True to its name, every Wednesday I hope to share with you videos which I have enjoyed and think you might, too. We all need a bit of cheering up to last until the end of the week, don’t we?
So, Lizzie Bennet has a vlog. Thoughts?
Other episodes in the series can be found here.
For all of those who perished as the R.M.S. Titanic sunk on 15th April, 1912.
A collection of thoughts:
The S.S. Titanic
S.S. Titanic leaving Southampton
Titanic lifeboats on way to Carpathia
Titanic survivors on way to rescue-ship Carpathia
Survivors of Titanic on Carpathia
Getting “Titanic” news – White Star Office
We are still touched by the tragically poignant tale:
Behind the scenes at one of the greatest pieces of cinema of all time
I am currently watching Julian Fellowes’ new Titanic series, an interesting approach to the world’s most famous shipwreck. The finale airs tonight on ITV1 at 9:00pm.
Trending on Polyvore – Titanic Fashion:
A Titanic Memorial Cruise set sail this week to pay remembrance to the great cruise liner.
Eva Hart, the last person said to have any memory of the catastrophic event, died at the age of 91 in 1996. She described the plaque placed on the shipwreck at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean as:
“A tribute to man’s arrogance. […] This was a ship which needn’t have lost a life.”
As a young child, I found the Titanic infinitely fascinating and devoured any mention of the vessel in non-fictional works, particularly encyclopedias. It is a tale which never ought to be repeated, nor forgotten.
Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.-Mother Teresa
Rest in Peace, the more than 1500 people who perished in the early hours of this day, 100 years ago.
STL.
True to its name, every Wednesday I hope to share with you videos which I have enjoyed and think you might, too. We all need a bit of cheering up to last until the end of the week, don’t we?
This is such a sweet animation, it will surely brighten up your day.
Found via The Happiest Cow! That blog is great.
To all of those who don’t follow The Elegance of Fashion, an amusing competition event is being held whereby we are given a plea of help from a fictional character, and must reply in the voice of another. Unfortunately, I’ve only just discovered her wonderful blog and this event, so I am entering the final stage; however, this was really fun! I hope you enjoy reading my three attempts (to make up for not entering before!).
'Cranford' (2007)
Photo: BBCDear Jane Austen Advice Column,
My name is Frank Harrison. I am a medical doctor and have recently taken up a new post in the small town of Cranford where I assist the elderly Dr. Morgan by attending some of his numerous patients. Cranford is a bit of an oddity where the women reign supreme (not unlike amazons!), careless of new fashions and fearful of change. I’ve already had to rid my wardrobe of a particularly handsome red jacket because Dr. Morgan told me the ladies of Cranford would think it fanciful. But on the whole I had found the residents of Cranford very welcoming until today when many things unseen to my eye came to a head. Upon my arrival here one of my first visits was to the vicarage where I met Reverend Hutton and his lovely daughter Miss Sophy Hutton. She is an angel! and I was making strides to ask if I might court her when her young brother Walter fell ill and despite all of the methods of modern medicine I applied soon died. You may well imagine what a rift this caused between the young lady and myself and yet I loved her more each day. Quite a few months later Miss Hutton came to trust me again and I was bold enough to ask her father if I might court her. What happiness when he gave his permission! Our courtship was going on so well until this afternoon while attending the town’s May festival, it came to the attention of the whole town that two other ladies felt themselves as good as engaged to me! Miss Tompkinson is a spinsterish young lady who lives with her sister in town and though I have attended her many times for palpitations and other maladies I was never aware of having shown her any other interest than that of a doctor to his patient. Likewise Mrs. Rose, who is my widowed housekeeper, seems to think that I have shown signs of love for her, which I never have done! The worst of the matter was seeing my dear Sophy stricken with horror at my supposed unfaithfulness and see her directed away by her father. I am in a state of shock from which I shall not soon recover! Please tell me dear sir or madam, what am I to do!?!
Desperate for advice,
Dr. Frank Harrison
REPLY FROM MR TITE BARNACLE JUNIOR, OF THE CIRCUMLOCUTION OFFICE
'Little Dorrit' (2008)
Photo: BBC
To a Dr Harrison,
Oh, I say! Now, look here, Dr Harrison. Upon my soul you mustn’t just barge into the place saying you want to be advised.
It’s not anything about— Wanting to Know— or that sort of thing, is it? No, no, it’s not? You want to be advised, you say? No, no, no, that simply will not work. You have no right to come this sort of move.
Look here. Egad, you haven’t got any appointment. Oh no. You really are going at it at a great pace, you know.
Then, look here, is it private business? If it is, you oughtn’t write to us. But I say! Is this public business? If it is, I tell you what! I’ll forward this letter on to the Secretarial Department next door. Here are some forms to fill in.
Upon my soul, you mustn’t just barge into the place saying you want to be advised, I do advise. That’s not the way to do it.
Signed,
Mr T. Barnacle Jr.
REPLY FROM MARIANNE DASHWOOD (Before she fell for Col. Brandon)
'Sense & Sensibility' (2008)
Photo: BBC
Sir,
I write to you with the utmost urgency so that you may follow my words of instruction directly and end this poor, beautiful girl’s misery.
Let me be clear, as opacity cannot be tolerated in times of life and death; you have been a deceitful man and betrayed the trust of a girl with youthful innocence, whom may never see any light in this world again. Do you not see what damage you have caused with your recklessness? A woman’s first love should be treasured indeed and you have caused havoc within her heart. The once peaceful sea within her chest has now evolved into a hurricane of storms. You say that you have not come to be in this position by choice. Well then, sir— and I use that word with utter disdain as I waver on the point of your having a gentleman’s soul, mind or character,— if that is true, in order to reverse this perhaps irrevocable mess, you must consult with her at once and admit your love in the most passionate of ways. I recommend you recite to her a favourite poem of yours— you must carry around Shakespeare’s Sonnets which you have read to her, if you are her true lover, to be sure— for there is little more that a girl with a soft heart could wish for and she will surely forgive you if she loves you as a lover should.
As for the other deluded, old fools, you must dismiss them immediately without any hint of sympathy. You must not worry yourself on their behalf; those past the age of seven-and-twenty can never feel or hope to inspire affection again. Particularly the widow, she must be deranged from the death of her first love, poor soul. I hope I die before my love, that way I will never have to endure the pain of living and breathing without them, weighed down by the pain of grief. If they continually persist, ignore them entirely. I would recommend elopement with your sweetheart, and perhaps you could find a pretty church somewhere in Scotland surrounded by wild flowers. That would be best.
Sending my warmest regards to the young lady,
Marianne Dashwood
P.S. Apologies for the holes which I have eroded into this parchment and for my hurried handwriting; however, in the seriousness of this emergency, the heart of the matter is more important than the façade, indeed, is it not?
P.P.S. I enclose within my letter a sonnet which I think would be highly suitable to recite by memory to your love.
'Pride & Prejudice' (1995)
Photo: BBC
My dear friend, Dr Harrison,
I am afraid that you have got completely the wrong end of the stick! Sir, if I cried out for help whenever there was a mishap between two lovers, I would be a gentleman of leisure, with no need for a profession! If anything, you now have the upper hand. Love is like a game of cards, you must pick and choose carefully until you hit the jackpot. Strike too early and you may lose all; bet too little and you may gain nothing; time the bullet perfectly and you just might make the kill.
I can say with complete confidence that having all of this attention amongst the female sex is making yourself as a suitor become even more desirable. Being a celebrity in your village should be used to your utmost advantage. Flirt to make the “indifferent”— or so they say— jealous. The more you play, the richer those who are “indifferent” will be. You have clearly come thus far in winning the real prize— who, as I have no doubt in your being a sensible gentleman, must be worth her weight in gold,— since she is already showing signs of trepidation. All you have yet to do is flirt with the other women until they start to swoon to the ground upon seeing your handsome face, and wait for your future wife to beg you to take her in to your humble abode and marry her immediately. She will not care about any other woman, only that she is the one you have chosen. She will be grateful to you everyday and her parents will be ecstatic that you have made their previously emotionless daughter so joyful, allowing you complete access to her dowry.
If all else fails, Harrison, elope with her— or take her hostage,— then order family or anybody who cares in the slightest to pay immediately so that you may be married, or else lead the family further into scandal. Alternatively, an inside source tells me that the British red uniform lies very well over in the minds of the New World’s finest, richest ladies. The gambling is also said to be reputable over there.
Yours faithfully,
George Wickham
Thanks for reading! I’ll let you know how the short-listing goes!
STL.
The Harry Potter studio tour looks fascinating! Also, for those who haven’t already heard, the Harry Potter books are now available to download as ebooks from the Pottermore website. Has anyone bought any yet? Personally, I don’t see the point in buying them online because I’ve already read them. The whole collection of ebooks is £38.64 and the whole collection of audiobooks is £167.34.
CBS announced last week that they have decided to create a modern, updated version of the tales of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s timeless hero called Elementary, probably inspired by the roaring success of the BBC’s Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch. The new American series will be set in New York and they’ve already cast the British actor, Jonny Lee Miller (Eli Stone, 2008-9) and Lucy Liu (Charlie’s Angels, 2000) as Joan Watson, his female accomplice. This decision has set the Sherlock fanbase alight and everyone seems to be tearing their hair out…
Lucy Liu has been cast as Joan Watson in the new American Sherlock Holmes series (Image from WIkipedia)
Holmes will be an ex-British Police consultant, brought to NYC to a drug-rehabilitation centre. He has returned from rehab and is living with Joan Watson, a surgeon who has lost her medical licence.
On the one hand, it will be hard not to compare it to the BBC’s modern adaptation which was made extraordinarily well. It also sounds vaguely familiar for those who watch Castle and other such programmes. Some say that because Watson might become a love interest for Holmes, the producers might be tempted to swerve away from the original books too much, or even that it would become disrespectful to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s memory as he firmly disbelieved that there were any romantic feelings between the pair. He wrote about an incredible friendship; however, will the CBS writers be able to recreate the same dynamics after such a controversial change? Why didn’t they make Sherlock a woman, too? A female Holmes and Watson team could rival Charlie’s Angels any day…
Jonny Lee Miller will play Holmes
However, on a positive note, they’ve certainly got the casting right. Jonny Lee Miller is a British actor who was great in two of my favourite TV mini-series and films, Emma, 2009 and Mansfield Park, 1999. Lucy Liu is a brilliant actress, already well established in the action/crime genre. Casting is critical and this certainly balances out any doubts which I have.
There’s just a hint of hypocrisy amongst the angry Holmes-loving fans; when the plans for the programme were first made public, almost everyone was upset that the Elementary would be too similar to the BBC’s, now they are upset that it will be too different? Yes, it could fail spectacularly or become an instant success, but it has not come out yet!
Jonny Lee Miller played Knightley in Emma, 2009 (Image from the BBC)
I’m excited to see how this classic adaptation with a modern twist pans out. After all, the BBC’s Sherlock may not continue forever as I’m sure the stars will want to move on to brighter screens eventually. Cumberbatch seems to be rising rapidly in popularity; after Steven Spielberg’s War Horse, I’m sure that Hollywood is calling. I’ve also heard rumours that Cumberbatch could be in Doctor Who, perhaps as The Master??
STL.
Congratulations to all of those involved with the production of The Artist! What a winner! Hope you all enjoyed that funny video which I posted along with the nominations. Here is a great post which summarises who the winners were and features some glamorous pictures from the night.
STL.
Winners from the Oscars 2012
Best Picture: The Artist
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Best Actress: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, The Help
Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Directing: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Cinematography: Hugo
Art Direction: Hugo
Costume Design: The Artist
Makeup: The Iron Lady
Foreign Language Film: A Separation, Iran.
Film Editing: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Sound Editing: Hugo
Sound Mixing: Hugo
Documentary Feature: Undefeated
Animated Feature Film: Rango
Visual Effects: Hugo
Original Score: The Artist
Original Song: Man or Muppet from The Muppets
Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, The Descendants
Original Screenplay: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Live Action Short Film: The Shore
Documentary (short subject): Saving Face
Animated Short Film: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore
Mooooo
xxx
Will you be tuning in to watch the Oscars tonight? Who do you think will win Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress? Who will you be rooting for?
Here are the nominations:
BEST PICTURE
War Horse
The Tree of Life
The Artist
Moneyball
The Descendants
Midnight in Paris
The Help
Hugo
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
BEST DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist
Alexander Payne – The Descendants
Martin Scorsese – Hugo
Woody Allen – Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick – The Tree of Life
BEST ACTOR
Jean Dujardin – The Artist
Demian Bichir – A Better Life
Brad Pitt – Moneyball
George Clooney – The Descendants
Gary Oldman – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
BEST ACTRESS
Glenn Close – Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis – The Help
Rooney Mara – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams – My Week With Marilyn
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Kenneth Branagh – My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill – Moneyball
Nick Nolte – Warrior
Christopher Plummer – Beginners
Max von Sydow – Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Berenice Bejo – The Artist
Jessica Chastain – The Help
Melissa McCarthy – Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer – Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer – The Help
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Bullhead – Belgium
Footnote – Israel
In Darkness – Poland
Monsieur Lazhar – Canada
A Separation – Iran
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Artist – Michel Hazanavicius
Bridesmaids – Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig
Margin Call – JC Chandor
Midnight in Paris – Woody Allen
A Separation – Asghar Farhadi
BEST ANIMATION
A Cat in Paris
Chico and Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Descendants – Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash
Hugo – John Logan
The Ides of March – George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
Moneyball – Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Story by Stan Chervin.
Tinker Tailor Solider Spy – Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan
BEST ART DIRECTION
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
War Horse
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life
War Horse
BEST SOUND MIXING
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse
BEST SOUND EDITING
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Man or Muppet from The Muppets – music and lyrics by Bret McKenzie
Real in Rio from Rio – music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown and lyrics by Siedah Garrett
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Adventures of Tintin
The Artist
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse
BEST COSTUMES
Anonymous
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
God is the Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
Saving Face
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom
BEST FILM EDITING
The Artist
The Descendants
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
BEST MAKE-UP
Albert Nobbs
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The Iron Lady
I know who I’m cheering on! Enjoy your popcorn!
STL.
After reading a post by Madame Guillotine (Victoria 4 Albert), I watched this sweet animation by Chiara Ambrosio following the love story of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. It has been released especially for Valentine’s Day to promote the re-opening of Kensington Palace. More episodes will be released soon on their website, so watch this space! Watch the film here.
STL.
As a wholehearted fan of Jane Austen, I believe that everyone should embrace the writing of one of the world’s most prolific creative thinkers!
Here are my top five favourite Austen films/TV mini-series:
1. Emma 2009 (TV mini-series)
One of my favourite actresses, Romola Garai (The Hour, Daniel Deronda), played Emma opposite Johnny Lee-Miller (Trainspotting, Eli Stone) as Mr Knightley and the brilliant Michael Gambon (Harry Potter, The King’s Speech) as Emma’s fretful father, Mr Woodhouse. I adore the soundtrack and exquisite cinematography. I’ve watched it again and again but could still watch it one hundred times more. Thank you, BBC!
2. Pride & Prejudice 2005 (Film)
Starring Keira Knightley (Pirates of the Caribbean, Atonement) and Matthew Macfayden (The Three Musketeers, Death at a Funeral), this film has a refreshingly modern take on the original novel which I sometimes find rather too polished. It has an all-star cast featuring Dame Judi Dench (Casino Royale, My Week with Marilyn), Donald Sutherland (The Italian Job, Ordinary People), Rosamund Pike (An Education, Made in Dagenham), Talulah Riley (St. Trinian’s, The Boat That Rocked) and Carey Mulligan (An Education, Never Let Me Go).
3. Mansfield Park 1999 (Film)
I love this film simply because it is so different compared to the other Austen films. Despite the director’s risk of basing it on Mansfield Park as well as Jane Austen’s letters, I think it paid off. The references to Austen’s letters make for a more interesting viewing for someone who has seen so many films based on the original few books. Mansfield Park is definitely the darkest of Austen’s novels and this adaptation puts more emphasis on slavery, wavering from the original storyline, slightly. Frances O’Connor (The Importance of Being Earnest) and Johnny Lee-Miller (10 years younger than in Emma 2009) performed brilliantly. Justine Waddell (Wives and Daughters, Great Expectations) played Julia Betram and is also one to spot- another favourite.
4. Sense & Sensibility 2008 (TV mini-series)
The best out of the BBC and ITV’s 2007-8 collection of Austen. I loved almost everything about it and felt that it was somehow fresher than the 1995 version with Emma Thompson (Love Actually, Nanny McPhee) and Kate Winslet (Titanic, Finding Neverland). Plus, this series features Dominic Cooper (The History Boys, Mamma Mia, An Education) as Wiloughby… (And, interestingly enough, Dan Stevens/Matthew Crawley with longer hair, from Downton Abbey, playing Edward Ferrars.)
5. Lost in Austen (TV mini-series)
Yes, I know! It’s not an ‘Austen Adaptation’ and I therefore previously mislead you into thinking that this was a list of films based on Jane Austen’s novels. However, I’ve put it on here because… it’s quite funny! For an Austen fan, anyway… Lost in Austen is a parody of a Janeite Londoner who walks in to find Elizabeth Bennet in her bathroom. It certainly stretches Austen’s characters to the limits… I thought it was brilliant that Christina Cole (Emma, Jane Eyre) played Mrs Elton in Emma (2009) as well! Indeed, Austen’s caricatures do reappear across her novels.
I realise from reading through this again that most of my favourite adaptations are modern. This is not to say that I do not like any of the ‘older’ ones! I love the Pride and Prejudice TV mini-series from 1995! Others worth mentioning include Persuasion (2007 mini-series) and Northanger Abbey (2007 mini-series).
Remember, this is just my opinion! If you disagree, feel free to comment below with your own favourites!
STL.
Somersaulting Through Life 