Boring

Back in 1995, our movie safely finished (4 years previously), and 'Scarless: The Unseen Bits' (the inevitable making of movie) finally finished and shown, Gary, Heino and myself found ourselves lacking an excuse to get together every Sunday.

As I'm the only drinker of the three that meant beer was out and, so far as I can tell, Heino's the only one of us interested in sport, so that was out as well. We certainly never went bowling!

So we invented other excuses. I remember one Sunday morning they arrived at my house, computers at the ready and we networked them and played Hearts. You have to remember that this was before the Internet was easily available and when the idea of networking a couple of home computers was quite the novelty. Indeed, Heino was asking me just the other week if I remembered why they kept bringing their computers over; he recalls going to the extent of making a crate with styrofoam cutouts for it but can't remember just what we did once they were at my place. Alas, I can't remember either. Surely we didn't play Hearts every weekend?

We *did* drive down to Williamstown frequently, to get fish and chips and wander down along the beach, even in winter. Since much of our movie had been shot in Williamstown there was much reminiscence which led to the idea of us hosting our own late night TV talk show, to be called 'Boring'. The premise was simple; there'd be a large couch or two, the show would run for three hours and there'd be a studio audience to hang on our every word!

As for those words? It would be unscripted and we'd just talk the same rubbish we talked every Sunday afternoon together!

Such hubris.

Needless to say it didn't happen. Just an idea to kick around of a Sunday afternoon.

You'll remember I mentioned a week or so ago[^] that I was planning to be in Australia in September 2010 for the 20th anniversary revival of our movie? (It'll actually be just short of the 19th anniversary but round numbers are so much better).

Heino and Gary have been, it seems, spending an inordinate amount of time on the project. Methinks Heino is much more the driving force; when we were making the 'making of' movie alluded to at the start of this entry Heino moved away briefly, to Sydney, for a job, leaving Gary and I to continue in his absence. Upon his return a quarter of a year or so later he was disgusted to learn that nothing had been done. I still have the 'Highly Commended Award for Sustained Inactivity' he presented Gary and I with hanging on my wall.

I foresee much chivvying about the soundtrack over the next 18 months. Indeed, Heino asked me just a week or so ago whether I'd started writing it. I had to answer no; I'm writing a Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra right now. But I'll make a start soon, I promise!

I hope to have most of it in at least rough sketch by September 2009 when I'm next to be in Australia, so we can argue about it.

Meanwhile, there are plans for the inevitable DVD release of the movie! Back in 1991, when we premiered it to an audience consisting entirely of cast, crew, friends and family, we ran off VHS copies (and a few Beta copies for luddites like myself). Those copies contained only the movie.

Not the DVD! Nope, this is to contain the movie aforesaid, also the 'making of' aforesaid, a gallery of stills we shot during production, a copy of the script and a directors commentary. Now in reality Heino was the director; Gary and I get a credit each and Gary's is probably deserved, mine really isn't.

When I heard these plans I couldn't resist commenting that it sounded rather like the directors commentary was going to be our only chance at making 'Boring'.