Press

Nadine reviews and articles

Excerpts from a review in Quiet Earth - 2010
“I have no idea how Simpson cajoled these performances out of nothing, but there they are and all you can do is wonder. His greatest find is Lisa Jane Gregory, who plays the hapless Nadine to perfection. She’s amazing, especially as a physical actor, although she can turn on the waterworks and crank the emotions as well. Gregory’s presence is amazing. In her suicidal, self-cutting mode, she’s a walking billboard of defeat. Slouched shoulders, perpetually downcast eyes, knock-kneed legs bursting out from under a miniskirt, pigeon-toed feet shuffling in chunky-soled hooker shoes, broken nails, ragged, greasy hair, complete lack of make-up, and underneath, a simmering aggression, all make Gregory’s Nadine a character to watch and remember. The psychic power of the character comes from her unresolved relationship with her lost father, and Gregory is surprisingly good at conveying that emotion. It’s apparent she unknowingly blames herself, hence the self-mutilation as a form of punishment, and her relationships are all coloured with a kind of self-disgust… perhaps the idea behind Simpson’s sporadic use of spot red throughout the film.”
- Rick McGrath | read full review

Official Selection Cork Corona Film Festival 2008
"With its imposing tower blocks, unflinching close ups and emotionally naked performances Nadine makes for challenging viewing but Simpson imbues the intensity with an artistic sensibility. The writing is honest and there is beauty in the Tower block where it's set, rising out like a sleeping giant as a green area nestles near by. It's a harsh world that Simpson portrays - or, as Nadine says: It's a horrible world - but he achieves such an intimacy with the characters and there's plenty of poetry to be found amongst the heartache. Strong performances are coaxed from the young cast but none as powerful as Lisa Jane Gregory's."
- Don O'mahony (Corona Cork Film Festival)

The Canterville Ghost reviews and interviews

Performance - Cultural Festival, Guangzhou, China on 9th December 2008
Excerpts from article written for Guangdong University of Foreign Studies periodical:

“TNT Theater Britain presented Oscar Wilde's comic masterpiece Canterville Ghost last Monday evening in Yunshan Auditorium on GDUFS North Campus. Despite cold weather, an appreciative audience filled the hall for the cultural feast.”

“A distinguishing feature of the performance was the interweaving of musical elements. The four actors are all excellent singers and the song lyrics conveyed history, culture, life, love and other important elements of the story. The songs ranged in form from opera to rock and roll.”

“In an interview granted after the performance, the actors explained that though they all are British, those playing the American characters had to assume American accents. Miss Lisa Jane Gregory, who played Virginia Otis, told us that for her it was not difficult. She had studied musical drama in USA, where she learned how to speak with an authentic American accent.”
- Written by Maren Xiao and Rachel Chen

Colin article

Colin website: www.nowherefast.tv
Wikipedia link: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_(film)

Colin the Movie, made by Marc Price for £45, typifies Cannes spirit
Simon Crerar in Cannes

Amid all the wealth and glamour of the Cote d'Azur, a British zombie movie made for just £45 could be the surprise success story of the Cannes Film Festival.

The festival opened with Up, the new 3D animation from Disney-Pixar, the budget for which was reported to be in the region of £75 million, but Colin, directed by Marc Price, has already caught the eye of distributors in the Cannes film market.

Price, originally from Swansea, but now living in London, has no formal training in film-making and said he picked up most of his skills from DVD extras, such as directors' commentaries.

Now two Japanese companies have made bids to distribute the film, and Price is hoping for more offers after screenings at Cannes this week.

"It cost us about £45, which was spent on a crowbar and some tapes," Price said.

"We wanted to focus on story and character, and rely on that to hook the audience."

The film puts an unusual slant on the zombie genre, telling the story from the point of view of a zombie trying to understand what has happened to him, rather than a human trying to escape and survive.

"The ultimate goal was rather than going for screams, we wanted to try to move the audience, to try to get them to cry, get a real emotional response from them," Price said.

"We wanted to try to avoid what other films had done, which is why we began doing it from the zombie's perspective."