OUTLANDER International Trailer Is Now Online! Note this is a 2D Movie - But I Am In It Soooo...

**UPDATED July 16th: A second OUTLANDER trailer has surfaced - one much more friendly to English speaking fans! Check it out:





Jim here. Yes, this is a 2D movie but hey - I can have a little license here, 'cause I am one of the background actors in it...

Check it out! Awesome "Outlander" trailer - spectacular special effects, Caviezel doing his best alien, brief flashes of the beast, Ron Perlman smiling (screencap is left) as he smashes a head between two war hammers (Hellboy couldn't have done a better job) - all in all definitely something to look forward to!

I can't believe this movie does not have a North American date yet! Weinsteins - COME ON ALREADY! Trailer comes from overseas where it IS being released.

Ummm, I can't seem to find my scenes in the trailers - something must be wrong... however be sure to look for me in the film! I'm the tallest viking there... :-)

Now back to 3D!!!

New Outlander Production Stills Online! Promo Reel at Berlin Film Festival...

Well I am pleased that production stills are finally available from the Berlin Film Festival for "Outlander", the viking meets alien Sci-Fi movie that I have been posting about for over a year now. I am a background actor in this movie so you will have to put up with me commenting on it even though it is NOT IN 3D.

I loved my time on the set and it seems now is the time to enjoy the fruits of everyone's labor. The production of Outlander is by Barry Osbourne (Matrix and LOTRs) and the The Weinstein Company is distributing in North America. The movie stars Jim Caviezel, Sophia Myles, John Hurt and Ron Perlman oh and Jim Dorey! :-)

No word on exact release date yet, but it is fast approaching!

**SPOILER ALERT ** Moorwen monster shown below!

Looks awesome! Can't wait. Remember to look for the 6'6" viking running around with his pants falling down (that would be me!)

Outlander To Be Released in Feb/Mar Timeframe

More on Outlander: It will be released in the February / March time frame according to Jim Caviezel:

"People will be profoundly blown away. It will be released around the same time as "300" was released last year, around February, March some time. And a lot of heat on it right now... If you like "The Passion", If you like "The Count Of Monte Cristo" you will love Outlander."

By the way, "The Count Of Monte Cristo" is my favorite Caviezel movie to date (except Outlander of course!).

PS: Outlander is not a 3D movie.

Outlander: Getting Fired Up

Well I promised you in a post several months back about a personal blooper I had on the set of "Outlander", the Weinstein's and Jim Caviezel's upcoming movie about a spaceship that crashes in viking times and has an unexpected visitor aboard. Ron Perlman, John Hurt, Jack Huston and Sophia Myles also star.

It involves fire. As background actors on the set, a few of us were chosen for our talent (more like our size lol) to carry torches into battle. I was one of them along with a friend I had made in the wardrobe / make-up tent. Essentially you are given a three foot stick that had linens and wire mesh around the tip of it. This was dipped in a bucket of kerosene just prior to use as they do not last long once lit. I would say perhaps 4 to 5 minutes then they flicker out. They had a pyrotechnics guy running around with these buckets making sure the flames in the campfires, elevated torches and actor torches remained lit for the shooting. He also made sure that the gas lines leading to pyro displays (like a roof on fire) were set to go too. Serious business. He had fire retardant gear on and the ever present extinguisher. He took his job seriously too as he should.

Do background (BG) actors take their job seriously? Well some do... but not many. We were there to learn and have some fun - after all we are vikings running around screaming and hacking our blades down on nearby victims all night long! Some trouble was brewing from the get-go. My friend (I will call him Erik here) had his lit first. He promptly got his long viking wig on fire. Well it wasn't all that bad - just a little - we put it out fast when we saw it lol. He was still raring to go though. We were told to run back and forth behind Caviezel's scene near the wheelbarrow where the young boy actor (Bailey Maughan) was told to "Get the hell out of here" and hold the torch aloft as we repeated the trip. There was about 20 of us. Erik took off running just ahead of me and I could see his hand drooping a bit as those things start to get heavy after the 50th trip. The Pyro guy saw that Erik had just barely missed hitting Caviezel's stunt double's head in the last run and promptly grabbed it from his hand. That was that for Eric.

My turn. I was much more serious about my fire wielding duties. However my downfall was not timing the director's calls to action and his subsequent resets (back to your original positions and start over again for continuity and editing). I studied when to best call for fire and was successful for most of the night, but I messed up at around 4am and the pyro guy looked like a pyromaniac running toward me to grab my torch. "That's it" he said. Guess he was developed a case of "dipping torches into bucket too often" syndrome.

A much more serious event took place though that I am glad the BG actor that was involved was not hurt. As we were running behind the action, this one fellow - short, gruff and full of Monty Python vigor - was highly animated and screaming at the top of his lungs while arching his neck backwards in some sort of beserker rage. He tripped. Not exactly an epic hero is he? Because of his sheer forward velocity his face planted about 5 feet ahead of a "long house illumination device" that was positioned at the base of one of the viking long houses (these were complete long houses by the way - inside and out - no facades; only the King's house was fake). These devices are used to dramatically show the roughly hewn building and cast a eerie fire type light on the walls. This guy slid right into it. These things are hot and he was screaming - he may have gotten burnt somewhat, but the flame eluded him (just the hot exposed metal may have hit him). He got up immediately like John Cleese would and dusted himself off. The BG crew chief came running over and I could hear over her radio a voice ringing out through the static "Is that guy alright?" (perhaps Howard McCain or Don Carmody? :-)

His reply to the girl was, and I swear this is exactly what he said: "Aye. I'm alright." Hahaaa. This guy probably brings his character home to his wife at night too - the difference is we don't get $10 million+ for practicing it! :-)

That's it for now. I will have more on Outlander soon. Nothing like getting fired from using fire!

Image courtesy of my friend over at http://outlander.solsector.net/.

BTW - Outlander is not a 3D movie.

Outlander Personal Blooper...

Well I might as well disclose that I am not perfect! Lol. It's not all that bad I guess. While filming Outlander and in particular the scene where I am running full tilt from the King's Longhouse to embrace Ron Perlman and his gang head on, my genuine imitation viking pants became somewhat loose and well I had to tug them up every 5 steps or so while heading into the cameras. I don't know if it is visible or not, my other hand had my sword flailing wildly but it is disconcerting to say the least. I thought I had it fixed for take two - but nope. Same thing. Big braided viking dude running to defend his king with his pants falling down. I then had one of the ladies attending to the actors to tie me and she sure did - wow that was tight. Next take I was flying! But not too too fast, one of the main BG actors fell HARD on the first take as the stone tiles were extremely slippery with rain and mud in front of the longhouse. He had to be taken to the hospital and I still don't know what happened to him to this day. Hope he is ok.

So here is hoping that take 3 makes the cut and not the first two lol. Jim Caviezel was looking right at me from about 5 feet away when we finished one of the runs - wonder if he saw the pants problem. Oh well, I guess they could have weaved in that I was in the throes of passion with my lady just as Ron Perlman decides to invade our village - I had to jump up and immediately don my viking duds for battle!!!

In between takes, we (the vikings) were talking to John Hurt and someone said "So you are our king!" to which he replied, "Yeah, but not for very long..." lol - I think that perhaps his life is short lived!

It was kind of surreal to be standing in the fake backdrop of the kings longhouse (wonderful crafted on the outside though!) with 40 other men dressed up in leathers and furs, carefully trying to avoid each others swords and spears while the conversations are about everyday life: "Yeah, I got to fly off to Toronto this week for a conference" and "I had nothing but ham sandwiches this week for lunc... ARRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHH YEAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH GOOOOOOOOOOOO KILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL ARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!! ...we were often interrupted by the call of duty at hand - filming a blockbuster (and trying not to run over Mr. Hurt) :-)

More Outlander tidbits coming up! This movie rocks. Seriously. Next up - hear how to get banned from using flames during the shoot! Not that it was me...

Images provided by http://outlander.solsector.net

Paid to do what you love...

I am going to talk a bit more about the movie Outlander coming up soon - you know the Jim Caviezel, Ron Perlman, John Hurt movie with yours truly in it! Some more behind the scenes fodder. Stay tuned! Outlander (The Weinstein Company) is coming out later this year...

Outlander vs. Pathfinder

It is interesting that Karl Urban was originally connected to the lead role of Kainen in Outlander but due to a scheduling conflict had to move on to another role - another viking in fact in Pathfinder.

I suppose there are some simularities between the two, but judge for yourself.

Biases aside, Outlander has the advantage. Caviezel is a much deeper actor and can convey dark emotions on the screen that Urban just can't summon. No offense to Urban as his track record is awesome (LOTR and The Bourne Supremacy come to mind) but Caviezel has an ethereal quality that stems from The Passion of the Christ and Deju Vu.

Other than the starring role, Outlander has the chops over Pathfinder again too. Who can argue with having Ron Perlman as a viking? Can't wait to see that. Well I DID see that during production. The man is huge and that is coming from a guy who is not a slouch either (I'm 6'6"). And John Hurt is well, John Hurt - gotta love it; 135 movies since the early '60s.

The finished Outlander product should be spectacular. Outlander should at least double Pathfinder's box office take. Not that I won't be going to see Pathfinder though ;-)

Outlander

Well where would MarketSaw be without plugging MY new movie: Outlander. Yes, I am in this one but just as a background actor.

Check out this Outlander site. Excellent resource to this upcoming movie starring Jim Caviezel. I actually stood face to face with him on the battlefield after running full tilt following our illustrous king played by John Hurt. I spoke with John briefly and shook his hand; a nice guy. Did not get to meet Ron Perlman however and that was a disappointment.

It was a great experience and sure whets my appetite for more acting. Or maybe some more stand up comedy. The mud is still not off of my winter boots after months of use!

I must say that Caviezel is a true professional. In the scenes that I saw him in, he prepared thoughtfully and rarely was distracted from the task at hand. One particular scene has him engaging a viking just a few feet in front of the camera with the 'village well' behind them. He patiently worked with the actor dueling with him and showed him repeatedly how to come at him with his sword. The idea he was conveying was that he needs the guy to come at him full steam and swing hard toward him and he (Jim) would use his right hand to hit the guys right shoulder just when he wanted him to let up a bit. The end result was truly believable as an action sequence and a credit to Jim's experience. I suspect that much of the swordplay he used in The Count of Monte Cristo helped a great deal. By the way, that is simply an excellent movie if you have not seen it yet. A keeper in my books.

So keep an eye open for Outlander starring Jim Dorey errr.... Caviezel. :-)