esmeraldabrandybuck, I loved those screencaps. Thanks so much for the sight of them this morning. :)

Hi, all -- just popping in with this, because I don't think the news made it over here, yet. There is to be a London premiere of Green Street after all, on the 24th (the day after the Edinburgh one, for those keeping track), and Elijah is slated to be there.

Good grief, the schedule he's going to have to endure for a couple of weeks... :eek: Two premieres, two conventions, the EII premiere, possibly the stateside premiere(s) of GSH, plus who knows how much he'll have to do in terms of press and whatnot... I hope he has a vacation planned for when things slow down.

Vacation???! He's been on a vacation all year :) And you know, this is probably a snap for him, compared to one of the LOTR junkets.

And you know, this is probably a snap for him, compared to one of the LOTR junkets.I suppose that's true... It just seems like so much so fast, and it's really a shame that the two films weren't released a little farther apart. Not that I'm complaining! We may never get this much Elijah goodness all at once ever again! I'm all set to revel in it for all I'm worth. :D

I suppose that's true... It just seems like so much so fast, and it's really a shame that the two films weren't released a little farther apart. Not that I'm complaining! We may never get this much Elijah goodness all at once ever again! I'm all set to revel in it for all I'm worth. :DBecause who knows how long it'll be until....nope...not gonna go there.

Thanx everyone for tweaking the good luck-button for me :k I am looking forward to meeting Whiteling and perhaps two more Faculites in Edinburgh.

Fab screencaps!

Skater Girl - Thanks for the news on Elijah's GMTV appearance. It IS now confirmed on their website that he will be on between 7am and 9.25am.

http://www.gm.tv/index.cfm?articleid=37&jdselect=234

How lovely that we get to see him at last on live television here in the UK!

Whiteling, Skater Girl, Eandme, and anyone else travelling to Edinburgh - enjoy the film, and I hope you get to see Elijah. If you do see him, be gentle with him - and make sure he gets to Florida on time for the ELF convention, where Shireling will be waiting to take over!

Waves to Wood!

Wishing all travelling to Scotland and ELF safe and happy field trips!

Remember, no bit of squeesearch is ever too insignificant.

Mechtild, that's a lovely picture you posted yesterday.

C4

...tg and still wondering when the heck she’s ever going to have a Faculty Gathering for all the fine Elijah ladies.
I still don't know why you've put that job on me, :confused: except for my mention when Happy Feet was announced that the Omaha zoo has a great penguin habitat exhibit :) .

Teeg, you anywhere near the Exhibition?
By US distances, I'm not too far. Only Iowa, Illinois and whatever part of Indiana are between Omaha and Indianapolis. Guessing maybe 700-800 miles or so? But in order to afford the trip, I'd probably have to drive my '91 Escort there -- and sleep in it, too. I suppose that's not entirely a crazy idea? :confused:

Everybody going to Edinburgh: Have a wonderful time (even apart from Hooligans, it’s such a great city). I can’t wait to see what you all think of the film. So far, the only perspective we’ve had here among the Faculty is the US one, if I’m not mistaken.

Skater girl wrote: I am really glad Elijah will be promoting the film, as the poster is useless when it comes to pulling in the more general public. I picked several up at the local cinema (after embarrasing hubby by squealing loudly with delight when I spotted them), and all it has suggested to the people I have shown it to is that the film is about thugs. That will be the ultimate irony, if the promoters went through all that messing around with the title (which I agree with Achila is meaningless), and people STILL stay away because they think it’s “about thugs.” I’ve said it before: This film has been marketed very badly, IMHO.

We could plan a Faculty meeting for the 10th anniversary of the beginning of filming of LOTR, which would be in October of 2009. That's 4 years to save our money. (note to self: get a job.)

C4

...tg and still wondering when the heck she’s ever going to have a Faculty Gathering for all the fine Elijah ladies.
Does this mean that I will have to wear a dress??? :eek:

The Administrator on the Green Street Hooligans website message board posted that all of the Green Street Hooligan leather wrist snappin' wristbands were shipped out LAST WEEK and that we should be recieving them soon- as in this week. My calender says that today is Thursday. Has anyone recieved their leather wrist snappin' wristbands yet ?

Aww, thank you all for your kind travel wishes :k I'm so much looking forward to seeing Eandme and Skater girl...and maybe Elijah ( :eek: ) and, of course, the FILM. Since yesterday I'm getting really excited about the trip. What an honour and what a responsibility to go there as eye and ear of the illustrious Faculty :cool: - Has anyone of you seen this http://www.list.co.uk/festival/week.html? It's obviously an event guide of Edinburgh and Glasgow, and has an Elwood interview included. I will see if I can get an issue.

After 15 years of never going away without hubby, this will be my 2nd solo adventure in 2 months. I am being led astray by the Faculty, and loving it.
Whiteling puts on her best Dr. Lecter voice: "People will say we're in love." :D (Give your afflicted hubby my best regards :k)

We could plan a Faculty meeting for the 10th anniversary of the beginning of filming of LOTR, which would be in October of 2009. That's 4 years to save our money. (note to self: get a job.)

Great idea, Ceefour :) - you can count me in! *makes note* Until then I should be solvent again :rolleyes:

Brummie, I meant to thank you for that enticing little snippet about Tolkien 2005 on the previous page. You said:

Never having been to anything like it before, I wasn't sure what to expect from Tolkien 2005 (....) I won't bore you with any more, but if anyone is interested in details, pm me and I'll be happy to provide them.
Have you written something up on it? I would love to see it, whatever it is, since it sounds like an event I would have truly enjoyed attending. I might be a Frodo smut and comedy fan, but I've got a very strong academic streak, believe it or not. :cool:

~ Mechtild

Thanks, Mechtild, and also Saile for your message. I hope to finish writing up my notes today and will send a copy to you and anyone else who is interested.

Um, is anyone else thinking they might happen to be near the Apollo Cinema on Wednesday evening?

(My computer seems to have lost the buttons above for displaying text in bold etc. Hence the all plain text)

Only Iowa, Illinois and whatever part of Indiana are between Omaha and Indianapolis. Guessing maybe 700-800 miles or so? But in order to afford the trip, I'd probably have to drive my '91 Escort there -- and sleep in it, too. I suppose that's not entirely a crazy idea? :confused: Gee Tg...I'd love for you to stay at my place but I don't live in Iowa, Illinois or Indiana so that's not a solution.........I hear there is a train that travels that route or fairly close :confused:

saile

Just "spinning" in to tell you that there is a scan of Spin magazine up in a place I can't link you to, and I think it may be friends locked -- but hopefully other LJ friends will have it shortly.

BUT...here's a quote from it, regarding Elijah's portrayal of Jonathan -- "the young actor delivers the most subtle, consistently funny and just about best performance he's given in almost a decade" -- OMG OMG :D

Does this mean that I will have to wear a dress??? :eek:

Well, I hope not, since I don't plan to (it was so hot again this week that people at work actually saw my legs for the first time in a couple of years :eek: ). BTW, this thread was started by a man - the day after the FotR movie opened and he was blown away by Elijah's acting. One reason we try to keep it mostly swoon-free is so people with Y chromosomes won't run for the hills. We don't have too many of 'em though, more's the pity, so sometimes we forget to use inclusive language ;) .

ETA after reading Achila's post: "...almost a decade." Do you think they're referring to The Ice Storm (not sure about the "funny" there, although poor Mikey is certainly unintentionally humorous at times).

Thanks, Mechtild, and also Saile for your message. I hope to finish writing up my notes today and will send a copy to you and anyone else who is interested.

Oh, goody!

Thanks! :k

For those of you who've been mislead by me re: The Flaunt mag scans..you can find the over in LJ land in elijah daily and woodlust...I know I can't link you there but I am allowed to mention the communties...right? :o

To all of you lucky enough to be traveling to Scotland to see The Lad and the movie....have a wonderful time...and we do expect a full report of the going ons ;)

A moot in 2009? Sounds great to me :D
There's so many of you I'd love to meet

and txtac...I'm still waiting for my wrist thingy too!

Do you think they're referring to The Ice Storm (not sure about the "funny" there, although poor Mikey is certainly unintentionally humorous at times).

It's funny you just said this, because I was just going to drop off a link to Entertainment Weekly's inclusion of Elijah's scene with Christina Ricci in the Ice Storm as one of the top ten most embarassing sex scenes in movie history.

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/commentary/0,6115,1095701_1||233612|1_0_,00.html

(I find it an odd acknowledgement of being 'known' in Hollywood to be included in this kind of list. :rolleyes: )

ETA after reading Achila's post: "...almost a decade." Do you think they're referring to The Ice Storm (not sure about the "funny" there, although poor Mikey is certainly unintentionally humorous at times).Well, I don't think the "funny" or "subtle" references are linked to "best in almost a decade", but I wouldn't be surprised if Mikey is who they were referring to.

Narya, your link didn't work for me. Have you another?

ETA: Never mind, Narya. Now it works. D'oh.

~ Mechtild :k

Go to the LJ of undone27 to read the article.

He's going to be playing Iggy Pop as his next role, according to the article.

I may go and faint somewhere....

They are dropping by to say (belated) Happy Birthday to SHELBYSHIRE
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v404/billiep/Elijahathotel.jpg
....think she'll take them in?
saile

p.s. It sounds like the interviewer has seen EII! Oh Oh!!!!! :D :D

I may go and faint somewhere....And I may join you!
:eek: :cool:

I keep trying to picture it, and I'm just almost getting there. As far as features go, it's not that far a stretch, but I've gotta wonder about the other physical aspects... I mean, Iggy is, and always has been, stringy as all get-out. I wonder if Elijah will (either willingly or by necessity) take it upon himself to try to approximate that sort of physique. Yikes!

I can't wait to hear more about that project, though!

Bunnie, I'm not exactly sure what to feel on this one. We spoke about how the Ian Curtis fans were somewhat less than thrilled with the potential choice of Elijah, and now I have to wonder how Iggy Pop's fans (not to mention Iggy himself!) will react. Tell you one thing, tho -- Iggy Pop will have never been as pretty! Man, I would've LOVED to have seen that audtion. :D

Tell you one thing, tho -- Iggy Pop will have never been as pretty!

Oh, I don't know...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v32/bunniebugs/misc/Ig7.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v32/bunniebugs/misc/Ig6.jpg

Maybe "pretty" isn't exactly the word, but when he was younger, you can definitely see how Elijah could pull it off.

Man, I would've LOVED to have seen that audtion. :DOh, likewise, my friend. Good golly!

And, I'm sure he knows the sort of flack he's going to be getting over this. I'd love to know how Iggy feels about it; that could make all the difference, in a way. If he approved, I would think it would take much of the sting out of whatever his fans were saying. Guess we'll just have to stay tuned, huh? (Not that that was ever a problem. :D)

I keep trying to picture it, and I'm just almost getting there. As far as features go, it's not that far a stretch, but I've gotta wonder about the other physical aspects... I mean, Iggy is, and always has been, stringy as all get-out. I wonder if Elijah will (either willingly or by necessity) take it upon himself to try to approximate that sort of physique. Yikes!


Trust Elijah. Someone who manages to turn his ears pink during an acting scene should accomplish to make his body look like a pretzel stick. :p

Seriously, the Lad *is* always good for a surprise. Holy moly! :eek:

Bunnie and Achila, I'm flabbergasted. Being the rock moron I am, I Googled up Iggy Pop. I have heard of him, of course, but never had heard his music and could not remember what he looked like.

I first saw the image you posted above, BunnieBugs, with him looking big-eyed and very young and thought, "Hmmm. A streeeeetch, but, possible."

But then I saw shots like these...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/mechtild/pics%20for%20posts/iggybWonknees.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/mechtild/pics%20for%20posts/iggypopbWmime.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/mechtild/pics%20for%20posts/iggy-BWtongue.jpg


And this one, from when he's older, I think:


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/mechtild/pics%20for%20posts/IggyPop-bluejeans.jpg


Wow. I just can't picture it. As you say, Achila, I'd have loved to have seen the audition! :eek:

Achila, I could not find the article that confirmed that he had been cast in this role. Could you repeat it? I think I am too hysterical to be able to find it. :D Thanks.


~ Mechtild (I think...)


Edited to add one more image. I simply could not resist this one. We all know the Lad is practically double-jointed, but does he do back-bends? :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/mechtild/pics%20for%20posts/iggypopbackbend.jpg

Achila, I could not find the article that confirmed that he had been cast in this role. Could you repeat it? I think I am too hysterical to be able to find it. :D It's in Jane magazine, Mech. There's a scan of it on the LJ of undone27 -- it's today's post. Let me know if you can't find it and I'll PM you the link.

I went to IMDb to see if they mentioned the Iggy Pop movie yet. Didn't find anything on that, but did see this sad news on their home page:

Head of Pixar's Story Department Killed in Auto Crash

In a blow to Pixar Animation, whose success has been attributed to its story-telling skill as much as its computer creativity, Joe Ranft, head of Pixar's story department, was killed in an auto accident on Tuesday. The driver of the car also died when it plunged off Highway 1 in Mendocino County into the ocean. A third man escaped through the car's sun roof. Before joining Pixar, Ranft, 45, worked at Disney, co-writing Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King.

Strange how a connection with one of Elijah's movies makes this seem like a personal loss... :(

------------------

OTOH, I did find out that Iggy Pop has done some things I hadn't expected -- such as play an alien for an episode on one of the Star Trek series, and provide the voice for a newborn baby in a Rugrats movie.

------------------

Narya, I was hoping the EW list was of scenes that were supposed to be embarrassing, and the way the Ice Storm scene is written up seems to confirm that. So, I'd say that being on that list is a good thing. :) If the acting hadn't been good, it wouldn't have gotten the point across so well.

Thank you, Achila. :) I looked again at undone 27 's journal entry. I had not realized the pictures were the links. I'll get the hang of LJ one of these days. :rolleyes:

I wanted to quote some of the article in here, but it wouldn't copy for some reason, so I made a transcription of the pertinent bits:

Esther Haynes interviews Elijah Wood in Jane magazine....


EH: I heard you might be playing Iggy Pop in a movie. Is that happening?

EW: It is, but not for a while. I love the Stooges. I love Iggy Pop. And I’m scared to death of doing it, because I love him so much and I respect him and the music so much. I don’t want to be the person responsible for screwing that up.
Shees, isn't he the cutest? I love his humility.

Now, off to work!


~ Mechtild

Thank you for all the links in here over the last few days...

Undone's journal entry showed up in my friend's list today, and I must admit, I was simply GOBSMACKED !!!

But then, I remembered this particular picture of Our Iggy, from the " Lust For Life" album, which I recall owning way back in the late seventies...

http://www.radio.com.pl/kultura/_photo/450_t.gif

So, do you think it's not such a huge stretch of the imagination for him to play Iggy, in his younger years, with maybe someone else playing him later on...
Just a thought...

Anyway, it will not only be a HUGE challenge for him, and I admire that he is willing to take this on, but also, it will be potentially a pivotal role for him, in terms of being seen as someone other than a twenty-something pretty face...

I also think that it will be VERY interesting to see what the Iggy fans think of him tackling this part !!

Next week, he will be gracing our part of the world, when he comes to the Apollo cinema in the haymarket, London, to attend the Premiere of "Green Street"...Hmmmm, methinks that I may be taking a slight detour home from work that day !!!

Somewhere way back there, pages ago, someone mentioned that the song list for Everything is Illuminated includes a track entitled "Little Jonathan." I know exactly what scene I want to hear that song in! :D But where will they find a little boy pretty enough? ;)

Iggy Pop!?! Oh dear! I hope he doesn't go the Christian Bales route, and lose a lot of weight! He slip into the shower grate, and get swallowed by an eel on the way out to sea! :eek:

honey!

Completely OT, but some Faculty members will be interested. The complete soundtrack to FOTR will be released in November.

C4

Did anyone notice this from IMDB's bio on Iggy Pop?


Computer animators on 'Peter Jackson' 's Lord of The Rings used his movement and body as a basis for the character Gollum.


How strange a coincidence is that :D
Lotsa talk over on LJ re: can EW carry this off. I believe Elijah is capable of just about anything he sets out to do. Whether it's getting a record label off the ground or playing a punk rocker who was also a substance abuser..maybe this was a role he wanted because he didn't get the Ian Curtis role. Elijah will never settle for safe roles. He's up to and quite capable of the challenge. Those who doubt him should re-look at Sin City :haha:

Looking at all those picks of the highly delineated Mr. Iggy, I think EW is going to be getting a personal trainer. Maybe he'll give up smoking to get in shape, what do you think? Iggy didn't look that "skinny" to me, honey, but more ... "wiry."

Ylla, I remember that about Iggy and the conception for Gollum, now that you mention it. Wasn't it on one of the DVD extras...from TTT EE maybe? I can't remember.

Since I am a self-confessed rock and roll moron, I was wondering why would a filmmaker want to do a bio of Iggy Pop -- in particular, that is? I can understand them wanting to make movies about rock stars who died young or otherwise met tragic ends, but why Iggy Pop? Just curious. I know nothing about him. :confused:

~ Mechtild :)

Iggy Pop. I'm listening to some of his music right now, and I'm surprised how much of it I recognize. What are they gonna have to do to our Lij to make him ...look...that way? I mean, Iggy's not much to look at, is he?

Since I am a self-confessed rock and roll moron, I was wondering why would a filmmaker want to do a bio of Iggy Pop -- in particular, that is? I can understand them wanting to make movies about rock stars who died young or otherwise met tragic ends, but why Iggy Pop? Just curious. I know nothing about him. :confused:

I don't know heaps about Iggy, but from what I do know, it's really something of a miracle that he didn't self-distruct ages ago. And, he's quite a character!

And we don't yet what sort of role it is -- it isn't necessarily an Iggy Pop bio; it could be a smallish role in a film about someone else. We'll just have to (impatiently) wait and see!

BunnieBugs, thanks for the reply. :) Your remark that it might be a small part in a film about some other main character was a wake-up call for me. I should not be leaping to conclusions that this is a leading role. But it sure would be cool if it were!

~ Mechtild

You may notice that your posts from the last page have been edited or deleted. Please PM me if you have any questions. (No one did anything wrong, BTW - it's all OK. :) )

So anyway, I'm going to be in New York on September 9th. Would love to get together with Faculty members to see Hooligans! PM me if you think it might maybe even kinda sorta work! 'Cause I've yet to see one of the One Lad's films on the big screen with any of my Faculty siblings! :k

Thank you, Narya! :k :k

honey!

I still don't know why you've put that job on me :confused:
Um, because you were part of the First Age?
(Trivia: How many others have been around as long, or in the same capacity?)
Because you’re a good caretaker?
You guys deserve one?
People want to know what you look like?
You deserve a break today?
Generally one of the most interesting people? :p
The price of gas will never be this low again? ;)

honeyelf has the right idea. :)



By US distances, I'm not too far. Only Iowa, Illinois and whatever part of Indiana are between Omaha and Indianapolis. Guessing maybe 700-800 miles or so? But in order to afford the trip, I'd probably have to drive my '91 Escort there -- and sleep in it, too. I suppose that's not entirely a crazy idea? :confused:
Bummer, that’s hardly close. I’m flying myself, but saile has a great idea with the train. I hear Crickhollow has some ponies available…

2009? Wow C4, that sounds like a lifetime away. ;)

Mechtild and E, you’re welcome. :)


http://overthebrandywine.com/A1/Actors/Elijah/littlewood.jpg

Hi all!

Have been loving all the updates recently! Haven't had anything to add for a long while, but did manage to find a couple of mini tidbits I don't think have already been mentioned.

First the bad (ish) news:

UK Film Review magazine (http://www.visimag.com/filmreview/index.htm) had a review of GSHooligans in its last issue. I'm trying to be a bit frugal this month (and thought it might be online) so I didn't buy it (tut tut) but can supply the main thrust of the review, which was: GSH lacks authenticity and seems as if it is hooliganism adapted for the American market. (boo, although yaa for Americans :) ). It is not helped by Charlie Hunnam's dodgy cockney accent (double boo). Elijah, however, is "excellent" (yay!) has completely left his hobbit role behind (double yay) and does his best to hold up the film but ultimately fails (boo). Two stars out of five (ah well).

If the film is not so popular in the UK, that's alright. We're only one country. ;)

Now the good news! chud.com has a thread on EII, and on it, one reviewer notes:


A great film. Funny, quirky, beautiful and heartbreaking. Liev had made an incredibly impressive debut. I think my top ten list may have a definite member.

EW picks another winner!!!

Completely OT, but some Faculty members will be interested. The complete soundtrack to FOTR will be released in November.
Not LOTR but just FOTR? :confused:
saile

I've only seen the trailer and a couple of clips from GSH so far, but I am really hoping that what I heard were the worst lapses from Charlie Hunman. His cockney accent seems really weak, and I am hoping it doesn't spoil the film for me. Elijah is supposed to be playing a fish out of water so he can't really go wrong, but Charlie has got to be believable alongside all the authentic hooligans in the film.

Obviously I might come out on Tuesday with a different viewpoint, but all along I have wondered why, when they didn't have the luxury of a long shoot, they didn't cast an actor already experienced in the cockney accent. After all there are plenty of Ex-Eastenders actors around :D

Not LOTR but just FOTR? :confused:
saileI think they'll be releasing them gradually, so the other two will be along in time as well.

Random, you made my afternoon! Thanks! :k

First, you wrote:

UK Film Review magazine (...) had a review of GSHooligans in its last issue. (...details of bad review...) Elijah, however, is "excellent" (yay!) has completely left his hobbit role behind (double yay) and does his best to hold up the film but ultimately fails (boo). Two stars out of five (ah well).
I never would have gone to this film or read up on it at all if it weren't for EW in it, so I can't be anything but pleased that he was singled out so glowingly, even if the reviewer did not like the film itself.

But, as for your snippet of a review for EII...

A great film. Funny, quirky, beautiful and heartbreaking. Liev had made an incredibly impressive debut. I think my top ten list may have a definite member.
Oh, *sob* with pleasure! :)

~ Mechtild

--Ezzie, thanks for the cute little Fro on the Brandywine -- er, Huck on the Mississippi -- pics. :p

Um, because you were part of the First Age?
Ah, yes, but the world is changing... I feel it in the earth... :p

(Trivia: How many others have been around as long, or in the same capacity?)
Sheryl, if she'd hang around this part of the board more... :rolleyes: Bunnie was in our original exodus from CofE, as were Hobmom and Ainon and some of the current Haremites--and I'm sure there were others that aren't coming immediately to mind. But, yes, I was there on the first day of this thread (it had a different name at the time ;) ).

People want to know what you look like?
That's what I'm afraid of :eek: .

Bummer, that’s hardly close. I’m flying myself, but saile has a great idea with the train.
Last I checked, the train (and even the bus) didn't cost much less than flying. And if I didn't have my car with me, where would I sleep after I got there? :confused:

--------

IMHO Hooligans' biggest problem is that it was made for Americans, but the Brits are more interested in it than we (in general) are. A dodgy Cockney accent wouldn't raise many eyebrows here--of course, we don't use the word "dodgy" much, anyway :p . (Skater girl, have you heard Lij's Artful Dodger :o ? He really needed more accent coaching for that one!--IMVHO)

And, Random, that line from the EII review just builds on my excitement about it! Thanks.

tgshaw
And if I didn't have my car with me, where would I sleep after I got there? :confused:
Hi tgshaw! Between the Festival thread, the Haremites, Brandy Hall, and the Faculty, there seems to be quite a crowd gathering down in Indianapolis the same weekend. It would be a shame for anyone to miss this, especially someone whom I've come to know as the Dean of Faculty Research. You would be more than welcome to grab a cot and stay in our room. I have four in my party but there is always room for one more. In fact, with my sister-in-law backing out of the trip, I do have "one" adult ticket available. It's yours if you want it. :)

I've noticed that no one has commented on buying the Sin City DVD yet. I didn't buy it the first day like I usually would with any One Lad release. However, I did get it. I watched up to the end of Kevin :( and haven't watched anymore since. If anyone posts screencaps, I would be interested in seeing them.

Lij must be in Scotland now... *sigh* I live in the wrong part of the world most of the time!

I've noticed that no one has commented on buying the Sin City DVD yet.

I didn't comment, but I did buy it on the first day. And watched it all the way through that night. And cheered. :D

It's just that it wasn't exactly a favorite here, so I thought I'd keep my bloodthirstiness to myself. ;) (I'm pretty sure there's some Viking blood hidden somewhere in my proper British ancestors. :D )

(Skater girl, have you heard Lij's Artful Dodger :o ? He really needed more accent coaching for that one!--IMVHO)

Elijah's Artful Dodger accent wasn't spot on, and at first it did make me cringe occasionally, but mainly just because it was Lij getting it wrong. In the big schme of the film, it didn't stand out that much when most of the other main actors weren't that authentic either, and Oliver himself was so dreadful. I have watched the film several times, and I now look at it and actually applaud him for the the extent to which he did get it right, especially considering his age and experience at the time.

Lij must be in Scotland now... *sigh* I live in the wrong part of the world most of the time!

I am beginning to wonder if he is actually basing himself in Scotland, or even turning up there at all. If he is slated for GMTV and Jo Whiley on Tuesday (both of which are in London, I think), and then the screening in London on Wednesday, it would make more sense to stay down there.

I am beginning to wonder if he is actually basing himself in Scotland, or even turning up there at all. If he is slated for GMTV and Jo Whiley on Tuesday (both of which are in London, I think), and then the screening in London on Wednesday, it would make more sense to stay down there.Actually, I think the radio thing is on Monday, and the Tuesday GMTV thing could be a remote interview, so he'd have plenty of time to get to Scotland (and it sounds pretty definite that he'll be at the Edinburgh festival) and back to London for the Wednesday London premiere. ...Wouldn't he? Lots of tight scheduling, but he's probably used to that.

I am beginning to wonder if he is actually basing himself in Scotland, or even turning up there at all. If he is slated for GMTV and Jo Whiley on Tuesday (both of which are in London, I think), and then the screening in London on Wednesday, it would make more sense to stay down there.

Please, no one hurl abuse at me for inattentive reading (in case this was already mentioned), but does Billy Boyd still reside in Scotland, and will he be there for this event, or, at least, in Scotland? This could be an opportunity for the two to get in touch, just as friends and former colleagues. Just wondering. I don't look on regular "what are the LotR's doing" threads any more, so I don't know what Billy Boyd is doing these days.

P.S. Random and Skater girl, I agree on the Artful Dodger accent. It sure did need some extra work. Some reveiwers moaned about him being too old for the role (that's a new one for EW), but I thought the accent was far more troublesome than any age issue. It was not nearly as bad as Dick Van Dyke as Bert in Mary Poppins, though, thank heaven.

Random and Skater girl, I agree on the Artful Dodger accent. It sure did need some extra work. Some reveiwers moaned about him being too old for the role (that's a new one for EW), but I thought the accent was far more troublesome than any age issue. It was not nearly as bad as Dick Van Dyke as Bert in Mary Poppins, though, thank heaven.As we may have discussed before, there was no vocal coach listed on the credits of that film, so who knows how much assistance he got in that area. Secondly, it was made for Disney (and children) and therefore meant to be a bit "broad", and thirdly, (and you guys who are on here and know better can say differently), a true Cockney accent is practically unintelligible at high speed and since this *was* made for Americans, probably had to be toned down so we could understand what they were saying. Oh, no question the accent was not great, but I can see loads of reasons why it wouldn't be. Still no excuse tho, really.

TG made the comment I was going to with respect to Charlie's accent in GSH -- although this film is multi-cultural, in the sense that there are many countries where football hooliganism occurs and can relate to the behavior, my feeling is that it was basically made for Americans. And we probably would never know the difference between a good Cockney and a bad Cockney. With all of the British TV and movies I watch, I dont know that I would unless it was ragingly bad so the "average" person, who doesn't have that background would certainly not know.

I didn't comment, but I did buy it on the first day. And watched it all the way through that night. And cheered. :D

It's just that it wasn't exactly a favorite here, so I thought I'd keep my bloodthirstiness to myself. ;) (I'm pretty sure there's some Viking blood hidden somewhere in my proper British ancestors. :D )

Isn't there a more elaborate dvd release expected later this year? I was waiting for THAT one, hoping for more behind the scenes stuff.
saile

Achila, yes, Elijah would have benefited from a vocal coach, which Disney did not provide. You are very right. :) And, you are right that most Americans would not notice deficiencies in accents. Most Americans thought Cary Grant had a British accent -- of some sort (it's a lot like the Artful Dodger's, in fact :cool: ) -- but at least some British people (like my mother) thought he sounded very American.

I think noticing accent deficiencies comes from watching a lot of films from the country whose accent is being imitated. If I hadn't seen gobs of British films and TV shows, I am sure I would never have noticed or cared. If someone does bad regional French accents in a French film, for instance, I am none the wiser, having no ear for differences in French diction. But English accents are very familiar to me.

As for the unintelligibility of true Cockney, you make a good observation. Even my Midlands mother can't understand it when it is fast and "authentic". Of course, they would tone it down for film -- perhaps even films for British markets. But EW's accent does not sound like a Cockney accent "toned down," it merely sounds like a vaguely "low class" British accent pasted over an American one.

OT: Other than "toning down" a regional accent for understandability, filmmakers have resorted to dubbing in an "American" version of the dialogue. Unless he imagined it, my husband, who adores Mad Max films, was terribly upset to buy the first film when it came out on video, having seen it in a theater, and hearing what he swore was dubbed over-dialogue, erasing all the Australian accents of the version he heard in the theater -- or thought he heard. Was this actually the case? I never saw it in a theater. Perhaps one of the Australian posters could comment to this.

I think that with regard to accents in films, a not so perfect accent done consistently and without obvious effort (Elijah in Oliver) is actually less of a distraction than when the discomfort of an actor struggling with their accent comes through in their performance. The few films where Alan Rickman tries to do an American accent come into this latter category, and it is what I am fearing will be the case with Charlie Hunman.

I could not begin to comment on how good/bad Johnny Depp's Scottish accent was in Finding Neverland, or Elijah's accent in The War, but in both cases the actors made it seem like they spoke that way naturally all the time. Johnny's Irish accent in Chocolat didn't seem nearly so comfortable.

*Kumari delurks*

OT on dubbing movies:

Unless he imagined it, my husband, who adores Mad Max films, was terribly upset to buy the first film when it came out on video, having seen it in a theater, and hearing what he swore was dubbed over-dialogue, erasing all the Australian accents of the version he heard in the theater -- or thought he heard. Was this actually the case? I never saw it in a theater. Perhaps one of the Australian posters could comment to this.
Mechtild - I didn't see any of the Mad Max films in a theatre, but I did on TV (a long time ago!). From memory, everyone spoke in authentic Australian accents.

It's not unusual for Australian movies to be edited so "everyone else" can understand them. :confused:

One of these films was "The Castle". They went so far as to even change the name of cars, television programs, etc so the American audience would understand what they were talking about. I didn't think we were that hard to understand! :rolleyes:

*re-lurks*

Please, no one hurl abuse at me for inattentive reading (in case this was already mentioned), but does Billy Boyd still reside in Scotland, and will he be there for this event, or, at least, in Scotland?
Mechtild, I don't know if Billy still lives in Scotland, but I'm just coming back from a trip to LJ where I found the report of a Scottish lassie who arrived at one of the Edinburgh festival cinemas today. She met Billy Boyd there :), and heard some cinema people talking about premieres and about Eijah being there on tuesday. :cool: Sounds promising!

As for the unintelligibility of true Cockney, you make a good observation. Even my Midlands mother can't understand it when it is fast and "authentic". Of course, they would tone it down for film -- perhaps even films for British markets. But EW's accent does not sound like a Cockney accent "toned down," it merely sounds like a vaguely "low class" British accent pasted over an American one.
Splendid. :rolleyes: ;) Now I have the mental image of me sitting in the cinema and all the Cockney is Greek to me. Thank goodness there will be Faculty sisters around to spell it out to me. :k

You guys can decide for yourselves whether Charlie's accent is rubbish or not --

http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&cf=trailer&id=1808712981

Click on the clip "Matt goes to London"

Click on the clip "Matt goes to London"

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngggghhhhh is it September, yet? *flails*

Oops. I mean... Charlie's accent doesn't really sound like Cockney to me, but at the same time, I don't think it's going to bother me. At least it's not like an American trying to sound British and failing, which would bother me. I suppose it's much more obvious to people who live there, just like a bad Southern American accent is obvious to me.

Interesting stuff about dialects, and dialogue coaches. Even 'dumbed down' for us yanks, I still have to turn on the subtitles sometimes!

Anybody in the UK know exactly when Elijah will be on the BBC program with Jo Whiley tomorrow? Somebody at LJ said 7:00 or 8:00 in the evening which means, if my calculations are correct, I can easily catch it at 11:00am or noon west coast time. :z:

All you Faculty sibs in Edinburgh, I can't wait to hear all about your experiences! Are you 'mooting'? Have soooo much fun! And may your Lijahdar be keenly attuned!

honey!

Anybody in the UK know exactly when Elijah will be on the BBC program with Jo Whiley tomorrow? Somebody at LJ said 7:00 or 8:00 in the evening which means, if my calculations are correct, I can easily catch it at 11:00am or noon west coast time. :z: I thought it was on in the morning there! Somewhere I read 10 AM local time, which would put in in the wee hours of the morning here. I'll have to see if I can find where I read that.

Okay, I just checked the website (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/jowhiley/), and it says the show airs from 10:00-12:45 AM. Hope someone records and posts the thing! Though, as I recall, the interviews are archived on the website for a little while, aren't they? I just don't think I can manage to listen to it live. Shocking, I know.

:D

Please, no one hurl abuse at me for inattentive reading (in case this was already mentioned), but does Billy Boyd still reside in Scotland, and will he be there for this event, or, at least, in Scotland? This could be an opportunity for the two to get in touch, just as friends and former colleagues. Just wondering. I don't look on regular "what are the LotR's doing" threads any more, so I don't know what Billy Boyd is doing these days.
Hi Mechtild, whenever Billy's name is mentioned, I'm usually quick to come running! Yes, Billy still resides in Scotland - he's said that he prefers living in his homeland to the Hollywood scene. He has 4 new films coming out in the next few months, none of which are Hollywood films.

I can't imagine the two hobbits not getting together - Billy's film On A Clear Day is also featured at the Edinburgh Film Fest, and he's scheduled to be there. I'm anxiously waiting for pics of the two of them. :cool: :cool:

PS About "Sin City" - my son's eighteen, and he's always (good-naturedly) made fun of my hobbit adoration. His friend works at a video store, so the day Sin City was released they got together and watched it. My son came back just raving about how good Elijah Wood was in the movie. Even eighteen year old boys who prefer rap to Shore can now see Elwood's brilliance (don't know if that's a good testimonial or not, but it amused me).

PS#2 - It's probably already been linked here, but here is an article about the "fellow hobbits" being there:

http://news.scotsman.com/edinburgh.cfm?id=1797592005

At the bottom of the article I found the site for "Green Street," it looks a bit violent (my son will love it :rolleyes: ), but it still looks like another awesome performance by Elijah. It's just such a shame to see that ethereal face all bloodied! :(

I thought it was on in the morning there! Somewhere I read 10 AM local time, which would put in in the wee hours of the morning here. I'll have to see if I can find where I read that

Thank you, Bunnie! :k

I was thinking about how mature Elijah always seems in his magazine interviews (with the exception of his fondness for a couple of words I could go without hearing :rolleyes: ). Specifically I was thinking about what he said about the weight the words "I love you" should carry. Think of this in contrast to a certain 40-something, couch-jumping-upon actor, and his public declarations lately! Even without the rather astonishing contrast, Elijah repeatedly comes off as so wise and down-to-earth, especially for someone who is so young and could be so spoiled. Just sayin'.

honey!

Yes, honey, he does sound much more grown-up in these latest interviews. I could bust my buttons, if T-shirts had buttons. ;)

VintageHobbit, thanks so much for posting. :) I always love to hear what the rest of "the gang" is doing, even if I am too harried to go find it out for myself. It was good to hear more about, "On a Clear Day." I had been thinking they were making a remake of the old Broadway musical or something (since Billy sings so well). D'oh! Anyway, that article about the festival you linked made it sound verrrrra, verrrrra exciting. I'm very jealous of all the Edinbugh attendees! Including your friend, Whiteling. :p

Kumari, thanks so much for that corroboration on the "Americanizing" of Australian films. :k
One more OT question: on the copy of Babe we bought (I never saw it in the theatre), Farmer Hoggett speaks with a regional dialect, but his wife, children and grandchildren all speak American English. When his wife is speaking, especially, the voice does not seem to quite match the movement of the lips. Is this another instance of a company "Americanizing" a film for U.S. release? I found it extremely odd to watch an English-language film that appeared to be dubbed. :rolleyes:

~ Mechtild

One more OT question: on the copy of Babe we bought (I never saw it in the theatre), Farmer Hoggett speaks with a regional dialect, but his wife, children and grandchildren all speak American English. When his wife is speaking, especially, the voice does not seem to quite match the movement of the lips. Is this another instance of a company "Americanizing" a film for U.S. release? I found it extremely odd to watch an English-language film that appeared to be dubbed.


It must have been dubbed - The farmer's wife had as much of a regional accent as he did. Perhaps they did it for her and not him because she spoke quite fast (from what I remember). I didn't realise they did that to films for the American market. It is such a shame, since the accent is part of the culture being portrayed.

Thanks, Skater girl, for replying on the matter of dubbing. You wrote....

I didn't realise they did that to films for the American market. It is such a shame, since the accent is part of the culture being portrayed.
Yes, it is a shame. In fact, I hate it. It almost is a form of censorship. And it certainly is an insult to the intelligence of American viewers -- as if they are too clueless to be able to understand other dialects of English speech.

The decision to make a film "American-friendly" for U.S. distribution, by dubbing over regional speech, must be the decision of the distributors of Australian/New Zealander films. After all, we rent movies from Ireland and England all the time in which the regional dialects are extremely thick. Yet they are not dubbed.

Just think if some studio head suggested they over-dub African-American ghetto talk in a film about the inner-city, on the grounds that middle-class white viewers wouldn't be able to understand it. It would be unthinkable.

~ Mechtild

And if I didn't have my car with me, where would I sleep after I got there? :confused:

Hi tgshaw! Between the Festival thread, the Haremites, Brandy Hall, and the Faculty, there seems to be quite a crowd gathering down in Indianapolis the same weekend. It would be a shame for anyone to miss this, especially someone whom I've come to know as the Dean of Faculty Research. You would be more than welcome to grab a cot and stay in our room. I have four in my party but there is always room for one more. In fact, with my sister-in-law backing out of the trip, I do have "one" adult ticket available. It's yours if you want it. :)



:)




But it wood be rather a long drive for you. :(

.

Still OT on dialects/accents

...on the copy of Babe we bought (I never saw it in the theatre), Farmer Hoggett speaks with a regional dialect, but his wife, children and grandchildren all speak American English. When his wife is speaking, especially, the voice does not seem to quite match the movement of the lips. Is this another instance of a company "Americanizing" a film for U.S. release? [/QUOTE]

James Cromwell, who plays the part of Farmer Hoggett, is American and does very well with dialects! Magda Szubanski (Mrs Hoggett) was born in England but has lived in Australia probably for most of her life. She's very well-known here, and she definitely has an Australian accent. I obviously had no problem understanding her - but then again, maybe her accent was too broad for American audiences! :rolleyes:


Kumari

There are moments when I love being an insomniac! I'm sitting here listening to Jo Whiley on BBC Radio 1. It's 2:13AM my time; I woke up and tuned in just into time to hear her tell the previous DJ that she's got Elijah Wood on her show today. Quote Jo: "He's LOVELY!" :k Of course he is Jo! :D

ETA: hee hee! She says she's been a fan every since Flipper!

I was listening to Chris Moyles this morning (who DJs before Jo Whiley). They were also saying how nice EW was (taking the piss just a little, I’ll wager). And there was a trailer for the show: “Elijah Wood, Hollywood A-Lister and all-around nice guy”! Can’t wait to hear the interview.

Aw Rats! I didnt find out that Elijah was on Radio One until it was nearly over. :( That'll teach me to keep up with the Faculty on a daily basis.

Was he on for the whole show?

I caught the last 15-20 minutes, but he did say he had been taking some time off and didnt know what his next project would be although ;

There is something called Paris Je T'aime that they're doing in Paris at the moment, that is a collection of short films with various directors doing each individual piece, that will then be made into a full feature. Its kinda like an amazing project; The Coen brothers are working on it, Gus Van Santz (sp?), some amazing directors- so I'm doing one of those. Probably the first thing I do.

He also confirmed he was trying to set up Simian Records as his record label.

It was so nice to hear his voice and that infectious giggle.

ETA; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401711/
20 five-minute stories of luuuurve! ;)
Hang on ! Only five minutes of Lij?? :(

Wow, thanks, Random! When did Elijah get promoted to A-lister? Good for him!

Quicksilver, thank you for the update on his future projects. I'm not worried; he does play these things close to the vest. We shall see. :)

Kumari, I loved the discussion on accents. Babe is one of my favorite movies. I'll have to play it again and look for wife dubbing! (I know it sounds bad, but it's not a crime.) :D

Tg, how horrible for you to have to sleep in the car! I'd send you a tent or a mobile home if I could. If anyone deserves to see some of these things, it's you! Best wishes. :k

Just poked my nose in over at IMDB regarding Paris J'taime -- guess who else is going to be in that? Orlando! And here's the really funny part -- his character is listed as being named "Eli" -- :lol:

Also on the cast list are two other personal favorites of mine, Gael Garcia Bernal and Javier Bardem. Should be fun...

Just found out that its possible to listen online to a repeat of the Jo Whiley show with Elijah here for next 7 days....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/listen/

Elijah was on at 12.00- nearly at the end of the show (which started at 10 am)

I don't see Eljiah's name on the cast list for Paris J'taime :confused:. (They don't keep up with these things at IMDB very well. A friend's daughter is the only female lead in an independent production, and last I checked she's still not listed as one of the cast, and shooting was over about 2 months ago!) You don't suppose he's playing Iggy Pop in that film, do you?

I don't see Eljiah's name on the cast list for Paris J'taime :confused:. (They don't keep up with these things at IMDB very well. A friend's daughter is the only female lead in an independent production, and last I checked she's still not listed as one of the cast, and shooting was over about 2 months ago!) You don't suppose he's playing Iggy Pop in that film, do you?I noticed that too, honey. And whether he's gonna be Iggy in that one -- I suppose it's entirely possible. Of course, 20 5-minute stories don't give him much room to do anything (although you have to admit, 5 minutes as Kevin were mighty beneficial to his career!).

He said "the first thing he was doing" so that leads me to believe there are others, one of which may be Iggy, since he said in Jane that that wouldn't be for a while.

ETA: Elijah was also on the Simon Mayo show this morning -- go here to listen -- http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/programmes/mayo.shtml

He spoke about GSH and has now confirmed that while the Hobbits had hoped for walk-on bits in King Kong, they were never actually filmed. Oh well...

Sheryl, if she'd hang around this part of the board more... :rolleyes:

I do hang around - but I get behind right regular so I'm a lot quieter than I used to be. :p The Faculty she is zipping along anymore. (((((Faculty)))))

You could totally crash with us in Indy, but somehow I think you might not want to share a room with hubby and five kids. :o There are a bunch of former Haremite & Faculty LJers going; maybe one of them has an extra bed. Somehow we must work this out...

Because we all want to see what you look like. ;)

Sheryl

I had to smile Achila, when I heard Elijah reply to Simon's question of why West Ham was chosen for GS...."well, you'd have to ask the director to illuminate that"...perhaps not the exact wording of his response but then again I was to busy giggling just to hear him chose that word in his response....think he's got EiI on the brain? ;)


and thanks for the link to that interview :k

I had to smile Achila, when I heard Elijah reply to Simon's question of why West Ham was chosen for GS...."well, you'd have to ask the director to illuminate that"...perhaps not the exact wording of his response but then again I was to busy giggling just to hear him chose that word in his response....think he's got EiI on the brain? ;)Yep, I caught that and it made me giggle too.

For UK Facultiers- Elijah is on "The Bigger Picture " with Graham Norton tonight at 10.35 BBC 1. :D :D .Just saw an advert for it. And its recorded just before its aired so he cant be in Edinburgh yet.

Off to listen to the Simon Mayo interview now, thanks for the link Achilla. :k

Thanks for that tip, Quicksilver! I had only seen an unconfirmed rumour of that appearance, so it's nice to see that it's true.

Incidentally, there are downloadable versions of both radio shows at undone27's LiveJournal, for those who would like to save them for posterity. :)

Achilla and quicksilver, thank you for the links to the radio broadcasts!

I just love my new cable internet connection!! :cool:

Lots of lovely Elijah in the UK at the moment. :)

I loved Jo Whiley's comment after Elijah had left the studio this morning - IIRC: 'Honestly - God's honest truth - one of the nicest people we've had on the show.' :)

Thanks for the link Achila - I'll go and listen to Elijah on Simon Mayo in a moment.

And Quicksilver I'm so glad you noticed that Lij is on Graham Norton tonight - leaves me enough time to sort my Elijah video tape out. Thanks for that. :k And he's on GMTV tomorrow morning, too! They're spoiling us. :D

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LADY WENDY!

I thought I'd give you some JONATHAN (http://photobucket.com/albums/y121/Blossom10/?action=view&current=Wendy.gif) for your birthday.

Hope you've had a lovely day! :)

Thanks for the radio show download links, Bunnie.

Happy birthday Lady Wendy!!!!

Hallo everyone!!!!!

I so wich i lived in UK at this moment all this stuff with Élijah and nothing over here!!!!

But thanks to all of you for the links!!!!!

"waves" to blossom i will replay your mail, thanks!! i havent forgotten you!! :k

and waves to the faculty sisters who are going to scotland!!!! wish i coulde have been with you!!!!! :k

we are expecting a full report when you return!!! ;)

Hi, wood! Where have you been all summer? :k

Wendy, for your "Happy Birthday," I am posting a shot I think you have liked especially well in the past. It's one of his "classic film star" portrait shots.

So....

Happy Birthday, Wendy!


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/mechtild/pics%20for%20posts/EijahBWStar1.jpg


~ Mechtild

For UK Facultiers- Elijah is on "The Bigger Picture " with Graham Norton tonight at 10.35 BBC 1. :D :D .Just saw an advert for it. And its recorded just before its aired so he cant be in Edinburgh yet.

Thank you so much for letting us know about this. I would never have seen it otherwise, and wouldn't have realised how enjoyable Graham's new show is. I'm sorry I've missed it previously.

Elijah is looking great. I didn't like his dark hair in photos, but I have to admit now it suits him, and he looks so much healthier than last year when he was promoting ESOTSM. Looks like having a year off has done him good (along with getting a girlfriend).

2 radio shows and a TV show has been a wonderful build up for me, and I am getting quite excited about tomorrow's premiere, even if we do all get drenched waiting to see him.

Happy Birthday Lady Wendy. I hope you get to see Elijah on Wednesday in London!

Is anybody putting up the Graham Norton clip anywhere? Wants!!!! :eek:

I haven't seen it up anywhere, yet, but I know people who were recording it. We may have to wait awhile until it shows up.

Meanwhile, someone gifted me with this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v32/bunniebugs/Elijah/ElijahOMGsmall.jpg

They took a photo of their TV set for me! :lol: He looks fabulous, doesn't he? Love the shirt!

Happy Birthday, Lady Wendy!
What a lot of lovely Elijah you're getting!

Happy Birthday, Lady Wendy! :k :k :k

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v377/honeyelf/150.jpg

Bunnie, that picture of the TV set reminds me that somewhere in my dad's house there are pictures of our TV set taken the evening of the first-ever moon walk! I was eleven years old at the time. That's appropos of absolutely nothing, but it's just kind of funny. I guess there are historical events, and then there are Historical Events! :D

huge hugs,
honey!

Happy Birthday Lady Wendy!

Jazz Times Ten would like to play a song just for you!!


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v638/Shelbyshire/SNL2.jpg

Someone just posted some scans of the article from "The List" magazine, which is the guide to the Edinburgh Film Festival. The print is very small, I'm afraid, but I managed to read it all. If people have too much trouble with it, I could transcribe it, so let me know.

I'm not posting the cover, which is really lovely, but also a few years outdated.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v32/bunniebugs/Elijah/2A.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v32/bunniebugs/Elijah/3A.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v32/bunniebugs/Elijah/4A.jpg

So, news of yet another potential future project! And he used the word "illuminated" again. ;)

Thanks so much, BunnieBugs. I wear bi-focals now for reading, and I was able to read that, so I am guessing others will be able to read it, too. I thought that was a really solid article.

It does get tiresome, though, having the part of Frodo referred to in that typically eye-rolling, dismissive manner: "he achieved global fame with his portrayal of the furry-footed hobbit Frodo Baggins." I don't think this sort of remark dismisses Elijah, but I do think it dismisses Elijah's role, i.e. Tolkien's wonderful character.

"Cute little hobbit;" "furry-footed hobbit;" they all make me grit my teeth for the way they make the character of Frodo sound negligible or silly.

(I know, I know: "Lighten up, Mechtild!" ;) )

~ Mechtild

That bugs me, too, Mechtild. I mean... did people who refer to the hobbits that way actually SEE the films? :rolleyes:

Okay, I did a smattering of "research" into the novel that he's optioning. The reviews at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0810117096/002-5278009-3267235?v=glance) are interesting. So it's dark, depressing, a period piece, and a bit bizarre. Oh, the angst! Sounds perfect for Elijah, but it got me thinking...

I wonder if he actually optioned this as a possible role for himself? Or, maybe he's thinking that he'd like to direct it in a few years (a la Liev Schreiber with EII)? I suppose he might even try double duty, but I somehow can't see him attempting that, yet. Or, maybe I'm not giving him enough credit.

Of course, it's possible that he had something completely different in mind: to produce or have some sort of creative control over it or something. It might be something that he sticks on a shelf for years before he does anything with it. But, I'm incredibly intrigued that he thought enough of the story to actually want to option it. :cool: It will be interesting to see what, if anything, he ever does with it.

D'ya suppose he bought the option on that book to try his hand at screen-writing? He does like to write! And it would be a challenge, since the character seems to be one who is internally driven.

What an interesting fellow we've chosen to obsess over - um - I mean whose career we've chosen to follow!

I'll be away for a few days getting my 68 year-old, alzheimer's afflicted father sorted and settled. Send a prayer or positive thought my way if you please. The carrot on the end of my particular stick will be the thought of all the lovely 'Lijah stuff I'll be coming home to. That, and a certain little trip to New York!

love you all,
honey!

BunnieBugs, that's a lovely screencap. :)

I was right about his cheekbones having matured. :cool:

Could I please post it up on my LJ? :) Would that be OK?

PM me if there's a problem ... :)

What would we normal mortals do without the keen eyes of the Faculty? :k

-edit-

Hey girls, I just listened to the download of Elijah being interviewed by the very nice Jo Whiley on Radio 1 yesterday morning. I found the link from TheOneRing.net:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/jowhiley/interviews/elijah_wood_aug05.shtml

When you start listening, you can use the fast forward buttons which fast forward by 15 minutes, so you don't have to listen to the whole show, just the Elijah bits. :)

He's a doll. A total doll.

Awwww, he was lovely in that interview, Pearl. (There has been something amiss with the sound on the computer and it just now was fixed.) *sniff* The opening giggle did it. The rest was icing on the cake. No, really. He spoke really well, really naturually, and with great interest. They seemed to rub each other the right way to produce a genuinely friendly-sounding interaction in that interview.

P.S. I read your LJ comments on the Graham Norton show, too, Pearl. It sounded like a much less optimal interview, although EW sounds as though he shone, anyway. Would that be right?


That bugs me, too, Mechtild. I mean... did people who refer to the hobbits that way actually SEE the films?
Surely, they have. Perhaps they just can't resist trying to sound cute in their articles, trying to turn an eye-catching phrase, but it ends up being done at the expense of Frodo as a character.


~ Mechtild

What an interesting fellow we've chosen to obsess over - um - I mean whose career we've chosen to follow!Indeed HE is! All this Elijahness is providing a RUSH for me.

Thanks Bunnie for the scans. I had no problem reading them and was also able to print them. :k
Really enjoyed hearing him speak again in the radio interviews. All part of that magical package.
saile

peaceful thoughts Honey being sent your way

I was lucky enough to catch the GMTV interview before I went to work. Nice and lovely as usual! I was a bit worried when one of the presenters introduced EW as ‘fourteen year old Elijah Wood’ but after the ad break both of them said they had been ‘transfixed’ talking to EW meanwhile so obviously THE EYES had worked their own spooky charm! All the same stuff about Hooligans, plus two nice bits:

- one presenter mentioned how he was into old blues, so of course he and Lij had a cosy chat about that for a while
- they actually brought out the Sunday Times Culture magazine with the v. old photo of Lij on it and said ‘you look about 12!’ EW was able to confirm that the pic was indeed about five years old. So yah boo sucks photo editor. (Although the pic is awfully cute and if I may be a little pervy, strangely alluring.)

Lots of exciting new projects! Am so happy and looking forward to future EW quirkiness.

Random, I do hope that interview is linked by the time I get back from work. I am panting to hear/see it, as well as the Graham Norton, whether good or ill.

You wrote:

- they actually brought out the Sunday Times Culture magazine with the v. old photo of Lij on it and said ‘you look about 12!’ EW was able to confirm that the pic was indeed about five years old. So yah boo sucks photo editor. (Although the pic is awfully cute and if I may be a little pervy, strangely alluring.)
Whichpic is that?

~ Mechtild :)

Pearl, of course you may post the pic -- I have no problem with that!

Mechtild, the picture they used for that magazine was this one:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v32/bunniebugs/Elijah/nngh.jpg

It was from a shoot that was used for promotion of The Faculty, so it's actually even older, yet. He had to have been 17 or 18 when it was taken. Shame on them for using such an ancient photo! :mad: Not sure what I think about them introducing him as "fourteen year old Elijah Wood," either -- were they just having some fun at his expense? Grrr.

He's dressed for the occasion me thinks!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v404/billiep/green.jpg
saile

Happy birthday Lady Wendy (and Shelbyshire who I forgot before :eek: )

He had to have been 17 or 18 when it was taken.

I am a definite perv then!

Not sure what I think about them introducing him as "fourteen year old Elijah Wood," either -- were they just having some fun at his expense? Grrr.

Admittedly the whole show is a bit, er, informal, so it didn't jar too much but my heart did sink a little. It got a lot better after that. I feel very bad about not supplying the clip only my tech knowhow has got so rusty I'm not sure I know how to programme the video any more. :( No doubt one of the other UK-ers will have been more enterprising.

Really going now. :)

MY THOUGHTS ARE WITH YOU HONEY!!!! :k :k :k

MECHTILD,I HAVE BEEN AROUND HERE!! NOT GONE VERY FAR!!! :k

COULDENT IN A MILJONE YEARS LEAVE THIS PLACE!! ;) :D

BUT RL LIFE DID FIND ME EVEN THOU I WAS RUNING FROM IT
AS FAST I COULDE!!! :lol:

YOU MY FRIENDS AND ELIJAH OFCURES ARE WAY TO PRESSOUS TO ME!!
:k :k :k


LOVE YOU ALL/ WOOD

Thanks so much, BunnieBugs, for posting the shot in question.

Random had written,

...[T]hey actually brought out the Sunday Times Culture magazine with the v. old photo of Lij on it and said ‘you look about 12!’ EW was able to confirm that the pic was indeed about five years old.
Then you wrote,

It was from a shoot that was used for promotion of The Faculty, so it's actually even older, yet. He had to have been 17 or 18 when it was taken. (...) Not sure what I think about them introducing him as "fourteen year old Elijah Wood," either (...) .
Let's see.... *gets out calculator*

If EW is 24 years old, and if 5 subtracted from 24 is 19, you were pretty darned close, Bunnie, guessing 17 or 18 years for that shot. I don't know what those guys on the show were thinking of, though, now that I am looking at that pic. He doesn't look 12 to me in that pic, nor 14. No sirree Bob. Eighteen, is just about what I would have guessed. In my opinion, he has a very legal look in his eye.

Now, this piccie shows 14-year old 'Lij (came out in 1995), and there are some people who have been deservedly accused of perving over it. Not naming any names or anything.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/mechtild/pics%20for%20posts/Elijah42-Ridiculous.jpg


wood, I guess it is I who have been missing, not you. I stand sweetly corrected. :k

~ Mechtild

Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you,ladies of the Faculty...for all my lovely Birthday wishes and pics ...
:k

Blossom You have come up with the goods as usual, with a splendiferous Birthday Gif...from EII, no less...and the clip you chose was perfect...there's the first thing I would do if I met Jonathan...get those bloody, horrible glasses off his beautiful face, just to see his features underneath...
Oh My - how much am I looking forward to this movie ??? !!!

Now then, at lunch today, I was somewhat distracted from what I was eating by the sight of Our Lij guesting on the BBC News at One programme...and they showed clips...yes, CLIPS...from "Green Street"...
And when I got home, I just ran to the computer to get the downloadable versions...here :-

BBC News Green Street clips (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/4177160.stm#)

I haven't even watched these myself yet, so I do hope they are good... ( the Beeb is usually very reliable where this kind of thing is concerned though )

Mech
In my opinion, he has a very legal look in his eye.
Well, I'm just shocked....SHOCKED... I tell you !!
:lol:

( URGENT>>>PMs for Pearl and Brummie....regarding tomorrow night's "Green Street" Premiere )

oh ,thank you thank you lady wendy!!!! :k :k

i cant wait to see this movie!!!! ;)

the dark side is awaken in me!!!!!! :cool:
love this kind of movies!!! :D :cool:

Mechtild you are right ,i havent been here that much and havent been posting for weeks what i meant was that i have been lurking around
here but havent hade any thing of importense to say i have just read and as alwayes enjoyed everybody elses posts!!
just love you ladies!!!

oh by the way just loved you new chapter!!!! :k :k

WOOD

Happy Birthday Lady Wendy:


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v480/ylla/thhooligans.jpg


BTW anyone got The Graham Norton show to share with those hungry to see it? I remember last time he was on that show and if it's anywhere near as funny, then I really need to see it :D
and I have to say he's looking quite dapper in those photos over in LJ land from the film fest...(however the boots don't quite match the suit...ohhh Lij...you and your fondness for certain vintage items :k )

Hey Vinnie! Lurking over here too, are ya? :k

Yes, you’re right, the Faculty does move pretty fast. ((((Faculty)))) I’m over here checking on Alyon to see if she survived the weekend

I'm sorry, Ezzie, that I didn't acknowledge this post earlier. I've been having connectivity problems. (Sounds like something to do with middleage. more likely my middleage computer). Thank you so much for including me in your activities. I had a blast with you all!! Hope to see you back next year :k
Happy Birthday, Lady Wendy!!!!!

Catching up--still trying to get used to the idea of Elijah playing Iggy Pop!!! I can't wait. Funny thing is that I went to work the next day after finding out about that here in the Faculty, and I mentioned it to a friend of mine and she said "I knew that!" Now how could she know???? Before me? Before the Faculty?? "I don't know, I read it somewhere....or heard it."

Hmm...secret connections??? I just don't know.

About IMDb not yet mentioning Elijah on that project. I've found out that when something is in pre-production, or in production, it's often the actors or their representatives themselves who add their names to the cast list. I mean, any of us could do it. Click the Add info button. YOu don't have to have any qualifications as far as I can tell. But they do go checking their facts before posting the info, and that can take a long time. So that might well explain why Elijah isn't listed...his people haven't gotten around to it???

Oh I love those shots from The Faculty promotion. Gotta be 18. Just gotta be legal. :p :)

thanks for all of the lovely reports from Britain. And for the scan, Bunnie.--I could just read it. By the way, it is more unusual when someone doesn't say something really nice about Elijah after interviewing him than when they do. He really tends to make an impression..... :)

Good luck, Honey!! with your Dad. HOpe to see you back here soon :k

Nice to see you Wood!
Thanks for the info about Billy, Vinnie!!!. I also will be looking forward to seeing photos of those boys together!
Mechtild:Surely, they have. Perhaps they just can't resist trying to sound cute in their articles, trying to turn a catching phrase, but it ends up being done at the expense of Frodo as a character.
Just media hype, isn't it? That people pick up without thinking and keep repeating. I don't like it either!!

Happy Birthday Lady Wendy !!! (first things first!!) :)

Am just sending you all a thought before going to bed. I have only just come back from a late dinner with Whiteling, Serena and Skatergirl (and a non-faculty member!) after a day of Le Squee-age Totale. :D I enjoyed meeting fellow Faculty-members very very much!! thank u ladies for a perfect ending to a perfect day! :k And thanks to everyone at the Faculty for being the best gathering for Elijah-fans there is, I'd love to meet many more of you IRL.

(I am doubleposting this to the Hugs Haven also, and I am aware of it. I've not gone quite mental just yet.)

The movie, Green Street, was about a million times better than I had expected and is now one of my fave movies everrrrr!!! :eek: :eek: :eek:
I so want to do anything and everything I possibly can to help promote this profound tale of grief and fear and hope and of course...many, many memorable moments of Elijah microexpressing a wide variety of subtle emotions in contrast to a true-to-life bleak London milieu and the stark violence of football hooliganism. I cried my eyes out and was infact still in tears by the time the Q&A started. Go see this movie!!!!!!!

As for Elijah, he is the most beautiful thing I ever saw.

Originally from Mechtild:
Surely, they have. Perhaps they just can't resist trying to sound cute in their articles, trying to turn a catching phrase, but it ends up being done at the expense of Frodo as a character.
IMHO, they're still stuck in Mark Hamill mode -- I mean, "nearly typecast" -- as if he barely escaped it :rolleyes: . I thought his response was exactly right, though, basically saying that looking for projects different from the one he did last is what he's always done, and that because the LotR movies were so much in the public consciousness, there's just been more emphasis on it. (And, if nothing else, "furry footed hobbit" is redundant :rolleyes: .)

Happy belated birthday, Lady Wendy!

I'm at the office, so don't have access to any new pics to post, or even to any exciting old ones, so how about an excited old one :p :

http://www.frodolivesin.us/Pics/018f45e0.jpg

This is all just a little overwhelming, y'know? :eek: It's going to take me a couple of weeks to deal with all this new material! And we haven't even heard from Edinburgh yet! [ETA: Simulposted with Eandme, so that last sentence isn't entirely true anymore :) .]

-----------

:k Honey, having just moved my nearly 89-year-old mother into an assisted living set-up, I'll be thinking of you.

Happy Birthday, Lady Wendy -- I got you a little something....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/aquila0212/ridiculous_thoughts_1.jpg

Eandme! Thanks for the first word out of Edinburgh on the movie! So glad that you enjoyed it. And yes, he is indeed beautiful in it! (And out of it as well, of course.)

Lady Wendy: OOPS! Sorry I missed your birthday. Hope it was happy!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v653/Lalage/oops.jpg

Just found this over at bbc.co.uk: Rings star launches hooligan film The Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood is in Edinburgh for the UK premiere of his latest film Green Street, in which he appears as a football hooligan. Wood plays a student who gets drawn into the hooligan "firm" at West Ham. He became a West Ham regular during his research and said he was impressed by the "passion and devotion and rabid, dog-like, manic energy" of the fans.

Director Lexi Alexander, a former hooligan, said violence at her club in Germany was "an expression of love". Wood, who starred as Frodo in the Oscar-winning Rings trilogy, plays a former Harvard student who moves to London.

The actor said British football matches were unlike sporting events in the US.
"There is certainly an energy about going to see a live sporting event - basketball is fantastic - but there's nothing more exciting than going to a football match," he said.
"I was massively impressed by it and I think it really did hit me what it means to these fans. It's unlike anything I've ever seen. I love that. "I could go to football games for the rest of my life just to experience that energy because it's a rush unlike anything I've ever felt."

Lexi Alexander said she became a football hooligan as a teenager in Mannheim, Germany. "Reliable. Protective. Loyal. Consistent. That's what I remember most about the guys in the firm," she said. "The riots were about proving our love, because obviously a bunch of guys don't walk around telling each other 'I love you, man'.
"I have a special place for those guys in my heart, because I know each one of them would literally jump in front of a train for me. Who can say that about one friend, let alone fifty? I feel lucky to know them."

After Tuesday's premiere in Edinburgh, the film's cast and crew will travel to the London premiere on Wednesday. Am still mulling over the discussion of Elijah-as-Iggy, which came up while I was out of town. I’ve been saying that I’d like to see him play a more extroverted character, and this would certainly be one! And he’d look great in eyeliner.

Eandme! Thanks for the first word out of Edinburgh on the movie! So glad that you enjoyed it. And yes, he is indeed beautiful in it! (And out of it as well, of course.)


Oh, I meant in reality of course. In the movie he was very good, very natural. No cringing there. But I didn't exactly cringe a few hours ago when he hugged me either... *does crazy happy Saturday Night Fever -style dancing* Ok, I'll promise to shut up and go to bed now and hopefully I'll get my photos up Thursday when I'm back home, and hopefully a full report before that.

Eandme wrote: But I didn't exactly cringe a few hours ago when he hugged me either... [Pelagia turns green with envy]

(And, if nothing else, "furry footed hobbit" is redundant .)
Ha! Tg! Just what I thought. "So, which hobbit is not furry-footed?" *scratches head*

Eandme, your first-hand report from seeing the new film thrilled me. More! More! Truly, Faculty regulars, as some of you know I am very cautious about squeeing over EW the actor/person, but he has reeeeeeeaaaaallly been impressing me these last weeks.

Edited to add: You HUGGED???????????????? Oh, guh....

Now I definitely want to hear more.

Achila, P.S. I love that shot you posted from Ridiculous Thoughts. Thank you! :k

Oh I love those shots from The Faculty promotion. Gotta be 18. Just gotta be legal.
You see, Wendy? I am not the only one. :D

Alyon, speaking of pics from The Faculty, I was cruising screencaps for that film today and cropped this. I think it is simply beautiful, reminding me of a Baroque painting, even if it's a contemporary photograph, essentially:


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/mechtild/elijahfacultybaroqueportrait.jpg


OT: wood, thanks for the comment on the chapter. I am so glad you enjoyed it. I wasn't sure you hadn't got fed up and quite reading by now! :rolleyes: :p

~ Mechtild

Eandme, thank you for staying up and posting that smashing review. I'm thrilled! :k AND WHAT'S ALL THIS ABOUT HUGGING!? I expect a full report. :)

Bunnie, thank you for posting the article!

Honey, best wishes to you and your family. *hugs*

Pearl, thank you once again for braving the interview circuit. You are a queen!

Wise words, Mechtild, about reviewers trying to be cute. *puts dirt in their coffee*

I’ve been saying that I’d like to see him play a more extroverted character, and this would certainly be one! And he’d look great in eyeliner.
*snork!*

Thank you Mechtild and Mariole!! and Good morning everyone! It's a lovely day in Edinburgh and I am just sitting down for ten minutes to talk Green street with you my dear friends. Then I am going out into the sunshine! :cool: oh and Pelagia, it is ok to turn green, Elijah was wearing bottle green velvet last night :D
:rolleyes: Ahem. sorry.

MAJOR SPOILERS ABOUT GREEN STREET
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This will only make sense if you have seen the movie.
I was struck by the parallells so Odysseus. The greek myth.
"The Major", Steve, like Odyssevs, has left a lifestyle of fighting after an incident when a child was killed. In Odysseus case, that child was the prince, the son of King Agamemnon, right? In Green Street that child is the son of the head of the Millwall firm, so if Tommy is the king of Green Street Elite's worst enemies, then the boy is a "prince".
In Green Street it is the death of the child that makes Steve quit, and in Oddyseus case it is the killing of the child prince that destroys his soul.
Odysseus, like Steve, is pulled back and asked to fight. Odysseus is told by the God of warfare that he must return to Ithaka to kill the suitors to his wife Penelope. In Green Street, the wife has more the position of that semigoddess Nausika with whom Oddysseus stays for years after he has left the Trojan war. She is his new life, away from blood and corruption. The two are portrayed as very close and enjoying eachother physically, like Oddyssevs and Nausika are described to live a life of sexual bliss that helps Oddysseus but perhaps withouth really healing him (?).
I also thought of how the violence continues to perpetuate itself, which is one of the strong messages of the Oddysseus myth. How revenge gives birth only to new loss and ensuing revenge.

Edit 2: One more thing that I see as a parallell to the greek myth of Odysseus is how the lot is cast on which team will play which. The big draw that leads to Millwall meeting Wets Ham. In the greek mythology, the fate of humans is decided by the Gods playing with them like children with toy soldiers.

I was sitting in the movie theatre, considering this, and thinking I am probably just overly obsessed with the story of Oddysseus. But then later last night, I asked Whiteling what she thought of the movie and she said " It reminded me of a greek saga". :eek:

I think it would be wise to promote Green Street positively. Rather than saying it's not about violence, a phrase I heard several times last night at the q&a, they should clearly state what it is infact about. For me it was about the necessity to stand your ground in the sense that you must deal with your grief, with your past, with you self. Violence in this movie could be seen as a metaphor for anything that people use as an escape form the reality of their pain and fear and loss of security.

I also want to report an interesting discussion from last night which included myself, Skatergirl, Serena and Whiteling. In my view, Green Street does not have a happy ending. I think Matt ends up being torn between the place where he felt he could belong and the place where he has to learn to live without that sense of security. He seemed painfully alone at the very end, just hearing the imaginary voices in his head. I think my fellow Facultyladies argued that he has been changed for the better in a way because he is letting the experience work for him and he is able to stand up to the guy who did him wrong. I agree that he is returning to the US determined to stand his groud in a way, but like Frodo he is not returning unscathed, unchanged. There is that loss of innocence and there is a tremendous loneliness.

edit: second time around I paid special attention to the narration toward the end, when Matt says "Pete's life taught me that there is a time when you have to stand your ground, and that there is a time when you have to walk away".
I still think there is an even deeper message in this story, but that it is hidden also from Matt Buckner's view. To stand your ground also means to stand on your ground, to stand on the ground where your life is lived, i.e. not to run. It made me think of the passage in the Bible when G-d says to Moses "take off your shoes for the ground upon which you stand is holy". To be present where you are at, in that very reality, can be challenging, even impossible. I read in a news article here some comment on how football violence creates a buzz that becomes a drug, a way to escape the humdrum of daily life.
I now think that GS is focused on how to get to that point of being able to embrace your life as it is and not as you would have it, the learning experience and what it does to a person.

There are a lot of wonderful moments inthe movie when Elijah is just incredibly good. He is totally natural and his face is an ever changing caleidoscope of expressions, mingling and dissolving and returning with renewed strenght, wonderful to watch esp as there are many many close-ups where you can follow everything going on in his face for a long time. Elijah breaks my heart with this one scene. It's very simple. It's when Matt has spent a few weeks in GSE. He is just walking down the street. His face has hardened, the look in his eyes is different... and E does it so well it's like watching a fall from grace and it gripped my heart like a cold hand. It was the first time during the movie I shed tears and I guess you can say it opened the floodgates.... I left the cinema in a state of dehydration. :rolleyes: /edit

Interesting to see that we all can percieve the same movie in such differentiated ways. It was great to have a Real Life Faculty moot right after the movie!! :D

But, sweetie, tell us about the HUG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:D:D:D:D:D:D

*jumps up and down*

Well. It's a rainy day in London. And I'm gonna go Elijah-spotting with Lady Wendy and Brummie and Opaline later on today. Life is a blast. :D

It is indeed, as you say, a blast. :)

I hope you get to meet Elijah. There was talk of the movie being screened at the Apollo tonight, but I'm sure you will have found out all there is to find out already.

The hug. yeah. I don't really have the words for that. I think the whole thing, seeing him and being around him, was in its entirety a good experience for me. I feel it kinda balanced my life out somehow. I have no idea how to talk about this in a coherent way. I had not met him before, and he means a lot to me, and it was very special. :rolleyes: *stares at keyboard* (C'mon! Work with me here!!) I posted some things about my impressions of him in the Hugs Haven last night. I don't think I can add much to what I've said there.

Eandme, I haven't seen GSH, but it may never be screened where I can see it, so, of course, I read your "spoilers." That was extremely thought-provoking and it makes me want to see it even more.

Spoilers in answer to spoilers....

Your note, especially, about the tone of the ending for Matt sounded like it struck a nerve of the film, one that relates to real-life experience for most folk, had they gone through a similar ordeal. Especially the note about loneliness. EW and others from the film have talked about both the rush of what they did (as the Firm) and the bonding they shared because of it. To suddenly find himself without that again should have been more than merely unnerving or "a bummer."

Thanks, again, so much. I'll go and gush about "the hug" over at the Haven, where I am going now.


Just another Edinburgh shot I really liked, gleaned from Undone27's LJ:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/mechtild/ElijahEdinburghhandtomouth.jpg

~ Mechtild

I started a new project this week....
File management for my computer...seems my hard drive is 2/3 full. My brother-in-law, who has been instrumental in teaching me how to use the thing ,says I can get more space by off loading some of my pictures and video files to discs. Man, what a project :eek: . The only good thing about it is I've found things I never knew I had. Like this one:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v480/ylla/gapbillboard.jpg

Imagine the traffic jams this little baby produced. Glad it wasn't in my hometown...because I would have been staring at it all day :cool:

LOL!!! Ylla if that picture shoulde turn up in my hometown i can tell
you i woulde be out of licens!!!!! :lol:

My dear friends in Scotland,I KNEW IT I KNEW IT!!!!!!! :eek:

I shoulde have thrown a way my bills, take a week of again, told my hubby to shot up, thrown my self in a plain and yoin you ladies!!!!! :( :(
Just kidding,i think!!! :lol: :lol:

I am so happy for you all!!! :k :k

I know if i have gone with you and experinced waht you all did with ""HUGS!!!!!!!!!""""and everything i woulde proberbly hade tryed to kidnappad
the poor mr. gourges!!!! :lol:

I waiting for some pictures to you know!!!!!!! :z: :z: :z:

LOVE YOU ALL/WOOD

EandMe, I enjoyed your follow-ups and experiences. Thanks so much for sharing them!

And thank you, EandMe and Mechtild, for making your spoilers so easy to skip. I appreciate that! :k

Ladies, good hunting on your Elijah-spotting excusion! Report! :)

Eandme- I'm virtually hugging you and feeling the Elijah Vibes. :D Thanks for your Hugs Haven report.

I hope Pearl, Wendy and Opaline get to see the lad too. * sends good weather their way*.

I shall have to content myself in the fact that at least for a few days I have been in the same country as he is. ;)

I found a Film Festival interview here (http://scotlandtoday.scottishtv.co.uk/content/default.asp?page=s1_2_2&newsid=8697&newsType=) with a video clip, but I cant get it to work myself. :mad: Anyone else have any joy with it?

I found a Film Festival interview here (http://scotlandtoday.scottishtv.co.uk/content/default.asp?page=s1_2_2&newsid=8697&newsType=) with a video clip, but I cant get it to work myself. :mad: Anyone else have any joy with it?

I have it available for download, if you'd like it!


Scotland Today Interviews Elijah (http://bunnie.mothtoaflame.com/video/240805wood_56k.wmv) Right-click-save, WMV, 616 KB

It's terrible quality (as is the original) but better than nothing. Some new footage from the film in there, too. :cool:

This blip about the Elf Convention in Orlando Florida August 26-28 was posted on theonering.net Elijah will be at the Toronto SFX Convention August 27 and at the Elf Convention in Orlando on the 28th.

Hug A Hobbit: ELF This Weekend!!!!!

8/22/05, 3:36 pm EST - Xoanon
From sptimes.com: Listen for the pitter-patter of hairy feet at the Wyndham Orlando Resort Hotel Friday and Saturday at Elf: A Weekend of Wonder, a convention for Lord of the Rings fans. Sorry, girls, despite the location Orlando Bloom isn't expected, but Elijah Wood (Frodo Baggins), Sean Astin (Sam Gamgee) and John Rhys Davies (Gimli) will be on hand. So will the makers of two spinoff films, the documentary Ringers: Lord of the Fans and the spoof Dork of the Rings, which features such creatures as Throbbits and Elfises. Go to creation.com for information.

Thank you Bunnie for the link quicksilver brought to notice. (P.S., your link worked for me, quicksilver.)

As usual, the image was tiny and vague looking, but the audio was fine. I thought it was worth listening to. I wish it had been longer (less than two minutes). I thought Elijah did especially well answering the question that went something like, "I suppose it must have been a big change from being in a big blockbuster, having to down-size for something like this?" In answer, EW mentioned the greater commitment it required (not in those words) to be in on a project so early on, to take it through the festivals, etc.

Anyway, my feeling was, stepping back from it, is that EW really might want to try the production end sometime. He seemed quite ... gratified ... to be that involved in the making and promoting of a film. It might be right up his street to become fully involved in making a picture and not just acting in it.

Ylla, I loved that pic you posted. Yes, I would have had to pull over and stare. I love that shot, and to see it so HUGE; well, look out, cars behind me.

Eandme, I already gushed in Hugs Haven, but thanks again for your report. It was perceptive, intellectually, but you also seemed to risk a bit of your own heart in sharing it. I am grateful. :)

~ Mechtild

Thanks Bunnie- the audio worked for me that time. :cool: Still no video but thats OK- I think the problem is my ancient computer. :rolleyes:

Txtac- Elijah will be suffering from permanent jet lag with all this travel to and fro across the pond!

Ylla- forgot to say I love the photo. Gosh- he looks good any size doesnt he? ;)

thanks Mechtild, quicksilver and Mariole! I have now watched Green Street a second time around, and without dropping a clanger of a spoiler here... :rolleyes: I just want to say that the second time around made solid my impression from the first viewing. I will however edit my previous post about GS to say something about Elijah's acting.

I brought a friend to see GS tonight, a stranger to Elijah and to fandom and certainly to football hooliganism. She liked the film a lot which made me very happy.

I am leaving Edinburgh in the wee hours. I can't wait to get home and call anybody and everybody in the Swedish film industry to talk about Green Street. Thanks to all who wished me well on this trip, perhaps it was your fairydust that made it happen! "It" being....you know. :D

Thanks to all who wished me well on this trip, perhaps it was your fairydust that made it happen! "It" being....you know. :D
I do believe in fairies, I do, I do...

Pleased to have been of assistance. It appears to have happened to a most wonderful person, a Faculty associate, of course!! :k Thank you for your very honest review of all things Green Street!!!

Shelbyshire, stop with the, "I believe in fairies!" I know you are thingking of ME, not EW, and I'll be seeing you in only two months. You will find that I don't look a bit like fairies, and you will be, oh, so disappointed. (I am not little, lithe, filled with light, exceedingly fair, nor, alas, immortal. :cool: )

Eandme, I just wanted you to know I loved reading your "edits" to your Green Street Hooligans review on the previous page. You do, unfortunately, only make me want to see it more than ever. :z: :) :D

~ Mechtild

I've written this up on my Live Journal, truncated version here. :)

I met Opaline, Lady Wendy and Brummie yesterday afternoon (it is yesterday now) and we wended our way over to the Apollo cinema in Regent Street, there to patiently wait in the pouring rain with a gaggle of devoted Elijah-swooners and some very odd people who looked suspiciously like LOTR fans. :D

And we waited.

And we waited.

Aaaaaaaaaand ... we waited.

We got there at 5.15pm, or thereabouts, on the understanding that Elijah would turn up between 6.30pm and 7pm. Which was sort of true. He turned up all right, but inside the cinema (the sneaky beggars must have snuck him in at the back!!) and hardly anybody got to see him, apart from a very few who were allowed inside to get Elijah's autograph.

Earlier, our little Gang of Four had incurred the wrath of a particularly devoted Elijah-fan who accused us of barging in front of her (she'd been waiting in the same spot since 2pm. 2pm???? Was she mad??????) I nicknamed her Brunnhilde, the Valkyrie of Wrath. (Not to her face, I hasten to add.)

It wasn't true. We didn't barge anywhere. We just sort of melted into the crowd and the crowd spilled over the pavement onto the road and we all got shouted at by irate stewards who were trying to keep the crowd in line (boy, these people must really enjoy their jobs.)

It was a weird place to have a film premiere (even though the Apollo cinema is one of the nicest cinemas in the capital) and the crowd control was ludicrous. There was only a small rope barrier and people were milling about before it, and for their pains they got yelled at by the power-hungry stewards.

And nobody told the fans anything, which I thought was pretty bad of the faceless Management (whoever they were.) The fans knew Elijah was in the cinema foyer because suddenly everybody caught sight of him (everybody, that is, except us) and called out his name. But he didn't come out.

I felt sad for Elijah's fans, and actually I would have found the whole experience dispiriting if I hadn't been with my friends. This is the kind of thing I would never dream of doing in a million years if it wasn't for LOTR and Elijah Wood. I never normally go to film premieres, I don't even care about getting autographs.

But seeing Elijah would have been good. :) Ah, we were so near and yet so far! We amused ourselves by observing lots of Random Clueless people wandering up to the crowd and joining the queue for no other reason that I could see except that this is England and if there's a queue you join it automatically even though you may not have a bloody clue about what the bloody queue is queueing for. Oh, I love this country. I really do. :D

Then there were all the Random Clueless people on double-decker buses going right past the cinema and gazing vaguely and gormlessly straight into the Apollo foyer and no doubt actually seeing Elijah in the frigging foyer. Gaaaaaah! Would these Random Clueless people on the top deck of the bus realise that the sweet young man in the foyer was the boy who played Frodo Baggins???? Would they be taking photos on their mobile phones of the sweet young man who played Frodo Baggins?????? Would they hell! Useless, the lot of 'em. :D

A rainbow arched over the street. We decided this was Elijah's aura, or the touch of Elbereth, or ... er ... something nice. :) Having paid our dues, and got little in return, we melted away, and the four of us found a pub in Soho, and raised our glasses to Elijah, and friendships made on the internet. :)

Film sounds good. Very keen to see it now. :)

And I'd love to meet the lad :) but under different circumstances from the above. :D

on the way home tonight.

I normally only go to my NJ office 2x a week, but I'm working on a project that has required me to be there every day this week. That's 2 hrs up and 2 hrs back. Now, I thought this was kind of funny, tho maybe it's because I'm so punchy from all the driving.

I was thinking about our guy and got in the mood to hear Elton John's "Blue Eyes". I put in the CD and sang along, and then noticed that the back of the van directly in front of me said, "Windsor Woodworking", and their phone number was something like xxx-xxx-WOOD. Of course, I'd notice that and I smiled at the coincidence.

But what really made me laugh was the car that got in front of me after the next light. It's vanity license plate read, "BLUE IZE". :D

Pearl and Achila, what two very evocative posts! Thank you for writing them. :k

Pearl, your story as it stands here (I haven't yet looked in your LJ - I may say differently, then!), told me a tale that would have given me a great deal of woe had I experienced it. And I'm not even a "true" Elijah Wood fan! (I think I am getting there, though. :D ) I normally behave like "Miss Mild Mannered Person, Ever Cheerful" etc. in public places. But what happened to the four of you might have made me a bit ... edgy ... in a visible way. You interpreted the whole thing with humour and grace, but I was really sorry to hear how things turned out.

I am really, really sorry. And Elijah missed seeing four exceeding lovely, smart, and appreciative fans.

Whaaaaah! :(

P.S. I also thank you for inadvertently showing me that I had chosen the wrong version of cue/queue for a post in the Harem. I ran right over and fixed it, all on account of you. *smooch*


Achila, seeing that license plate must have been the icing on the cake. I think I would have been smiling from ear to ear.

~ Mechtild

Achila, seeing that license plate must have been the icing on the cake. I think I would have been smiling from ear to ear.Actually, I laughed my head off.

Pearl, I'm so sorry your patience had no sweet payoff. If only Elijah had come outside and personally hugged everyone--that would be nice. Gak. The management needs to get a clue! *hugs*

Achila, I loved your story! I think this is an example of the universe lining up around an interest. Lovely. :D

. This is the kind of thing I would never dream of doing in a million yearsI know the feeling. :haha:
but when you said and the four of us found a pub in Soho, and raised our glasses to Elijah, and friendships made on the internetnow that sounds pretty special and I certainly got a "good visual" of Brunnhilde and the people on the doubledecker buses. Oh Thanks for that. :k
saile

from Pearl:
...observing lots of Random Clueless people wandering up to the crowd and joining the queue for no other reason that I could see except that this is England and if there's a queue you join it automatically even though you may not have a bloody clue about what the bloody queue is queueing for...
:lol: And :k Pearl -- Great to "see" you!

------------

Went back and read your review additions, Eandme. When this picture came out, I had something of the same reaction to the "hardened" Matt:

http://www.frodolivesin.us/new/078c2260.jpg

...and what you say about it is very thought-provoking.

-------------

Although I bought Elijah's cover edition of YM straight up and don't worry too much about looking "age appropriate," I happened upon another method of buying Jane without attracting attention: Buy something really big at the same time (like a 6-foot-high storage cabinet), so the poor trainee checkout kid has to concentrate on finding the bar code on that and doesn't notice much else ;) . On the same trip that I found Jane - and the storage cabinet - at ShopKo, I also spyed Premiere on the magazine shelves, with a blurb on the front about fall movies. Figured it was the one with just the small mention of EII in it, but took it off the shelf anyway and was happily surprised to find out it was the one with the Liev/Elijah interview in it! So, thanks to ShopKo for not always keeping their magazine selection up-to-date :p !

Most of the important stuff from both of those interviews has been posted already, but I'll add one thing from the Jane article that immediately brought the Faculty to mind :p :
Elijah brings out the bubbe in half our staff, who want to pinch his adorable cheeks. The rest want to kiss 'em.
This is written in very small print at the top of the article, and it may say something that I had to hold the magazine directly under the light to be able to read it, even with my "multi-focal" lenses :D .

----------------

The first chapter of Novel with Cocaine is available through the "Look inside the book" feature at amazon. Yeeks! Spending 200 pages (or 2 hours) inside the head of this particular 16-year-old character is not something I'm happily anticipating :( . It might make an interesting movie if some of it could be shown from other -- or even multiple -- POVs. I'll have to trust in Elijah's creativity at this point. (There isn't really a smiley for "concern and apprehension" is there? :confused: )

Yeeks! Spending 200 pages (or 2 hours) inside the head of this particular 16-year-old character is not something I'm happily anticipating :( . It might make an interesting movie if some of it could be shown from other -- or even multiple -- POVs. I'll have to trust in Elijah's creativity at this point. (There isn't really a smiley for "concern and apprehension" is there? :confused: )Sixteen? The character is sixteen? :confused: I had thought he was a university student, but then, I only read a few brief synopses and some of the review on Amazon. I guess that means that unless he's planning on adjusting the age, Elijah's not planning on playing this character himself (though, somewhere he recently said that "I'm 24, but I still look 16." I'd have to disagree with that assessment, though... I really think he's starting to look his age.

TG, in your magazine shopping, did you happen to pick up the "Spin" issue? I really liked the article/interview in that one; quite different in tone and angle than most of the others that have come out recently.

Sixteen? The character is sixteen? :confused: I had thought he was a university student...
In the first sentence, the character says "I was going on seventeen at the time." Since I read only the first chapter, I don't know what time span the book covers. He could well be older than that by the end of the book. Within the first few pages, IMHO, he's already outcreeped Patrick. Maybe a glimpse at what McPhee might have been like if he and his mother had been poor and powerless? Hate and rage with nowhere to go.

In one of its common "huh?" actions, amazon.com has two completely disconnected entries for the book. When I did a search from within the associates' area to set up a link to the book, it immediately brought up the current edition, readily available for ordering. Just now, when I did a search on the main part of the site, to check if I'd remembered the character's age correctly, all the search came up with was an out-of-print version that's a special order. There's a link to the current edition (which is the one you need in order to read the first chapter) on my What's New (http://www.frodolivesin.us/new/) page.

TG, in your magazine shopping, did you happen to pick up the "Spin" issue?...
No, I would have been shocked to see Spin at Shopko! :eek: I was surprised enough to see Premiere. For those who don't have a ShopKo nearby, it's like Target, Kmart, Walmart, etc. Its "entertainment periodicals" selection usually stops with TV Guide and Soap Opera Digest :haha: . Come to think of it, there was only one copy of Premiere -- maybe an Elijah Wood fan had surreptitiously sneaked it onto the rack. ;)

Eandme, I am glad that you had such a wonderful time in Edinburgh. Somehow it makes our experience in London yesterday (already described by Pearl) that much easier to bear. As Pearl says, we didn't want autographs or even pictures, we would just have been happy to see him. Ah, well.
I have bookmarked your comments on the film to read when I have seen it.

Despite our unsuccessful wait outside the Apollo, it was great to meet Lady Wendy, Pearl and Opaline.

Just been looking at the tg's link for Novel with Cocaine. I can see Elijah in this role and from the small bit that I've read I think it would work with the protagonist a little older. He would have to do it sooner rather than later though.

GUYS! Go check out the "See The Movie" seciont of the GSH website (http://www.greenstreethooligans.com)! They've added a bunch of cities and theatres to the (potential) schedule! (Mariole! DENVER!!)

eeeeeeeee! Sorry. A little bit excited, here. I hope hope hope :z: the film does well enough to make these and more happen!

There are also new messages from Lexi, Charlie and ELIJAH in the "News From Lexi" section. *squee*

Thank you Pearl! I know what you mean, it could easily have ended like that for us too, but luckily our experience turned out to be quite different! :)

I keep thinking about Green Street. I will be adding stuff to my previous post about the movie, 1) because I can't let it lie and 2) because not many people have had the chance to see the film yet, so there's not much hope for a discussion here... yet. ;) So rather than talking to myself I'll just keep extending that post.

There have been reports written for those of you who are interested. Please visit Fainpathe's Livejournal,
here's me in one of her photos :haha: I'm fangirl no 3 from the right. Beats being "Orc no7", doesn't it? :D
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y78/signorezabini/green%20street/elijah5.jpg

Great pic, Eandme! You women must be fairly tiny, you little cuties.

Bunnie, I almost swallowed my tongue in excitement, following your link to see if my city had been added. But BOO HOO HOO! Shoot! It's playing Denver (grrrr, Mariole!) and St. Louis; why not Minneapolis, I ask you????? Heck, Denver metro is about 2.5 million; Minneapolis-St. Paul is nearly 3 million. There are tons of college students, too. There have GOT to be a lot of EW fans there! Oh, whine, whine, whine!

~ Mechtild

Woot! It's playing about 45 minutes from me!!!!!! :D

Just got this in from Dougie Brimson. The movie trivia has begun!
Every writer puts in something personal, or inside joke in his/her book, or script. Some get edited out, some slip by the censor. Here are some of the things that Dougie Brimson slipped in:


1. When I wrote the script I was insistent that the car driven by Steve
Dunnam had to be a black Range Rover because that is my favourite
car.

2. Similarly, the motorbike ridden by Bovver in the movie is a Triumph
Daytona which is my favourite motorbike!

3. I used the musical Chicago in the opening scene with Shannon and Steve
because Chicago is my favourite musical and I took Lexi to see it
on one of her first visits to London.

4. Steve and Shannon's son is called Ben which just happens to be the name
of my son!

5. My son Ben actually plays Tommy Hatcher jnr who we see getting killed in
the flashback scene.

6. The girl Elijah is talking to in the bar shortly after the trip to
Manchester is played by my daughter Kayleigh.

7. The GSE is so called because when I was in the military, I was a GSE
(Ground Support Equipment) fitter! All I had to do was to find a name to
suit those letters, hence the Green Street Elite.

8. The lads in the GSE are all named after friends from my days in the
military.

** If anyone knows (provable) any bits of info about the movie, please post it, or send it to me. I am going to start compiling the trivia. Thank you.
txtac txtacknv@yahoo.com

txtac, I'm scared to look at this trivia thing... is any of it spoilery?

Back from Edinburgh, and having finally caught up with all the interviews, piccies etc out there in webland, I can now sit down and add to Eandme’s comments about how good the whole experience was. I have to say that the only thing I didn’t like about the film was Charlie Hunman’s accent. At times he didn’t even manage to sound like Londoner, never mind a cockney, and what made it worse was that he didn’t sound lower class, hard, rough or whatever other adjectives you want to use to describe the rest of the actors. I remember the discussions when the film was first being talked about, and initial concerns were that people were querying why Elijah had been cast. Most definitely these people were talking about Charlie, and I don’t think he can be blamed. During the Q&A session, Lexi was asked why she had cast CH and EW, and her response about CH was that his smile disarmed her from their first meeting. I can’t argue with that, since his presence on the red carpet melted me before EW had even stepped out of his car. I do wonder if, as a non-native speaker, she didn’t realise just how he would struggle, and that he got in because she was obstinate about having him.

Having said that, the constant grating whenever Pete opened his mouth did not stop me being drawn into what was a well-crafted film. None of the spoilers I had read had prepared me for the emotional effect the film would have on me. Likewise, none of the hundreds of photos and videos of Elijah had prepared me for what it would be like to stand 2 feet away from him. I have know for 18 months that he is 2 inches smaller than me, but as he stepped out, all that went through my mind was ‘Gosh, he’s so tiny’. China doll, sparrow and Peter Pan, are the words that come to mind when I try to describe how he appeared to me. He moves so quickly as well, which is probably what elicits comparison with a tiny delicate bird flitting about.

When the film was at the american festivals, I was annoyed by all the attention Leo Gregory was getting for his performance, but I now graciously admit that he fully deserves it. He was brilliant in the film, and is also much better looking than the Green Street poster image in real life. Elijah does do a good job, but you just kind of take that for granted, and I think he is equalled by Gregory. They both just make you forget that they are acting.

Spoliers below
I hold the opposing view from Eandme about the way the film ended. For me, it was happy, and the voices in Matt’s head are him remembering and celebrating all the good he has taken from his relationship with Pete. I felt that the scene took place a few weeks (or even months) after Matt arrived back in America. He has had time to reflect on and learn from his experiences in London, and has matured enough to realise that, while he had felt at the time that he ‘belonged’ for the first time, he now knows he is back where he truly belongs, and he knows which direction he wants his life go in. After spending time thinking through what happened and what is means for him, the episode with his old college roommate proves to him that he has made the right sense of what he was a part of in the GSE, and that it has changed him for the better. I don’t see him as lonely. He doesn’t want to be physically back with those particular people any more, but he is taking them forward with him in spirit, knowing that they have given him the confidence to find good solid friends in the new life he is going to make.

The last few days have been very special, and it just would not have been the same without Serena, Whiteling, Eandme, and the beautiful setting of Edinburgh at festival time. My friends were anything but Hooligans, and my experience far from tragic, but my time with them and meeting other hard-core Elijah fans took me out of my own little pond and I come home feeling that I, like Matt Buckner, have been changed in ways that I too can carry with me.

Hey, all! Thank the powers that be for Starbucks, and laptops! :) Am typing at you from the former, on the latter. :)

Well, EandMe, Serena, Whiteling, and Skate! You appear to have all had a very eventful few days! \

And EmandMe, a hug?!? What special Elijah-attractant were you wearing? ;) I loved your description (was it in the Hugs Haven?) where you talked about him having a more vital spirit than can be contained in that little skinny pixiesque body! He's just lovely, isn't he?

Young Mr. Wood, though he will never know it, has provided me with much needed therapy the past two evenings. After dealing with my senile father all day Tuesday, watching Casey Connor vanquish the personality consuming aliens was just the thing! And last night my sister overcame her aversion to Kevin Costner, and I finally got her to watch The War with me! My niece was quite funny. She picked up the DVD box and examined it closely; "I thought that was Elijah Wood!" she said! Perhaps a secret fan? She's only a year older than Lij was when he made the film.

Miss you all, and it was lovely to read such exciting news from all of you! I look forward to discussing Hooligans with you soon! :k :k

honey!

Eandme and Skater girl, thanks for your comments on what I shall refer to as TMFKAH (The Movie Formerly Known As Hooligans), since Green Street just makes me retch. I would agree with Skater girl’s take on the ending, that it is in fact a positive one. “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles” is pretty upbeat, after all.

Eandme wrote: Elijah breaks my heart with this one scene. It's very simple. It's when Matt has spent a few weeks in GSE. He is just walking down the street. His face has hardened, the look in his eyes is different... and E does it so well it's like watching a fall from grace and it gripped my heart like a cold hand. I think this is the same scene that honeyelf and Achila and I singled out in our reviews – the one where he’s wearing the navy jacket with the collar turned up. He looks like a completely different person: unsmiling and, you’re right, “hardened.” Even his walk is different from anything we've seen from him before.

BTW, those of you who were in Edinburgh, how was audience reaction to the film?

Condolences to Pearl and company on missing The Lad! How frustrating!

ylla! That picture of the Gap ad on the side of the building! I’d have driven into a tree!

On another front: As I mentioned to Achila, yesterday I noticed today that Everything Is Illuminated is on the list of coming attractions for the local art-house theater where I work! (Although it probably won't be there on opening day – here in the 'burbs, we generally get things a few weeks later than the bigger “arty” theater downtown.) On my theater’s website, I clicked on the title to see their little description of the film, and found the startling words "Starring Toby Hoffman. . . ." We called the management group that handles the writeups, and told the person there that it should be Elijah Wood. She replied, "Who's he? I never heard of him." :mad:

For soundtrack geeks, the current issue of The New Yorker has an article about Emiliana Torrini, the woman who sings “Gollum’s Song” on the TTT CD. Article says: Then the director Peter Jackson, who had been given a copy of [Torrini’s first album], invited her to sing “Gollum’s Song” – a gothic bit of pap that Torrini’s strong, glassy upper register almost saves. . . . PAP??!*#%@!!?? I love “Gollum’s Song” – gives me the chills every time I hear it.

On my theater’s website, I clicked on the title to see their little description of the film, and found the startling words "Starring Toby Hoffman. . . ." We called the management group that handles the writeups, and told the person there that it should be Elijah Wood. She replied, "Who's he? I never heard of him." But she had heard of "Toby Hoffman"?!?

I need a smilie showing appalled but amused disbelief. :rolleyes:

BunnieBugs wrote: But she had heard of "Toby Hoffman"?!? We didn't have the heart to ask! At least it didn't say Tobey Maguire. ;)

Who is Toby Hoffman? Seriously? Should I know? I am so clueless, I never can tell. :cool:

Skater Girl, thanks for a terrific report and review. You're the best, the both of you (that means you, Eandme)! I am sure I will be saying that again when fresh reports come in from you others who were there. *rubs hands in anticipation*

What a description you two gave of him, too. Physically, I mean. How I would love to have seen him myself (and how Pearl, Opaline, Brummie and Wendy would have love to have seen him, too.... :rolleyes: ).

Nighty-night,

~ Mechtild

Who is Toby Hoffman? Seriously? Should I know? I am so clueless, I never can tell. :cool: Well, see, that would be the irony: as far as I can tell, there is no such person as Toby Hoffman.

BTW, those of you who were in Edinburgh, how was audience reaction to the film?

The audience seemed to like it, although it isn't showing as well as could be hoped in the audience award stakes. What was interesting, and positive, for me was that relatively few of the questions in the session after were put to Elijah. I got the impression they came from people (a lot of them men) who I would have said cared little about who the American lead was, and we heard more from Charlie, Leo and Lexi, who all spoke really well. If these people take away favourable impressions and spread the word, the film will do better in the UK than if word is spread by obsessive Elijah fans.

Ha! Bunnie! I am relieved. So, there is no Toby Hoffman. D'oh! :cool:

Skater Girl, you wrote:

If these people take away favourable impressions and spread the word, the film will do better in the UK than if word is spread by obsessive Elijah fans.

Hmmmm ... "obsessive Elijah fans" ... and what might those be like? :p

~ Mechtild

Who is Toby Hoffman?
The love child of Tobey Maguire and Dustin Hoffman -- Height-challenged actor genes extraordinaire.

Seriously?
:eek: :haha:

tg - :lol:

Hey, I love those two actors. Any child of theirs, were it possible (in a petri dish?), would have to be a gem.

~ Mechtild

tg - :lol:

Hey, I love those two actors. Any child of theirs, were it possible (in a petri dish?), would have to be a gem.Although somewhat shudder inducing (and wouldn't look a thing like Elijah). :D

Although somewhat shudder inducing (and wouldn't look a thing like Elijah). :D
Well, hopefully, Elijah has no use for petri dishes. Although he might have a few around as ash trays.

Here's the article:

http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/wood%20attacked%20by%20soccer%20club

I can not believe that the West Ham Board of Directors would, or could do such a thing. This is unconscionable! We need to dig up the West Ham Soccer Club's address and mail them our displeasure in such an insiped statement. An actor has no say in where a film is shot. Yes, the West Ham BoD was lied to, but by Lexi Alexander an that other male producer (I forgot his name). Eliajh had nothing to do with lying to the BoD and should not be attacked by them . The West Ham BoD is really showing their "professionalism." They are really petty and small people to do this.

bunnie wrote: txtac, I'm scared to look at this trivia thing... is any of it spoilery?
No. I do not think so. It is just bits and bobs of the movie that do not tell anything about what the movie is about.

It stinks, txtac, but I will try to think of it as a bit of free publicity for the film, even if negative. :rolleyes:

I can not believe that the West Ham Board of Directors would, or could do such a thing. This is unconscionable! We need to dig up the West Ham Soccer Club's address and mail them our displeasure in such an insiped statement. An actor has no say in where a film is shot. Yes, the West Ham BoD was lied to, but by Lexi Alexander an that other male producer (I forgot his name). Eliajh had nothing to do with lying to the BoD and should not be attacked by them . The West Ham BoD is really showing their "professionalism." They are really petty and small people to do this.
I had the same reaction -- I couldn't figure out why Elijah was the one to get lambasted for this, but apparently, at the press conference the other day, he was the one to blurt this out, so he was the one who got the abuse heaped on him.

Guys, isn't this just a rehashing of old news? We heard months and months ago about how they were blaming Lexi (I think) for tricking them, and she as much as admitted it, saying that "The Yank" was never intended to be the actual title, but a way of getting the club to let them film at an actual game.

So, are they really blaming Elijah, now, or has someone just twisted an old story into something a bit more sensationalistic?

Lexi came out earlier this year in an interview and said that she and the other male producer (I will have to go look his name up) flat out lied to the West Ham BoD that the movie was not about hooligans and had no hooligans in it. It was going to be a film about soccer.

For the West Ham BoD to go after Elijah now, all I can think of is that the cast is out promoting the film now, so by attacking the most popular star in the movie, they will get some petty revenge for being lied to in the first place and maybe throw some more onus on the film.

For the West Ham BoD to go after a young man who had nothing to do with the decision making process though, is unconsionable. :mad:

It definitely stinks. But, maybe it will be like Mechtild said, and will actually bring more people into the film. You know the saying... There's no such thing as bad publicity.

I'll reiterate what I said above. Elijah said it at the press conference, so Elijah's the one they've turned their anger on. And the press are the ones reporting it -- West Ham themselves may not be saying anything against him, specifically, at all.

At one point in the film, and I don't think this could be counted as a spoiler, there comes the line from Pete that with regard to West Ham 'The football is ****, but the firm is great' (or words to that effect). It was then that it occured to me that West Ham should actually be more upset about that one line than at being lied to about the hooligan side of things. It wasn't as if they were exactly singled out as a club for having a hooligan element amongst their supporters, and by Elijah bringing the lie into the public forum once more, it puts a stop to anyone being able to say that West Ham are proud of their firms and supportive of hooliganism. The BoD should be pleased with Elijah, not angry.

ETA - I've just spotted that an interview with Elijah about life after LOTR is scheduled for BBC Radio 4's Film Programme. It looks like it will be Saturday 3 Sept at 17:30. Like all BBC programmes, you will be able to listen again for a week after at www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/filmprogramme/

Did anyone catch "Child Stars II: Growing Up in Hollywood" on A&E last night? I saw the second hour, and there were a few brief glimpses of Elijah, but that was it. Was he mentioned in the first half at all?

In the half of the show that I saw, the few former child stars that they paid attention to who were not interviewed for the show were Macauley Culkin, Drew Barrymore, and (I think) Jodie Foster (she was featured, but I can't remember if she participated with an interview or not). The shots we got of EW were just random filler shots, but at least none of them showed up when they spoke of Child Stars Gone Bad (that was reserved for people like Dana Plato, River Phoenix [both RIP], and Danny Bonaduce). Oh, and Sean Astin got a brief glimpse in the section about Child Stars Who Last, as well.

Hello Faculty!! :k

Well, I'm back. :) I feel as if I had spent weeks in Edinburgh - I've so much experienced, so much impressions to digest... no wonder I had a crying headache yesterday. Way too much material for my little brain!

So, where to begin?! I think I'll start with a big big thank-you to Serena, Skater girl and Eandme! Meeting you lovely ladies was wonderful, enriching and FUN! Special thanks goes to Eandme, who had not only the guts to stand in first row at the cinema and to had herself hugged by the ONE LAD (*melt*) but to hand over a printout of one of my drawings to him, so that Elijah could sign it for me!! :k

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/whiteling/autogramm.jpg

Thanks my dear, I'm forever grateful for that!
Too bad I couldn't see neither the hug nor the signing but that's life I guess. I had the luck to see (and hear) him a few moments before he came to Eandme. He is so drop-dead gorgeous! And yes, his skin IS like alabaster and his eyes... I've never seen such eyes in my entire life. Absolutely stunning. It was interesting - it felt almost familiar to see him. Like meeting a very good old friend. In RL he came exactly over to me like on the zillion of pictures I've seen of him: beautiful, vibrant, touching.
His movements have a certain quicksilvery quality, very swift, agile and elegant. Um, before I get even deeper into Hugs Havens talk I should say something on the film Green Street I guess :p.
Firstly, the film turned out to be much much better than I had expected! What a relief.

It started quite slow and harmless and I needed quite a time to get drawn into it. But then - wow! Eandme, the parallels you draw to the Greek tale of Odysseus are very interesting, indeed. I hadn't any specific saga in mind when I said it reminded me of a Greek tragedy. In a Greek tragedy the events run down imperative, unescapable for the characters. Green Street has this quality - but does it lead to the final catastrophe for the hero? Yes and no. To me, it is an open ending. Matt had survived and learned to stand his ground, but he is not the Matt we knew in the beginning of the film. He has lost his innocence and he is alone. But wasn't he alone in the beginning as well? I'd say his loniness has reached an other level, is reflected and he possibly can cope with it now.
I loved the scene in the rest room where Matt confronts his former University roommate. The moment where he is about to punch him in the face, but refrains from it finally. He knows he could easily beat the crap out of him, but he has no need any more to do it this way. What a great acting moment of Elijah. It left me very satisfied as viewer - Matt has gained real strength on his tough route, much more strength than the pitiful "Mr. "Son-Of" on the floor. Another great acting moments were Matt's discussions with his father. Oh dear, I literally could *see* the "tie fastening" in the area of his heart. I think Elijah could relate to this father/son conflict very well. :(
I liked the colouring of the film: in the first scenes Matt is wearing bright colours (a natural-coloured pullover, a bright shirt) which emphasises his innocence. He is an unknown quantity. During his introduction to the world of football his colours change. His football shirt is of a dark red, and (my favourite) is the blue jacket he is wearing throughout the second sinister half of the film.
I found myself liking Charlie Hunnam's acting very much (as a non-native English speaker his accent couldn't bother me, infact I was glad for it, as I could understand him a bit better than the rest of the Cockney folk). And Leo Gregory did a great job as well.

Phew, that's it from me at the moment. I'm still over the moon!
I :z: that the photos I took of Elijah will turn out well. If so, you'll get to see them of course!
Will you kindly excuse my now, I need my smelling salts now. ;)

whiteling! How lucky you are to have one of your beautiful drawings actually signed by its beautiful subject! I enjoyed your comments on TMFKAH, and I especially agree with what you said about Elijah’s handling of the scene in the rest room at the end. It's very subtle. I also agree with you about the blue jacket in the second half of the film -- :eek: !! [minor swoon here].

While I was searching online UK news sources for any reviews of the movie, I came across an article (in The Independent) called “A load of pork pies: Green Street sees red at hooligan film.” This one deals with the reaction of the people who live/work/do business in the actual Green Street area. They are bent out of shape because of how they feel the fiilm depicts their neighborhood: "The makers of this movie are irresponsible," said Sir Robin Wales, the Mayor of Newham. "They have taken the name of a vibrant, bustling, multicultural street which is a magnet for people interested in fashion, jewellery and food and labelled it a violence place which it is not. The very least the film-makers could have done was invent a fictional street and a fictional football club but all they are about is making a quick buck." Isn’t it ironic that the film makers changed the name to Green Street because they thought Hooligans was too inflammatory???

Meanwhile, over on The Guardian’s film message board, someone (a civilian, not a professional critic) writes that It wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting, but I was expecting it to be nigh-on unwatchable. That could be called damning with faint praise, I suppose. More entertainingly, someone on the same board made a reference to having seen angelic poppett hobbitboy Elijah Wood on a TV talk show.

As for the elusive Toby Hoffman, there’s a concert violist with that name, but how he managed to creep into the EII blurb remains a mystery.

Here's a new article from the London Evening Standard: "Football Fight Club."
See if you can pick out the inconsistancies:

http://www.thisislondon.com/films/articles/20178975?source=Evening%20Standard

Who cares about inconsistencies? I was just delighted to see the following, in a major UK publication: Those who hoped to see the movie go down should feel sick as parrots today. Green Street takes a grown-up look at both the brutality of hooliganism and the exciting camaraderie that membership of a team's "firm" bestows. Wood is very good as the innocent dragged fists-first into the Green Street Elite run by Charlie Hunnam's charismatic Pete. [emphasis mine]
The violence is as kinetically exciting as the footage of West Ham at home and yet the film leaves the viewer in no doubt that while friendship is great, violence is dumb. (Thanks for the link, txtac.)

Here is another article from BBC Sport: "Hammer Blow"
Notice that in the photograph, they single out Elijah!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_ham_utd/4186838.stm

Here's a new article from Lexi Alexander. See if you can pick out the inconsistancies:

http://www.thisislondon.com/films/articles/20178975?source=Evening%20Standard

What a great, positive article in a paper widely read in London

Brummie wrote:
What a great, positive article in a paper widely read in London
That sounds like sarcasm. ???
So it's not the London Times. Is the Evening Standard that bad?

I don't think this will interest many people, but the following EJW films are on in Europe this week:

Radio Flyer - today SKY movies 7 16:15 and Thursday SKY Movies 3 at 04:35
Spy Kids 3D - Thursday Sky movies 9 18:20
Chain of Fools - Sky movies 2 at midnight

Huck Finn is on Super RTL in germany on monday at 29:15

txtac, IMHO The Evening Standard is a little bit trashy (but not as bad as The Sun or The Mirror) but is very widely read in London, so it's good they're so positive about the film.

Pelagia, the Guardian talkboard critic you mentioned is v. recalcitrant as regards fond feelings towards Elijah, so his faint praise is really quite welcome! In another review he says to the effect that the fight scenes are well staged, the supporting cast is very good, Charlie Hunnam's accent is very bad and Elijah is actually pretty good, but badly miscast.

So, under the circumstances, really quite a positive review... :p

Thanks for the links, txtac. Interesting that they both use Lexi's quote about the West Ham situation. To what's already been said, I'll just add that if the officials think everyone involved in the movie is just out to make a buck, they don't know much about independent filmmaking. :rolleyes:
Danny Dyer, star of last year's soccer-yob drama The Football Factory, declared that any film starring Wood would not be tough enough (hobbits being fairly useless in a post-match ruck).
He don't know hobbits very well, do he? :haha: (To say nothing of Wood :p )

http://www.frodolivesin.us/RotK/4b3204e0.jpg
"Wanna say that again, Danny?"


should feel sick as parrots...
parrots :confused: ?


The following statements are exactly what I hoped the movie would say regarding the whole violence thing, and it seems most people who've seen it have agreed (at least those posting here :p ).
...Green Street takes a grown-up look at both the brutality of hooliganism and the exciting camaraderie that membership of a team's "firm" bestows.
...the film leaves the viewer in no doubt that while friendship is great, violence is dumb.

---------

Skatergirl, I hope some people are interested! Seems Europeans get more chances to see things like Radio Flyer and Chain of Fools than Americans do. (And on TV you can just watch the last half hour or so of Spy Kids 3D and see Elijah's entire part ;) .)

"Wanna say that again, Danny?"
:lol: Thanks for that, Tg! A "Hobbigan" at work :D

Txtac, thanks for the links.
I found a little article of the Edinburgh press conference for TMFKAH with the nice title "Pretty boys of Green Street". Apparently, the journalist is female. :p Read it here (http://www.iofilm.co.uk/festivals/edinburgh/2005/diary_24082005.php). (You'll find links to two [so-so] GSH reviews there also)

Skater girl, thanks for the reminder of Huck Finn over here on TV. I'll definitely watch it again - particularly after having the pleasure of (finally!) hearing the director's commentary with you and Serena in Edinburgh! It's great to hear Sommers gushing over Elijah and his acting every few minutes! :)

Special thanks goes to Eandme, who had not only the guts to stand in first row at the cinema and to had herself hugged by the ONE LAD (*melt*) but to hand over a printout of one of my drawings to him, so that Elijah could sign it for me!! :k

Well, I wasn't gonna let him get away now was I. ..? ;)
And as for getting your beautiful drawing signed, it was an honour to present something so artful to His Loveliness. As I gave it to him to sign I said "my friend made this and she'd like it signed by you. It's really good, isn't it?" to which he almost cut me off saying "YEAH!!!", and he almost couldn't take his eyes off of it. I had a feeling he'd have liked to hold on to it. But while he didn't get to keep it, Whiteling let me pick another of her beautiful drawings :haha: so I have that now, and you can eat my shorts Mr Elfin-velvet-hobbit-squirrelLijah!! Oops sorry, talking to myself here. thank you Whiteling!!

I think Faculty members should stick together at times like these.
I felt that there was a sense of sharing and having fun while we were waiting for Elijah to arrive. But as the evening wore on, people got a bit more frantic. I was quietly (well, not exactly quietly, but...nevermind) having a drink upstairs with a fellow fangirl, when the security people arranged for our group to stand at the barriers. When I came down I had to beg and plead to get a place in the front row. This amazed me since I would have been willing to squeeze in to the point of risking selfimplosion in order to give as many people as possible a chance to meet Elijah. If you are not in the front row you don't stand a chance. (I will henceforth substitute the phrase "an ice cube's chance in hell" for "a fangirls chance in line") And the people in the front mind you were all people I had, for various reasons, tried to be helpful to during my stay in Edinburgh. I had a lovely time in Edinburgh, but my eyes were opened to some rather unsavoury sides to fandom.
And now I'm gonna get killed for saying all these things. Oh well.

And yes, his skin IS like alabaster and his eyes... I've never seen such eyes in my entire life. Absolutely stunning. It was interesting - it felt almost familiar to see him. Like meeting a very good old friend. In RL he came exactly over to me like on the zillion of pictures I've seen of him: beautiful, vibrant, touching.
His movements have a certain quicksilvery quality, very swift, agile and elegant.

check...check...check...aaaaand check. I agree with all that you've said above. esp how weird it is to look upon a face so familiar, so intensely familiar, and think "I've never met him before".
As for how stunning he is, this can not be emphasized enough. Photos do not do him justice, and I think that's saying a lot.

Will you kindly excuse my now, I need my smelling salts now. ;)

:lol: heh

hi ladies!!

TOT!!! Heard on the news about the hurricane katrina!!!!
Do we have any felow faculty sisters in New Orleans?????

If so hurry away from there !! :z: :z:

Whiteling ;i am so happy for you!! that you got your drawing sign
by Mr. Gourges!!!!!!!

i e-mail you soon,promise!!!! :k :k

tg.you are the best!!!!! :k :lol:

LOVE YOU ALL/WOOD

Oh, squee, Eandme!

Do I understand correctly that there was a lot of, "every fan for herself" going on? Or have I misunderstood?

And another squee for Whiteling's AUTOGRAPHED picture. I have that as a printout on my wall, next to the computer, Whiteling. (Without the autograph). I don't know how EW could not have been impressed by your work.

~ Mechtild

yes Mechtild, that was exactly what I wanted to say. It surprised me because I thought what people love the most about Elijah is his gentle, "insanely generous" personality. I guess a really good reason to obsess umm I mean take a keen interest in someone is that you want to learn stuff from them, right. But this all I'm gonna say now or I'll be throwing stones in a glass house.

Well, Eandme, I imagine the fans were feeling terribly conflicted. One would want to behave well, if only because one's idol was watching -- an idol noted for his courteous, "no, you go first" sort of behaviour. On the other hand, he is, in fact, one's idol, so the temptation is going to be great to get up there and meet him, "by any means necessary". That seems to have happened.

On meeting a celebrity.

Pearl noted in her LJ or above, she'd prefer to try and meet him at a convention, not at an event like the London Premiere, jostled about with a lot of other heatedly determined fans. Perhaps she was thinking of this very thing. At a convention, one buys one's ticket for an autograph or for a photo op. That way, a fan can feel assured that her chance will come. It may take a while, and it may happen later than scheduled, but it will happen. The temptation to enter into what becomes a pushing and shoving incident becomes next to nil.

I have never met a celebrity at anything, other than Howard Shore after the LotR Symphony in Pittsburgh last July. If one bought a top price ticket, one was allowed into a reception after the concert at which Shore would appear to answer questions and sign autographs. Even at that, in a fancy-schmancy room filled with concert-dressed adults with the money to pay for those tickets, there was a good deal of jockeying for position, lest he leave before one, "had one's chance." So, I, too -- Miss "Oh, no, you have the last cookie!" Mechtild, very much felt the pressure to, "make sure I got a good spot," even though I disliked myself for doing it. We had paid a lot of money, for us, and we had driven very far (over a thousand miles!) to go to that concert and I really, really wanted a chance to thank Howard Shore personally (as if he cared!), and to have him sign my CD. I wanted my memento of the event; I wanted my little "trophy," I suppose, to take back as proof that I was there.

It was an occasion that provoked very mixed feelings in me, and in all of us there, I think. We all wanted to be ladies and gentlemen, but we each wanted our chance, too. A room full of happy, gabbing LotR filmscore fans was transformed into a pack of hungry autograph hounds the minute Shore had finished his Q and A. Even while he was still speaking, I could see that people were easing up through the assembled crowd. I could see it and sense it: "If I don't get up there, I may not get to meet him!" He looked very tired and clearly wanted to go home, even if, at the same time, he was clearly gratified that the concert was such a success and that we had enjoyed it and him so much. But we were all of us merciless. We wanted what we wanted, and he stayed until the bitter end, poor lamb.

I had pooh-poohed the idea of "paying" to meet a celebrity back before the ORC thing. But your experience, Pearl's remark, and thinking back on that Howard Shore reception, has changed my mind. I now think that plonking down the cash in order to meet a celebrity at an organized event, in which it is clearly understood by both fan and celebrity just what is required and expected of them is the better way to go. Better for both.

wood, thanks for that thoughtful reminder. I just checked the news and, indeed, Hurricane Katrina looks as though it is going to be very bad. I am truly worried about you fans in its path, or those with family and friends there.

Ereshkigal, I know you live in a southern state like South Carolina. Are you lurking? What's the news? :k

~ Mechtild

I have friends in New Orleans. I'm a little worried, to say the least, but one has already left to go to her parents in Memphis, so that's one out of harm's way.

On meeting celebrities -- I've had my share, and it's always a little weird. You hope that your fellow fans will act well, and a lot of the time, they don't. There's a subtle understanding that the tiny little scrap of a celebrity's time is what each person is competing with the others for, and any decorum goes right out the window. I'd love to say this isn't usually the case, but I've seen it happen too many times to think otherwise.

Luckily, Elijah's a prince and does his best to give his fans as much of himself as possible. I was very lucky to have had someone else in my life like that, who also treated his fans very well. That really makes all the difference.

But while he didn't get to keep it, Whiteling let me pick another of her beautiful drawings :haha: so I have that now, and you can eat my shorts Mr Elfin-velvet-hobbit-squirrelLijah!!
:lol: Now, THAT'S Faculty solidarity, isn't it?! :cool: Poor Elijah! I start to think it could be a good idea to actually send him a drawing of mine, no?

When I came down I had to beg and plead to get a place in the front row. This amazed me since I would have been willing to squeeze in to the point of risking selfimplosion in order to give as many people as possible a chance to meet Elijah. If you are not in the front row you don't stand a chance.
It makes me sad to hear that, Eandme. In our case things were a little different. Serena, Skater girl and I arrived at the cinema only about a quarter to 6, at a time the front row was already chock-a-block. As far as I'm concerned, I really didn't feel the urge to squeeze myself into the first row. I was quite happy with my place behind (I am *really* shy), and when you asked me to come in the front (:k), I refused your kind offer. I've never been to a film premiere or something, so I was quite overwhelmed by the forward-pressing and jostling, when Elijah finally showed up. :eek:
Mechtild, I loved your reflections about meeting a celebrity. Yes, it seems to be too often a "It's now or never!" situation. (And thanks so much for your kind words :k !)

Luckily, Elijah's a prince and does his best to give his fans as much of himself as possible.
Oh yes! It was obvious that the time for the fans was very under dimensioned, but he really was very attentive to everyone he interacted with. Lovely, lovely, lovely. :)

Wood, dear - sending hugs your way! :k

Crossing fingers for all Americans who may be concerned by the Hurricane!!

A couple of quick things:

I don't know if any of you have seen some of the photos that have come out from Elijah's appearance at the Toronto SFX con, but he's looking decidedly thin in them. Perhaps he's slimming down for his role as a certain rock star? Or, maybe his weight just goes up and down like many of us. ;)

And, I understand that there is a review of EII over at Ain't It Cool News (I don't believe that I can link that site) that has glowing things to say about Elijah. I haven't read it myself, because I've heard it's slightly spoilery, so I'm steering clear for now.

I now think that plonking down the cash in order to meet a celebrity at an organized event, in which it is clearly understood by both fan and celebrity just what is required and expected of them is the better way to go. Better for both.


I hadn't thought of it that way. Very wise observations, I think. :)

My focus is more on EW's films than EW himself, but OTOH I love to read other people's write-ups of events and conventions and things where they meet him. I think I often have more fun reading some of the write ups than I would have if I'd actually gone. :p

Sheryl

If AICN is any indication of reviews for EiI
I think we have a real winner on our hands here :k

Thanks Bunnie for alerting us to the good news!

Shilohmm, I never thought of it that way either. If I ever have a chance to see him, I am sure I will seize the opportunity, but I won't drive huge distances the way I did for the LotR Symphony, or the way I will to see the exhibit in Indianapolis. I am willing to drive to Minneapolis, though, even to see him in Green Street Hooligans. What's 165 miles? I did it to see the EE's and RotK at a really good theatre several times. :rolleyes: I sure hope they add the Twin Cities to the screening cities -- seriously. I really do want to see it on a big screen. EEI I am SURE will play there, if not up here in Duluth, too. (Yippee!)


Luckily, Elijah's a prince and does his best to give his fans as much of himself as possible.
It looks like the prince is going to be lifted up as the prince of Ukraine. Wow, BunnieBugs, thanks for pointing us to that early review by Moriarity at AICN. It has ratcheted up my excitement level even more. And, Ylla, thanks for underscoring it, or I might not have noticed.

Whiteling, I am glad that you could see some truth in the "meeting a celebrity" post. I gave it a lot of thought.


And now, back to the TV news. It looks really bad for the Mississippi River-Gulf of Mexico states. I sure hope it does one of those last-minute downgrades. But even if it downgrades, it will still make a mess. Heavens, they've evacuated New Orleans. That's a big city! (I visited there years ago and danced to the Neville Brothers and the Wild Tchoupitoulas -- it was sublime.)

Praying for you folks in the Gulf states,

~ Mechtild

Just a word to let you know how much I've been enjoying the reports of the Elijah encounters, or non-encounters--the whole shebang. Wonderful about Elijah seeming to want that lovely art for himself. :D :k The man has taste!

Way back you were talking about Toby Hoffman as the love child of Tobey Maquire and Dustin Hoffman. I just wanted "I love Huckabees" with Dustin Hoffman in it, and Dustin's son! Little Hoffman got a couple of lines as a valet parker. He looks like a young Dustin, and sounds exactly like him! (Sort of like Julian Lennon sounds like John.) Very cool and weird. So I'm for it.

Cheers, all!

I usually try not to rely too much on reviews by the Elwood fans at AICN, but it's still nice to read a glowing review. Thanks for the heads up, Bunnie. :) Also, at one of the links txtac gave this morning there was a picture gallery from the TMFKAH premiere, and I thought Elijah looked unusually thin in those. (BTW, I've added TMFKAH to the Elijah Wood Geek Glossary, so it'll be in the September updates. :cool: )

Whiteling, right after I read about the autographed picture, I was going to mention (but forgot to :rolleyes: ) that Elijah's seen two of your drawings now, and IIRC his reaction to the first one was something like "Oh--Wow!" The book presenters probably remember something about that :p . So between that, and his wanting to keep the second one, he definitely shows good taste in art. :) (And he got to keep the first one, after all -- he shouldn't be greedy ;) .)

Some non-spoilery snippets from the AICN review (by Moriarty, who wrote one of the best reviews I've read of FotR):

"[I]t’s an unquestionable original, a frothy delight with a dark side, a comedy with a devastating right hook. It’s also a strong showcase for Elijah Wood, who finally has his first great post-LORD OF THE RINGS role. The way he handles the film’s dizzying shifts in tone is smart, adult work. It’s obvious that Schreiber is an actor first, director second, because it really is a film that succeeds based on the moments between people, the friction between all these wonderful discoveries he’s made...

"[I]t begins with Jonathan Safran Foer (played by Wood), a precise little exclamation point of a guy...Elijah plays most of the first half-hour of the film without saying a word, and Schreiber made the choice to hide Elijah behind a pair of glasses that magnify those already-gigantic eyes. It makes thematic sense, with Jonathan willingly playing the role of observer instead of participant...

"This is great character comedy, and there’s genuine chemistry between Wood, Leskin, and Hutz...

"This isn’t some actor’s vanity project. Schreiber is the real deal, a born storyteller. He’s got a fetish for authenticity. Lots of people would have cast familiar faces in every role, or they would have packed the soundtrack with current hits. Schreiber found unknowns who he felt really inhabited the roles. His soundtrack is all Ukranian, of the region. It helps create the feeling that you’re immersed in this world right there alongside “Jonfan” and Alex and Grandfather. You’ll definitely want to collect this one when it opens September 16th in New York and Los Angeles before Warner Independent rolls it out across the country. It’s a keeper."

Sharpes girl, thanks for those snippets.

"His first great post- LORD OF THE RINGS role"

Ah- music to my ears. Although, not having seen Green Street yet, it may be his second great post-LORD OF THE RINGS role. ;) I just cant wait to finally see him as the lead in a movie again, instead of just small parts (even though he's good in those parts.) I'm just greedy I guess! :D

Talking of Fan reaction to The lad, heres an article about his appearance at ELF.

http://http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/movies/orl-loc29elf_105aug29,0,794785.story?coll=orl-calmoviestop

where
"Intellectual discussion gave way to giddiness." :D


ETA An interesting review of Green Street from a footie fan's perspective;
here. (http://blogs.indiewire.com/twhalliii/archives/005383.html)

New article out where Elijah says that he is addicted to the TV show "Lost."

http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/wood%20addicted%20to%20lost


Has anyone been able to confirm yet whether Simian Records IS Elijah's label?

Does anyone know when Elijah got his dog Levi? (What happened to Levone and Rascal?)

Has anyone been able to confirm yet whether Simian Records IS Elijah's label? Yes, he told the audience at the Toronto convention that his label is Simian Records.

Does anyone know when Elijah got his dog Levi? (What happened to Levone and Rascal?)Where did you read about Levi, txtac? I had not heard that he has a new dog, but I guess it's logical that it might go along with having a new house. :)

Bunnie: Yes, he told the audience at the Toronto convention that his label is Simian Records.
YEAH!!! It is about time he broke the silence. :lol:

Bunnie: Where did you read about Levi, txtac? I had not heard that he has a new dog,
New-ish dog. Since at least 1998. Harry Knowles wrote about Elijah and family when they were in town filming the Faculty. Go to:

http://www.aintitcool.com/news/980416/1.html

http://www.aintitcool.com/news/980423/8.html

Elijah travels way too much to keep a pet at home. As far as I know, the dog(s) are still at "home" with mom. Rascal and Lavone were around when Elijah was a kid. They should be dead by now, but I haven't heard anything about them in years. It would make sense that that is where Levi comes in. New dog to replace old dog(s), but no definite news on that end either. It has been long enough now that Levi could be dead too. I don't know, that's why I am asking the "Elijah Experts." Anyone have any specific dates?

New article out where Elijah says that he is addicted to the TV show "Lost."

http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/wood%20addicted%20to%20lostDon't believe everything you read on Contact Music, txtac -- they're notorious for making things up or miscontruing things.

Has anyone been able to confirm yet whether Simian Records IS Elijah's label?He said as much over the weekend, either in Toronto or at ELF.

Achila wrote: Don't believe everything you read on Contact Music...
"Never believe anything that you read, or hear unless you already know it to be true, or can be proved by two or more unrelated sources." Neal Boortz

I haven't found Contact Music in a bold face lie yet, but most of what they publish about Elijah are snippets from other sources.

Did Elijah say why he chose "Simion" as the name for his label? There is an English band called Simion and a Simion Films in Hollywood. To name is record label Simion would be confusing unless he had a very good reason for doing it. Remember his earlier production company called "Sparkplug Productions?" He had to drop that name because another corporation was using it. So now why Simion Records?

I haven't found Contact Music in a bold face lie yet, but most of what they publish about Elijah are snippets from other sources. However, much of what they've published has been out of context. Elijah just said in another article that he doesn't watch much TV, so how could he also be hooked on "Lost"? And when you read the quote from him at the bottom, it doesn't imply that he's hooked on it, only that he's seen it and is proud of Dom.

Did Elijah say why he chose "Simion" as the name for his label? There is an English band called Simion and a Simion Films in Hollywood. To name is record label Simion would be confusing unless he had a very good reason for doing it. Remember his earlier production company called "Sparkplug Productions?" He had to drop that name because another corporation was using it. So now why Simion Records?Simian - notice the spelling - means "monkey-like", and as we all know, one of Lij's nicknames is "Monkey" -- it's perfectly fitting, don't you think? ;)

...that he doesn't watch much TV,
Define the word "much?"

He also said earlier that he doesn't watch TV. Then said that he likes the TV show Icons playing in Los Angeles. Now he (supposedly) also likes Lost. Is that contradictory? Is he lying? I do not think so. When he is too busy like he is now, he has no time to watch TV. When he is at home doing (relatively) nothing, he will watch what he wants to watch. Being a loyal Hobbit, I can see him watching Dom's first TV series to see what it is. It is a good series. I can easily see Elijah getting hooked on it and continue to watch episodes when he can. Lost is a well written, adventerous, mysterios TV show. Times change and so does Elijah. He used to not like rap music. Now he does like (some) of it. Go figure. If he wants to start watching TV, more power to him.

and as we all know, one of Lij's nicknames is "Monkey" -- it's perfectly fitting, don't you think?
No man is going to choose a childhood nickname for his adult business. I think that analogy of using a childhood nickname is pushing it a bit. There has to be another reason for for choosing the name "Simian".

Define the word "much?"
He also said earlier that he doesn't watch TV. Then said that he likes the TV show Icons playing in Los Angeles. Now he (supposedly) also likes Lost. Is that contradictory? Is he lying? I didn't mean to imply he was, simply that Contact Music has seemingly inflated what he said. Wouldn't be the first time they've done that. Nuff said.

Sharpe's Girl, I'm glad you pasted some of those quotes from Moriarity's EEI review, especially this bit:

"[I]t begins with Jonathan Safran Foer (played by Wood), a precise little exclamation point of a guy...
"A precise little exclamation point of a guy..."

Heavens, I loved that. What a great turn of phrase. It brings to mind the image of him as Jonathan for me perfectly -- and vividly. My mind's eye sees him in that black suit and black hair, travelling up from the pair of small black-shod feet widening out to the top of his relatively big head, accentuated by the giant glasses. :cool:

Maybe EW should have named his record company, "Exclamation Point"?

In the spirit of even-handedness ;) :

from txtac:
No man is going to choose a childhood nickname for his adult business...
There's always an exception #1: Sparkplug was a childhood nickname, too ('course, I don't know how long ago that production company was planned).


from Achila:
Elijah just said in another article that he doesn't watch much TV, so how could he also be hooked on "Lost"?
There's always an exception #2: If you check out the "Lost" thread here, you'll find some who watch very little TV who are hooked on that particular show--including me. :p

Bunnie Thanks so much for the link to Moriarty's EII review. :k

Very, very positive review - I'm so looking forward to seeing this film -when it eventually arrives over here in the UK.

If you read through the posts following the EII review, Moriarty says of Elijah:

This is a film that makes pretty rigorous demands on him as an actor, and he rises to the occasion. :)

I loved the 'precise little exclamation point,' comment too, Mech.

I haven't seen CandyGirl around here for a while, but if you're lurking, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CANDYGIRL!

It looks like someone else just realized that you're celebrating today:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y121/Blossom10/CandyGIrl.gif

Eandme, Serena, Skater Girl and Whiteling - I'm so pleased you had such a lovely time in Edinburgh. Thanks for your wonderful reports. And congratulations, Whiteling on having your gorgeous 'Blue Frodo' print signed by The One Lad himself. He knows quality when he sees it! :)

Sorry I haven't done much but lurk lately, and I don't have time for anything but the briefest of comments here, but I did want to note I love Moriarity's review. I can't wait to see when local theatres will pick this movie up--limited release doesn't usually mean anywhere close to me, at least not in the first week. I hope it will come soon, though. Squeeeee!

Also, just to ally fears, I am from the south, but South Carolina is, thankfully, way out of Katrina's massive range. We won't even get much rain from her. I am worried about friends in Alabama and Mississippi and Louisiana, and strong winds are expected further north than that.

Good luck to all in Katrina's way. I hope you weather the storm well.

(Pssstt--Hooray for Green Day getting 7 out of 8 awards at the VMA's last night).

Elijah will be on TRL next week -- it's on mtv.com but no date yet (thanks to undone27 for the news)

Don't think this has been posted and frankly can't remember where I saw it but I know there is a deadline so...... there is news about the Benefit GSH in Chicago and how to get tickets for those interested and Able. :( not me....
Details:
The screening is on Tuesday night, 6 September
7:00PM
Museum of Contemporary Art
220 East Chicago Avenue
Reception afterward with catering by Wolfgang Puck!
Also an auction... Call them at: 312-996-6427

http://www.ceasefirechicago.org/MCA%20Screening%20Invite.pdf

I'm sure someone knows more but Who????
saile

Saile, a GSh benefit and showing in Chicago? Would that I lived near there! :(
Blossom, thanks for the comment! (Note the exclamation point.) :D

Ereshkigal, I am terribly pleased to hear your state is not being hammered. :k

Achila, I noticed you gave a credit to undone27. Her LJ really is a treasure-trove around here. Maybe we should start chipping in to pay her a stipend? :p


~ Mechtild

I saw this info at the LJ belonging to lilithlotr, Saile. She says you have to reserve a spot by Thursday, Sept. 1, and there is a suggested donation of $25 at the time of the screening.

There is also supposed to be an advanced screening of GSH on September 7th at the 600 N. Michigan Loews. If you are interested, you can pick up a complimentary pass (good for two) at Chicago Soccer (4839 N. Western). I got that info off a soccer messageboard, and I'm not sure if details are correct, so if you're interested it would probably be best to call first.

p.s I got my wristband!!!!!!!! :lol:
saile

Well, I'm back.

Got my leather wrist band, too, Saile! :)

TGShaw: Whiteling, right after I read about the autographed picture, I was going to mention (but forgot to ) that Elijah's seen two of your drawings now, and IIRC his reaction to the first one was something like "Oh--Wow!" The book presenters probably remember something about that . So between that, and his wanting to keep the second one, he definitely shows good taste in art. (And he got to keep the first one, after all -- he shouldn't be greedy .)

Well, actually he said "Oh! Oh my G_d!" IF I get to see him at the NY premiere of TMFKAH (which is still up in the air) should I be "greedy" and remind him? ;)

I've just downloaded the Graham Norton TV show courtesy of undone27, provider of many good things. Only problem is, I can't see it, only hear it! :confused: Can anyone help me out? Pretty Pleases?

"A precise little exclamation point of a guy..."

How oddly literate coming from a denizen of AICN! And an absolutely perfect description!

Glad to be back!
honey!

PS. It's not spoilery, since it's in the trailer. The way Matt says "yeah" when his bro-in-law says "So, you've finally made it across the pond," is just right for the character at that moment, and tells us alot about him in just a split second. That single sylible is delivered in a perfectly wishy-washy way, because Matt hasn't come across the pond particularlly by his own choice, but because he couldn't think of anywhere else to go!

PPS Am thrilled to hear that Jonathan's first 1/2 hour of EII is nearly without lines! Of course you know that I think Lij is a marvelous silent actor!

I've just downloaded the Graham Norton TV show courtesy of undone27, provider of many good things. Only problem is, I can't see it, only hear it! :confused: Can anyone help me out? Pretty Pleases?

You need to download and install an xvid codec from here.

http://www.xvidmovies.com/codec/

There is a reason why people live in Texas! :haha:

School's back in session and the pirks commence: :lol:

University of Texas, Austin

September 27: FREE Screening of Sin City, Texas Union Theater, 7:00pm

September 28: A Lecture by Robert Rodriguez, Texas Union Ballroom 7pm

I just recieved in my wristband too! IT"S TOO SHORT :mad:
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Oh, poor txtac! I can't think of a thing to suggest to make it work, either.

I snagged and uploaded a three-minute radio interview that Elijah did for Time Out Radio in the UK, and it didn't cause too much excitement over at LJ (too much post-ELF excitement over there, I think), so I thought it might be appreciated here. He always sounds so well spoken and articulate, and I love the British-isms that he throws around so casually.

So, here you go (please right-click-save):

Elijah talks football (http://bunnie.mothtoaflame.com/video/elijah_time_out_radio.mp3) MP3, 2.78 MB

Gee Thanks Bunnie for the mp3. I do love the sound of his voice. Oh my. :) :) Nice to have it on MY ipod just in case, ya know. I have not heard/seen this any where else. Thank You. :k

saile
p.s. I hear someone is viewing EII tonight????? :confused:

p.s. I hear someone is viewing EII tonight????? :confused:Yes, the US premiere of EII is in LA tonight. :) Wish I were there!

Speaking of EII, I guess some of us will be getting that in theatres before others (in the US, I mean). It opens Sept. 16th, but I hear that Atlanta doesn't get it until early October. I have no idea about anywhere else! :confused: I guess we'll know when we know.

Speaking of EII, I guess some of us will be getting that in theatres before others (in the US, I mean). It opens Sept. 16th, but I hear that Atlanta doesn't get it until early October.
BunnieBugs, I know GSH has a list of cities and theatres where it is to play in the U.S. (*sniffle* - not MN), but I haven't seen a list for EEI. Is there one?

I would love to find out if it is going to play somewhere drivable to me.

Thanks, Mechtild

I've not been able to find such a list, Mechtild. And I've tried Fandango, and all they tell me is that the film opens on the 16th. New York and LA are supposed to get it first, and then everywhere else, maybe a little at a time, sort of like GSH? Like I said -- it remains to be seen.


EDIT: I just have to add this to my post, because it's just too good: News about Elijah's potential future roles (http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/news.php?id=2750).

The goodies continue to roll in, audio, video, and casting-wise! Ah, it's a good time to be an Elijah fan!

I poked around at Rotten Tomatoes this morning, and found nothin' too hopeful for EII. One rotten tomato, from a reviewer who didn't like the use of humor in telling a story that relates to the holocaust. Well, I knew that would happen! One reviewer liked the movie, but didn't like Lijah in it. The best the reviewer could give him was by way of praise for Liev's ability to use "...Wood's inanimate comfort range to his character's advantage..." :mad: I begin to hate the whole idea of movie critics!

But with the advance screening for EiI tonight in LA, we should be hearing more about it soon.

TxTac said: I just recieved in my wristband too! IT"S TOO SHORT
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHH!!!!!!!

Bummer! :( Now, I wonder why they didn't consider that men would want them too? They are kind of small!

Oh, and Bunnie has some LOVELY new pictures of Elijah in her LiveJournal! Here's only one:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v377/honeyelf/ps-9-002.jpg
Sweet dreams, my friends! :)

honey!

Rotten Tomatoes also has some reviews up for GSH -- it's at 60 right now. Three good and two not so much.

EDIT: I just have to add this to my post, because it's just too good: News about Elijah's potential future roles (http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/news.php?id=2750).

What???? The writer says--While doing his press tour for Everything is Illuminated I had a chance to sit down for about an hour with Elijah Wood here in Seattle and believe it or not there was more to talk about than Starbucks coffee
Seattle???? Did I miss something??? I could have, I"m that blind sometimes. But when was Elijah in Seattle???? Let me believe instead that a Seattle reporter came to him while he was set up in some room in the Beverly Hills Four Seasons taking junket interviews. Was Elijah in Seattle??

But beyond that, excellent news, Bunnie. ANd thanks for sharing it.

Did anyone report Billy on scene in Edinburg??

But when was Elijah in Seattle???? Hey, I only find the stuff and post it! I can't be held responsible. ;) I can't figure out the Seattle thing, either! I can't think of why he would have cause to be there, unless he's just flying around the country doing press. But, still, when? And I can't believe he didn't let us know! :p :D

I was surprised that he wasn't at the premiere of EII last night in LA, but maybe the press junket didn't allow it. He did say at one of the cons that he had something like a month's worth of press to do. Yikes.

Whew!! Thank you, Bunnie. My guess then goes with reporter coming to him and just pretending they were in Seattle. I know that's how lots of interviews get done. An actor can go to a few cities, then the rest come to him, so to speak.


So Elijah wasn't at the premeire last night??? Any other word on how it was received??

So Elijah wasn't at the premeire last night??? Any other word on how it was received??
Liev and Eugene were there, but no Lijah.

A friend of mine saw it and loved it. She said it was "wonderful, funny and moving." :) She has read the book, and thinks that it will appeal both to those who have and who haven't. I can't remember if she said anything about audience reaction, but I got an overall positive feel from what she said. I saw a review posted by someone else, but it was labeled as "spoilery", so I avoided that one.

Oh, and first friend spoke to Liev and he said that EII is doing a rolling release (much like GSH), and he gave her a place to call to see if she could get more information on dates in various cities. I'll let you know when/if she passes those along. :cool:

Maybe spoilerish for EiI below........Spoilerish


used Wood's inanimate comfort range to his character's advantage

Think this is another example of Elijah's extraordinary acting ability? Sounds a bit like this critic sees "rigidness" and lack of animation and assumes that is who Elijah is - when in fact- it's ACTING. Played against the very animated character of Alex, Jonathan is not animated but rigid. Foils? (right word?)


END SPOILER
saile

With respect to the tidbit about Elijah being in "Bobby", I have to say that I loved what he said about the need for a Bobby Kennedy in today's world. I couldn't agree more.

I also love the fact that Anthony Hopkins is going to be in this. It's not just great directors I want to see involved with Elijah, it's also (other) great actors that he could learn from.

Thank you, everyone, for marking your spoilers! I want to see both these films, EII and GSH, as soon as I can! I'm afraid GSH will have to wait to October to visit Denver. I'll have to revisit your posts then! Cheers.

Got my GSH bracelets--I accidentally ordered two, but now I can let each daughter have one when I tire of them. Two hooked together makes a really butch choker. :lol: :lol:

Bunnie, did I see you are from Atlanta? Did you go to the Green Day concert on August 23? I was there, screaming my head off. Lots of fun. I may end up going to Atlanta (a 5 hour drive, but then you have a great city to play in when you get there) for the GSH showing, if it doesn't come to my state (SC), which I seriously doubt. I'm just hoping EII comes along eventually.

Sigh.

I do miss the big city life.

No, I'm not from Atlanta -- I just saw a thing about Atlanta having an early showing of EII in Atlanta on October... 4th, I believe.

I'll be at the Green Day concert here in Portland, Oregon on Sept. 28, though. I got floor tickets! I hope I don't die. :eek: I'm sure I'll be screaming, too. :cool:

Just saw that filming for "Bobby" is slated to begin October 25. That could mean we'll be seeing that early next year...crosses fingers....

BunnieBugs, I scrolled back up and found the link to the article on EW's upcoming roles by Brad Brevet (post #474). This bit was my favourite, it was so .... I don't know, so redolent with "'Lij"-ness.

Mr. Brevet quotes Mr. Wood enthusing over the script for the upcoming project set on the day Robert Kennedy was shot, Bobby, thus:

I mean, I was reading that speech and I was like... F***, we need to hear this kinda sh** now! So, I actually think it could be a really important film to illuminate an American perspective and an American ideal that doesn't really exist anymore... very interesting.
Spoken like an American after my own heart. Actually, we really do need to hear this kind of sh** now.

~ Mechtild

For those in the UK, Elijah is featured in this week's Big Issue and he's also on the cover.
With tousled brown hair, he's Tanagotchi-cute, but so radiantly so, he seems larger than his 5'6"Even this non-fan journalist notes the glow. But he goes on to say
...Wood seems to have befallen the same fate as Mark Hamill/Luke Skywalker in Star Wars:confused:
before demonstrating towards the end of the article that this is not the case.
The rest of the article is fairly positive, but lukewarm on the film.

http://www.44t4.com/newwg/manics/hobbits/bigissue/elijahbigissue1.jpg
http://www.44t4.com/newwg/manics/hobbits/bigissue/elijahbigissue2.jpg
http://www.44t4.com/newwg/manics/hobbits/bigissue/elijahbigissue3.jpg

Ah, Brummie! What an interesting interview! I must say, I don't understand the Mark Hamill reference either. I'd say that page has yet to be written!

But I did love this bit:
To a certain degree I think I’m idealistic. But I also tend to be a bit of a realist as well…I’m an optimistic realist, but I would say I’m optimistic. There’s a certain amount of untruth to being purely optimistic. The opposite of that is pessimism, and I don’t believe in that either – I don’t believe in looking at the world or life through those eyes. I prefer to look at things from a realist perspective, always hoping for the best.

Somehow I identify with that statement. One can't go around locking up the potting shed lest some desperate soul filch your canning jars! But I don't believe this kind of thinking saves you from occassional disapointment or bouts of depression, sadly. Just random musings from someone who finds a bit of herself in what he says there.

And aren't those pictures of him just lovely! I wish people would quit with the "elfin" comments, though!

honey!

With tousled brown hair, he's Tanagotchi-cute, but so radiantly so, he seems larger than his 5'6"

What's "Tanagotchi"?

:confused:

I'm not sure what a Tanagatchi is Mech, but I think the author of the article may have mangled the spelling of Tomagatchi, those little electronic pet thingies that were all the rage amongst the middle school set some years ago? I'm not so crazy about the "cute" adjective, which seems to discount Elijah, but I like what the author says about "the glow."

honey!

Thanks so much, Brummie, for linking those scans. :) And, thanks, honey, your explanation made a lot of sense of "Tanagotchi". :)

I liked the article, too, but consider the "cute" and "elfin" stuff just the usual at this point. I did become a little alarmed when the author began the last paragraph,

All of Wood's best roles have had a little twist of perversity..."
-- I mean, he was including Frodo in the list, for heaven's sake. But I got a little thrill on Elijah's behalf when the writer concluded the article,

You get the feeing Wood is only just unconvering who he really is and that the acting will mature. So what does he think of Schreiber's remark [referring to Schreiber calling EW in that other interview, 'really very weird']? "I kinda take it as a compliment. And I took it as a compliment back then. I don't know specifically what he's referring to. But weird is good." Let us know more Elijah...
It was the opening line that most attracted my attention, but his final line spoke my own thought well, too, so I quoted the whole thing. :p

P.S. Did you see a name of the author? I don't see one. :confused:

~ Mechtild

Just read that Mark Hamill bit from the Big Issue article again. The author seems to relate this fate to earnestness. He implies that people don't like "good guy" characters because they can be too one-dimensional. Elijah's quote in that same paragraph seems to argue that there was more than sticky sweet goodness in his portrayal of Frodo, that he played him as a lost soul.

From an interview with Lexi Alexander --

http://comingsoon.net/news/topnews.php?id=11026


CS: How did you end up with a star as big as Elijah Wood playing the lead in your movie?

Alexander: His agent found the script and called me from an airplane saying that Elijah needs to meet with this director, and so he came in and he was really wanting this role, because as you know, this character has an incredible arc. It starts off as somebody who's spineless and doesn't stand up for himself. Everybody walks all over him. To somebody whose chest is up high and would stand up for anybody or anything, especially for him. So, it's an actor's dream to play a character who starts at one place and goes to a complete opposite. Every actor we had wanted this role. It wasn't a question of we having to beg him or anything. This was a very popular script in the acting world.

CS: He wasn't at all hesitant about the fighting?

Alexander: Not at all. That's what he wanted to do. What young actor wouldn't want to do that? You wouldn't believe the young actors who courted me for these parts.

The author seems to relate this fate to earnestness. He implies that people don't like "good guy" characters because they can be too one-dimensional. Elijah's quote in that same paragraph seems to argue that there was more than sticky sweet goodness in his portrayal of Frodo, that he played him as a lost soul.
honey, thank you for lifting that out. Unlike the 'cute' and 'elfin' references, if that inference is correct, and I think you are right, this author's perspective really baffles me when applied to the character of film Frodo. It makes me think he/she hasn't seen the films. Or, if the author did, she/he had her mind closed while she/he watched.

The implication is that good-guy characters are too simple to play, that playing such roles cannot be respected as pithy acting work. But anyone with two eyes in her head, fan or not, can see that Frodo was not a simple character, nor was he a simple character to play. Why, any other character in the films (except Aragorn's, perhaps) was simpler than Frodo's to play. (*Although, all of these characters except Saruman and Denethor were "good guys," essentially, and none of them received nominations for anything, either, so I suppose I am proving the writer's point right there, LOL.)

Having reviewed the older Star Wars films after a very long while (before watching Revenge of the Sith), I also thought the character of Luke was not "simple." In fact, it was easily the most complex in any of the six films, and was notably memorable. The film character of Luke Skywalker is a dynamic, complex character as played (with a lot of nuance and intensity) by Mark Hamill (no, I am not a Mark Hamill fan, but I am a fan of Luke).

I don't believe in this "good-guy character" = "simple acting task" = "Mark Hamill syndrome" = "no real career, once the blockbuster is over." I see what happened to Mark Hamill - and what folks have feared will happen, or has happened to Elijah Wood - as having far more to do with these actors being deeply identified with very famous, very beloved characters. So beloved, audiences don't want to let the actors be separated from those characters, in their minds. That I see as a true problem for EW, not that his work in Frodo was considered "simple," because he played a [very] "good guy." ("And good characters are simple-to-play characters, ya da ya da ya da, and so those who play them are no great shakes.")

Now, if we are talking about serious film buffs and professional film critics, as compared to film audiences, I'd agree that there is a prejudice against good characters. There is also clearly a prejudice against films which portray "the good" strongly. But that is another issue. I think that that critical attitude dominated in the late twentieth century (and remains dominant). It had almost everything to do with keeping many "serious" critics from being able to take the LotR films or the work of their actors seriously. People would say it was because the films were fantasty films. But fantasy films in which the delineation between good and evil is more mixed do not present this level of difficulty for them. And fantasy films which are studies in evil seem to present little if any difficulty for critics to take seriously. Because the "good" characters in the LotR films were clearly good (although they were far less clearly good than they were in Tolkien, as fans have pointed out to their unhappiness), critics tended automatically to consider the films lesser. They considered them lesser not because they were fantasy but because they considered them unrealistic. They considered them unrealistic not because of oliphants and Elves and ents as such, but because of the way they portrayed human character and potential. The good guys were too good, in their opinion, to be real, to be believed. They were "simple" characters, out of "simple," childish stories.

Do these critics know no good or admirable people in their lives? I think they probably do. But, I venture to say, they are afraid to believe in such people, or believe that the goodness such people demonstrate is "true" -- that is -- that it proceeds from their characters and is not a matter of chance acts -- that it comes from within the "good" of the character and therefore can be counted on to persist over time. The critic or person with this attitude can see Ghandi and admire him, but cannot rid him or herself of the deeply-rooted suspicion that murmurs even as he or she watches, "Ghandi was noble last week, and seems to be noble this week, but, sure as shootin', he'll be selling Nikes next week. And I, for one, am not going to be taken in." Modern people are terrified of being "taken in" by the good, only to find themselves fooled later on. If Ghandi or any other character were to be presented as a believable, "real" characters, their noble acts would need to be shown as the product of the chance intersection of events which somehow brought out these notable behaviours -- i.e. heroic, or selfless acts. If the depiction is to be considered "real," it should be clear to the audience that Ghandi (or whomever) does these things as blips in the course of his otherwise unremarkable (or even murky) life, or that he does them self-servingly. These acts are not to be understood as proceeding from Ghandi's good character, because good character is something that endures over time and is not a matter of accident, momentary inspiration, or immeditate gratification.

Everyone can believe in the angsty, ambivalent, troubled cop who, in a crisis, lays down his life for a stranger. People have greater difficulty believing in a "good cop," that is, a cop who, in spite of the s**t, in spite of the daily grind, chooses over and over to put his life at risk for strangers because it is part of his character (whether nature or nurture), because it is consistent with what he believes is right to do so. The first cop will have his story told in the paper; there might even be a TV bio on Fox, or a movie deal. The second cop, although appreciated and revered by many whom he has served and who have known him, might get a feature in the "local section" of his paper when he retires. The first cop will be played by someone like Sean Penn and that actor will get an Oscar. The second cop will be played by someone else (if they make a film about him at all), an actor who probably won't get an Oscar. Maybe they will give that actor a "life-time achievement award" when he is old.

Oh dear, I'm rambling and it's time for work.

Anyway, I suppose my point was, that I am tired of hearing Frodo (or Aragorn or Gandalf) dismissed as "simple characters," simply played, because they weren't -- and aren't. I think it would be more honest if critics would just say they don't believe in such characters (or, that they are afraid to believe in them).

~ Mechtild

optimistic realist
I like that! It suits me, too. :)

I enjoyed the rant, Mechtild! I agree that people are afraid to look at the potential greatness within themselves or other people--too intimidating, perhaps? But IMHO it is that call to greatness that has caused LOTR to survive all these years, and to touch the people that is has so strongly. Don't forget that most critics have never liked LOTR, not as a book when it first came out, or as a movie. It was only in bowing to popular acclaim that many of them came to revise their views. No, I don't think critics view movies with an open mind. I think most of them are looking at their own audience, how they can come off looking smart and clever so they can get the next job (or keep this one). But that is my rant about critics! ;)

BTW, anyone who thinks "good" characters are simple to play is not paying attention. Sir Ian McKellan said in the FOTR commentary that "unqualified goodness" (or words to that effect) is the most difficult to play. I enjoyed Hamill's performance as Luke and Elijah's as Frodo. I like good characters trying to do their best! I hope movies about this continue to get made, despite the prejudice that wants to offer me film after film about psychotic people, alcoholics, sociopaths, and prostitutes. I can take them in small doses, but as a steady fare they are extremely boring.

Mechtild -- I'll have to use :k , because we don't have the applause or "not worthy" smilies here. You could write the same post, from the reference to serious film buffs and movie critics on, substituting "book" for "film" and have what I truly believe is the problem some litcrits (and some "dark fantasy" authors) have with LotR. If a work says something positive about human nature, it can't be "real" or, even worse, "serious." Pullman says, in regard to Tolkien's writing, that we have to prepare kids for the "real world" and not show them things through rose-colored glasses. But Tolkien's view of us is real when looking at the vast majority of humans I know. Someone (might have been Shippey, I'm not sure) wrote that, in Tolkien's work, "the line between good and evil runs through the human heart." If you ask me, that's human complexity at its deepest, and certainly a big part of what makes Frodo (and so many of JRRT's other characters) so complex.

The movies, of course, simplified things, some of which was necessary just to get the story in, but I do think at least some of Frodo's complexity was kept, thanks in large part to Elijah's portrayal. Just one example is his portrayal of Frodo's "loss of innocence" when he decides to use Gollum as a way to find the Black Gate. IMHO, the fact that Elijah has an optimistic view of human nature similar to Tolkien's helped him understand the character more than some others could have.

Well, I didn't mean to do that... I stopped in to say that I just got a call that my mom's been taken to the hospital and I'm the only family member they could get hold of, so I'll be gone for at least a day or two, depending on how she is. No computer access there. Hopefully things aern't too serious and I can be back home for the weekend to get September site updates published.

ETA: Simulposted with Mariole. Next month, all of LotR will have been continuously in print for 50 years, with people reading it voluntarily rather than as an assigned "classic" in lit class. IMHO that says a lot about it (and gives me one more similarity between Middle-earth and Baker Street to reflect on. ;) :p )

The movies, of course, simplified things, some of which was necessary just to get the story in, but I do think at least some of Frodo's complexity was kept, thanks in large part to Elijah's portrayal. Just one example is his portrayal of Frodo's "loss of innocence" when he decides to use Gollum as a way to find the Black Gate. IMHO, the fact that Elijah has an optimistic view of human nature similar to Tolkien's helped him understand the character more than some others could have.
Beautifully said, Tg! His optimistic view of human nature is not only a wonderful basis for his multi-layered acting (and makes it so compelling for people who don't shy at emotional involvement), but seems also to be an essential part of his "glow" as a person. IIRC, it was Eandme who said, seeing him caused her the desire to be a better person. Yes, I could feel this effect on me, too :).

(Tg, best wishes for your journey to your mom! Hopefully, she is OK! *hugs*)


Probably most of you have seen some of the Edinburgh film fest pictures over at LJ land. Here is my contribution to the augmentation of Elijah photos in the world ---

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/whiteling/edin08.jpg


I love that expression on his face :D - too bad I couldn't overhear what caused it. I wonder what was going on? To what fangirlish greediness is he reacting??! :p I'm not sure but I *think* a few moments later he said "We won't have the time for that, I'm afraid.", and he went on with signing (just had a Freudian slip - I typed "sighing" ;) ) ---

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/whiteling/edin06.jpg

(Seeing those pictures, I notice how much I'm still enthralled by this experience. Just yesterday hubby made the passing remark he'd be getting bright blue contacts for himself in order to regain a part of my attention... :lol: )

Mechtild. Applauds. Thank you for your thoughtful essay. Why is it, I wonder, that many people find it difficult to accept that there are people who are just plain good, whom we can look up to and admire, who do the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do, regardless of any direct or indirect benefit to themselves in this world (or the next). The detractors would argue that, even without any apparent benefit, their motives are not altruistic because they have the reward of feeling good for knowing they have acted rightly.

I think that you are right, that there is a fear of being taken for a ride. Television entertainment gets easy laughs from poking fun at the unsuspecting and trusting. It allows the viewer to feel superior. Safer to be suspicious, look for hidden agendas and conspiracies, not take things at face value and look down on the gullible. Sure, the trusting person will be taken in a few times, but accepting people for what they appear to be and sometimes being mistaken would seem to me to lead to a generally happier life than to be forever suspicious of motives. Optimistic realist is a very good description.

I wonder too if modern ideas of equality and non-judgemental attitudes have a part to play in this. If everyone is equal, then no one can be better than anyone else and if they appear to be, then it must just be a combination of circumstances. If people's "badness" is explained as a product of their upbringing and circumstances and therefore, partially, not their fault, then "goodness" can be explained in a similar way.

I'm not sure I'm being coherent here. I'm not even sure what I am trying to say. I have to take the dog out so I'll post this and hope someone can make sense of it.

Mech--lovely post, and I'm so sorry I'm doing a drive-by and won't have time to adequately respond to it. But I do think this cynicism towards the good has characterized the past century, and I hope in the next we'll learn to stop equating cynicism with intelligence. Maybe someday we'll be able to use words like "truth" and "beauty" without putting them into quotation marks, and Keats' "Ode to a Grecian Urn" won't be just an old poem we study in lit class.

You could witness this cynicism invading even Jackson's version of LOTR. Gandalf's striking Denethor, Aragorn's beheading of the Mouth of Sauron, Frodo's blatant lie to Faramir--all of these actions were "realistic" in our world, but degraded the beauty's of Tolkien's world.


BunnieBugs--oops, my bad. But the concert will be great. Billie Joe recognizes that the fans are the floor are the ones ready to endure more hardship to be fans, so he chooses people (for the most part) from that part of the audience to come onstage and play. If you play drums, bass, or guitar--practice before the concert. Also, be prepared to go wild when Billie Joe pulls out the water pistol--you might get to shoot it if he chooses you.

My only claim to fame is that he personally shot me with the water pistol.

Squeeee!

:rolleyes:

Yep, I'm pathetic. But it was so much fun!