Afternoon:
10°c
You're doing what to Superman?" I asked. "We're sweding it," replied Adeline. "In Hackney. Why don't you come along?" Sweding, I was grateful to learn, involves neither root vegetables nor Scandinavians. The term was popularised by the recent comedy Be Kind Rewind, in which Jack Black and Mos Def play video store workers who are forced to remake such classics as Ghostbusters and Driving Miss Daisy after a freak magnetic accident wipes all the tapes in the store. They call their own amateur versions "swedes". For some reason.
A second film, Son of Rambow, in cinemas on Friday, picks up the theme, telling the story of a group of kids who try to reshoot Rambo. Type "swede" into YouTube and you'll find dozens of the things. Given the easy availability of digital camcorders and cheap editing equipment, it's turning into something of a craze.
This explained, I couldn't really refuse, either the part of the bewigged arch-villain Lex Luthor, or the prospect of seeing the poor fellow cast as Superman gallivanting around Hackney in a pair of blue thermal long johns and lacy red underpants.
On the morning of the shoot the bucketing rain did make me think twice. But Superman was already on his way from Wimbledon and the props - a toy helicopter, a bottle painted like a missile - were ready to go. Adeline had already pre-shot some location footage for the earthquake scene, making skilful use of the crack in the Tate Modern Turbine Hall and a toy car to simulate geological disaster.
Once poor Bob had arrived and changed into his risible costume, six of us piled into the car for the first location shoot: Hackney Central Library, chosen for its revolving door. Bob was to run in dressed as Clark Kent and spin round three times, then do the same again dressed as Superman and run out; in the final cut, both bits would be spliced together to look as if he had actually changed in the revolving door! Amazing what technology can do these days.
Of course, we had to shoot all this guerilla-style, mindful of the restrictions on filming in public places. The security guard, bless him, did not intervene, though the parking wardens did, a £60 fine tripling our budget.
Next came a scene in which Clark and Lois Lane are mugged in an alley, an estate in Dalston doing its best impression of New York. Bored kids started to pelt us with eggs (something Scorsese doesn't have to deal with), so we ventured inside to recreate Lex Luthor's evil lair.
How childishly invigorating to do something creative for once. Quite the cleverest innovation was the scene in which Superman rescues Lois from a helicopter and whizzes her away. I cannot reveal how this was achieved, but at least we got close to the original: you will believe a man can fly. If you search very carefully on YouTube.
