The First

PRODUCTION YEAR; 2004

DIRECTOR; STUART MULRAIN

STARRING; MIKE NORMAN (Scotty), NEAL CANTILLION (Gez), ANDREA NORMAN (Ronni)

CO-STARRING; ASHLEY CLARKE (Aimee), GORDON CORE (Dave), FAYE MACHIN (Belle), GEMMA MANGAN (Jenny), HELENE REED (Nicola)

AND FEATURING; TOM CORNWALL, HOWIE JACKSON, LEE MORTIMER, JO ROACH, SCRAG, ADAM SOFTLEY, GRAHAM WARDEN-LOVELL, DAVE WEAVER, LEANNE WIGGALL

THANKS TO; DANIEL BOWSKILL, KAREN WARDEN-LOVELL

WRITER; STUART MULRAIN

PRODUCERS; REBECCA BALLINGER, LEE MORTIMER, STUART MULRAIN, MIKE NORMAN (Co), GORDON CORE (Exec), SUE GEORGE (Exec), SCRAG (Exec)

THE SOUNDTRACK; The Soundtrack (produced by Neal Cantillion) will feature tracks from local bands like Ruth's Curtain and Earnest Cox as well as Intrumental music by Michael McSweeney 

STATUS; Completed  

RELEASE; Unreleased after a limited showing 

STORY; Finding Strangers In Paradise (F.S.I.P) tells the story of Scotty, an avid comic book collector and comic shop owner, who is forced to reflect upon his life and loves when his girlfriend leaves him for a 'hippy juice bar owner, knitted jumper, bangle wearing mother fucker!'. Upon his reflecting, Scotty realises he might not be as happy with his life as he first realised.

PRODUCTION INFO; Shot Guerilla style, F.S.I.P. cost an estimated two and a half thousand pound to make (excluding the cost of buying the equipment). The film was shot on a digital camera in and around Gloucester, England (we have a lovely Docks and serial killer to our name and they shot part of Harry Potter 1 and 2 here) over nineteen days. The crew was on average three to four people at most, with a make up crew (about 5 people in total) and an overall cast of twenty. The shoot had no real lighting rigs nor the money to close locations down to the public, so the film has a very overall real, almost documentary, feel to it.

SHOOT LOCATIONS;

The Brunswick, Park Road, Gloucester

Richard Kings, Longsmith Street, Gloucester

The Bondsmill Trading Estate, Stonehouse

Gloucester Historic Docks, Gloucester

MOST WATCHED FILM ON SET; Kentucky Fried Movie 

POST PRODUCTION NOTES; Loved by some, feared by others and down right hated by the rest, F.S.I.P. is something of an oddity. Shot really as nothing more than an experiment in film making, it's taken on a life of it's own, slowly building something of a cult following (only a little one) despite the fact that it's not yet been seen outside of Gloucester. Even by the directors own admitance the film is very flawed (although he finds a certain charm in it) with poor sound (at present) and sloppy camera work. Those who like the film are really enthusiastic about it and those who don't (and a number of cast members fall into that group) really don't like it. What future it has and what chance it has of being seen remains undetermined although there will continue to be independent showings as long as the demand for them is there.

PICTURES;

Given the general crapness of this site to hold photos, pictures of the shoot can be found by following the below links;

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=106290&l=0de00&id=899040392

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=106626&l=d0c23&id=899040392

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=106944&l=674a7&id=899040392

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=108201&l=5e6a9&id=899040392

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=113190&l=4a719&id=899040392

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=113538&l=2382f&id=899040392

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=115133&l=02984&id=899040392

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=115144&l=34c64&id=899040392

WHAT TERRY MOORE HAD TO SAY;

In an email to Stuart Mulrain, Strangers in Paradise creator Terry Moore had the following to say:

Stuart,
Saw the film and enjoyed it very much. It has a Clerks like quality that is appealing in its rawness, with a blunt honesty that compells you to watch. The soundtrack is perfect, especially since it is original music of the area.

Congrats to all involved. A very fun first film.
Terry

REVIEW;

THE FILM "Finding Strangers in Paradise" may be the first offering from fledgling Gloucester filmmaker Stuart Mulrain, but amateur it is not.

The film pays homage to our fair city, sourcing home-grown talent and using its worn but loveable landscape as a backdrop. It features some unlikely landmarks - the Brunswick, a pub on Park Road and Richard King's hairdressers, in Longsmith Street.

A comedy with flashes of pathos, Finding Strangers tells the story of Scotty (Mike Norman), a disillusioned and lovelorn comic book fanatic. Rejected by his long-term girlfriend Nicola  (Helene Reed) for a knitted jumper, bangle-wearing "hippy juice bar owner", the film follows his journey through the post break-up bereavement process.

Introspective and cut up, Scotty receives repeated bolstering from his friend and archetypally repulsive estate agent, Gez, (Neal Cantillion) who is the perfect foil to Scotty, his misogyny grating against the sensitivity of the lead role. But it's not Gez's inability to sell properties without spin, rather his total ineptitude at engaging in a meaningful way with women which makes him so painfully amusing.

Both actors deliver accomplished performances, the culmination of which is a classic one liner delivered in a pub toilet - too filthy to repeat in a family newspaper but sufficiently funny to leave the audience buckled with laughter.

With plenty of cameos from friends and familiar faces, as well as vignettes of the city we know and love, the film offers some promising acting from all the cast.

Totally at ease, Andrea Norman gives a natural performance as Ronni, and Nicola, the girlfriend we develop a relationship with but don't meet until the end of the film is every bit as crushing as we thought she would be, thanks to adept characterisation by Helene Reed.

Mulrain says his project is "sort of" autobiographic and he felt it "made sense" to write what he knows about, hence his portrayal of friendships and conversations are uncomplicated and genuine. The part of Scotty, the director claims, he wrote for himself, but felt he was not equipped to tackle it, fearing the monologues, of which there are many, would defeat him.

What is most admirable is the fact the whole project was put together on a truly shoe-string budget of £2,000. It is remarkable that something so sophisticated could come out of such little cash - and exciting to think what could happen with more money.

The soundtrack, produced by Neal Cantillion, features Gloucester bands Ruth's Curtain and Ernest Cox as well as  instrumental music by Michael McSweeney. Painting in the highs and lows in the film brilliantly there is no justice if it does not receive acclaim.

Finding Strangers bears the hallmarks of great film-making and the imagination of its creators has given it the total lack of blockbuster sheen which makes it so endearing.

Review by Emma Lynch