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NOVEMBER

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28. November, 2000

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TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) Another QotD site has come online! The Queen of the Damned Movie Cast Site was created by Debbie Campbell. It is a wonderful site that specifically concerns the casting issues of the film, with both a 'Confirmed Cast' section and a 'Dream Cast' section. You may remember Debbie's speculative images of the vampires from my Movie Info page. She has been kind enough to contribute them over the last few months, and now she has this fantastic site of her own. Debbie invites you to submit your own casting choices, and she also hopes to be the first to obtain the real pics of the actors in their respective roles in the months to come... This is definitely a site to watch! ;)


TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) The Queen of the Damned IMDb page has posted some fantastic updates recently. Firstly, they have updated the crew members with the following names:

Film Editing - Dany Cooper
Art Direction - Tom Nursey
First Assistant Director - Colin Fletcher


TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) The IMDb has also posted several more links to QotD related sites including... wait for it... a full 15 minute interview with Michael Rymer about Queen of the Damned!!! This was conducted by Andrew L. Urban for his site 'Urban Cinefile'. He is playing a journalist in the film. I assume he will be one of the journalists at that London press conference of which the outside sequences were filmed outside Storey Hall last month. Urban also inadvertedly reveals why we didn't see Lestat getting out of the limo that day - in the film, the press conference is conducted in daylight, and so Lestat will appear inside the conference room on a big TV screen instead.

This Michael Rymer interview has to be the best source of official quotes concerning the film I've ever found! You have to hear it to believe it... To listen, click here and follow the link! I will try to post the full transcript of the interview when I return from Melbourne. However, in the meantime, here's a list of my favourite parts of the interview:

- Rymer explaining the film's premise...
- Rymer trying to explain the budget! *grins* This is great stuff - listen and see...
- Rymer confessing he is "a big Anne Rice nut - I love the books" - he then explains his views on the first three Chronicles...
- Rymer trying to describe the film - "The tone is not camp, the tone is light. I mean, it's a rock'n'roll vampire movie - how serious can you be? It's fun, it's a fairy story, it's a piece of pop culture mythology - I think it's working very well, it's very colourful and bold and stylised and dramatic, and hopefully very funny as well."
- How Rymer became involved with the film - after 'Angel Baby', he wanted to do 'The Vampire Lestat' - "and I just happened to say it at the right meeting... and the vice president of Warner Brothers said 'oh actually, we're not doing the sequel, it's sitting on the shelf - you wanna develop it?'... so we sat down and figured out how to approach the book, and I spent a couple of weeks with Anne, and we hired a writer, and here we are two years and six writers later on the set shooting the damn thing, so it's pretty cool."
- Why he chose Stuart - "It's just a very rare situation... I tested about 60 actors... and he was the best young actor for the role, as well as Marguerite for the role of Jesse."
- Why he chose Melbourne - They wanted to originally shoot QotD in Vancouver! But Rymer preferred Melbourne... listen to find out why!

And my favourite Rymer quote concerning the film?

"It is bold and big, but we haven't sort of tipped over the edge into cartoon, sort of Batman style. It's a hard one to nail, I don't know what this film is like. Our references were always if Neil Jordan did 'Interview With The Vampire' in the style of a merchant ivory classy period piece, then this is Anne Rice done in the style of 'Trainspotting', or something much more sort of irreverent."

Told ya you have to hear it to believe it!!! ;)


TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) The time has finally come for me to fly over to Melbourne to attend the concert! As a result, there will be no further updates made to this site for the next week... But don't worry, there will be huge updates when I return! I am planning a big write-up about the concert so, anyone else attending, please feel free to tell me about your experiences at the shoot. Since I won't be online for an entire week, I would appreciate any e-mails concerning the movie information I'm bound to miss while I'm away!!! In the meantime, feel free to check out my newly updated Movie Info and Links pages, as well as the all the site's listed above... enjoy!

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25. November, 2000

More casting news today!

TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) Just when I thought that all roles had been finalised, another actor has been revealed! A reliable source has informed me that 41-year-old English actor Paul McGann has been added to the cast list on short notice and is already in Australia filming. Unfortunately, his character remains unknown. Last month, I announced the casting of Khayman, Mael and Enkil. However, I also reported that there was a possiblity these details could change. After all, Warner Brothers STILL haven't released any official statements about the casting of any of these characters, so maybe Paul has replaced one of the actors in these roles?

The only other character that has not yet been determined is the pivotal role of David Talbot. This is the role that I'm guessing Paul will portray. Yes, it is my personal opinion that he will play David! However, I must stress this is another of my casting predictions - it's not official - and I will be sure to add any further news as soon as it becomes available... I will also post a pic real soon! :)


TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) Another casting decision has been that of Australian bartender Renee Quast. She will play a minor vampire role in the film - my best guess is as one of the vamps in the vampire nightclub early in the script... This news was actually revealed last month, and I reported it in my 31st October update. However, other sites have only just reported the information (eg. Corona's Coming Attractions and the IMDb) I have now added Renee to my Movie Info section for future reference.


TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) Finally, we have some more movie music news!!! Special thanks to
Duane for sending me this article from a recent edition of Melbourne newspaper, 'The Herald Sun':

GOTHIC JANE
Actor/singer Jane Badler, who is best known for swallowing large rodents in her role as an alien in US sci-fi series V, is about to go Gothic.
"It`s a metaphor for feeling your power though dominating sexually," she says. "I`m learning some Latin dancing and planning to have fun on stage. "All my songs have elements of love, sex and/or the lackof it."
Among the 17 dramatised songs she will perform is CRUEL OR KIND, written by Renee Geyer and John Cliffofth for the movie QUEEN OF THE DAMNED.
Badler performs with the Sedergreen Ensemble at the Continental on December 5.

Another performer has been revealed! And an actual song title! The soundtrack won't just consist of Korn tunes after all... The IMDb has pages on Jane and song writer Renee Geyer, but these have limited information. If anyone knows anything more about Jane Badler, or attends her performance on December 5, please e-mail me!


TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) It is now known that the opening scenes of the movie will involve an 'impressive' cemetary sequence with Lestat and a voice-over about his past. The cemetary set has been built at the St Albans warehouse and was to be destroyed after filming. I heard this news from several sources... here is some further information from an 'anonomous' extra:

"I saw the cemetery set. I would say it would have to be the Lafayette Cemetery because they were vaults not graves, they use vaults there because New Orleans is below sea level. As I was leaving there was a crew knocking them down, what a waste I would love to have one in my backyard, great for Halloween!. Tonight i was talking too a friend of mine... and I told him I have a bit on the movie. Turns out he was in it too! He played a London Bobby in the scene outside Storey Hall (RMIT) Small world."


TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) I am happy to report that there has finally been a Stuart Townsend sighting in Melbourne! After two months of filming, this is the very first time someone has reported seeing Stuart on set. Special thanks go to Louise Harris for sending me the following info:

"Thought you might be interested to know that I went down with two friends to Portsea on the Mornington Peninsula last night to watch several scenes being filmed, and that Stuart Townsend sat near us for a cigarette break! The bay they were shooting in looked beautiful, the movie's going to be great!"

I can't wait to see this guy in costume... hopefully Warner Brothers will release pics soon? *fingers crossed!*


TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) Another on-set report comes from
Suzie... Many scenes are being filmed at the moment, and anyone who'd like to share information about their experiences, feel free to e-mail me and I'll continue to post them all right here for others to see! :)

Hi! I have just come from a wardrobe fitting at the Nestle factory in preparation for an extra part as a backstage musician in The Queen of the Damned. Inside the costume department looks very busy, glamour bits and pieces everywhere, parts of outfits on mannequins. Trucks with 'Lestat' stuck on them, pieces of apparently Egyptian inspired sets moving around......... pretend skylights, ceramic pots, Egyptian totem poles, sand and racks of outfits whooshing by. Interesting!!!!!!!


TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) Finally, thank you to everyone who attended the first-ever QotD Movie Site chat this morning. I think it went quite well! And to everyone attending the concert... I have now arranged a place to meet if anyone would like to catch up before heading down to the docks. As you probably know by now, I'm a lone Adelaidian heading over to Melbourne, and I'd love to meet up with as many of you as possible! I have listed the details above... Hope to see you there! ;)

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22. November, 2000

Applications for entry into the Death Valley concert have now closed!

TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) Gothnightout.com is no longer taking applications for extras roles - they have filled their required quota. Please remember that only registered extras will be allowed entry into the concert. Apparently, they will be checking off names before people are allowed to board the buses at the docks. The whole registration process has been a bit confusing for many people, so here's a run-down of how to tell whether or not you are officially registered:

The gothnightout.com site went up months ago with limited information. It was only a couple of weeks ago that the full details of extras casting for the concert were posted on the page. In order to register for the concert, you needed to send an e-mail AT THIS TIME via the link on the gothnightout.com page. Everyone who had sent e-mails to the site over the last couple of months would have got a "You Are Invited" e-mail message. However, this only invited you to register, it was not a confirmation. To register, you needed to send another e-mail at the time the full information was posted on the page. You would have then got an e-mail with the subject heading "You have been registered for the concert". This is the confirmation e-mail you need have received in order to be on the door list.


TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) It seems the concert scenes are actually being shot over several days. Some extras have been hired over the course of two weeks! One of these extras was kind enough to provide some information from DQ Productions (the extras casting company) explaining the filming procedures. As a result, I can now announce the 'secret' concert location!!! It will be somewhere in Werribee... apparently an old quarry has been transformed into an outdoor set! :)

Some extras have been selected to take part in several day and night shootings for the concert. They have undergone wardrobe fittings, and have been especially picked by DQ Productions. The night shoot of the concert will actually be shot over four nights (28th November - 1st December). The final night will obviously be the biggest, with lots of huge crowd shots taking place! Day shoots for concert scenes are also taking place. These will be held at the St Albans warehouse from 4th-8th of December. If anyone is lucky enough to be part of any of these shoots and would like to share information, please e-mail me!


TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) Similar extras news was reported at Dark Horizons on Monday (special thanks to Jay for the notification!) Seems like 'reaction shots' for the concert have already begun!

The Queen of the Damned: A friend of 'The Penguin' was amongst the Goth extras working on the 'Interview' sequel and here's wat they had to say: "Just spent twelve hours in a converted cookie factory (aah! movies are magic!) recording "reaction shots" for the big concert scene when Mr Lestat is spirited away by Ms Queen of the Damned - variations on "oooo", "aaaah" and "f**k me sideways". Another couple of weeks of work ahead, culminating in an intimate evening with 3000 of my close personal friends in a disused quarry pretending we are watching "Satan's Night Out". Much fun, indeed. On a personal note - Claudia Black ("Pandora") - is a total babe. It was a small joy to hear her whispering to other cast members when we extras trooped in, in our finery, "That's right, these guys actually dress like this ALL the time - aren't they wonderful?"

Of course, the 'cookie factory' is the St Albans warehouse, and the 'quarry' is the concert location at Werribee! And yep, seems like Claudia Black is making a big impression on set! ;)

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15. November, 2000

TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) The 'Death Valley' concert is officially on its way, and the anticipation continues to build daily! According to an article in today's 'Herald Sun' newspaper, over 1000 people have signed up already, and producer Jorge Saralegui has  crowned Melbourne as the 'goth capital of Australia'! Special thanks go to Duane for sending me the following article:

MELBOURNE`S THE NEW GOTHHAM CITY

"Melbourne is officially the goth capital of Austraila. The producer of QUEEN OF THE DAMNED which is being shot around Melbourne, has been astounded by the number of gothic types wanting to be extras in a concert scene in the film. While there are already more then 1000 who have answered the call, extras can still sign up. Producer Jorge Saralegui says appearance is what counts. "Many more can come as long as they are dressed appropriately," Mr Saralegui said. "The better they look the closer they will be to the front of the concert and the cameras." Queen of the Damned is the sequel to Interview with a Vampire, which starred Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. Based on the popular Anne Rice novel, Queen of the Damned, it stars Stuart Townsend (Shooting Fish, Wonderland) and singer Aaliyah.The gothic-looking extras will be part of the Death Valley concert scene, which will be filmed on December 1. Melbourne was chosen as the setting for the Hollywood film because of the many locations that could be transformed into London, New York or Los Angeles. Mr Saralegui said he thought he knew everything about Melbourne when the decision was made to film here. "But we had no idea Melbourne was the goth capital of Australia," he said. Filming the feature has already begun around the city, near Portsea and Sorrento, and in converted studio space in St Albans. The filmmakers are looking for people over 15 years old, who are of "gothic" appearance. Goths usually paint their faces white, wear black clothes and are fans of gloomy rock bands."
By GRETA McMAHON,
Entertainment Reporter

Well, you've heard it from the producer himself - it's not too late to sign up for the concert! If you haven't yet registered and would like to attend, head on over to www.gothnightout.com. It's bound to be a fantastic night, and remember, the better you look, the closer you'll be to the cameras! I am now definitely coming as my registration has been confirmed. A series of registration notices went out on Monday. People would have received an e-mail with the subject heading 'You have been registered for the concert'. If you have not yet received confirmation, don't worry, I'm sure there'll be similar notices going out in the days to come...


TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) Corona's Coming Attractions has reported the following news about yet another extras casting call. Apparently, there was a call for a variety of movie extras on the 10th, and shooting of several scenes will take place on the Morington Peninsula (possibly Sorrento) on the 20th, 21st and/or 23rd of November.

November 13, 2000... "On the 10th of November 2000, in Rosebud, Victoria, there was a huge call for extras for the movie. They were after gypsies, villagers and rich people, who if chosen were to be ready for filming on the peninsula on the 20, 21 and/or 23 of November. There was a massive line of people willing, but unfortunately due to the overwhelming response the people in charge said they had filled all positions except for that of the gypsies, so anyone that was not either dark skinned or with an agency may as well go home." [That's from 'JaDe'.]

And another point of view on the recent call for extras...

"Auditioning for extras took place at Rosebud West on the Mornington Peninsula today. (About 1 1/2 hrs drive from Melbourne.) Hundreds turned up, but I didn't see any folk of 'black African descent' (rare as hen's teeth around these parts) who will be required for a scene where some plantation workers are attacked by vampires. This will be filmed on the night of November 23rd. There was a call for teenagers of 'gypsy-like' appearance who will play villagers in a Mediterranean fishing town on the nights of November 20 and 21. Also required were extras to play wealthy holiday guests. Filming will take place in Sorrento on the Mornington peninsula." [This one's from Bruce.]


If anyone is lucky enough to be involved in these upcoming scenes, please feel free to e-mail me!


TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) The scheduled chat will be held on Saturday, 25th November
or Sunday 26th November. This is the weekend before the concert. I thought a weekend chat would be the best option to take, as more of you may be able to attend. I will announce the time this coming Friday. Obviously, there is quite a large time difference between Australia and the US. I am planning a morning chat session in Australian time, and this will result in an evening session for the US.  I will be posting the chat time accordingly in all time zones for everyone's convenience! ;)

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12. November, 2000

Scheduled chat coming soon!

TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) I am planning a scheduled chat to take place early next week. It will be a chance for fans to come together and talk about the upcoming film. I will be there to answer any questions you may have concerning the movie or this site. It will also be a chance for people to discuss the upcoming Melbourne concert. The chat room is now operational - feel free to use it whenever you please. Details of the date and time of the shceduled chat will be made available within the next few days or so...

The script pages have now been posted, along with another script suggestion. Armand, Pandora and Khayman have now risen, and Akasha's reign is about to begin... This is where the story really begins to sway from the novel, so be warned! The next update will be posted sometime in early December after I get back from the concert. In the meantime, feel free to express your opinions about the script in my Script Discussion Forum.

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9. November, 2000

The concert details have been officially released!!!

TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) It seems the much awaited 'Death Valley' concert will be taking place on 1st December after all! This all-night concert will be held in Melbourne on the Friday night, and all vampire lovers are invited to attend! Food and drink will be provided throughout the night, with live music and partying until dawn. There's over 2000 prizes to be won and, best of all, entry is absolutely free!!!

The location of the concert remains unknown. It has been announced that: "We will be ferrying the entire audience to the concert site which is at a location on the outskirts of Melbourne already under construction. In order to have the greatest impact we will not be publicly announcing where the concert will be held. The only way to get to Death Valley is on our bus." Everyone will be required to gather down at the Victoria Docklands where buses will be leaving for the venue every 15 minutes. There will be free secure car parking provided for the entire night, and everyone will be returned to the docks at 6am (!) Yes, it's definitely an all-nighter, people! ;)

Everyone who had previously sent an e-mail to the 'Night of the Damned' website would have received an e-mail saying congratulations and inviting them to attend the concert. However, it appears that anyone can apply - it doesn't matter whether or not you've previously inquired. All you have to do is register your name so you can be placed on the door list. You can register via e-mail or telephone, but you only need to register once. All the details you need to know can be found at gothnightout.com. (special thanks go to Tracey, Megan and Klara for the notification!)

I have already sent in my name and, hopefully, my registration will be confirmed soon! I am currently looking into flights from Adelaide to Melbourne. As none of my friends are interested in this sort of thing, I will be travelling alone. I'd love to meet up with some of you, so if you're interested in keeping an Adelaidian company (he he!), e-mail me!


TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) The IMDB has finally posted a US release date for 'Queen of the Damned'! The date is now set for
5th October, 2001. Of course, this date is subject to change. However, it gives a good indication as to how the movie is going. They had always proposed a release date somewhere in '3rd Quarter' 2001, and they've stuck to it. However, October isn't exactly the most popular month for releasing movies in America. All the 'big' movies are usually out in the holidays, especially over the Christmas period. However, this date is tentative, and it's a good sign that filming is running along pretty much ontime!


TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) The Filmnet industry newsletter recently reported that
"Queen of the Damned was spotted shooting in Melbourne's Ripponlea Gardens recently." Apparently, there is a mansion there and the grounds are supposedly quite beautiful...if anyone can provide a better description, or some pics, please e-mail me!


TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) Another QotD related site has now opened. The Chronicle
is 'The News Source for Anne Rice, the Vampire Chronicles and the Queen of the Damned Movie'. It has only just been opened, but I'm sure it will continue to grow through the coming months! Also, I have now finished my University degree (finally!), and so I will hopefully have a lot more time to spend on this site. I am currently working on a much-needed 'Frequently Asked Questions' page, so if you have any suggestions, just send me a message!

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5. November, 2000

TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) After last months announcement of the roles of Khayman and Mael, I can now post photos of Bruce Spence and Christian Manon: (special thanks to Richie for sending me these pics!)

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Bruce Spence - Khayman
The image is of Bruce as Gahgii in 'Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls'. For more on Bruce, click on the above link to view his IMDb page.

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Christian Manon - Mael
Not the most flattering picture, but it seems to be the only one on the web! For more on Christian, click on the above link to view his IMDb page.


TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) I have now updated my Movie Info page with extras information, plus the addition of Armand, Khayman, Mael and Enkil. I have also added several crew names thanks to recent updates over at the QotD IMDb page and 4Filmakers.com. New crew members are as follows:

Executive Producers:
Su Armstrong (Good Will Hunting)
Andrew Mason (Red Planet, The Matrix)

Production Company: (additional)
Material

Visual Effects:
Greg McMurry
(The Relic, Con Air)
(Unfortunately, it appears that Stan Winston will not be involved this time around...)


TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) I have recently discovered more information about the old Nestle warehouse at St Albans. As we know, it has been serving as a major studio for the production. However, I can now confirm that it is being used to build and store all the sets - no actual filming is taking place here. Apparently, the warehouse is set to be destroyed once this film is finished.


TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) The Night of the Damned website has been updated with the following run-down of the movie. As was reported last month, this is the place to go for all the latest news on extras casting for QotD. The application procedures are still the same. You can also send them an e-mail, as they say they will send you further information. However, don't get your hopes up with getting a reply! I've sent off two e-mails so far, and haven't heard a thing!!! Anyways, here's the transcript of the latest update:

QUEEN OF THE DAMNED
The Film

Queen of the Damned is the sequel to Interview With The Vampire and follows the supernatural adventures of the Legendary Vampire Lestat (Stuart Townsend of 'Wonderland' and 'Shooting Fish')who has reinvented himself as a rock star in the contemporary American music scene. His music awakes Akasha (played by Platinum selling American R&B singer Aaliyah last seen in 'Romeo Must Die'), the queen of all vampires, and inspires her to want to make Lestat her king. Akasha's power is so great that all Vampires must stand against her if they, and mankind,wish to survive.

The film also stars Lena Olin (The Unbearable lightness of Being, The Ninth Gate, Chocolat) as Maharet,
Vincent Perez (Queen Margot, Cyrano De Bergerac) and Margeurite Moreau (Wag the Dog, Rave Macbeth and Mighty Joe Young)

Directed by Michael Rymer, (Angel Baby, In Too Deep) Queen Of The Damned has an A-grade local and international crew.

Producer - Jorge Saralegui ('Red Planet')
Director of Photography - Ian Baker ('The Russia House,' the Chamber)
Production Designer - Graham 'Grace' Walker ('Pitch Black')
Costume Designer - Angus Strathie ('Moulin Rouge')
Visual FX - Greg McMurry ('The Relic', 'Blade Runner')

Nothing new about the film here...although they, like so many other sites, continue to call Queen of the Damned a sequel to Interview With The Vampire. I feel this is misleading, and I must stress that this is only a follow-up film. None of the original actors are returning, the crew is entirely new, and there will be no references to the first film in the least.

I also headed over to Screenfaces.com and found a very important alteration to the site! As we know, the all-important concert date was set for 1st December. The relevant page used to state: "Extras are needed for an all night Goth Concert Scene to be filmed Friday 1 December 6pm-6am More details are yet to be announced." However, this has now been changed to: "Extras are needed for an all night Goth Concert Scene to be filmed in the following months. More details are yet to be announced"  Hmmm, 1st December has now changed to 'in the following months'? It seems that the shooting date has definitely been pushed back! Hopefully, there'll be an update soon...


TriangleBlk.gif (859 bytes) Okay, Melbournians take note! It seems someone started a VERY misleading rumour last week, and it spread so wide and fast that it even made it to the local newspapers! What was the news that had Mornington Peninsula in a bit of a frenzy? Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt were in town!!!! Yep, that's what was being reported. However, it was all a hoax, folks. Annoying, but amusing all the same! And I'm betting that whoever started the rumour was doing it because of something to do with Queen of the Damned! Either it was a heartfelt fan who wanted Tom and Brad back in QotD, or someone in the outer suburbs of Melbourne who wanted some filming action to leave the city and come their way, or someone who is so annoyed about the film that they spread this rumour to spite movie-makers! LOL! Maybe it was the movie makers themselves and all some kind of publicity stunt?! Yup, speculations abound! :)

It took me a while to get to the bottom of all this. I first heard about it over at Dark Horizons on Friday:


"Queen of the Damned: Its likely a coincidence, but one worth noting. Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt have been spotted around the Victoria's Mornington Penninsula in the last few days with locals chiming in to FOX FX radio on the spots they've seen them. The funny thing is, this is not far from where "Queen of the Damned" is filming. With both guys involved in the first film, could it mean one or both have a brief appearance in the second? Doubtful - but possible. Thanks to 'Belinda'."      (For the record, no - not possible!)

This news was a total surprise to me. I was immediately skeptical, and for good reason! An article in today's editon of 'The Age' has confirmed the hoax. Yup, there was an entire newspaper article dedicated to the whole caper! And it's quite amusing too! Click here to see for yourself. The transcript is as follows:

'Cruise, Pitt run riot on peninsula'

By LAWRENCE MONEY
Sunday 5 November 2000


"I'm carrying my camera at all times," said Rod Allen, owner of Foodworks supermarket in Mount Martha, who was phoned unexpectedly by a friend on Monday. Did he know that Tom Cruise had shopped at his store?

Allen hightailed it out front. But he could not find one staff member who had seen, let alone served, the Hollywood hunk.

Never mind. The rumor was racing out of control down the Mornington Peninsula. "Hollywood sightings," screamed the local Leader newspaper, reporting that both Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt had been seen by "residents of Mount Martha, Mornington and Mount Eliza".

Pushing the Australian angle, the Leader reported that "the husband of Australian Nicole Kidman was spotted at the bar of a Mornington hotel where he bought two bottles of wine before leaving".

Within days the rumor mill had added Pitt to the purchase and also furnished the color of the plonk. "They were both spotted at a Mornington pub buying white wine," said Neil Mitchell's 3AW understudy Ross Warneke on Thursday, although he sounded a tad cynical.

But why would such screen titans suddenly appear on little ol' Melbourne's doorstep? There were rumors to explain that too. Cruise and Pitt were "scouting for locations" for a sequel to Interview With the Vampire. Cruise and Pitt had been at the motorcycle grand prix at Phillip Island.

Oh, and Cruise and Pitt had either bought, or were staying at, Glynt, a swanko bed and breakfast at Mount Martha. Glynt owners Mark and William told the Leader they were "not allowed to say anything" but their rumor manager said "there is a film being made there".

Officially confirmed was a recent disaster in Glynt's top suite. A $3500 textured glass washplane, which serves as a high-tech washbasin, was heard to explode into pieces. Some sort of Body Heat activity in front of the mirrors had been suspected but the occupants admitted nothing.

Unconfirmed is a rumor that Elvis was seen sweeping up the pieces."
J

 

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