The Official Matthew Reilly Homepage

Looked at my watch today and went, "Oh my God, it's the
3rd of March, and I promised that this year I would do my
Thoughts for the Month on the 4th of each month"
-- so I had to get cracking!

Luckily, I have some things to talk about...

Okay, so this movie (a hip'n'happening modern western in the tradition of Young Guns, starring Colin Farrell -- an actor I like a lot, and am hoping one of his movies actually hits) won't be entering any "Top Ten Movies of All Time" lists, but it's the first time I've actually known someone on a DVD audio commentary and, damn it, I thought that fact alone warranted it getting a mention on my site!!!

But seriously, there's a better connection than that: if you want to get a glimpse into the writing of the Ice Station movie, then get American Outlaws out on DVD because you will hear, on the audio commentary track, the comments of Mr John Rogers, the amazing screenwriter who adapted Ice Station for Paramount.

Put simply, the guy is amazing -- not only a great writer, but also one of the smartest people in the world. If you are a lover of storytelling (especially movie storytelling) then hire this DVD and listen to John's awesome comments.

Oh, and I also noticed today that John's latest scripted movie The Core opens in Australia in mid-April. It's an incredible concept...one I wished I'd thought of myself!

At the moment, no. Having visited Hollywood in November last year, I have decided to concentrate on my writing -- both books and screenplays. And as I've mentioned in other Thoughts sections, I spent most of December adapting my short story, Altitude Rush, into a full-length screenplay. It is done, and ready to unleash on Hollywood, and as it happens, I've just started a new script project!

I also felt that my terrorist script set during the Sydney Olympics (and the one script that I have done some preliminary helicopter shooting for), The Last Line of Defence, needed changing after September 11 and the Bali bombings. It was a little too close to reality for comfort.

This question has been arising more and more in emails that I am receiving: have I seen the latest James Bond movie, Die Another Day, and do I think it, er, takes some of its ideas from my book Ice Station?

For the record, I have seen the movie (and quite enjoyed it, except for the "surfing into North Korea" bit and the somewhat dodgy special effects when Bond para-sailed to safety in Iceland or Greenland or wherever he was -- all the other effects in the movie were so fantastic, why was this scene done so weakly?).

As for the similarities between my book and the movie (a hovercraft chase, a vehicle that can render itself "conventionally invisible", a hero hanging from an ice cliff), I actually give the film-makers the benefit of the doubt.

In my opinion, two writers can certainly come up with the same idea on opposite sides of the world. If Newton and Leibniz can discover calculus in different countries at roughly the same time, I firmly believe that two storytellers can use the same vehicles in a chase scene. We see it happen all the time with movies: two Robin Hood movies, two asteroid movies (Armageddon and Deep Impact), two animated movies about ants (Antz and A Bug's Life).

I also think that it's one thing for me to write a gigantic hovercraft chase in novel form in Ice Station. It's another thing entirely to actually film one. That is really hard! And I'd actually give a nod to Lee Tamahori for actually making it happen.

In the end, it happens. I just wish the Bond people would come to me and ask for some story ideas. I've always said that Temple would make a great Bond flick...

Speaking of Ice Station. I wrote that book throughout 1997, and have always enjoyed its central idea of allies fighting amongst themselves in the remote regions of Antarctica. Those who have read it will remember that the French are one set of bad guys attacking an American base.

In Ice Station, I mentioned that France had stepped away from NATO in the 60's, labelling it "an American organisation". I also mentioned French antipathy toward America and American hegemony over the world -- the French hate it that America rules the world. Now, while I happily invent certain things in my books, this was all researched.

And now look at the Iraq situation in 2003, five years after I wrote Ice Station. I reckon the French are just loving blocking-hindering-nagging-annoying the US in the Security Council (of course, this isn't even mentioning the huge motivating factor of French oil contracts in Iraq, which would encounter greater US competition should Saddam Hussein be deposed).

While many people these days criticise America and all things American, we should always remember this about America: in World War II, America liberated France, at great cost to American lives, and then she left. She ridded France of a brutal invader, and then departed. The other great power of the time, the Soviet Union, did not do the same.

That said, as a writer, it's always nice to be a few years ahead of the headlines! Although I have to admit that Tom Clancy is still the master of this.

As a cricket lover, it's a shame about what happened with Shane Warne, one of the greatest cricketers ever to play the game. I thought the penalty he received for taking a banned substance was a harsh but fair one. One year is a long time in cricket.

I just thought it was really sad when he said (on a current affairs TV show) that he never read books. A life without reading? Hmmm. When encouraging young kids to read, I always say: "with movies and TV, a director is doing all the thinking for you, but with books, you're doing the thinking for yourself. And what this world needs more than ever are people who think for themselves." People jog to keep their heart and leg muscles fit -- reading exercises your brain muscle.

Every year when I go to the Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground and (when I have a new book out) I give two signed copies to the Australian cricket team, usually addressed to a player having a big game. I once even gave one to the coach! As I recall, I think I once left Warnie a copy of Contest. Sad to think he never read it.

Well, time to run. Hope you're all well. And the countdown has started for Scarecrow, coming in November...

P.S. And for those who asked, my indoor cricket team, the Full Tossers, lost our semi-final against the old enemy, the Prodigals, on (wait for it) the last bloody ball!