I.
About Theatre Metropole Films
Theatre Metropole Films produces and co-produces premium-quality feature films at modest budgets.
Though we're into 2010 now, here is some history:
beginning in 2007 the company, headed by Lance Tait, produced 21 short (each under 10 minutes)
digital video films in 21 months. The emphasis was on providing innovative, imaginative form/content
for the internet. These well-known ground-breaking digital video films have been seen by over 1.6 million
viewers on the internet. The Sony Pictures-owned website, Crackle.com
discovered Theatre Metropole Films and signed Theatre Metropole Films to a two-year royalty contract. T.M. Films can be found
on YouTube. T. M. Films takes its
name from Theatre Metropole Theatre Lab which was founded by Lance Tait in Paris, France.
For live, staged events by Theatre Metropole Theatre Lab, please see the link at the very bottom of this web page.
II.
“Diapason” (now filming in super 16mm in Paris)
An Irishman, Tom, has lost a friend in
the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center. Ten years later he founds the New York
English Language School in Paris in memory of his friend. At the school, one teacher is
replaced by a new teacher who vivacious and exciting. Neither teacher has been right “fit”.
Later we find out the reason why the image of tuning forks and monuments often appear in
the film is because the body of the Irishman’s friend was never found -- though the tuning
fork that he always carried in his pocket was. A movie about the loss of a friend and the loss of an era.
III.
“Sally Robinson”
A C.I.A. agent in Paris invents a blond American woman,
Sally Robinson, to trap a Frenchmen of Arab descent who has fought against the United States in the war in Iraq.
Screenplay completed. THE spy film that has not yet been shot. This genre film invents its own way of working
within the spy movie genre. Spy-craft is demystified. 'James Bond' style music is remixed and thrown back in your face.
In this movie the protagonist is NOT involved in stopping terrorists from imminently killing a lot of people. Here, the terrorists are
“between missions”, they are on a break. The name “Sally Robinson” comes from the character that the C.I.A. team invents to lure one of the terrorists out of hiding. In English, with some French.
IV.
“Synesthesia”
Two unexplained deaths. A struggle between a detective desperate to find a suspect,
and a witness who has her own mysterious reasons to conceal what she knows about the crimes
The word synesthesia refers to a mix-up of the senses: colors can be heard, smells can be seen,
music can be touched. Cinematic language cannot possibly induce a synesthesic experience for the spectator,
but it does not mean it can't try. There has been a lot of discussion concerning whether this project could be filmed in 3D.
This feature film project is adapted from the successful stage play of the same name. The stage play, "Synesthesia,"
premiered in New York, in 2003. It featured British actress Stephanie
Campion in the role of Lydia Perova and British actor Damian
Corcoran in the role of Detective Louis Yevchenko. Duration of
the stage production: 1 hour 20 minutes. A dvd of the entire play was dv filmed
by Jason Eng for Jason Eng Productions.
In
CurtainUp.com's
David Lipfert wrote of the play on which the movie is based: "There is another interesting drama
at this year's Fringe, Lance Tait's "Synesthesia" in
its world premiere. Detective Yevchenko (Damian Corcoran) interviews
musicology professor Perova (Stephanie Campion) to solve a recent
double murder there at the Kiev Conservatory. Yevchenko has done
his homework. He has gathered rich detail about the two deceased
visiting professors, a couple that had formed a liaison, and their
relationship to Perova. He also knows a lot about composers like
Alexander Scriabin that attempted in their highly emotional works
to combine all the senses, or synesthesia. It's an odd topic for
guarded and emotionally stunted Perova, like many people that
develop intense careers from childhood. Alternatingly probing
and reassuring, he succeeds in dislodging her feelings -- jealousy
of the dead woman and love for the man. Seconded by Tait's musical
score of electronics plus opera, she imagines conversing with
the man of her dreams in mini mad scenes. Yevchenko's hunch is
right. Playwright Lance Tait has done his musical homework as
well. The musical references are not the usual superficial variety,
and the psychological dimension is believably explored. Masterful
acting by Corcoran and Campion plus Tait's superb direction make
a winning combination."
“Synesthesia”
itself refers to the phenomenon of the senses getting crossed--colors are heard, music
and fragrances are seen, etc. The extensive
original soundtrack used in the play's New York performances will be
incorporated in the feature film soundtrack.
V.
“The Namesake” (Der Namensvetter), “, You Will Struggle For the Rest of Your Life”, “Francine's Derringer”
and “Helen, The Musical”.
“The Namesake”
Ursula Braun discovers a creepy love triangle that involves her goddaughter/namesake who has been turned into a zombie.
Ursula Braun entdeckt ein gruseliges Liebes-Dreieck, das ihre Patentochter/Namensvetter einschliesst,
die in einen Zombie verwandelt worden ist. “The Namesake” is an allegorical genre movie,
more in the style of Jacques Tourner's “I Walked With a Zombie” (1942) than of George Romero. “The Namesake”
plays with the idea that German culture is sometimes overtaken by Anglo-American culture.
Set in southwest Germany where many American military bases are located.
Screenplay completed. Ursula Braun (Ursula Number One) is the younger Ursula's (Ursula Number Two) godmother. Ursula Number Two
is married to an Englishman, Tommy Williams. Tommy is a loser. But perhaps this is what
makes him attractive to a certain kind of woman. Julie, an American soldier who works
in the military morgue, comes into the picture. She and Tommy have an affair. She wants
to kill Ursula Number Two, but she knows she cannot get away with it. The solution seems to
be to neutralize the younger Ursula by making her a zombie. Julie has the medical paraphernalia
to do it, and she does it. Ursula Braun makes sure that Julie is brought to justice. While this film
may be seen by some to function in the horror genre, the film has a lot more to do with
dreams, anxiety, aggression (personal and national), guilt and friendship. In English, with some German.
“You Will Struggle For the Rest of Your Life”
“You Will Struggle For the Rest of Your Life” will be a visually-stunning low-budget
feature film shot in the American west. Walking on what turns out to be the “Path of Life”, Mike reunites with Leigh-Ann after a 3-year separation. (He once spent 5 years
as her “substitute” father.) They are on a Colorado hiking trail. Events that are strange, supernatural, even mystical,
stop them in their tracks. Leigh-Ann is 19 years old. She's sexy; she wants him -- but in what way? It is not certain that Mike shares her desire for a reunion.
They must fight their way through painful memories, and a man-made microclimate that is psychological, sexual and at times, violent.
“Francine's Derringer”
The romantic comedy-drama “Francine's Derringer” concerns a 30-something woman working as
a waitress; she waits and she watches as her life goes nowhere. What can she do? She visits
a fortune teller who insists that she get married within fourteen days, or else her life will forever be a living nightmare.
What does she do? She looks for a knot to tie. It won't be easy. Nothing's easy.
“Helen, The Musical”
This feature film musical-comedy is based on the play
by the same name. Read and hear
more about “Helen, The Musical”.
“Friends in Pisa”
Last but not least, this feature film is set in Pisa, Italy,
120 years in the future. Genetic disasters, a sexy robot, a toxic family in toxic world.
VI.
Digital Video Short Films by Theatre Metropole
As mentioned up top, these well-known ground-breaking digital video films have been seen by over 1.6 million
viewers on the internet.
Synopses of the digital video films
1. “The Consequences of Winning at Strip Poker”
This is a surreal adventure of a man who triumphs over a “dangerous”
woman. Tait wants here to reverse the “femme fatale” theme and not
have the woman win and the man be defeated. The monologue is a both serious prose-poem
and mock-film noir. The video attepts to get at an over-exposed super-8 film look
rather than chosing to be a video in black and white.
2. “Recontre avec M. le Trépas”
It is high summer. Flowers are in bloom. A voluptuous woman named Flesh is at
a bus stop. Mr. Death comes on the scene; he is angry and depressed by the dynamism
of life portrayed in front of him. However, Flesh reaches into her handbag and
takes something out which gives Mr. Death reason to not be depressed. (en français,
with English subtitles)
3. “Sex in Advertising”
The dialogue of this video was taken verbatim (uncut and unedited) from comedy
sketch written for the stage. A man and a woman who work in an advertising agency
have a conversation about the use of sex in advertising. The woman’s energy
appears to be channeled into her job — she is a creator of advertising campaigns.
Music, graphics and language from the advertising world have influenced the visual
content of this video. There are at least three levels to the video: 1) the semi-realistic,
satiric/comic level that one gets from the dialogue; 2) the sensual, seductive
level which the incantory “advertising” music helps to establish;
3) the surreal level of desire and the dream – this helps explain why the
two dolls are seen having sex. This video is Theatre Metropole’s biggest
hit on the interet (over 1/2 million views); most of the views are a result of
word-of-mouth.
4. “Twenty Brussels Sprouts”
This video was made after the director watched a television program broadcast
on ARTE about cosplay. Months before he had seen people dressed up in cosplay
costumes in rue Keller, in Paris, but he didn’t know what it was about.
This video partly explores cosplay. The Canadian actress Clare Giuliani brought
the dress and the recipe for brussels sprouts was one that the writer/director
had created. A cosplay/cooking show was born.
5. “The Naked Nurse and the
Giant Mosquito”
A bawdy, comic adventure set in a hospital. The elements: nurses, a mosquito that
morphs into a giant mosquito, a philandering doctor, sex, fear, sickness, health,
and death. This is the third doll video made by Theatre Metropole. The writer/director
saw a large plastic insect in the toy department at the BHV department store in
Paris, and saw a nurse doll in another toy store. This suggested a possible story
for a video.
6. “Once I Was a Baptized Christian”
A vampire seduces the childe and robs him of his salvation. This video tells a
traditional vampire story. There are no vampires in this story who ride motorcycles
or go to bars and drink tequila. Vampires are fallen women and men who can only
look forward to a pathetic existence. The film was partly inspired by the predatory
conduct of YouTube; it was made shortly after Theatre Metropole was told by YouTube
that T.M. was not going to be paid for its continuing hundreds of thousands of
views on that website.
7. “Sexual Penetration Dream”
This is a surreal depiction of some moments of coitus. The actor is not human.
Infra-red light at night in a garden was used. Banned from the internet.
8. “Il pittore delle fotografie nude 1”
(The painter of naked pictures.) Imagination is very important to this strange
character whom we know very little of. There is the battle between the sexes here.
The man is obsessed with the female figure. He talks to one of the naked women,
or rather to the picture of the naked woman – while he paints what he considers
to be attractive clothing on the picture, and other pictures of naked women. He
feels rejected; he feels unnecessary to the woman. (In Italian, with English subtitles)
9. “Il pittore delle fotografie nude 2”
The painter of naked pictures does not find nudity always appealing. He considers
himself an esthete. He feels used and unappreciated. He considers himself a white
knight of sorts, a man who can be a savior to some women and a person who is necessary
to the world. He is appalled by the lack of regard for beauty in the world. (In
Italian, with English subtitles)
10. “Il pittore delle fotografie nude 3”
A neighbor of the painter of naked pictures visits him while he is painting.
She does not know why he is doing what he is doing. While the man is absorbed
in women, or at least visual representations of women, the woman next to him
is enjoying eating an ice cream sundae. The woman says that maybe someday in
the future she will understand what the painter is doing. (In Italian, with
English subtitles)
11. “Moulin Rouge, Yeah!”
This is a “cinematic” experiment featuring mannequins in shop windows,
and a pop song. The shops are near the Moulin Rouge and the costumes that the
mannequins have on are fetish and bondage gear. These visual images are humorously
coupled with a love song that is named “Hold Me.” This video was
unexpectedly popular with the Crackle.com Sony Pictures owned website, achieving
almost one quarter million views there.
12. “Ransom”
Two kidnappings have taken place. The first kipnap victim has been killed because
her father did not pay her ransom. There is a second victim (the brother of
the first victim) who needs to have his ransom paid or there will be fatal consequences.
Here, the man who demands that ransom be paid is NOT one of the actual kidnappers.
13. “Slap Happy”
In this cute, witty video a guy wants to make a video. He hires an actress to
be in his video, or “film” and has hired a cameraman. The guy is
obviously an amateur. He admits that the script that he wrote isn’t very
good. He comes up with the idea that maybe the film should be structured around
two slaps.
14. “The Exhibitionist”
A satire of some of those people with limited talent who get to have fifteen
minutes of fame. The monologue is based on various things said in interviews
in an autumn 2007 magazine published in French. A person who is self-interested
and has little regard for politics – like the main character in this video
– willingly joins the club run by corporate exploiters. Exhibitionism
is not about sex for the exhibitionist (in other words, they are not looking
for sex). It is about being noticed so they don’t feel like a small speck
in the universe.
15. “Mother Mary and Apostle John”
The downcast look on the face of the statue of St. John partly inspired this
video. Nietsche’s criticism of Christianity’s morbid, life-denying
underbelly also was a source of inspiration. Christianity is old, the statues
are crumbling a bit. Is Christianity still suited to our times? Aside from the
questions of myth and relevance, there is an comic attack in this video on evangelists
who preach in order to financially enrich themselves.
16. “The Wild West”
The year is approximately 1865; the people of the United States have all been
converted to Islam. A comic, fantastical journey that crosses the old Wild West
with Western anxiety over Islam. The video is the second video made by Theatre
Metropole, and is the second movie made with dolls.
17. “Space Aliens Stole My Bathtub”
Comedy and strange metaphors are mixed with political outrage over the election
abuses—electronic and otherwise—that allowed George W. Bush to be
falsely appointed President of the U.S.A. twice.
Four videos are not included on the “21 videos in 21 Months” dvd/cd. Information,
for those who are curious:
“Berlin Dolls”
This is a follow-up to the video “Moulin Rouge, Yeah”. This video was made after
Tait saw a surprising and prominent display of mannequins at Galleries LaFayette
in Berlin that were outfitted with sexy underwear and some S & M objects.
“Over My Dead Body”
With sexual, macabre verbal metaphoric images, the writer director attacks the
U. S. Republican party for its war and violence, for its fiscal irresponsibility,
for its pollution, and for its invasion of Americans’ privacy. (Features
the actress Edie Lang).
“What Makes Her Run”
This is a pop song video, the song was written and sung by Lance Tait. The video
was created partly to showcase Lance Tait as a director of pop song videos.
“The Good Wife’s Guide”
There is an article, with a cartoon accompanying it, that has been seen widely
on the internet. The article is supposed to be a real article cut from a magazine
published in 1955. The article is a fake. But the article is comical and ironic,
especially these days. The article is advice on how to be a caring, submissive
wife. In the Theatre Metropole video, the wife, played by Carey Downer, tells
the text of the article to her infant son as if it were a bedtime story.
VII. Link to Theatre Metropole Theater Lab
Please click here
if you wish to access Theatre Metropole live stage productions and readings.
VIII. Contact Theatre Metropole Films; e-mail address: theatremetropole@yahoo.com.
(Sorry, we do not accept unsolicited projects.
Link to books by Lance Tait and biography of Lance Tait:
www.lancetait.com
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