Stepping Up.

Busy week following the 140 screening, which went great by the way. Good turn out, warm reception, good Q&A, live music afterwards, good conversation - so I was happy! And the Droichead is such a great place, I love screening there. I've screening three films there now and had one photo exhibition. The staff are a pleasure to work with. I hope I can always bring my films there.

After the screening I got talking to a few people who seemed eager to help on Derelict, which was a bonus. A friend, Mark Kearns, who screened Slán agus Beannacht and Bill, For Short when he owned and ran Boyne Books (great store, sad it's gone) talked about ideas for fundraisers, as did my friend Kieran, who was once a prominent comedy promoter. So I think there'll be a couple of fundraising events on the way.

I also spoke to an old friend, Richard Quinn, who's always shown interest and support in my films. He offered his services a producer, stepping to help organise the shoot and to get the things I need to make it happen ie. location, crew, equipment etc. He's been on the job a couple of days and has already booked a location viewing, which we went to see last night, great place, Millhouse in Slane. It's ideal really, exactly what I was looking for. Just some details to check out to see if it's suitable, cost, distance for commuting and the like. But even if it doesn't work out I know he's on the job. So that's a load off my mind.

Our prodigal producer returned with some good notes on Iscariot. The reader seemed to like it and the notes were mainly with regard to tone, characterization and some plot holes. Nothing that can't be fixed and a adjusted. So Thomas and I may get back to work on that i the Summer. There'll be nothing doing until then of course, Thomas is stuck into college and I'm working on Derelict, but that's OK. At least there's potential there for something to happen.

So it's all good, all moving forward. What I thought was a stall on Derelict only happened to be a speed bump, all systems go now and looking good. I'm sure there'll be plenty of complications leading up to shooting, but aren't there always! That's what makes it interesting.

I set my cast some homework, to watch 'The French Connection' again. And you dear reader, the same. Such an amazing film. And a big inspiration for this, in terms of tone and style, raw and documentary like. I love it. I'll be looking at it again a couple of times in the lead up to shooting Derelict. It blends the traditions of noir and cop procedure movies with the ragged unruliness of 70s filmmaking. It breaks alot of the rules, but never disrespects what's gone before, just brings a new energy that is still blistering to watch today, far more than most film now, 40 years later! 40 YEARS!!! Come on! We need to get some of that energy back. Hackman is just brilliant as Popeye Doyle, the quintessential anti-hero leading man. He's detestable, unruly, a borderline criminal himself, relentless, a womaniser, authority hater and you love him for all his faults. A great character. Watch it!