Joy Division: The Movie

[elderford]

Friend e-mailed me this interview:

Poptones news (www.poptones.co.uk)


Todd Eckert, Producer of the  forthcoming Joy Division movie faces Poptones.co.uk's QUESTIONS OF DOOM about those rumours of Moby and Jude Law, Joy Division, Soundtracks, Debbie Curtis, Manchester and working on the movie of Ian Curtis' life....!

How are you going to be approaching the soundtracks to the Joy Division movie?

There are likely going to be three soundtracks to the movie; the first will consist of original Joy Division music, the second will consist of incidental music for the film, hopefully from the members of New Order, though, they may not be recording as New Order, per se. And the third soundtrack will be a little bit different - we have asked people who we know and like to do a cover of a Joy Division song. So far, Mogwai and Black Rebel Motorcycle club have expressed some interest to this, along with a few others. But to maintain the intensity and anxiety of each Joy Division track we are giving the bands only a couple days to record their cover - we will arrange the studio time at comparatively inconvient times - like, if they have a day off in-between a tour - to provide an atmosphere of intensity.

What has been the reaction of people to the fact that Americans are making the movie of the life of Ian Curtis?

People seem either amused or pissed off that a couple of Americans are doing the movie. We spent eight months of negotiations with Debbie to get the option of Ian's life. Debbie was very careful during the negotiations and would often say to us: I'd rather not make the film than make it wrong.

How did it come about that Moby was asked to be music advisor on the score?

No. Moby is not the music advisor on the score. Moby will not be involved in the soundtrack in any way. What had happened was a couple other producers did have the option to make the film on Ian's life but their option had expired and Debbie had decided not to renew it. At Cannes, Neil Weismann made the announcement that they were going to be make the film and that Moby was going to be the music supervisor of the soundtrack. That was a complete shock to myself, my partner and Debbie, as we had just finalized our arrangement and had no intention of involving anyone from the prior production group. Moby was not, is not and will not be associated with our production of the movie of Ian Curtis' life.

Do you think that the other production team will make the movie without Debbie's blessing?

No. Neil who is actually a close personal friend of Tony Wilson had asked if it would be o.k. if he made the film without the family blessing. Tony said: Absolutely not.

What do you think of the public criticism of Jude Law playing the part of Ian?

Jude Law is not playing Ian Curtis. We think Jude is an amazing talent as an actor but he is simply too old too play Ian. Jude's thirty-two and Ian was twenty-three when he died. That particular rumour started when we were doing some television and radio press in Manchester for the movie. We were asked repeatedly about who was going to be playing Ian and told them we were not at liberty to disclose the information at that time. People took the interview and made their own inferences, despite the fact we'd not ever mentioned Jude's name. Then someone asked Hooky what he thought and it kind of snowballed. But no, Jude is not going to be playing Ian.

Any other misconceptions you would like to clear up....?

That we will not be doing a the "Rock'n'roll version of Shine." That was the quote of the original movie producers, not mine, in fact I stated in our first press release.

How are you going to attack the life of Ian Curtis - with so many differerent and very intense aspects?

It's an intense story. We will be bringing that sense of intensity to the story, but we are going to be portraying Ian with complete honesty. It's, alternatively, flattering and unflattering, much like Debbie's book. It won't go to great lengths to paint Ian as a great guy or a particularly awful guy, but it will attempt to show him as not only a dour character, but also an energetic, briliant artist. It will be human and honest. Ian was this northern man who was under intense pressure as many are in England to get married, buy a house and start a family. Yet, he was in this amazing emotionally cathartic band, where he spent a lot of time exploring the darker side of humanity. And he was dealing with epilepsy, the treatment of which was, at that time, completely archaic. I've described his situation before as one sun with many planets revolving around it. And then it just exploded. He had a choice of a life not being 100 percent honest and living a long time, or having a brutally honest artistic life that would preclude him from living all that long. And he choose the latter.

The movie is in pre-production - what has been one of the more startling things that you've encountered in this time?

The amount of press. And combatting a lot of falsifications which have been picked up in the press about the movie - like the bits with Moby and Jude. We didn't expect the amount of press interest in a movie where the script writer is just being contracted at the moment. The writer that we have in mind is from Manchester and is a complete genius. So I hope that goes off well.

Where will it be shot...?

The whole thing will be shot in Manchester.

What was it like working with Debbie Curtis on the project...?

Debbie is actually a really cool and understated person who is very humourous. We've spent a lot of time with her, and we've got much more research beyond the book. The film will reveal a side of Ian that the public has not seen before.

Do you feel like you know Ian Curtis?

By the time it is over I think I will. I think I know him much better than I did. We've compiled every appearance of Joy Division that has been put to film and you know what? Live - they were untouchable - they were the best band in the world. They were unfuckingbelievable - like stepping on an electric wire. We've got to be able to put that across. You only have one shot to make the movie of Ian Curtis, you can't fuck it up.

[mayer]

Debbie is actually a really cool and understated person who is very humourous. We've spent a lot of time with her, and we've got much more research beyond the book. The film will reveal a side of Ian that the public has not seen before.

unfair perhaps, but reading "Touching From A Distance" as an impressionable 16 year-old, i thought that Deborah Curtis was a bitter, bitter woman. she couldn't get over the fact that she chose to marry a jealous childish wanker, who had never hidden his cunt status from day one. and then she seemed apalled that marrying the guy didn't make him any less of a tosser.

also, her twistedness over him cheating on her seems a little over-the-top, given that he did top himself so bloody long ago. i know that leaving her with the kid was hardly cool, but it's unlikely that a living Ian would've still been with Deborah a few years later, and i doubt he would've gotten any more than the minimum of visitation rights.

[elderford]

Mayer, I take it you're more of an Interpol fan then?

[mayer]

Mayer, I take it you're more of an Interpol fan then?

oh, i bloody love Joy Division, and i reckon i'm the second biggest Interpol fan on VWs (after Peking O, who i think is their biggest fan this side of the Atlantic). i'm well looking forward to the film too. i'm just worried it'll be too Debbie-focussed. i hope that the NO boys have a near-equal say in the direction the movie takes.

[another Mr. Lizard]

You only have one shot to make the movie of Ian Curtis

The first half of 'Twenty Four Hour Party People' did it well enough, as far as I'm concerned. This new project will be lucky to get off the ground, and the interview quoted above gives the impression that there's a lot of in-fighting, people not communicating with each other, etc., which is no way to make a movie.

And there's more to it than casting the right bloke as Ian - they'll need a Hooky, a Barney, a Steven and a Gillian, plus a Wilson, Erasmus, Hannett, Gretton, Morley, and Curtis' wife Debbie and bit-on-the-side Annik. Most of whom featured in 'Twenty Four Hour Party People'. They might find someone better than Ralf Little as Hooky, but unless they cast Paddy Considine again as Gretton, forget it.

[danielreal2k]

Indeed the footage of Sex Pistols,  spliced with Simm , Harris etc seemed to do it justice well.     I guess Hollywood have looked at this and thought "gee that's kinda neat, we can make a big budget version"

oh I dont know, as much as I adore JD/New Order/Marr Electronic
i just hope they dont make a hash of it

[another Mr. Lizard]

I guess Hollywood have looked at this and thought "gee that's kinda neat, we can make a big budget version"

Hey, maybe they'll cast Coogan as Ian Curtis. With Jackie Chan as Hooky...

[danielreal2k]

Chan as Hooky

for comedy value alone. i hope so

[another Mr. Lizard]

One also ponders what this new version will be called.

Unfortunately, the title 'Swingers' has already been used...

[Huzzie]

Jude Law is apparently playing Ian.

Cant see it myself!

EDIT: whoops.. I really should read things properly:-/