The coligh
‘WE CHOSE THE SWEETEST SATANISTS AND DWARVES WE COULD FIND'
Lindsay West takes a trip to Weirdsville with Allan Moyle, nutty cult filmmaker and Canadian treasure
ilinmaker Allan Moyle is beaming across the table at me: “I loved your moy’ie?‘ Sensing my
confusion he continues: 'The movie your
movie! 'I'rui'nspotti'ng3‘ l‘nable to discern the distinction between my (ilaswegian accent and the lidinburgh- based epic. he presses on. ‘You know. ll'ei'rrly’i'i'l/r' really is Tmins-potting watered down. But we’re happy to be 'I‘rui'nxporting watered down. It‘s a great moyief
Moyle. the (‘anadian director behind cult ‘)(l.s hits Pump (’p the Volume and lint/tire Records is in town to talk about his latest film. lli’ll'l/Sl‘l/lt’. Pitched by the man himself as a ‘happy drugs movie‘. the lilm tells the story of spaced-out junkies Dexter (Scott Speedman) and Royce (Wes Bentley): stuck in the bleak Ontario midwinter and forced to contend with a missing stash and a half-dead hooker. while being pursued by dey'il-worshippers and a band of little people.
The film is in many ways a continuation of Moyle‘s
directorial fondness for the slacker side of life. Dexter and Royce are perhaps what the lz'iiipi'rc Rr'r'rm/y staff might haye been without the benefit of a steady job. ‘If
there’s one thing that continues. or that I am drawn to. it's the kind of character who is the thinking-man's fuck-up. who's basically sw'eet.‘ Moyle concludes. "l‘he writer chose to go with Satanists and dwary‘es. but we chose the sweetest Satanists and dwaryes we could find. Even the Villains are hard to hate. really.‘
This selection of mild-mannered misfits is what Moyle regards as his ‘giant contribution‘ to the film. ‘You know. really my strength is in finding the actors. If you find the actors. you don‘t do that much
38 THE LIST ‘5—-.‘:‘ e
directing. you just turn the camera on] he shrugs. 'Biit luck is a huge factor. \Vith limp/re Rt’t‘lH’t/M we got really lucky with the cast there's an alchemy there. And it‘s the same with this moyie.’
:\s ’li‘uiuy/irurine-litc. ll'r’i'i'r/yi'i/Irk di'tigs message is similarly easy-going. ‘lt‘s not anti-drug. in that they go from hard drugs to mild drugs.‘ liyen without the pharmaceutical high. there is a surrealism at work in ll'r'i'rrlyi'i/lr' that is. to .\loyle at least. of a peculiarly nationalistic nature. ‘|('anada] is trippy because it has to be. The big brother in the south has got the money and the stance. and we need to find our identity in being the opposite.’ .\ link. maybe with Scottiin angst'.’
‘Yeah. the underdog thing.’ Moyle nods. ‘But. you know. it's not half as intense as it is in Scotland. 'l'hat great speech in 'I'ruiiiy/miliiie. "Scotland‘s shite." right'.’ .\'obody's walking around saying. "('anada's shite" because it's ~itist a comfortable. middle—class existence. We doth eyen hay e that. we don't ey en haye the horror of it.‘
What ('anadians do hay e howey er. according to Mr
Moyle. is 'a weirdness built-in'. li\planation perhaps litll‘ lllc‘ (lll'L'L‘lUl‘.\ leil—l \llc‘llttc‘l .lilc‘kstm l‘ltlplc'. .llrm
in the .lliri'or. '.\lichacl has taken a huge amount of
bad press. [but] I'm yery pro-Michael. He‘s not a paedophile.‘ But he is weird. though'.’ ‘()h. extremely weird? But I like his struggle to be weird. and to be understood. My heart goes out to the guy. He rerses to compromise and just be half-weird. He's my hero.'
Weirdsville is on selected release from Fri 16 Nov.
llit >l<
THE BEST FILM & DVD RELEASES
* The Darjeeling Limited The duke of kook and matching luggage Wes Anderson returns With a moving tale of grief and Sibling rivalry starring Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman. Short film, Hotel Chevalier. which is being show before the feature. is also part of the film. so do not miss it. See feature. page 10 and Also Released. page 42. General release from Fri 23 Nov.
>l< Beowulf Big budget but highly effective pseudo anime (a la 300) adaptation of the epic poem starring Ray Winstone and Angelina Jolie. See review. page 39. General release from Fri 76 Nov.
* Rescue Dawn Long overdue cinema release of Werner Herzog's superb fictional retelling of the experiences of German/American pilot Dieter Dengler starring Christian Bale. See review. page 40. General release from Fri 23 Nov.
>i< Wristcutters: A Love Story Charming and inventive US indie set in a bland corporate afterlife. See review, page 41. Showcase, Paisley <2 Coatbridge.
* In The Shadow of the Moon Engaging documentary about the history of space travel. See review. page 41 GFT, Glasgow 8 Fi/mhouse, Edinburgh from Fri 76 Nov.
>i< Weirdsville Likable Canadian slacker comedy. See interview. left and Also Released. page 42. Selected release from Fri 76 Nov.
* Into The Wild Sean Penn as director takes to the road to tell the story of rich boy drop out Christopher McCandIess (Emile Hirsch). General release, out now.
* Mikio Naruse Collection Lovely three film DVD box set highlighting some of the best work by this great, largely unknown master of Japanese cinema. See DVD Roundup. page 43. Out Mon 26 Nov (BF/).