Here’s a particularly nice review of BILL, THE GALACTIC HERO, suggesting the pic be nominated for a Hugo! It’s a fine thought, to pit our $100K film against a $165,000,000 studio epic called INTERSTELLAR…
Another review here:
And a couple of articles about the film:
BILL’s next screening, Portland OR, on New Year’s Eve at the Clinton Street Theater — it’s a charitable event to benefit the homeless, so please come if you can.
A week after the publication of Harry’s autobiography, BILL THE GALACTIC HERO – the feature film – is done. The main theme is by Iggy Pop, and Harry’s songs have been put to music by David Bashford. The world premiere is tonight, in Boulder, in the presence of Moira and Todd, his children, and four other members of the Harrison clan. Also attending are Kickstarter backers from as far away as Los Angeles, Portland, and Australia!
The film got some nice reviews in the local papers and will have more theatrical screenings and festival appearances in the new year. It’s an avowedly non-commercial feature (in the sense that I had to promise the CU administration that we wouldn’t attempt to make money off it) but, then, as far as independent films are concerned that’s usually the case.
The good news is that the film will be out there, and – once the Kickstarter downloads begin – widely available via the interwebs. I hope you enjoy it. I hope you’ll also enjoy Harry’s autobio – HARRY HARRISON! HARRY HARRISON! – published in hardcover by Tor. There is a wonderful scene in it where Harry, Kingsley Amis and Brian Aldiss are invited to judge the first science fiction festival in Trieste. The opening night film is Roger Corman’s MAN WITH X-RAY EYES starring Ray Milland. All three judges having been seriously wined and dined prior to the screening, they cannot resist making derisive comments about the movie as it screens. When the lights come up, presto! There, in the row in front of them, are Roger Corman and Ray Milland.
Personally I like MAN WITH X-RAY EYES and have a lot of time for Ray Milland, the actor, but what an embarrassing circumstance in any case. Twenty years later, when I first tried to raise money for BILL, Roger Corman was the only financier who was interested. Roger wanted to see a script, something which took us another three decades or so. Now script and film are finished, and I’ll send Roger a DVD as soon as they’re done. I wonder what he’ll make of it.
By the way, the film to which Harry, Brian and Kingers gave the prize was the marvelous ICARUS XB-1, the black-and-white Czech interstellar epic which was the visual inspiration for our production of BILL. Small universe, no?
To the Skies Avaunt!
alexcox.com 