SMALL APARTMENTS (Jonas Åkerlund, 2012)

[Jox]

Thanks for the heads up Ringy, it's always good to hear from Japan!

[Ringy]

Promotion banner

https://www.facebook.com/events/314121152055038/?ref=22

banner said...July 10, DVD sell/rental release. and VOD in SEN(Sony Entertainment Network), maybe VOD is Japan only.

[Jox]

I thought Small Apartments was a very sweet, but very surreal movie – how did you first get involved?

[Laughs] Well you know Jonas Åkerlund is a friend of mine, and he used to be married to my ex-wife’s cousin, as a matter of fact and strangely enough – Sweden’s a small place – so I know him from there. He had the script and he asked if I wanted to do a little role in it, and it was a weird little comedy and I said, "Yeah, why not? Let’s have some fun."

Jonas Åkerlund is quite a visual director, so I wondered how much of a sense of his vision you got from the script, as it’s quite difficult to pitch?

Well I just thought it’s a character I’ve never played before, it’s totally different, a self-help doctor, kind of bizarre but fun, and he talked to me a little bit about the costumes and the colouring, the colour scheme - I’ve seen his music videos, so I know he’s quite good with that stuff. So I thought yeah, I’ve got nothing to lose, it’s just a fun, different type of role – I trusted him basically.

And talking of those suits, did you get to keep any of them? They were something else!

I didn’t exactly want to keep most of them, but… [laughs] They didn’t really work for me, but they worked for that guy!

How was it being part of such a big ensemble cast, because I’m more used to seeing you in lead roles?

I like it, I like that better almost than starring, I mean it’s a nice break and you can have more fun. You don’t feel as much pressure, you can try different things, it’s not as crucial… if you play the lead in a bigger movie then everybody’s nervous about if the movie’s going to work, [saying] “You don’t want to do this, you don’t want to do that.”

Everything has to be likeable, or more kind of by the numbers, but these smaller films, especially indie movies like that, you just have fun and just try different things, which I haven’t really had the luxury to do a lot, or at all, which I’m trying to do more of now. Actually, I’ve done a few things like that [recently], where I take other turns and try to dream up some interesting characters, that are a little more fun for me to play.


I know your role as Dr Sage Mennox was small, though pivotal – did you have much say in how you played your character, or was it all laid out for you?

No, I did talk a lot with Jonas about it, and obviously I’m the one who’s doing it, so I could do it any way I wanted and Jonas is a pretty easy director. He doesn’t dictate to the actors, you just do it your way and then he’ll come up with a few pointers – I don’t think he had too many in my case – but he likes to have fun on set and come up with stuff as you’re shooting, and come up with ideas as you’re doing it, which is very liberating for an actor not to feel like you’ve got to follow some kind of plan from a to z. So it was an enjoyable project and a lot of fun to work on.

On the behind the scenes documentary on the DVD, Jonas said you’d told him it was the first movie since Rocky where you weren’t holding a gun…

Yeah that’s right, somebody pointed that out to me, I think in the UK when I did an interview, and I said, “Damn, you know you’re right.” It’s been like 48 movies or something, and I’d like to add a few more to that, but it’s difficult [chuckles] in my position – you always end up pulling out some kind of weapon!

http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/dolph-l ... z2aQ6PM8Hd

[bomaz]

Seems the movie is (or will be very soon) available in france on DVD. A friend told me that, and he got it from journalists who made a region 2 review :s Seems legit by the sources, but strange we didn't hear it first here (so might not be a 100% sure).

[Jox]

I had asked Sony Pictures France who only replied to me on FB and were very elusive and it's announced anywhere yet. BUt very realistic since Sony already released the DVD in many territories (US, Italy, Germany, UK, Japan etc). What I would like is an UNCUT Blu-ray...

[Jox]

Opens theatrically this week in Australia
http://www.filmink.com.au/reviews/small ... ents-film/

it is the cast that saves Small Apartments, with Lucas’ quirky lead performance only surpassed by scene-stealing turns from Johnny Knoxville, Dolph Lundgren, and the unlikely, yet always loveable, Billy Crystal.

[Jox]

New book edition out October 15
http://www.amazon.com/Small-Apartments- ... ris+millis

[Jox]

Chris Millis
I'm always running across interesting flotsam on my computer desktop that provoke a rush of memories from the filming of "Small Apartments" in the spring of 2011 (has it really been that long ago?)

Now that many of you have had a chance to view the film, I think it's neat to share some more of the inside scoop. For instance, in this picture I'm standing with director, Jonas Akerlund, moments after we wrapped production in late April. As you can see, it's well after sunrise.

We are standing in the driveway outside the garage of Franklin Franklin's doomed landlord, Albert Olivetti, located on Harvard Boulevard in South Central Los Angeles. The last scene we shot was of the investigation of Olivetti's improbable suicide featuring Billy Crystal, David Koechner, David Warshofsky, and the great Scott Sheldon -- introducing fire, law enforcement, and most of the audience to the concept of the "merkin." Or, as Scotty's character Officer Clarence Smith puts it so succinctly, the "pubic wig."

In Jonas's hand is the framed portrait used in the shot where Franklin looks at what is meant to be Olivetti's daughter and says, "Sorry I killed your daddy." The woman in the picture is Jonas's sister.

In the left of the photo is our immeasurably talented cinematographer (also know as Director of Photography, or D.P.), Par Ekberg. Par helped the film look fantastic on a very modest budget.

Man, looking at these production photos gives me a serious itch to get back on set with my next project.

[Jox]

There's one chance to have the uncut movie on Blu with the upcoming Norwegian edition, not released through Sony but local company Star Media Entertainment:
http://cdon.no/film/small_apartments_(blu-ray)-22717483
http://starmedia.no/small-apartments/

Unfortunately I can now confirm the Norwegian Blu-ray edition is cut as Sony's. So to watch the movie uncut with Dolph's great last scene with Matt Lucas only remains the DVD for now...

[dude hallenbeck]

http://www.ezydvd.com.au/DVD/small-apartments/dp/6148653#actors

Hits Australian home video on March 19th.

[Jox]

Cool, I might get this one.

They updated the cover and made it look slightly more faithful to the original poster:

(click to enlarge)

[dude hallenbeck]

The best thing is it keeps Dolph's role a secret. This one had a very limited theatrical release here. Didn't play anywhere near me. So March will be the first time I catch this.

[Jox]

Complete behind the scenes (18 min)
http://vimeo.com/85202507

[Jox]

The Australian BD is still cut...

[Jox]

Dress like Matt Lucas' Franklin Franklin:
http://carboncostume.com/franklin-franklin/