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| Official poster for THE BIG KITTY Top right-hand corner, L-R: Lewis Miller, Deborah Klein and Gavin Brown Far right: stars of THE BIG KITTY, Tom Alberts and Lisa Barmby |
My Blog Post of August 25, Through the Eyes of Film, focused on several older works that were partly inspired by Film Noir.
It never occurred to me that soon afterwards I would again be raising the subject, but in an entirely different context. This post is about a noir-inspired film in which I actually appear.
THE BIG KITTY, an affectionate, tongue-in-cheek pastiche of Film Noir, was jointly conceived, written, designed and directed by Melbourne artist Tom Alberts with his wife and co-star, fellow artist, Lisa Barmby.
The film has yet to be released, and up until now, few, if any of us, have seen it. My own life partner, Shane Jones (under the stage name of Sean O’Connery) appears as an Irish cop, Shadrack, and in my cameo appearance, I play a bogus fortune teller, Madame F.
At this stage, most of us have only the vaguest idea of the plot as a whole, except that it involves a kidnapped cat, played by Tom and Lisa's beloved feline, Monsieur Baptiste, and a colourful cast of supporting characters portrayed by shady inhabitants of the Melbourne art world.
The film has yet to be released, and up until now, few, if any of us, have seen it. My own life partner, Shane Jones (under the stage name of Sean O’Connery) appears as an Irish cop, Shadrack, and in my cameo appearance, I play a bogus fortune teller, Madame F.
At this stage, most of us have only the vaguest idea of the plot as a whole, except that it involves a kidnapped cat, played by Tom and Lisa's beloved feline, Monsieur Baptiste, and a colourful cast of supporting characters portrayed by shady inhabitants of the Melbourne art world.
The film has had a long period of gestation - it was begun in 2008 - but if the following trailer and short promotional film are any indication, it will be well worth the wait. Both clips are gems in their own right, but for all their sense of fun, it's clear that Tom and Lisa are positively steeped in every facet of this singular period of film history.
THE BIG KITTY - TRAILER
THE BIG KITTY - IT’S A WRAP! - PROMOTIONAL FILM
For some background into the making of the film, visit Raymond Gill's article below:
DAILY REVIEW by RAYMOND GILL
Published 31 July 2019
The good news is that we won't be kept in suspense for too much longer. On Sunday, September 20, direct from Paris where they're currently based, Tom and Lisa are streaming an official cast and crew screening, followed by an after-party via Zoom. Hopefully further screenings won't be too far behind.
I for one foresee an instant classic. They don't call me Madame F for nothing.
