|
Post by Séamus on Aug 21, 2021 1:31:13 GMT
After belated watching of The Hobbit 1-3 DVDs the casting of voices made me wonder: were most of the townsfolk and practically all of the dwarves endowed with Irish accents?? I may be all wrong here but to my ears it sounded like many, many were recruited from Ireland, so that the whole project would have had almost a majority of Irish actors on the set. (No traces of Nordic sounds at all, even if one had suspected some Finnish notes as it may have came distantly as an influence into the Elvish when first invented, Tolkien apparently enjoyed Finnish as love at first sight when he discovered it?) The awful orchs lingo had too much time in the movies perhaps, and for one not grown up with video games the action were also "stylish" enough. Entertaining on the whole, 7+ hours. I recall reading that Peter Jackson and associates originally decided that all hobbits would have accents of the British Isles. Although the mythology was largely Scandinavian,they obviously felt it fitted in better with the English imagination. Other accents are neural or leaning towards the same; one character in the Hobbit series was allowed to retain a European accent (being half grizzly bear he seemed to be excused from normality). Whether the accents by American actors were entirely successful is an open question,some that sound convincingly Irish to some are less so to more trained ears,many people unused to the difference find Yorkshire or Scottish people indistinguishable...I know an Australian who thinks the four main hobbit characters in the original Rings trilogy sound Irish...if anything Sam was the one Irishman,but it was an American effort (not criticism here- I'd never manage an accent myself). I only became aware last week that deSaintExupéry's Little Prince was once the world's biggest selling novel...I'm surprised Disney never picked up on this. A big question is how persons on different asteroids communicated so easily. Quite a challenge to sort accents out there in production
|
|
|
Post by Tomas on Aug 21, 2021 4:00:00 GMT
After belated watching of The Hobbit 1-3 DVDs the casting of voices made me wonder: were most of the townsfolk and practically all of the dwarves endowed with Irish accents?? I may be all wrong here but to my ears it sounded like many, many were recruited from Ireland, so that the whole project would have had almost a majority of Irish actors on the set. (No traces of Nordic sounds at all, even if one had suspected some Finnish notes as it may have came distantly as an influence into the Elvish when first invented, Tolkien apparently enjoyed Finnish as love at first sight when he discovered it?) The awful orchs lingo had too much time in the movies perhaps, and for one not grown up with video games the action were also "stylish" enough. Entertaining on the whole, 7+ hours. I recall reading that Peter Jackson and associates originally decided that all hobbits would have accents of the British Isles. Although the mythology was largely Scandinavian,they obviously felt it fitted in better with the English imagination. Other accents are neural or leaning towards the same; one character in the Hobbit series was allowed to retain a European accent (being half grizzly bear he seemed to be excused from normality). Whether the accents by American actors were entirely successful is an open question,some that sound convincingly Irish to some are less so to more trained ears,many people unused to the difference find Yorkshire or Scottish people indistinguishable...I know an Australian who thinks the four main hobbit characters in the original Rings trilogy sound Irish...if anything Sam was the one Irishman,but it was an American effort (not criticism here- I'd never manage an accent myself). I only became aware last week that deSaintExupéry's Little Prince was once the world's biggest selling novel...I'm surprised Disney never picked up on this. A big question is how persons on different asteroids communicated so easily. Quite a challenge to sort accents out there in production Thanks for sorting this out politely. I suspected some to be fake but not most. Soundbites of Irish accents to my ear comes mostly from movies, and a score or so older Rebel songs. 🎬😊🎶
|
|
|
Post by Séamus on Dec 10, 2021 5:15:39 GMT
Seeing Jennifer Lawrence make a rather public display of her maternity wear seemed a strange sequel to an earlier appearance this year picketing against tighter abortion laws in Texas. Of course she'd know all about a dystopian society where human life has little value.
|
|
|
Post by Séamus on Jan 9, 2022 7:56:27 GMT
The death of Sidney Poitier has caused many to reflect on the changes in attitude towards people of different races and colour. Few people will probably note that two of his signature films are also indicative of the change in perception towards Europeans in America and the Catholic church in particular. The largely positive image given to nuns fleeing communism (Lilies of the Field) and an Irish priest (Guess Who's Coming to Dinner) are unlikely to be replicated in modern mainstream cinema. And yet the jolly Monsignor, despite "it'll take me just to outnumber them" hardly being passable by today's standards, was the only character who had background knowledge of Poitier's Doctor's relief work- the priest character obviously had a worldwide social awareness,such as clergy felt called to have in the Council's aftermath;I think I've known more priests to play tennis than golf,but otherwise we see a sympathetic screenplay which also had less stereotype or prejudice than,for one example, Jane Fonda's absurd attempt at depicting convent life two decades later. RIP
|
|
|
Post by Maolsheachlann on Feb 5, 2022 19:37:57 GMT
I've never seen "Chimes at Midnight", but I love the phrase. I've just read on Wikipedia that Welles considered the moment that Prince Hal rejects Falstaff to be symbolic of the end of "Merrie England", and highly tragic. I guess this makes him quite conservative. He also believed nostalgia for an idealized past was "the central theme in Western culture"-- which is interesting, considering Western culture is so often seen as future-oriented.
|
|
|
Post by Tomas on Sept 6, 2022 13:02:37 GMT
Peter O´Toole made some fine late movies. I enjoyed Dean Spanley a lot as an innovative play of surprise. Also the comedy Venus dealing with old age and young ago before death. Last week I rewatched Lawrence of Arabia and find it still moving not least for the beautiful music score and desert intelligence romance of the story. Like so often I am at full loss for knowing anything about the man despite all the fame. Was he close to Irish nationalism? Did he come close to Irish culture in his day?
|
|
|
Post by Séamus on Sept 9, 2022 10:30:13 GMT
Peter O´Toole made some fine late movies. I enjoyed Dean Spanley a lot as an innovative play of surprise. Also the comedy Venus dealing with old age and young ago before death. Last week I rewatched Lawrence of Arabia and find it still moving not least for the beautiful music score and desert intelligence romance of the story. Like so often I am at full loss for knowing anything about the man despite all the fame. Was he close to Irish nationalism? Did he come close to Irish culture in his day? I'm not sure whether it was unusual at the time that the main cinematographer was a woman- a few years dead now- remembered largely for one scene where a lighted match is transposed on a rising sun. Peter Seamus O'Toole reportedly renounced his Catholicism, for whatever reason, at the beginning of his career;I had speculated that he embraced Zionist Judaism like Elizabeth Taylor,but apparently he still considered himself a nebulous Christian. In his twilight he didn't mind a small role in a Damian of Molokai production or as Samuel in an Esther film (it was a bit of a stretch finding connection between the Jewish queen and the much earlier prophet). Having no solid evidence of what country he was born in is something that could hardly happen in our generation. A theatre actor will inevitably drink in both sides of the Irish Sea.
|
|
|
Post by Maolsheachlann on Sept 9, 2022 15:16:22 GMT
Laurence of Arabia is one of those films that everybody keeps telling me I have to watch.
|
|
|
Post by Tomas on Sept 9, 2022 21:12:08 GMT
Peter O´Toole made some fine late movies. I enjoyed Dean Spanley a lot as an innovative play of surprise. Also the comedy Venus dealing with old age and young ago before death. Last week I rewatched Lawrence of Arabia and find it still moving not least for the beautiful music score and desert intelligence romance of the story. Like so often I am at full loss for knowing anything about the man despite all the fame. Was he close to Irish nationalism? Did he come close to Irish culture in his day? I'm not sure whether it was unusual at the time that the main cinematographer was a woman- a few years dead now- remembered largely for one scene where a lighted match is transposed on a rising sun. Peter Seamus O'Toole reportedly renounced his Catholicism, for whatever reason, at the beginning of his career;I had speculated that he embraced Zionist Judaism like Elizabeth Taylor,but apparently he still considered himself a nebulous Christian. In his twilight he didn't mind a small role in a Damian of Molokai production or as Samuel in an Esther film (it was a bit of a stretch finding connection between the Jewish queen and the much earlier prophet). Having no solid evidence of what country he was born in is something that could hardly happen in our generation. A theatre actor will inevitably drink in both sides of the Irish Sea. Interesting note on the Judaism theme, never heard of by me, and from what I found online he had also stated he remained a believer in Jesus Christ, thus implied all the time even when not practising your Irish Catholic Faith ("no one can take Him away from me" or something like that). Before the acting career he went to Catholic school which would mean old school with all attached to that, a school run strictly by Nuns. Maolsheachlann, a little warning may be given, heeded or not: the film is a bit similar in style to both Gandhi and Lincoln, two we have discussed before with divergent views! Still the Lawrence-winner is older of course, and there are other qualities to it. Over three hours long also.
|
|
|
Post by Tomas on Sept 27, 2022 8:13:47 GMT
In a recent documentary on Audrey Hepburn one learned her father after divorce lived in Ireland. When I mentioned that to my Irish godfather he said her sister lived in the same street where he lived in Dublin! I had not any notions of this lovely actress until about a year ago. Then she became an instant "love" only 60 years after heyday or so. In the documentary some few things were said about her family background and family members were interviewed, but mostly it was focus on the films and two marriages. Nothing on her religion. No Catholic faith presumably. Late years were spent in doing charity works and visiting poverty struck countries and scenes of war i.e. Sarajevo. What a wonderful charming person! Bringing much joy despite many sorrows in her own life. Exemplary acting - and singing - close to every time on screen.
|
|
|
Post by Maolsheachlann on Sept 27, 2022 8:34:15 GMT
In a recent documentary on Audrey Hepburn one learned her father after divorce lived in Ireland. When I mentioned that to my Irish godfather he said her sister lived in the same street where he lived in Dublin! I had not any notions of this lovely actress until about a year ago. Then she became an instant "love" only 60 years after heyday or so. In the documentary some few things were said about her family background and family members were interviewed, but mostly it was focus on the films and two marriages. Nothing on her religion. No Catholic faith presmably. Late years were spent in doing charity works and visiting poverty struck countries and scenes of war i.e. Sarajevo. What a wonderful charming person! Bringing much joy despite many sorrows in her own life. Exemplary acting - and singing - close to every time on screen. I've just gone through her filmography to see what films I'd seen. I saw the Lavender Hill Mob and I THINK I saw Roman Holiday. Neither left much of an impression on me. I'm sure she's done better stuff, though.
|
|
|
Post by Tomas on Sept 27, 2022 14:14:45 GMT
In a recent documentary on Audrey Hepburn one learned her father after divorce lived in Ireland. When I mentioned that to my Irish godfather he said her sister lived in the same street where he lived in Dublin! I had not any notions of this lovely actress until about a year ago. Then she became an instant "love" only 60 years after heyday or so. In the documentary some few things were said about her family background and family members were interviewed, but mostly it was focus on the films and two marriages. Nothing on her religion. No Catholic faith presmably. Late years were spent in doing charity works and visiting poverty struck countries and scenes of war i.e. Sarajevo. What a wonderful charming person! Bringing much joy despite many sorrows in her own life. Exemplary acting - and singing - close to every time on screen. I've just gone through her filmography to see what films I'd seen. I saw the Lavender Hill Mob and I THINK I saw Roman Holiday. Neither left much of an impression on me. I'm sure she's done better stuff, though. I have seen four other movies, in this order: Charade (3+ or 4 drama comedy, against Cary Grant, himself a bit dull in this role), Breakfast at Tiffany´s (4+ feelgood romantic with lots of melancholy to it), Funny Face (3+ drama, with Fred Astaire), My Fair Lady (4 great colourful musical, fun script). She really steals the stage in every one of these!
|
|
|
Post by Séamus on Oct 14, 2022 11:41:08 GMT
vale- Angela Lansbury,who was always strongly aware of her Irish blood. Articles about her 1960s exodus from LA to Cork to protect her son from drug abuse and her daughter from Charles Manson are beginning to reemerge. I wonder what her awareness as a 90 year old was of the Cork of today? Not that there's many places on the Earth to escape to these days.
The isolated country house that her Bedknobs and Broomsticks character inhabited could have easily reminded her of their Cork manor where they escaped from witchcraft rather than practised it. While I'm sure many critics would consider the plots of long-running shows such as Murder She Wrote to be repetitive, perhaps unoriginal also, Bedknobs may be one example of the constant repetition often seen in today's supposed originality, it's one of many things Rowling may have borrowed from. While Disney has found it worthwhile to remake Lion King, Jungle Book and Dumbo, who will ever tell how coincidental is the resemblance of Hong Kong Fuey to the Ninja Turtles; (allegedly most creative of producers) Stanley Kubrick's final film, which would almost seem (not having seen it) to be based on a decades earlier Laura Branigan music-video which even MTV was too innocent for at the time. But even Shakespeare was supposed to have borrowed plots.
I can remember,as a teenager,the renewed interest in Manchurian Candidate,which we were told was cancelled after Kennedy's assassination. Not entirely true according to historians, there was simply lack of interest despite it's uncontested originality and Angela's great acting. In more recent times The Two Towers hit cinemas despite two towers falling shortly before,not without some accusations of a cheap shot from a few who needed to learn a bit more about literature.
|
|
|
Post by Séamus on Jul 17, 2023 3:49:25 GMT
"The biggest difference between pop and classical music is that I'm carrying my instrument within,and I do not have amplification. On a bad day you can't fake your way through it", recent interview by Norwegian soprano Lise Davidson
At least two dance compositions I've come across recently- Johann Strauss Jr's champagne polka and Champagne Galop by a Danish composer Lumbye- incorporate popping sounds in the orchestral music, the latter a few bubbly sounds from heaven-knows-what instrument too. No challenge seemed too great for some of the giants of the past to work on.
I didn't know whether I was being idealistic earlier this year,when various ceremonies were cancelled due to a Hollywood writers strike, thinking how strange it was that the world's supposedly most talented people couldn't pass on a trophy without a script in front of them;would Bob Hope or Lucy Ball have been unable to find anything to say at a podium?
Now the strike gets bigger as the talenteds protest artificial intelligence. I would have thought that they were in the one industry where originality and creativity could stand up to computer science any time. Is it all a reflection of much more in society than ai itself?
|
|
|
Post by Maolsheachlann on Jul 17, 2023 13:00:01 GMT
I must admit I've never had a whole lot of regard for the acting profession anyway. Their contribution seems hugely overrated. Surely scripwriters are far more important. But they ARE striking in support of scriptwriters, so I can't disagree with them there.
|
|