Saturday, January 21, 2012

Paul McCartney Performing At The GRAMMY Awards (Global TV)

Legendary musician, Paul McCartney will be having a stellar night at the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards. McCartney has been selected as the 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year, and is nominated for Best Historical Album for Band On The Run. He is also set to perform on the GRAMMY stage, along with nominees Coldplay and Rihanna who will perform on stage together for the first time. Rihanna has been nominated in four different categories including, Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for Loud. Seven-time GRAMMY-winning group Coldplay is nominated for three awards including Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Rock Song for "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall."

Read More: http://www.globaltv.com/ETCanada/2012/January/Paul_McCartney_Performing_At_The_GRAMMY_Awards/

Richard Armitage and The Hobbit (Screen Rant)

Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield

In an interview with MTV, Armitage had the following thoughts to offer about the original Hobbit novel and how he’s approaching the task of portraying Thorin Oakenshield in cinematic form:

“I read ['The Hobbit'] quite a few times when I was young. I think going back to it as an adult is really interesting because it is a book that was, I think, was written for Tolkien’s children, but when you’re creating a piece on this scale, you have to really visualize it for a much broader audience. I think that’s the beauty of Tolkien. He does create very well-rounded, quite dangerous characters to play his protagonists. He risks scaring kids. He’s the original fantasy creator, and I think you have to invest those characters with the same gravity as if you were making a piece for adults. It was interesting coming back to it as an adult, re-reading it again, because it did have a simplicity to it, which I really like. I felt we could take those characters and really develop them beyond the book.”

Armitage has appeared in many a BBC TV series in recent years (including Strike Back, MI-5, and Robin Hood) but to U.S. moviegoers, he’s essentially a newcomer who briefly played a German secret agent/saboteur in Captain America.

It’ll be interesting to see what Armitage’s post-Hobbit career is like, for that reason. Could he suddenly become as ubiquitous as, say, Michael Fassbender or Idris Elba? Or will he keep a lower profile, a la Rings‘ star Viggo Mortensen? Only time will tell…

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey arrives in theaters around the U.S. on December 14th, 2012.
The Hobbit: There and Back Again will be released a year later on December 13th, 2013.
Source: LA Times, MTV

Read More: http://screenrant.com/hobbit-image-philippa-boyens-richard-armitage-sandy-147132/

Movie Review: Haywire (Calif.Lit. Review)

by Matthew Newlin

January 21st, 2012 at 12:39 pm

: CLR Rating:

Michael Fassbender and Gina Carano in Haywire

Haywire is a very solid and well-crafted contribution to the spy genre, with a smart and complex script from Lem Dobbs (who worked with Soderbergh on Kafka and The Limey). However, the film’s real fun comes from playing “Spot the Soderbergh Reference.” Filmmakers do not exist in a vacuum; inevitably they are going to borrow from another film or director at some point in their career. Quentin Tarantino is the most unabashed example of this trend and with each new Tarantino film myriad websites jockey to point out which movies he is paying tribute to in his new project.

In Haywire, though, Soderbergh has created an almost Frankenstein-esque amalgamation of his previous films. Watching Haywire is like watching a Soderbergh Greatest Hits compilation. For each of his international locations, Soderbergh manipulates the film’s color palette to differentiate the settings and emotions (Traffic). Many of the scenes, especially those indoors where the outside is visible through a window, are filmed with a soft focus lens giving the scene an ethereal calm (The Informant!). Soderbergh chose a female non-actor (Carano) who is famous in her chosen profession as his protagonist (The Girlfriend Experience) and tailored the part to her strengths. (He even goes so far as to re-create one scene from The Girlfriend Experience.) Most obvious is the music from David Holmes which is almost indistinguishable from the Ocean’s Twelve score, written by David Holmes. The list goes on.

Does this diminish the film’s overall success? Not at all. Soderbergh is clearly having fun behind the camera, throwing everything he can think of at the audience. The most impressive (and refreshing) aspect of the film is how Soderbergh chose to cut the film’s numerous fight sequences. Or, more accurately, chose not to cut them. In films like The Bourne Identity and its imitators, we are inundated with average shot lengths of less than one second, making it difficult to actually see what is happening. In Haywire, Soderbergh essentially sets the camera down and walks away. The fights are therefore so much more brutal to watch as we see every punch, kick, throw and slam with perfect clarity.

Which leads us to Carano. Having already dominated the world of female mixed martial arts (MMA), Carano easily assumes the role of ass-kicking special operative Mallory Kane. Almost like a 21st century “Man With No Name,” Mallory only speaks when absolutely necessary. Carano is surprisingly convincing given she has no acting experience prior to this film. Her cold stare is quite intimidating and she carries herself in a way one would expect from a Marine with years of experience.

Joining Carano is a supporting cast of absolutely fantastic actors. McGregor deserves a great deal of praise for his performance as Mallory’s duplicitous boss and the man every audience member will want to strangle. He is the perfect mixture of charm and smugness. Fassbender, who seems to be in every movie these days, is also terrific. We are never quite sure of Paul’s motives or what he is thinking and Fassbender betrays nothing with his constantly shifting facial expressions and confident smile.

Downton Abbey goes global (The National)

By Ben East

Downton Abbey is broadcast in more than 100 countries across the world (the most recent being the Czech Republic), but it's the Americans who have truly taken the series to their hearts. The season two premiere last week attracted 4.2 million live viewers to the public service broadcaster PBS, and many more are thought to have recorded it. This is double the network's usual prime-time average, and far greater than prestigious shows chronicling more familiar American lives, such as Mad Men. American publishers, reported TheNew York Times, are rushing to re-release books about Edwardian England that mirror the setting of the show, from investigations into British aristocracy to the lives of maids.

Such Downton fever was stoked by gushing reviews. "It's a smart, seductive soap opera wrapped in Valentine ribbons," purred the Los Angeles Times. "It is big, beautiful, beautifully acted and romantic, its passions expressed with that particular British reserve that serves only to make them burn brighter.""

And, perhaps, that's why Downton hasn't just been popular in the US, but elsewhere too. Sure, there's enjoyment in escaping into archetypal but distant worlds - just as British people might like to watch a Western - but there's more to this than simple reverie for another time. Fellowes's desire to create good television is part of a grand tradition of British period drama. The relationships in these shows, going right back to the likes of Brideshead Revisited and Upstairs, Downstairs, are brilliantly depicted by actors who know the genre inside out. The likes of Dame Maggie Smith (who has won an Emmy for her performance in Downton) or, indeed, Colin Firth in The King's Speech, make these undertakings feel like classically austere, appointment-to-view programming.

But not too classic. At the Golden Globes, the actor Hugh Bonneville, who plays Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham in Downton Abbey, attributed its popularity to the fact it's not based on a famous novel. "People tend to love period dramas, but this is one where you don't know the ending, it's not like an adaptation of a book," he said.

All of which will make Fellowes's next undertaking a little more tricky. It's a mini series about the Titanic. And we all know how that one ended.

artslife@thenational.ae

To read more: http://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/television/downton-abbey-success-shows-global-nostalgia-for-uk-period-drama

Michael Fassbender: Takes a real beating from girl in Haywire (she's a professional mixed-martial artist (Wall Street Journal)

"How do you feel about punching a girl in the face as hard as you can?” asked director Steven Soderbergh.

“I think I’m ok with it,” said Michael Fassbender.

Soderbergh sent him the script for “Haywire” and Fassbender became the first of several males cast.

Ewan McGregor, Bill Paxton, Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas and Channing Tatum soon followed. “Haywire” also stars professional mixed-martial artist Gina Carano who plays Mallory, an international black-ops agent and former Marine.

For Fassbender, McGregor and Tatum, being cast in the film also meant signing up for a beating. Throughout the film, each of the actors goes up against Carano in a fight sequence, with Fassbender’s being the most taxing. Although Soderbergh did use doubles, he said they were limited.

“These guys really hit Gina and she really hit them – hard. She put Fassbender through the ringer,” Soderbergh said.

Inspired by “Darker Than Amber,” a 1960s Rod Taylor film, the scene Soderbergh is referring to takes place in a hotel room. For “Haywire,” Soderbergh outfitted both Fassbender and Carano in eveningwear. They proceed to fight while simultaneously destroying the hotel room.

“This was the only time I was glad to be cast as the father,” said Bill Paxton, who plays Carano’s father in the film. Paxton, along with Douglas who stars as a government official, were the only men to escape Carano’s fist. “We were the old guys,” Paxton added.

“Haywire” is now playing in theaters.

Alexandra Cheney writes about film for The Wall Street Journal. Follow her on Twitter @alexandracheney.

To read the complete article: http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2012/01/21/haywire-directer-steven-soderbergh-on-punching-a-girl-in-the-face/

Paul McCartney: Read Highlights from This Morning's Paul McCartney Webcast (Paste Magazine)

By Kristen Blanton

On big events this year:
McCartney: If there is something they want me to do, they tend to dictate it rather than me. I’d like to be doing something, though I won’t know until our meeting tomorrow.

On the album’s sweet spot:
McCartney: When I came in, I didn’t know how to do it. We’re in Capitol Studios, iconic to Nat King Cole and Sinatra… all these guys recorded here. I found it a little bit intimidating. We chose a song, very organically. Didn’t make it too stiff. I was using a big voice, “Heaven, I’m in heaven” (he starts singing very loudly), it made me feel very uncomfortable.

So what was the key?
McCartney: Channeling Fred Astaire. If you listen careful, you’ll hear Fred Astaire. I decided to use this littler voice. I’m not very good about it. That’s what we wanted to do, get in the room. We’d say, what song do you want to do? We’d pull up chords and lyrics. Tony (producer) sat in the room, usually they’re not in the actual room, but he was. It became more intimate. Also, figure it out. Kick it around and then record it. Then what you get is something really fresh. I think that’s why I had so much fun doing it. It was just made up on the spot. No preconceived ideas. I think we all felt we contributed.

On his favorite song on the new album:
McCartney: I think probably “My Valentine” because it’s kind of the newest for me. I really had a lot of fun with Eric doing the solo on it. Again, he just came up with the solo. (whistles tune) I like that. Of the old songs I also love “Bye Bye Blackbird” because normally you get (begins singing) but Tommy’s idea was to slow it right down, which I was a bit dubious about at first, but I think it works. It was very similar to how The Beatles worked. Bring it in, kick it around, and record it. The fact I was working with great jazz musicians, it’s really cool to just say to the guys, ‘let’s just go from the bass,” and the guy’s an unbelievable player, so he knows exactly what to play, which really worked.

On being an idol
McCartney: It’s very strange indeed. Really, I’m just a kid from Liverpool still. It’s great, you know I supposed you want to be the best you can be in anything. When you get there, you can’t say you don’t want to be that. It’s a reflection of what people think you did well. You have to kind of accept it and thank them.

On becoming one of rock’s elder statesmen
McCartney: That’s the perspective of youth, you know? We thought 30 was really old. Now I think it’s amazingly young. The guys who came out of college at 24, we felt sorry for them. But they’re so young. I must admit, I didn’t expect to be singing and playing at the level I am now. It keeps things interesting. We were in South America last year and the crowds were amazing, the best. You come out to that, and it’s hard to say no to that… even though I am over 30. I always say at the end of all my concerts, “See ya next time.” And I mean it. I’ll do it until they let me.

Read More: http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2012/01/paul.html

Downton Abbey Mania - Tiaras on E-Bay now (herald arts and life)

‘More of Downton, please’

January 21, 2012 - 4:35am By THE NEW YORK TIMES

Dan Stevens plays Matthew Crawley and Michelle Dockery is Lady Mary in Masterpiece Classic's Downton Abbey. (Carnival Film & Television Limited / Masterpiece Classic)

TO MUCH OF THE CIVILIZED WORLD, the "entail" sounds like some part of a cow that Mario Batali might serve alla Romana. But to aficionados of Downton Abbey, which recently began a second, highly anticipated season on PBS, it is "the great matter," the root of all evil — and all delight.

Indeed, passion for Downton runs so deep that many die-hard fans greeted the new season as a reason for viewing parties. At the Manhattan home of Kelvin Dinkins Jr., 24, a graduate student at Columbia, friends gathered last Sunday for finger sandwiches, properly made pots of tea and a drinking game: a slog of wine or beer every time the dowager countess (played by the scene-stealing Maggie Smith) delivers a withering one-liner. (Nearly falling out of a swivel chair and informed that it was invented by Thomas Jefferson, she snarled, "Why does every day involve a fight with an American?")

The concept of marriage based on dowry — a common custom between wealthy U.S. women and cash-poor British aristocracy at the turn of the century — grates on Elizabeth McGovern, who plays Lady Cora.

"Much of my challenge is not screaming about what she has to accept," McGovern said by phone last week. "I find myself viscerally wound up a lot of the time, without realizing why. It’s because the lot of many women at that time was leading such idle, frustrating lives."

Erin Curtis, 31, who provides information-technology support for an engineering company in Houston, is coiled up for a different reason: While visiting the family of her British boyfriend, she watched all of Season 2 in England.

"So I just have to shut up, biting my knuckles, and not give away what happens," Curtis said.
The lemon curd that one friend made for the scones at a viewing party last week tasted more like lemony scrambled eggs, she said, but pitchers of Pimm’s Cups helped.

For Sarah O’Holla, 29, a librarian at the Village Community School in Manhattan, "my British obsession started last year when I woke up at 4 a.m. to watch the royal wedding," she said.

A friend brought back a feathery fascinator headpiece, which she now wears for Downton viewing parties.

The guests are other librarians and teachers who already had a tradition of reading Bronte novels together and formed what they called the Elegant Ladies’ Club (although the viewings now include one man).

"We all have the same level of obsession about the show," she said, "and we like any excuse to dress up."

But the award for best costume might go to Patricia Morrison, 65, even though no one will see it. Morrison, the widow of the rocker Jim Morrison and author of a memoir called Strange Days, watches Downton alone in bed, wearing sweat pants and a tiara.

"I happen to have two," she said. "Who knew you could get tiaras on eBay? But I’m deeply disappointed that nobody on Downton has worn one so far."

She was also upset to learn that American audiences have missed some bits of the show broadcast only in Britain.

"It’s edited here so that PBS can cram in Laura Linney to introduce it," she said.

"Lovely woman, lovely actress, but we don’t need her. More of Downton, please."

To read more: http://thechronicleherald.ca/artslife/54345-more-downton-please

Downton Abbey paced like NYPD Blue? That's what Julian Fellowes says (Mail On-Line)

By ALASDAIR GLENNIE

Last updated at 7:58 AM on 20th January 2012

It has won plaudits for its gentle evocation of a bygone age.

But costume drama Downton Abbey was actually modelled on gritty police series NYPD Blue, its creator Julian Fellowes has revealed.

A far cry from New York crime: But Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes said he based the drama on US police show NYPD Blue

But after his Golden Globe success at the weekend Fellowes, 62, said he learned the secrets of a good plot by watching American television.

Speaking to a US newspaper yesterday, the Oscar-winning writer said: ‘Although dealing with corsets and long dresses, our structure is like your E.R. No kind of fat. Just keep furthering the story economically. Move forward.

'Like NYPD Blue things go fast. Miss a beat, too bad, go onward. The pace developed the American way. The old style now seems so slow.’

Fellowes said he wrote the award-winning series off the cuff, and struggled to finish the second series in time for filming.

He said: ‘I started February and wrote it all, including the last episodes, under pressure because September we were already in production.

Read the entire article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2089157/The-pace-developed-American-way-Julian-Fellowes-reveals-modelled-Downton-Abbey-NYPD-Blue.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Award-winning: Fellowes and Downton stars Elizabeth McGovern and Hugh Bonneville at Sunday's Golden Globes where the show won best television mini-series

Rupert Penry-Jones: Whitechapel fans are in for a treat with series 3 (Seen It)

January 21, 2012 By Martin Hoscik

As our interview with stars Rupert Penry Jones, Phil Davis and Steve Pemberton confirms, the show has returned to it’s gothic roots and does so with great effect.

The first episode has probably the spookiest and most tense opening of any TV series in years – a room full of seasoned telly hacks were on the edge of their seats.

If you were less than convinced by the Krays plotline of the last series, there’s some good news – the format has changed, dropping the copycat theme in favour of using Buchan’s knowledge of crimes as a “map” to investigate new cases.

Changing formats can be a tricky thing to pull off, it’s very easy to break a show in the process.
Thankfully the tweaks to Whitechapel are a genuine improvement, avoiding the need to contrive more copycat cases and allowing stories true to the original run’s tone, rather than its plot.

Read the rest: http://www.seenit.co.uk/whitechapel-fans-are-in-for-a-treat-with-series-3/0117191/

Daniel Radcliffe makes friends with a Penguin (Mail On-Line)

He fought dragons, battled irate mermaids and warded off dementors (figuratively at least) during his tenure as Harry Potter.

And it seems Daniel Radcliffe's versatility when it comes to dealing with unfamiliar creatures hasn't waned since.

The actor looked delighted when presented with a live penguin to feed by Sir David Attenborough on the Jonathan Ross Show this evening.

Made a new friend: Daniel Radcliffe fed a snack to a penguin under the indulgent eye of Sir David Attenborough on the Jonathan Ross Show this evening

Sir David looked on indulgently as the actor presented the bird with a tempting snack.

Not everyone Daniel meets is so comfortable interacting with the star however, and he described one unfortunate incident to Jonathan.

He said: 'They love Potter in Japan. I had my truest Beatle-mania type experience once when I was over there when I was walking through a school corridor.'

'I was visiting a Japanese school for a publicity thing. I brushed a young girl as I was walking past her and I said, "Oh, I’m so sorry." And she fainted.'

Took it in his stride: Having dealt with animals a great deal on screen as Harry Potter, and on stage during his Equus tenure, Daniel was more than comfortable

Daniel at least took the occurrence in his stride it appears, as he continued: 'I had brushed her and spoken to her and it was too much and she fainted.'

Magic touch: Daniel told Jonathan how a Japanese schoolgirl fainted when he brushed past her

'And you know, you’ve got to enjoy that stuff because that doesn’t last forever. When you have a moment like that you kind of have to take in how cool it is.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2089711/Daniel-Radcliffe-makes-friends-penguin-Jonathan-Ross-Show.html#ixzz1k6g1WUd5

Colin Firth and wife Livia attended Paris premiere of Tinker (Mail On-Line)

Accompanied by his wife Livia Giuggiolo, the couple did the obligatory media rounds together to promote the film which is called La Taupe in the country.

Like Salma, Livia, 42, threw on dark colours and her style choice even matched her partner’s.

Both Firth and Giuggiolo included elements of black and grey in their clothing, with the Italian film producer showing off the two different shades on the front and back of her skirt.

British actor Gary Oldman – who plays George Smiley in the film - also paraded his lady at the event on Friday night.

He proudly held on to wife Alexandra who stole some of Selma Hayek’s attention in a daring low V-neck dress.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2089759/Salma-Hayek-wears-sexy-leather-dress-Tinker-Tailor-Soldier-Spy-premiere-Paris.html#ixzz1k6cx7kzK

Friday, January 20, 2012

Dan Stevens Interview (After Elton)

Interview: Dan Stevens of "Downton Abbey"

Posted by

Michael Jensen

on January 20, 2012

AE: Your mother must be very proud of you these days.
DS: She is now. She was then. She loves Downton. My whole family loves Downton. That’s definitely something you can tell your friends about.

AE: Do people recognize you walking down the street now?
DS: A little bit more. With Line of Beauty I’d sort of get recognized on Compton Street in Soho and in certain areas of London you’d get spotted more than in others. With this, it’s in the strangest situations. It is nice. That puts me on a different place on the map, I suppose. Certainly a show like Downton will open a few more doors.

Stevens with actor Hugh Bonneville

AE: Let’s jump to Series Two. The war’s been going on for a while. Where do we pick up with Mathew and what’s his sort of arc this time?
DS: Well….

AE: Tell everything, all the spoilers!
DS: Every detail…. We pick up in the middle of 1916, a couple of years on, in the middle of the Battle of the Somme. And things aren’t going well for the British out at the front and certainly not going well for Mathew. We literally open the series — not giving anything away — first second of the series he’s in a crater in no man’s land. We find Mathew blown off his feet pretty much. And then he’s running across no man’s land, bombs going off and everything.

AE: Is Mathew running away from Downton Abbey as much as he’s being patriotic?
DS: That’s an interesting question. I don’t think you get a sense that he’s running away.

AE: Because there’s a lot for him to avoid back in England.
DS: There certainly is. And actually, it’s interesting you said that because the drama as far as we see it for him as well as the obvious action and trauma of the front, for me the interesting element of his story — certainly in the first half of the series — is that revisiting Downton. And how far has he moved on. How has he changed? How has he grown? Because of the war, because of the natural progression of things, moving on from there. He’s engaged to a girl called Lavinia, which has happened quite quickly before our story picks up again, which causes a few ripples in the Downton camp. So, yes, it’s revisiting Downton, having been away at the front, is an interesting thing to explore dramatically.

AE: The reason many of our readers first started paying attention to the show was because of Thomas the footman. Obviously, gay characters existed back then, but we don’t see them very often. I don’t think we saw you interact with him very much.
DS: Not too much. There was a slightly insulting scene where he tries to teach me how I should serve myself at dinner. Because one of the nice things about the first series was that it wasn’t just upstairs that regarded Matthew as a sort of middle class outsider, downstairs also didn’t believe he was a gentleman and wouldn’t give him the sort of credence he deserved.

Matthew Crawley suffers disrespect from Thomas the footman (Rob James-Collier)

AE: Now Thomas has been off to war as well this time.

DS: Thomas, at the end of Series One, it looks like he thinks he might have wriggled out of active service by joining the medical corps. But of course, just like everyone else, the medical corps were at the front, stretcher-bearing and very much in the thick of things. So he’s in the thick of the action, desperate to wriggle out of it again and runs into Mathew at the front.
So they actually have some more interaction in this series, which is nice.

AE: Is Thomas less of an ass this time?
DS: I suppose he’s the same but different, you know? He’s still wheeling and dealing and trying to wriggle out of certain situations, looking after number one.

To read the entire interview go to: http://www.afterelton.com/people/2012/01/dan-stevens-interview-downton-abbey?page=last

Paul McCartney: Paul McCartney, Coldplay to star at Grammys

(AFP) – 1 day ago

LOS ANGELES — Paul McCartney will join Coldplay and Rihanna among the artists playing at next month's Grammys, organizers for the music industry's annual awards show said Thursday.

The former Beatle will take the stage along with the Foo Fighters, Bruno Mars, Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 12.

Iconic US band The Beach Boys announced last month that they expect to appear at the Grammys, ahead of a 50th anniversary reunion tour, although they were not included in the line-up so far put out by Grammy organizers.

McCartney, 69, already has 14 Grammy awards from his long career, and is nominated at this year's show for Best Historical Album for "Band On The Run."

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jzE_Ob2AfwMiJmpGKrc--Q9AM1Mg?docId=CNG.e512c9655ef117039aaa546f4ab88143.251

Red Carpet for the 32nd London Film Critics Circle Awards - don't recognize a single person

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyUnYfCU3Mk&feature=player_embedded

Meryl Streep ties with Anna Paquin for best actress in London Film Critics awards (Sky News)

Silent film The Artist has scooped the three big prizes at the London Film Critics' Circle awards.

The black-and-white picture won Film of the Year, Director of the Year and Actor of the Year at the ceremony, following on from its success at the Golden Globes.

It is also leading the Bafta awards, with 12 nominations.

The film's lead actor Jean Dujardin told Sky News on the red carpet that its success was partly down to the romantic story and his dog co-star Uggie.

The Artist director Michel Hazanavicius and actor Jean Dujardin with their awards

"It's not just a silent movie, or black and white movie, it's a love story, a simple story and there's a cute dog and the audience love the cute dog," he said.

The actress of the year award was tied between Anna Paquin for her performance in Kenneth Lonergan's drama Margaret and Meryl Streep for her role as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady.

The Iron Lady also saw Olivia Colman taking The Moet & Chandon Award: British Actress of the Year for her portrayal of Carol Thatcher in the biopic.

Michael Fassbender won the British Actor of the Year for his performances in Shame and his role as Carl Jung in A Dangerous Method.

Kenneth Branagh was named Supporting Actor of the Year for his turn as Laurence Olivier in My Week With Marilyn.

Read More: http://news.sky.com/home/showbiz-news/article/16153146

Michael Fassbender wins Best British Actor at London Film Critics Awards (Showbiz 411)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-kCMA8vsPs

Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess was evidently a Bond Girl - Roger Moore is joining Downton Abbey (Express.co)

ROGER MOORE COULD BE JOINING DOWNTON ABBEY CAST

Saturday January 21,2012

By Lizzie Catt with Lisa Higgins and Jack Teague

Programme insiders say it is hoped Sir Roger, 84, will appear in the third series later this year as a potential love interest for Dame Maggie Smith’s character Violet Crawley.

“Sir Roger is considered the perfect choice and his involvement would obviously go down very well with fans of the show,” we’re told.

“He would represent an exciting part of Violet’s past. Hopefully Sir Roger will be able to fit it into his schedule.”

It has emerged that fellow national treasure Joan Collins, 78, is being lined up for a role in the next series and she has announced that she would be happy to join the cast, while the recent Christmas edition saw Nigel Havers appear as the caddish Lord Hepworth.

Read More: http://www.express.co.uk/features/view/296968/Roger-Moore-could-be-joining-Downton-Abbey-cast

Matthew Macfadyen as the wonderfully awful Sir Felix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKRC4uqKuSU&feature=related

My very favorite Matthew Macfadyen performance.
He is brilliant.

Sean Bean: Snow White and the Huntsman

This summer will be released “Snow White and the Huntsman” starring Oscar – winner Julia Roberts, Lily Colins, Armie Hammer, Nathan Lane and Sean Bean.

The evil Queen (Julia Roberts) steals control of a kingdom, and an exiled princess (Collins) enlists the help of seven resourceful rebels to win back her birthright in a spirited adventure comedy filled with jealousy, romance, and betrayal that will capture the imagination of audiences from all over the world.

Downton Abbey, Dr. Who up for National Television Award (ITV)

Downton Abbey won a Golden Globe earlier this week for Best Miniseries or Television Film and an Emmy in 2011 for the same category.

The Christmas special of the saga was the fourth most watched show on British television on December 25, only being beaten by the festive editions of Eastenders, Doctor Who and Coronation Street.

Doctor Who stars Matt Smith and Karen Gillan, who play The Doctor and Amy Pond, are up for Best Male and Female Performance, while Ant and Dec have been shortlisted for the top entertainment prize for the 11th year in a row.

Other awards up for grabs are Serial Drama Performance, with Coronation Street stars Katherine Kelly and Alison King, Emmerdale’s Danny Miller and Eastenders’ Jessie Wallace all up for the award, while Jonathan Ross, Graham Norton, Alan Carr and the Loose Women team will be competing for the Best Talk Show category.

The National Television Awards will be presented by Dermot O’Leary from London’s O2 Arena and will be shown on STV at 7.30pm on Wednesday, January 25.

Read More: http://programmes.stv.tv/stv-drama/downton-abbey/news/294445-downton-abbey-up-for-national-television-award/

Liam Neeson: Turning 60 and not too pleased about it (Daily Record)

Liam Neeson: I'm flattered I still get offered roles in action films as I near 60

Jan 20 2012 By Rick Fulton

Liam Neeson stars in new survival thriller The Grey

Liam Neeson will turn 60 this year. But despite being a king of the big screen, he’s banned any talk of a party – and even admits that he feels past his sell-by date when it comes to women.

The star of Schindler’s List, Rob Roy and Gangs of New York hits the big 6-0 in June and isn’t relishing its arrival.

“I really hate it,” he says.

“I’m not going to celebrate it. What am I going to do? Go to a strip club or something like that?
“I can’t do it.”

Since the death of his wife, actress Natasha Richardson, in 2009 following a skiing accident, he has raised their sons Michael and Daniel as a single father.

“My sons were saying the other day, ‘Dad, we’re going to throw you a big party for your birthday.’

“I said, ‘No, we’re not!’”

And although he’s dating PR executive Freya St Johnston, the big birthday seems to be weighing on his credentials as one of Hollywood’s hunks. He doesn’t even think he’d have a chance in the LA dating game any more.

“Nah,” he says. “Because I’m 59, you know?

“I think I’m past my due date. I just feel it.”

Many women would beg to differ but one thing is certain – when it comes to his big screen appeal, he’s never been as busy – or successful.

Last year’s action thriller Unknown was box office gold, going straight to No1.

And at the end of this month, he stars in the taut survival epic The Grey, which will kick off a year when it will feel like he’s never out of our cinemas.

The sequel to Clash of the Titans, Wrath of the Titans, in which he plays Zeus, arrives in March; Battleship, based on the board game of the same name and also starring Rihanna, is set for April and he is also rumoured to reprise his Batman role in The Dark Night Rises in July.

Oh yes, and he’s currently filming the sequel to the unexpected smash-hit Taken, which is due in October.

Not bad for a man who has notched up 55 films since his debut in 1978 and has been a worldwide star since 1993’s Schindler’s List, which earned him an Oscar nomination for best actor.

Read more: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-interviews/2012/01/20/liam-neeson-i-m-flattered-i-still-get-offered-roles-in-action-films-as-i-near-60-86908-23708854/

Colin Firth: Upsetting memories of Gary Oldman when they made A Christmas Carol together. Male trauma. (Contact Music)

Oldman played Bob Cratchit, Jacob Marley and Tiny Tim in the motion capture film, opposite Oscar winner Firth - who portrayed Fred, and both stars had to wear specially-made, unflattering black rubber suits so animators could transfer their facial expressions and actions onto the screen.

But, while Firth tried to pad his "manhood-cancelling" Spandex bodysuit so he didn't look asexual, Oldman appeared to be hung like "a water buffalo".

The King's Speech star recalls, "The outfit itself was black but mysteriously had a colour-coded crotch... and nothing helped and because nothing helped, I thought, 'OK, it's not me; it's the material.'

"I walked onto the set... and then ran straight into Gary Oldman who was hung like a water buffalo. I don't know if his material was different, I don't know if it's a trick of the colour coding, or whether he's just special and he has never let on.

"We have become good friends and I'd love to get drunk with him and go, 'Gary, come on...' It's still a mystery."

To Read More: http://www.contactmusic.com/news/firth-still-stunned-by-memory-of-well-hung-oldman_1285360

Elizabeth McGovern: Playing an American Living in England not such a stretch (USA Today)

Actress Elizabeth McGovern on the twists of fate that transported her career (and family life) to England. Her British husband may not be an aristocrat, but otherwise, Elizabeth McGovern says, playing an American living in England in the oh-so-English PBS period series Downton Abbey is a practically a slam-dunk for the actress.

“I’m living in a world that wasn’t my own growing up,” says the L.A. native, who has lived in London for 18 years. She has two teenage daughters with director Simon Curtis.

We asked her about the expat life and more:

How hard was it to move abroad?

“It was traumatic. I was making three life-changing decisions at once. I was pregnant, getting married and changing countries. I was also sort of abandoning my career. But I never thought twice about it. I have no regrets.”

What do you wish you knew at 20?

“When I was younger, the effort to seduce or engage the male was much more prevalent. I viewed women as competitors. I was very awkward and socially much more self-conscious. I judged myself much more.”

Clive Owen: 'Shadow Dancer' will premier at Berlin Film Festival (RTE)

Directed by James Marsh (Project Nim, Man on Wire) and based on the novel of the same name by journalist Tom Bradby, Shadow Dancer tells the story of Colette McVeigh (Riseborough), a member of the IRA who is apprehended by MI5 after an aborted bombing in London.

She is given a choice: spend 25 years in jail and never see her son grow up or return to Belfast to spy on her brother, leader of the IRA in the city and "the last obstacle to a viable peace process".

Shadow Dancer, the new IRA thriller starring Andrea Riseborough, Clive Owen, Gillian Anderson, Aidan Gillen and Domhnall Gleeson, is to receive its European premiere at the Berlin Film Festival next month.

Read More: http://www.rte.ie/ten/2012/0120/shadowdancer.html

Ewan McGregor talks about 'Haywire'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k56ivL0BoIc

Henry Cavill - Good Lord, now there's two of them? Are they breeding? Down girls.

Henry Cavill is the top picture, Matt Bomer from White Collar the bottom one. Matt and Henry do look similar, don't they? They could be vaguely related – Matt is the Pretty Brother, Henry is the Beefcake Brother

Benedict Cumberbatch: The Benedict Cumberbatch band wagon (London Evening Standard)

Rosamund Urwin
20 Jan 2012

Less than a day into the new year, the fantastic foursome of Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss had already given the BBC television that its rivals will spend the whole year trying to trump. Sherlock, in its two seasons, has won almost nine million viewers an episode, two Baftas and provoked countless Twitter storms - most notably last Sunday, as fans tried to work out how the detective had faked his own death. Those missing their Cumberbatch fix can see him on the big screen in War Horse. Next, he will play the lead in Parade's End, a BBC adaptation of Ford Madox Ford's World War One tetralogy. At the end of the month, he's flying to New Zealand for the Lord of the Rings prequel, the Hobbit, in which he is playing the dragon.

Cumberbatch has also just been cast as the villain in JJ Abrams's Star Trek sequel (maintaining the Hollywood association between an English accent and evil). He's currently so ubiquitous that one of my colleagues (male, married, straight) has started dreaming about him. Even his publicist, Karon Maskill, jokes: "We've seen enough of him! I am sick of his face!"

Why is he the man of the moment? "It's entirely down to Sherlock, obviously," says the series creator Steven Moffat, only half-joking. "If you look at his career, he was everywhere and always being talked about as a coming man, but he hadn't had that breakthrough role. To become a star, an icon, you need that - Sean Connery was nowhere before James Bond."The moment [Cumberbatch] saw Sherlock, he knew this was the role that would partially define him. He even looks like Sherlock Holmes - the way we would want Sherlock Holmes to look.

Robert Downey Jr was brilliant [in the film version] but no one believes that is what Holmes looks like - he is a tall, posh Brit."

It isn't just his looks, though. Cumberbatch has devoted himself to understanding the part: "He does a great deal of preparation before each of his roles, both mental and physical preparation," says Maskill. "By the time he reaches the set, he is totally under the skin of the person he is playing and [brings] a great deal of emotional intelligence."

When he was preparing for the role of Stephen Hawking, he met the Cambridge professor and also two patients suffering from motor neurone disease.

For Sherlock, he learned the violin: "He has this physical ability to pick up stuff - getting the fingering and bowing perfect," says Moffat.

It isn't his playing that viewers hear, though, of course. Moffat says Cumberbatch uses a silent violin: "Benedict says it is very hard to play a genius when you sound like an idiot - but he can actually play it well."

What is he like to work with? "It is all about the work with him," says Maskill. "On a personal level, he is great fun to be around. People perhaps perceive him to be rather serious but in reality he truly has a wicked, wicked sense of humour. There is a great energy that exudes from him which is rather contagious."

Unsurprisingly, Moffat is another of his chief cheerleaders: "Benedict is one of the best actors of his generation - he'll end up being like Michael Gambon. He's a top-flight actor who has become a major star - that's shown in the range and detail of his work."

Despite peeling everything off in Danny Boyle's stage version of Frankenstein last year ("If you've done it [getting naked] once every other night for about three months in front of 1,100 people in a very cool air-conditioned theatre, you get a bit bolder," he said), it is Sherlock which has propelled Cumberbatch from "thinking woman's totty" to lascivious screaming girls territory - and earned "Cumberbitch" a spot in the Urban Dictionary.

"His screen presence can sometimes be a little geeky," reckons Moffat. "But what has played against him becoming a sex symbol before now plays in his favour - Sherlock makes geeky sexy."

Or as the dominatrix Irene Adler put it (while wearing only Sherlock's coat): "Brainy is the new sexy."

Read More: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/lifestyle/article-24029563-the-benedict-cumberbatch-band-wagon.do

Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan arrive at London Film Critics Awards

JayceBee100

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz59S4N8nWM

Tom Hiddleston talks about the Avengers director Joss Whedon (FanShare)

Hiddleston explained, “Joss has kind of got this pan-literacy about the genre and his dexterity in negotiating all the different story lines, all the different characters, all the different tones just so that it’s real and relatable and funny and dynamic and then just badass, because that’s what The Avengers has to be! So he was capable of directing intensely dynamic scenes between two characters, but also delivering action on the most incredible scale.”

He added, “I can’t say enough about Joss. Amazing director.” Tom Hiddleston reprises his role of Loki, from the Thor movie, in The Avengers and will once again face off against Chris Hemsworth, who plays Thor. The Avengers has an all star cast of actors reprising their superhero roles from previous movies. The Avengers is released in the UK on April 27, 2012 and in the US on May 4, 2012.

Henry Cavill - Looking lovely going through LAX yesterday (The Daily Mail)

By Saray Bull

The 28-year-old actor donned a casual grey jumper and jeans as he left Los Angeles' LAX Airport yesterday.

Looking super, man! Even Henry Cavill's casual clothes couldn't hide his muscular physique as he left Los Angeles' LAX airport yesterday

Muscular: Henry has worked hard to get into the best shape possible for the role in upcoming action movie Man Of Steel

However, nothing could hide Henry's buff frame, as he smiled for photographers while toting his suitcase through the airport.

Henry, who is most well known for his role in hit TV show The Tudors, has spoken previously about how he got in shape to play the superhero in the upcoming film.

Talking about his diet and exercise plan, Cavill said recently: 'I’m on 5000 calories a day… You’ve got to eat protein first, then a little bit of carbs…you’ve got to keep your hunger levels going.

Travelling light? Henry toted his own suitcase as he made his way through the

Colin Firth wax figure on Ellen - but is it a "full Colin" ? (Examiner)

Lori Melton, Flint TV Examiner

Oscar winner Colin Firth made his only talk show guest appearance yesterday, January 18th, on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ to promote his critically-acclaimed film ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’, which opened in the US on January 8th. DeGeneres and Firth had fun discussing the spandex suit needed for CGI segments of the film. Firth was embarrassed his suit didn’t look the same in the color-coded crotch area as his co-star, Gary Oldham. Firth joked that nothing could help, no kind of fruit, nothing--and that Gary Oldham was ‘hung like a water buffalo’.

They also discussed Firth’s recent honor of being added to Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum in London. Firth had not yet seen the statue in person. DeGeneres surprised him after a break by bringing the statue out on her stage. She had made special arrangements with the museum to have it flown over.
Firth was shocked and did a double take at the figure, whose resemblance to the live man is uncanny. Ellen showed him that the figure was also sporting her Ellen underwear. Firth said he wondered if it was all Colin underneath, but wouldn’t go exploring just then.

http://www.examiner.com/tv-in-flint/a-double-take-and-a-double-dose-of-colin-firth

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Elijah Woods discusses his work in The Hobbit (The Salt Lake Tribune)

Published on Jan 19, 2012 05:01PM

"Did my part already, yeah," Wood said. "I was there for a month. It didn't actually take that much time for the work. It was sort of half vacation and catching up with old friends and half work."

It was also a chance to return to New Zealand, where he filmed the three "Lord of the Rings" films. And returning to the home of his character, Frodo Baggins, was an emotional experience.

"It had been 11 years since I'd been to Hobbiton," Wood said. "I turned 19 in Hobbiton. That's [expletive] crazy.

"I stood on the hill looking at the hobbit holes and I was, like, 'I turned 19 here and I'm 30 now.' It was such a weird thing. And a lot of the same crew were there. That was the most bizarre. It felt like taking a step back in time almost. It was extraordinary."

Wood has heard the criticism from purist fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's books about his participation in the films. Frodo didn't appear in Tolkien's book "The Hobbit." He wasn't even born when the events in that novel took place.

But Wood wants those fans to know they shouldn't worry about his small part in the movie.

"It's lovely. And it's very appropriate," Wood said. "What they've done is clever and it's actually a nice entry into the story."

- Scott D. Pierce

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blogssundanceblog/53335520-50/wood-hobbit-films-actually.html.csp

Hugh Bonneville says he won't relocate across Atlantic (The Daily Mail)

I won't ditch Downton Abbey: Hugh Bonneville says he has no plans to relocate across the Atlantic like other Brit actors

By Dan Wootton
Last updated at 12:45 AM on 20th January 2012

He's the unlikely toast of Hollywood after the Golden Globe Awards this week, impressing movie and TV bosses with his show-stealing acting performances and down-to-earth charms.

But Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville has no plans to relocate across the Atlantic permanently, like many other acclaimed British actors have before him.

Instead, the 47-year-old is returning to Britain to try to secure for himself the best lines for Downton series three from writer Julian Fellowes.

Winning team: Actress Elizabeth McGovern and Hugh Bonneville at the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California

‘I wouldn’t like to break Hollywood,’ Bonneville confirmed to a friend of mine at an event just before the Globes. ‘I’ve worked there several times, but my home is the UK. That’s where my work and my roots are.’

He also has no desire to conform to the image that being a Hollywood success often requires. ‘I don’t want to exercise a lot. I’m lazy and I’m not self-conscious.’

Meanwhile, despite intense pressure from fans for more episodes, ITV and Lord Fellowes have decided series three — set from 1920 to 1921 — will run for only eight weeks.

But I am told both parties are close to agreeing to produce a second movie-length Christmas episode following the phenomenal success of the first.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2089211/I-wont-ditch-Downton-Abbey-Hugh-Bonneville-says-plans-relocate-Atlantic-like-Brit-actors.html#ixzz1jxclUhsZ

Julian Fellowes is shocked by his series' success (Seattle PI)

Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes says he's astounded at his series' success.

"I can hardly believe the way this city - and I hope this country - has taken the series to its heart. It's been extraordinary and bewildering in a way," he said on the Golden Globes red carpet.

Watch the Video interview with Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern and Julian Fellows here

Benedict Cumberbatch, Downton Abbey at Golden Globes (Showbiz 411)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDeWnRqc2eI&feature=player_embedded

Dan Stevens on Preparing for War - PBS

http://video.pbs.org/video/2188245022/

Gerard Butler suffering Post Surfing Stress Disorder? (Flecking)

Posted 18th January, 2012 by Frankie Genchi

Gerard Butler managed to get out of doing the washing up… because it might cause him to have flashbacks!

It’s nice to see the super-sexy actor has a sense of humour about his accident. So when he went home to Scotland for Christmas, he wasn’t going to be washing any dishes.

“There were a couple of times when I saw people in the kitchen and I thought I could be doing a little bit more. ‘Do you know what I’ve just been through? You’re lucky I’m here. And you’re going to ask me… it’s washing up! It’s water! I can’t even see the water, any kind of foam – it’s too much, what if I fall in?"

http://www.fleckingrecords.co.uk/2012/01/gerard-butler-cant-wash-up.html

Ray Stevenson: Billy Bob Thornton's 'Jayne Mansfield's Car' Leads Competition Slate In Berlin; 'In The Land Of Blood And Honey' Gets Special Screening (Indiewire)

News by Kevin Jagernauth | January 9, 2012 |

Billy Bob Thornton and
Angelina Jolie...together again? Okay, not quite, but both filmmakers are headed to Berlin next month to present their latest films as the Berlinale has unveiled their competition slate, which does contain a couple of interesting titles to take note of.

First off is "Jayne Mansfield's Car," Thornton's first narrative feature behind the camera in over a decade (he directed the Willie Nelson doc "The King Of Luck" which premiered at SXSW last year). Robert Duvall, John Hurt, Kevin Bacon, Robert Patrick and Ray Stevenson star in the film that last year, Duvall described thusly: “It’s about a guy in between WWI and WWII who raises a family after his wife left him for an Englishman and moved to England…When the wife dies, she asks to be brought back to Alabama to be buried, and at that point the character hasn’t seen her in 20 or 30 years. The two families — her original family she abandoned and her English family — meet and then things get really interesting.” Indeed.

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/billy-bob-thorntons-jayne-mansfields-car-leads-competition-slate-in-berlin-in-the-land-of-blood-and-honey-gets-special-screening

Paul McCartney: McCartney MusiCares Show: James Taylor, Norah Jones, Coldplay Featured (Showbiz 411)

01/19/12 11:40am

Roger Friedman

Literally everyone in the music biz wants to be part of MusiCares’s Person of the Year show with Paul McCartney on February 10th in L.A. I can tell you that James Taylor was first to sign up. He gets to sing “Yesterday,” which is like the greatest honor. Coldplay, Norah Jones, and the Foo Fighters are still deciding their songs. There are a lot more names in the bin, too. But NOT names elsewhere reported: Rihanna, Jason Aldean, Kelly Clarkson,Bruno Mars, Nicki Minaj, and Taylor Swift. This was someone’s misinformation.

What I do know is that Paul is putting on a real show after he’s received his tribute, with Diana Krall and her band helping out as they do on the album. Then Paul makes an appearance on Sunday on the Grammy Awards. I’m surprised he hasn’t tapped Roberta Flack to sing, as well. Her wonderful “Let it Be Roberta” CD comes out that week, too, and it’s all Paul’s songs.

Also read this: http://www.showbiz411.com/2012/01/08/paul-mccartney-will-get-grammy-tv-special-treatment-for-kisses

Colin Firth: Livia Firth’s Green Carpet Challenge 2012 (Style Clone)

Submitted by Cherry on Thursday, 19 January 2012

In the past, she has appeared in vintage sourced and upcycled dresses, but she recently stepped out onto the red carpet at the 69th Golden Globes Awards in a floor-length Giorgio Armani gown, made entirely of recycled bottles. This was Armani’s first ever foray into sustainable fashion and boy was it a success!

Firth was extremely proud of the result, taking to Vogue’s blog to say: “Being Italian, I grew up with Giorgio Armani (figuratively speaking). Indeed during my youth there were only two names that symbolised Italian elegance in fashion: Armani and Valentino. To open the GCC 2012 with a stunning bespoke eco gown by Giorgio Armani – well, that is unreal.”

Firth’s accessories on the night were also eco-friendly. She wore vintage 1930s Damiani earrings, Roger Vivier shoes that had been recycled from the 2011 Oscars as well as an Alberto Parada ring made from conflict-free diamonds.

We think Livia Firth’s Green Carpet Challenge is a great campaign and more celebrities should certainly be involved. Mrs Firth recently hinted that a very famous actress has recently signed up to the challenge, but all is yet to be revealed!

http://styleclone.com/22257/livia-firths-green-carpet-challenge-2012/

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