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OCTOBER 2000 NEWS

The film page for I Dreamed of Africa has been spruced up with the reviews about Vincent, a couple new pics from the premiere last April, an additional page for publicity photos, and a special page of some great DVD images - 30 in all. When you visit this page, just click on each photo and you'll get the larger image. I think you'll love them!

Last Spring Vincent and Josiane Balasko were interviewed by Couleur 3 Radio for their film Le Libertin. Here are a couple photos from that session. Have you ever noticed that Vincent seems to wears black for most of his public appearances?

Here's a couple photos taken when Vincent attended the 22nd Annual Saturn Awards for Science Fiction Excellence on June 25, 1996 in connection with The Crow: City of Angels.

Vincent, along with the cast of Le Libertin, answers questions at the film's premiere in Bordeaux, France on March 2, 2000.

Vincent smiling as he posed in front of posters while promoting his film, I Dreamed of Africa, on May 25 in Madrid.

Like the milk promotion ads using famous people, L.A. Eyeworks began a similar campaign years ago with their motto - "A face is like a work of art. It deserves a great frame." Among the many celebrities that graced their ads were Sharon Stone, Pierce Brosnan, Carly Simon and yes, Vincent Perez! I'm not sure I would have recognized him had I seen this in a magazine. He's so studious!

Here are some pics from the Shot Through the Heart production while they were filming in Budapest. In the first photo Vincent poses with the real Vlado Sarzinsky, played by Linus Roache in the film. The girl with Vincent is Vlado's daughter, who was portrayed by Karianne Henderson.

It's been further reported that the set design is being done by the same team who did the acclaimed 1995 film, Dark City. Roger Ebert praised the film particularly for "its triumph of art direction and set design." Rather than constructing the sets in "original gothic" which was featured in Interview with a Vampire, the sets for QOTD will be more along the lines of Dark City. In the film, Marius is considered a major supporting character. This is an excerpt from the script review:

"We learn how an ancient vampire named Marius 'fathered' Lestat, initiating him into vampirism. Marius, as it turns out, has guarded the statue-like remains of the first pair of vampires for nearly three thousand years. These two ancient Egyptian vampires, Enkil and Akasha, were the king and queen of the damned, respectively, but how they became vampires remains unknown. Their bloodlust was so strong that Enkil and Akasha could have wiped out all of mankind. In order to protect both mortals and other vampires, Enkil and Akasha were hidden away under Marius' care for nearly three millennia. It's long been a code amongst vampires that they were to keep their existence secret from mortals but Lestat's hunger for fame has now endangered that. This wanton violation of vampire law angers the remaining ancient vampires including Akasha, who soon escapes her confines to confront Lestat. As much as a threat as Lestat poses to the vampire order, the return of Akasha is even greater. In order to protect the mortals, such ancient vampires as Marius, Maharet, Pandora, Armand, Khayman, and Mael band together to battle the Queen even though it means their own deaths as well."

All you have to do is look closely at the photo above and you'll understand what British film critic Alexander Walker means when he writes: "The first question people with only a sketchy knowledge of Marcel Proust's A la Recherche du Temps Perdu may ask themselves is: 'Shall I understand Raul Ruiz's film?' The answer is, probably not. The second question is: 'Will it matter?' The answer is, probably not. For heaven's sake, go! Go for the experience, not the understanding. Films of this bravura magnitude are not to be missed for lack of a little literary learning. Open your eyes and senses to it: comprehension will follow. Even if it doesn't, the vast fresco of French fin-de-siecle society casts a spell over you: the class distinctions, salon settings, period furnishings so lavish that every room seems like a Great Exhibition and fashions so fastidious they may turn you into a fetishist, as they did Proust. You may be dazed and bewildered. But also dazzled and bewildered."

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ITALY: Here's an excerpt from an Italian interview with Kuki Gallman in regard to her autobiographical film, I Dreamed of Africa.

Is it true that Kim Basinger did not want to meet you before shooting?

Kuki: Yes, because she wished to get to know me through my book and the script. The result is very good, not vulgar or excessive. In the end it was better that we did that. I did not want to interfere on the set by seeing how she and Perez were portraying my life. I have a strong personality. As a writer, I do not like to have someone spying on what I am writing, and I understand this kind of professional choice very well. This must always be respected.

What do you think about Vincent Perez as your husband?

Kuki: He was able to transmit his charm. Paolo was very poetic and charismatic, really exceptional. However, it was too much showing him as a fanatic hunter. He did hunt, but only sometimes, because he loved animals very much, as I do.

GERMANY: Annegret Höfer wrote this weekend commenting on Ich träumte von Afrika, which is currently playing in her country. The media comments that Vincent's agent not only books him for engagements in Europe, such as Those Who Love Me... but for Hollywood films as well. This was Annegret's first time in seeing Vincent on the big screen, an experience she thoroughly enjoyed. However, she reports that very few cinemas are showing the film, and when she attended, the theater was almost empty. This could definitely be the result of the less than favorable reviews it received upon its opening here in the states. By the way, you might want to visit Columbia Tristar's German web site for the film. The intro is particularly good, but you will need Flash Player in order to view it.

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SPAIN: Here's an excerpt from La Rioja newspaper in Spain from an article on Vincent back in May. It's interesting to note how they compare him to Depardieu. The article begins, "The protagonist of Le Libertin prepares himself to storm the American market - Gerard Depardieu knows that there is nothing for him to do in Hollywood. Younger, with identical acting abilities, and notably more polished, Vincent Perez holds all the cards to becoming the French actor with the better future in the mecca of cinema. After sharing lead roles with Kim Basinger in I Dreamed of Africa, Perez will appear in Le Libertin, one of those delicious epic comedies, in which lusty aristocrats spend the entire film jumping from bed to bed."

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Vivian Ringuette of Rhode Island alerted me to the Sexiest Actor contest now being sponsored at the French Cinema site Allocine. Of the six actors nominated, three are named Vincent! The candidates are: Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Ben Affleck, Vincent Elbaz, Vincent Cassel and our own Vincent Perez. Click on the link above to cast your vote. At another voting web site, Vincent has been singled out as the actor with the most beautiful eyes. Anyone disagree? Well, I think Jude Law runs a close second :)