Random Pics of ChaRismAtic CReAtures

Buying a THAUJ Blu-ray/DVD might earn you a sneak peek at Smaug . . .

According to this new article at CinemaBlend:

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Hobbit-Desolation-Smaug-Reveal-First-Footage-March-Livestream-Event-35551.html

Thanks to RA Central for the heads-up on Twitter. Well, I was planning on buying it anyway . . .

Of course, the dragon’s really cool and all that, but–I am kind of hoping to see more of THIS hottie.

‘The Black Stallion.’ Well, two of them, actually.

I am currently watching a film that I can’t believe I have never watched before, 1979’s The Black Stallion.  Based on the first in a series of children’s books by Walter Farley, it was billed as a children’s/family film, which is not incorrect, but it’s more than that.

I’d call it a romantic film, a sort of love affair that takes place in the 1940s between a young boy who has lost his father in a terrible shipwreck, and a beautiful, wild black stallion. The boy and the horse, which had been captured and stabled on board the ship, are the Dover’s sole survivors.

Stranded on a tiny desert island together, the boy, Alec, determines to make friends with the magnificent, skittish creature he calls “The Black.”

Alex woos the stallion by talking “horse”  and presenting him with a large shell full of greens. Soon he has the animal eating from his hand and frolicking with him in the surf.

There is very little dialogue in the  island scenes and there doesn’t need to be. The gorgeous cinematography (the film was shot in Sardinia, Canada and at Cinecitta in Rome), the minimalist score, and fine acting by both Kelly Reno as Alec and, yes, that lovely and spirited equine, speaks for itself.

Alec and The Black are eventually rescued by some fishermen and returned to his hometown, where he and The Black are celebrated as local heroes. The stallion is frightened by garbage collectors one morning and dashes out of the fenced-in backyard, leading Alec on a not-so-merry chase.

As a result, the boy meets a former horse trainer, played by Mickey Rooney, who has taken the wandering stallion into his own stable. You know where the movie is going from here–a fast horse, a trainer looking for a comeback and a little boy with a lot of spunk. It makes the ride no less enjoyable.  Good performances all ’round, including Rooney, who has been known to ham it up a bit too much for my personal taste.

Kelly Reno in an autographed photo. Images courtesy of Bing.com

Watching this beautiful, proud, regal animal rearing up, tossing his flowing mane and stamping his feet, sniffing and snorting–well, it led me to think of someone else . . . can you guess who?

GIFS-click on the pretty henchman.

Oh, those manly sniffs!

My internet was down for several hours so I am behind in responding to comments. Time for me to take a walk, pick up the mail, and come back and wash this dirty mane of mine. Meeting with my writing partner tomorrow afternoon; hopefully having lunch with hubby beforehand.  Reading up on Children’s Literature for Dummies on my Kindle along with Heyer’s These Old Shades, a bargain e-book. See you later!

More thoughts on a face from out of the past.

I’ve found myself looking at screencaps of the reconstruction of RIII’s face yet again tonight. I’m drawn to it, as I am to the whole archaeological project known as “The King under the car park.”

Richard III Society member Philippa Langley, originator of the search, said on a Channel 4 documentary earlier: “It doesn’t look like the face of a tyrant. I’m sorry but it doesn’t.

“He’s very handsome. It’s like you could just talk to him, have a conversation with him right now.”  A quote from the BBC website

I have to agree with Philippa. Looks can be deceiving, of course, but even in the portraits of the day, which might or might not have been accurate, I never got the sense of the pantomime villain presented to us so often.  History, it is said, is written by the victors; the losers often get the very short end of the stick.

I’ve always loved history. To see it come to life in the way it has with these recent developments, to hear all the details of these bones, to imagine in my mind those bones transforming into the flesh and blood man, an anointed king, a valiant warrior, brutally killed and then disrespected in death . . . I felt a sense of awe mingled with sadness.

We cannot change the past and the ignominious way Richard Plantagenet was treated in death.

But something can be done to rectify the image molded by Shakespeare and other writers of Richard III as an ugly hunchback with a withered arm and a dark, poisonous heart, a villainous murderer with no redeeming qualities.

Richard Plantagenet was a human being and certainly not perfect, but many signs point to him being a much more sympathetic (and far better-looking) individual and a better king than history and literature have painted him.

That’s why I am so psyched at the notion of Richard III’s story being told on screen. Even if Richard Armitage is unable for whatever reason to play a part in its coming to fruition, I dearly hope it happens.

Richard III Society member and RIII screenwriter Philippa Langley at the site of the excavation. Courtesy of examiner.com.

I have a lot of admiration for Philippa Langley and her dogged determination to find the King and to see his tale told properly. I appreciate all those who supported and participated in this dig and the dedicated researchers whose efforts established beyond a reasonable doubt the identity of the bones.  What an amazing odyssey!

Here’s a link to the live Q&A held earlier today by Channel 4 with Philippa and Professor Lin Foxhall of the University of Leicester. There’s some interesting queries and responses if you haven’t seen it yet:

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/richard-iii-the-king-in-the-car-park/articles/live-qa-with-philippa-langley-and-lin-foxhall

And just for fun, this bit of art that’s been making the rounds on the Net:

And a glimpse of Guy, looking rather Richard III-like: