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Local Hero
Making a Scottish Classic
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Local Hero
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
This book will appeal to enthusiasts of British cinema, film historians, and fans of Local Hero, as well as readers interested in Scottish culture and film-making behind the scenes.
In time for the 40th anniversary of Local Hero, Jonathan Melville checks into Urquhart's Hotel watching out for motorbikes and examines director Bill Forsyth's early career before spending time with the cast and crew to find out how this classic film was made.
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Description
The story of an American businessman sent to buy the Scottish village of Ferness with the aim of turning it into an oil refinery, Local Hero is one of Scotland's most beloved, and most misunderstood, films.
When Bill Forsyth's incredible success with the low-budget That Sinking Feeling and Gregory's Girl found him collaborating with Britain's best-known film producer, David Puttnam, he soon found his independent ethos clashing with Hollywood's desire for superstar actors and a happy ending.
Jonathan Melville checks into the MacAskill Arms and looks back at Bill Forsyth's career with the help of new and archive interviews, before spending time with the cast and crew, including stars Peter Riegert and Denis Lawson, who made Local Hero on location in Houston and Scotland in 1982.
With access to early drafts of the Local Hero script (including hand-written notes) that reveal more about Mac and mermaids, excerpts from a previously unpublished interview in which Bill Forsyth explains why he refuses to call his film 'feel-good', and a look at long-lost deleted scenes with exclusive commentary from those involved, this is the definitive history of the Scottish classic.
'Genuine fairy tales are rare; so is film-making that is thoroughly original in an unobtrusive way. Bill Forsyth's quirky disarming Local Hero is both . . . it demonstrates Mr. Forsyth's uncanny ability for making an audience sense that something magical is going on, even if that something isn't easily explained' Janet Maslin, The New York Times
Local Hero is kind of transcendent. It's poetic in a way that most films can't hope to be' Frank Cottrell-Boyce
Local Hero is one my favourite films of all time . . . A timeless masterpiece' Mark Kermode
'It's not a high concept movie, there's actually no story there really. It's what happens in between the story that's important' Bill Forsyth
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781913538866
Publisher: Polaris Publishing Limited
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 13 October 2022
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Polaris Publishing Limited
Illustration: 16pp colour & b/w plates
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 24.0mm
Width: 138.0mm
Height: 216.0mm
Weight: 409g
Pages: 352
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About the Author
Jonathan Melvilleis a freelance arts journalist whose first book, 2015'sSeeking Perfection: The Unofficial Guide to Tremors, was called 'Informative, entertaining and, above all, a joy to read - 9/10' byStarburst, whileEmpiresaid 'This high-access tell-all...[is] an unexpected treat - 4/5'. He has contributed toThe Guardian, TheScotsman,SFXand BBC Radio Scotland. He lives in Edinburgh.
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