| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Diane B. |
Posted - April 29 2011 : 07:29:49 AM
Best wishes to Daniel Day-Lewis for a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
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| 16 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| James N. |
Posted - May 12 2011 : 12:45:22 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Fitzhugh Williams
From what I saw it was no fun at all. Just endless retakes of the same scene. I suppose LOTM being a big-time file would have made the endless repetition worth the effort, but for a star who is also big-time, probably not so much.
Fitz, the process was best summed up by John Gattis, a friend I worked with on several productions, who retitled Alamo - The Price of Freedom to The Price of Boredom. That production was one of the worst, due to its being an IMAX format, where because of the size of the set it took literally TWO HOURS to set up each of the "master shots" for the battle sequences. Mohicans and Glory likewise had huge "cast-of-thousands" type scenes, that took seemingly forever to set. And combined with all-night filming for the ardous battle scenes in each of these it could be a truly exhausting experience! Attached are a couple of photos that well demonstrate how we spent much of our time "working" on Glory: Dale Fetzer, Joseph Covais, and myself, while Mark Edwards "minds his mules" in the background.
There was PLENTY of similar wasted "down time" on Mohicans; add to that Mann's overlong shooting schedule and it's no wonder everyone's nerves were frayed! Alamo took only about a month to shoot; Glory, three times as long. But apparantly Mohicans ran TWICE that for the principals, from May until October or November! Thank God the reenactors' part in it was much shorter, mine about three months.
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| Diane B. |
Posted - May 07 2011 : 7:58:02 PM
quote:
It was to me, Diane! I was just going to do that myself. Thanks for beating me to the punch!!
More than happy to be of assistance, Sachem! 
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| richfed |
Posted - May 07 2011 : 12:41:35 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Diane B.
quote:
The point was I cannot read all the words! :D
Well then, Flammable (and Monadnock Guide!)...I will just have to "translate" what our dear Daniel wrote in his letter! Here goes:
68 St. James's
London
Dear Mr. & Mrs. Federici,
I just wanted to thank you for the generous and thoughtful gift that you sent me. There was a time when I might have cursed at the thought of ever seeing some of those locations again but already, just looking at the photographs, I've a strong sense of priviledge in having spent a part of my life in those places: such power and beauty. It's so rare that I'm sent anything by anybody that isn't asking for something. Your gesture was truly appreciated - you've obviously taken a great deal of trouble - as were your encouraging words.
With many thanks & best wishes,
Sincerely,
Daniel Day-Lewis
As I've said before: the man may not have pretty handwriting, but he expresses himself beautifully - just as he does when he speaks.
 
Hope this was helpful!
It was to me, Diane! I was just going to do that myself. Thanks for beating me to the punch!!  |
| Fitzhugh Williams |
Posted - May 06 2011 : 08:29:08 AM
The Saturday before last I was at a historic site where a small-time movie was being filmed. Some of my unit participated in it because (1) they were already at the site for other reasons and (2) it would be kind of neat to see yourself on the screen. I went over just to see what was going on. I was in jeans and tee-shirt and did not participate. From what I saw it was no fun at all. Just endless retakes of the same scene. I suppose LOTM being a big-time file would have made the endless repetition worth the effort, but for a star who is also big-time, probably not so much. |
| Flammable |
Posted - May 06 2011 : 06:27:08 AM
Thanks!
Nice letter. It would be really cool to sit down and have a very lengthy interview with Daniel about LOTM*. The whole process of filming seems to have been traumatic to those who participated. Many of the cast have expressed negative feelings in their memories of the movie set. Mann must have put them thru some hard times. I wish somebody wrote a deep book about this movie. If I were in the States I'd do it but I can't afford to travel and/ or even have the credentials to set up interviews with people involved. And it would require many lengthy interviews. This movie fascinates me not just because of its content but also for its artistic quality and process.
*By lengthy I don't mean an interview where the person asking questions is ashamed or afraid to ask real and deep questions about the process (too polite can be a problem) but an interview where questions are presented shamelessly and even pushed on if needed, and let the person being interviewed decide how to respond if to respond. Though it's been 20 years so people's memories might be hazy. (The best thing imaginable would be to have a deep interview with Michael Mann AND see his notes etc. from the time of production. That would be LOTM movie heaven.) |
| Diane B. |
Posted - May 04 2011 : 8:27:30 PM
quote:
The point was I cannot read all the words! :D
Well then, Flammable (and Monadnock Guide!)...I will just have to "translate" what our dear Daniel wrote in his letter! Here goes:
68 St. James's
London
Dear Mr. & Mrs. Federici,
I just wanted to thank you for the generous and thoughtful gift that you sent me. There was a time when I might have cursed at the thought of ever seeing some of those locations again but already, just looking at the photographs, I've a strong sense of priviledge in having spent a part of my life in those places: such power and beauty. It's so rare that I'm sent anything by anybody that isn't asking for something. Your gesture was truly appreciated - you've obviously taken a great deal of trouble - as were your encouraging words.
With many thanks & best wishes,
Sincerely,
Daniel Day-Lewis
As I've said before: the man may not have pretty handwriting, but he expresses himself beautifully - just as he does when he speaks.
Hope this was helpful! |
| Flammable |
Posted - May 04 2011 : 1:54:02 PM
The point was I cannot read all the words! :D |
| Diane B. |
Posted - May 03 2011 : 9:54:52 PM
quote:
Does anyone actually know what he writes? :D
Our Sachem, Richfed, posted a link to DDL's handwritten letter, earlier in this thread. It takes a little effort to read what Daniel has written, but yes, I do know what he wrote. Try clicking on the link to his letter & give it a try yourself; it will be interesting to see if I'm the only person in Mohicanland that can read that letter, LOL! |
| Flammable |
Posted - May 03 2011 : 04:25:11 AM
Does anyone actually know what he writes? :D |
| Diane B. |
Posted - May 01 2011 : 8:32:59 PM
quote:
He might be expressing himself Diane - but apparently in some sort of code. That's not readable without an interpreter.
I agree that Daniel's "handwriting" leaves something to be desired; so it must be my heart acting as interpreter / code breaker...as I am able to decipher every word in his letter.
However, given the choice between reading something written by Daniel vs. hearing him speak, I will happily choose the latter.
Daniel's voice alone can make me weak in the knees, and when you combine that with his eloquent manner of speaking, well then, all I can say is
When Daniel appeared on Oprah's show prior to the release of "Nine," she expressed a similar appreciation for that voice & his manner of speaking, when she told him that she could just listen to him read the phone book. I couldn't agree more.
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| Monadnock Guide |
Posted - May 01 2011 : 3:15:42 PM
He might be expressing himself Diane - but apparently in some sort of code. That's not readable without an interpreter. Now, listening to him, for days on end no less (what a thought) - is another matter. He obviously speaks better than he writes, ... ;) |
| Diane B. |
Posted - May 01 2011 : 07:59:49 AM
quote:
That he can't write, ....
On contrary...in his letter, Daniel expresses himself very eloquently, just as he does when he speaks. I have watched & listened to numerous interviews he has given & could quite happily listen to him speak for hours - or even days!- on end.
On the other hand, his penmanship is anything but elegant & I'm thinking you were referring to Daniel's "handwriting" when you posted your comment. |
| Monadnock Guide |
Posted - April 30 2011 : 2:55:31 PM
That he can't write, .... |
| Flammable |
Posted - April 30 2011 : 12:32:30 PM
What does the letter say? |
| richfed |
Posted - April 30 2011 : 12:12:56 PM
Soon to be a bearded, Lincoln-version ...
His Birthday accounts for the radical spike in viewings of our DDL letter of long ago!! http://www.mohicanpress.com/mo01013.html  |
| Fitzhugh Williams |
Posted - April 29 2011 : 09:32:38 AM
He's 54, right? Would make him 34 when LOTM was filmed.
DDL with ear rings:
Bald DDL:
Longhaired DDL:
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