I love the bit when Sam responds to a sarcastic comment from the audience with a smile and says "actually, I'm thinking of setting part three in England" and some of the audience mockingly laugh as if he's being defensively sarcastic back ... only he knew he was telling the truth back then so he was the only person in the room aware that he'd just leaked a major spoiler. Still secretly giving even when he was under attack. Awesome ..
Although you can see he's getting frustrated, Sam displays self control, self belief and patience, the first lesson is the one I always struggle with (to be honest) when I'm passionate about something my mouth can go faster than my brain sometimes so it was a pleasure to watch Sam not kicking off, even when being denied answers to his cut off valid response questions of "What definative study?" and "Name one".
Sam was previously told his pressence was not required at Snaresbrook Crown Court after he flew over to attend the now legendary Department of Public Prosecution's Video nasty 'witch hunt' court case. As part of my prep for that college talk, I had a telephone conversation with the ex Chief of Police of that time who was very sympathetic to a certain young Mr. Raimi. Now retired, he was happy to admit the case was badly organised, the 'nasty's' being judged in blocks of two titles at a time and mainly only on how distubing the titles themselves sounded. If you re-watch the Central Weekend video you'll catch Jeremy Bogle and the man sitting to Sam's left on stage both admitting that they'd not sat through the whole films. This was the hilarious lack of evidence reason that was echoed in the court case, that prevented the judge present from banning The Evil Dead under The Obscene Publications Act. If this story was made into a movie, it would probably show Sam nobaly defending his film in the docks with swirling music. As it happened (so I was told by the ex copper), Sam was so jet-lagged from the flight over that he fell asleep in the public waiting room and missed it!. No harm done though as it was explained to him "It's not you that's under judgement Mr. Raimi, it's your film.". A wonderfull story showing Sam paying his own way to a different country's court room that had no juristiction over him but going anyway to defend himself and the film he loved.
... and the 'it's only like going on a rollercoaster' line of defence (we're only after a harmless thrill) that horror/gore fans have fallen back on over the years, I think, is a valid one but one that needs tightning up because some people don't like horror films or rollercoasters. I'd ask those same people if they'd ever enjoyed or felt ashamed watching a magician on TV or stage performing the classic sawing a person in a box in half trick or the sticking swords through a box that a person is inside trick. The idea that people would want to watch that could be argued as equally perverse and it would be equally ridiculous to suggest that people with a grip on reality would go home and try it for themselves. Some might I suppose. I think that's the crux of this eternal arguement ...
... Elise41, Dead Man's Shoes is a very powerfull film and shot around some places I grew up including a couple of people I knew. I'd recommend watching it on your own and with some tissues nearby for stuff I'm not going to spoil for you. Please let me know what you thought of it.
(I beat Paddy Considine at pool in The Kings Head in Burton on Trent ;D)
