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This could have been amazing.... Red Light Runners |
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By Paul Heath
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Thursday, 04 February 2010 |
Paul looks back at one of the first movies that he ever wrote about... Red Light Runners...
A couple of years ago, I had the unique opportunity of travelling across the Atlantic to the USA's Pacific west coast to the fantastic city of Los Angeles. It was my first trip to the States, but more importantly, it was my first trip to Hollywood. The year was 2002, and the main reason for the visit was to meet up with a newly found contact and upstart film producer who I had met online through a website that I had written for six or seven years ago.
It was an informal meet... more of a lads on the lash drink up really, and the trip was the reason why I fell in love with the film industry, and my chosen profession... film writing.
The film in question, that I went to report on (during its very early days, even before a cast was attached), was a still unreleased flick called Red Light Runners, a story of a perfect heist featuring a cast that included the likes of Michael Madsen, Harvey Keitel and Cillian Murphy. Eight years have past since that fateful evening on Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard where I had a few beers, met the film's future director and the aforementioned upstart producer and writer, of whom I have formed a lifelong friendship with. Just this past Monday, when I was browsing the Internet I discovered that all of the footage ever shot for the film, actually still exists, and has been edited together and posted on You Tube by 'RomanVision'.
Potentially the best film made in and around London since 'The Long Good Friday' this shot in locations all over the City and the first 'car chase' shot in the City of Westminster, cars supplied by Audi. . . . . This is all that's left, a hurriedly thrown together trailer that was not endorsed by the films Director, Writer or Editor, but at least it gives you an idea of what it could have been. Bear in mind that these are untimed dailies with no sound sweetening and the obvious holes in the story are due to the fact that only half the film was shot...
Watching this brings back many happy memories of my time in the USA and the Cannes Film Festival in 2003. It makes me smile at the early years writing for a variety of film websites and the friendships that I have formed over those years.
This could have been amazing. Red Light Runners...
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