Beach Getaway An Inspiration For Finn
Sun Herald
Sunday September 8, 2002
AUSTRALIA is on the touring schedule next year for Neil Finn, who is working on two new albums.
``I haven't played here as much as I used to when I lived here but I still love the place and I intend to come back here next year and put some serious time in Australia," Finn said during a visit to Sydney last week. ``There'll be more than one concert. It'd be nice to come through on a couple of occasions.
``I'm writing with my brother Tim at the moment. We're going to do another Finn brothers record very soon and I'm about to start work on another soundtrack which I can't really talk about yet; it's an international film."
Finn, whose first movie soundtrack Rain is due out in October, said he had just returned from a recording session with Tim near Auckland.
``What works best, it seems, is to go away. We went to the beach last week for two days on our own and just set up a whole bunch of gear and whiled away the day. Went for a couple of walks in between and just played for about 10 hours straight, recorded everything and then listened, figured out the things that were sounding the best and worked them up, threw a few lines at each other, had a laugh.
``I think it'll be a very simple record, a mix of vocals and the songs to the fore, two guitars, bass and drums. It'll be totally awesome I think, we've got some really good songs going now."
Finn said the songs he wrote for Rain were ``kind of brooding".
``It's a brooding sort of film and it's a brooding kind of soundtrack."
AUSTRALIAN writer and director Michael Petroni swapped Sydney for Los Angeles when he won a place at the American Film Institute, one of the most prestigious film schools in the US.
One of the screenplays he wrote as a student in the mid-1990s, Till Human Voices Wake Us, won him a scholarship that enabled him to complete his second year.
That script is now a movie starring Helena Bonham Carter and Guy Pearce, with Petroni directing, and opens in Sydney on September 19.
Since Petroni graduated and based himself in LA, Hollywood honchos have been scrambling to sign him. Revolution Studios recently hired him to write one of Julia Roberts's next movies.
``It's a mix of genres, definitely a romance, but it has a thriller aspect and it also has a mystical or ghost story," he said.
One of his next projects is The Long Green Shore, which Russell Crowe will star in and direct.
WATCH OUT FOR
* A return season of the very funny Puppetry Of The Penis The Ancient Art Of Genital Origami from October22 at the Enmore Theatre. For bookings phone 0295503666 or Ticketek on 0292664800. Visit www.puppetryof thepenis.com or www.ticketek.com.
* George Lucas has lent original props, models and costumes from the five Star Wars movies to a new exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum. Star Wars: The Magic OfMyth opens September18 and runs until February 2.
* Recently voted one of the world's best DJs, Judge Jules plays The Roundhouse, Kensington, on October3. Tickets 029385 7630, 0292664800, www.inthemix.com.au or www.ticketek.com.au.
Six movies in one year
EXPECT to see much more of gorgeous actor Marton Csokas (pronounced Chorkarsh), who has six new movies due out in the next 12 months. First up is xXx, opening on Thursday, in which he plays a Russian anarchist opposite Vin Diesel. Csokas also stars as a music industry exec in Garage Days and a photographer in Rain. Both movies open on October 3.
Earlier this year he was in Montreal filming Timeline with Billy Connolly and Frances O'Connor and he'll appear in Kangaroo Jack with American actor Jerry O'Connell. Filmed in Australia last year, the movie's writing credits include Steve Bing, Elizabeth Hurley's ex.
New Zealand-born Csokas has lived in Sydney and Melbourne and is filming The Great Raid in Queensland.
THE INQUISITION
LIZ MITCHELL
Mitchell is a founding member of Boney M, which began in Germany in 1976. Famous for classic dance numbers including Daddy Cool, Rivers Of Babylon and Ma Baker, they perform at Star City on Friday.
How did the name Boney M come about?Boney was taken from an Australian TV show [a 1972 police drama series]. M is for Mitchell.
In what countries does Boney M have its strongest fan base?In Holland, Germany and England.
What do the lyrics to Brown Girl In The Ring mean?
Brown Girl In The Ring is a children's song, which is sung all throughout the Caribbean. The song is complimenting the girl who is in the ring for hersweetness.
How often do you tour?I am touring all year round, across and around the world. Before arriving here we came from Mongolia, where we performed to 40,000 people in the stadium.
What's the secret to your longevity?Secrets are just that secrets. But I understand that the melodies that we have adopted and the positive energies are part of it.
PUMP UP THE VOLUME:With the words to Abba's hits projected on a giant screen, fans can sing along to the Swedish supergroup with a UK tribute band at Sing-a-long-a-Abba from September 18 to 21 at the Enmore Theatre. Phone 02 9550 3666 or Ticketek 02 9266 4800.
© 2002 Sun Herald