Cinemablend: Hannibal, HACF two of ‘great shows not nearly enough people are watching’

I was reading an article online the other day, and it recommended other stories, and somehow or another I ended up running across a link to a Cinemablend article by Jessica Rawden titled “7 Great Shows Not Nearly Enough People are Watching.” My curiosity was piqued and I had a look.

The number one show on their list? “Hannibal.” Of course, as you all surely know by now, Richard is currently filming his role in this critically acclaimed NBC series as serial killer Francis Dolarhyde, aka the Tooth Fairy, featured in the Thomas Harris novel and film “Red Dragon” (and the movie “Manhunter”).  Another show on the list which some of us found addictive during its freshman season, offering the “collateral attraction” of Thranduil himself, Lee Pace is “Halt and Catch Fire.”

Here’s what the article had to say about “Hannibal”—

‘NBC’s Hannibal is currently gearing up for its third season premiere. While the drama is probably one of the most-watched on this list, it has potentially been up for cancellation every season, thanks to airing on network television rather than on cable. This time around, NBC will air the series as part of its summer lineup, and we hope that will prove to be a good spot for the thrilling drama. Give Hannibal a watch; it may give you nightmares, but in this case, that’s a good thing.’ 

I am hoping the black humor and stylized approach to the murders reputed to be found on “Hannibal” will keep it from being too much of a stomach-churning experience for me. Then again, it’s going to feature the incredible Richard in six episodes of US television I don’t have to do anything of suspect legality to watch, so I will be on board anyway. 😀

The article says this about “Halt and Catch Fire”–

‘Halt and Catch Fire is one of the rare cable dramas with lower ratings that still managed to nab a second season on the network. It’s a tough series to sell, following the rise of a computer start-up in Texas and the various problems the team encounters as they attempt to do the impossible: create a brand new computer brand. Regardless, Halt and Catch Fire had one of the most compelling pilots we’ve ever seen, not to mention an intense first season featuring incredible performances from Lee Pace (Ronan in Guardians of the Galaxy) and Scoot McNairy (Argo). Maybe this time around, more people will be willing to plug in to the series. If not, it’ll stay on our under-watched programs list.’  

I really do hope more people give HACF a chance–it definitely captured my interest in that first season, in spite of the fact I am not exactly a computer nerd (A nerd, yes. Computer nerd, no.) The series offers intelligent scripts, some fine acting on the part of Pace and Scoot McNairy in particular, and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing and thinking. It’s a bit of a nostalgia kick, too. 😀

You can see the entire article by clicking on the link below:

http://www.cinemablend.com/television/7-Great-Shows-Nearly-Enough-People-Watching-70602-p8.html

I am currently spending a week here with my sister and BIL . . . and packed the novel “Red Dragon” to read and the DVD of  BOTFA to watch on the computer at night when I can’t sleep.  So RA came with me–

–but then again, he always is with me. You all know what I mean. 😉

 

Big films that may save summer box office have ties to RA, Hobbit trilogy

It’s only 18 days (but who’s counting?!) until Wet Heroic Gary arrives in our theaters.  Since August is largely one hot, miserably humid month here in LA (Lower Alabama), I have to say seeing Richard be all fatherly and bad-ass (and drenched) will be the month’s saving grace for me . . .

So far this summer has been a touch on the lackluster side for box office returns.  I did a little research online . . .

“According to Rentrak, the No. 1 company which gauges box office and film industry figures, U.S. box office figures for the Independence Day weekend fell to their lowest in 15 years partly because of a limited lineup of new releases. It has been a poor summer for the industry. With sales down 17% year over year since May 2, year-to-date sales of $5.44 billion are down 3.8% from a year ago.”  

Granted, it didn’t help to have the Fourth of July fall on a Friday, which is usually an important day of the week for the industry, but other warning signs have appeared. Four major movies saw their sales drop more than 60% on their second weekends, which is unusual. According to Paul Dergarabedian, senior analyst at Rentrak, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” will now have to make big splashes for the industry’s results to recover, but 2014 receipts will probably lag behind last year’s $10.9 billion record high.”

Excerpts from “Even Transformers Might Not Save the Summer for the Box Office”  by Daniel James on the Motley Fool website

See complete article below by clicking link below:

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/07/13/even-transformers-might-not-save-the-summer-for-th.aspx

Then along came an ape named Caesar (brought to life through performance capture technology by the amazingly gifted Andy Serkis)  in “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and things started looking up. Andy, who created the unforgettable Gollum in the LOTR/The Hobbit trilogies, also served as second unit director for Peter Jackson and worked in that capacity with Richard on the second trilogy based on Tolkien’s works.

Richard and Andy pose together for a photo after conducting separate interviews for their projects in London recently. Courtesy of the BBC.

 DOTPOTA was released on July 11 and, as of July 20, the movie has grossed more than $139 million domestically, remaining the #1 movie for the second week in a row (the film’s budget was $170 million, so there seems little doubt it will be a money-maker for Fox Films.  Expectations are a take of $230 million during its run). While its box office earnings dropped 50 percent in its second week, it’s performing better than other summer blockbusters, such as “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” “The Amazing Spider Man” and the latest “X-Men” entry, which all dropped at least 61 percent at this point.  (Statistics courtesy of Box Office Mojo). The strong hold of Serkis and Company is being attributed to positive reviews, strong word-of-mouth and, frankly, some lackluster competition at the box office.  I am delighted to see such great reviews for Andy’s performance in particular.  I hope he and Richard actually get a chance to act together in some future project.

So what about the other film mentioned  that could at least partially salvage this less-than-stellar summer? “Guardians of the Galaxy,” billed as an action/sci-fi/fantasy film based on Marvel comic book characters, opens August 1, one week before Richard’s film “Into the Storm” whirls into theatres across the U.S (it opens July 31 in the U.K.).  As part of the seemingly almost indestructible Marvel super-franchise, it seems likely to do decent business at the box office. This film is said to have a more comedic, distinctly irreverent tone and attitude than the other Marvel films.

 

                                                                                          Title courtesy of movieinsider.com

“Guardians” also features another Hobbit alum, namely, the gorgeous and talented Lee Pace (Thranduil) as the villain of the piece, with Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana and Dave Bautista among the quirky bunch of good guys.  The world premiere, by the way, is taking place tonight, July 21. You can watch a livestream of the premiere at Marvel.com.  According to the Marvel Universe site, the whole cast (will this include Pace?) will be on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight at 11:35/10:35 Central Time on ABC Television.

 

 Lee Pace in full costume and makeup as Ronan the Accuser. Courtesy of IGN.com and Empire Magazine

And what about the films that “Into the Storm” will be going up directly against when it opens here August 8? Will they help or hurt the overall box office and how will ITS perform in comparison? Will Ronan end up destroying Garry and the gang when they arrive in our theatres? Will the Armitage Army beat out the Marvel Maniacs? Will Richard and cool CGI help save not only his movie son, but the summer grosses? We will just have to wait and see.

More about ITS’s direct competition in the next post.

 

Apparently there’s another Twitter chat slated–Thrandy vs. Thorin

Courtesy of Kathleen Evans at Richard Armitage Friends Network at FB

EDIT: APPARENTLY THIS IS NOT ANOTHER LIVE CHAT, BUT A POSTING OF ANSWERS TO EARLIER QUESTIONS TWEETED FOR THE TWO ACTORS

https://twitter.com/clickonline_/status/409737071113154560

PERRY THINKS THIS IS CORRECT LINK FOR TOMORROW, BUT THAT’S A LITTLE UNCLEAR RIGHT NOW. IF ANYONE LEARNS MORE, LET US KNOW. THANKS!

This is slated for tomorrow (Monday) at 10 a.m. GMT. That’s early morning here, and with my crazy sleep schedule, I just might be awake (I didn’t sleep at all last night). A “Thow-down” between these two could be very interesting indeed. Of course, in my biased opinion, Thorin always trumps Thrandy. 😉 But I won’t get bent out of shape if I miss it.

Been busy with RL stuff and quite frankly, I still haven’t watched/read all the interviews and articles from this latest press juggernaut. Unlike last year, I just don’t feel compelled to do so. I love RA as much as ever–but you can get overloaded on it all. Enough real life stresses and strains for yours truly without making things worse . . . I am getting more and more excited about seeing the film next weekend. I’ve done something Christmas-y last weekend and this weekend and I see DoS as an early Christmas present. Mr. Armitage–the gift that keeps on giving.

Speaking of gifts–these from Yennefer Ice on FB. And now I guess I will get ready to struggle with live streaming the big event from Berlin . . . wonder what he’ll be wearing?

What’s wrong with these pictures? Or, seeing is not always believing.

It’s me–but it’s not me. When I was a little girl, I dreamed of possessing big brown eyes with sooty lashes and dark brows, masses of curly black hair and a complexion to match. I also wanted to be tall with long willowy legs . . .  instead, I ended up slightly above average in height, with short stumpy legs. And I was still just as “fish belly-white” pale and blue-eyed and fair-haired and fair-lashed as ever. Plain ol’ vanilla me.

Clearly, I have tampered with the photo above, giving myself a virtual spray tan, changing the color of my eyes, darkening my brows and my hair and then softening up the whole image to be kinder to my 53-year-old self.

Here’s the original un-retouched image.

You can’t always believe what you see.

Which brings me to this image. Someone ran across it today and posted it at FB, admitting she was confused because how could two actors who were clearly on separate continents for the recent DoS fan event be photographed side by side?

The answer is, of course. Photoshop. Take note that Richard isn’t casting any shadow in this pic, which means he is either (A) actually a vampire or (B) isn’t actually in this photo with Lee in the first place.  The answer is, of course, B—that image of RA comes from the photos taken in NY with Orlando and Anderson Cooper.  This isn’t the exact one, but you get my drift.

I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but I really am getting tired of this sort of thing. I am all for having a rich fantasy life and “viva” a vivid imagination, I always say.  Where would life be without such?

~~~

But it is important to recognize there is a difference between fantasy and reality, between wanting to look like an exotic gypsy-ish creature and actually being the vanilla girl next door. A difference between thinking “Gee, wouldn’t those two gorgeous guys make a hot-looking gay couple?” and enjoying some slashy fanfic along the way, and deciding this relationship MUST be so, it IS so, and by golly, you will MAKE it so. Come hell or high water!!

~~~

If it means inferring all sorts of things from the mere mention of these two men attending the same event (never mind that several other actors did the same) and plastering your inferences all over the Internet or Photoshopping pictures for possibly not-so-innocent purposes, there are some fans out there who are doing it.

~~~

Look, I personally don’t think an individual’s sexuality is our business unless we are in a relationship with them ourselves. Period. Whether or not Lee or Richard or anybody else is gay, straight, bisexual, asexual or omnisexual is not the point here.

It’s this straining and reaching desperately to make your fantasies into fact-based reality that I find truly objectionable. Apparently some fans tried to do the same thing with Orlando and Viggo in the LOTR films. Some things just never change, it seems. *sigh*

Just because you see it, doesn’t mean you should believe it. Don’t automatically accept things at face value.

Just because you want and wish it to be, doesn’t make it so.

And for heaven’s sake, don’t accept something as the gospel truth because it’s on the Internet!

Oh, yeah, and I’ve decided to embrace my Inner Pale Vanilla Goddess. 😉 Trying to keep the white roots at bay would be a b**ch these days . . .

Thorin is hot–but have Bilbo and those elves been hitting the Botox?!?

I reblogged Perry’s post featuring the new Thorin poster from DoS (oh, heck, let’s look at it again, shall we?)

And I have to say, after taking a look at the other posters, this one IS the undisputed winner. Richard Armitage as Thorin looks fierce, determined and absolutely gorgeous. *thud* The use of light and shadow playing over those majestic masculine features here is great.

However, some of the rest of the seven new posters . . . look suspiciously tweaked. Now, I know that Photoshopping is routinely done on images like this. But there’s touching up and there’s TOUCHING UP!!

Did Martin Freeman as Bilbo have an eye tuck somewhere along his unexpected journey? A shot or two of Botox? Touched up his hair color and picked up some colored contact lenses, too?

And maybe he got said Botox in Mirkwood, because even for a slow-to-age elf, Thrandy is looking amazingly smooth . . .   especially when compared with an un-retouched photo of Lee Pace.

If it weren’t for the long blonde wig, I am not sure I’d know this was Orlando Bloom at first glance.  I know he’s a decade older than when he made the LOTR films, and he’s supposed to actually be younger in these new films, not to mention that the guy playing his dad, Lee, is roughly the same age, but–does he not look a bit–plastic–here? I think the tinted contact lenses don’t really help. Weren’t his eyes brown in the original films or am I totally confused?

I thought he looked a bit odd in this screencap from the earlier teaser, too. I am really hoping Leggy will look a bit more–life-like–and less CGI-like–in the finished film. Otherwise, I will find it distracting, I fear. I mean, I know the elves are somewhat airy-fairy timeless sorts and all. But.

See all of the character posters at the link below. Tell me, which do you like the best? The least? And why?

http://www.flicksandbits.com/2013/11/03/7-new-character-posters-for-the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug/59812/

Another brief mention of ‘Poldark’ & assorted stuff

A very brief mention of RA in relation to the upcoming remake of “Poldark” . . . still just speculation at his point, but it’s fun to see his name being bandied about–and it’s an excuse to post a pic of him with his Poldark hair. 😀

http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts-ents/film/the-future-of-tv-is-living-in-the-past.20431741

And here’s a link to a chance to win a copy of the excellent Visual Companion book to the first Hobbit film, complete with autographs of Richard, along with Sir Ian, Martin and Cate. 😀

http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2013/10/12/80380-win-a-copy-of-the-hobbit-an-unexpected-journey-visual-companion-that-has-been-signed-by-the-cast-members/

And I share this from the Lee Pace 100 Percent Talent and Beauty page on FB–I may not like what I have previewed seeing of Thranduil’s treatment of Thorin, but I have to say Lee does look quite beautiful and fierce here alongside (the beautiful and fierce) Thorin. Lee is a fine actor and I have no doubt he’ll make a magnificent (if maddening!) elven king.

Now I think I am going to see if I can get back to sleep (crashed before 11, woke up at 3 to a certain kitten kissing me). I will post about our interesting weekend at Honeysuckle and Sweet Tea later . . . hope you all are having a good one. 😀

This. You must read this. Wow.

This is an excerpt from a 17-year-old cancer patient’s Make-A-Wish experience on the set of “The Hobbit.” The link to the entire post is at bottom. The whole thing is well worth reading–what a dream come true for this young Tolkien fan!–but I think this passage was of particular interest. And I found myself laughing and crying and feeling so ulifted. God bless RA and all the cast and crew who helped give Samm such an amazing time. And thank you, Servetus, for sharing this on your blog so I could discover this wonderful story and share it with you all XXOO

~~~~~~~~~~

photo from tumblr courtesy of DJ at Heirs of Durin

. . . Then I turned back around to Peter and he saw my necklace move (Which is a keychain of The Key to Erebor, but I broke the keychain part off and made it a necklace because the necklaces are expensive and the keychains have more detail) and Mr. Jackson said “Oh, that’s Richard’s key!” then this little bugger totally tilted his head and gave a little smirk and said “I bet Richard would like to see that.” THIS SUCKER KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING. I LOVE YOU. So then, before I could let myself totally fangirl an make a mockery of myself, I said “I would love to show Richard my key!” and Peter turned to Sebastian and Phil and nodded like a little miracle worker and said “I think Richard would like to see that key.” And off we went!

~~~~~~~~

We walked out of that stage and across the lot to another stage. Phil and Sebastian went with us and said that Richard was just finishing up filming a scene. So when we entered that stage and there was another giant set. It was significantly darker in here than it was in the other stage, but I didn’t care one bit. We arrived and there were more lawn chairs and another TV on wheels thing set up but this one wasn’t on. Apparently it wasn’t working, and they tried so hard to get it working, and I told them it was really okay if they didn’t get it working! And they were like “noo it’s not okay!” But, you guys, it was, because we were so close to Richard Armitage filming that I could hear EVERYTHING.

~~~~~~~~~

And I was so close to a camera that I was watching the screen on the camera. I was AMAZING. I watched Richard Armitage ACT. I am proud to say that, it was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. Inspiring, just any nice word you wanna throw out there, it was that. Then we heard “cut” and I saw him walk off set. And we all know how Richard is a method actor. He stays in character all day. He walked off the set with /the/ meanest look on his face and glared RIGHT at me. I GOT A THORIN STAREEEEEEEEEEEE. Then Sebastian walked over and whispered in his ear and literally it was like night and day. His face went from “imma kill” to “Flowers and tea, yay let’s go play” And I got up and walked over to him. He said (in the mst adorable accent on the planet) Hello there, I’m Richard.” Now guys………I love Richard Armitage ok. Proud member of the Armitage Army like come on look at my blog, so you can imagine what my insides were like when I was standing in front of him.

~~~~~~~~~~

He was sooo tall compared to me (well I mean everyone is, I’m 5’2) but I was like (in a really dorky tone because I was literally over the moon) “Hello Mr. Armitage!” and I was shaking a little becaUSE RICHARD ARMITAGE. And then he held up two swords that he was holding and was showing them to me saying how they were covered in orc blood and we were touching it together and he was like “Yeah it’s pretty sticky, I have it all over me” and then we had a conversation about something that I can’t say but damn I’m pretty sure it made me seem educated in the world of Tolkien. Then he turned away to look at something and I was like “Can I ask you something?” and he was like “Sure!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

So I asked him if he really played flute or if it was just a rumor, and he was like “Yeah I do, why?” And I said “Well, I play too!” And he was like Oh, really!! What level are you?” Then in my brain I was like Oh awkward because in America (at least where I come from we don’t have levels) so I told him that I have been playing for 6 years, and then he rubbed his majestic beard and was like “You know, you should really check out this Skavinsky piece, it’s one of my most favorite things to play, you’ll love playing it.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So I told him I would, and then I told him I had to tell him something. I explained how The Lord of the Rings was a huge part of my life growing up in a rough childhood, and waiting for The Hobbit really helped me get through cancer, because it gave me something to look forward to, and I thanked him for bringing Thorin to life so beautifully. I started to get a little choked up because cancer was tough on me and he was like “Oh my, come here.” And pulled me in to a giant bear hug. I thanked him again even though my voice was muffled in his fur shoulder thing. It was such a great moment, and then guess what happened. Typical Samm moment. My earcuff I was wearing was dangly, and had these elvish looking leaves on them, and one of the leaves got stuck in Richard’s wig. IT WAS SO EMBARRASSING. Actually, at the moment it wasn’t because we were both laughing about it trying to get undone. And my aunt told me later that Richard was smiling like an idiot and looked like a little 5 year old trying to get untangled and he said “Oh! I think we may be stuck!”

~~~~~~~~~~~

But now that I look back at it I kinda die with embarrassment lol but I guess how many girls can say their earring got stuck in Richard’s wig? Not many 😉 But after we were unstuck I was like “I’m so sorry!” and he was like “no no, it’s fine, but i really like your earring!” I told him thank you, it’s my elvish cuff, i wore it just for today, and he was like “Aaah! I’m wearing one too, see!” And he pulled his wig hair back with his giant dwarf prosthetic fingers and revealed his dwarven ear cuff on his right ear. Then idfk why i said this i was like “Wow! We’re twinning!” =__= don’t ask my mind wasn’t on earth.  Then he was like “Would you like a picture?” So we took a normal picture together, and then he handed me a sword and my cousin one and he was like “Alright, take a swing at me.” And I was like “????????? I don’t wanna hurt you! I’m really clumsy” and he was like “You won’t, just do it like this” and then he pointed the end of my sword at his chest and he acted like he was getting stabbed, and we took the picture like that and I just can’t believe how creative that was and sdfghjkl RICHARD ❤ So then after that I gave him another hug and said goodbye and then we were off to lunch! . . .

~~~~~~~~~~

The entire account, including encounters with Orlando Bloom, Aidan Turner, Lee Pace (my side crush on him has simply increased after reading how sweet he was to this girl), Peter Jackson and more is at link below. You Will want to read it all . . .

http://elvenbutterflies.tumblr.com/post/54881582834/the-moment-weve-all-been-waiting-for-my-day-with

Elves with the giggles: oh, Sir Peter, you sweetie

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151697149436171

Sir Peter is being his usual loveable, mischievous self again and posting things like the video (see link above) featuring Evangeline, Orlando and Lee in costume reacting with great merriment to watching a video of two excited fans reacting to . . . watching a vid. It’s delightful!  Lots of great cheekbones and smile to enjoy here, too. 😉 Thanks, Sir Peter and the gang.

Not a great pic, but Pavlov’s dog will take what she can get.

This showed up in a Wellington newspaper today and PR Welly tweeted it and shared a scan of the page. I tried to improved the image quality but newsprint is newsprint.

Still, that is undoubtedly our tall, dark-haired, blue-eyed, bearded hunk of gorgeousness right behind the handsome Lee and Sir Peter (looking as endearingly scruffy as ever).  I recognize the black leather jacket and the blue shirt with the snap buttons, if my eyes (which aren’t great these days) are working correctly. Looking good, Mr. A!  Hope they had fun at the concert. Here’s the little article that went with the photo below:

I’d love for Sir Peter to direct an ep of Doctor Who. Love, love, love it. Even more would I love it if our RA could have a guest role on said ep. LOVE. *sigh*

Watch it, Elfie–Don’t Mess with My Hot Dwarf!

A GIF of a tense scene between Thranduil (Lee Pace) and Thorin (Richard Armitage). I don’t like when peeps get in my Thorin’s face. Even when it is that cutie, Lee Pace.  GIF by Escudo de Roble.

Because sometimes you just need a dose of cute guy

Lee Pace at Comic-Con a couple of years ago.  Cheekbones to die for.

We’re having lines of thunderstorms–yes, remnants of Isaac, believe it or not–moving through tonight, interrupting our plans to watch Coma when the weather knocked out the satellite signal (and the internet) for a while.  I was trying to do some straightening up earlier and managed to twist my back and my ankle–in typical klutzy fashion–so out came the ice pack.  Anyway, the electricity is still with us for now after a brief flirtation with going out and the internet connection is back. And so I share some Lee Pace/Richard Armitage cuteness. Can’t wait to see Thranduil and Thorin on the big screen come December!

Oh, those eyes, that smile, those hands. And did I mention the biceps?

Lee Pace imitating the bulldog. Or maybe the bulldog is imitating Lee Pace?

Richard as Harry K. in the VoD sketch.

Have you ordered your annual yet?

The new movie tie-in book, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Annual 2013, is now out. And you are going to want a copy!

If you order from Amazon using the link buttons on the home page at www.richardarmitagenet.com our dear friend Ali will make sure a portion of the sale goes to charity. Amazon.com only has the books available through their marketplace, but I ordered mine today. After all, my birthday is only a few weeks away, right?  Dearly hoping it arrives well before the middle of October!

The One Ring Net also has an article and artwork from the book, including an amazing portrait of actor Lee Pace as Elven King Thranduil that you can enlarge to see all the intricate details of his costume. http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2012/08/30/61298-thranduil-saruman-the-white-revealed-in-hobbit-film-tie-in-book/

Here’s a taste of the beautiful artwork to be found within the new book:

Thorin and his nephews Kili and Fili. Who says dwarfs aren’t hot?? Courtesy of TORn/RAFrenzy

So, is it December yet??

Have Orcrist, will battle. I’d follow this dude anywhere.

Sir Peter’s latest vlog: my thoughts (part one)

Well, what a day it’s been. Mine started late because I didn’t get to sleep until sometime close to 3 a.m. and was in no mood to rise early. Feverish visions of highwaymen were dancing in my head, I suppose. When the highwayman looks just like Guy, this is not a bad thing.

And then, as I was checking email and Twitter, I saw the news: Sir Peter’s latest videoblog was up! I have the World’s Slowest High-Speed Internet (and of late it seems slower than usual) so I had to allow that video to buffer, watching a few minutes, then allowing more to upload . . . it’s tedious, but some things are definitely worth a bit of tedium, wouldn’t you agree?

I was totally wrapped up in this entry from the word “go.” Often, I must confess, I have mainly been eager for glimpses and sound bites of RA in previous vlogs. Well, this IS called The Armitage Effect, right?

But this time was different. Is it due to having followed along on this incredible journey, getting familiar with the faces behind the making of this huge film project? 

Perhaps it is due to all the coverage of Comic-Con and enjoying the interviews with RA and the other Hobbit folks.

 

Maybe it’s just that I am now like Pavlov’s dog and start salivating at the notion of watching anything remotely connected with Richard Armitage, regardless of whether or not he can be seen or heard.

It was fun reliving those Comic-Con moments like this.

Whatever the reasons, I was excited and enthused by it all from beginning to end. Multiple sightings of Mr. A as himself and in Thorin guise did not, of course, hurt.

Since this odyssey began, I’ve come to feel a great affection, admiration and respect for Sir Peter Jackson and cast and crew of this film.

And this particular entry is less about Richard—more on him later, of course—and more about my general impressions of the vlog and some of my favorite moments.

I am one of those people who actually likes to read all the credits for a film. It’s sort of my way of paying homage to all the clapper loaders, best boys, gaffers, Foley artists, set decorators, conceptual artists, makeup artists, second second unit directors and all the others who combine their talent, creativity and experience to make movie magic happen.

I really appreciate the fact Sir Peter took the effort throughout the eight vlogs to give us a chance to get to know some of these people and to see their dedication and enthusiasm. As I have said, it takes a village to not only raise a child, but to make a fantastic film such as The Hobbit.

Some (though not all) fav moments:

*Seeing that bowl filled with pencil stubs from all the conceptual drawings from the films and hearing the sense of pride and wonder in the artists’ voices when they speak of going from those drawings to walking within the very sets they have designed really touched the artist within me.  And their work and the work of the set builders and decorators is phenomenal.

*Watching Andy Serkis in action as second unit director. I’ve been a fan of Andy as an actor for quite a while; now I am simply a fan of Andy’s, period. One could say he’s learned from the best. He truly seems to exude the same sort of boundless energy and enthusiasm for his work that we see in Sir Peter. And he seems truly grateful to have been given this fantastic opportunity.

We also found out he plays a mean sax.

I sense the smiles and bonhomie were not merely for the cameras with this project.

*Visiting the amazingly detailed and beautiful set for Dale. I could imagine feeling transported to another time and place walking through those streets.

*Lee Pace. I really, really like Lee as an actor and an all-around nice guy. It was wonderful to see the behind-the-scenes footage of him learning how to walk and move like an elf. Another tall, graceful, talented, good-natured, shy guy of whom I am very fond.

American actor Lee Pace at the ET Post-Emmys Party, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Sept. 21, 2008 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

*Seeing more of the dwarfs. They really do seem as if they had an absolute blast playing these roles, don’t they?

* “I’ve never worked on such a hairy movie.” 😉 It does appear there could be yaks with chilblains in the Himalayas this winter.

Seriously, the amount of materials and supplies that went into costumes, wigs, sets and so much more is mind-blowing.

*The camaraderie.  I know it’s easy for the more cynical to dismiss those on camera talking of the sense of family and how much they will miss one another as merely part of hyping the film.

 I choose to believe otherwise; I choose to believe they really, genuinely have formed bonds and friendships and they will, indeed, miss working and playing together.  I know how much I came to care for my co-workers and those long hours we sometimes worked, literally putting out one publication at night whilst working on a special project, having said publication printed three hours away and returned to our offices the next morning—and we’d never gone home yet.  Tiring, oh yes—but such a sense of accomplishment and teamwork, too.

(Damn, I am about to start crying. I miss that, you see.)

*The hug of the two sirs. Sir Ian in his Gandalf guise giving a bear hug to Sir Peter. Really touching.  

*Seeing all those people in those final shots. A smiling, happy-looking lot of folks, indeed.

*Martin’s comments about “high-quality people.” I think he’s absolutely right. High-quality people creating a high-quality product.

And I can hardly wait to see the end results of the fruits of their labor!  And just think, this isn’t the last of the vlogs! PJ is promising more post-production goodies for us. Bless you, Sir Peter. You spoil us. ( And have I mentioned I find you, your cardigans, disheveled hair and generally rumpled air incredibly endearing . . .)

 

The Bearded Beaut will be at Comic-Con!

At least that’s what this bloke says. And I am holding you to it, Lee Pace. Hey, I have even written a blog entry about you, you know. The link is at the bottom of this post.

I’ve always liked you as an actor, you seem like a pretty swell guy in real life, and frankly, I love you for your loose tongue. Waiting for all these official announcements tires me out. I want to know NOW.   And to hear that you said Martin Freeman and Richard Armitage would be at Comic-Con International  in San Diego made me very, very happy indeed.

This is cutie pie Lee Pace at a previous Comic-Con. Apparently Lee reported to some individuals at Sir Ian’s fundraiser that Martin Freeman and–WHOO-HOO!Richard Armitage will be at Comic-Con in July.

So it looks as if we Americans will get to see the Bearded (?) Beaut on our own shores again in less than three weeks.  And if all continues to go well with my own unexpected journey, I will see him in all his glorious fair flesh–and hairy forearms. *sigh* And hear his voice and if I am lucky, I’ll get to talk to him, ask him a few of those questions we’ve been cooking up.

Didn’t he look great in the photos from the fundraiser? A sparkle in those azure eyes, glowing skin and–just for Servetus–brown hair and beard! And did we mention those muscular forearms? *thud*   https://twitter.com/prwelly/status/216507591923208192/photo/1

And because I never get tired of the images from that Hobbit press conference, here we go:

Comic-Con is coming, I am going and so–it appears–is RA!!

Thank you to all who have donated to my trip fund. I now have my flight, my hotel room (although there is some confusion about which rate I am going to get, so it may be pricier than hoped) and now shuttle service (cheaper than a taxi) from and back to the airport is reserved. Thank you, asilomar for the heads-up!

I am still taking donations and likely will be right up to the departure date. I will have access to my PayPal account through my debit card while I am away.

I sincerely hope I not only get to talk with Richard, but also get to tell him it was a group of his dedicated and generous fans from around the globe who made it possible for me to attend.

 I definitely could not do this without you all.

San Diego Comic-Con International (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Related articles

• Angie’s Comic-Con Trip Fund! (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)
• Meet one of RA’s TH co-stars: the charming, talented Lee Pace (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)
• If you could ask RA just ONE question . . . a challenge (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)

Meet one of RA’s TH co-stars: the charming, talented Lee Pace

Lee Pace first came on my radar in the period comedy, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. 

Cover via Amazon

Lee Pace in "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day."

He was tall, dark and attractive and he definitely caught my attention. I  thought he was a Brit, but it turns out he was born in Oklahoma and spent much of his childhood in Saudi Arabia (his dad was an oilman). On returning to the US, the family lived in New Orleans and Houston, Texas. Lee is a graduate of the prestigious Julliard School and has done work in television, on stage and on screen. I never saw either of his television series (Wonderfalls and Pushing Daisies), but the latter has been quite a cult classic and I hope to check it out in the not-too-distant future.

Wonderfalls (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Day 177: Pushing Daisies (Photo credit: tsmall)

Lee’s breakthrough performance was the 2003 film made for Showtime, Soldier’s Girl, based on a true and tragic incident. Lee plays a transgender showclub performer who becomes involved with a young soldier, later beaten to death by a fellow GI.  It’s the sort of story that could have been handled in a cheap and exploitative manner; instead, the relationship is explored with great sensitivity and it’s beautifully acted by Lee and Troy Garrity as Barry, the soldier who unexpectedly falls in love with someone very different.

Lee is six feet, three inches tall with a deep voice.   Yet, he creates the illusion that he is a woman. He doesn’t come across as a drag queen with a lot of exaggerated mannerisms, but a very tall, willowy and graceful lady, and it is easy to see why the soldier would be attracted to Calpernia. Lee, already a lean fellow, lost 25 lbs. to play the role. He performance was nominated for several awards, including a Golden Globes.

Lee Pace as Calpernia, the transgender showgirl in "A Soldier's Girl."

In 2006, Lee appeared in the fantasy adventure film The Fall, playing Roy, a silent movie era stuntman who is partially paralyzed in a fall. With both heart and body fractured, Roy is befriended by a little girl recuperating from a broken arm in the same hospital. He entertains her with tales of strange mythical heroes and their far-flung exploits. It is one of the most visually stunning films I have ever seen (I have now ordered it on DVD) shot over a couple of years in a half-dozen different countries.

A gif that shows Lee also knows how to rock the guyliner.

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Lee has also appeared in such films as  The Ceremony, When in Rome, A Single Man and has a role in Breaking Dawn Part 2.

He will be playing the elf king Thranduil in both of the upcoming Hobbit films.   He just might give Leggy some competition in the hearthrob elf category.  Lee’s trademarks are his bushy eyebrows and his shy, nervous but charming demeanor.

Lomelindi88's rendering of Lee as Elf King Thranduil in "The Hobbit."