"The Beach is: a luminous voyage into the dark side of humanity's increasingly tenuous dreams of paradise."
Sources: News Shopper, London, England. Saturday December 10, 1999 and BBC Ceefax. To meet Leonardo DiCaprio is every fan's dream. Cornel Chin's experience went miles further. He was the heart-throb's personal trainer on the set of his new movie. Chloe Hague reports...
What a fantasy. the baby-faced dreamboat who melted women's hearts in Titanic and Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in your power. You've got him pumping iron, pacing the treadmill and generally torturing himself at your command.
Well, it may be fantasy for most of us but one supremely fortunate Bromley resident had the job of actually pushing and prodding Leonardo DiCaprio into shape.
One of Cornel's clients was Andrew Macdonald, part of the trio of film makers responsible for cult hits Trainspotting, Shallow Grave and A Life Less Ordinary. Andrew told Cornel he was making a film version of Alex Garland's book, The Beach, and he was hoping to get Leonardo DiCaprio to play the lead role.
In the summer of 1998, Leo signed up and the team was in the thailand sorting out the locale and cast. Just before Christmas last year, Cornel had a call "It was Andrew" he said. "He told me the cast had been out in Thailand, and now they needed a personal trainer to shape them up...to give them a lean and sinewy look especially for the film."
"I told him I'd love to. And so on January 4 this year, I flew out there." Cornel had just 16 days to whip the cast into shape. But Leo always looks so toned anyway, surely he wasn't far from the right look?
"Leo was in pretty good shape, he plays a lot of sport. But to get the lean look the role required, we had to do a lot of aerobic exercise with him, and weight resistance exercise" Said Cornel.
"I guess in the first couple of weeks I spent more time with him than anyone else, and I got to know him socially"
"He's an extremely nice guy. He takes acting very seriously. He told me a lot of stuff about himself, which obviously I can't tell you. But we liked the same kind of music, Pink Floyd, R.E.M. and The Doors. And he'd insist we listened to Bach's 'Air (Suite No. 3)' or Samuel Barber's 'Adagio for Strings' while we worked out. (The piece most well known from Platoon and David Lynch's The Elephant Man). They're both really moving pieces of music, and it made a refreshing change from having the usually dance beat I'd use while I work out."
"I am still in contact with him now, through the occasional e-mail. And I might be working with him again in Italy, on his next film Gang's of New York. I thought Leonardo was so grounded. While I was in Thailand, so many people asked me to get autographs for them. And Leonardo was great about that...he signed every single one of them for me."
"It took me a while to come down from the experience when I got back to England. But it was fantastic while it lasted and it's great Leonardo still wants to keep in touch with me, after all the sweat, all the aching muscles and all the agony I put him through!"
CULVER CITY, CA, JULY 21, 1999-EcoLert, a non-profit ecological and environmental public awareness and education program, has completed its investigation, subsequent to the numerous reports of damage and destruction to Phi Phi Le (Maya Beach, Bay) and Phuket Islands, Krabi City and Khao Yai National Park in Thailand, locations used for the production of 20th Century Fox's 'The Beach' earlier this year. The concern for the ecological future of these locations prompted several inspections, for if any physical evidence collected substantiated these claims, the extensive amount of long-term damages would have been devastating. However, based upon the physical evidence obtained from on-going examinations, testing and research, our results confirm that the ecological make-up of these locations has not been disturbed, nor has any irreversible damage(s) occurred as a direct result from filming 'The Beach' in Thailand.
A trip to the Beach
The Official Leonardo Dicaprio website was the first to preview the trailer for the Danny Boyle directed film The Beach. Many wondered what the super hot actor would do after Leo mania took over the world. Then he suprised us all by signing on to star in the big screen adaption of the Alex Garland novel, The Beach. The story is about a back packer who stumbles upon this map that leads to an island that seems like paradise. Actor Ewan McGregor had spoken out about his disappointment about not starring in the pic since he has worked with Boyle/Hodge on all of their films. Maybe the lack luster boxoffice and critical reaction from their last project, A Life Less Ordinary had something to do with it. Dicaprio has garnered critical praise and boxoffice glory over the past few years, but the question is what is his fans going to think of his latest work. I was not sure until I viewed the trailer myself. Some will love it, some will hate it and go home to watch Titanic again. The majority will be suprised by how much their favorite actor has grown up in the depth of his acting style. The preveiw teases you from beginning to end. Starting off with some odd techno music in the background, to your first encounter with the star. Moving to many shots of Dicaprio from diffrent angles. From the beginning of his journey looking for a destination of peace to the end of his mission, knowing that peace has came at a price. Moving objects are quick and odd at first glance. A sexy stare from a beautiful woman, then two bodies in the ocean moving forward. Great editing by Boyle. The Beach will, without a doubt, become a must see. The trailer feeds you enough energy, it leaves you hungry for more!
May 11, 1999 "WWW.LEONARDODICAPRIO.COM" HITS THE BEACH
This Wednesday, May 12th at 4:30pm PST, the official Leonardo DiCaprio website will world premiere the :30 trailer for DiCaprio's new film, Twentieth Century Fox's THE BEACH. The trailer is scheduled to premiere in theaters on Friday, May 19th along with the theatrical release of STAR WARS: EPISODE 1 - THE PHANTOM MENACE.
February 5, 1999: Statement by Leonardo DiCaprio PHI PHI LEY ISLAND, Thailand -- I am acting, here in Thailand, in a film
called The Beach. It is about backpackers who look for utopia on a Thai
island. The location in the book where the story's utopia is set, is in a national
park, so we have remained true to the book. Phi Phi Ley
Island seems the most perfect location that the book's
author, Alex Garland, could have imagined. A small island
encompasses a wall of rock, with an idyllic world inside.
In the film, the interesting thing about my character,
Richard, is he is a backpacker in the true sense of the
word. A rugged individualist. He is not looking for luxury.
He is truly looking for adventure. The great thing about
real backpackers, who come to foreign countries, is they
go to more isolated places, and improve the commerce of the people who
live there. I think the release of a film like this will encourage young people
to see the beauty of Thailand, and encourage more young backpackers to
come here. This film will also encourage more people to explore the
countryside of Thailand, and some of the isolated villages that wouldn't
normally earn money from tourism. Personally, I find the Thai people to be extremely friendly and polite, and
very welcoming to foreigners. Back home in America,
Thailand is certainly the hot spot for young people to go,
one of the most interesting places to go. They say,
"Before you die, you have to go there." I told a lot of my
friends I was coming here, and they were very interested
too. I also want to say a few things about what is going on,
concerning the environmental issues of our shooting in
Thailand, and would like to tell my side of the story, and
put the record straight. For example, I would never, by any means,
intentionally go forth with a project that I believed would damage the
environment of any country, or the image of Thailand. From what I see with my own eyes, everything is OK. I have seen nothing
that had been destroyed or damaged in any way. I cannot tell you the
reasons why people have been saying the opposite. It is beyond me.
I've seen Fox taking meticulous care, and their utmost respect for the island. If I had seen any evidence that anything was being done wrong, I wouldn't be happy. I wouldn't endorse this project. The environment, and environmental issues, are the
first and foremost charitable concerns I have
focused on, and I consider myself an environmentalist. And I want to do a
lot more for this cause in the future. I would never be part of a situation
that would cause harm to an island, or waterfall, or any place. From what I've been told about Fox's filming on Phi Phi Ley Island, people
have approved it. We had about 20 environmentalists come and study it,
and said it was 100 percent fine. So it is not just my personal opinion. Thank you very much for your time. Here is a link to the most recent press release concerning this environmental issue, which finally tells the whole truth about the complete lack of integrity displayed by these attention-seeking, lying protesters! Tuesday 19th January: Statement from Leonardo DiCaprio over The
Beach controversies, sent to The Nation by email: "First of all, I love Thailand. This country is magnificent, the
people are
especially warm and welcoming, and I feel privileged to be filming
here. I was not involved in selecting any of the film sites in Thailand.
Preservation of the environment has always been of utmost concern to
me,
and I would never be part of any project that did anything to harm
nature. Before I arrived in Thailand, I was assured that nothing done by 20th
Century Fox would have any detrimental effect whatsoever, and that the
island of Phi Phi would be returned to its natural state. Signed...Leonardo DiCaprio On the other side of the coin, some "unclassy" people who call themselves "environmentalists", are doing this sort of thing...
Thai environmental activists wear masks bearing the likeness of movie star Leonardo DiCaprio
during their protest in front of U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, January 29. Film maker Twentieth
Century Fox,
through its agent Santa International Film Production, has promised to pay 4 million baht (US
$108,000) to
the Thai government's Royal Forestry Department, under the Ministry of Agriculture and
Cooperatives, to
obtain an extraordinary permit to change the landscape of Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh Island,
inside a Thai
national park, to facilitate the production of the feature film, "The Beach." Activists are claiming
the money is
simply a bribe to the Thai government. (Reuters) Date: 2nd February 1999 BANGKOK, Feb 1 -- Hollywood studio Twentieth Century Fox is ''cleaning up''
its film set at a Thai beach reserve, a production representative said Monday as
US authorities promised to examine bribery allegations against the company. A spokeswoman for the producers said Maya Bay on southern Phi Phi island
would be returned to its natural state as soon as possible, ending a months-long
feud over alleged damage to the pristine beach. As the set was being dismantled, a US embassy spokesman said the ''appropriate
authorities'' would look into allegations that Fox offered bribes to forestry officials
to be able to film ''The Beach,'' starring ''Titanic'' hero Leonardo DeCaprio, in
the national park. Environmentalists say the production has destroyed a pristine beach at Phi Phi
and was approved only after Fox offered officials a four million baht (111,000
dollar) special payment. ''I'm sure these allegations will be passed on to the appropriate authorities,'' the
embassy spokesman said, adding that the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act was
strictly enforced and could result in prison terms. ''This Act is a blanket prohibition against paying bribes. Companies have been
heavily fined and there have been prison terms.'' About 20 Thai conservation and civic groups presented the allegations in a
petition to the Federal Bureau of Investigation at the embassy last week. It was the latest act in a lengthy campaign to block and disrupt the production. A
Thai court has already dismissed two bids for injunctions against filming on the
island. Fox has consistently denied paying bribes and has vowed to return the beach at
Maya Bay to its original state. About 100 mature coconut palms were planted at the beach to match
Hollywood's idea of a ''tropical paradise.'' Opponents say dunes were landscaped,
crucial ground cover was removed and coral was damaged. ''We are just cleaning up and removing our equipment at the moment,'' Beach
Production spokeswoman Sarah Clark said, adding that filming would continue in
other parts of Thailand until April. The Daily News reported that Leonardo visited Chai Thararam temple during his free time.
This temple is known by local people as Wat Chalong. He went with seven other people.
Inside, Leonardo paid respect to the Buddha image and then put some gold leaf on an image
of a revered monk. Leonardo seem to be interested in what their guide had to say about the
history of this temple. Outside they lit some firecrackers. Conservation groups have been protest against the deal, claiming that water transportation of filming
equipment will destroy coral reefs.
Local government authorities are seeking legal action against Plodprasop. DiCaprio, who will receive $20 million for The Beach, reportedly paid a visit to a school for the
mentally handicapped on Phuket on Friday, the eve of the Children's Day, when he handed out
presents. The Nation Headlines BY PENNAPA HONGTHONG Here is an article from the 23nov98 from The London Daily
Telegraph. I think you'll like it. British actresses to star in the sun with Leonardo DiCaprio By Charles Holland and John
Hiscock
in Los
Angeles TWO British actresses have shouldered aside the competition to be chosen to make the leap
from low-budget
films to star in The Beach alongside the teen idol of Titanic, Leonardo DiCaprio. Victoria Smurfit, who plays Orla in the television drama series Ballykissangel, and Tilda
Swinton, who starred in
Sally Potter's film Orlando, have been selected for roles in the adaptation of Alex Garland's
novel. The casting agent Fran Zanger said they would be the envy of many actresses for landing a
part
in The Beach,
which is being made by Danny Boyle, the British director of the hit film Trainspotting. "There
are a lot of young
actresses who will be very upset and jealous at this," he said. "Everyone wants to work with
Leo." For
both women, The Beach will be a far cry from their modest beginnings. Swinton, 31, is best
known for her
roles in small-scale independent projects, including a stint as a living work of art sleeping in a
glass case at the
Serpentine Gallery in London in 1995. The Scottish actress, who was once romantically linked
with the actor
Daniel Day-Lewis, appeared in the film-maker Derek Jarman's Caravaggio, Edward II and
Wittgenstein, and
also in a video for the dance band the Orb. Despite winning best actress award at the 1991 Venice Film Festival for her role as Isabella
in
Edward II,
Swinton has up to now turned down offers to appear in mainstream films. After graduating from
Cambridge with
a degree in English and political science, she worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Smurfit,
the 25-year-old daughter of the Irish paper and packaging tycoon Dermot Smurfit, is
currently filming
the British black comedy The Wedding Tackle alongside Leslie Grantham and Tony Slattery.
She trained at the
Old Vic drama school in Bristol and soon afterwards starred as Lady Rowena in the BBC
costume drama
Ivanhoe. She is reported to be "really excited" at the prospect of acting opposite DiCaprio in the
Twentieth
Century Fox film. The Beach marks DiCaprio's first film role since Titanic made him an international star, and
his
audience
appeal is guaranteed to secure massive box office takings. In the film, DiCaprio, 24, portrays a
rootless
American drifter searching for a Utopian island commune with the help of a map drawn for him
by a madman.
Swinton will play the leader of the group who meets him on the beach and seduces him, while
Smurfit is set to
play a backpacker living on the secret commune. Filming is scheduled to begin in January on the tiny island of Ko Phi Phi Leh in Thailand,
where
plans to plant
100 coconut palms to recreate the book's fictional paradise have enraged environmentalists. The actor Ewan McGregor, who made his name in Trainspotting, is said to be upset that he
was
not picked by
Boyle for the film. In an interview with Vanity Fair magazine, he said the director had set his
sights on success in
America. "It's been a kind of love affair between Danny and me - now he's seeing someone else,"
he said.
Another The Beach CD track Porcelain by Moby was #3
They also list every movie released in the UK over the last year with its total box office gross, and The Beach is the 8th highest grossing movie in the UK. The seven in front are Toy Story 2, Gladiator, Chicken Run, American Beauty, Stuart Little, Mission Impossible 2 and X-Men. It comes in ahead of other films which are generally agreed to be big successes, such as Double Jeopardy, Scary Movie, The Green Mile, Erin Brockovich and The Perfect Storm.
The British "Sky One" also picked The Beach, American Beauty, Gladiator and Sleepy Hollow as the most watchable movies of the year 2000 in the UK.
Top DVD Sales
1. "The Beach," FoxVideo.
2. "The Green Mile," Warner Home Video.
3. "Independence Day," FoxVideo.
4. "The Whole Nine Yards," Warner Home Video.
5. "Jaws Anniversary Collector's Edition (Dolby)," Universal Studios Home Video.
6. "The Princess Bride," MGM Home Entertainment.
7. "The Hurricane," Universal Studios Home Video.
8. "The Matrix," Warner Home Video.
9. "The Ninth Gate," Artisan Home Entertainment.
10. "Heat," Warner Home Video
Includes a list of extras on the Fox DVD
Special from the Sun-Sentinel, South Florida
One of the things I've always loved about movies is the scenery -- playful images of Rome in a Fellini film, the austere landscape of Brazil in "Central Station," the warm valentines to New York City in Woody Allen's movies.
For me, a reason for going to the movies is to travel vicariously.
This desire to be transported to another place has been fed lately by a number of movies that are not just set in foreign locales but that actually take travel as their theme: "Hideous Kinky," "The Talented Mr. Ripley," "Holy Smoke," "The Beach." Years after its emergence as a literary genre, travel has made it to the big screen -- though we still await the director who dares to make a film from a travel book, like Jonathan Raban's "Old Glory" or Paul Theroux's "The Great Railway Bazaar."
This might be a better idea than it sounds, for among the current crop of "travel" movies there is a certain amount of overlapping, especially between "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "The Beach."
At first glance, the two movies would seem to have little in common beyond a pimply megastar: Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio. "The Talented Mr. Ripley" takes place in the 1950s and flits among the glamour spots favored by American expatriates in Italy; "The Beach" is a contemporary look at international backpackers in Thailand. "Ripley" projects an Ivy League refinement (sailboats and silver shaving kits); "The Beach" traffics in Generation-X grunge. One depicts a bygone era of privilege; the other, a modern life of trekking: villas vs. hostels, martinis vs. marijuana, jazz vs. techno, letters vs. e-mail. What could be more dissimilar?
But the two movies invite a number of comparisons. They build on a quest -- find the son, find the beach -- and they follow the adventures of a young American man abroad. "The Beach's" Richard, like Tom Ripley, is looking for something to enliven his life; neither wants to think about his past (or wishes others to, either). In both films, the protagonist starts out alone but quickly befriends an attractive couple (also far from home), with the predictable result of a romantic triangle of sorts.
This relationship unfolds, and then detonates, amid a community of idle fellow travelers. In "Ripley," they're world-weary sophisticates who attend concerts and frequent cafes; in "The Beach," they're latter-day hippies on a more tedious version of "Gilligan's Island." But each group is escaping the responsibilities of home and seeking its own particular vision of paradise.
Taken together, the two films can be seen as a kind of capsule history of twentysomething American tourism. In the Fifties, it was the children of the rich who went abroad, and it was an antiquated Europe that attracted them. Today, travel is a democratized playing field, open to almost every slacker, and it is the louche Asian tropics that cast a spell.
But as the two films vividly demonstrate, the fundamental purpose of their travel remains unchanged: the pursuit of pleasure. Thailand is the same vast, untapped playground for Richard and his friends that Italy was for Ripley and his. Occasional language drills and dalliances with sultry market girls aside, these travelers are not interested in the people or their culture other than as a colorful backdrop for their mindless self-gratification.
They move in cliques of compatriots or English-speaking foreigners, preferring the comfort of the familiar to the challenge of the unknown. They go on fatuous hunts for the "perfect" beach or jazz club and ignore the telling histories of their neighbors. They spend their days in empty bliss while the life of the world to which they've come passes at arm's length, wondrous and undetected.
Copyright © 2000 Bergen Record Corp.
So after all the hassle and hype, what are we left with? Miraculously, a film that'll probably end up a cult classic. A film which - like Trainspotting -not only condenses a mindblowingly popular novel, but arguably gives its themes more punch. We also have a film that will make Leo look good - older and hipper than the "beautiful boy" of Titanic.....
From Virginie Ledoyen in same issue:
In spite of British tabloids insisting Leo had a private yacht during filming and was too snooty to muck in with his fellow cast members, Virginie is quick to spring to her co-star's defense. "No, that's wrong", she insists. "Leo was with us all the time. He was eating the same as us, staying in the same places. There was a boat but it was for everyone who was near the beach, for make-up and things. It wasn't just for Leo. There are so many rumours about him, it's amazing. I think he gets annoyed but he doesn't really talk about it".
Damon Syson
Track Listings
1. Spinning Away - Sugar Ray
2. Voices - Dario G/Vanessa Quinoness
3. Yeke Yeke - Mory Kante (Hard Floor mix '98)
4. On Your Own - Blur (Crouch End Broadway mix)
5. Return Of Django - Asian Dub Foundation
6. Pure Shores - All Saints
7. Snake Blood - Leftfield
8. Porcelain - Moby
9. Woozy - Faithless
10. Business As Usual - Barry Adamson/Leonardo DiCaprio
11. Brutal - New Order
12. Orbital Mix - Angelo Badalamenti (Remixed by Orbital)
The soundtrack for The Beach can be ordered at amazon.com or reel.com. The earliest shipping date is February 1st.
Reporter: Chloe Hague
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
20th CENTURY FOX'S 'THE BEACH' EXONERATED BY ECOLERT INVESTIGATION
The following is an excerpt from a recent press release by EcoLert:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
I just want to say two points: I know that the company took three tons of
garbage off the island, and I believe that whenever we leave the island, it is
going to be better off than it was before.
Amidst all the controversy, amidst threats to his safety, Leonardo has again emerged a class act. He found a way to speak to the Thai people in a personal way, involving no cameras, no media rush, no fuss. Leonardo e-mailed The Nation this very heartfelt personal message to the Thai people.
In my two
weeks
here, I have seen extraordinary measures being taken to protect the
island,
and I pledge to remain vigilant and tolerate nothing less than these
maximum efforts.
I'm grateful that the Thai government, the
environmental committee that
investigated the site, and the courts all agree that Fox is doing
nothing
wrong. Meanwhile, I hope to have a great experience acting in 'The
Beach'"
He continues to display his class to a world full of unclassy people!
Publication: The Nation
Whilst Leo talked to the people he clasped his hands together in a respectful position. The
abbot again commented that Leo is a nice person and that he always smiled. Just before the
abbot was about to leave Leonardo kneeled down in front of him with his hands together in a
prayer like gesture as the abbot again splashed him with some holy water. The abbot then
asked Leo what his religion was. Leo just smiled.
The abbot then presented Leo with an
amulet in order to protect him and give him good luck.
His arrival at the Phuket school was greeted with uncontrolled screaming from girls and women teachers.
DiCaprio visited the Robinson department store in Krabi
last night half an hour before closing time, eye witnesses
said. The star, accompanied by five security guards, was
wearing dark glasses and a cap in an attempt to disguise
himself.
Santa Pestaji, owner of Santa International, threw a party
for 500 guests including DiCaprio, the cast and the crew
on Monday night at his residence in Phuket.
Jeerasak Chuasakul, village headman at Bann Koh Sirea
Village in Krabi, declared his excitement at having his
photograph taken with DiCaprio. ''He was willing, not like
what we'd heard, that he wanted to keep to himself and not
see media people or photographers.''
DiCaprio danced the night away on the beach and was
friendly with other guests, according to Jeerasak's wife.
The Nation
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