Picture of the month - January

Governor Phillip and Governor Macquarie Towers – The Matrix Reloaded, The Man Who Sued God, Mission Impossible 2, Risk

You know you've made it in Hollywood when... working on set with Keanu Reeves

Many years ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ian Bliss who played Bane in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. He was a lovely guy and shared some fun anecdotes about working on set with Keanu Reeves. Here's an excerpt from that interview.

The Matrix was ground breaking before it gained its cult following. It not only used cutting-edge technology, but introduced intricate layers into the story, questioning what reality is all about and how we control our destiny.

The Wachowski brothers’ scripts used every influence including Kung Fu, Hong Kong martial arts movies, science fiction films, romance, cyberspace and the big elements of classical mythology.

As the cast were constantly preparing to shoot grueling fight sequences, there were many injuries sustained on set. Carrie-Anne Moss hurt her ankle, Hugo Weaving injured his knee and Keanu Reeves got roughed up several times.

Ian Bliss, who plays Bane in the two Matrix sequels, remembers the pain involved with shooting the action scenes.

“The set was built with a thin layer of foam which cushioned the falls and softened the blows, but we still ended up with impressive-looking bruises. I had to train for three weeks for my fight scene with Keanu Reeves.”

On top of the permanent gymnasium at Fox, an area the size of an aircraft hangar was provided for workouts, wirework practice and for rehearsing all the big stunts.

“A lot of it was contact and blocking,” he says. “A few hours a day were spent working on choreographed moves. You train with stunt coordinators and stunt doubles. They teach you the moves as if you are rehearsing a dance.”

“We rehearsed over and over again until muscle memory kicked in and the moves became automatic,” says Bliss.

In The Matrix Revolutions there is a scene where Bane has burnt Neo’s eyes out. Fighting with the star of the movie is always a risky affair. Bliss explains.

“Despite the regular training and knowing what your moves are going to be, you’ve always got that one percent of you going ‘Don’t hurt the star! He may have insurance but you don’t want to stuff up the shoot.’”

In a particular scene, it was Reeves and not Bliss who stuffed up.

“Keanu had a latex cover-up over his eyes to make him look badly wounded. The eyeballs were gone; the sockets had just melted down.” 

“He was totally blind. He couldn’t see a thing through the prosthetics and had to be led around.”

“During our fight, Keanu had to knee me in the guts. You can fake that by having your opponent hit you in the thigh. So I’m guiding Keanu with my voice trying to point him in the right direction.”

“We’re holding on to one another and Keanu does this kick aiming for my inner thigh, but his knee slips and I end up copping the blow full-on in the crotch.” Bliss winces.

“Believe me that brought a tear to the eye! I hope it’s the take that was used as it certainly floored me.”

“Once I'd picked myself up off the ground, I thought to myself, ‘You know you’ve made it in Hollywood when you’ve been kneed in the nuts by Keanu Reeves!’”

And who said that filmmaking isn't glamorous!

Sydney on Screen: Where Heritage Becomes Fantasy

Click on picture for larger size!

Excerpt:

“Science House is one of the few Sydney buildings built in the commercial Italian Palazzo style. Designed by Peddle Thorp and Walker in 1928 as the result of an architectural competition, construction was completed in January 1931 at a cost of 45,000 pounds. Located on the corner of Essex and Gloucester Streets, Science House plays a starring role in Mao’s Last Dancer (2009) as the Chinese Consulate in Houston where Li Cunxin (Chi Cao) is being held captive.”

“Governor Phillip Tower and Governor Macquarie Tower appeared in The Matrix Reloaded (2003) that filmed in the lift lobby area. In the scene, two hundred and fifty extras walk in one direction while Neo (Keanu Reeves), Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) head the other way toward a lift leading to Le Vrai Restaurant. The sandstone walls inside the foyer were made to look like black granite and were covered with lightweight painted and papered foam on which a giant fake clock was attached using sticky tape.”

“After rescuing Kitty Kowalski’s (Parker Posey) runaway car in Superman Returns (2006), Superman lowers the vehicle in front of the fountain at the corner of Martin Place and Pitt Street. The very same fountain appeared in the “lady in red” sequence in The Matrix (1999). In an iconic moment in the movie, Laurence Fishburne sets everything and everyone into freeze frame during an agent-training program while a stunned Keanu Reeves looks on. Other productions shot in the area include Son of the Mask (2005) and Thank God He Met Lizzie (1997) starring Richard Roxburgh, Cate Blanchett and Frances O’Connor.”

For information on how to obtain your copy of "Sydney on Screen: Where Heritage Becomes Fantasy", contact sydneyonscreen@hotmail.com