I can see all the rest of your films and read your books too. Don't have to see your secret version of The Kiss to determine whether you have any taste. You know, he plays an abstract painter forced out of love to paint the paintings he does. Of course he's going to dress like he's mentally retarded! What's he going to wear, Brooks Brothers? He would wear exactly what he was wearing. He wouldn't wear the all-black outre outfit of the successful painter because the point was success clubbed him unawares.

I spent 8 years writing the script. I directed the film, sat in a dark room for weeks with the editor, only to have it recut from scratch...and here I am trying to give you my honest insight into what went wrong. And yet after watching it at a film festival, you know more about what my characters should say, think, feel, wear. (Despite never having seen my cut.) There's no arguing with that lack of logic.

Hello Gorman, May I be excused for being a little off-topic and quite a lot cheeky, and ask if you have any little stories or interesting facts about the lovely Miss Dushku?

Nothing eye-opening. From a professional point-of-view, I was always impressed with how easily she could turn it on, get right into character at the snap of a finger. Great to work with.

Hi Gorman, I'm am Eliza fan from Fanhost and thought I'd take you up on the offer to come here and ask questions. 1) How did Eliza come to be cast in The Kiss, have you worked with her before? 2) You said Eliza has more personality in your version, what exactly was edited out? Thanks!

Hey Gorman, in a similar vein to BD100's second question, I was just wondering if Eliza's performance shone through in existing scenes (that are now badly edited) or if there were whole scenes with Eliza that were cut?

Hi there! No questions about the movie, as I haven't seen it yet (although it's on order) but I was just curious about the lack of directorial power in Hollywood. Why do directors have so little power over their movies? Is it just down to contracts, or is there just too little power allowed to the creators of a work? There seems to be a hell of a lot of movies that are just completely destroyed by the studios.

OK...let me try to answer these as best I can. 1. Eliza was shown the script. She really loved it. She was actually my first choice for that particular role. So, it all worked out. (And no, I'd never worked with her before.) 2. It's not so much that things were edited out, as they were re-edited. The film's first 30 minutes are supposed to be rather light-hearted. At least that's the way I wrote, directed and edited it (in my cut). Eliza shined. But in the re-edit, the first 30 minutes became melodramatic. All focus shifted to the lead, Francoise, who is the producer's wife (the producer in this case put up ALL the money for this film). Thus, all the cute Eliza comebacks and reactions have been replaced with a cut to Francoise. Where Eliza was completely likeable, now you don't even know who her character is. 3. No scenes were cut completely. In fact the producer's cut is longer than mine (a rarity), because he put so much Zane back in. And yes, her performance did shine through. There were scenes where she just turned it on. Some of her best work. 4. Directors have so little power because of the amount of money being spent, the pressure to be #1 that first weekend, and things like -*test*-('")-screenings, and such. The studios often want to please everyone. And that's not really possible. (And this is not every director, on every film. Just like in every profession, there are good bosses and bad bosses.) Also, I was not DGA...if I were union, some of this would be different. 5. I learned a lot from the Kiss. I don't think YOU ARE ALONE would have turned out as well as it has if I hadn't done the Kiss. I had a mostly amazing crew, a great cinematographer, a great production manager, wonderful AD's, a kick-ass script supervisor, the best assistant ever, and some wonderful supporting cast members. Hope that answers the questions.

Many thanks, Gorman. Great to know Eliza made such an impression; but then I have never heard anything less from someone who's worked with her. Terrible shame about her scenes; it really sounds like your and her talents have been put to waste on this occassion. Still, good to hear that your new film is up to your expectations - I will have to get a copy of it! (Along with The Kiss of course) Best of luck in the future!

Thanks Gorman, You said that Eliza was your first choice for the role - what roles had you previously seen Eliza in and what was it about her previous performances that made you want her in The Kiss? Thanks!

I had seen everything she'd been in...but it was probably Bring It On which completely sold her to me. She just came off as funny and charming in the role, and that's exactly what she always was in person.

I've spent three years trying to get a study done. It's been like hitting my head against a brick wall over and over and over again. But I know I'm right and I know what I've stumbled on can help a lot of people. Finally, finally I've got people at the NIH talking to me. They want to change everything, take out some of the variables--they want to ruin my study. They only want to look at part of it, not the whole, beautiful thing. You know what? After reading your post, I'm going to let them. They've all been doing studies, big successful studies for the last twenty years and I haven't. They don't know squat about my vision, but they do know how to get studies funded and I don't. So thank you. Sorry to veer, back to the matter at hand. Billy Zane has got 64 listings in his filmography in the imdb. Some of his movies have been rather successful and some have been really good. He's a smart guy and has picked up some things along the way. He also happens to know a thing or two about clothes. I know as writer/director you should have artistic control, and it was wrong that they screwed your movie over the way they did. I know you liked what Ms. Dushku brought to the film and obviously you don't like what Billy Zane brought. But he did bring good dialog.

I watched it last night (kind of skimmed through it, late at night) and it really wasn't my cup of tea... but I'm more into action flicks, etc. - The beach scene and art gallery scenes with Billy - were they what you had in mind? I adore Billy - but I couldn't really get into that part of the movie at all..-and I wasn't getting any chemistry there, (but it might have been just the fact that she doesn't look like any of his previous co-stars that I can think of....) I'm going to spend more time actually viewing it this weekend.

Billy does have some cool hats - but that wasn't one of them! I agree on that... I think that Eliza would be more compatible on the chemistry issue. In my opinion, Billy has a way of dominating scenes and needs a more physically stronger-looking female counterpart.