15 movies to see at Tribeca FF..
Link to Ep 1 of The White Princess
Michelle Fairley plays a new game of thrones..
Sequel to The White Queen starts Easter Sun, 8pm on Starz
Showing posts with label History:US Founders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label History:US Founders. Show all posts
April 14, 2017
December 21, 2014
Richard Armitage: Latest EW Mag Compares RA as Thorin to Humphrey Bogart in Treasure of Sierra Madre + Blogger Compiles Thorin Review Quotes(see excerpts & link)
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It doesn’t help matters that the dwarf prince Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), presumptive heir to Erebor’s throne, is not long inside these hallowed walls when he succumbs to a familiar Tolkeinian malady — a lust for gold and jewels that renders its victims void of reason or empathy. And if “The Battle of the Five Armies” feels psychologically weightier than the previous “Hobbit” films, that’s largely a credit to Armitage, who plays Thorin with the paranoid despotic rage of a Shakespearean king, his heavy-lidded eyes ablaze with a private madness.
– Variety
As both hero and antagonist at various points, this is in large part Armitage’s film. Thorin’s descent into madness under the dragon’s taint is played out with maniacal intensity. His grim rebuff of Luke Evans’ diplomatic overtures (the exchange framed beautifully by a hole in Erebor’s barricade) and final, hallucinatory epiphany upon a floor of burnished gold are as masterfully shot as they are powerfully delivered.
– Empire
Maddened by greed, the dwarf king Thorin (Richard Armitage, a dramatic standout in all three films) refuses to honor agreements to share his treasure with his elvish and human allies. Who then decides to fight for what’s owed them.
– Sun Times
From their prominent position front-and-center in An Unexpected Journey, the dwarves slowly recede into the background during Five Armies, arguably to the story’s benefit; in the pitched battle of the climax, they’d be of little use, and they collectively manage to survive the carnage largely by staying out of harm’s way. The exception is their leader, Thorin, and the formerly little-known actor who plays him, Armitage, who emerges as perhaps the dominant actor in this very large ensemble.
– Hollywoodreporter.com Current StarMeter standing at imdb board:
If there was one performance that stands out the most in the film however it would belong to Richard Armitage, dominating proceedings utterly, as the arc of the plot circles around Thorin’s redemptive path from madness to heroic end, all delivered with a thundering, Shakespearian presence. Despite the demise of the dragon, in a genius touch, composer Howard Shore’s shifting and creeping theme for Smaug shifts to Thorin as the greed threatens to overwhelm him, with Armitage’s voice manipulated in a similar way as Cumberbatch’s. It is a fearless, dangerous display from him, as he risks losing the sympathies of the audience utterly, and so when he does emerge from his stupor, it is a triumphant moment.
– sherlockology.com
In fact, your heart is put through more strain here than compared to any of the previous Middle-earth instalments, and it’s mainly down to Jackson’s love of the material, but also down to the cast, in particular, Martin Freeman (as Bilbo Baggins) and Richard Armitage, who are both equally brilliant, but in such different ways.
(…) As Thorin falls to ‘dragon sickness’, Armitage takes, what was once a heroic character, and brings him to the depths of greed, to the point where he becomes close to villainous and, at times, downright menacing – his incredible performance is frightening, frustrating, sympathetic, heartbreaking, but ultimately inspiring. It’s hard to believe that this is the same guy that starred in the final episode of THE VICAR OF DIBLEY.
But, what makes the combination of these two actors so outstanding is that you have Armitage playing Thorin as though he has just come fresh from THE LORD OF THE RINGS series. And, on the other side to that, you have Freeman playing Bilbo as the rational, down-to-earth character, who has just come fresh from THE OFFICE (and I don’t mean that as a criticism). What this leads to is Armitage retaining what the fans held, and still hold, so dearly to the trilogy: grand speeches of honour and betrayal, male ego, warriors and so on, along with Freeman, who acts as the audience’s eyes into this warring world, making us truly involved in Middle-earth, in a way with which I initially struggled in THE LORD OF THE RINGS series. Thanks to these two actors’ performances, this film is for everyone, fans or otherwise.
– Screenrelish.com
And once again Richard Armitage is a powerful presence, with Thorin’s journey both touching and heartbreaking.
– ign.com
If all those names are so much gibberish, “Five Armies” is likely to leave you cold. But the cast, especially Armitage and Bloom, play it all like Shakespearean historical drama, which helps overcome some of the baked-in twee-ness. Also of aid there is Freeman’s wry performance as Bilbo.
– nydailynews.com
In a film with universally strong performances and one that is supposed to focus on the titular Hobbit, the now complete trilogy is dominated by the mesmerising presence of Richard Armitage’s Thorin Oakenshield, whose story arc finally sees the heroic leader get his big moments in the spotlight. I really can’t say enough good things about Armitage’s work here – from the moment he first arrived in Bag End he managed to immediately capture what makes Thorin such a compelling and charismatic leader and his work in The Battle Of The Five Armies is excellent.
– Denofgeek.com
Remember how it was mentioned earlier that the hobbits were the emotional core of the original trilogy of films? Jackson has tried time and again to provide the dwarves with a similar function, but their large quantity has often made many indecipherable from one another. And yet this is the story in which Thorin Oakenshield is finally the centerpiece of the narrative and helps to put the film back on its feet. There were seeds of his selfishness planted in earlier films, but they finally bear dramatic fruit in this one. His lust for power has turned him into a violent monster who distrusts his own kin and is obsessed with finding the infamous Arkenstone. Richard Armitage, who plays Thorin, continues to steal the show as the omnipotent and omnipresent dwarf. One must forgive some of the exaggerated speech (unfortunately Jackson, who was solid at using slow-motion technique in his first trilogy for poetic depiction, has overstepped the boundaries of indulgence at times) in which he tells Bilbo of his desire to destroy the traitor because it is the only pitfall in his performance. Once he eventually goes through his emotional trial and reaches his epiphany, Thorin retains the heroic stature that made him the trilogy’s true hero.
– latinpost.com
However, it’s Thorin’s movie, as Richard Armitage takes his Dwarf king character to the edge of madness. With the “Dragon Sickness” that plagued his grandfather taking hold, Thorin is a danger to everyone under his rule, yet Armitage never allows him to become a monster, allowing glimpses of the good man he was before to shine through.
– gamesradar.com
As a bonus, “Armies” is armed with one of the best performances in the entire Jackson Middle-earth series, and that’s saying a lot when the cast includes Cate Blanchett and Ian McKellen. As Dwarf Lord Thorin Oakenshield, Richard Armitage perfectly embodies one of Tolkien’s steady themes about man’s eternal war with his own inner demons. Even when the showy director can’t restrain himself and allows that epic battle sequence to run on too long, Armitage’s performance brings the film back to its classic literary firmament. He taps into his character’s “dragon-sickness” — coveting riches at the expense of the soul — and does it with a mad glint in his eye one instance, a conflicted expression the next. His performance is a highlight, as is the presence of Martin Freeman, whose hobbit Bilbo Baggins feels the tug of his own dark side. And, yes, “Ring” veterans Blanchett, McKellen and Christopher Lee contribute as well.
– mercurynews.com
Richard Armitage delivered an intense and commanding performance as Thorin Oakenshield, and is arguably the true star of the film. Armitage was also very skillful at portraying the subtle and the heightened aspects of Thorin’s internal struggles. But with Thorin being the star of the film, this also means that Bilbo Baggins plays more of a secondary role (in a film that’s named after him). This is unfortunate since Freeman’s sympathetic and caring Bilbo Baggins delivers much of the touching moments in the film.
– nerdreactor.com
The tragic figure here is the Dwarf king Thorin (a splendidly conflicted Richard Armitage) who, having recaptured his people’s ancestral cave of gold, is tainted and maddened by it.
– time.com
Though they’re both good actors with a gift for subtlety and pathos, Freeman and Armitage are a bit swallowed up by the action surrounding them, only really allowed to shine near Battle’s end once the warring ceases and their characters’ bond is finally allowed to be addressed.
In truth, Thorin is Battle’s main character with the greater arc: Early on in Battle, the noble Dwarf succumbs to madness, his lust to keep all of Erebor’s gold prompting him to declare war on Middle-earth’s other tribes, even those who are the Dwarves’ comrades. Thorin’s eventual change of heart may be simplistically dramatised, but Armitage gives it a punch, showing us how a good Dwarf can let greed temporarily blind him.
– screendaily.com
Richard Armitage is perhaps the best thing about ‘The Battle of the Five Armies’. He’s utterly brilliant as Thorin and the way in which he plays the character is tremendous.
– derryjournal.com
Maddened by greed, the dwarf king Thorin (Richard Armitage, a dramatic standout in all three films) refuses to honor agreements to share his treasure with his elvish and human allies.
– Chicago Sun Times
In the series as a whole and in this movie, Armitage provides fine work. As the stoic and increasingly mad Thorin, he is ever compelling.
– News-herald.com
The real standout is undoubtedly Richard Armitage. His portrayal of Thorin, as he descends into madness, provides a real gravitas to this final chapter. There is real depth to his character’s story that is brought out beautifully.
– atolkienistperspective.wordpress.com
Martin Freeman as Bilbo is as charmingly aloof and plucky as ever, but he’s (somewhat awkwardly) replaced as the protagonist by Richard Armitage’s Thorin, who has the most well-defined character arc of the many players in Battle of the Five Armies. The two actors not only play their respective parts well, their scenes together are, by far, the most engaging when it comes to the non-action-driven material. Battle of the Five Armies doesn’t have a huge “heart,” but the one it does posses comes from the Bilbo/Thorin relationship.
– screenrant.com
Jackson also carves out some more room for Armitage to show what the dwarf king is made of. With the actor’s flare for making dark, brooding introspection magnetic, Thorin’s battle with himself and his legacy is by far the film’s most interesting fight.
– latimes.com
On the other side of the wall, Richard Armitage’s Thorin is more interesting than ever, glowering through hallucinatory sequences that illustrate how much of a hold the treasure has on him. Armitage is unafraid to take the character to dark places, repelling his friends with his Arkenstone obsession and his paranoia. It’s to the film’s credit that you’re not sure if he’ll be able to pull himself out of the spell; we may have never really been invested in him the way we were with Aragorn or any LOTR character, but this final film goes a long way to humanize (dwarvenize?) him, and the conclusion of his arc is entirely earned.
– screenfellows.com
Watching Thorin succumb to the dragon sickness and turn his back on his dwarves, Bilbo, and those who helped them reclaim his throne is powerful in relating the troubles of greed and its affects on those who hold power over others. Richard Armitage does a fine job recreating Thorin’s madness and the destruction and death it brings to those around him, making you feel for him and want him to be a better dwarf than he is because you know he has the ability to redeem himself. His scenes with Martin Freeman (Bilbo) are definitely the most touching, and they honor the rocky relationship these two characters have in the book perfectly.
– entertainmentbuddha.com https://bookesther.wordpress.com/2014/12/18/the-hobbit-the-battle-of-t he-five-armies-and-richard-armitage/
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Hume Castle, Berwickshire
June 30, 2014
Richard Armitage:Kelsey Grammer(TV's Frasier) Joins Twitter to Correct Grammar(see tweet below:) + Proctor Speaks Courtesy of RAC(see link) + Crucible Director on Radio(see link) + Crucible Article in Wash Post(see link) + RA's Proctor Photo on The American Mag + Collider Article re Into The Storm(see link) + Stellar Review--Playgoer said The Crucible Reminded Him of Devastating Verdict Handed Down for 3 Journalists in Egypt This Week(see link & excerpt)
The crazy, hazy days of Summer are here..
Following is a link to Yael Farber radio interview. The program begins with a lengthy political discussion about where Liberalism stands in the world today.(my conclusion drawn from the 3 person conversation is "apparently not in a very good place!") Because that type of chat is for me(& hubby) almost the food of life, I listened to it and found it very thought provoking. Mostly I thought "none of the 3 sound as though they have a very good opinion of Liberalism--there's hope for the world afterall!" :D Granted most people would yawn and ask "When can I hear her?" ;) The answer is the Yael Farber interview begins about 27:00
Proctor speaks--Thank you RA Central:
The director of The Crucible with her John Proctor..
Some wellwishers saying "break a leg" for press night..
(Excellentt show above until the last few minutes when suddenly it's a "foreign" head of state in a "foreign" country who is under suspicion of conducting a "witch hunt" LOL That's a totally illogical conclusion. There's a vast difference between capturing individuals who have incinerated innocent people and labelling someone as a witch simply because they belong to a currently unfashionable religion)
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US history leading up to somewhat controversial efforts to prevent totalitarian communism/socialism from engulfing the free world.Colonial period:
1565 First permanent European
settlement in North America.
1600s–1700s People from Africa are
transported to southern American
colonies and sold into slavery to work on cotton and
tobacco plantations (by no means first occurrence of slavery in the world. In fact, at the time, many Africans were also enslaved by their own countrymen)
(Blogger's timeline context: My Irish & English ancestors fled a famine & economic disaster when they boarded the coffin ships to come to America. The descendants of all early immigrant groups wisely feel gratitude that we are here in the 21st century, no matter the historical circumstances that created our good fortune today)
1607 Jamestown, Virginia is
founded by English settlers,
who begin growing tobacco
1620 Plymouth Colony, near
Cape Cod, is founded by
the Pilgrims(majority emigrated from Northern England) Their
example is followed by
English Puritans to the Massachusetts Bay Colony
and other groups including the Society of Friends(Quakers) to Pennsylvania
1627 Salem, Massachusetts is first
settled by Europeans led
by Roger Conant, a London
fisherman who originally
came over as part of the
Plymouth Colony
1692–1693 Salem witch trials result in
the execution of twenty
people, mostly women
1775–1783 American War of
Independence
1787 Founders draw
up new constitution for
United States of America.
Constitution comes into
effect in 1788
1789 George Washington elected
first president of USA
1791 Bill of Rights guarantees
individual freedom
(more to come in ensuing posts)
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He may not be on Twitter, but his former colleagues are certainly tweeting about him..
Retweeted by RAblogger
@frithtiplady yes! And he was marve. Also world's loveliest man -but you knew that.
Retweeted by RAblogger
@DMinghella They've got to cover Armitage's huge pay cheque!
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Latest tweet not about RA - appreciate the lovely sentiment from best dwarf ever...almost:)
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Latest tweet not about RA - appreciate the lovely sentiment from best dwarf ever...almost:)
Graham McTavish
Well done USA in the World Cup today. What a heroic performance. I predict big things in 4 years time. And, as for Tim Howard, what a legend
New Article:
New Playgoer Review: http://theatre.revstan.com/2014/07/review-richard-armitage-in-the-crucible-at-the-old-vic.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Death Comes to Pemberley is coming to PBS in Nov..
Collider Article: Into The Storm
RA on the cover of The American Magazine--The Crucible tickets Contest:
Kelsey Grammer(TV's star of Frasier) has joined Twitter with tongue in cheek mission to correct grammar:D His opening tweets:
It has come to my attention that the fine people of @Twitter have an egregious grammar problem. I’m here to help. #KelseyGrammerGrammar
Link to entire review: http:Rwp.me/p3YQSG-8n
Jun 29, 2014
The Crucible, Old Vic – Steal or beg to go and see this production of Arthur Miller powerful play
by · 1 comment
Read more:
http:Rwp.me/p3YQSG-8n
When asked, the above reviewer added "Hello everyone. This is Bryan.
First of all, let me thank you for your very flattering end probably undeserved comments. As y
Richard Armitage (who – if I am being brutally honest – I was not really aware of before thSorry!!!) gives a mesmerising performance as the central character John Procter but he is only one of a phenomenally impressive cast, all of whom give flawless performances.."
April 12, 2014
Richard Armitage:Official Announcement RA Stars in The Crucible(see link) + New Interview(see link) + Game of Thrones Purple Wedding Reviews + Latest EW Mag--Into The Storm is Listed with 105 Summer Films + Why is #IntoTheStorm Already #51 at IMDb? Perhaps John Proctor News?(or is that theory all wet;) get it;D
NEWS:It's Official - Richard Armitage will star in The Crucible at the Old Vic:
In this interview, RA says he wishes he had kept Thorin's boots. What might he do with them?
Last night's purple wedding, in ep 2 of GoT4, made many people very happy. Reviews, etc:
Game of Thrones Joffrey wedding Q&As! Martin http://tinyurl.com/kxjs6h2 Gleeson http://tinyurl.com/ohgb47d Showrunners http://tinyurl.com/nrfo8fc
Following is author Geo Martin's reply when he was asked to comment on Jack Gleeson's performance(total of 32 eps) as King Joffrey in Game of Thrones. That king is dead, but the ultimate ruler of Westeros is yet to be determined. Reporter asked:..any thoughts about how Jack played Joffrey now that this is his swan song?Martin: I think Jack was sensational. I met Jack during the filming of the pilot many years ago now, and he’s like the nicest guy you’d ever want to meet. He’s really bright and a fiercely intelligent young man going to Trinity College in Dublin. I don’t know if you’ve seen his speech at the Oxford Union, it’s pretty amazing about celebrity culture. He’s very perceptive and he played this loathsome character and somehow made him more loathsome. He created someone that everybody hates, and loves to hate, and that’s a considerable feat of acting. I feel a little guilty that he’s quitting acting now. I hope that playing Joffrey didn’t help make him want to retire from the profession because he does have quite a gift for it and could have a major career as an actor."
Found perfect actor to play the Rev Hale role in The Crucible:)
The continuum of history: Earliest settlers to the Massachusetts Bay Colony had a precedent for their witchcraft phobia, when they arrived from Europe. There were witchburnings all over that continent for centuries:
http://www.pennineprospects.co.uk/places/witchcraft-over-pendle
Can we just stop and acknowledge for a second that #IntotheStorm is currently number 51 on IMDB's movie meter? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2106361/?ref_=nv_sr_1 …
If so, thank you to the latest John about to be added to RA's body of work. The Massachusetts Bay farmer also channels Thorin at one point in The Crucible when he declares "There might also be a dragon with 5 legs in my house..."
October 9, 2013
Richard Armitage:Seems the Entire World Wants to restore RIII's Good Name(see links) + Hobbit Movie #2 in Dec + Find the Lucas Watch
Treasury for Game of Thrones enthusiasts. My favorite analysis is of Jon Snow:
The White Queen fallout (final ep plays next week in the US): Fascinating article posing doubt that Edward IV's two young sons were indeed killed. DNA tests will be conducted, the results of which could shine some light on the theory:
Website of the theorist:
Scroll to see painting mentioned at website above:
Anyone who watched the entire SHO, The Tudors series, knows which character's execution probably caused most guilt feelings for the person who gave the order.
*****
Just discovered the accusation that really does make it perfectly clear the Tudor propagandists did indeed "protest too much" when it came to their accusations against RIII. He poisoned wife Anne? *that was truly overkill*
*****
Guysie's debut (on INSP in ep 1, RH 1) was brilliant, as always..
We will be seeing him again in December as Thorin, the king under the mountain, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug..
Mommy who shrunk the TDH...in Alice in Wonderland fashion it's always great to see an actor grow...
From Game of Thrones Production Diary - An Eyrie comes to an end..
Find the Lucas watch: Yes, there it is..
No...this one must be the Gary watch...
Definitely...
Tidbit from latest issue of EW mag:
--New tv series 'Reign' begins on CW channel,Th, Oct 17,9pm. Quote: "Sure, she ran a country or two back in the 16thC. But this show suggests that Mary, Queen of Scots was just like any other teen; gossiping with friends, dolling up for parties, every so often getting someone beheaded. Mary moves to France, where her marriage to the future king, Prince Francis, has been prearranged. But she's not ready to stitch little hearts on her petticoats just yet, because Francis' mistresses and his bad-boy half brother, Bash, are meddling with this great love. And when Nostradamus has a vision that Mary will cost Francis his life, Queen Catherine tries to stop the wedding. It's Pretty Little Liars meets Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, and it's good, frothy fun." Rating: B+
*****
There's the watch peeking out from under Lucas' jacket..
Historic Trivia: Evidently this is the real survivor of the War of the Roses. Apparently an amazing woman for her time. I'd never heard of her before The White Queen series. She managed to have her first marriage annulled, no small feat for the time. Then she became Edw IV's mistress. After he died, Richard III ordered her public penitance. He suspected her of conspiring with those who didn't want him on the throne, so the fact he ordered Jane Shore to only make public penitance is proof of his benevolence. Afterwards, she resided at Ludgate prison where she attracted R III's Solicitor General, who married her over his king's objections. haha What a woman!
*****
Geo Washington family tree traced back to the 400s. Whew! Is that really possible? Scroll to see beautifully restored Washington Manor House:
http://ingilbyhistory.ripleycastle.co.uk/ingilby_4/WASHINGTON%20Family%20Genealogy.pdfhttp://www.bluemountain.com/ecards/liquor-treat-talking-card/card-3356741
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