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ONE THING KEVIN Lehane, the writer of Grabbers, said to me on the fateful day we met was: “Why do the aliens always land in America? Why couldn’t they land somewhere else?” And it’s a fair point, which has stayed with me to this day. When aliens look down on Planet Earth they can’t see our self-imposed national boundaries, let alone know which language we’re speaking…
And so the Grabbers came to Ireland.
Kevin was born and bred in Cork so he thought of Sherkin Island, initially – and in a roundabout way that’s where Erin Island, our fictional island, is standing in for. Though Erin is really a mythical isle, somewhere unspecified off the Irish coast. A place with an amiable, timeless amber-brown pub, the sort of place city dwellers dream of. A place where being laid back is an art form taken to professional levels.
Ireland, as it turned out, was a fantastic place to shoot a movie. We received a warm, informal welcome wherever we went. I tucked into umpteen bowls of Irish stew, instantly transported back to my childhood and my mother’s home cooking. I travelled the length and breadth of the Emerald Isle and settled on Donegal and its spectacular, deserted beaches. A mischievous man in a Moville pub told me to get my hair cut and start acting my age, but with a grin on his face and a twinkle in his eye, so I didn’t mind so much. Well, I did. But I pretended I didn’t.
A bright spark decided we should shoot in January, and by some miracle we managed to escape the worst of the bad weather. Grabbers looks for the most part like we shot during an Indian summer… which was definitely not the case. One evening the snow came in a heavy blizzard and a focus puller in wellington boots took a touch of frostbite in both his big toes. Still can’t feel a thing, the nerve endings dead forever.
Grabbers doesn’t really have a precedent in Irish cinema, not that Kevin or I can think of, anyway. There have been horror movies, sure, but a monster movie comedy? Featuring thirty-foot-tall tentacled bloodsucking beasties from the other side of the universe? With a side order of romance?
It’s a date movie, really. A date movie with severed heads.
I sincerely hope the Irish take Grabbers to their hearts. It’s a love letter to rural Ireland’s landscapes and people, no question. Naysayers always jump on the fact that we play up to the stereotype of the Irish as a nation of heavy drinkers – but we also take care to show what a miserable, pitiful thing it is to be an alcoholic. That side of things never worried me, if there ever was a country with a sense of humour and the ability to laugh at themselves…
Jon Wright is the director of Grabbers.
Grabbers is released nationwide this Friday, August 10, distributed by Element Pictures. You can find out more on Facebook and follow the movie’s official Twitter feed.
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Good to see the movie industry continuing here
Yeah, anything that helps is appreciated! Must see this! And then head off for a few jars. Just in case …
Can’t wait to watch this film & hope movie-goers will support it by attending & giving a big boost to Ireland!
It looks great, I can’t wait to go and see it.
Good luck the movie looks good, great to see the film industry in Ireland working, just last night Boy Eats Girl was on the horror channel another gem that was made here
Perhaps they might land in Fermanagh and transport Peter og to the steps of the 4 courts
Surely this article should read ‘I filmed a horror movie, called Ireland’.
Have you no national pride?
Paul that’s a fair comment. I grew up in Ireland in the 70 s and 80 s and don’t think I could have grown up in a better place. I had good parents and society had it’s classes but it was clear to get on you had to decide if you wanted to be a knacker or someone who achieved something. I did financially well but decided during the Celtic tiger the country was utterly morally and civicly bankrupt. I left to move to Germany with nothing lined up. It was the best decision I ever made. I am proud to be Irish insofar as my generation and the ones before but I have nothing in common with the shallow society that exists today. For that reason I believe I am more ‘Irish’ than many who live there. Is mise le meas.
Simon, why do you think the country is morally and civicly bankrupt? Can you suggest any solutions?
@ Adrian – Morally bankrupt as we still judge people through conspicuous consumption above all else. House are you? What year is your car? Where do your kids go to school? Where did you go on holidays?
Civicly bankrupt – where do I start.
1. The country is filthy. Cities, countryside the same, litter everywhere. people have no respect for their communities.
2. There are two distinct communities, those who want to be middle class and upright citizens and those who are happy being undesirable and take pride in it and should you challenge them you are likely to get verbally or physically abused.
3. There is no law enforcement nor any desire to enact any or have a professional police force.
4. Our political system is a reflection on society, it is privileged, and selfish in its outlook, our politicians are not genuinely interested in making Ireland a better place for all its citizens, they want only to do the things that can get them re-elected.
5. Crime is out of control and now largely accepted as a way of life in communities.
I’ve plenty of suggestions and education is the main one, formal and informal. We need to look at other societies and what works – what can we do to stop Ireland becoming as undesirable a place to live as the UK.
Probably shit. As usual.
If it’s a quarter as good as The Guard I’ll love it…..
It’s better!
Nice to see interesting fun Irish films been made . If its as good as Boy Eats Girl it will be a hoot!
I wish everyone involved luck with it, but I won’t be going. I watched the trailer and couldn’t get past the bad Oirish accents.
The vast majority of people in it are Irish.
Then use them in the trailer and not the Welshman with the bad Oirish accent!
hope it does well for you.
The Author of this article is a fecking RINGER for Tubes from Soccer AM !
:)
Laughed my way through the whole thing as well being terrified at the same time! Seriously kudos to all, it was really terrific :)
By any chance was the guy in the bar in Moville an ex politician from Derry?
have your say