"MOJO & the Filmmaker's Diary" by Jez Butterworth
1 July 1996 - Cast Hans Matheson as Silver Johnny. Hans was the lead in Christmas, written by me and Tom, a part he gave up drama school for. He also played Silver Johnny on the stage. There's no one else for the job, and I can't wait to see him play the fleshed out screen character?19 September 1996 - The choreographer goes to work with Hans, who, it turns out, is a natural. We watch early James Brown videos. After ten minutes Hans can do the fucking James Brown. This is thrilling, as visually I've always imagined Johnny's moves to be based on these.
21 October 1996 - Read-through. Downstairs in viewing theater in Bray. Ian Hart, Ewen Bremmer, Aidan Gillen, Hans Matheson, Andy Serkis, Harold Pinter, Ricky Tomlinson and Martin Gwynn Jones and I sit round a big table with fruit on it and read through the script. It takes maybe an hour and I really enjoy it. This is because, thank God, I've got the right cast. Afterwards, we drive back together in a minibus for costume fittings. Listening to the actors talking in the back, I am as happy and excited as I've ever been in my life.
10 November 1996 - We begin Hans's first day with the last shot of the film, Silver Johnny and Baby leaving the Atlantic Yard. Hans has come straight off a night shoot from his previous film, with no sleep.
20 November 1996 - Back upstairs to shoot Hans and Ezra in their first scene together (13). This is a simple scene, but I'm nervous. It's the first scene I wrote, and I have a strong impression of it in my head which I don't want to lose. Hans and Ricky are lovely together, very relaxed but intense. Ricky understands his character implicitly; I don't have to say a thing to him.
22 November 1996 - Continuing the scene, with Hans's appearance in his underpants. Hans plays Johnny's knowingness/innocence here to a tee.
25 November 1996 - At the end of the day I go for curry with Aiden, Martin, Andy, Hans and Tom in Windsor, and we end up in a pub, playing pool with squaddies from the castle. 'You in films, then? I've never fucking seen yuh.'
26 November 1996 - More extras, 110 in all, and an extended days shooting, for Silver Johnny on stage. This is for titles and for the club scene, so Hans had better be good.
He's good, gives it all he's got, and gets a genuine reaction from the girls in the crowd. After several more takes I can see that Hans is knackered. We fill him with Lucozade and Mars Bars, and he manages a few more, but I have to shoot tighter and tighter as his legs won't work. Smokes, see? At the end of the day we squeeze in one of my favorite shots at the start of the film, where the staircase rotates and Johnny stands still, before bursting on to the stage.
30 November 1996 - Johnny outside on the fire escape with his apple.
14 December 1996 - Pick-ups for 98, then Hans following the sounds of the tinkling daggers (our second steadicam shot).
2-7 September 1997 - Venice Film Festival. Ian, Aiden, Ewen and Hans are here. The film is showing at a thousand-plus seat marquee. At the end response is excellent, and actors are surrounded by boys and girls looking for autographs and , in Hans's case, kisses. I sign a lonely autograph for a bearded fortysomething Spaniard, who, thankfully, doesn't need a kiss?
Thanks to Gg for providing these excerpts
1 July 1996 - Cast Hans Matheson as Silver Johnny. Hans was the lead in Christmas, written by me and Tom, a part he gave up drama school for. He also played Silver Johnny on the stage. There's no one else for the job, and I can't wait to see him play the fleshed out screen character?19 September 1996 - The choreographer goes to work with Hans, who, it turns out, is a natural. We watch early James Brown videos. After ten minutes Hans can do the fucking James Brown. This is thrilling, as visually I've always imagined Johnny's moves to be based on these.
21 October 1996 - Read-through. Downstairs in viewing theater in Bray. Ian Hart, Ewen Bremmer, Aidan Gillen, Hans Matheson, Andy Serkis, Harold Pinter, Ricky Tomlinson and Martin Gwynn Jones and I sit round a big table with fruit on it and read through the script. It takes maybe an hour and I really enjoy it. This is because, thank God, I've got the right cast. Afterwards, we drive back together in a minibus for costume fittings. Listening to the actors talking in the back, I am as happy and excited as I've ever been in my life.
10 November 1996 - We begin Hans's first day with the last shot of the film, Silver Johnny and Baby leaving the Atlantic Yard. Hans has come straight off a night shoot from his previous film, with no sleep.
20 November 1996 - Back upstairs to shoot Hans and Ezra in their first scene together (13). This is a simple scene, but I'm nervous. It's the first scene I wrote, and I have a strong impression of it in my head which I don't want to lose. Hans and Ricky are lovely together, very relaxed but intense. Ricky understands his character implicitly; I don't have to say a thing to him.
22 November 1996 - Continuing the scene, with Hans's appearance in his underpants. Hans plays Johnny's knowingness/innocence here to a tee.
25 November 1996 - At the end of the day I go for curry with Aiden, Martin, Andy, Hans and Tom in Windsor, and we end up in a pub, playing pool with squaddies from the castle. 'You in films, then? I've never fucking seen yuh.'
26 November 1996 - More extras, 110 in all, and an extended days shooting, for Silver Johnny on stage. This is for titles and for the club scene, so Hans had better be good.
He's good, gives it all he's got, and gets a genuine reaction from the girls in the crowd. After several more takes I can see that Hans is knackered. We fill him with Lucozade and Mars Bars, and he manages a few more, but I have to shoot tighter and tighter as his legs won't work. Smokes, see? At the end of the day we squeeze in one of my favorite shots at the start of the film, where the staircase rotates and Johnny stands still, before bursting on to the stage.
30 November 1996 - Johnny outside on the fire escape with his apple.
14 December 1996 - Pick-ups for 98, then Hans following the sounds of the tinkling daggers (our second steadicam shot).
2-7 September 1997 - Venice Film Festival. Ian, Aiden, Ewen and Hans are here. The film is showing at a thousand-plus seat marquee. At the end response is excellent, and actors are surrounded by boys and girls looking for autographs and , in Hans's case, kisses. I sign a lonely autograph for a bearded fortysomething Spaniard, who, thankfully, doesn't need a kiss?
Thanks to Gg for providing these excerpts