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Mar. 24, 2007 Vancouver, BC, Canada |
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Cannes Film Festival Accepts “Marilyn Forever Blonde” The Movie
The Festival De Cannes has recently announced the acceptance of Marilyn Forever Blonde, The Movie into this year’s film festival.
Last summer a film production crew assembled in a studio just outside Seattle, Washington to film the movie version of a play written by Greg Thompson on ‘The Marilyn Monroe Story In Her Own Words'. The next step was movie distribution while the story was also made into ‘Marilyn Forever Blonde – ‘The Play’ – staring the same actress Sunny Thompson as in ‘The Movie’.
Marilyn Forever Blonde ‘The Play’ is currently in production at the Stella Adler Theatre in Hollywood California & receiving excellent published reviews creating a pre movie fan base:
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The online Marilyn Monroe fan base thought to be over 20 million is already gaining exposure to Marilyn Forever Blonde via the Movie's web presence. By using all of the media elements of ‘Marilyn Forever Blonde’ ‘The Movie’ combined with leading edge Internet technologies including socail networking & email promotions transform the simple movie production into a pre and post movie 'Internet Marketing Machine'.
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An eager fan base of any movie production is important as is a cohesive strategy to deliver its message. Marilyn fans of all ages already populate the Internet in numbers reported to be over 20 million, so it made sense to include a comprehensive Internet strategy to deliver the 'Marilyn' message and host a communuty.
The creative team at www.webstager.com assembled all of the media elements of Marilyn Forever Blonde 'The Movie’ using leading edge technologies and applications to transform the simple movie production into a pre and post movie 'Internet Marketing Machine'.
The Marilyn Forever Blonde The Movie Internet presence includes production photos, video trailers & current play reviews while including technology for creating it's own socail networking and news communities. All of this no doubt contributed to the inclusion of the film in this year’s competition.
Marilynforeverblonde.tv includes an Internet marketing promotion engine capable of conveying the movie's message to millions while building its own online social networking community using an existing online social networking platform from RockStarNation.com.
Parallel with the Internet activity, while the rest of the marketing team worked on securing the movie’s global traditional distribution, the web team worked on future online strategies that included eMarketing, online DVD sales, web TV, mobile TV and online merchandise distribution.
Receiving favorable entry into this year’s Cannes festival is indeed a significant accomplishment for this film and its team.
Countless numbers of unknown film makers have achieved success by way of the Cannes Film Festival – now the much sought after beacon of creative talent verses big budget Hollywood.
| Marilyn Forever Blonde’s producer, Kelly Johnston says; “Blonde Blonde Girl Entertainment is thrilled and honoured that the most prestigious film festival in the world has accepted our film “Marilyn…Forever Blonde” to Festival De Cannes. Coming from Canada and having a film genre like this make it this far is more than I could have ever dreamed. This would not have been possible without Sunny Thompson our "Marilyn" and the amazing crew that put this all together. Their hard work and dedication to the craft has made my job so much easier and the end result is this incredible film project. I would like to thank all who believed in me and this project to get it to where it is today. Kelly Johnston Producer / Marilyn…Forever Blonde” |
** If the reviews of the Play; are any indication of the pending success of the movie, then this may be another one of those; "I knew it when ..."
Details About the Production:
Produced By Kelly Johnston of Blonde Blonde Girl Entertainment
Directed By Stephanie Shine
Director of Photography Karl Herrmann
Written By Greg Thompson
Photographer Howard Petrella
Synopsis: “MARILYN…FOREVER BLONDE The Movie” Hundreds of books and dozens of movies have dealt with the iconic image of Hollywood’s most glamorous movie star, Marilyn Monroe. For nearly fifty years, authors have attempted to analyze and recreate the magical rise to fame and her premature demise, hoping to answer the questions of what went wrong. The writer Greg Thompson took on the challenge from a different perspective. “We wanted to give Marilyn a chance to tell her own story,” said Thompson. “It seems as if everyone has tried to put words into Marilyn’s mouth and more often than not, she comes off as a dizzy, blonde bimbo, who had nothing more to offer than a wiggle in her walk. Marilyn was much more than that and we wanted to give her a chance to reflect on her own life, her innermost thoughts, her fears, her dreams and her frustration with the Hollywood system.” Meticulously researched, Thompson’s script was crafted from hundreds of interviews and news reel clips, in which Marilyn Monroe candidly discussed her life and her loves. It deals with her dreams of starring in the movies as an orphaned child, her discovery and rise to fame, despite the constraints of Hollywood’s studio system, her marriages to baseball superstar, Joe DiMaggio and playwright, Arthur Miller, her affairs with Frank Sinatra, Jack Kennedy and Yves Montand and finally, the despair she faced, while trying to gain acceptance as a real actress. She realizes that dreaming about being a movie star was far more fun than actually becoming one. She longs for love, a family and a chance to become a legitimate actress. By the end of the shoot she is worn out, a little tipsy from drinking champagne throughout the session and wonders to herself if it might not be best if it were all over. The film is set in a photographer’s studio, in what turns out to be Marilyn’s final photo shoot. The film begins with Marilyn wrapped only in white satin sheets, as she sings, “Kiss Me,” to her photographer. Then, as she continues to be photographed, she begins to think back to how it all began and begins an intimate conversation with the camera, revealing her innermost secrets and desires.
Disclaimer: Original stage play and film based on statements by Marilyn Monroe during her lifetime. Not endorsed or affiliated with Marilyn Monroe or the Marilyn Monroe estate.
The writer Greg Thompson of Marilyn Forever Blonde The Play took on the challenge from a different perspective.
“We wanted to give Marilyn a chance to tell her own story,” said Thompson.
“It seems as if everyone has tried to put words into Marilyn’s mouth and more often than not, she comes off as a dizzy, blonde bimbo, who had nothing more to offer than a wiggle in her walk. Marilyn was much more than that and we wanted to give her a chance to reflect on her own life, her innermost thoughts, her fears, her dreams and her frustration with the Hollywood system.”
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THE STAR:
SUNNY THOMPSON: first read the script for MARILYN: FOREVER BLONDE in 2001, but as an international recording star with gold records in South America and several years’ worth of performances of her own production show through the United States, she could not commit to taking on the project. Finally late in 2005, she stopped performing her own show long enough to begin rehearsals in earnest with director Stephanie Shine. Nearly a year of intense work between actress and director went in to the creation of MARILYN: FOREVER BLONDE. Sunny takes on the role of Marilyn with respect and determination. "Marilyn was a woman in a man's world," says Sunny. It has been important to Stephanie and to Sunny to portray Marilyn not as a victim but as a career woman of the 1950s who did what it took in her day to succeed. "To quote the play, 'I seem to have the whole superstructure with no foundation, but I'm working on the foundation.' Her life was a quest for love and acceptance for the person and the actress.THE DIRECTOR:
STEPHANIE SHINE: is the Artistic Director for Seattle Shakespeare Company. She is a graduate of the University of Washington's Professional Actor Training Program and has performed at many of the theatres in Seattle as well as several regional theatres including Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Portland Center Stage, The Alley in Houston, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, NYC’s Theatre for a New Audience, Idaho Repertory Theatre, New Mexico Repertory Theatre, and Arizona Theatre Company. Stephanie has directed for Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Baja Shakespeare Company, Cornish College of the Arts, Book-It Repertory Theatre, and Bainbridge Performing Arts Center and is on the faculty of the Seattle Film Institute. As an actor she has appeared in episodic TV, Movies of the Week, Industrials, Commercials, and the feature films Georgia and the soon to be released World Enough and Time. This summer she directed her first feature film, “Marilyn-Forever Blonde”.
THE DIRECTOR of PHOTOGRAPHY:
KARL HERRMANN: has seen the world through a rectangle since he got his first Kodak “Brownie” at the age eight. Inspired by the work of Ansel Adams and Paul Strand, young Karl built a fully functioning black and white darkroom in the family’s attic. Through a combination of photography interests and skiing, Karl met ski filmmaker Warren Miller. “Extreme Skiing” hadn’t been invented yet, but Karl and his friends were doing it. This, along with a promotional ski film Karl made of his wild skiing buddies, prompted Miller to suggest a career in the film business. Karl worked for Miller, on and off, filming at some of the worlds most exotic ski locations. Upon moving to Hollywood, Karl was introduced to renowned British Special Effects Cameraman, Wally Gentleman, BSC by George Turner, then at the ASC. Wally had been the head of Visual Effects at Pinewood Studios and had lent his considerable skills to the groundbreaking visual effects film, “2001: A Space Odyssey”. As things turned out, Wally was looking for a new camera assistant who understood the photographic process and Karl got the job. Along the way, as Wally’s associate, Karl was loaned to, and schooled by, such Visual Effects masters as Linwood Dunn ASC and Bill Abbott ASC. One of the more notable projects Karl worked on with Wally was Francis Ford Coppola’s “One From The Heart”. (see American Cinematographer Magazine) As that film ended, a friend and admirer of Wally’s was starting a Steven Spielberg film at George Lucas’ newly established Industrial Light and Magic facility. The friend, Dennis Muren ASC hired Karl as his assistant for the Visual Effects work on “E.T.” Upon completion of “E.T.”, a recommendation from Muren brought Karl aboard “The Right Stuff”. Karl photographed the dramatic John Glen re-entry sequence for the film, along with many other shots. Karl re-connected with Cale Deschanel ASC on this film, whom he’d met on the Zoetrope lot while filming “One From The Heart”. Karl began to get commercial assignments, which allowed him to utilize his vast visual effects background along with his early photographic skills. His roster of clients grew to include many national and international corporations. The commercial work grew into special format films. Iwerks 65mm-8 perforation cameras were used for enormous IMAX music video presentations of Willie Nelson, Prince, and Duran,Duran. The IMAX film “Reno!” was also shot in this format. Karl also shot the visual effects for a Chevrolet presentation film in the Showscan format. “Postcards”, a nine camera – 360 degree Circlevision film took Karl and his crew on two laps of the globe. (see American Cinematographer Magazine) In 1985 Karl wrote a series of three technical articles, “Agfa”, “Fuji”, “Kodak”, on film testing for American Cinematographer Magazine. Each major manufacturer’s films were systematically run through their paces and the results explained in detail. ASC members Gordon Willis, Caleb Deschanel, Bob Primes and Steven Burum offered their expertise to the project. Bruce Paltrow, on a recommendation from ASC member Rick Gunter, hired Karl for a CBS pilot. Although the show only had a short series run it put Karl on the map at CBS. His next pilot outing was “Touched by an Angel”. Because of his work with African American actors on “Touched”, HBO hired Karl for “America’s Dream”, which went on to garner many awards. Karl also photographed the pilot and first season of “Dawson’s Creek”. (see International Photographer Magazine) Recent projects include the massive Second Unit and Visual Effects photography for “I, ROBOT”, “Agent Cody Banks” and “Case 39”. As technoloty changed, Karl became the co-Chair of HDTV Training for Western Canada. He’s utilized his expertise in the HD field on a diverse range of shows including “Scary Movie 4”, “Marilyn, Forever Blonde” and “Babylon 5 – The Lost Tales”. “Babylon 5” and “The Dream Princess” were shot on virtual sets utilizing the green screen process. Throughout the 1980’s and 90’s Karl was involved in major alpine mountaineering expeditions throughout the world. The most memorable was the 1987 climb, and first ascent, of Annapurna IV (24, 688’) in the Himalayas of Nepal. Karl has continued his love of black and white photography. He processes and prints all his own black and white work, which is represented in galleries and museums across North America. ** See High Def magazine Nov/Dec for article on Marilyn Forever Blonde about the technical side of the filming**
THE WRITER:
GREG THOMPSON: has for more than 35 years been one of the world’s top producers of musical revues. He has produced over 500 productions for both the stage and television. His clients include the leading casinos of the world, major Fortune 500 companies and he is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for producing the world’s largest Christmas party. Thompson has won numerous awards for his productions in Las Vegas, Reno, Lake Tahoe, Atlantic City and Biloxi, Mississippi. Thompson has worked on the script “Marilyn: Forever Blonde” over the last 18 years. In the late eighties he took the play version on tour where it won numerous awards. Best Actress was won by Julie Miller, what followed was an offer from HBO to make it in to a film but to add characters to it, Mr Thompson turned them down then the BBC optioned it but they also wanted to add characters so he turned them down. In 2006 Mr Thompson met with Ms Johnston where it was decided that it would be filmed as it was intended without any additional actors. What followed was an amazing collaboration between Ms Johnston, Ms Shine, Mr Herrmann and Ms Thompson.
THE PHOTOGRAPHER
HOWARD PETRELLA: My first meeting with Greg Thompson and Sunny to discuss shooting Sunny as Marilyn Monroe for the “Forever Blonde” project was like visiting the Library of Congress if the Library of Congress had a section devoted to Marilyn Monroe. On the desk Greg and Sunny had almost every photo book ever published on Marilyn. We spent a lot of time looking at photographs to pinpoint the style and era we were going to attempt to emulate. The early sixties was the era we would concentrate on. We also wanted a more personal style of photography rather than the glitzy, Hollywood, PR style photo.
I provided Greg with a list of props and wardrobe that I thought would be helpful in our recreation. It was a short list but included some of things I recognized as iconic from all of the pictures of Marilyn that I was most familiar with. The day before the shoot Greg’s army of set builders and wardrobe people arrived at my studio to unload a truck-full of furniture, props and wardrobe. It was more than I had imagined we’d have to work with. The wardrobe had everything you’ve seen in the most famous photographs of Marilyn and more. Much more. The “less is more” concept is not one Greg has ever subscribed to…and in this case that’s a good thing. A very good thing.
To top it off Greg and Sunny had enlisted the services of Jimmy James, one of the world’s foremost Marilyn impersonators to work with Sunny on making the hair and makeup perfect. It was a trip watching Jimmy instruct Sunny on applying the makeup. To some extent it was like watching a rocket scientist diagram just how they were going to get their spacecraft form here to Mars. He knew exactly where the famous mole needed to be placed. It was a study in trigonometry.
When Sunny walked out of the dressing room in full Marilyn regalia it was a sight to behold. Marilyn was reincarnated. I couldn’t wait to get Sunny onto the set and start shooting.
Our first setup was an attempt to emulate the famous, and some of the last, photographs taken of Marilyn by the famous photographer Bert Stern. It’s the ones of Marilyn dishevelled, lying on satin sheets. They’re very personal photographs and some of my favourite. Looking through the camera at Sunny was like looking at those photographs come to life in my viewfinder. Sunny was amazing. The way she looked, the way she moved, the aura of vulnerability and strength that she exuded made my job all that easier.
I love it when I don’t have to do much direction. If my subject understands what we’re trying to achieve and gives me that to work with over and over again it’s a dream job. And this was a dream job. Sunny brought so much to the shoot. She had done her homework. She knew what Marilyn was all about and she knew how to make the illusion real.
I couldn’t be happier with the final results of our shoot. Since then I’ve heard back from Greg and Sunny that when they show the photos people respond by saying, “Those are great pictures of Marilyn. I don’t think I’ve ever seen those before. Where did you find them?” Can you get better validation than that? If people think they’re actual pictures of Marilyn Monroe then the magic worked. The illusion is real.
It was a real team effort and the team I had to work with was top notch. My thanks to all of them and most of all to Sunny.
For more information please go to the website www.marilynforeverblonde.tv
Disclaimer: Original stage play and film based on statements by Marilyn Monroe during her lifetime. Not endorsed or affiliated with Marilyn Monroe or the Marilyn Monroe estate.
* For more information on Marilyn Forever Blonde The Movie contact Randall Jenkins RandallJenkins@hotmail.com
** Web Design and Internet Marketing Implementation 
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