This Is Not A Democracy

Sometimes, I think my affectionate mocking of Joe May overshadows exactly how awesome this guy is. He doesn't get nearly as much credit as he deserves for being hilarious, but he also rarely gets to really show his chops as a serious actor.

A couple of years ago, my friend CJ (who shares mine and Julie's fondness for Joe) created the short film Last Flowers, in which Joe plays a guy called Harvey Harris, a struggling writer who writes obituaries to make ends meet between the rejection letters from publishers and begins to go to the funerals of the people he writes about in an attempt to resolve his own issues.

The film and Joe were both nominated for Leo Awards for this, and you can totally see why.

The trailer for the film is below. You can watch the rest at www.fortyfps.com.



I know there are a few other things coming up (Brits, you've probably seen him most recently as Andy Button, the casting director on Episodes, or as Canadian George on Holby City) and I'm really pleased for him on that front, but he is genuinely one of the most under-appreciated actors I know of - even if his facial expressions make it nearly impossible to get a screencap of him that isn't ridiculous.

My friend Ruth (she's on LJ, but I won't give her name here) mentioned how she has a sisterly affection for an actor she runs a site for, and that totally sums it up. This is not a guy I fancy; that is so far from the point it's, travelled the full circumference (no pun intended) of the globe and is now standing right behind it. I've been following this guy's career on and off since I was maybe fifteen and he was on Casualty (it was a lot harder before IMDb), and I just really want to see him and his silly face do well.

Watch the film. Tell me what you think. ♥

My Circumference DVD arrived today! CJ is so awesome. He got Joe to sign it! I'm not really big on autographs, these days, but it's a really sweet gesture and endlessly cool, when you consider that I've been a fan of the guy to some extent since I was about fourteen.

The film itself is really cleverly done. There are some awesome transitions in there - it's done in one continuous shot, so it pans back as he walks down the hall and then he opens the screen and it's his reflection in a mirror, and stuff like that. Suitably impressed am I.

The EPK and the commentary are both hilarious, and suitably dorky.

Oh! And Ben Cotton (SGA's Dr Kavanagh) is in the audition part of the EPK, which is very cool. But really only if you're as into the pan-fan game of 'That's the Guy from Season X, Episode Y - Y'know? The third guy on the left in the Market Scene' as I am.

And I am muchly, so it's cool.

He's had his hair cut. This is... a reason you will barely recognise him.

But yeah, it's pretty damn good all round. Especially the comedy little skip Joe does at one point...

I think you should all buy it.

At some point, we're going to have to add a review of this to TCO... where to begin?!

CJ says the Circumference DVD is almost ready! Hurrah!

Can't wait to see that...

The new stuff on his mySpacks, from the Lotus Awards piece he did, is really cool. Like the world's most surreal, marescape fairground EVER. You expect the film to be full of creepy identical twins in matching outfits, people on stilts in candy-stripe trousers and evil little girls with big round lollies or candy floss.

All from the point of view of someone dying slowly in the middle. And drifting into the arms of awaiting angels and being heralded into heaven by a holy chorus.

No idea what the film itself is about, but CJ's music does tend to have a habit of making pictures in my head. With most music, it flows along to scenes from stories, or I picture the video. But somehow, CJ's creates images of its own. Scary fucking ones at that. I wish the old stuff was still up on profile. There were a couple of bits I used to listen to a lot...

I realised, the other day, that I really don't post that much personal stuff in here. I mean - I post random thoughts, which are probably better snapshots of what I'm doing than long, meandering posts about the events of the day, would - but when I'm not talking about the Pretteh or my evil housemate or the website, I don't have much to say.

I don't know if that'll ever change, really. I don't have much of consquence happening in my life. Nothing that really needs documenting for posterity. I wish I did - really. But never mind - if Puj, Elly, Stella and I won the Euro Millions tonight I'm sure we'll have something to talk about...

You lot are hopeless, by the way. I need to know exactly how many of you will be coming to my birthday lunch so I can book the table. Please let me know.

Christ on a fucking bike.

Sometimes, you ask for something small and you're given the whole fucking shebang.

We had our first self-defence class today.

It was so funny. The main person is a South African woman, who spends her time beating the crap out of a Tiny Asian Guy and a Big White Bloke for the benefit of illustration.

Irish Matt, Gary From Youth, Hansa Who's Marrying Bob and I were all sitting together making smart-arsed comments and kidding around and stuff. It's events like this which bring the departments together! Pub quizzes? Pshaw! Except, actually, at the pub quiz we sat talking to Gary From Youth and Lisa Also From Youth, if I remember correctly. Hm.

Still, it was great fun - and that was only the theory part. Next week we get to beat each other up. I'm gonna snap those boys like twigs. Hehe. I was actually amazed at how many blokes showed up for the class. All the youngish ones. Alas, the Pretteh is off sick, else I think he would have come along, too...

Also fun, was seeing Joe in The Dead Zone doing the Crazee Eyes Expression, as tip-officated by elven_wolf. Screencaps of this up on TCO as soon as I can be arsed.

Aside from feeling crap, not a bad day today.

10. And finally, how do you feel about having your first fansite?

Flattered and amazed. The fact that you’re taking the time to do this amazes me and I’ll always make time to answer your questions. Thank you and all the best. Joe


W00B!

CJ Wallis is awesome. Seriously. He's emailed us a few times today with stuff about his projects and Joe, and he's such a friendly guy... Pity more people aren't that forthcoming. He's really keen to help us out.

It sounds like our fears that Joe would turn out to be a complete tosser are unfounded. He's apparently a really funny guy.

I'm still a bit stunned at how kind he's being, at the moment. What an awesome guy.

Well. Rosie needs to learn to think things through.

The other day, I left a message on the website of one CJ Wallis, who happened to direct Joe May's most recent project, Circumference as part of a Canadian film competition. (Info at his site - it looks like it'll be pretty good.)

TCO was mentioned, and, stupidly (?) linked to - even though it is nowhere near finished.

Yesterday, CJ responded - saying he had, and I quote: "alerted joe to [our] cause".

Joe. As in, Sgt. Markham. As in, that bloke who played Sam Colloby's boyfriend in Casualty. As in 1st Miner in Wilde. (Would it be too obscure to add Police Constable #2 in DaVinci's Inquest? Ahem.)

Now, this was always the point - all of the actors/actresses we'll feature will hopefully be in some kind of correspondence with TCO, even if it's through their agents, because we need to be kept up to date on what they're doing. That's the entire point of the website.

But! It's so not finished. Not even nearly. And we were so unprepared for this. They weren't meant to know about it, yet. So, y'know: I should have kept my mouth shut about it.

On the other hand, it's kind of cool. And kind of CJW to pass on the message - I know it was well intended (although you so know it went something like this: "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!! JOE'S GOT FANGIRLS, JOE'S GOT FANGIRLS!!!" Note: we are not fangirls, thanks. We are appreciators of under-represented talent. Of the acting variety).

So, I'm off to do a very nervous Happy Dance and then worry about the opening night of The Country Wife, on Friday. Panic! at the Dress Rehearsal.

Things aren't so bad as I tell myself, sometimes.

And someone has found my Canadian ancestors in the 1911 census. Taylor Township is near Black River-Matheson, in Cochrane District of Ontario. It's remarkably cool. I emailed someone in the Mayor's office to see if they had any idea if the township was still known as Taylor, or what has happened to it.

It's very cool. When I get something solid I'll show my nan - it was her mum who was the first child in our family born there. She still has photos of the log cabin with them standing outside. It's really sweet.

I'd love to go there and get in touch with my heritage. Maybe I will. The only thing, is that it's in the middle of nowhere and I don't drive. I'd need someone who could drive to come with me. Maybe, if I find some people we're related to, Jem and Nan will come with me. Jem's a courier, so he's used to travelling long distances.

In other news, I've been saying my brother, Cris, looks like Jake Gyllenhaal for ages. He told me today that everyone else says it, too.

No one usually sees that sort of thing when I say it - so I'm feeling a bit smug at the moment.

Back to dreaded work, in the morning. There's a tube strike, so I'll have to go the other way and make sure I'm on the platform by 8.10am. I don't usually leave the house until after then! Not best pleased.

I've also been talking to Mary about taking on the design for The Camera Obscura. She protests that she's not a good enough webdesigner, but she's better than I am. Jane is too busy to finish it herself. We want something up in time for the release of Within, because there's sure to be a bunch of new fans appearing around then - it'd be nice to have something they can actually draw some information from, instead of the IMDb profile - because there's simply no detail.

Fingers crossed, anyway.