equally magnanimous.
I was lucky enough to interview the woman that many only know as Sue Sylvester a few weeks ago for the Daily Telegraph and Sydney Herald Sun. The interview took place over the phone but I’d actually met her in person about six months before at the LA Comedy Shorts Film Festival.
We both happened to be standing outside the theatre in downtown LA, in between screenings, and got chatting. She lit a cigarette while we talked, and asked a man standing nearby to take a picture of us together with my BlackBerry, see right. She’s very tall, so I was glad to be wearing heels for a change.
She’s very personable and un-starry. When a group of young men (slightly older than teenagers) walked past they recognised her immediately and called out ‘Sue Sylvester, Sue Sylvester!’ She joked around with them for a good few minutes, and you could see how much they loved meeting her. There were lots of high fives and wide smiles.
I asked her on the phone if she remembered our meeting, and she said yes because, ‘I don’t smoke anymore, so that was a rare occasion.’ So she remembered the cigarette, if not me. Fabulous.
I love her Sue Sylvester character on Glee but I also love the work she does with Christopher Guest – hopefully he’s got another film up his sleeve and has written her a meaty role. During our conversation I asked her about working with Mr Guest – the quote didn’t make the piece but she said this: ‘If he were to get on the phone and ask me to do something I would in a second. I’ve kept in touch with him, I don’t know of any movie he wants to do but hopefully he’ll get the itch.’
Let’s hope he’s already scratching that itch.
Read my article for Sunday Magazine by clicking on the following link.
LA DIARY: NEW YORK, JOSH BROLIN & SHOES
My latest LA Diary blog for The Collective Review has just gone up. Read about how I got flustered interviewing Josh Brolin for Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps, and the fun I had at this year’s Independent Filmmaker Conference.
Oh, and shoes.
BLOG: LITTLE FILMS, BIG VOICE
At the Independent Filmmaker Conference in New York last week, I discovered that strong, creative film-making on a budget is alive and flourishing.
The first thing that hits you as you walk into the Haft auditorium at the Institute of Fashion Technology is the buzz.
But this has nothing to do with fashion because this week, the imposing myriad of buildings on 7th at 27th Street, is playing host to this year’s Independent Filmmaker Conference.
The room is alive with people who are passionate about their projects – their tiny, low budget, labours of love.
Think of the last movie you saw at your local multiplex and then think of what the opposite of what that might be. Original? Left-field? Dangerous? Experimental? Compelling? Well these small but usually significant films are made by the people you find here.
The theme of today’s panels is Distribution & Marketing, one of the trickiest paths to navigate in the indie world. The audience listen eagerly – there is much to learn.
A couple of hours later, at a South by Southwest Film Festival mixer at the Trailer Park bar on 23rd Street (Elvis on the jukebox, tater tots in paper cups), I meet Alicia Van Couvering, the producer of Lena Dunham’s ‘Tiny Furniture‘, (see main photo, and left), which scooped the coveted Narrative Feature Film award at SXSW this year.
Their shock win has proved to be the lottery for this young and dedicated band of filmmakers. Judd Apatow, he of ‘Superbad’ and ‘Knocked Up’ fame, has signed Lena and her team to his production company, and they are now in pre-production working on a TV version of the film for HBO.
But you may not get to see ‘Tiny Furniture’ in the UK because as Alicia explains, ‘We’re still looking for British distributor. I have a meeting tomorrow but if you know of one…’
There’s no doubt that ‘Tiny Furniture’ could have a good run at the Everyman (or come to think of it, any cinema near Golders Green) but distribution aside, the team are delighted that their little film about a twenty-something who returns home from college after being dumped by her boyfriend, has done so well.
As Alicia says, ‘We were happy to get into SXSW but to then to go on to win, it was just amazing. We’re still in shock.’
Writer/director/actor Lena is just 24 so her success is even more incredible but for a lot of the attendees at the conference, their genre is documentary, and after canvassing the room, I discover that contrary to popular belief funding is available for solid passion projects.
I spoke to Dara Kell, co-director of ‘Dear Mandela‘, (see right), a documentary four years in the making about the ‘new apartheid’ in South Africa. The synopsis is this: ‘When the South African government tries to eradicate the slums by evicting thousands of shack dwellers from their homes, three young friends who live in Durban’s vast shantytowns refuse to be moved. The film follows them from their shacks to the highest court in the land as they invoke Nelson Mandela’s example and become leaders in an inspiring social movement.’
The film was finished with a much needed grant and as Dara says over drinks at a San Francisco Filmmakers event, ‘Just getting to South Africa is expensive. It’s taken four years and many trips – the story we set out to tell changed over the years. We had to let it lead us but this is a very real issue for the people living in townships. We’re editing the movie now and hope to release it next year. But we couldn’t finish it without the help of the IFP.’
Also in the room is Terry Lawler, the head of New York Women in Film & TV, who agreed with Dara that grants are out there for independent filmmakers, although Women in Film themselves only have a tiny grant allocation.
‘Budgets have been cut, there’s not doubt about that,’ she told me, adding, ‘But you can get projects made. Fortunately at Women in Film we have a wonderful community where women can help each other out.’
I was sensing a theme: independent movies are made by the community for the community, and this small but dedicated network, and the IFP itself, is vital to the continuation of outside-the-box storytelling. If you’re bored with generic rom-coms or SFX 3D comic book adaptations, then these thought-provoking indie films are not just entertainment, but a necessity.
At the conference’s outdoor previews screening, which was held by the Hudson, on a scrappy patch of land in the east village, filmmakers and enthusiasts eagerly watched snippets of films that have been made possible by money and support from the IFP’s Project Forum.
Every film, whether it was ‘Melvin‘ about a young man having a post-modern meltdown (see right), ‘Dear Mandela’ or even the compelling ‘Habibi Rasak Kharban‘ (Darling, Something’s Wrong with Your Head), the story of a forbidden love in Gaza (see above left), was created from the heart and received a hearty round of applause from the audience.
Afterwards, the filmmakers were asked to come up on stage and introduce themselves. Some were overwhelmed by emotion, while others were struck mute as they stood in front of the mic.
Fortunately for us, however, independent film is still able to project a clear, strong voice – and that’s the way it should always be.
NEWS: FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER!
If you’re checking in to say ‘Hi’, why not say ‘Hi’ via the miracle of Twitter?
New followers make me happy. It’s true. I’m just a simple country girl (from London, now living in Los Angeles).
You can follow my day-to-day ramblings about my life in LA here @lisamarks, and tweets about my new talk show ‘PODCAST FROM AMERICA‘, by clicking here @podcastamerica. Episode three is out this weekend with Siobhan Fahey from Bananarama. Woo hoo!
See you in the Twittersphere.
