Movie fans pan Connery cinema plans
Plans to name a showpiece cinema after Hollywood legend Sir Sean Connery have been shot down by film buffs in his city of birth, it emerged today.
The speculative project would see Edinburgh’s Filmhouse rebuilt to the tune of millions of pounds to form a year-round arts hub and a new home for the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
But movie fans asked to give their views begged bosses not to name the film shrine after the James Bond star.
Writing in a comments book forming part of an exhibition about the project in the Filmhouse’s foyer, one person said: “Not The Connery. Just ’The Filmhouse’ like now. Please!”
Another said: “(this is) wrongly named The Sean Connery Filmhouse.
“The man is a tax exile. He does not pay taxes in this country.”
A third film fan wrote: “Please not The Connery. He can’t act.
“He doesn’t contribute to Edinburgh life, living abroad to avoid paying taxes here.
“He’s not as popular among Scots as we are led to believe.”
The comments were expressed in a newly-opened comments book.
Filmhouse chief executive Ginnie Atkinson confirmed a further eight comments out of roughly 40 entries in an earlier book contained negative comments about Sir Sean.
The book has since been removed from public display.
Ms Atkinson defended the Filmhouse’s proposals and said it was too early to state whether bosses would look again at the naming of the venue, which would be built on nearby Festival Square under the current proposal.
She said: “These comments are just personal dislikes. They are not very constructive.
“I think it is a storm in a teacup.
“It is pretty obvious that we would think about honouring in the Filmhouse one of Edinburgh’s greatest exports to the world.
“I think we should look at the complete picture, which is the ambition to have a great place that is the centre for the moving image in Edinburgh.”
Ms Atkinson, chief executive of the Filmhouse and the Edinburgh International Film Festival, dismissed criticism of Sir Sean’s acting talents as “absolute rubbish” and said there was a lot of misinformation surrounding the film star’s tax-paying status in the UK.
She added the project, drawn up by architect Richard Murphy, was “purely speculative” at this stage and the plans were at least five years away from becoming reality.
