Diggers

[mlm828]

Thanks, Lori! And it's coming to San Diego! ;D

[Chris]

Limited release, do ya think that means it's not going to be released in Denmark

Now, when I opened the Press Kit the pictures were REALLY big on my screen which allowed me to do some research....
Chest Hair Research, that is!!!! And, yes, there were chesthairs!!! Light brown chesthairs...

Thank you, Lori for the links

Take care and keep smiling
- Chris - who needs to get a life Beyond Justice

[rducasey]

chris said:

Now, when I opened the Press Kit the pictures were REALLY big on my screen which allowed me to do some research....
Chest Hair Research, that is!!!! And, yes, there were chesthairs!!! Light brown chesthairs...

hahahaha karma for this Chris.

[Deleted]

Chris, you want chest hair? Okay, here ya go!

[Chris]

divinemrse said:

Chris, you want chest hair? Okay, here ya go!

*I* don't want chesthair but I do know that there have been an investigation going on on this board, and I just wanted to contribute, after all, We're a squad, we work together

Okay, who am I kidding, I want chesthair, I want long lashes.... I want the whole package... ;D

- Chris

[Deleted]

chris said:

divinemrse said:

Chris, you want chest hair? Okay, here ya go!

*I* don't want chesthair but I do know that there have been an investigation going on on this board, and I just wanted to contribute, after all, We're a squad, we work together

Okay, who am I kidding, I want chesthair, I want long lashes.... I want the whole package... ;D

- Chris

welp, I gave it to you.

[Chris]

Yes, you did, thank you for having my back
You certainly deserves Karma for this..

An utterly happy
- Chris

[Chris]

BTW WHY do you make a picture like that???

I find it to be strangely weird..

I do like the look in his eyes and the lights and the shades, but still....

Maybe it's just me

- Chris

[Deleted]

chris said:

BTW WHY do you make a picture like that???

I find it to be strangely weird..

I do like the look in his eyes and the lights and the shades, but still....

Maybe it's just me

- Chris

Thanks for the karma. That was from "On the Waterfront" and frankly, I got no issue with it! ;D

[Chris]

Then, it is just me, probably....

I'll just focus on the eyes, there is something about his expression in them.....

You know, you're right, no issue here either


- Chris - Now I'm cool with it too

[Deleted]

If you're happy......I'm happy!

[Duchess of Lashes]

From a Google alert this morning- can it be a positive review of Diggers?

SXSW Review: Diggers
Posted Mar 11th 2007 8:03PM by Scott Weinberg

If I described Diggers as being about "four old friends who struggle to (finally) mature in the face of grown-up stresses, miseries and generally unpleasant turns of event," you'd probably respond with something like "Oh yeah, just like 45% of all indie/comedy/dramas I've seen this decade." And you'd be right -- it's not a stunning sense of originality that makes Diggers worth watching; it's the actors, combined with the asset of a surprisingly insightful screenplay that does the job. It's amusing to note that while screenwriter Ken Marino's old State-mates are out banking huge coin writing chaff like Let's Go to Prison and Herbie: Fully Loaded, his first screenplay is a much more personal and low-key affair.

While Diggers would most likely be labeled a "drama," the truth is that there's a lot of solid wit to be found here. It's just couched in between a lot of (surprisingly compelling) melodrama, which helps the 'funny bits' to succeed more often. Plus, Diggers is packed with really strong performances, particularly from likable folks like Paul Rudd, Lauren Ambrose, Sarah Paulson, Josh Hamilton, Maura Tierney and Ron Eldard. Marino gives himself a very juicy central role, but the guy manages to steal every scene he's in, so it's not like it's a bad thing. (His scenes with Ms. Paulson are really quite excellent.) Rudd, Eldard, Hamilton and Marino make for a quietly compelling quartet of old pals; the guys exhibit a clear and casual chemistry that helps the semi-familiar material go down a lot more smoothly.


As the long-suffering ladies in their lives, Paulson exhibits a fragile strength, Ambrose makes for a serviceable flirt and Ms. Tierney provides some of her best work in years. Even if you're not entirely captivated by Diggers' numerous plot threads, the actors are quite simply fun to watch for 90 minutes ... and sometimes that's good enough. The story, basically, is Mystic Pizza for boys: four old friends, all of whom are third-generation Long Island clam-diggers, struggle through a variety of hardships: one loses his dad, another is losing his house, a third one is looking for love in all the wrong places, etc. Like I said, there's nothing astoundingly "new" on display here.

But just like a new rock band (if they try real hard and actually care about their work) can produce an excellent rendition of some well-traveled material, Marino, his cast, and first-time director Katherine Dieckmann jump feet-first into their story and succeed through sheer force of sincerity. A movie doesn't have to be unique in order for it to work, and Diggers provides just enough wit, warmth and insight to warrant a visit. And if you're a member of anyone in the cast, please do consider Diggers a must-(eventually)-see, because this charming little indie gives 'em all an equal chance to shine.

[bjobsessed]

Here's another positive review for Diggers. This guy really likes Paul Rudd as you'll see, but he loves the film too.

Diggers
After suffering through The Ten a few days before, it was nice to see Paul Rudd and Ken Marino rebound with something good. Their second movie at SXSW 2007 is Diggers, starring Rudd, written by and co-starring Marino. Actually, The Ten and Diggers have one thing common. Neither is funny. But then Diggers isn’t supposed to be.

Diggers is a smart, and warm 70’s period drama about blue collar working joe’s in a small town. Paul Rudd stars as Hunt, a clamdigger. Clamdigging is a vanishing profession, as small time independent operators are driven out of business by big corporations. But the film doesn’t get caught up in big money bashing. It stays intimate, zeroed on Hunt’s personal struggle after the death of his father and on the problems of his family and friends. Maura Tierney co-stars as his sister Gina, while Marino, Ron Eldard, Django Gilligan, and Josh Hamilton play his struggling clamdigger buddies.

For me, what makes this movie so refreshing is that it’s about normal people. Filmmakers often get so caught up in telling the stories of artists, writers, and the filmmaking process that they forget about what’s it’s like for the average guy out there scrounging to make a living. Those that do attempt usually get it wrong. Diggers gets it right, and presents a realistic and earnest portrayal of dudes doing what dudes do: Getting up, getting by, and doing it again tomorrow.

Perhaps even more importantly, the movie manages to be entertaining while still engaging in an awful lot of soul searching. A lot of the credit for that has to go to Rudd. He’s naturally charming, and whether doing comedy or drama he ends up being the kind of guy it’s easy to latch onto Marino’s script is good too, an authentic feeling portrayal of life as a Long Island clamdigger but mixed with a wry and charming sensibility. Diggers is a cozy, smart little movie that dodges the pitfalls of getting to schmaltzy while remaining heartfelt and focused.

Diggers Director, Writer, Actor Q&A
After Saturday’s troubled viewing schedule I was so relieved to see something good I stuck around for the post-film Q&A. Saturday I spent a lot of time dodging those because, well, it gets kind of uncomfortable to sit there staring the filmmakers in the face while you think about how much their movie sucks. But Diggers was good, so I hung around to see what director Katherine Dieckman, writer Ken Marino, and star Paul Rudd had to say for themselves. As usual, there’s no way to record these things in a big theater so here’s what ended up on my notepad:

The characters in Diggers do a lot of smoking, and the first question anyone asked was whether or not they chain smoked real death sticks on the set. The answer to that was a resounding yes. Later, when I saw Paul Rudd puffing away outside the theater, I understood why. The guy is a chimney.

The question of Ken’s fabulous, Earl-like mustache came up. He said it took him four months to grow. Rudd volunteered that he grew his every day during breakfast.

One of the most interesting things about Diggers for me is where the story came from. Ken explained that he grew up on the Long Island shore. His father was a clamdigger, and his grandfather before him. Though the profession died out in the 70s and 80s, most of his friends are still part-time clamdiggers who do other odd jobs in addition to make ends meet.

When asked how he developed his character for the movie, Paul Rudd seemed to think it was all about his hair. He had extensions added on to his head to give it some extra length, and wore a hat on screen as much as possible to make the added hair look more real. He also admitted he had a little trouble with the dialect. At the beginning of the film he thinks he sounds like he’s doing a Jerry Stiller impression.

Potheads will be happy to know that the boys smoke pot out of a clam in the movie. Ken confirmed that the clam pipe is actually functional. It’s something they came up with on the fly, but now they’re considering making it the focus of the poster. Personally, I hope he’s joking about the poster. Diggers deserves better than to be pigeonholed as a stoner movie. Drugs are only a very minor part of the story.

When asked if he writes with specific actors in mind, Ken said no, except for the role Cons. Cons is Rudd’s stoner buddy, and Ken claims he originally wrote the role for brilliant but diminutive actor Peter Dinklage. The part ended up going to Josh Hamilton, who’s a guy of average height.

That’s it for Diggers. The film gets a 20 city release on April 27th. Keep an eye out for it.

Josh Tyler Mar 12/2007

[hoosier]

They sure had some really nice things to say not only about the movie but all those involved. What a surprise! Too bad the movie isn't going into wider release. Wonder if that means it will be coming out on dvd sooner so the rest of us can see it?

[Duchess of Lashes]

hoosier said:

They sure had some really nice things to say not only about the movie but all those involved. What a surprise! Too bad the movie isn't going into wider release. Wonder if that means it will be coming out on dvd sooner so the rest of us can see it?

I have read in several places that the release date for the DVD is May 1, 2007, very shortly after the limited release date for the film, which would be consistent with what was first mentioned by HDNET.

I just checked and Amazon.com is offering a pre-sale of the DVD now for $22.49.