Mike Leigh‘s first film in four years is creating quite the buzz at the Cannes Film Festival currently underway in the glam capitol of the world…the French Riviera.
Mr. Turner, a bio-picabout eccentric British painter J.M.W Turner, stars Timothy Spall and already has critics calling it an ‘Oscar contender’…and it’s only May!
The Oscar race has begun…and it’s only May!
The Hollywood Reporter calls the film about one of Britain’s greatest artists “luminous and moving…anchored by a masterful performance by Timothy Spall in a role he was born to play!” Praise indeed!
This movie has all the makings of an Anglophile’s dream: gorgeous cinematography of 19th Century English countryside, beautiful period costumes and a lovely Brit cast to star alongside Spall, Lesley Manville (Fleming, Cranford), Dorothy Atkinson (Call the Midwife), Martin Savage (Rush), and a slew of British cuties in white puffy shirts! I’m in!
Cute British guys in white puffy shirts? Count me in!
Mr. Turner covers the last quarter century of J.M.W. Turner life which was profoundly affected by the death of his esteemed father, loved by a housekeeper he takes for granted and occasionally exploits sexually, he forms a close relationship with a seaside landlady with whom he eventually lives incognito in Chelsea, where he dies. Throughout all this, Turner travels, paints, stays with the country aristocracy, visits brothels, is a popular if anarchic member of the Royal Academy of Arts, has himself strapped to the mast of a ship so that he can paint a snowstorm, and is both celebrated and reviled by the public and by royalty. [Thanks Wiki!]
If the buzz around the sunny beaches of Cannes are correct, Mr. Turner can be on its way to the prestigious Palm d’Or award!
Check out the official trailer and see if you agree!
Hopefully Mr Turner will find a nice big distributor on the sunny beaches of Cannes (because, let’s face it…that’s where a majority of the wheelers and dealers make their deals!) and this beautiful film will be coming to a cinema near you in the not too distant future!
Wingardium Leviosa! No need to cast The Levitation Charm on me because I am already on cloud nine over the news that a release date has been announced for the NEW Harry Potter “spin-off” trilogy of movies to be penned by J.K. Rowling!
Fantastic Beasts and Where to FindThemhas been given a release date of November 18, 2016! Ohhh, so far away! Gosh, I hope I’ll still fit in my Hogwarts robe by then.
Coming soon to a theatre near you! J.K. Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them!
Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara revealed at CinemaCon in March that the studio wanted to follow in the footsteps of “The Hobbit” and create a new franchise of three “megamovies” for “Fantastic Beasts” bringing the wizarding world back to the big screen and making a gazillion Harry Potter fans happier than if they received a lifetime’s worth of chocolate frogs from Honeydukes!
Better than a lifetime supply of Chocolate Frogs!
However, before we get too excited and start planning our Harry Potter theme screening parties…J.K. Rowling has been very clear in stating that Beasts will neither be a sequel or prequel to the Harry Potter books…which kinda bums me out because I just CAN’T let go of the fact that Hermione really should have ended up with Harry…and NOT Ron! Something J.K. herself even admitted in a recent interview that Harry and Hermione were “a better match than Hermione and Ron…” DUH!
Sooo, perhaps I was a bit hasty in putting Hermione and Ron together…
And yes, I KNOW in the final movie, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2, we see Harry and Ginny and Hermione and Ron happily married 20 years on…and putting their little wizards on their first train to Hogwarts. But, couldn’t that simply be some sort of Bobby Ewing-esque dream and Hermione wakes up and discovers, ‘Wow! I’m actually married to HARRY!’…It’s what I’d do if I were writing it.
Harry and Hermione Forever!
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” will chronicle the adventures of its fictional author and Hufflepuff hero Newt Scamander, who is a magizoologist, one who studies magical creatures. Rowling originally wrote the 54-page book, which is one of Harry’s schoolbooks at Hogwarts, in 2001 between publication of the fourth and fifth Potter books. The saga will begin 70 years prior to Harry Potter’s arrival at Hogwarts and will give us Potterheads and extended look at the wizarding world Harry was born into.
In a statement released by Rowling when the project was first announced she says, “The idea of seeing Newt Scamander, the supposed author of ‘Fantastic Beasts,’ realized by another writer was difficult. Having lived for so long in my fictional universe, I feel very protective of it and I already knew a lot about Newt. As hard-core Harry Potter fans will know, I liked him so much that I even married his grandson, Rolf, to one of my favourite characters from the Harry Potter series, Luna Lovegood.”
Luna Lovegood…one of J.K.’s faves!
No casting has been announced yet. How could it, she’s still writing it ! But if I can call dibs on playing Witch #32 to the left…I’ll start practicing my charms and spells now!
In the meantime, I’m going to send a big crate of Chocolate Frogs and Pumpkin Juice to Tsujihara…to thank him for persuading Rowling to return to the magical world she so brilliantly created and write a new story for the big screen in the first place.
Thank you, thank you, thank you Kevin Tsujihara! Best…CEO…ever!
I mean, I’m sure it couldn’t have been easy. It’s not like J.K., who happily resides in a castle in Scotland, needs to return to the grind of deadlines and the stress of box-office results! But with the eight Harry Potter films having grossed $7.7 billion worldwide between 2001 and 2011…she has absolutely nothing to worry about.
$7.7 billion worldwide! You can buy a LOT of wands with that!
And now, I’m off to enjoy a nice mug of Butterbeer in celebration! Hooray!
Selfie. If the term wasn’t already part of our daily pop culture vernacular, Ellen DeGeneres took it to new heights when she famously took a selfie during the 2014 Academy Awards telecast and posted it on Twitter which then created a viral sensation so huge it broke down the site! So it’s no surprise that Hollywood has picked up on the latest craze and turned it into a recently green-lighted sit-com.
Coming this fall, get ready for ABC’s Selfie described as a modern-day take on My Fair Lady and starring former Doctor Who companion Karen Gillan as ”Instafamous Eliza Dooley” who has 263,000 followers (just like The Anglophile Channel) who hang on to her every post, tweet and…selfie. Yep, it’s the sign of our times.
Coming this fall to ABC, Selfie, starring Karen Gillan.
“Selfie” tells the story of a self-obsessed 20-something woman named Eliza Dooley (Gillan) who is more concerned with “likes” than being liked. After suffering a public and humiliating breakup, she becomes the subject of a viral video and suddenly has more social media “followers” than she ever imagined — but for all the wrong reasons. She then enlists the help of a marketing expert (played by Star Trek’s John Cho) at her company to help repair her tarnished image.
Karen Gillan and John Cho in ‘Selfie’ (Photo via ABC)
Selfie actually echos similar themes incorporated into the recent web-series phenom, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, an updated re-telling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice as told in 5-minute Vlogs by a young 20-something Lizzie Bennet. Series creators Hank Green and Bernie Su went on to brilliantly incorporate social media interaction between his characters and the fans. Again, capitalizing on this generation’s daily dependence on the Internet. In fact, I wonder if Green and Su ever pitched LBD as a network series to anyone? It wouldn’t be the first time a network was “inspired” to create their own show after hearing a clever pitch (cough: Bravo).
The series also stars David Harewood (Homeland), Tim Peper(Conviction), Da’Vine Joy Randolph (Ghost the Musical) and Allyn Rachel(Million Dollar Arm).
The Best of British Luxury event was recently held in Los Angeles hosted by VisitBritain, the National Tourist Board for England, Scotland and Wales and Angeleno Magazine and held at The Smog Shoppe.
Top British brands were on display to inspire guests to take their own lavish trip to the U.K. Designed to whet the appetites of travel-savvy Angelenos, this experiential journey offered a first-hand glimpse at luxury from the other side of the pond.
Anglophile expert, Elyse Ashton attended and had a glorious time reveling in the beautiful design and advanced engineering of Aston Martin‘s new Vanquish; she learned about the art of bespoke clothing and shoe-making with Lutwyche Tailors and Foster & Son; the intoxicating scents of Royal Warrant-holder, Floris London perfumery; took a sneak peek at Pringle of Scotland’s new 2014 fashion collection; discovered scarf styling ideas with Liberty of London’s unique and iconic fabrics; indulged in her favourite pastime, British Afternoon Tea created by Executive Chef Paul Bates of InterContinental London Park Lane in partnership with Wedgwood; and partook in Whisky tasting with Glenfiddich!
Lets take a look at Elyse’s evening of British Luxury!
A Night of British Luxury with Elyse Ashton!
Greeting guests as they walked in was this custom made Aston Martin Vanquish. It is made by hand, which takes about 250 hours. It will cost you $280,000, but with this much style and speeds up to 190 MPH, it should be the official car of The Anglophile Channel!
The exciting Aston Martin Vanquish!
Aston Martin Vanquish…a must for any Anglophile!
The decadently tempting tea table was hosted by the Intercontinental London Park Lane. They say location is everything and Park Lane, between Hyde Park and Green Park is a perfect place from which to explore London.
Teatime at the Intercontinental a ‘must do’ on every trip to London!
British Luxury tea table hosted by The Intercontinental London Park Lane.
The lovely tea table.
Alvaro Rey, the general manager of The Intercontinental London Park Lane, described the three kinds afternoon teas served at the hotel: Traditional, Botanical and Royal. One of each, please!
All the savories were prepared by Chef Paul Bates and the pastries by Chef Luis Mesa of the Intercontinental London Park Lane . They make an effort to locally and responsibly source ingredients and serve the very best quality. They’ve even been trying out some vegan options, but we all agreed there is no substitute yet to match proper cream to top your scones!
Intercontinental Park Lane London Chef Paul Bates and Pastry Chef Luis Mesa.
Lutwyche has brought British bespoke hand tailoring to Los Angeles! The have partnered with Saks Fifth Avenue Beverly Hills if you just can’t get away to visit their Clifford Street shop in London. They emphasize quality fabrics and expert tailoring which is why bespoke suit prices start at $4500.
Lutwyche has brought British bespoke hand tailoring to Los Angeles! The have partnered with Saks Fifth Avenue Beverly Hills.
Did you know that Pringle of Scotland invented the twin set? These are vintage twin sets made for Princess Grace, and are so classic you could wear them today. Pringle, which is a 200 year old company with their flagship shop in London’s fashionable Mount Street, still uses all Scottish wool such as cashmere from Hawick, and weaves it into both classic and contemporary designs.
Vintage twin sets made for Princess Grace of Monaco by Pringle of Scotland.
Pringle of Scotland’s Rae Miles shows off some of this season’s creations. Good to be wrapped up in Scottish woolies on a chilly Los Angeles evening!
Foster & Son of Jermyn Street, London had a display of incredible British lasts (including Eric Capton’s who seems to have a very fine foot), shoes and shoe making supplies. They have been making bespoke and ready to wear items since 1840 and celebrity clients include Clark Gable and Paul Newman. Incredible designs and examples of hand stitching made us marvel, and the friendliness of their representatives made the whole notion of bespoke items much less intimidating! They explain the whole process and are rightly proud of their products.
Foster & Son of Jermyn Street
Eric Clapton’s last. A fine foot indeed! Foster & Son.
Foster & Son.
Foster & Son. Footwear to the stars!
Gorgeous colors and designs from Liberty of London. Shake off that notion of stodginess and fussy Victorian prints. This is twenty first century modern!
Liberty Of London
Liberty Of London
Edward Bodenham of Floris London has tales to tell! He should, as Floris was founded in 1730, connected to the same family for nine generations, and perfumed some very well-known personages. Winston Churchill and Eva Peron wore the same scent–Special No. 127–and you can still purchase it today You can read the fascinating history of their shop on their website www.florislondon.com, and even visit a museum in their Jermyn Street shop in London. Floris is the sole perfumer to the Queen and every British Monarch since George IV. Princess Diana officially opened their Devon factory in 1989. Customers can wear the same scent as celebrity clients like Oscar Wilde, Ian Fleming and Marilyn Monroe or try one of their newest creations like the exotic Soulle Ambar. I think my sample might lead to a little shopping excursion….
Edward Bodenham of Floris London
Floris is the sole perfumer to the Queen and every British Monarch since George IV!
Floris of London
Mitch Bechard, brand Ambassador for Glenfiddich looking dapper in his kilt.
Mitch Bechard, brand Ambassador for Glenfiddich looking dapper in his kilt.
Illamasqua is a line of decadent cosmetics founded by Julian Kynaston. These rich colors and passionate representatives encourage every person to express what is unique and beautiful in themselves. They have created a partnership with the Sophie Lancaster Foundation and proceeds from their black eyeliner sales go to fund this charity named after a young goth girl who was bullied and beaten so severely she died of her injuries. Mad fashion meets compassion!
Illamasqua cosmetics founded by Julian Kynaston
Guests enjoying a taste of British Luxury.
A fabulous night indeed! I’m ready to head to the UK and start immersing myself in the of British Luxury! I’ll be sure to share my excursions with you!
HOLLYWOOD, CA (May 1, 2014) – Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions announced that “Doctor Who” star Matt Smith will join the cast of the upcoming “TERMINATOR” reboot.
Smith will play a new character with a strong connection to John Connor, alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, who “will be back” as well as Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, J.K. Simmons, Dayo Okeniyi and Byung Hun Lee.
Alan Taylor is directing the film from a screenplay by Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier. David Ellison and Dana Goldberg of Skydance Productions are producing. Skydance’s Paul Schwake, Annapurna Pictures’ Megan Ellison, Kalogridis and Lussier are executive producing.
Smith is best known for playing The Doctor on the popular “Doctor Who” television series during the 2011-2103 seasons. His other television credits include “Christopher and His Kind,” “Moses Jones,” and “The Street.”
The 11th Doctor takes the TARDIS to Hollywood!
He can be seen next on the big screen in “LOST RIVER,” directed by Ryan Gosling, alongside Christina Hendricks, Saoirse Ronan and Eva Mendes…looking very UN-Doctor like. However I imagine that’s the whole objective behind leaving his beloved Doctor behind and spreading his Thespian wings across the pond to Hollywood!
Not sure I’d get in the TARDIS with this guy! But bravo on stretching his artistic muscles!
The “TERMINATOR” franchise launched in 1984 with Schwarzenegger as the title character and spanned three subsequent films, which have earned more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office.
Paramount will distribute the film worldwide on July 1, 2015.
More details as soon as I get them! Therefore….I’ll be back!
Okay, he’s not on Facebook…but his status HAS indeed changed! Hollywood’s eternal bachelor has gotten engaged after dating a bevvy of beauty’s that would make the casting department at ABC’s The Bachelor green with envy. And WHO, you might ask, has taken everyone’s favorite singleton off the market? None other than British human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin!
The Future Mrs. George Clooney…Amal Alamuddin
That’s right…it took a BRIT to do the job! George Clooney is an Anglophile! Who knew? If I’d known as much when I met him back at the BAFTA LA Britannia Awards last year, I wouldn’t have wasted so much time talking about his upcoming one-man Broadway show, “Jazz Hands”
But who is this mysterious and exotically beautiful woman that has stolen America’s very own Prince George’s heart? Alamuddin, 36, a Beirut-born barrister, who is fluent in French and Arabic, is an Oxford educated lawyer who specializes in international law, human rights, extradition and criminal law for the firm Doughty Street Chambers in London, and has been representing WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in his fight against extradition from Sweden since 2011.
Wow, that’s impressive! So she’s like the female Mark Darcy from Bridget Jones Diary!
According to her profile, Amal has also been “appointed to number of UN commissions including as adviser to Special Envoy Kofi Annan on Syria, and as Counsel to the Inquiry launched by UN human rights rapporteur Ben Emmerson QC into the use of drones in counter-terrorism operations.”
Clooney meets his match….he never stood a chance!
Okay, so those other Hollywood chickies never stood a chance…
Well, whatever happened during his four-year marriage to actress Talia Balsam that ended in 1993 with Clooney famously vowing “never” to marry again, a vow he kept through a string of relationships with models and actresses, has suddenly been forgotten and put in the past. Like something out of Once Upon A Time, the curse has been lifted by true love’s kiss! Hurrah!
The ‘right’ kiss will do it!
And now to prepare for the Hollywood wedding of the century! What will the bride wear? Who will be Best Man? Will Sandy and Julia be invited? Are kids allowed? Word is already out that the couple plan to keep the whole soiree a “low-key affair.” Oh, come on! This is America’s version of the royal wedding. You can’t deprive us like that George! At least a kiss on the balcony of Clooney’s Italian Villa, “Villa Oleandra” in Lake Como.
A kiss on the balcony perhaps?
Whatever the happy couple decides to do….The Anglophile Channel congratulates George and Amal and wishes them all the happiness in the world! Let us know where you’re registered! Promise not to send a frame…
It’s where I would register if I were marrying George Clooney….
Hmm, I wonder what one wears to a wedding at an Italian villa? Shall Lady Anglophile start shopping? One can dream, can’t one?
Wow this is almost as exciting as when I used to wait for the cast list to be posted on the auditorium door for the Spring Musical in High School! Only this time, sadly…I’m not playing the lead. But guess who is? You’ll have to read the press release below to find out…but it’s PRECIOUS!
Just published by the Star Wars Creative Team:
Star Wars Central
April 29th, Pinewood Studios, UK
The Star Wars team is thrilled to announce the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII.
Actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker in the new film.
Director J.J. Abrams says, “We are so excited to finally share the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII. It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the beloved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again. We start shooting in a couple of weeks, and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud.”
Star Wars: Episode VII is being directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing, and John Williams returns as the composer. The movie opens worldwide on December 18, 2015.
Star Wars: Episode VII is being directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing, and John Williams returns as the composer. The movie opens worldwide on December 18, 2015.
So that’s a BIG Congratulations going out to Andy Serkis! He’s on FIRE these days! Right on the heels of being honored at CinemaCon with the Vanguard award for his amazing work in performance capture, an art form he has pioneered and because of it has changed the world of acting.
Andy Serkis at CinemaCon Vanguard Award recipient
No word on who Andy is playing yet but no doubt he’ll be creating another iconic cinematic character along the lines of Gollum and Ceasar! We can’t wait!
Here’s Andy’s acceptance speech from Cinemacon in which he thanks Peter Jackson for starting it all!
The headlines of the day are shouting the news that Jude Law has joined Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman in a role that was previously occupied by Michael Fassbender in theater director Michael Grandage’s upcoming film debut Genius. But what I’ve extracted from that headline is NOT that Jude Law has signed on to another movie…but that my favorite British everything, my husband from an alternate universe, “MY” Mr. Darcy…is doing yet another film with the ravishingly beautiful (and yes, talented) Nicole Kidman.
Should I be jealous?
Look, Kidman’s no fool. She knows a good thing in a leading man when she’s found it. Genius will mark the fourth film Colin and Nicole will have made together. Could they be our generation’s Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn? Their first film, The Railway Man, currently out in theatres, has Kidman playing the wife of Firth’s Eric Lomax, a former British Army officer, who was sent to a Japanese prisoner of war camp and tormented during World War II then years later discovers that the man responsible for much of his treatment is still alive and sets out to confront him.
Firth and Kidman play husband and wife for the first time in The Railway Man sparking an on-screen chemistry that will lead to three more films!
I haven’t seen the film yet but I can already tell there’s going to be a LOT of scenes in which Kidman will have to kiss and comfort Firth through his post-war trauma.
Could this be the new Tracy and Hepburn ?
Colin now jokingly calls the Australian beauty his “work wife”. At the recent Railway Man premiere in NYC, Firth told the NY Daily News,“Once you develop a connection with somebody, it helps you from job to job.” Grrgh, that was supposed to be ME! I mean, hasn’t he SEEN my work in William Shatner’s Tek War? I think it was absolutely good enough to star opposite an Academy Award-winning British God!
I’m pretty sure Tek War Mafia boss, Cassandra Del Amo, could have used some Firth-Friendly comforting during her dark period…
Firth goes on to say, “I think her versatility is extraordinary. It’s not just about the extraordinary results she produces, but also the choices she makes are a testament to the kind of mentality she has.”
Okay, so…he thinks she’s beautiful, talented AND smart…how do you compete with that?
Triple threat Kidman: Talented, Beautiful and Intelligent! I can see why Tom Cruise divorced her…
Before I continue on my jealous rant, I should reveal that I’ve actually always been a big Nicole Kidman fan. Even during her momentary lapse of judgement when she was Mrs. Cruise I’ve always enjoyed her films and can agree with Colin that her work has always been thoughtful, provocative and unique in choice. From her indie choices like Margot at the Wedding, to her musical debut in Moulin Rouge to her Oscar winning performance in The Hours…I always enjoy watching her.
Kidman in Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge
And apparently so does Mr. Firth because after The Railway Man he jumped right into Before I Go To Sleep, once again playing Kidman’s husband…at her request, of course! (Again, she’s no dummy).
Firth-Kidman partnership #2: Before I Go To Sleep
Before I Go To Sleep is a psychological thriller about a woman who has amnesia and wakes up every day with no knowledge of who she is.
Ohhh-kay…really? She has amnesia? So that means he’s going to have to remind her on a daily basis how much he loves her with kisses and snuggles in bed…blah,blah,blah. Did Nicole write this script? Because it’s the one I would have written if Colin Firth were my co-star…like he should have been in Tek War.
“I’m sorry…can we try that again?” Back to ONE everybody…Take #4,356! (Firth and Kidman in The Railway Man)
I know in real life they’re both married to other people, like Tracy and Hepburn were (just saying) but can you imagine leaving for work in the morning? “Bye honey, I’m off to work….Augh!…to make out with Colin Firth…A-GAIN…..”
That was only 44 seconds and it had me breathing into a paper bag. How am I supposed to sit through a whole movie of that?
I want her job.
Thank goodness there’ll be NO canoodling in their third film, Paddington based on the beloved children’s book, because #1: Colin is actually VOICING the animated bear Paddington not appearing in the film himself…and #2: Kidman is playing the villain…evil taxidermist Millicent! Not likely Paddington and Millicent will be hooking up and smooching in the deepest, darkest jungles of Peru on this one! Which makes me rather relieved…I can actually watch this Firth/Kidman outing without tossing back a bottle of Pimms beforehand.
Paddington arriving in theatres this December….with NO love interest!
In the recently announced Genius, based on A. Scott Berg‘s book “Max Perkins: Editor Of Genius,” the film will center around the real-life relationship between literary giant Thomas Wolfe (Played by Jude Law) and renowned editor Max Perkins (played by Colin), who developed a complex friendship that changed the lives of both men forever. No word yet on what role “Nic” will be playing, but it’s presumed she may be playing Wolfe’s lover and muse Aline Bernstein. Whew! So that means she’ll be the love interest for Jude Law and NOT Colin. Good, because they need to give the whole “smushy love scene” thing a rest. That is, unless she gets her little “A-list-actress-that-has-final-approval-of-everything” hands on the script and changes things!
But there’s always the press junkets. If you think these artists spend a lot of time bonding on the set…imagine what life is like on the road doing press junkets? You know, a glass of wine in the hotel bar after a long day of exhaustingly monotonous media questions…and BAM! What happens at the press junkets…stays at the press junkets….
I know exactly what she’s thinking….
By the way, I KNOW this look…it’s the look Marcia Brady used to give Greg in every…single…scene…they ever had together on The Brady Bunch. Even as a little girl I KNEW…”she has a crush on him!” Nicole…I think your secret is out!
See what I mean? Even Jan knew Marcia “Liked’ Greg. Ew!
And speaking of spouses. I’m amazed that the striking Italian woman Colin Firth is married to, Livia, hasn’t put the kibosh on this magnetic on-screen partnership. Not just because she’s a hot-fiery-passionate Italian but because I’ve met her and seen her in action.
“Sorry…can’t stop. Would love to but…you know, wife and all….”
In the lobby of a Beverly Hills hotel where I happened across her handsome husband just hours after he’d won his Academy Award for “The King’s Speech”…I was just settling into a nice (surprisingly non-Fanilow-like) conversation with him, when Mrs. Firth swooped in and escorted him away like the runner-up at The Miss America Pageant. Sheesh! It’s not like I was wearing my “I love Mr. Darcy” t-shirt and asking him to sign my right breast. Imagine… that was only after a few moments of non-flirtatious chatter (and not by my choice, mind you!)….how does she stand months and months of the electron-producing Firth/Kidman chemistry heating things up on a far away movie set somewhere? I think I’m going to have to show Livia Firth episodes of the Brady Bunch in Hawaii…where things really heated up for Maureen McCormick and Barry Williams!
See? They couldn’t keep their hands off each other! And they were playing brother and sister!
In the end, who can blame Kidman. If I were her I’d sign Firth up for the next two decades. I’d re-make every romantic movie under the sun with him….And, if she hangs on to him long enough…they can do the re-make of “On Golden Pond” But for now FirthFans have four fantastic Firth/Kidman films to look forward to and I will just try to soldier through it all.
Ahh, just as I was getting used to the idea of Livia Firth….along comes Kidman.
It must be stopped.
Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman can be seen in The Railway Man. In theatres now.
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Is it any wonder after the year Benedict Cumberbatch has had that he’s caught the notice of Time Magazine and their illustrious “100 Most Influential People” list? I think not! After stellar performances in films such as, Star Trek: Into Darkness, 12 Years A Slave, August: Osage County, The Fifth Estate, Little Favour and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug…not to mention starring in the hit BBC series, Sherlock, Cumberbatch has become Britain’s hottest export.
Scripts are piling up on his doorstep, studios and top directors now have him on speed-dial, female fans around the world dedicated hours of internet time to Facebook pages created in his honor (Cumberlord-Benedict Cumberbatch, the Quintessential British Man; Benedict Cumberbatch’s Voice; I Am Cumberbatched…) and indeed the whole world seems to have been “Cumberbatched” since he first arrived on the scene as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective, making deerstalker caps sexy for the first time…ever.
But that’s a whole other article. Today we spotlight the Cumberbabe’s latest accomplishment, being named to Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list in a group that includes Beyonce, Hilary Clinton and The Pope along with three other Brits: his 12 Years A Slave director, Steve McQueen, banker Andrew Haldane and Net-a-Porter founder Phoebe Philo.
But we can see something in Benedict’s aura that no other person on this list has. A silent, dangerous mystery waiting to be unfolded. Take a look at this behind the scenes video of his photo shoot and you’ll see what I mean:
Each person on the Top 100 list had someone write a piece on them. Cumberbatch’s countryman and co-star in Tinker Tailor Solider Spy, Colin Firth (who made the list in 2011) wrote a brilliant and quite funny tribute to his friend who he calls “alarmingly talented” Here it is it its entirety:
The Alarmingly Talented English Star
When I was about 25 years old, I worked with two very good actors. The encounters were brief, but I’ve remembered them both with great admiration. Wanda Ventham and Timothy Carlton both embodied qualities which one is fogyishly tempted to look at with nostalgia. Along with very considerable talent, they had elegance, glamour, wit, kindness and decency.
I didn’t know at the time that they were married or that they had a son of about 10 who was quietly gestating all the same attributes. And now, 30 years later, the boy has been let loose. He has taken the form of Benedict Cumberbatch.
His parents’ qualities are on rampant display. It’s rare to the point of outlandish to find so many variables in one actor, including features which ought to be incompatible: vulnerability, a sense of danger, a clear intellect, honesty, courage — and a rather alarming energy. I take no pleasure in feeling humbled, but there’s no getting around it.
He must be stopped.
I think it’s pretty safe to say, this train has left the station and there’s no stopping it. And quite frankly, why would you?
To get your CumberFill…”Like” the following pages dedicated to Benedict Cumberbatch on Facebook:
After we’ve all gotten used to saying “There and Back Again” Peter Jackson has decided that the final film in his Hobbit trilogy deserves a name more befitting a film whose journey began nearly seven years ago. In a statement released on his Facebook page, Jackson states:
“Our journey to make The Hobbit Trilogy has been in some ways like Bilbo’s own, with hidden paths revealing their secrets to us as we’ve gone along. “There and Back Again” felt like the right name for the second of a two film telling of the quest to reclaim Erebor, when Bilbo’s arrival there, and departure, were both contained within the second film. But with three movies, it suddenly felt misplaced—after all, Bilbo has already arrived “there” in the “Desolation of Smaug”.
When we did the premiere trip late last year, I had a quiet conversation with the studio about the idea of revisiting the title. We decided to keep an open mind until a cut of the film was ready to look at. We reached that point last week, and after viewing the movie, we all agreed there is now one title that feels completely appropriate.
And so: “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” it is!”
And for anyone that’s read the books you know that The Battle of the Five Armies is going to be an emotional ride. Jackson goes on to say that, as Tolkien intended, “There and back again” refers to Bilbo’s journey to the Lonely Mountain, (which is already covered in the second film, “Desolation of Smaug”), and his return to Hobbiton. He adds to not be surprised if the title is used for a future box-set release of all three films!
Sir Peter has been hard at work not only completing “The Hobbit; The Battle of the Five Armies” but also editing the eagerly anticipated extended version of “Desolation of Smaug” with over 25 mins of new scenes, all scored with original music composed by Howard Shore.
It’s going to be an amazing and emotional year for Peter Jackson and Tolkien fans alike as we see a nearly two decade filmmaking journey come to an end with The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. No matter what the title of this final film is called…I’ve got my Hobbit feet on and ready to run to the nearest box-office for my ticket…I can’t wait!
The Anglophile Channel 