Sponsored by
Aylesbury butchers could be appearing at Cannes after film shot in town centre
Comedian Omid Djalili during filming at Tilbury's Butchers
HOLLYWOOD actor Julian Glover and comedian Omid Djalili caused a big stir in Aylesbury town centre on Friday as they filmed part of a new short-film in Tilbury’s butchers.
Since the 1960s Glover has appeared in countless films, including Star Wars and Indiana Jones – he recently lent his voice to the giant spider called ‘Aragog’ in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
On Friday a large crowd gathered to watch him shoot a scene at the Aylesbury butchers alongside British and Iranian stand-up comedian Omid Djalili.
The comedian is known for appearances in The World Is Not Enough, Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End, Sex And The City 2 and the Moneysupermarket.com adverts.
The short-film is called Mr Invisible.
It will be released in the spring and producers intend to show-it-off at film festivals around the world.
One end of the Aylesbury butchers was transformed into a fishmongers.
Crews arrived at 6am and the actors at 8am.
Posters were put-up saying ‘trout, mackerel and halibut available’.
During the scene Djalili plays a charasmatic shopkeeper, who stands behind the counter and gets angry at Glover’s character – while telling jokes to the other customers.
Between takes, Glover - whose character is having a very bad day - said: “I am not talking too much, but I can say that people are rude to him (his character), but he is a nice old fella.
“He has a pet cat and he is very proud of getting some salmon for his cat.”
Glover also assures the Bucks Herald that there is an interesting twist to the story!
He describes Aylesbury as ‘lovely’, joking: “It is a pretty town - when you look the right way.
“Some buildings you can do without like in any place. This street, Buckingham Street, is very well kept.”
Colin King, the owner of the butchers for the last 15 years, kept the shop open throughout the filming - and continued to serve customers at the other end of the shop during takes.
“Everyone has been very interested in what is going on and keep asking us,” he said.
“They (the producers) were looking around Aylesbury and came in and asked us if they could use the shop, this was about three weeks ago.
“They just asked if they could shoot the scene here.
“They explained what they wanted, but I didn’t realise there would be quite so many of them to be honest.”
The production staff featured the two stars, 14 extras, runners or ‘cable bashers’, lighting specialists, camera operators and sound recordists.
High-spirited producer Kieran O’Brien said: “It is a brilliant location.
“Mr King who runs this fine establishment has very kindly let us film here.
“It will be finished in the spring and then taken to all the big film festivals, such as Cannes, Venice and Edinburgh.”
Director Greg Ash, who grew up in the town and attended Aylesbury Grammar, said: “I was looking for a nice quiet town, not too far from London, for our hero - played by Julian Glover – to live in.”
“It is great to bring a bit of Hollywood to Aylesbury, with Julian here and him being in Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
“We hope to take the film around the various film festivals
“It has the potential to be a full-length film, but the real hope is to win awards and get as many people to see the film as possible.”
Whilst growing up in the town the director created a number of short films for fun.
This is his third professional short film and in the future he hopes to ‘make feature films’.
In 1980 Glover played General Maximilian Veers in Star Wars Episode Five: The Empire Strikes Back.
In 1981 he played the ruthless villain Aris Kristatos in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only.
In 1989 he played Walter Donovan in Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Aylesbury
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.